morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2019-06-07
From: Paul C. Wolfe Shelter

To: Waynesboro, Va. 
Miles today: 5.2

The fun story for Friday begins on Thursday. Sharkchow was at Reed¢s Gap, a place where hikers go to catch a shuttle to a craft beer brewery called the Devil¢s Backbone.¢Interestingly, the closer they get to the pickup point, the faster they walk,¢ Sharkchow observes. ¢I am not among that group.¢  When he got to Reed¢s Gap, there was a guy helping shuttle hikers to the brewery and giving out trail magic - fruit and protein bars. Sharkchow had an apple. Then he asked the guy if he had water. Just then, an older gentleman - a day hiker - happened along and said he had water in his car. So he went to his car and filled up Sharkchow¢s extra liter, gave it to him, and drove away. Friday morning, Sharkchow walked an easy 5.2 miles to Rockfish Gap, the departure point for Waynesboro, Va. - a town about 4 miles away. Thru-hikers often hitchhike to get places off-trail, and Sharkchow was ready to try his luck getting to Waynesboro. At Rockfish Gap, on the Blue Ridge Parkway, he went up the hill and put his leg over the wooden guardrail. ¢I looked up, and here comes the same gentleman in his car,¢ Sharkchow says. ¢I stuck my thumb out, and he pulled over.¢ He agreed to give Sharkchow a ride into Waynesboro, but his car was full of stuff - his backpack on the passenger seat and a bicycle in the back seat. So he took the bike out, removed the wheels, put them in the trunk, and put the bike frame in the woods, to be retrieved later. During the ride into town, he told Sharkchow about his book. He had thru-hiked the AT in 2008, at age 63. His trail name was Steady and his brother¢s was Slow, but after his brother dropped out, he kept going as Slow and Steady. He thru-hiked using a leap-frogging system that involved two cars. He¢d drive one car north, leave it, hike back to the other car, then drive it north beyond the first car. At Harper¢s Ferry, he drove to Maine, and did the leap-frogging routine south back to Harper¢s Ferry. This gentleman¢s name is Robert Callaway, and his book is called ¢Slow and Steady: Hiking the Appalachian Trail,¢ published in 2014. Now in his 70s, he¢s doing day hikes to train for another thru-hike. For the second time in two days, Sharkchow extended his whole-hearted gratitude to Mr. Callaway. Mrs. Sharkchow
Date: 2019-06-08
From: Waynesboro, Va. 

To: Waynesboro, Va.
Miles today: 0.0

Sharkchow took a zero Saturday in Waynesboro with Mrs. Sharkchow, who had driven down from DC the night before. While in town, they visited Rockfish Gap Outfitters, which had a treasure trove of Sharkchow¢s favorite backpacker meal, Mountain House Pro-Pak Freeze-Dried Rice and Chicken. Net weight, 4.51 oz. Stamped on the back, ¢Best by June 2048.¢ We¢re going to put one in a time capsule, and see if that's really true. At breakfast Saturday, we sat with Keith and Kristi, a.k.a. McDouble and Pacecar, a young couple from Nashville who Sharkchow had met early in his hike. ¢McDouble¢ stands for all the McDonalds he packs away; ¢Pacecar" is so named because she hikes first and sets the pace. They started their AT thru-hike April 2, just days after returning to the US from Haiti, where they worked as Southern Baptist missionaries. We were impressed they could turn it around so quickly. But they¢re making it work. And they¢re posting YouTube videos along the way.Mrs. Sharkchow
Date: 2019-06-09
From: Rockfish Gap

To: Black Rock Hut
Miles today: 20.7

First thing Sunday morning, Mrs. Sharkchow delivered her thru-hiker to Rockfish Gap, and from there he made his way into Shenandoah National Park. The good news Sunday evening is that Sharkchow is in his hammock - and dry. But his boots are soaking wet. His wet socks are hanging up under his tarp, but not inside the hammock. It rained all day, and the rain got heavier and heavier as the day wore on. ¢Three times I had to take off my boots and dump out the water,¢ Sharkchow says. ¢Three times I had to wring out my socks.¢ At one point, as he was wringing out his socks, a day-hiker with a kid on her back happened by, and asked if he was a thru-hiker. Sharkchow said he was, and they chatted a bit. Then she walked on. Next thing he knew, she was running after him and said she had some ¢flapjacks¢ for him. Sharkchow was wondering why someone would bring pancakes on a day hike, but her British accent suggested something different. ¢I think you need these,¢ she said, handing him little homemade cakes she had just retrieved from her car.Mrs. Sharkchow
Date: 2019-06-10
From: Black Rock Hut

