morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2017-04-27
From: Bryant Ridge Shelter

To: Harrison Ground Spring
Miles today: 13.4

Awoke feeling tired and sore. Pains in my left shin and both feet had kept me awake much of the night. The P-group was planning another 20+ day, and I knew I couldn't get anywhere close to that. After Joker left, I told the others I would probably fall behind them today. Nobody said goodbye (considered bad luck on the trail), but I was sad to see them go. The hike started with a 2300' climb over 3 miles. It's a big climb but not unusually so; there's something comparable every 2 or 3 days. This one seemed interminable. Walking was bearable after that, but all I could manage was a plodding pace. My shin hurt, I had no energy, and I was far more bummed about losing touch with the group than I expected to be. I got to a campsite around 5:30, completely drained. It was windy, there was thunder in the distance, and it felt like rain would start any minute. I made camp quickly (nobody else around), ate supper, and turned in early. I did encounter some of the others during the day. Dogmouse was sitting about 2 miles up the hill from our starting point, dejected because he had left his sleeping pad behind. Adding 4 miles to a 22-mile day is no small matter. He eventually passed me late in the afternoon, almost running down the trail. I came across Winter and Stashe taking a break at a shelter; they were leaving as I rolled in. Later, I found them at an overlook, waiting for sunset; they planned to walk the last 10 miles after dark. (After dark is one time long-distance hikers usually do walk together in groups.) Could there be a relationship forming between these two introverted free spirits?
Date: 2017-04-28
From: Harrison Ground Spring

To: Little Rocky Row
Miles today: 15.1

It rained most of the night, with some thunder. But sunshine hit my tent in the morning and stayed out all day. It put me in a better mood, as I once again set out to hike my own hike. After a leisurely breakfast of oatmeal and coffee with the songbirds, I taped my shin and started out slowly. It was a long downhill to cross the James River, and I worked hard--perhaps not hard enough--to protect my left shin from more damage. By now there was no doubt I had shin splints. It was interesting to see the seasons change from late winter atop Apple Orchard Mountain to early summer along the banks of the James River. Ran into Shoelace a couple times. He's heading into Glasgow with a friend tonight. I'm sure we'll cross paths again. I had planned to stay at Johns Hollow Shelter, but I wasn't crazy about staying with the crowd that was already in the shelter when I arrived. The campsite at this shelter was beside the privy, the worst-situated and least inviting I've seen. I ate my supper, prepared lunch for tomorrow, collected 4L of water, and headed up the mountain with a heavy load around 6:30. Camped alone at a nice big camping area in a gap. Only problem was the wind, which blew quite noisily most of the night. At least it was cooler 1400' up the hill than it was at the shelter.SOLITUDE VS. LONELINESS: I've gone as long as 22 consecutive hours on this hike without seeing another human being. I enjoy the company and companionship of others (as evidenced by how sad I was when I fell behind the P-group), but I have genuinely enjoyed the solitude of the forest. Every turn or rise in the trail brings new sights and sounds that Nature seems to have provided for my enjoyment alone. The solitude has provided me time for introspection without the pressure of having to make decisions. I haven't had to chase away trivial or silly musings because there's something "more important" to think about. I've felt more lonely eating by myself in busy restaurants or staying in motel rooms during stopovers in towns than I have at any point on the trail.
Date: 2017-04-29
From: Little Rocky Row

To: Brown Mountain Creek Shelter
Miles today: 16.3
Weather: scattered clouds

Awoke to very sore and tender left shin. It was sunny, hazy, and humid all day--by far the hottest day of the hike to date, with temps in the upper 80s.As I was breaking camp at 8:00, Dogmouse walked by. Seeing him lifted my spirits, at least temporarily. He seemed to be in a good mood, but he told me Stashe, Lumberjill, and Winter had slackpacked big miles while he was resupplying in Glasgow yesterday. I know he must be feeling bad about falling behind the rest of the group. I learned later he did a 20+ day. I had no climbing legs whatsoever, and every downhill step felt as if a nail was being driven through my shin. It took an agonizing 5 hours to cover the first 7 miles. I did meet section hiker Clever Girl for the third time in three days. She was slackpacking SOBO, which not only lightened her load but also made her day's walk more downhill than uphill. Good for young legs, but not mine. The trail crossed the BRP after 7 miles, and something inside me changed. My energy level increased dramatically, my shin hurt much less, and my speed increased. I actually enjoyed this part of the walk. Part of it skirted Lynchburg Reservoir, a pretty mountain lake. I camped beside a stream in front of the shelter. In addition to four thru-hikers and a SOBO see ction hiker, there was a group of four nurses from Newton, Mass, who were out for five days. This clearly wasn't their first hike together. Other than yellow-blazer Wonder Woman, these were the first women over 30 (and they were all well over that) I'd seen on anything longer than a weekend outing.
Date: 2017-04-30
From: Brown Mountain Creek Shelter

