morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2005-03-29
From: Brown Mountain Creek Shelter

To: Seeley-Woodsworth Shelter
Miles today: 15.8
Weather: clear sky

After the rain comes sun! Today it is clear and warm. Miles have been on my mind recently, mostly on how fast this first third of the trail has gone! Mid-day, I come across the best campsite I have seen so far. Salt Log Gap, grassy field, spring near by, and two swings hanging in the trees. Swings?? I¢m taking a break here at least. There I am, swinging from the tree on the AT. I check my guide book--mile marker 800! What a way to celebrate the 800-miles!At one of the road crossings today, I see two vans parked¢¦there¢s other people in the woods? It appears to be the boy scouts. I have this feeling they are at the next shelter, Seeley Woodsworth, where I wanted to stop for the day. Sure enough, it is tent city when I get near the shelter. There are 40 of them, informs one of the leaders. I can¢t believe this. It is shocking after camping alone for a few days to see this. I have enough daylight to continue on, but they have left the shelter empty, and I could use the amusement. There seems to be a steady flow of kids walking on the blue-blaze water trail. There are a few that are so tiny, they must be lighter than my pack. The group leaders visit with me, explaining the Boy Scouts of America have an initiative to walk the whole AT, with individual troops doing 50-mile sections in 2005. Something tells me this is only the beginning of my days camping with the scouts. They must be real tired tonight, as they are in their tents and quiet before Hiker-midnight (dark).
Date: 2005-03-30
From: Seeley-Woodsworth Shelter

To: Maupin Field Shelter
Miles today: 20.5
Weather: broken clouds

Woke up to an incredible sunrise visible right out of the shelter. The boy scouts are already up and meandering around. I¢m on the trail before 7:00. I¢m shooting for a long day and there is also a fair amount of climbing today. The first major peak is ¢The Priest¢, much easier on Northbound hikers than SOBO¢s, as I walk downhill for several hours. This is good news for the here and now, but on the AT, when you walk downhill for that long, you know you are going to pay for it. From the Priest Summit, I can see some real tall ridges across the valley. That¢s another thing about the AT ¢ if you see something big, something that stands out on the landscape, you are probably going there! Which brings me to the late afternoon¢¦climbing up a harsh 4 miles after descending The Priest. The Trail enters the Three Ridges Wilderness and regains 3,000¢. I always seem to save these climbs for the end of the day! You can actually take a blue-blaze trail around all this climbing, and there are three different groups of hikers that advise me to do this. I must be a born-again purist, because I follow the AT!I think about calling it a day at Harpers Creek Shelter, but it has been taken over by the boy scouts, a different troop. The boy scouts are everywhere ¢ it is spring break. So I climb on to Maupin Field, just 4 people here tonight. Still Bill and Tripper, NOBO¢s are among my company tonight!
Date: 2005-03-31
From: Maupin Field Shelter

To: Waynesboro
Miles today: 21.1
Weather: overcast clouds

The morning is think with fog, so much that I can¢t see Bill & Tripper¢s tent 200¢ away. We are all up early, so I don¢t have to quietly pack up my things for a change! Rain is in our future, so I plan on either camping at the next shelter, 16 miles, or continuing on 5 miles to town. The day is long, the thick fog never lifts, and I rarely can see anything further than 200¢ away. My eyes don¢t drift far from the trail, an endless track of leaves, rocks, roots. I listen to my music for most of the day. I see people only occasionally. I¢ve grown comfortable bellowing right along with my tunes, despite my lack of a singing voice. I¢ve only been busted twice that I know of. I have plenty of time to make it into town so I hike past the last shelter option after taking a long break there. I arrive at Rockfish Gap just before 5:00, but the visitor center must have closed early because of the weather. Waynesboro is a hiker-friendly town, so hitching is not a problem, but I¢m afraid vehicles won¢t see me standing on the side of the road in the dense fog. There is a list of 12 or so trail angels with phone numbers that will pick you up at the gap and take you into town. I plan on staying at Tree Streets B&B and they will pick you up right at the gap. I call from a pay phone and Bill is there in 10 minutes. Bill & Nicki, the inn keepers, have a beautiful home with three levels and an outdoor pool/diving board. My favorite parts are the snack patio, and the gear drying room for backpackers. Bill and Nicki give the place a warm atmosphere, you immediately feel at home and oriented to Waynesboro. They also have bikes for hikers to cruise around town with. There is an awareness I get every time I get to town, and it is especially strong as I enter such a beautiful home. In the woods, you get used to the stink, the dirt, the fact that you are dripping water. So my priorities are a shower, then china buffet!
Date: 2005-04-01
From: Waynesboro