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

Monday was another rainy, foggy, sopping-boots day, and by evening, Sharkchow sounded weary inside his hammock at Hightop Hut.Still, there were moments that sparked joy. Like when he stopped at the camp store after hiking 8 miles and got a (pricey) sandwich, cherry pie, and diet Coke at 10:30 in the morning. And snacking on delicious Fig Newtons in the afternoon. And later in the day, crossing the 900-mile mark. ¢Supposedly the sun will be out tomorrow, which would be a novelty,¢ Sharkchow said.Rain notwithstanding, the paths on this part of the AT - Shenandoah National Park - are some of the nicest he¢s seen of the whole hike. They¢re mostly level, with some rocks and some climbing. But there are long sections of clear path. ¢That¢s why you can do longer days here,¢ he said. ¢Tomorrow I¢ll try for 24 miles.¢ Mrs. Sharkchow
Date: 2019-06-11
From: Hightop Hut

To: Rock Spring Shelter
Miles today: 23.9

¢It was a perfect day of hiking,¢ Sharkchow said Tuesday night. As in, after four days of rain, it finally stopped. His boots are almost dry. The night before, Monday into Tuesday, was the grand finale - a ¢horrific¢ rain storm. ¢The wind had to be 30-40 mph,¢ he says. ¢I was up in the mountain, on the exposed side of the ridge. It was fine - I stayed dry.¢ He had set up his hammock in the trees, which provided some shield, and made sure he wasn¢t near trees that might blow down. By morning, it was in the 50s, breezy, and dry - great hiking weather. Sharkchow, by the way, loves to get an early start. ¢It¢s beautiful to walk in the morning. Really quiet. If you get a ton done early in the day, it opens up possibilities for later in the day. You get a sense of accomplishment.¢ This picture is the view from near Big Meadows Lodge, the site for President Franklin Roosevelt¢s dedication of Shenandoah National Park and Skyline Drive in 1936. All that beauty notwithstanding, Sharkchow is ready to get out of Virginia - the state with the most AT miles (550 - a quarter of the trail). ¢You get tired of being in the same state, and you want to feel like you¢re making progress.¢Mrs. Sharkchow
Date: 2019-06-12
From: Rock Spring Shelter

To: Gravel Springs Hut
Miles today: 28.4
Weather: clear sky

Another beautiful day in Shenandoah National Park, and the highlight came at 3:30 after 22.4 miles of hiking: Elkwallow Wayside, a store and snack bar right off the trail. Sharkchow had a burger, fries, and blackberry milkshake. They gave him so many fries he couldn¢t finish them, so he put them in his pocket (in a plastic bag) and had fries for dinner.He¢s about 10 miles from the end of Shenandoah National Park, and 65 miles from the Virginia-West Virginia border. Harpers Ferry comes soon thereafter - the (sort of but not really) half-way point of the AT and HQ of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy. Harpers Ferry is also just an hour-plus from DC. All told, Sharkchow hiked 28.4 miles Wednesday, and is in his hammock at Gravel Springs Hut.Mrs. Sharkchow
Date: 2019-06-13
From: Gravel Springs Hut

To: Whiskey Hollow Creek
Miles today: 28.6

Sharkchow exited Shenandoah National Park this morning, and is bearing down on Harpers Ferry. He¢s now consistently doing well over 20 miles a day. Last five days = 123 miles. Today was 28.6 - all the way to Whiskey Hollow Creek, near Dicks Dome Shelter. Lost Larry was there when Sharkchow arrived. These guys are all business.It rained this morning, and in the afternoon the skies threatened again, but the sun prevailed. ¢That¢s why I decided to go one more shelter down to make tomorrow¢s distance more reasonable,¢ Sharkchow said. Friday should bring another milestone¢¦ crossing the 1,000-mile mark. Mrs. Sharkchow
Date: 2019-06-14
From: Whiskey Hollow Creek

