morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2010-08-23
From: stealthing near the Pinnacle

To: Port Clinton
Miles today: 11.1
Weather: light rain

After a great stealth night with a full moon, we walked into Port Clinton for our bounce box. The outfitters mentioned in the book has been closed for over a year--so much for accuracy! However, we got a huge lunch, take-out sandwiches for dinner and pie and ice cream at the 3 C's restaurant. The folks there were very nice; they filled our water bottles and didn't mind that we kept them beyond their 2 PM closing time. Then we picked up our bounce box at the PO--everyone there was especially nice and they told us about a candy store in town where we were able to get snack/lunch stuff. We ended up staying in the town's Pavillion because of incoming rain. The Pavillion is maintained by the local scouts and owned by a local church. They even had little goodies for hikers. We were joined by Yaw and two Ga Tech guys, Guac and Queso, who have started their SOBO hike from Palmerton.
Date: 2010-08-25
From: stealthing near Round Head

To: Rausch Gap Shelter
Miles today: 20.1
Weather: overcast clouds

Got some trail magic today from Slick (AT 2004) and his friend, whose name I didn't catch (sorry): Gatorade and a Cliff Bar--perfect hiker food! Really nice guys. We passed the 1,000 mile mark! Woo hoo!!!! Now we're in a shelter with the most talkitive, but entertaining, fellow. We're tired, so probably now holding up our end of the conversation, but he's got some great trail stories. Food for thought: Slick said to "slow down and enjoy because we'll find that this hike is the highlight of one's life." I wonder how many thru hikers do in fact look back on their Hike and consider it the best period of their life. Is this good or bad? I want this Hike to be a building block, maybe even a jumping off point, but certainly not the high point. I want it to make everything that follows even better...
Date: 2010-08-26
From: Rausch Gap Shelter

To: Peters Mtn Shelter
Miles today: 18.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Got here around 3 PM as the hiking was pretty easy. Got a chance to call the folks at my office. I don't miss work, but I sure do miss my friends. Actually, I probably do miss work some... :-)My sister worked her usual miracle with organizing some issues on the homefront. So, once again, I'm extremely conscious of all of the folks back home who a doing the heavy lifting for me so that I can have this experience.I'm getting pretty stoked about our upcoming zeroes for my birthday. Am also happy to be hitting Duncannon and The Doyle tomorrow.
Date: 2010-08-27
From: Peters Mtn Shelter

To: The Doyle Hotel, Duncannon
Miles today: 11.2
Weather: few clouds

We're taking a Nero at the Doyle Hotel. This place is great! Good beer on tap and an excellent, veggie friendly menu. Pat and Vickey, the owners, are super nice. Pat likes to cook and the food reflects it. We got in right around lunch time. I had a portobello mushroom sandwich, handcut french fries and a Penn micro brew IPA. Then I got a nice, hot shower and threw our clothes into the washer. We walked down the road for ice cream (huge serving!) and came back and napped. Then we got on the internet to plan our next section, went thru our food drop (Dave made amazing treats and send extra goodies) and figured out what we needed to buy for resupply. With our work complete, we went back down to the tavern. Yaw showed up so we had a nice evening chatting, eating Pat's good food, drinking beer (but not too much!) and the boys played pool.Can't say enough good things about the Doyle. It's old (1905) and needs work, but the beds were comfortable and the atmosphere delightful. Another grand experience on our Journey!
Date: 2010-08-28
From: The Doyle Hotel, Duncannon

To: Darlington Shelter
Miles today: 11.4
Weather: clear sky

A short day to complete our Nero. We had a lazy morning at the Doyle and ate blueberry pancakes across the street. Walked out of town about 11 AM. Looks like we've pretty much finished with the rocks of PA (have I jinxed us?). Yaw is with us tonight and two dads doing an overnight with their young (5?) daughters. The kids are fun to watch. They shared smores with us and kept us totally entertained.
Date: 2010-08-29
From: Darlington Shelter

To: Alec Kennedy Shelter
Miles today: 18.2
Weather: clear sky

So today would have been really easy miles if not for the ninety degree heat. Still, it was nice walking through flat fields and trails by rivers for a change. We stopped verybriefly in Boiling Springs. So far, we've got this place to ourselves--and the bugs...
Date: 2010-08-30
From: Alec Kennedy Shelter

