morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2007-10-14
From: Harpers Ferry Hostel

To: Blackburn Trail Center
Miles today: 14.2
Weather: clear sky

Well today I hit some VA ground although not totally done with WV. By tomorrow morning I will have completed 10 of the 14 states along the AT. All the states have been great but I am glad to be down south. Today I found my first BB&T. The Blackburn center here is operated by the PATC. Red Wing and Hopeful are the caretakers and with them their 11 month old Baby Hikelet. They are very welcoming and awesome people, both have thru-hiked before. My hiking today took me down the C&O Canal which is part of NPS land, and then thur Historic Harpers Ferry. This area was one of the most fought after locations during the Civil War and switched hands many of times. It is also the location of John Brown's Raid. I stopped at the ATC main office and had my picture taken. I believe I was the 67th SOBO to come through. After getting some info on water and stocking up on food that people were throwing at me I headed out by 12pm. At 4pm I had done my 12 miles to the Blackburn Center. Upon arriving I was given a soda and informed that indeed the Pig Roast I heard about occurred yesterday. This would be upsetting for most but, you always no with something that big that there are always leftovers. For dinner I had Pork Loin, scalloped potatoes, salad, and then apple crisp and cobbler with a glass of milk for desert. Tonight I sleep out on the screen porch where I will be able to see the sun come up tomorrow. On really clear days which don't happen very often anymore you can see some of the monuments in Washington DC. Tomorrow will be a rest day as I will go about 8 or so miles to the next hostel. Saw lots of birds today: Pileated Woodpecker, white-breasted nuthatch, chickadee, tufted titmouse, and blue jays.
Date: 2007-10-15
From: Blackburn Trail Center

To: Bears Den Hostel
Miles today: 7.9
Weather: overcast clouds

Alright another great day! I am now at the Bears Den Hostel which is an outstanding place to stay. I got the Hiker special which is $25 for a Tombstone pizza, pint of Ben & Jerry's, Soda, internet, laundry, bed w/sheets, shower, and very comfortable environment. Much better than hanging out in any city.   When I arrived this morning two other SOBO's were heading out which I last saw in Dalton, MA, Sketch and Rambo. Tomorrow I will stop staying in Hostel's and get back to hiking and trail foods. That is until my parents come up for the weekend. I will be in Shenandoah National Park when they come for their visit. Still taking care of some blisters but I got some insoles in Harpers Ferry and hopefully that will solve some problems. Currently I am hiking on what some call the Roller coaster which so far has been fine but I guess it becomes greater tomorrow! Happy trails.-Snack Time
Date: 2007-10-16
From: Bears Den Hostel

To: Manassas Gap Shelter
Miles today: 22.7
Weather: broken clouds

Today was very much up and down as I started what most folks call the rollercoaster. As always the up was fine but downhill I could do without. Water was scarce once again today. I planned to resupply at a stream which was said to be flowing, however, it had dried up since last report. I had enough to make it to the shelter and luckily the shelter had one of the best piped springs I had seen in a while. Three other guys are at the shelter on a section hike. Two retired and the other still working. My left foot started hurting more as the day went on but I was able to just ignore the pain. Tomorrow I will either make a trip to Linden, VA or Front Royal, VA to do a quick resupply as my snacks, breakfast and lunches have been eaten. Today's hike was a little harder with my limited snack supply. The plants along the trail today were mostly dead which is not the most appealing thing to look at while walking. The area is currently 15+ inches under for rainfall. Along with those dead plants were thousands of spider webs. Saw several more deer today as well.
Date: 2007-10-17
From: Manassas Gap Shelter

To: Tom Floyd Wayside
Miles today: 13.6
Weather: few clouds

I am currently 0.7mi from the Northern boundry of Shenandoah National Park. I am excited to see what the park brings but also aware that it will be a very busy park. Today is Wednesday and my parents will meet me along the Skyline Drive in the park on Saturday. I really don't know what to expect from the park, so I am just hopeing for a positive experience. I ended up resupplying in Front Royal. After being told it was hard to get a ride in to town I quickly picked up a ride and made my way to the grocery store. With luck on my side after finishing my resupply, going to KFC for lunch and then sitting at a gas station enjoying two Krispy Kreme doughnuts the same fella pulled up so I got a ride back to the trail with him. Most of my hiking was uphill for the day. Tomorrow I will again hit 3,000ft which I haven't been at in some time. With the lower mileage I got to the shelter and just kicked back and relaxed.-Snack Time
Date: 2007-10-18
From: Tom Floyd Wayside

