morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2010-07-07
From: Bears Den Hostel

To: Blackburn Trail Center
Miles today: 7.4
Weather: broken clouds

We left Bears Den at 8am. It is supposed to be hot again today. We only did 3 more of the roller coaster and we were done with that. It is not that bad but the heat slows us down. Up on the hills the walnut trees are dropping leaves because of the heat abd stress. The oaks are dropping acorns like rain at times, with a slight breeze. We are drinking water as best we can and gatorade with each litre. A great view from Crescent Rock. Arriver at Blackburn Trail Center at 2pm. We cooked a lunch and they are making spaghetti for us for dinner.
Date: 2010-07-08
From: Blackburn Trail Center

To: Harpers Ferry
Miles today: 12.4
Weather: haze

We left the comfortable porch of the Blackburn Trail Center before 7am to try to beat the heat. The trail is good but rocky, it makes you pay attention and watch your foot placement. We cruised right along, Anne has her trail legs now but has decided she has had enough fun for now and will end at Harpers Ferry. I sent an E-mail to my sister Mary-Lou who lives near Harrisburg PA, asking if Anne could spend a few days with them. Soon she called and offered to drive down and pick Anne up. She said she would arrive at about 2:30. The rest of the hikers we are traveling with, Metric, Vegan, To Late and To soon, arrived at the ATC. We had our photos taken and labled in the book for 2010. The group decided to rent a 6 bed cottage for the night. $40.00 each. My sister, and her daughter Rebecca arrived and gave us a lift to the cottage. She then offered to take some of us to the store for re-supply. I bet it must have been amusing watching this group shop. When the returned you would have thought they were shopping for a weeks stay. With a very sad heart I said goodby to my best friend and hiking partner. I may end this year in Duncannon PA. The group then made dinner of salad, chicken, corn on the cob, fruit smoothie. The food was great but my appetite was not. Many thanks to my sister for coming and offering my wife a place to stay for a bit.
Date: 2010-07-09
From: Harpers Ferry

To: Dahlgren Campground
Miles today: 17.2
Weather: scattered clouds

Up and left by 7. It is not the same without Anne. The path was flat for the first 3 miles along the towpath, then it climbs to Weaverton Cliffs. There is a beautiful view. I stopped for a photo at the Ed Garvy shelter, it is a 2 story log shelter with a pretty neat view from upstairs. There were 4 college guys there for the night then back to HF for them. They cleaned the fire pit and carried it out, nice of them. Stopped at Gathland state park for lunch, spent 1.5 hours looking around and reading. It was a very neat place in the 1880 erra. There is a Cival War memorial for journalists and artists from the war. More info on line I am sure. Arrived at Dahlgren camp at 4pm. There is a group camping here tonight 12 tents, lots of kids, I am sure there will be more to tell later. Many tents still in the boxes and no idea what to do with shock corded poles.
Date: 2010-07-10
From: Dahlgren Campground

To: pen-mar
Miles today: 23.5

At Dahlgren, The tent count increased to 17 before dark. It was a family reunion. We decided to walk up to South Mt Inn. They would not let us set in with the customers, even though we had showered, but would make us take out. Jim and I had a beer and peg had a wine while we waited. 3 prime rib and 3 drinks, almost 100.00. I carried the box down to camp and Jim helped Peg walk. Dehydration, hunger and tired all have an effect when alcohol is added. We ate our prime rib with our spoons. It was still good. Even the 11pm rain did not slow the party around us much. We got up at 7 due to weather. I told Jim and Peg I was going on as I was a bit faster. Headed for Pen-Mar. Not a real eventful day. The views were good from Black Rock Cliffs where I stopped for lunch. Stopped at Raven's Rock for a photo. Stopped within site of Pen-Mar and stealth camped for the night.
Date: 2010-07-11
From: pen-mar

To: Caledonia State Park
Miles today: 18.5
Weather: few clouds

Left by 6. Had breakfast in the park. Heading out I passed 4 tents after the park. Met some other hikers, White Chocolate, Slow Hike, Yul. Stopped at Tumbling Run shelter for a break and ran into more trail magic. A coke and apple from the fellows that were building the eating pavillion. As we came.to the road US30, there was a cooler with more trail magic, drinks and snacks. And even more, a menu for dinner at the park. I decided this was far enough for 1 day and walked to site 100. I was met by the cook doctor and Ju ju, allready there were hikers veggi scraps and fungi. They were preparing dinner, corn, chicken, beans and rice, lemonade. We all ate about 6pm. After dinner they played cards and made somemores. In the morning they are going to make breakfast and then slackpack us to Pine Grove Furnace state Park. This has been another gifted day for me.
Date: 2010-07-12
From: Caledonia State Park

