morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2006-05-01
From: Black Rock Hut

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

See!? All better! I have the weirdest damn dreams when I¢m hiking ¢ night before last my dad was programmed by a computer chip to kill our entire family and last night I was an archaeologist trying to preserve a miniature man¢s corpse - I mean a fit in your hand sized man - and I put olive oil on him and he disintegrated and I got in big trouble, makes no sense¢¦Today was beautiful - my throat was sore when I woke up but it went away through the day. We hit our first Shenandoah wayside ¢ these roadside grills along skyline drive supposed to be a favorite among hikers but it was all closed down. Two days out of town we didn¢t mind ¢ we¢re supposed to hit #2 tomorrow. The wildlife in the park has been wild ¢ turkeys, buzzards, deer everywhere, monster red-headed woodpeckers AND I saw the most adorable baby cub down by a stream 40 feet away from me - it was so small it could fit in my hands and so young it could barely walk. I didn¢t stay too long or take a picture because I didn¢t know where Momma was, but it was easily the highlight of my day. I hiked most of the day by myself ¢ something I did too little of last year and do as much as I can this year ¢ it¢s amazing to come ¢home¢ to a shelter and your trail family and save the day and hiking for yourself, your mind and spirit. We¢re sharing the shelter tonight with a couple of local boys that carted trout, venison, and fresh eggs up a mile and a half to the shelter ¢ they¢re really interesting good spirited guys having a very different kind of AT experience out here - cooking everything in the fire, making the shelter their home for the week while they do some painting work at a house nearby, really cool guys.
Date: 2006-05-02
From: Hightop Hut

To: Big Meadows Campground
Miles today: 20.0
Weather: broken clouds

I did not want to get out of bed today ¢ woke up to a coughing fit and disturbed night of dreams ¢ my body and mind are starting to really protest the aggressive start I¢ve had this year. I made breakfast, watched the VA boys cook eggs over last night¢s coals and crawled back in my bag. We originally had 24 miles planned today with dinner at the lodge at mile 20 ¢ Scout has ended up with an infected blister and hitched a ride here with the local boys while we did the miles to meet her here. She is leaving tomorrow for her niece¢s wedding so we had a big fancy dinner here to send her off ¢ big Greek salad, Veggie Quesadillas, 3 cups of Great coffee and we split the best blackberry ice cream I¢ve ever put in my mouth. In addition - mind you ¢ to the stop Firefly and I did mid day at a campground store that involved chocolate milk, an ice cream sandwich, and a piece of fudge¢¦ I feel about ready to puke needless to say but at least I¢m full of real food tonight and not pasta and cheese sauce. Firefly and I hiked the entire day together and talked the entire time ¢ laughed constantly ¢ at one point he tried to do a jump, grab, swing on a low tree branch, but mid jump his trekking pole made an unexpected swing out to knock him hard in the head throwing off his coordination and aim and just about landed him a heap in the trail. Such an enjoyable walk I hardly thought twice about my feet but after dinner we were rocking in the chairs in the lodge lobby watching a beautiful sunset when I noticed how horrible my feet looked ¢ every night for the past week and a half I¢ve had to draw at least two blisters a night and they keep popping up in new unexpected places. My heels are now almost purple and inflamed. I¢m gonna have to break down and invest in tennis shoes if I¢m going to make it much further. I¢m looking forward to a 5 minute shower in the morning (the campgrounds here take change $1 = 5 minutes) maybe some eggs if I can budget it in, one more night in a shelter with blackberry milkshakes and a hostel stay to see us out of the park day after tomorrow.
Date: 2006-05-03
From: Big Meadows Campground