To: Pass Mtn. Hut
Miles today: 23.6

Upon entering Shenandoah National Park this morning I filled out my Backcountry permit and started hiking. Not 10 mins. into the park and I had my first Bear sighting. This one was the best as the Bear actually stood on its hind legs to get a better smell of what was around. As most humans do, as soon as the scent hit the nose it took off the other direction, never looking back. Within the hour I would see two more, I believe these were the cubs and mother that many other hikers had talked about in the last register. All ran away pretty quickly so I didn't get any pictures. The rest of the day I spent walking up and down along the ridges in the park. I had to take the side trip down to Gravel Springs hut for water, and that messed up my time. That break took a little over an hour as the water source was very poor and I had to scoop all four liters from a small puddle with a slight flow. Around 5pm I had another Bear sighting with the same results as earlier. I arrived at the shelter a little after 6 which is a little late for me, I normally like to get things done before dark and just sit and relax. Right now my feet just hurt. Some spots are rubbing and other places just hurt. I don't understand why, but I will be getting something changed soon.-Snack Time
Date: 2007-10-19
From: Pass Mtn. Hut

To: Rock Springs Hut
Miles today: 15.3
Weather: light rain

Today is my third month of actually being on the trail (fourth month since starting the trail, zero month for knee). This is the 27th day since I got back on from my knee injury. I woke up this morning from what turned out to be a great night of sleep and had my breakfast at the picnic table. After my last bite the rain started falling! While I packed my bag it just dumped, so I took my time as I knew it would not last. There was just a little thunder and lightening out in the distance. I headed out a little before 7:30 and quickly made it to Thornton Gap. Here I spent at least 30 mins. trying to call my parents. Finally I made it through on my cell as the pay phone was not working with me, and let them know to bring my boots before I lost signal. After filling up water at the spigot, I got back to walking. I was in the clouds for a good portion of the morning so I missed what most thru-hikers claimed to be the best view in the park from Mary's Rock. Later in the day though I got some great views. The colors are really starting to show here. Tomorrow I will meet the folks down at Milam Gap. My Bear count for the park is now at 6, as I saw another mom and cub today.   Here are some quick stats:1st MonthJul 19) Garfield Ridge Campsite, NH 362.4mi2nd MonthAug 19) Telephone Pioneers Shelter, NY 743.9mi. (381.5mi from 1st)left trail Aug 22...returned Sept 223rd MonthOct 19) Rock Spring Hut, VA 1260.6mi. (516.7mi. from 2nd)
Date: 2007-10-20
From: Rock Springs Hut

To: Milam Gap
Miles today: 6.1

Last night we got some much needed rain and I understand more is to come this week. The spring at Rock springs hut is just awesome. I hope that more start running that way. I walked the 6.1 miles to Milam Gap where I waited 3mins. for my parents to arrive. After they got there I quickly got the shoes which have caused my problems off my feet and slipped into my good ole boots. My hope is they will make it to GA, however, they are 5 years old. They are Vasque Sundowners though and should be tough enough for the journey. I had one part on the shoe lace area that was broken but a shoe repair place here in Waynesboro was able to fix it in no time at all. After they picked me up we took a 1.5 mile walk to check out a water fall, which was actually flowing. I have come across one Falls up in NY that was not falling. We then made it down to town which is Waynesboro, VA where we have spent the day getting me resupplied and just seeing what was around. I will be back through here come Tuesday or Wednesday via the trail. We are staying at the Best Western which as the Best computers ever. They even have Windows Vista. No dial-up and no windows 95! I will get some pics up for ya!I will be back on the trail tomorrow. Not many hostels between here and Damascus, VA that I am looking at stopping over at so it could be a sporadic update from here.-Snack Time
Date: 2007-10-21
From: Milam Gap