To: PineGrove Furnace SP
Miles today: 19.5

We were provided with a great breakfast this morning courtesy of the Cook doctor, his crew and the Appalachian Trail Ministry. Eggs, corn, sausage, chicken, and fried potatoes. I bid them farewell and thanked them again. They are even taking our gear to PineGrove Furnace SP. Left at 9:30. Stopped briefly at Quarry Gap shelter and talked with the caretaker, Jim. This is a VERY nice place, clean and with coach lamps and flowers hanging on each shelter. During a section of trail after Birch Run shelter I noticed there had been rocks removed from the treadway, a bit unusual as most others have said every where they can put a rock they do. I found the trail very agreeable and fast to move on today. Arrived at PineGrove Furnace at 4pm, the museum had just closed. I had stopped a lot for photos and to sign registers and still covered the 19.5 miles in less than 7 hours. I did not do the half gallon challenge but did have a pint and got a few other things. Then went up to the camp offica and got a campsite for the night. Site 17. Yul traveled with me today and Veggi Scraps and Fungi have not arrived yet.
Date: 2010-07-13
From: PineGrove Furnace SP

To: Boiling Springs
Miles today: 19.4
Weather: light rain

I left the campground at 7:30 and headed cross country through the park to regain the trail. Not a real eventful morning until I got to Pa94, there is a small grocery .2 off the trail where I went for lunch. 2 egg and sausage muffens and a quart of milk. Added some other stuff to take for later, chicken sub, 4 packs of cookies and other stuff. Leaving the road was uphill as usual and it is hot and humid today. I was pretty slow up the hill but did make it without losing lunch. Stopped for water at Alec Kennedy shelter, they have a unique privy on the hillside with a cleanout downhill, kind of like the old farm styls basement doors from outside. Topped out at Center Point Knob at 1060 ft. It was all downhill to the farm fields which I walked the edges of for about 2 miles before arriving in Boiling Springs. I stopped at the free AT campsite outside of town and was rewarded with a beer form one of the fellows staying there. I am at Garmanhaus BB in the back yard $1.oo but no facilities, only water. Yul is here also. I got a shower and washed my clothes at the pool. On the way back I met another hiker in the park, Ryder, sat a bit and had another beer before returning and setting up my hammock. Ate the sub and it is now 9:30,and raining. Got to get to. Bed. Will try to get to Duncannon tomorrow.
Date: 2010-07-14
From: Boiling Springs

To: Duncannon
Miles today: 24.7
Weather: moderate rain

A gentle rain fell last night and continued. Up and gone by 6:30. Rain fell all the morning. Never put un my raincoat just sped up to keep warm. Stopped for lunch near 11am at Darlington shelter after about 9 miles, stopped for water and a snack before Duncannon. Arrived at the Doyle hotel before 6pm. Had a beer and talked with 3 Ball and Jiant, Yum Yum and Haro were there as well as Ups. After they left I sat with Duct Tape, Cabanna Boy and Wounded Knee. We talked about the others we had met and the trail as I waited for Anne and my sister Mary-Lou to arrive. We ordered more beer and burgers and were well into them when Yul arrived. I bought him a burger also. We all talked more about the trail and our future plans for hiking. Aroud 8pm we had to leave to get cleaned up. It has been a great section hike of over 400 miles with many new friends and I hope to be able to hike more soon.
Date: 2010-01-21
From: Gear List