To: David Lesser Memorial Shelter
Miles today: 29.5
Weather: clear sky

Friday¢s installment is full of creatures. A large bear that required some coaxing. A groundhog that wouldn¢t budge. Fearless deer that stand right in the trail and look back, blinking like Bambi. But the most memorable animal encounter was yesterday - the thru-hiker with the cat.The hiker¢s name is Pocket Pussy. Sharkchow didn¢t get the cat¢s name, but it¢s a beautiful Siamese. It rides in a baby-carrier-like device, strapped to its owner¢s front. ¢I don¢t believe the cat walks the trail, I believe it rides,¢ says Sharkchow. ¢The cat seemed perfectly chill.¢ Or make that purr-fectly.The bear encounter was nothing overly concerning - just a large bear in the middle of the trail that wouldn¢t move. Sharkchow had to keep yelling ¢hey bear¢ and waving his stick to get it to go away, but it kept running down the trail and stopping and looking around. For a stretch, it had no way to get off the trail, but eventually it did. The groundhog story is a bit more perplexing. It also wouldn¢t budge. It kept looking back at Sharkchow and saying, ¢I¢m not moving.¢ But a groundhog isn¢t a bear. Can¢t you just step over it? ¢There isn¢t room on the trail for both of us!¢ said Sharkchow. ¢The trail is very narrow - sometimes just 6 inches wide.¢ Finally, it scurried off into the brush. Friday¢s hike - almost 30 miles, past the 1,000-mile marker - included an 18-mile section called the Roller-Coaster. ¢But it didn¢t have anything to do with fun,¢ said Sharkchow. ¢It was so rocky. Just up and down, up a hill, down the other side, down to a brook, more up and down, then a marshy, muddy area. I survived.¢ Sharkchow hopes the trail will be kinder on Saturday - a 9-mile hike into Harpers Ferry, WV. And goodbye, finally, to Virginia! Mrs. Sharkchow
Date: 2019-06-15
From: David Lesser Memorial Shelter

To: Harpers Ferry, WV
Miles today: 9.6

Saturday morning, Sharkchow hiked 9.6 miles into Harpers Ferry, WV, before Mrs. Sharkchow could even drive up from DC (hey, there was traffic on I-270!) He dropped by the Appalachian Trail Conservancy headquarters and got his picture taken (left) and a new thru-hiker number, #753. That means he¢s the 753rd thru-hiker to make it to Harpers Ferry. His original number, at Springer Mountain, Ga, was I think 1875. Will check.At the ATC, we ran into Pocket Pussy, and inquired as to the cat¢s name. It used to be Joey, but now it¢s Rico. We rather like Joey, as he is being carried in a pouch like a baby kangaroo. It was a gorgeous day in historic Harpers Ferry - spent going to Walmart and outfitter¢s, doing laundry, and lots of eating. He gets to walk it off. Mrs. Sharkchow, not so much. Mrs. Sharkchow
Date: 2019-06-16
From: Harpers Ferry, WV

To: Pine Knob Shelter
Miles today: 22.6
Weather: clear sky

Sharkchow hit the trail in Harpers Ferry about 8:00 Sunday morning, and within minutes he was in a new state, Maryland.¢It was a good day,¢ he said. ¢It didn¢t rain.¢ He¢s enjoying the new scenery. Somehow, Maryland is very different from Virginia, he says. The woods remind him of the area around the Potomac River. Today¢s hike - 22.6 miles - included 1.5 miles along the C & O canal. Sunday evening, he was in his hammock at the Pine Knob Shelter, and as we spoke, he could hear tires on the nearby highway (I-70). ¢I wonder what I¢ll do tomorrow?¢ he said. ¢Maybe I¢ll walk.¢ Mrs. Sharkchow
Date: 2019-06-17
From: Pine Knob Shelter