To: Buena Vista
Miles today: 1.8

A short, quick walk up the trail took me the highway into Buena Vista. I found a good spot to hitchhike, and the second vehicle to pass picked me up! The driver Mark was heading home from early-morning (unsuccessful) turkey hunting. His SUV was so new and spotlessly clean I hesitated before climbing in. Buena Vista is a run-down factory town. The Budget Inn is probably the dumpiest motel I've ever stayed at. But it has a coin laundry and the shower felt wonderful. Although I put in less than two trail miles today, I walked more than five on pavement to Food Lion, the pharmacy, and a Mexican restaurant. At supper, I was walking back to my table after washing my hands when I recognized Shoelace. He was with two other hikers, so I joined them. I was clearly the only hiker in the restaurant when I walked in, and it was a pleasant surprise to have some company for dinner. Shoelace's friend (and former thru-hiker) Happy Warrior had been out for a few days, but he had to head home that evening. He drove me back to my motel and gave me his nearly-full fuel cannister. I hope to hit the trail again tomorrow,  but my shin is still sore. And there's rain in the forecast. Still, I don't want to stay in this depressing town. I'm hoping to make it to Waynesboro by Thursday, which will be a more pleasant place to spend a zero day.
Date: 2017-05-01
From: Buena Vista

To: Seeley-Woodworth Shelter
Miles today: 14.0
Weather: scattered clouds

I walked to the post office to bounce a box to Waynesboro and to send home a few clothes. SunSeeker was walking out with her box as I walked in with mine. She's planning to stay one more night in Buena Vista. I went back to the motel, packed, and called the only taxi in town. He was busy, so I waited (and snacked) at Subway. Finally hit the trail at noon... just as the rain started. Trail was mostly a gradual uphill, my favored terrain, and I made good time. The rain and wind intensified, but it wasn't uncomfortably cold as long as I was moving. I finally put on my rain jacket, more for wind than rain protection, since I was already soaked through. Thunder and lightning started when I was on an exposed mile-long mountaintop meadow. Visibility dropped to 100' and the wind picked up. It wasn't as bad as my experience a few weeks ago in Grayson Highlands, but the lightning on the bald was scary. The rain abated to a drizzle for a while. I felt good even though my clothes and shoes were soaked. Then it started raining again, hard, when I was about a mile from the shelter. This time I started to feel cold. I wished I had started in rain pants, but by now I was so wet it was too late to put them on. When I arrived at the shelter, it was full and there were 8 tents already set up, the most I've seen around a single shelter. Shoelace had a spot in the shelter, and he invited me to eat "with him" out of the rain. That would be much better than eating hunched over in the tiny vestibule of my tent. It took extra effort to keep the inside of the tent dry as I pitched it in the heavy rain and strong, gusty wind. I was drenched and shivering steadily by the time I had everything set up for the night, but I managed to keep my sleeping bag dry. I went back to the shelter for supper out of the rain, but I didn't feel like taking the time to cook. I just gobbled some protein-enriched granola and chatted briefly with Shoelace and Squire. After thanking Shoelace for the "dinner" invitation, I hung my bear bag in a tree and crawled into a warm, dry sleeping bag for the night. It felt wonderful!EXIT STRATEGY: When I started in Damascus, I had doubts about being able to "make it" for a month. Today is day 27. Despite a few setbacks and discomforts (as today), I want to stay on the trail. It's by no means easy or comfortable, but the simplicity of trail life has drawn me in. I feel as if I belong here. I need to get home by 19 May. I'm on pace to reach Harpers Ferry, WV by the 17th or 18th, and I think ATC headquarters would be a fitting place to end. There's also train service into DC, which makes it a convenient town to get home from. So I'm headed to Harpers Ferry!
Date: 2017-05-02
From: Seeley-Woodworth Shelter