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

I'm loading my pack and thinking of Lewis & Clark. Hell, how do you pack for an 5,000-plus march into the unknown? Start with alot of meat, apparently: the Corps packed "a ton of dried pork." Maybe I should bring a baggy of deer jerky.Food, fuel, shoes, and H20 aside, here's my gear list so far. Keep in mind, I'm going "ultra-light", which basically means I'm trying really hard to keep my pack as light as possible. Duh, right? That's called "common sense", not "ultra-light". Either way, I've slashed significant poundage, leaving my total weight at a skimpy 13.8 lbs! Anyways, please, give me feedback! Too much? Too little? Missing something?I-The Big StuffPack (Gossamer Gear Gorilla): 23.3 oz.Sleeping bag (0-degree GoLite Women's): 45 oz.Poncho/shelter (Sea-to-Summit): 12.7 oz.Thermarest (Thermarest ProLite Rig): 16.2 oz.II-Non-ClothesStove (homemade alcohol): 2.1 oz.Bowl (silicone, 16 fl. oz.): 2.3 oz.Spork (LightMyFire): 0.5 ozTent stakes (4): 2.8 oz.Latrine digger (MSR): 0.7 oz. Knife (Gerber): 7.8 oz.Headlamp (Petzl): 0.7 oz.Bible (ESV): 9.2 oz.Journal: Toothbrush & Floss: 1.5 oz.Mini-lighter: 1 oz.First Aid kit (8 BandAids, needle & thread, clothespin, Anti-biotic ointment, .5" medical tape, 5 ft. duct tape, 8 Advil, Moleskin, Gauze): 3.5 oz.Water bladder (Platypus): 3.5 oz.50 ft. parachute cord: 2.8 oz.Harmonica: 2.1 oz.Pipe & Tobacco: 6 oz.ID, cash, etc.: 2 oz.Bags (garbage, zip-lock):Compass: 1 oz.1 liter water bottle (Dasani): 1.5 oz.III-ClothesBaclava (Seirus): 2.8 oz.Long underwear bottoms (SmartWool, Merino): 7.8 oz.Long underwear top (Icebreaker, Merino): 13.5 oz.Rain shell pants (Marmot Precip): 12 oz.Rain shell jacket (North Face Venture): 13.5 oz.Gloves (REI): 2.1 oz.Down jacket (MontBell Alpine): 11.3 oz.Wool socks (REI, 3 pairs): 8.5 oz.Down booties (North Face): 12 oz.Beanie (normal): 2.8 oz.Liner socks (1 pair, Merino wool):It's a long list, indeed. Yet amazingly, it only comes out to only 13.8 lbs! I've still got a couple pounds to add...but still! Technology these days.
Date: 2010-02-07
From: Hike Inn

To: Hawk Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 9.0
Weather: broken clouds

We parted ways at 10:00am. My father and sister walked out the door like I¢ve seen them do so many times this past month, but this time I wouldn¢t wee them return that evening. This was different. It was hard saying goodbye at what I knew was an exit from their lives for the next six months, before I¢d go off and live my life and they¢d go off and live theirs. As they walked out the door and out of view, I felt just about as lonely as I¢d ever felt. I kind of wanted to chase them but that would be too embarrassing. So I sat there, trying to nap but unable. I think it was because I was alone now and knew it, making me uncomfortable and on edge. From here on out it¢ll be like that, more or less, with my guard up full-time. I need to stop writing about this or it¢ll get to me.By 10:30 I was at it, trudging through the aftermath of the ice storm, slipping and sliding in the snow and ice and trying not to yell curse words at the huge limbs blocking the trail. It was slow and painful to the summit of Springer Mountain, by 1:00 I was there, wiping snow off the plaque that read, ¢Southern Terminus of the Appalachian Trail¢. It was too cold and windy to relish the moment, so I marched down to the gap for a break. From there to the shelter, elevation decreased and trail conditions improved. No more ice. No more debris to climb over. Just 2¢ of snow to stomp down. My spirits immediately brightened as well.At a shelter, I took a nap and ate. It was only 3:00 by then, so I decided to hoof it to the next shelter, 5.5 miles away. This leg turned out to be in perfect shape. I shot through at a steady 3 mph, descending into an amazing ravine of rhododendron and amazing old growth hemlocks. Some were 300 years old and 5 feet thick, I later learned. Walking through those holy trees was the highlight of my day. I reached Hawk Mountain shelter before sundown, totaling 9 miles that day. I ran down to the stream to get water, cooked, strung up a bear bag, and wrote for an hour by candlelight. I drifted off and had a strange demon dream where Satan was in my head and barking at me so I couldn¢t think, and then I flooded him out by begging God to intervene and jerked awake. After that I was spooked and couldn¢t drift off. The mice, in their audacious fashion, ran all over me and all over my stuff, flatly ignoring both my yells and the beams of my flashlight. I slept well that night.
Date: 2010-02-08
From: Hawk Mountain Shelter

To: Gooch Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 14.0
Weather: overcast clouds