To: Tumbling Run Shelters
Miles today: 26.3
Weather: overcast clouds

That was quick. After spending about 10 minutes in Maryland, Sharkchow crossed the Mason-Dixon line into Pennsylvania. It was a marathon-like day Monday at 26.3 miles, landing at Tumbling Run Shelters, where there are two shelters: one labeled ¢Snoring,¢ the other ¢Non-Snoring.¢ Sharkchow didn¢t have to make that tough decision, as he¢s a hammock guy. More important, it was a fabulous place to stop for the day.¢This is the nicest shelter and camping area I¢ve seen on the entire trail,¢ Sharkchow said. There¢s a stream that runs through it, a spring for drinking water, a pavilion with a roof and picnic table, and laundry lines to hang damp clothing. He soaked his feet in the stream. Which made Mrs. Sharkchow wonder why he hiked so many miles - especially in Pennsylvania, which is a famously rocky part of the AT. He said he had read negative reviews of Deer Lick Shelters, and decided to go the extra 3.6 miles to get to Tumbling Run. He¢s glad he did. ¢Here is perfect,¢ Sharkchow said. As for the terrain: ¢The trail varies. There¢s some nice soft ground, then you turn the corner, and it¢s just rock.¢ Along the way, at Pen Mar Park in Maryland near the M-D line, he hit trail magic: cold pizza (¢delicious!¢), banana, Mountain Dew. ¢It came at just the right time, mid-afternoon.¢ Mrs. Sharkchow
Date: 2019-06-18
From: Tumbling Run Shelters

To: Toms Run Shelter
Miles today: 25.8
Weather: broken clouds

Sharkchow crossed the half-way point of the AT on Tuesday - but where exactly was it? The Appalachian Trail Conservancy says the trail is 2,190 miles long, but that¢s not precise. The trail¢s exact route changes every year. Indeed, Sharkchow says he saw old half-way markers, but there were no bells and whistles when he passed the invisible barrier of Half-Way 2019.He did see a marker for 1,100 miles, but didn¢t take a picture. Sharkchow was more excited about the trail magic he encountered at a shelter as he passed by. Three section-hikers were 3 miles from finishing their 100-mile trip, and would soon be picked up. ¢Hey, you want some cheese? How about a bagel?¢ someone asked him. It was their leftover food, so he had a bagel-and-cheese sandwich - a nice change of pace. Trail magic is great not just for the calories but also for the variety. Eating the same diet of backpacker meals, Snickers bars, beef jerky, and trail mix day in and day out gets old. The hiking today was ¢just OK.¢ The trail was ¢pretty benign,¢ some rocky places, but not a lot. He put in 25.8 miles and landed at Toms Run Shelter. Mrs. Sharkchow
Date: 2019-06-19
From: Toms Run Shelter

To: Boiling Springs Hostel
Miles today: 22.9
Weather: overcast clouds

Early Wednesday morning, Sharkchow and three other guys left Toms Run Shelter on a mission: to get to the general store four miles up the trail and do the ¢half-gallon challenge¢ for breakfast. The challenge is to eat a half-gallon of ice cream in a half-hour (because it¢s around the half-way point on the AT). It used to be that if you succeeded, you¢d get the ice cream for free. Now you just get ¢¦ a pat on the back? Indigestion?  Anyway, the three other guys - named Chris, Sarasota, and Johnny Appleseed - had talked about this all night. Sharkchow wasn't so psyched, but thought maybe he¢d eat a pint in solidarity. Sure enough, the three other guys each consumed a half-gallon. And Sharkchow ate a pint of Hershey¢s brownie cookie dough ice cream. Then he got a big cheeseburger with a big flatbread bun.Soon enough, it was time for lunch: roast beef sub, cherry Coke, big bottle of Gatorade.¢It was steaming hot today,¢ he said. Sharkchow called Wednesday night from Boiling Springs, Pa. - specifically, the Boiling Springs Hostel, a little bunkhouse in the basement of a private home several miles off the trail. (A shuttle transports hikers to the hostel.) He spent most of the day hiking with Chris, a Polish-American dual citizen who lives on Long Island - ¢really interesting guy, very very nice.¢ Chris will soon leave the AT to take his grandchildren to Poland. He¢ll be away for a month, then he plans to come back and finish hiking the trail. Mrs. Sharkchow
Date: 2019-06-20
From: Boiling Springs Hostel