To: Pass Mountain Hut
Miles today: 12.0
Weather: scattered clouds

So I blew my budget out of the water ¢ my blisters looked really bad when I woke up ¢ swollen and red ¢ so I opted to lay low in the morning with Scout while the guys did the early 8 miles ¢ I had the best 5 minute shower in my life ¢ some woman didn¢t have change on her and wanted to trade me an antique trinket from her car for change, bizarre ¢ I don¢t think she believed me that all I had to my name was $1 in change and that I was carrying my life on my back and had no room for antique trinkets¢¦ I had a great breakfast of eggs and delicious REAL organic coffee¢¦ at least 6 cups. Scout and I worked on a puzzle in the lodge lobby, walked to the wayside and had second breakfast - a thru hiker necessity ¢ blackberry shakes ¢ so so good - and then hitched into Skyland lodge for lunch ¢ Portabella Sandwich and blackberry pie ¢ I¢ve spent a relative fortune on food today and it was worth every bite ¢ Scout got a cabin at the lodge so we goofed off for a while and said goodbye to her until Harpers Ferry ¢ she¢s getting off for a few days for a wedding. Firefly and I set out for the shelter and found Silver at a road crossing - about to hitch hike home ¢ we¢re hoping he¢ll be back soon but man did I almost lose it at the road crossing ¢ Silver, for your viewing pleasure this is what I left for you at the register tonight ¢ ¢A member of our trail family left us tonight and I miss him already ¢ like a blister, a pain in my ass but now that he¢s gone my hike just don¢t feel quite right.¢ Much love to you Silver ¢ you¢re sorely missed.
Date: 2006-05-04
From: Pass Mountain Hut

To: Terrapin Station Hostel
Miles today: 22.5

I am wearing a cotton t-shirt and jeans 3 sizes too big and straight up early 90s style and I couldn¢t be happier ¢ You can¢t beat the feel of jeans on your skin after 3 weeks without no matter how big they make your butt look. Without our early morning wakeup calls from Momma Scout and Poppa Silver, Firefly and I slept late ¢ missing all along the roar of Scout¢s whisper lite stove ( its sounds like a 747 taking off) and Silver¢s old reliable ¢Lock and Load¢ farewell each morning. We got to our last Shenandoah ripoff restaurant and got charged 4 dollars for a grilled cheese the lunch lady would be ashamed to serve a school child ¢ but of course a thru-hiker, whatever ¢ can¢t resist the smell of grease even if it costs 4 dollars¢¦. anyway we sat in the sun for 2 hours sipping milkshakes and swatting flies. I¢m convinced AT hikers are as much a tourist attraction/wildlife sighting as are the Black Bears in this park ¢ we endured 10 Q & A sessions at the wayside alone ¢ 4 times asked what we¢re doing with our lives, 3 times what we eat, and each time ¢ this really got me ¢ how we planned to get home from Maine at the end ¢ like planes, trains, and automobiles don¢t exist there. It was great ¢ a funny part of being a thru hiker and Firefly only had a little bit of fun with them. We saw a family of 4 black bears late in our hike ¢ a momma and 2 cubs ¢ couldn¢t see the size of the last one ¢ but we watched them foraging for a good five minutes. The Shenandoahs have been beautiful- full of wildlife, alive with spring, forgiving terrain, and LOTS of stuffing your hiker belly opportunites ¢ for a pretty price tag of course. Terrapin¢s a nice place to end the park too ¢ Greenpeace, the owner, is taking us into Front Royal tomorrow for breakfast & so I can buy tennis shoes that don¢t destroy my feet, I¢m sleeping on a pillow and in a T shirt ¢ I¢ve got a belly full of coke and big fat mattress under my aching body. I had a moment of Joyful Rapture tonight walking along the AT all by my lonesome ¢ it was my favorite time of the day to hike ¢ the light was all sideways in the woods, the sky was a hundred different shades of light and cloud, the birds were singing the departure of sunlight, and I could smell dark and sweet spring all around me. I¢m in love with walking, with living outside and witnessing these subtle variations of Mother Earth ¢ I felt like the luckiest woman in the world that¢s what we call joyous rapture.
Date: 2006-05-05
From: Terrapin Station Hostel

To: Tom Floyd Wayside
Miles today: 0.7
Weather: overcast clouds

I could be a cat ¢ what a fabulous day as my two year old niece would say ¢ I woke up to a fresh cup of brewed coffee being handed to me ¢ we were shortly carted in to Front Royal, VA where I once again bought way too many groceries and made a stop at the fabulous Golden Arches ¢ I usually follow a moral imperative to not even enter the doors of this American icon, but good God, I can¢t even describe the power of food over mind, body, and soul this far into any hike ¢ I ate more grease in 30 minutes than I eat in a year and it was heaven ¢ I needed it too ¢ I was shocked to step on the scale and find I¢d lost 10 lbs as opposed to last year gaining 10 lbs after comparable mileage ¢ no problem, I don¢t mind stuffing my face to compensate. With a full belly we moved on to the outfitter where I nursed my other groaning body part ¢ despite an ever tightening budget I bought a new pair of trail runners because my feet are in shambles ¢ blisters EVERYWHERE to the point where I¢ve been taking Ibuprofen with breakfast, lunch and dinner and the amount of popping and draining I was having to do threatened infection. The outfitter owner measured my feet and informed me my feet had grown by a 12 size in 3 short weeks ¢ my- how my body¢s changing ¢ no wonder my feet are screaming mercy. So Firefly and I lounged at the hostel until 4 pm watching the Daily Show & Colbert Report and the Weather Channel of course and a short half hour hike later we were done for the day a near 0 day for sure. The weather has been unbelievably beautiful and we lucked out with a shelter with a deck ¢ we packed in a salad and Tabouli and had a delicious fresh dinner on the trail only mistake is we neglected to bring a 6 pack of Corona out for Cinco de Mayo¢¦ I¢ll settle for hot chocolate and an Oh-my-God-sunset.
Date: 2006-05-06
From: Tom Floyd Wayside