To: Calf Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 7.0
Weather: overcast clouds

I start my morning with breakfast at the Inn with two other guests. Fresh fruit, southern pecan pancakes, bacon, homemade granola, coffee¢a fabulous feast. Since I arrived in town late yesterday, I still have a few town chores to take care of. The two guests save me some walking and drive me to the post office and laundromat. I mail my winter gators home, pick up my new sleeping bag from R.E.I. and return the damaged one. I¢ll carry this ¢5 bag until it gets too hot to sleep in. Coleman fuel from the hardware, groceries, then I spend some time at the library working on my journal. My mother is helping me transcribe, but I am still behind! Bill brings me back to the gap at 2:00 and I hike 7 miles to the Calf Mountain Shelter.The rain starts on the last hour of my hike.
Date: 2005-04-02
From: Calf Mountain Shelter

To: Black Rock Hut
Miles today: 13.0
Weather: moderate rain

Pouring-pouring-pouring in the morning! I am up at 6:00 but I don¢t leave the shelter until 9:30 when the rain lets up. I really lucked out with that judgment call! As of this morning, I¢m officially in Shenandoah National Park. My wingfoot guidebook promises me a nice gradual trail with a wide tread ¢ to a thru-hikers delight¢. The AT follows Skyland Drive for much of the stretch of the park and crosses it several times in a days hike. Even though it¢s the weekend, the road and trail is quiet due to the weather and dense fog. Crossing Skyland Drive is a little scary. With the fog, I can¢t see more than 100¢ either way. I stand on one side, listen carefully for a vehicle, then I trot to the other side as fast as one can with 35 lbs. on the back! Sky clears in the afternoon for my first views of the park. There is company at Black Rock Hut¢Bronco Billy. All his gear is soaked and fanned out across the hut. He consolidated to one side so I can move in. Bronco Billy, heading south, is complaining that the hut is a dump. It is not a dump. I must be in for some great shelters ahead. He fills me in on what facilities in the park are open this early in the year. Two restaurants, one store, a visitor center, in order of priority!
Date: 2005-04-03
From: Black Rock Hut

To: Hightop Hut
Miles today: 21.4
Weather: few clouds

I am proud to say that though it affects my life very little, I have remembered to move my watch one hour ahead with the rest of the civilized world! The wind really picked up during the night. The windscreen for my stove, which was folded up and under my fuel bottle, blew away deep into the Shenandoah Woods! Oh well, its been at least a week since I¢ve lost or broke a piece of gear. It was starting to feel strange. The strong wind continues all day long. Now all the signs I¢ve been seeing ¢ warning me of falling trees and limbs don¢t seem so paranoid---it is really bending the trees! Clear views today and the sun is out. Views galore without the leaves on the trees. The AT also leaves the woods several times to share the scenic overlooks with the vehicles. It is Sunday, and the park has a fair amount of people, but most parking areas are still vacant. I walk right by Loft Mt. Campground and Campstore, both closed as I expected. Throughout the day, I see more deer (around 40) than people. They don¢t show much fear of humans, even as I am singing down the trail. You practically have to tap them with your hiking poles to get them out of the trail! Tonight I am in a Hut just below Hightop Mountain. Just me tonight, but I get a visit from a local who hiked just two miles from his house to get here. Nice backyard he has! He leaves me with fresh fruit! The day ends with a great sunset that I enjoy inside my new odor-free sleeping bag.
Date: 2005-04-04
From: Hightop Hut

