morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2012-05-19
From: Paul C. Wolfe shelter

To: Rockfish Gap Waynesboro, VA
Miles today: 5.2
Weather: overcast clouds

As I left the shelter, I saw a woman with 2 dogs down near the creek. I waved to her as I passed by. The hike today was a short, fast 5.2 miles. During this time, the woman with the dogs and I passed each other several times. While talking on the phone to my wife, I looked down on the trail and saw a huge blacksnake. It was about 6 feet long. When I got to Rockfish Gap, I called a local trail angel for a ride to the Old Colony hotel. He informed me it was only half a mile to the hotel and suggested I just walk. He then went on to say that if I wanted to get anything in town, I'd do better to go to one of the hotels closer to the center of town. I agreed, and he came to get me. We stopped by the Old Colony hotel so I could pick up my mail drop from home. Then we went into town. As it turned out, the town was hosting the Soap Box Derby, and the nearby Virginia Military Institute was holding graduation. Due to these events, there were almost no rooms available in town. He dropped me at the Royal Inn, which did have one room available. It was a complete pit! I declined the room and started walking to the YMCA, where I could pitch my tent in a field. On the way I decided to stop at the Ace Hardware store where I hoped to get a new knife. As I walked, a truck came by and offered me a ride! At the Ace I was offered free fuel for my stove, which was really cool. Then, a man there offered me a ride to the local outfitter shop and then to the YMCA. At the outfitter, I bought an entire survival kit just so I could have the same knife my friend Michael had given me.When I got to the YMCA field, the woman with the dogs was there. Her name was Dog Whisperer. I asked if she had found a knife, and lo and behold, she had! So now I had my knife back, and a whole other kit. Before dark another hiker showed up. His name was Gato.
Date: 2012-05-21
From: Rockfish Gap Waynesboro, VA

To: Calf Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 6.8
Weather: light rain

Gato, Dog Whisperer and I got out of our rain-soaked tents and headed into town for breakfast. On the way back we saw a dog in a store-front window. I took a picture with my phone and sent it to my family. "Red Truck" took us to the trail head at 10:00. It was cloudy all day and there were no views as I headed into the Shenandoah mountains. It rained just enough to get me wet. At the shelter I again met 4 Spoke, whom I'd met at the Dutch Haus. Here too was Tag, Marine1 and his grandson Duckling, Dog Whisperer, and the Myaka Mules from Florida.
Date: 2012-05-22
From: Calf Mountain Shelter

To: Blackrock Hut
Miles today: 13.0
Weather: broken clouds

Columbine in handThis morning Tag let her dog wander free. It went near Dog Whisperer's dogs. They went completely nuts and broke there leashes. Dog Whisperer when ballistic! I can't say I blame her. The view from Black Rock was great! At the end of this long day, I very briefly saw my 9th bear as it jumped over a rock fence just a few feet in front of me and scampered into the woods. I never had a chance for a photo.Mountain LaurelDuring the hike, I found a sandle and carried it forward. As it turned out, it belonged to Marine1. He was so grateful to have it. I was happy to have carried it as it was 'paying it forward' for my knife.
Date: 2012-05-23
From: Blackrock Hut

To: Loft Mountain Campground
Miles today: 6.7
Weather: moderate rain

Too many dogs! Last night there were five dogs at the shelter. I just don't get the dog thing.About a mile into the hike, I realized I'd left my bear line (used to hang my food) back at the shelter. I left my pack and went back to get it.   This act lengthened my short hike today to the campground. Here I tented in the rain, but I got to do laundry, take a shower, and eat a ridiculous amount of food, topped off with a pint of ice cream - YUM!Marine1 and Duckling got off the trail. I will miss them.
Date: 2012-05-24
From: Loft Mountain Campground

To: Pinefield Hut
Miles today: 7.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Here is a nice, true, story. I ate breakfast at the Wayside. Here I met Larry, a trail maintainer/volunteer. I guess him to be in his 70's. I invited him to join me and we spoke about the trail as I ate. I'd tipped the cook a buck, and as I ate breakfast, he brought me a sandwich for lunch. He said he made it by mistake, but I noticed I was his only customer. Smile.I sent a postcard home. When I left the wayside, I found two oranges on my pack outside. Someone just left them there for me.Larry then walked me to a short-cut back to the AT. I said goodbye, and as I walked toward the trail, I heard some rather loud rustling, and I knew it was a bear. I readied my camera. In a flash, a cub crossed the trail in front of me. Then mama came out and stared at me. I got a photo just as she ran into the woods, and then another as she stopped and watched me! Great start of the day!!!At 1:30 PM I reached the shelter. Too soon to stop, but too late to get to the next shelter. At 3:00 PM MyTime came by.
Date: 2012-05-25
From: Pinefield Hut

To: Hightop Hut
Miles today: 8.2
Weather: scattered clouds

Today was a nice day of walking. There were lots of ups and downs, but not too bad. I do feel I am getting tired of Virginia though. When I got to the shelter, MyTime was there. I think our daily paces match, though he faster overall. He is a retired Army Colonel and a very interesting fellow.
Date: 2012-05-27
From: Bearfence Mountain Hut