To: Toms Run Shelter
Miles today: 19.0
Weather: clear sky

We're still in a heat wave: 90+ degrees! Luckily, much of our walk was shaded today. We are now officially more than halfway. Woo hoo! Passed the halfway marker just before getting to the shelter. Obviously, the actually halfway point changes every year with the reroutes, but it's cool to hit this symbolic milestone.Went through Pine Grove State Park today. They have a newly opened AT Museum. That was fun--got to see Grandma Gatewood's keds! Listening to two owls as we go to sleep... Nice.
Date: 2010-08-31
From: Toms Run Shelter

To: Rocky Mtn Shelter
Miles today: 19.2
Weather: clear sky

Another HOT day. We passed thru Caledonia State Park, be didn't really see much. Nice to think we'll be staying there in 2 days. Did see two turtles mating in a stream. We originally thought it was a single turle flipped on it's back and stuck, but we figured it out after Silver took off his pack an slide down the bank to go "rescue" it. We had a nice chuckle at our own expense.I'm trying to get my thoughts together for marking the milestones of being halfway and of my upcoming birthday. I walk with such peace of mind. I believe that this is due to having the simplified container of the Hike--its goal of Springer and each day's mini goal of mileage or an anticipated experience. I have no illusion that the Hike itself has meaning, but the over-arching spirituality of the trip, the ability to practice Awareness in a simplified, orderly (?) environment is a gift. I'm wondering how to create this once we are off the Trail.
Date: 2010-09-01
From: Rocky Mtn Shelter

To: Devil's Racecourse Shelter
Miles today: 19.8

Had to walk 0.3 miles downhill to get here, but it has water so all is well. We ate an early lunch at Pen Mar State Park so we could take advantage of their water--our filter is on its last legs. It was an unexpectedly lovely park--an amazing view of the Cumberland Valley. It's right after the Maryland-Penn border, otherwise known as the Mason Dixon line. So I'm back in the South! We heard some lady say that it was 99 degrees. Guess that's why we're dragging butt and drinking so much water! Tomorrow we meet Lynn and David for a DOUBLE ZERO!!!
Date: 2010-10-05
From: tenting @ Lick Creek

To: Groseclose
Miles today: 17.1

Into the Relax Inn to dry off and warm up! Had an amazing vegetarian plate dinner followed by blackberry cobbler at a diner/grill within the Exxon Station. We'll be taking a zero tomorrow while we wait for meds to arrive to treat Silver's intestinal issues. Aboo, Djangle and Mud have kept moving so we'll probably be by ourselves the rest of the way to Damascus.H
Date: 2010-10-06
From: Groseclose

To: Groseclose (zero)
Miles today: 0.0

Took a zero waiting for the Giardia meds to arrive, which they did. We ate great food at the diner inside the Exxon station. The lady who owns it, Karen (?), was really nice and we spent a lot of time chatting with her. The first night, I had a veggie plate with mash potatoes, green beans, sweet potatoes, pinto beans and cornbread. I topped it off with blackberry cobbler and ice cream. Amazing! The second night was sweet potatoes, green beans, cabbage, macaroni salad and biscuits followed by a strawberry sundae. Oh yes, and sweet tea. I love being back in the south! Silver seems to be doing better.
Date: 2010-10-07
From: Groseclose (zero)

To: Trimpi Shelter
Miles today: 22.2
Weather: clear sky

This was one of those perfect backpacking days--mellow terrain and temp in the 60's. I was surprised0we went the far. I'm hopeful that's indicative of Silver's stomach issues being behind us. Pluto, a fellow SOBO thru hiker, is at the shelter tonight. This is our first time meeting him, although we've seen his name in the logs.
Date: 2010-10-10
From: Saunders Shelter

To: Damascus
Miles today: 9.4
Weather: clear sky

WooHoo! We're in one of the greatest trail towns on the AT. Got to town by 11AM and stopped for ice cream. Ran into Aboo, who is waiting on her dad so they can hike together for a couple of days. We're staying at The Hiker's Inn with my sister, Lynn, who is bringing us our winter gear. The owner, Suzanne, is super nice. We got a shower and walked to Quincey's. The section hikers we camped with at Saunders were at Quincey's also so we chatted for a bit before ordering our beer and pizza. They picked up our tab, but instructed the waitress to not tell us until after they had left. How cool is that? Thanks Chris, Jeff and Mike! To top it off the Falcons game was on so we got to watch them beat the Browns. It was so great sitting at Quincey's with my sister and Silver just enjoying a Sunday afternoon in Damascus. We spent the evening hanging out on the front porch of the Inn eating munchies and catching up. Lovely!
Date: 2010-10-12
From: Damascus