To: Hightop Hut
Miles today: 16.8
Weather: clear sky

I didn't really think I would go past the first hut today, which was under 6 miles from Milam Gap. My backpack looks as though it could burst from its' seams anytime. I picked up a fleece liner for my quilt, rain pants, and some other small items from my Parents. I really hope the clothes I have can keep me warm for the rest of the trip. Any more gear and I think I will have to start carrying my old pack. I really didn't sleep well at all last night. I would say it was probably after 3am before I went into a heavy sleep. The breakfast this morning was pretty good and stuck with me on the trail for a long time. I got started hiking around 10:30am and by 12:12pm I had reached the first shelter. With another 12.4 miles to go I decided i could make it by dark. With a few stops here and there I made it to the hut at about 5pm. There was only one spot with a view today and that was from the summit of Hightop. There as a good crowd of folks hanging out for the sunset I guess. Over all i am happy I made it here and didn't stop early.-Snack Time
Date: 2007-10-22
From: Hightop Hut

To: Blackrock Hut
Miles today: 21.4
Weather: clear sky

Today it seemed like I was constantly moving with only very brief breaks. The heat probably had a lot to do with feeling tired. My water sources for the day were all spaced out nicely, and I needed everyone of them. I did get some views today from Loft Mtn. & Blackrock Mtn., along with some overlooks on the skyline drive. All in all though I am getting tired of having the skyline right by the trail. It is nice to have the water spigots through the park, but the constant noise and crowd on the best peaks is a little to much. If I don't exit the park tomorrow I will be really close to doing so the next day. After a resupply in Waynesboro I will then start crossing the Blue Ridge Parkway, but not as often. Rain is in the mix for tomorrow so that will determine my mileage, I'm sure. My feet still hurt and I'm getting some new blisters but they don't hurt nearly as bad.-Snack Time
Date: 2007-10-23
From: Blackrock Hut

To: Calf Mtn. Shelter
Miles today: 13.0
Weather: overcast clouds

My trip tomorrow will take me back down to Waynesboro and out of Shenandoah NP. Central Virginia is the next region up on the map. I have enjoyed the wildlife (mostly) that abounds in the Park. It has been great to see Bears out in the wild, my current count is 9 Bears in Shenandoah. Last night my sleep did not come so great. Most shelters have some sort of rodent that makes it their home. These are mostly mice, but last night it was a large rat. The noise it made is what bothered me the most, however, when I went to leave this morning I found that it ate through the wrist strap on my trekking pole. It also took several bites of the handle grip. Today as to be a rainy day, but drought seems to promote drought. With heavy clouds overhead and very humid conditions, only a few drops have fallen thus far. The reason for stopping early today was to give the feet a rest and avoid spending the night in town. Will my feet ever feel better? Maybe around GA. Here I will include some thoughts on Bears and Thru-hikers.You see Bears and Thru-hikers are not much different. Bears are wondering through the woods for food, Thur-hikers for water. Bears are opportunistic feeders, Thru-hikers are very opportunistic feeders. Bears run when large crowds of people gather, Thru-hikers run when large crowds are gathering (exception for bears and thru-hikers: They do NOT run if Food is available.) Bears and Thru-hikers will be in many vacation picture albums.-Snack Time
Date: 2007-10-24
From: Calf Mtn. Shelter

To: Paul C. Wolfe Shelter
Miles today: 12.0
Weather: light rain

Last night I had another rat to deal with, luckily it was not as bad as the last. It was fine until around 2:30am It then decided it wanted to explore the lower half of the shelter, where I was sleeping. My headlamp kept it from doing so, but once again I lost sleep. I originally looked at tenting but for some reason decided that would be a bad idea. That paid off as it started to pour down rain around the same time the rat started rustle. Since then it has been raining on and off. I have walked in my rain gear a couple of times today but it was decent while I walked. Making it to Rockfish Gap (mile 0 on the Blue Ridge Parkway) I made my way to the visitor center where a trail angel system would get me a ride to town. Here some folks were talking about Asheville, so I guess I could have hitched a ride, but that would be a long Yellow Blaze as we call it on the trail. I got to Waynesboro ate some food, went grocery shopping, visited the library and got back out. Rain will be the norm until Sunday according to the weather forecast. My left foot is really causing me to slow down. This shelter is awesome and rodent free!-Snack Time
Date: 2007-10-25
From: Paul C. Wolfe Shelter