To: Rock Spring Hut
Miles today: 23.9
Weather: clear sky

When the AT was first mapped out, it was not created with the intentions that it be thru-hiked. It was made to connect many of the blue-blazed side trails. So, although the AT is a "scenic trail," it may be the blue-blazed side trails that are the scenic highlights. Today I walked by countless blue-blazes in the Park, and I get the feeling that I am missing a lot. I am. The Shenandoah's have 500 miles of trail, the AT is 100 miles through the park.That's right, I have walked over 900 miles and I still feel drawn to explore more trails! I broke some cardinal rules of thru-hiking today: I turned down food, and I passed up an opportunity for a cheeseburger! Facilities are just starting to open in the park. Big Meadows Wayside is the first campground/store area that is open, heading north. I passed it up by some level of self-discipline I didn't know I had! Big Meadows Campground is open. The trail is literally 30 feet away from some of the sites. I stop in to use the restroom--oh the luxury to be able to wash one's hands with soap!! En route, I am stopped by 4 or 5 groups, and I have the same conversation 4 or 5 times. "Where did you hike from?" "When did you start?" "How many miles do you walk in a day?" This is not uncommon, this conversation has been on repeat for two months!I think that's why I turned down the soda and hot dogs from a family. It was my fifth AT conversation in a matter of minutes, and I was running out of daylight to get to my camp spot for the night.I wouldn't have been in such a hurry had I know what was in store for me in the evening. After spending over 50 nights in trail shelters, I have to say that the mouse that lives in Rock Spring Hut made for my worst shelter experience yet! That one mouse RULES the place. It is one thing to go after food or toilet paper, that is understandable: it is just trying to eat or build a nest. But this mouse was getting personal. All through the night it was crawling on my sleeping bag, even walking right in my bag at the opening by my face! It was relentless!Then the baby skunk stopped by for a visit, followed by something big lurking in the woods. About the size of a deer, I just saw the shinning eyes. Is this a three-ring circus?
Date: 2005-04-05
From: Rock Spring Hut

To: Pass Mountain
Miles today: 15.3
Weather: clear sky

After an eventful night of much interrupted sleep, I am in good spirits in the morning, I am going to a restaurant for breakfast! Skyland Lodge is just five miles away, and practically on the trail. I am sitting at a table full of pancakes, sausage, fresh strawberries, and coffee by 10. To think there are backpackers out there eating oatmeal this morning--Ha!I am at the lodge for a couple of hours making phone calls and sending mail. I hike ten more miles in the afternoon to the next hut, during which I pass a couple picnic areas with bathrooms and running water. Restaurants, restrooms, water faucets, gift shops; is this really backpacking? Maybe not, but I'm not complaining!I am at Pass Mountain Hut tonight. The volunteer maintainer "Skyline" seems to be here a lot according to the register. You can tell this place gets a lot of attention: the grass is cut, there is packed in firewood, there is an air freshener in the privy! Again, am I backpacking?
Date: 2005-04-06
From: Pass Mountain

To: Tom Floyd Wayside
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

My last day in the park. Now I can officially debunk the rumor that SNP is flat--it is not! I will say that it is easier compared to the deep south, but not flat! For the almost constant views, there is not that much climbing.A SOBO in the register declared SNP "funweek." When all the stores and restaurants are open, a hiker could get by with carrying very little. Restaurants, lodges, cheeseburgers, ice cream, beer, and walking in the mountains--the best of both worlds! For a long distance hiker, this would be "fun week!"Last night two backpackers on their honeymoon moved into Pass Mountain Shelter long after dark. We are neighbors, as they are from Michigan. Flatlander to flatlander, we agree SNP is not flat!Another campstore along the trail today. My guidebook mentions a famous Blackberry Shake at the Elkwallow Store. Not wanting to miss anything on this AT adventure, of course I stop! The store has been open for a week, but the ice cream machine is not put together. "It's not ice cream season yet." Are you kidding me? There is no "season" for ice cream, not for this hiker anyway! Oh well, I'm an early season hiker, closures like this are the norm. The delivery man must have a soft spot for ice cream-deprived grubby hikers looking for ice cream. He gives me his strawberry energy drink from his lunch--close to ice cream!!The store cashier informs me that 100-300 deer are killed by tourists driving on Skyline Drive each year. Humans, as the top predators! Hiking is pretty fun and beautiful in the afternoon, Hogbacks Ridge and many scenic overlooks. It is a hot day, a long afternoon break is a necessity to escape the heat. It's only in the upper 70s, I can't image the summer heat.The highlight of the day is sunset on the top of Comptons Peak. A good ending to the days I spent in the park. I walk out of the park and to the next shelter: Tom Floyd Wayside. There is a side trail leading to a 4-H Center with a swimming pool. I know that it is closed, but it is still warm enough to want to swim at 8:00PM!
Date: 2005-04-07
From: Tom Floyd Wayside