I woke up at 8:30 and saw a huge red woodpecker which made me smile. By 9:15, I was on the trail strong and fast to my destination 20 miles away. The trail was gradual and I was happy to be on it, hoofing towards Maine. About an hour passed wuntil I realized I was going in the wrong direction. I cursed aloud. I cursed aloud again. And you know how I realized it? ¢Cool, that guy¢s shoe tracks look just like mine. I wonder if he has the same ¢¦.oh shit.¢So after logging a total of 6 idiot miles, I was once again back at the shelter. It was 11:15. I took a nap had breakfast, dressed a blister, then set off again towards the next shelter 8 miles away (I gave up on 20 miles after losing so much daylight). And this time I was going North.Still, the mountain was white out ¢ all white in snow, fog, and sky ¢ and the temperature was still 23F from that morning. But very quickly, the bad weather lifted. The sky cleared, temperatures rose, and somehow the trail was 100% cleared for the nearly all 8 miles. The sun out and surrounding mountains visible, I stopped for a second and though about how they chase the phrase ¢Appalachian Scenic Trail¢: this was no forced march like I¢d been treating it that day. It was a scenic route, carved for the likes of Thoreau¢s saunterer traveling to the Holy Land. Then I thought of how fortunate I was to be there on that mountain. I could¢ve been a lot of other places ¢ like stuck at work or school, in a wheelchair, or in the twisted metal of a car on the side of River Road- like should¢ve happened so many times. So here¢s to a blessing. ¢I¢m goin¢ to Maine!¢ I said laughing. ¢I¢m goin¢ to Maine!¢At dusk, at the shelter, I finished dinner and let the fire die down to dull embers. In his classic hiker¢s manual, The Walker¢s Handbook, Colin Fletcher let it die from time to time, to let the darkness surround you. There¢s nothing as pure and powerful he said, as darkness deep in the woods. So I stood on the porch of the shelter and let everything go black around me. The wind blew in the trees and it was eerily quiet. ¢Say something¢ I said to God. I didn¢t know whether to expect something good to happen or something bad, because I¢ve found that he¢s speaking all the time in the strangest ways, and he¢s found in both the happy and the hard. I stood there for a long time, dreaming not thinking about all the blackness. It was addicting. It cozied the mind and numbed it over, like the way you cease when you finally arrive home. I was at home, in the wooded blackness. After half an hour, I retired to my sleeping bag and fell asleep.
Date: 2010-02-10
From: Neel Gap Hostel

To: Low Gap Shelter
Miles today: 11.0

In the morning I got up at 6:15 to get a hot shower before the others did, then sat by the heater and read a book about trees. At 9:00, I packed up, and walked up to the outfitters. I asked to do some work to pay off my stay, but the owner wasn¢t there so I settled up to save time. I hit the trail just before 10, just as the rains came.That day was divided sharply between great and God-awful. The first half, the great part, flew past as I hoofed without stopping through the wind and rain. 6 miles over to Tesnatee Gap. I went hard and strong and felt like a champ. But after a short stop at Tesnatee, things fell apart. During the stop, I¢d quickly lost all doby and hand heart and became a numb-fingered, shivering - and , not to mention, dripping wet ¢ mess. My hands lost the benign feeling of numbness and began to hurt like someone was bending them back. Groaning aloud and cursing, I began to march. I won¢t go into details because the next 4 hours was a drama of the most boring kind. I¢ll just say it really sucked and skip to the moment with God, which occurred near the end of the ordeal. I was mouthing off at him again (aloud, mind you), not really making a case but just pissed at the day¢s suffering. I had to yell at someone. I told h im to make it okay, or at least give me the big picture so I could at least calm down. All of the sudden, I said it aloud, ¢This is all part of it¢. This is part of the Good, the adventure, the chase after an elusive Spirit. This very moment of numb hands, wet clothes and stabbing blisters was the very reason I set off. Because this is Thoreau¢s ¢marrow of life¢, and in it I will find my God.I went to sleep that night with no idea what to do about my blisters for the next day. The wind picked up and a fog rolled in and the night was all dense blackness and I thought to myself about the old proverb ¢When I saw I stumbled.¢
Date: 2010-02-14
From: Mull's Motel (Hiawasee, GA)