To: Dick's Dome Shelter
Miles today: 18.0
Weather: clear sky

We got a lightning storm finale last night before falling asleep and woke up to a beautiful cold front, blue skies and a soft, soft breeze. Took our time and didn't get out of the shelter until 10. Can I just say my new shoes are heaven for my feet - 18 miles and I didn't have to take a single Vitamin I. We took a 3 hour break at the Cadillac of all shelters - the Denton Shelter with a spring-fed shower, adirondak chairs and ended up tonight in the ugliest little shelter I've ever seen with 7 little scouts running around like wild men - a study in contrast - and I call it home. I was exceptionally hungry all day today but think I've finally satiated my stomach with my trail favorite Annie's white cheddar and basil pesto. . .I've got a box of brownies waiting on me at Bear's Den Hostel tomorrow night. I can't wait to sit down at a table with a plate and a stack of chocolate goodness for dinner tomorrow night. Yes, insane hunger is a terrible, horrible, consuming hiker illness and have I EVER been infected.
Date: 2006-05-07
From: Dick's Dome Shelter

To: Bear' s Den Hostel
Miles today: 19.0
Weather: few clouds

I woke up to a beautiful day & crazy energy - I probably had a 3 mile/hour pace the first 9 miles - took another 2 hour siesta at a shelter and made it to Bear's Den around 4. On a new improved and disciplined budget Fire Fly and I opted to tent in the yard even though it's raining for $8 but we can hang out in the big beautiful hostel until it's time to sleep - Bear's Den is so nice - for $8 we get full kitchen privileges, a shower, towel and soap, unlimited internet and phone and a big cozy fireplace with sofas to lounge in -there's a full house tonight - all section hikers - Fire Fly and I have mostly been consumed with eating brownies and getting in touch with Scout who's meeting us in Harpers Ferry day after tomorrow (Mom, brownies were HUGE hit - I had to hide the last one for breakfast in the morning.) There's too much excitement and I can't even focus on journaling right now - or maybe it's ADD and brownie sugar talking.
Date: 2006-05-08
From: Bear' s Den Hostel

To: David Lesser Shelter
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: overcast clouds

3 1/2 cups of coffee and a warm comfortable hostel when it's raining outside makes for frustrating productivity - all morning I was about to jump out of my skin itching for something to do when the other half of me wanted to chill out and enjoy my morning off and out of the rain. . .checked out registers from last year and saw many friends from '05 that passed through - Gunter, Pig Pen, Paladin, Corduroy, Boomerang. . . weighed my pack with 5 days of food (24 pounds). . .weighed myself after my brownie feast for dinner and b-fast (still 8 pounds down). . .tried to dry my tent before packing it in my pack (still soaked). . .did laundry, made phone calls, played on Trail Journals- all good stuff and I would give Bear's Den a solid 4 out of 4 stars on the Hostel rating charts. Hiked 11 in rain to a great shelter with a porch style swing and a huge deck - Fire Fly and I just had a laughing fit making up hypothetical journal entries about all the off-colored jokes and trail moments that we must omit from public journals. . .sorry folks - you get the PG version here - my rated R is under lock and key. Oh! Duh! Finally hit West Virginia today! Harpers tomorrow, AYCE stop in town, reunion with Momma Scout, and in to Maryland. Brrr - below 40 degrees tonight mid-May - CRAZY
Date: 2006-05-09
From: David Lesser