To: Duncannon, Pa.
Miles today: 25.6

On Thursday, Sharkchow arrived in Duncannon, Pa. - right on the Susquehanna River, north of Harrisburg - after what he thought was about a 20-mile hike. In fact, based on the 2019 AT guidebook, it was almost 25.6 miles. But who¢s counting? And that doesn¢t include the 6/10 of a mile hike up a hill to the grocery store - along a highway with no shoulder. Sharkchow, needless to say, did not enjoy trudging up that hill with cars zooming by right next to him.¢It was treacherous,¢ he said. But the grocery store was fabulous. He got a whole BBQ chicken, 3/4 of a pound of potato salad, and two Chobani yogurts, and ate pretty much all of it in a booth near the deli counter. Then when he was buying resupply, the checkout guy asked if he knew about the Assembly of God Church in town. Checkout guy was a member, and said they had a hiker hostel in the basement. The store manager set Sharkchow up with a ride to the church. ¢It was the coolest thing,¢ Sharkchow said. ¢They had AC, a kitchen, a shower, and a bathroom.¢ And to get there, he didn't have to walk along that treacherous highway. Mrs. Sharkchow
Date: 2019-06-21
From: Duncannon, Pa.

To: Rausch Gap Shelter
Miles today: 29.0
Weather: light rain

First, an update on Thursday. It turns out the church basement was actually the basement of the church rectory. And it was free. There was a big sign out front: ¢Hikers welcome, come as you are.¢ Inside, rules were listed, starting with hours for ¢quiet time.¢ Also, ¢No drugs. No alcohol. Clean up after yourself.¢Friday was less happy. In the morning, Sharkchow had a rainy walk across the Susquehanna River. When he got to the other side, there were railroad tracks. He looked down the tracks, and saw lights: A freight train was coming. So he had to stand there in the rain and wait for the train to cross. Sharkchow hiked 29 miles today. ¢It was a long, long day,¢ he said. Why didn¢t he stop sooner, Mrs. Sharkchow wondered. Because there are issues with access to water, he said. It¢s a Pennsylvania thing, especially as you move east. He doesn¢t want to be up on a ridge with no water, so he has to plan ahead. And today, that meant hiking 29 miles. This afternoon, he discovered from the radio that today was the summer solstice, June 21, which means ... Naked Hiking Day! It¢s a global tradition. Mrs. Sharkchow didn¢t need to ask if he participated. Because of course he didn¢t. Furthermore, he didn¢t see any naked people all day. ¢That¢s no fun,¢ I said. Mrs. Sharkchow
Date: 2019-06-22
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

A quick note to readers: Mrs. Sharkchow is heading overseas on business for a week, and so there will be a hiatus in postings on Trail Journals. Just didn¢t want anyone to worry! Sharkchow is doing great, and we¢ll do back-dated catchup posts when Mrs. Sharkchow gets back.ps. I love this flower picture from the AT in Virginia - didn't have a chance to share when he took it.
Date: 2019-06-30
From: Hamburg, Pa. 

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: few clouds

Mrs. Sharkchow is back from her travels. Here's what happened while she was gone: On Saturday evening, an issue arose with Sharkchow's right ankle. Sunday he walked to Hamburg, Pa., and on Monday, he took a zero to give his ankle some rest. Then he realized it might take more time. On Tuesday, he went home to Washington, D.C. He remains there as of Sunday, June 30. Stay tuned for updates.
Date: 2019-07-13
From: Hamburg, Pa. 

To: Eckville Shelter
Miles today: 14.5
Weather: clear sky

After a 2 12 week break, ankle much improved, Sharkchow resumed his hike Saturday. Mrs. Sharkchow drove him back to Hamburg, his favorite town in Pennsylvania, and deposited him at the entry to the trail heading north. He hiked 14.5 miles and landed at Eckville Shelter, which sounded pretty deluxe: It had a little shower, a flush toilet, and the ability to charge phones. There¢s a caretaker who lives in a house right there, thus all the amenities. In fact, the property belongs to the caretaker. Sharkchow isn¢t loving the rocky terrain of Pennsylvania, but then who does? It¢s what the trail in PA is all about. Mrs. Sharkchow
Date: 2019-07-14
From: Eckville Shelter