To: Harpers Creek Shelter
Miles today: 14.2
Weather: light rain

Today dawned sunny, crisp, and windy. The rain and humidity had dissipated overnight. Temperatures stayed moderate and visibility was excellent all day. Fantastic day for hiking. Scrambled up Spy Rock and was greeted by stunning 360-degree views. If not for the wind, I could have spent an hour taking it all in. I had begun to despair for good views, but this was worth the wait. Only problem was when I came down a different way, and it took me fifteen minutes of searching to find my trekking poles. Ran into the Newton-Wellesley nurses one last time; they're leaving the trail and heading home today. They were in good spirits and seemed to have enjoyed their 5-day hike in spite of the weather. They had some time to kill before their shuttle pickuo, so I suggested they consider making the detour to Spy Rock. Dunno whether they did. Encountered trail maintainers for the second time, today. These volunteers are the unsung heroes of the trail. They carry and use heavy tools to clear, grade, drain, and fix the trail...only for the joy of doing the work. One of then, apparently a former thru-hiker, called me a lasker, a long-assed section hiker. I took it as a compliment.The Priest is a mountain named after a rock formation that could be construed as a parishioner making a confession to a priest. A tradition at The Priest Shelter is for hikers to confess their sins of the trail in the shelter journal. I've found some of these amusing when I've read them in the past, but this tone was special: knowing many of the confessors made their entries more poignant... and hilarious!The 3000' descent from The Priest really beat me up, especially my sore shin. I feel as if I need to take a zero (day with zero trail miles) soon. Shutter and I tented near Harpers Creek Shelter. Shoelace, Captain, Friendly Ghost, and Beetle slept inside. There were 20 or more tenting sites, yet none of them was level. The only level spots had fire pits on them.
Date: 2017-05-03
From: Harpers Creek Shelter

To: Humpback Mountain 
Miles today: 14.7

Another beautiful day for hiking! Clear, sunny skies and cool temps make it delightful to be in the woods. Today's walk started with a 2000' climb up Three Ridges Mountain. Hanging Rock provided a beautiful view, which including The Priest, yesterday's summit. I ate lunch at Maupin Field Shelter with Captain, a young Chapel Hillian, and one of only two thru-hikers I met who used a SteriPen to treat water. His dad is vice-chair of the board of trustees at UNC. A couple miles after Maupin Fields, the trail crossed the BRP and slabbed a hillside a few hundred feet below the road, just far enough from the roadway to not hear any noise--clever trail design. The day ended with a slog up Humpback Mountain, this time carrying 4L of water for overnight and the first few miles tomorrow morning. At least there were some pretty views along the way.On paper, it looked like a relatively easy day. But the trail was rocky, and there were a lot of short, surprisingly steep bits. The terrain and footing were hard on my shin splints. Moving at anything more than a snail's pace would cause me to place my left foot in a way that drove a jolt of pain into my shin. More than once I found myself putting miles before smiles, which made the day seem longer and tougher than it should have been. It's easy to realize you need an attitude adjustment; making that adjustment is harder. I even began to worry about having to finish the hike by headlamp after dark. Why not just stop early? Well, I had agreed to camp with Shoelace at the summit of Humpback Mountain as that location would position us to get into Waynesboro reasonably early tomorrow. I didn't want to let him down by not showing up.It was after 7:00 PM when I finally reached the campsite at the summit. It was a welcome relief to see Shoelace sitting at the firepit. He had lost his sit pad, so I told him to use mine while I set up my tent, hung my bear bag, etc. We chatted for only a short while because we planned an early start in the morning.GUEST BOOK: Thanks for the questions, comments, and encouragement you've been posting in the guest book. Tell me what you want to hear about in the next week or two.
Date: 2017-05-04
From: Humpback Mountain 

To: Waynesboro 
Miles today: 12.3
Weather: broken clouds

The wind picked up and the temperature dropped overnight. Had a quick (for me) breakfast and coffee with Shoelace, packed up, and set out just after 7:30. There was filtered sun in the morning, but it felt as if the weather was about to change. The forecast called for rain later in the afternoon, which provided an incentive to move along. Trail conditions made it easy to walk at a good pace, and the spring forest scenery was as pleasant as it gets. The hours and miles flew by pleasantly, and I was a tiny bit disappointed to reach the trailhead (road to Waynesboro) at Rockfish Gap.On the trail, I met Dark Horse, a woman about my age who was hiking solo from PA to GA. Also ran into Ozark and Doctari, who hikes in a kilt. Waynesboro and its citizens go out of their way to be hiker-friendly. At the trailhead, I found a list of a dozen Trail Angels who offered free rides to/from town. The first one I called, Yellow Truck, picked me up 10 minutes later and drove me to the motel. (His brand-new pickup is painted in 1970s-vintage yellow.) He drove a block or two out of the way to point out the laudromat, Ming's all-you-can-eat Chinese buffet, post office, and other places of interest to hikers. He also handed me a sheet of hiker resources in town. The New Ming Garden Chinese buffet was not to be missed. A spacious, pleasant place, it featured a big coi pond with a bridge (kids loved it), sushi, a Mongolian wok station, a salad bar, and the usual Chinese fare. I even found a big piece of grilled salmon. Shoelace and I ate with Squire and his two sons, ages 12 and 14, who are thru-hiking with him (sic). We've crossed paths a few times, but they're doing 20+ daily, so I probably won't see them again. I'm planning a zero (no miles on the AT) tomorrow to rest my shin and other sore spots.
Date: 2017-05-05
From: Waynesboro 