To: Harpers Ferry
Miles today: 13.0
Weather: few clouds

I danced my way in to Harpers Ferry on some good ole tunes smiling and literally jogging...that's how good my feet feel...down hill to the Potomac. I remember spending hours with this hardcover 1980s something book national geographic put out on the trail when i was a little girl and i remember reading about Harpers Ferry, the psychological halfway point, and looking at pictures of the potomac and the quirky old town and it might as well have been a fairy tale story to me then. Here I am a grown woman walking the trail of my adolescent fantasy and it made me just about tear up as I crossed all those actual and theoretical lines this morning. Spent the afternoon at the ATC office as a tourist attraction..."and look, there's a real thru hiker emerging from the restroom..." Eating and eating, mail drops, milkshakes, and the outfitter. We'll be camping somewhere north of the city tonight-reunited with our dear Scout at long last!!!!
Date: 2006-05-10
From: David Lesser Shelter

To: Pine Knob Shelter
Miles today: 21.0
Weather: few clouds

I didn't really hike 21 miles today - I'm just adding 4 extra miles from yesterday we ended up doing on a night hike to Ed Garvey shelter. Harpers Ferry was so cool - the crazist little town I've ever seen. After I updated my trail journal online - at the ATC office I took a trip to the restroom where they had a big sink. I started washing my hands in the sink with a rosemary soap in a pump and it smelled so good next thing I knew I had my head under the faucet washing my hair laughing at myself for all the social graces we hikers forfeit after so many weeks on the trail - and to amend an earlier mistake - I weighed myself at the ATC office on a real and accurate scale and I've only lost 4 pounds - so no worries. Fire Fly and I headed to the outfitter while Scout headed to the hostel to get her pack. After purchasing a new and fully functional headlamp the Fly and I attempted to head toward the trail like good little hikers but a tavern sign caught our attention and like moths to headlamps we flocked irresistably toward beer. We barely made it out by sunset with 6.5 miles left to climb and slightly foggy heads. I forgot to call my parents among other important things and I did my first night hiking so far by the light of the moon. Ed Garvey shelter was amazing - we slept up in the attic and enjoyed ourselves there laughing and eating until 10 this morning. Really beautiful day - we're taking free showers at Dalghren State Park, doing laundry in the sink, and napping. A short two hours later we were swept away again by Wingfoot's promised of a tavern .4 off the trail - Right where the trail squeezes between 2 residential houses - the sweetest woman pulls up and tells us to hop in, she'll take us to the tavern. She lives in one of the houses where she has a hiker register and a cooler of trail goodies for hikers passing by. She let us store our packs at her house and dropped us off at Dog Patch Tavern - a total biker bar. Full of smoke and greasy bar food - it was awesome - ordered pizza, burgers, soda and beer - played cricket while we waited - were approached by a number of intoxicated persons in leather - listened to every bad country and rap song under the sun - and then hiked the .6 to the shelter with full bellies and appreciation for these quiet secluded woods.
Date: 2006-05-11
From: Pine Knob Shelter

To: Deer Lick Shelter
Miles today: 22.5
Weather: light rain

Yea! Crossed the Mason-Dixon line - this Southern Girl's gone Yankee. Rainy, stormy day made for dangerous crossing of first Maryland-Pennsylvania boulder fields, but I felt great all day, flew through the miles despite rain and cold, and can I just say my feet feel amazing - I called my previous boots my hair shirt - the only punishing reminder that I was doing any sort of hard work out here - so I call my new ones pure heaven - they're Vasque trail running-something-or others - and with the exception of 2 new getting to know you blisters they and my feet are getting along just fine. Scout and I were walking the last 4 miles from Pen-Mar Park to the shelter soaked & in pouring rain and came upon 2 shelters in one place - a homeless-looking guy was sitting in one and about 20 packs were sitting in the other - NOT something a soaking wet thru hiker wants to see at the end of 20 miles and rain - a minute later 20 kids in matching bright blue rain suits came out of the woods - inner city kids from Baltimore on their 1st night of an Outward Bound trip - luckily, but God bless them on a night like tonight, they were tenting in a nearby field. We proceeded to settle in and dry out to the extent that's possible when everything you own is relatively soaked or damp - Nothing better than cooking and warming up in a shelter when it's pouring outside. It's been a great day - if you can come to love hiking even when you're soaked and cold and everything's covered with mist and cloud, you know you really love hiking - I know what I said in my first preparation journal entry, but today I really saw myself hiking to Maine - last year, as much fun as I had, hiking on one day or another felt like a chore or a job - this year it's been pure joy - I catch myself looking at tree tops or the varying effects of light on the woods or rhododendron tunnels over the trail and just smiling, just being insanely happy and at peace and thankful at every moment (almost) to be right where I am hiking this Appalachian Trail
Date: 2006-05-12
From: Deer Lick Shelter