To: Dicks Dome
Miles today: 18.0
Weather: overcast clouds

It is day 66, I am sheltered from the rain in a 6-sided shelter with 6 people, and it is my 6th day with out a shower, my company is horrified!Dick's Dome is a uniquely designed hexagon shaped shelter. Unique, but not very practical space-wise. The wide angles make it a challenge to fit the six of us, it is pretty close quarters. I swear I can see the others silently arguing over who has to sleep next to the thru-hiker, racing to claim their spots!There is a late afternoon rain today, so I was only hiking for an hour in the rain. The morning was overcast, but dry. A good break from the heat. Without a canopy, the sun radiates down on you all day long. Signs of spring are popping up all over the place! The understory is leafing out, wildflowers are springing up, but most not yet in bloom. You can't see the buds on the trees when you look directly up, but every time I look across a ridge the trees look green.Around the town of Front Royal, there is a Zoological Park operated by Smithsonian Institution. The AT follows it's fenceline for several miles. I am surprised and alarmed to see a large tree has taken a section of the fence down. Maybe during the high winds we had several days ago. Whatever the Zoological Park thinks they are fencing in can definitely get out! Am I going to see a giraffe on the trail today? I run into a local on the trail who has seen some "African Antelope" in the park, but I see no exotic wildlife today.
Date: 2005-04-08
From: Dicks Dome

To: Bears Den Hostel
Miles today: 18.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Section hikers Echo and Back of Beyond have given me a warning about todays hike. Simply put, they say "it sucks!" The PATC, the club that maintains this section, has named the next 13 miles "The Rollercoaster," going so far as to post a "Hiker Warning" sign at the start. While most ridges run north to south, the rollercoaster traverses a few west to east ridges. This trail section is tiring, but I think the posted sign amplifies the degree of difficulty. The PATC is messing with the hiker's minds!I have another cool, overcast day for all this climbing, and a sweet reward at the end of the day: Bears Den Hostel. A hiker's paradise. Everything I dreamed it would be and more! It is a mammoth of a castle, literally designed after a European castle. Queen Diva shows me around: shower, laundry, bunkroom, computer, even spare clothes to wear while all mine are being washed! The shower is my first treat!Another surprise, Jaws is here! He has shaved his trail beard off, and I can't help but exclaim "You Look Different!" Last time I saw Jaws was at Miss Janet's in Erwin, Tennessee. We indulge in a little trail gossip, who is where, what happened to so and so. It is what the hiking community does.Queen Diva invites me to dinner. I'm not one to turn down a home-cooked meal! Wow! This is not just my hiker-hunger talking, this Diva sure can cook! Homemade mashed potatoes, green beans, peppered pork loin, biscuits, fresh salad, and even homemade croutons! I am honestly overwhelmed! Everything is so good I don't know what to eat next. I am so full, sleep comes quickly for this tired hiker!
Date: 2005-04-10
From: Harpers Ferry

To: Washington D.C.
Miles today: 0.0

My first zero day since Thomas Knob Shelter back in Southern Virginia! Still lots of walking though. I took the Amtrak into Washington, a short 1 hour and 45 minute ride in a spacious window seat for just $9. My dear friend Heather is waiting at Union Station and takes me under her wing in this intimidating city! It is a shock to my system: the metro, the crowds, the noise. Good thing Heather was there to guide me. First things first, I must get rid of my backpack. It is much easier being a tourist if you are not carrying a fuel tank past the security checks! We zoom underground on the metro to Arlington, where Heather lives, then zoom back to D.C. The afternoon is spent seeing the memorials, the monuments, and the outside of the white house. The white house is small! The memorial are moving, the monuments are gigantic! The Washington Monument is 500 feet tall. Never again will I thing about a 500-foot elevation gain as small! Heather is a wonderful host, though I'm sure she has done these tourist activities too many times. It is great to catch up with an old friend, it is great to see a familiar face!
Date: 2005-04-11
From: Washington D.C.