To: Paul C. Wolfe Shelter
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

It is pouring rain. If Farsang and I were still hiking together he would have known my decision on hiking today and probably laughed at how I expressed that decision. It was as simple as looking up and putting my head back down.Last time I took a zero was in the Delaware Water Gap, PA so it is deserving. Hopefully it will help the foot out as well.-Snack Time
Date: 2007-10-26
From: Paul C. Wolfe Shelter

To: Maupin Field Shelter
Miles today: 15.8
Weather: moderate rain

My journal title today: That was Stupid. My register entry at the shelter: "Boy that was intelligent." How you can wake up one day and determine hiking 15.8 miles in the pouring rain is a bad idea and the next morning get up and think oh it won't be to bad, I will never understand. I guess in a way I had to hike today as it is my 100th day on the trail. Yesterday I just laid around and did absolutely nothing. I found a walkman (if you lost it e-mail me a description and I will get it to you) which in a way was like trail magic as I had something to occupy my time when I could read no longer. Later on Adam and Von Moose, two other SOBO's arrived. Von Moose decided to hike on but Adam stayed for the night. Even later Sketch and Rambo arrived. They had all been down in town. The shelter is just an awesome shelter which made it harder to leave this morning. The other hard part was that the other three SOBO's were taking a zero. As they played cards and stayed warm and dry, I hiked onwards. Of course you can't forget the rules of the trail, any rainy day must be accompanied with rocks turned in the optimal slipping direction. My gear is almost completely soaked as the ziplock liner did not work this time. Suppose to stop raining some point tomorrow though.-Snack Time
Date: 2007-10-27
From: Maupin Field Shelter

To: The Priest Shelter
Miles today: 13.6
Weather: clear sky

Good Ole Trail Magic! Well my goal today was to make the Dutch Haus B&B, however; that didn't work out. The terrain was a little harder than waht I have been doing with a high point of 4,063ft. I will have to stop early to do a resupply due to the recent rain. Since I was planning to do laundry tonight I wore my dry clothes to hike in today. That didn't turn out to be too bad as they didn't get too wet. When I got to the Shelter around 4pm I was able to get a line up to dry gear. My quilt dried out quickly along with some of my rain gear, but the clothes need a long time to dry. With the high elevation I'm quite sure the temperature will drop below 40 degrees. Should be a good test for the quilt. Troop 236 from Roanoke, VA is here tonight and they invited me in for a great meal of potatoes, fresh veggies and sausage! The group is a smaller group of the older scouts and they were a great crowd to have around. I guess tomorrow I will go to Buena Vista, VA.-Snack Time
Date: 2007-10-28
From: The Priest Shelter

To: Taylor Family's Home
Miles today: 20.9

This morning was the coldest morning I have seen since Mt. Washington in NH. The Assistant Scoutmaster for Troop 236 said his thermometer hit 39 degrees. Before heading out the Scouts gave me a sausage muffin and a Krispy Kreme Doughnut!! That will get you moving a lot better in the morning. I got a late start on the trail but the terrain was great. I walked several ridges and the rocks were not as bad so I didn't have to worry about hitting one the wrong way with my foot. The ridges would open up later to some great views. When I arrived at Salt Log Gap I met the scouts once again. They had driven around to pick up another part of their group. After a short break and resupply on water from some trail angels leaving jugs by the road I pushed on making great time. The weather was awesome and views from some grassy balds were amazing. When I arrived to Rt. 60 the first vehicle gave me a lift. After the 9mi ride to the town of Buena Vista I was offered a stay at the Taylor home in the next town. That I couldn't pass up! Once we got to the house I met some of the family got a shower and then got my laundry done which was all soaked from the rain earlier in the week.After my shower the rest of the family had arrived and I talked to their son about Appalachian and all the great outdoor opportunities and the education as well. We had an awesome spaghetti dinner and followed it with the best pumpkin pie I have ever had.   That night was the first frost and I was happy to be in a bed under a down blanket. This indeed was one of the greatest stops I had on the trail and it was all unplanned. So, A BIG THANKS to the Taylor Family. I wish you all the Best and hope that you enjoy the Holiday's!
Date: 2007-10-29
From: Taylor Family's Home