To: Double Springs Shelter
Miles today: 18.5
Weather: clear sky

Suzanne cooked us blueberry pancakes, eggs and peaches (from her peach tree) this morning "on the house". We had a great time chatting--why are some of the best conversations at the very end of a stay when time is short??? She is an active member of the local crafts guild. She had the coolest mittens for sale and also made rugs and scarfs. We got some good information on seed-sack quilts from her.We left my sister, Lynn, with big hugs at 9AM. Seeing her was such an unexpected treat. It was relatively easy to say goodbye this time. I think that it is a combination of the great weather and that we're heading into the home stretch of this journey.We passed into TN this morning. At lunch we met 2 SOBOs, QuickStep and GhostPirate who were tickled to catch us, as they had been chasing us since Maine... Kinda like we felt when we finally got to meet Aboo. They started about 10 days after we did, so they must be flying.Got trail magic from this man who was parked in his van on one of the forest service roads the AT crosses. I'm not sure that he really knew what a thru-hiker was, but he was really nice and shared water and an oatmeal cake with us. Folks are so friendly and chatty that it was hard to keep moving--of course, Silver would say that I contributed to the "chatty" part!Sharing the shelter with two old (our age) guys who are out for a couple of days. It's raining...
Date: 2010-10-13
From: Double Springs Shelter

To: tenting by Watauga Lake
Miles today: 22.0

Went a little further than expected today because the shelter didn't have water. Worked out well because we're right on the lake with lots geese and a beautiful moon.Saw Aboo and her dad at the first shelter of the day. Her dad is hiking with her for the Damascus to Kincora's section. We're hoping that she'll catch up with us by Hot Springs.
Date: 2010-10-14
From: tenting by Watauga Lake

To: tenting just south of Moreland Gap Shelter
Miles today: 18.1
Weather: light rain

It rained all night last night, with lots of thunder and lightning (per Silver; I slept through it). It was down to a drizzle when we left camp. Now we're back to blue skies but cooler temps. Hiking seemed kinda hard today--probably weather related, but there just seemed to be alot of ups and downs. Walked by Kincora's without stopping because we heard that Bob and Baltimore Jack were heading for The Gathering and wouldn't be there. Missed the opportunity to meet "trail legends". The shelters around here are full of graffiti about Bob Peeples, stuff like "Bob is so tough that he makes his shoes blister."
Date: 2010-10-15
From: tenting just south of Moreland Gap Shelter

To: Mtn Harbour Hostel
Miles today: 16.5

Got here about 4PM. Got pretty frustrated today because we missed the Trail turns 3 times and had to backtrack. This hostel is neat. It's over a working barn--horses and goats below. But it's completely enclosed with a wood burning stove, refrigerator, bathroom, stove, microwave, coffee pot, etc. All the luxuries in a rustic environment! There's a section hiker here from Wisconsin.We ordered pizza and a pint each of Ben & Jerry's. Looking forward to breakfast tomorrow morning. There are lots of compliments in the journal about their breakfast feast!
Date: 2010-10-16
From: Mtn Harbour Hostel

To: tenting at Ash Gap
Miles today: 17.4
Weather: clear sky

Yep. The breakfast was really good: French toast with a pecan/syrup topping, omelet (spinach, mushrooms, cheese), hash brown casserole, cinnamon buns and fresh fruit with a chocolate sauce. A couple staying at the B&B ate with us and then gave us a ride up to the trail head, which allowed us to be hiking just after 9AM.The walk today ranks way up there as one of the more scenic days. Hump Mtn. was basically a high meadow with 360 degree views. We even had to walk by some Long Horn steers (BIG, scary horns!). We also went over Roan Mtn, which is 3 feet shorter than Mt. Washington. There were tons of people out day hiking and section hiking up there. The views certainly warrant it being a popular area! We had several fun conversations with folks about our thru hike. One couple even took our picture. We were probably not quite up to expectations since we weren't particularly stinky as we had showered yesterday. ;-)We've got a great campsite tonight. It's gonna be a cold one!
Date: 2010-10-17
From: tenting at Ash Gap

To: tenting at Deep Gap
Miles today: 19.0

Another beautiful October day! TN is quite lovely. Silver kept trying to get that perfect picture to capture the colors, particularly that yellow with the sun filtering through the trees that makes everything so mystical and other-worldly. Didn't see many folks today--nice change from yesterday. My shoulders are giving me a fit (this is me whining). I gotta figure out something. Guess I'm just getting bony and a bit worn down. Not worries though...
Date: 2010-10-18
From: tenting at Deep Gap

To: Nolichucky River (Uncle Johnny's Hostel)
Miles today: 12.1
Weather: overcast clouds