To: Harpers Ferry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Heather has important lawyer business to get back to, so I get to brave the city on my own. I must say, armed with a map, I did just fine. A morning stroll thru Georgetown, starbucks once or twice, then I zoomed around on the metro and found my way to the Smithsonian Mall area. I spend most of the afternoon looking through the museums, too little time to even get a taste of what there is to see.I took the Marc commuter train home. I think I am the only non-business person on the whole train. I find it exhausting to imagine this ride as a daily commute. 90 minutes to Harper Ferry where most get off the train and then drove their cars for an even longer commute! Twice a day!
Date: 2005-04-12
From: Harpers Ferry

To: Rocky Run Shelter
Miles today: 15.5
Weather: overcast clouds

The Harpers Ferry Hostel is actually two miles outside of town, via the AT, so I¢m backtracking in the morning. The ATC Headquarters is a must stop! The office traditionally photographs all hikers that pass through, then numbers and organizes the ¢type¢ of hiker by color (NOBO, SOBO, Section), I am NOBO #2 of 2005. Snowbird is a 60-year-old woman several days ahead of me. Us women are making history this year! The ¢firsts¢ usually aren¢t female.The office sells books galore, maps, and anything you can think to slap an AT logo on. I pass some time flipping thru the hiker albums, putting a face to the names I¢ve been reading in the registers. There is a table-size 3-D map of the whole AT. The topography changes drastically north of SNP. Looks like I'll be leaving the mountains until New York!   The southern mountains really were bigger than Virginia, and yes, the mountains of the north look mammoth in comparison. I leave my pack at the ATC and run to the post office and pick up my gigantic mail drop. There is a hiker box (give/take ¢free¢ box often found at the hostels/hotels frequented by hikers). The ATC hiker box is loaded, people must donate goodies here because this is not stuff hikers give away. Typically, I see ramen and oatmeal, things hikers grow sick of. I do a little trading, but leave more than I take. No need to carry all the weight!I get on the trail by late morning and the map is truthful. The hike is very smooth today, flat I dare say, in many parts, with the cool temps in the lower 60¢s. I don¢t think I broke a sweat all day.I saw two SOBO section hikers. Hawk and Greenhorn. Greenhorn, out since November, starting in New Hampshire, was new to backpacking when he hit the trail. He started with seven pairs of jeans and 12 socks! Still carries a 4 pound iron frying pan. Finally, someone carrying more than me!
Date: 2005-04-13
From: Rocky Run Shelter

To: Devils Racecourse Shelter
Miles today: 20.2

I was just a few miles short of camping in luxury last night. An hour into my hike, I was surprised to see the state-run backpack campground open - a camping area with showers, bathrooms and electricity. I meet ¢Turtle¢ a thru-hiker that started in HF at the campground I assumed was still closed for winter. Next the trail goes up and over Washington Monument State Park where I learned all kinds of information about George as I followed a group of thirty 5th graders up the hill. ¢Do you live here? One asks, then gets clobbered by her friend ¢Why did you ask her that?¢¢No, I live in the woods.¢ I do live in the woods, but that is not the only way to hike the trail. Today, I pass a retired couple walking slowly down the trail. They have day-hiked the AT from Springer to Maryland using two cars to shuttle from road crossing to road crossing. They spend every night in a motel. Seems like a neat way to hike-smart anyway-no pack! We are almost halfway I exclaim! At least I can celebrate with someone!We cross the I-70 overpass together. The first horn took me by surprise, then there are so many horn blows, I turn around to see the retired couples¢ reaction. Oh! they are pumping their arms up and down, egging on the drivers!Maryland has a few rolling hills, and enough rocky sections to slow you down. I am amazed with anyone the completes the Maryland challenge: all 40+ miles in 24 hours. Not me! I¢d have to take a few days off just to recover from that!My latest gear issue involves my leki poles. They are now shorties, since one refuses to extend beyond a certain point. I collapsed them for traveling purposes when I took the Amtrak into D.C., and they have never been the same since.Coincidentally, I cross paths with the Harpers Ferry outfitter on the trail today. I hate to hound her with a gear question, but I can¢t resist. How many times does an outfitter show up in the woods when you have a gear problem? Well, once so far. We are a comical site, each pulling in opposite directions on a hiking stick. No luck.