To: Johns Hollow Shelter
Miles today: 20.1
Weather: clear sky

I had a great breakfast with the Taylor Family this morning and then we made our way to the grocery store where I got a resupply. From there it was back to the trail. The trail today was once again very nice. There were some good ups and downs but there was also a good bit of ridge walking in between. I made it to the first shelter option around 3:40 and decided I would rather push further. I ended up passing by some good campsites just because I wanted to get to a water source.   I had a great night hike until 7:20ish and settled in for what was going to be another cold night. Below freezing was the forecast.
Date: 2007-10-30
From: Johns Hollow Shelter

To: Thunder Hill Shelter
Miles today: 16.3
Weather: clear sky

My body and mind revolted on me today, refusing to go another 20+ mile day. It is not that big of a deal though, things will still work out the same if not better for my next resupply. The downside is that the shelter is dry and trail magic that has been left was all gone except for two Diet Cokes. Luckily I walked the last 6-7 miles without having to drink much so arrived with a pretty full load. The temperature this morning was down in the 20's. At about 3:30am I woke up and could tell I was starting to cool off so I gave up my awesome pillow which was the extra fleece blanket. After getting into the fleece and throwing the quilt over me I was nice and toasty the rest of the night. Tonight should be more of the same temperature wise. It is so nice to be walking through mostly forest service land and wilderness areas again. The views you get through the day area much nicer, as they are views of forest and not suburbs of some large city. Currently I am also by NPS land with the Blue Ridge Parkway(BRP) running behind the shelter up on the ridge. I hope tomorrow my energy level is back. I will save some water tonight and use one of the diet coke's to wash down my dinner. (its great to find diet coke; but upon inspecting the back there is nothing in it. NO Calories, No sugars, Nothing. Its just wet and brown with some taste thrown in the mix.)-Snack Time
Date: 2007-10-31
From: Thunder Hill Shelter

To: Bryant Ridge Shelter
Miles today: 10.3
Weather: clear sky

I cut my day short today because once again I felt tired. I got a better start this morning but still it was 2pm before I arrived at this shelter. Normally I can do that kind of mileage before lunch time. With the knowledge that the next shelter was dry, I decided that I would stay here for the afternoon and evening. It is a very nice shelter and with a creek by its side I was able to drink tons of water which is what I needed most of all. I believe getting here it was 17 or 18 miles from my last water source the afternoon before. I took a good nap to pass some time and then had a big dinner of Mac and Cheese followed by Ramen Noodles. Three other section hikers came walking up before dark. My goal for tomorrow will be to make 20 miles. This will place me at a water source and allow for an easy trip to the I-81 interchange area. It is hard to believe November is here. Happy Halloween!-Snack Time
Date: 2007-11-01
From: Bryant Ridge Shelter

To: Wilson Creek Shelter
Miles today: 20.6
Weather: scattered clouds

Hard to believe November is here. There is still some color out on some of the trees but most of the leaves in this area higher up have started falling. I felt much better hiking today being hydrated. I'm glad I made the decision to stay at Bryant ridge as well because water today would not have been great. The shelter here has no water right at it but there is water 0.7mi south on the trail. I filled up at the last water source so I will have enough for the night. Tomorrow I will stop and fill up in the morning as I hike by the creek. Tomorrow my hike will take me into Daleville/Troutville Area. I plan to resupply, visit the outfitter and get food, not in that order. I may pick up an extra bottle to carry water in depending on the information I get about water south. Last I heard there was a 50 mile dry section and stopping in Catawba, VA was a must. I think I will add some different items to my menu though. It depends on what I am willing to carry.-Snack Time