Staying in the bunk room at Uncle Johnny's Hostel tonight. Got in about 3PM. Mud is here taking another zero to see if he can beat his cold. Pluto left about an hour after we arrived, having zeroed yesterday. As always, it was great to shower and do laundry. Gary, the guy running the place for Johnny, shuttled all of us into Erwin for supper. We had salad bar and pizza at Pizza Hut. Excellent!The hostel is an interesting place. In addition to the bunk house, there are little cabins in the complex, most of which are currently in long-term rentals to folks. The place has a really laid back, welcoming atmosphere. We hung out on the porch chatting with folks and enjoying the day. Plus, they have an amazing hiker box. Lots of generous hikers must come by here!
Date: 2010-10-19
From: Nolichucky River (Uncle Johnny's Hostel)

To: Bald Mtn Shelter
Miles today: 16.9

Today was all about going up--3500 feet worth all day long. It's cool because we're camping at 5100 feet tonight and still have great water.Lone Star is here. This is our first time meeting him. He's awesome and alot of fun. Mud is also here.
Date: 2010-10-20
From: Bald Mtn Shelter

To: Flint Mtn Shelter
Miles today: 18.9
Weather: overcast clouds

It started raining sometime after midnight, but was down to a drizzle when we left around 8AM. So we hiked in rain gear through the fog and clouds (missed what was supposed to be gorgeous views from Bald Mtn), but kept dry except for our feet. The sun was out by the afternoon.Tic and Mud are at the shelter with us tonight. Mud is still fighting his cold. Tic is a flip-flopper. This is our first time meeting him, although we've seen some of his journal entries. So this is a real treat to meet yet another thru-hiker.Got a text from Aboo, who seems to have gotten Mud's cold so is having trouble catching up. Also got an email from Hoze and Lil Bear. We lost them in Hanover and have been hoping they'd catch up ever since. Turns out they got off in NY due to foot and family issues. Bummer!!! But it was great to reconnect with them and, hopefully, we'll meet them next year with some trail magic as they complete their hike.
Date: 2010-10-21
From: Flint Mtn Shelter

To: Spring Mtn Shelter
Miles today: 21.3
Weather: clear sky

Pushed to get here today so that we'd have a short day into Hot Springs tomorrow. The weather is excellent and we had some good views. We did some rocky ridge walking that brought back memories of Maine(it was pretty easy though). Towards the end of the day, we turned down trail magic because you had to go down the road to a house and we figured we didn't have time to stop and still make the shelter before dark. It's hard to turn down food and to miss an experience, so we were kinda doubting our decision. Of course, Mud went (the joy of youth and fast hiking) and told us about all the food: Belgian waffles, banana split, etc. There was a caveat: these folks were kinda doing Christian missionary work on AT hikers, but Mud said it was well done and not pushy. So that was pretty cool.Tomorrow: HOT SPRINGS!!!
Date: 2010-10-22
From: Spring Mtn Shelter

To: Hot Springs (Elmer's)
Miles today: 12.0
Weather: clear sky

We're at Elmer's Sunnybank Inn and it is truly wonderful. Elmer's is one of the "must stay" places on the AT. We almost didn't get in because we had failed to call ahead and it's a Friday night during leaf season. Silly us. It's all good though because here we are. Elmer cooks vegetarian dinners and breakfasts for guests. The Inn is a pre-civil war historical landmark. The book collection is amazing, with emphasis on environmentalism, political activism, East Asian philosophies, and AT lore. I could absolutely stay here for weeks--I understand that some hikers have stayed for a year!Mud is here. Ghost Pirate came in late, having had to slow down to heal from some stomach something. Silver was suitably sympathetic to that!
Date: 2010-10-24
From: Hot Springs (Elmer's)

To: Roaring Fork Shelter
Miles today: 18.8
Weather: few clouds

After another great breakfast at Elmer's, we finally got back on the trail at 10 AM. We were concerned about getting in the miles before dark, but got here just before 6PM. Bishop still had town chores (laundry, resupply, etc.), so he'll probably be one shelter back tonight. Bummer, since we were so happy to finally see him again...
Date: 2010-10-25
From: Roaring Fork Shelter

To: Standing Bear Farm Hostel
Miles today: 14.6
Weather: light rain

Went up Moxy Bald today. Even with the wet weather, it was beautiful.Mud and Tic were already at the hostel when we got here, although Mud headed out after downing some pizza. Our mail drop is here, so we're in for the night. The hostel is a collection of small buildings: a bunk room w/a wood burning stove, a camp store, a building with a computer and another with a kitchenette of sorts. All very rustic, but easy and relaxing. Tic took the shuttle into town and we split a 6-pack of Sierra Nevada. Nice!
Date: 2010-10-26
From: Standing Bear Farm Hostel