To: Quarry Gap Shelter
Miles today: 16.2
Weather: broken clouds

Crazy how easy 16 miles feels after 20. This is the most beautiful shelter I've ever seen - there are hanging baskets of flowers on the porch - 2 bunk rooms - a porch and picnic table connecting them, a gravel walkway with benches, a REAL clothesline, the list goes on. I was hoping to meet up with Gunter and PigPen today - 2 of my best buds from last year's hike that are from Pennsylvania and live right around this area, but no luck. We've got the official halfway point and half gallon challenge up for tomorrow so I'm planning a light lunch to meet the half gallon challenge(for those of us who don't enjoy milk induced illness).
Date: 2006-05-13
From: Quarry Gap Shelter

To: James Frye Shelter
Miles today: 24.5

Hit the halfway point today! I attempted to take a picture of myself at the marker being verklempt but probably ended up just looking stupid - It's interesting being out here for days with no sense of self image - no mirror to reflect your person every day. We lost FireFly at some point tonight - kind of a tough day - I planned on pushing long miles to catch with last year's hiking buddies in Duncannon but at the last shelter before Pine Grove Furnace State Park I caught up to Scout hurting big time from what we later found out was allergic reaction to the antibiotics she was on to treat an infected blister - if it's not one thing, right? So I walked with her to the park where - MAGIC - another hiker - Everyready - found her a doctor, a diagnosis, a prescription, a ride to the pharmacy and a room in the booked up hostel - a relative miracle - Fire Fly and I are going ahead with Stretch & Salsa (2 new friends) and will wait on Scout in Duncannon. In the midst of all this drama one sole hiker did the 1/2 gallon challenge in 48 minutes flat - Salsa choosing wisely from a multitude of flavors mint chocolate chip consumed 16 - 150 calorie servings of ice cream - nothing short of amazing - I got a picture of the victor and a few words after the win "That's nothing - I usually eat a half gallon at a time at home in front of the TV without meaning to." I settled down with an ice cream cookie and mug of coffee - it's been cold and rainy lately and I wasn't about to touch any sizable amount of ice cream. I think the store must super-infuse their coffee with extra caffeine because I've never had such a coffee buzz - I flew out of the park making a quick Mother's Day call at 5:30 and made the last 7 miles well before dark. Hope Fire Fly's okay - it's raining and there's not another shelter for 8 miles.
Date: 2006-05-14
From: James Frye Shelter

To: Darlington Shelter
Miles today: 26.5
Weather: light rain

Whew! I'm tired! Found FireFly in Boiling Springs - he walked past the shelter last night and had to camp out 6 miles past us. Walked through the morning with Stretch - very funny guy from Wisconsin - we found a roadside Pepsi machine and bought 50 cents of sugary goodness. The Deli in Boiling Springs was closed so we ate at the bar of the super upscale Boiling Springs Tavern feeling super self conscious about how bad we smelled among the Sunday church/Mother's Day crowd. Had a calamari salad and dark English Ale - so good but the beer went right to my head and had me giggling throughout lunch like the goober lightweight chick that I am. I was instantly sobered up with the realization that we still had 13 miles to climb so we went next door to the gas station and had an equally upscale dessert of coffee and powdered doughnuts - FireFly and I were giddy about all the junk food we get away with eating out here. The two boys walked the rest of the day together and I zoned out singing the entire score of Rent (the musical - not the crappy movie version - and if you've seen the actual Broadway-in-the-flesh-version and still think I'm a nerd, then I'm afraid we just can't be friends). I also spent a good hour conjugating all my French verbs and surprised myself at how much I remembered. A mile and a half before our shelter we found a note posted that the spring at Darlington was dry and we should carry water up from the nearby creek. Not realizing we were 1.5 miles away and STRAIGHT downhill from the shelter I opted to carry my platypus 2 liter in one arm and my poles in the other which left me awkwardly scrambling uphill over rocks to tonight's destination - NOT a great way to end my biggest mileage day ever. The sky just opened up with rain - a welcome sound when I'm cozied up in my bag under a shelter - It's been amazingly chilly for mid-May - I've been fully zipped up in my 20 degree bag every night so I won't complain. Stretch just freaked a section hiker out by offering to share his bunk for the night saying he's been in the woods for a couple of months and it's getting kind of lonely - the guy not surprisingly set his bag out on the OPPOSITE side of the shelter to Stretch's disappointment I'm sure. Thank God Duncannon's tomorrow - I can't sleep with my own stink one more night.