To: Waynesboro 
Miles today: 0.0

Waynesboro has turned out to be an excellent choice for my zero. As I enthused yesterday, it's very hiker-friendly. It's also surprisingly upscale and cultured for a mountain town. It boasts a live theater, an art gallery, and the ultimate eye candy, an antique Porsche dealership. UPS delivered a new pair of shoes today. The uppers on my first pair began disintegrating after only 300 miles. I mailed them home, and I'll return them to REI. I wished happy trails to Beetle, Friendly Ghost, Ozark, and Daktari,  who all headed out this morning. It rained on-and-off until mid-day, when the sky cleared and it looked delightful. Good for them!After some rest and multiple icings, my shin splint pain has abated, but not completely; about what I expected. A large bunch of bicyclists is staying at the Quality Inn tonight. When I got back from supper, I ogled some of their expensive machines and struck up a conversation with the mechanic who was washing them in the parking lot. He offered me a beer while we chatted. The group had ridden 100 miles down Skyline Drive today, and they were heading back tomorrow. After a while, one of the riders brought him a big pizza. He only wanted a little, and by then it had been an hour since I had finished supper, so I helped him eat it. It was the most enjoyable evening I've ever spent in a Quality Inn parking lot.Most of the AT is in National Forests, administered by the US Forest Service (Department of Agriculture). There are many official and unofficial spots along the trail to pitch a tent in USFS-administered territory. The next stretch of the AT is in Shenandoah National Park,  administered by the National Park Service (Department of the Interior). The Park Service prefers hikers to stay in a few designated spots. That makes hike planning more difficult because it forces hikers to choose between 10- and 20-mile days rather than intermediate daily distances. I'm planning to start back tomorrow with a nearo 8-miler to the first shelter. Shoelace will probably forge ahead 20 miles, so I expect to fall behind him tomorrow. City life has its charms and temptations, but I can't afford a Porsche so I'd better get back on the trail. The forecast is calling for a few showers tomorrow, snow flurries on Sunday. Guess I'll be sleeping in my down puffy. GEAR: I've added a few notes in the gear section. I'll add to this over the next couple weeks. NEXT UPDATE: My next planned town stop will be Front Royal. It's about 100 trail miles from here, so this blog will probably be silent for a week.
Date: 2017-05-06
From: Waynesboro 

To: Unnamed peak (AT mile 872)
Miles today: 10.1
Weather: overcast clouds

It rained all morning, which was OK because I had some errands to do, and I only wanted to reach the first shelter, 8 miles in from the trailhead. Karl, a trail angel, drove me from town to the trail. He's a physician, and we talked about diet, exercise, and his convoluted connection to Hillsborough, NC. I stayed in the car chatting for a while after we got to the trailhead, and I must admit it was only partly because I was enjoying the conversation: stepping out into the rain wasn't very appealing. But I finally said thank you and started walking. There are some informational signs on a roadside pull-out at the entrance to Shenandoah National Park. I stopped to read them and adjust my pack in the shelter they provided from the wind. A woman approached me: "Are you hiking?" she asked. Fortunately, I refrained from the obvious smart-ass reply: "Why else would I be out in the rain wearing a backpack?" She opened the trunk of her car and offered me a choice fresh fruit and juice. Yet another reason Waynesboro has been my favorite hiker town :)A quarter-mile into the woods is the self-service registration station for backcountry camping permits. It's not something to be ignored. The permits are free for long-distance hikers, but the Park Service levies a $200 fine for overnighting in the woods without a permit. The registration station consists of a billboard and a metal box, but no shelter from the elements. The only pen was a gel roller-ball, which didn't work particularly well in the rain. I did the best I could to write legibly while my pack rolled down a muddy hillside. The rain let up about an hour later, and I found myself at the turnoff to the shelter by 3:45. I didn't want to stop so early in the day, especially after a late start, so I trudged on for a couple more hours. I met Chris, who had set up his hammock near the trail (another $200 offense) a couple miles later. He had just that week been discharged from the Marines, and he was celebrating by backpacking through SNP. Nice guy.Around 5:30, I found a suitable "stealth" spot near the summit of an unnamed peak, where I pitched my tent well off the trail. (The Park Service has very strict regulations, backed up by that pesky $200 fine, about tenting too close to the trail.) After a leisurely supper, I headed to bed early. The wind died down a little overnight, but it was still cool. PHONE PROBLEM: The TouchWiz Home app on my phone is corrupted. It's Samsung's launcher, and is critical to operation of the phone. I've tried several techniques to fix it, all without success. It will require a factory reset of the phone, which I don't want to attempt on the trail. I've found a partial workaround, but it won't let me access photos. Unfortunately, that means there won't be any photos to accompany these journal entries until after I get home.