To: Tri-Corner Knob Shelter
Miles today: 18.1
Weather: light rain

Tough day of mostly uphill walking, but we're in the Smokies!!! Started at 1,500 feet and went to 6,300. It's raining and the shelter is packed. Luckily, it's a big shelter with a tarp to keep out the wind and an inside fireplace. Luckily, we had some awesome section hikers with us who (1) shared their wine (and even wine glasses), (2) built a fire and (3) were the absolute life of the party! They made a cold, rainy night totally enjoyable. There was also a young couple celebrating their 2nd wedding anniversary. Very cool!
Date: 2010-10-27
From: Tri-Corner Knob Shelter

To: Mt Collins Shelter
Miles today: 20.1
Weather: light rain

Forgot to mention that Djangle wandered in last night after his short hiatus back into civilization to hear some good music... So, it rained all night last night. We thought that it was done by the time we started hiking and that all we'd have to contend with was the water runoff flowing down the paths. However, the bottem fell out just before lunch. I wish that I could say that I was no longer affected by the weather, but it still gets me grumpy. Gotta work on that!At any rate, we're in the shelter now wringing ourselves out. The stars are shining and the weather report for tomorrow is sunny and warmer. WooHoo.
Date: 2010-10-28
From: Mt Collins Shelter

To: Russell Field Shelter
Miles today: 22.7
Weather: broken clouds

It's our 26th wedding anniversary. In a way it was a non event--no champaigne, no privacy and lots of miles to cover. Still, the idea that we're accomplishing a dream we had back when we were dating makes this in many ways one of our most special anniversary celebrations ever. This time last year, we took a bottle of wine up to Blood Mtn to celebrate our 25th and dream of actually doing this hike. Amazing...Going over Clingman's Dome this morning was fun. Beautiful views and lots of nice folks with questions and good wishes for our adventure.Djangles is here with us tonight.
Date: 2010-10-29
From: Russell Field Shelter

To: Fontana Dam (The Hiker's Inn)
Miles today: 13.5
Weather: clear sky

Got to Fontana Dam Visitor's Center about 1:30. Their phone was out so I had to hike up the road to make the shuttle call. The voluntee couple at the center was really sweet. They are retired and volunteer at different places as an opportunity to travel a bit.The Hike Inn folks, Nancy and Jeff, are super. They're also very efficient. We were in our room by 3 PM, showered and having our clothes washed as we relaxed. Next thing we knew, Nancy was knocking on our door with all of our clothes clean and folded. Then they took us into town for dinner (waited while we ate) and a quick stop at the grocery store. We were back in our room watching TV and eating ice cream by 7 PM!We had awesome mail drops waiting for us. My office sent Halloween goodies and two Sweetwater 420 beers (my favorite!). Then my sister sent wine and some liquore entitled "hot sex"--presumably in commenmoration of our anniversary. Hmmmmm...Sadly, I've developed the cold that seems to be going through all of the thru-hikers. Dang!
Date: 2010-11-04
From: Plumorchard Gap Shelter

To: Dick's Creek Gap (Hiawassee)
Miles today: 4.5
Weather: broken clouds

In for a near-o and resupply... We're at the Hiawassee Inn. It's good to get warm and dry. Hoping to summit on Monday, so this is our last trail town. That's kinda bitter sweet...
Date: 2010-11-05
From: Dick's Creek Gap (Hiawassee)

To: Blue Mtn Shelter
Miles today: 18.8
Weather: light rain

Sally, our shuttle ride, picked us up right at 7:30 and we were walking by 8. She and Joyce are the nicest folks--good humored and enjoying their life in the mountains.Sally confirmed what we had heard on the weather channel: we should expect cold temps and possibly snow in the mountains. However, the weather kept fooling us. You'd look up and have blue skies and sun and then hit the other side of the mountain and have gray skies and flurries. We did get snow that stuck towards the end of the day and walked were pretty cold, wet feet. It's hard to tell what the night will bring--cold certainly. However, tomorrow is supposed to be sunny.There is a boy scout troup from Westminster, SC, here. They arrived shortly after us and are busy setting up their tents in the most organized, straight pattern you can imagine. They're also gathering fire wood and discussing the type of trees. We're impressed! All we want to do is eat and hop in our sleeping bags to warm up. Seriously, though, they are in cotton and hoodies. Humbles me to realize I'm (mentally) whining about the cold when I've got all of my high tech gear...Temperatures definitely dropping--they've predicted it'll be in the twenties. Guess we'll see how that 10 degree sleeping bag does!