To: Blueberry Patch Hostel
Miles today: 0.0

After a "zero day" off the trail, I awoke again in Mull's Motel and gathered my things. A lady saw me and asked if I needed any fuel of supplies. Yes, I said. I needed denatured alcohol for my stove. She pointed towards an outfitter down the street and told me to meet her there. "We got some for ya." She drove her truck around the corner, parked out front and opened the door and led me in. "It's free," she said, pointed towards some steel cans of alcohol. "Just leave a little something in the Kitty." I dropped a couple quarters in a cat-shaped container, thanked her, and hitched to the Blueberry Patch Hostel. The owner Gary Poteat still hadn't opened for the season, but I needed to pick up a package my parents had shipped there. Gary's house is off a 45 mph highway, miles from the city. It's easy to get a ride there from the city, but hitching away is difficult. A nice guy in a pick-up dropped me off there and drove away. Nobody was home so I waited, but I quickly realized it was too cold to hang around. Back to the trail was my only option. I left a note and walked out to the road. I stuck out my thumb and tried to look cold and miserable.The more cold and miserable you look, the more likely a car is to stop. I think. After almost 30 minutes, around the bend came a pickup. It was slowing and it's turn signal was on. It was Gary and his wife, Lynna, returning from town. They pulled in. "I know yall aren't open yet. I just need a package before I go," I quickly said as they got out. I wanted to make it clear that I just needed a package, not more charity. He said he had it and added, "You're welcome to stay the night." I pretended not to hear. If he really meant it, he'd repeat the offer. Sure enough, he did. "Yeah, I'd love to." This meant another day's delay, a second "zero", but I didn't care. This was an experience I wanted to have. Back in Richmond, I'd heard of Gary, his hostel, and even his hiker-famous blueberry pancakes. It was worth a day lost.We chatted as he lit the wood stove in the bunkhouse. Gary was a talker, and told me some of his story in his cool, Georgia-accented voice. He thru-hiked in the 90's and felt the Lord's voice. "Open a hostel of your own," he heard. "Minister to hikers." He married, moved back to Georgia and bought a parcel off the AT. Ever since, he's taken in ragamuffin hikers like myself. I was the first of his 18th year.The telephone rang and he walked over an answered it. Another hiker was on his way. Soon, a familiar face appeared at the door. Keven, the Canadian I'd met on Blue Mountain, walked in the door. He was thrilled to see me. I was glad to see him.That night we went into Hiawasee. We bought food for the next stretch to Fontana Dam, a tedious process of diving out calories on price. Keven convinced me to share food together over the next two weeks--breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Sounded like a good idea. I mean, why not? We also got some steaks and asparagus to take back to cook. I bought a crispy Fuji apple. Back at the hostel, we ate heartily and stayed up until 1:00 dividing ten days of food weight.
Date: 2010-02-15
From: Blueberry Patch Hostel

To: Muskrat Creek Shelter
Miles today: 15.0

We skipped church the next morning. The pastor of the Poteat's church, the Macedonian Baptist, had given me a ride into town and paid for a $50 motel room, and Gary Poteat had broken tradition and opened the hostel a day early just for me. I owed it to them to go to church and I knew it. But to make it 11 miles to the Muskrat Shelter by Sunday night, we needed to leave early. Kevin agreed. I still feel like I missed something by skipping church. I think He was waiting for me there, but I was too hasty to stop. We broke the news to Gary that night.At 7:30 Sunday morning, I packed my pack and prepared to leave. Gary called us inside for a stellar breakfast of sausage, biscuts, eggs and pancakes with home-picked & home-made blueberry syrup. We held hands and prayed over the food, just like home. Gary prayed for us and I knew he (and Lynna) meant every word. It all warmed me up. Lynna gave us a hug before leaving, told us he'd be watching out. I've never meant a person that glowed so genuinely for Christ. You can't glow for God, I thought to myself, cus he's kinda mean. He's like the snow and ice. But you can glow for Christ. He's like the sunshine.By 10:15 we were on the Trail, marching towards Maine. Just before the Muskrat Creek Shelter we crossed the North Carolina border. We celebrated and cursed Georgia. "Screw Georgia! We're in North Carolina!". Remember, all was buried in 1.5 feet of snow. Some drifts were even up to our thighs. After passing the gnarled oak in the clearing at Bly Gap, North Carolina greeted us with a grueling climb in 2-foot snow drifts. Very difficult. At Muskrat Creek, we found some food left by the previous night's campers. We played cards while we ate it for dinner. That night 4 inches of snow fell. Snowflakes drifted in and soaked into our down sleeping bags. I slept well.