To: George W. Outerbridge Shelter
Miles today: 24.2

Sunday was a 24.2 mile day, and the highlight was walking along the famous Knife Edge. ¢It¢s a rocky outcrop - literally, walking along a rocky edge,¢ Sharkchow said. Given the previous situation with his ankle, he paid very close attention to each step. ¢If you lose your footing, you¢re gone,¢ he said. Seeing as how Mrs. Sharkchow was talking to him, she assumed there were no mishaps. But she asked anyway: How did he do? ¢I¢m alive. It was OK.¢ In this part of the trail, it alternates between rocky - pure rocks - and then nice sections, just a path thru the woods. It¢s all or nothing. ¢It¢s hard to know what you¢re walking into,¢ he says. ¢But I did OK today - 24 miles in 12 hours.¢ The other challenge is water. As in, there isn¢t much water for the next 20 miles. But he¢ll figure it out. And he can¢t wait to get out of Pennsylvania. Mrs. Sharkchow
Date: 2019-07-15
From: George W. Outerbridge Shelter

To: No-name campsite
Miles today: 20.5

Sharkchow got up early Monday morning and climbed up to the ridge, where he got this picture (left) of the Lehigh River near Palmerton, PA. It was a really hot day. But he was motivated by one thing.¢I¢m a day away from being done with rocks,¢ he said. ¢This is like hiker hell. But I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.¢ After reaching Delaware Water Gap, he¢s looking forward to walking to his native land, the part of the AT that he first visited as a Boy Scout 50 years ago and which inspired him to do this ridiculously long hike. ¢It¢ll be better in New Jersey,¢ he said confidently. For now, though, ¢it¢s just a big long slog.¢ He¢s camping at a site that¢s not near a shelter. There are six tents and Sharkchow in his hammock. But he¢s not exactly in the middle of nowhere; he can hear traffic noise. ¢It¢s real woods, but with urban sounds,¢ he says.There were also bees, and Sharkchow got stung twice. He had a big lump on his leg, but within 10 minutes it was gone. He thinks someone dropped something sweet, the bees found it, and then he intruded. ¢I had a misunderstanding with some bees,¢ he said.Mrs. Sharkchow
Date: 2019-07-16
From: No-name campsite

To: Delaware Water Gap, PA
Miles today: 17.0

It was his most distinctive piece of gear - a long, slender, straight, and sturdy piece of lodgepole pine, his trusty hiking stick. Sharkchow had picked it up 20 years ago from a pile of ¢yard waste¢ - ie, trail maintenance - in Yellowstone National Park, where he was hiking with his then-young son.A month ago, when Mrs. Sharkchow was visiting him out in Harpers Ferry, he worried out loud that the stick might not make it. It was showing signs of wear and rot. Today, after 20 years and almost 1,300 miles on the AT, the stick met its demise - but for a noble cause. Sharkchow was walking along, and he stepped on a log. A branch from the log flew up and tripped him, and down he went on the rocks, head first. ¢Because the stick was slightly under me, it broke the fall,¢ he said. ¢Another inch, and I¢m not sure I would have made it.¢ The stick protected him from slamming his head into the rocks. He¢s a little dinged up, he says, but ¢I¢m fine." He lashed the two pieces of the stick together to finish the remaining 12 miles of Tuesday's hike into Delaware Water Gap, PA. There, he went to the local outfitter¢s and got carbon fiber hiking poles - just like everyone else¢s. But there will be no ¢burial at trail¢ for the beloved piece of lodgepole pine. It so happens that two college friends of Mrs. Sharkchow, who live about an hour away, are driving out to see him tomorrow, and among their many acts of kindness, they will retrieve the stick and mail it to Washington. Sharkchow is staying Tuesday night at a church hostel, the Presbyterian Church of the Mountain. Maybe he¢ll say a little prayer for that piece of wood, which served him well over the years. ¢I am heartbroken,¢ he texted earlier today, along with pictures of the broken stick. ¢I feel like I¢ve lost a best friend.¢ Mrs. Sharkchow