To: Rock Spring Hut
Miles today: 11.5
Weather: clear sky

I walked along the Skyline Drive for part of the hike today, "yellow blazing" if you will. When I got to Big Meadows campground I again showered (two days in a row!), did laundry, and ate at the wayside. For the second half of the day, MyTime and I walked together and he gave me geology and botany lessons. I learned to identify several trees. My favorite is the Shagbark Hickory. Tonight we had, for a change, great phone service at the shelter and I spoke with Fern, Danielle, and Megan. I then called my friend Ron and said hello.The shelter is completly full and all the good tent sites are full. At this time, a boy scout leader and a dozen or more scouts showed up expecting to camp. I can only wonder what kind of people are leading the scouts these days. How can you resonably expect to walk into a shelter area of the AT during the peak of the hiker season, during Memorial Day weekend, in the Shenandoah National Park and expect it to be totally empty? Just plain ignorant of the facts!
Date: 2012-05-28
From: Rock Spring Hut

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

Too many miles today! I got up at 5:30 AM and was on the trail by 6:00. This was so I could get to the Skyland Resort for breakfast. I was walking along a 50 foot cliff when I heard rustling down below. There I saw three bears. They'd scattered and I froze. I was then able to get a video of them as the re-grouped and walked away. Very cool. This was bear sighting 12, 13, and 14!About 1:00 PM I reached another picnic ground. I went to a picnic table and was stretching my calves when a women at the next table said something like "now there is the quintessential hiker". I noticed she was looking at me. I laughed and said, "no, I just spent a 100 dollars on cool looking underwear". Joe, one of the men of the group then asked where I'd planned to eat lunch. I said I'd not yet decided and he invited me to have lunch with them! Too much! I shared some of my story with him, his mother, and all the kids/grand-kids. They were celebrating the high school graduation of Joe's daughter from the local high school. Joe lives in Alaska and gave me his phone number so Fern and I can use him as a guide for planning our trip there next year. These people were so NICE! They took a bunch of photos. I hope I can get in touch with them and get copies.   They called themselves the "Wieds", short for Wiedemann. This was one of the best days ever, though I was totally beat by the end of the day. It rained too in the afternoon, so I was soaked by the time I got to the shelter.
Date: 2012-05-29
From: Pass Mountain Hut

To: Gravel Spring Hut
Miles today: 13.1
Weather: scattered clouds

Saw Daniel today. He is a park employee and was very nice to me at Big Meadows. He offered me a towel to dry off with and let me stow my pack at the shower area while I ate lunch. He was hiking on his day off with two other park employees; Danielle and Stephen from Texas. It reminded me of when I worked at Yellowstone all those years ago.At lunch at the Elkwallow wayside. I must be gaining weight with all these waysides! I'm going to miss the Shennies!
Date: 2012-06-01
From: Terrapin Station Hostel

To: Trico Tower Trail
Miles today: 16.5

Slack-packed out of the Shenandoah today. I passed under I-66 along the way and knew I was back in civilization again. The rain was hard for most of the day. The high-point was finding mulberries, blackberries, and wild strawberries, though the latter were rather tasteless. The mulberries took me back to my childhood; we used to get buckets of them and make pies!
Date: 2012-06-03
From: Rod Hollow Shelter

To: Bears Den Hostel
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: few clouds

Yeah, I know, another hostel. More pizza too, but hey, I earned it today!!! The dreaded Roller Coaster; 13.5 miles of hard ups and downs. I used to say it couldn't be that bad when I looked at the elevation profile, but believe me, it IS tough. If you add all the ups and all the downs, and mix in rocky trail for good measure, it is as tough a trail as I've done. ... And I'm not done yet. Tomorrow there is another 3.5 miles of it to go.Bear's Den Hostel is a MUST STAY. Right up there with Wood's Hole. Met Houdini, Strollin, and many others. Tag was there too.
Date: 2012-06-04
From: Bears Den Hostel

To: David Lesser Shelter
Miles today: 11.1
Weather: scattered clouds

What a great day! It started with me making pancakes and coffee at Bear's Den. The Roller Coaster was finished by mid-morning. I hit the 1000 mile mark as I finally said good-bye to Virginia! I knew I'd see a box turtle somewhere along the line, and finally did today. I saw a deer too. At the shelter I again met up with Float. So now I'm in West Virginia. Tomorrow, on to Harper's Ferry! I can't wait.
Date: 2012-06-06
From: Harper's Ferry WV

To: Crampton Gap Shelter
Miles today: 10.4
Weather: scattered clouds

Today I stopped at a wayside gas station for coffee and doughnuts. Very nice indeed! Leaving Harper's Ferry was a history lesson in itself. The C & O canal locks were interesting. Most of the trail was flat and clear of rocks. I passed the War Correspondents Monument along the way.
Date: 2012-06-07
From: Crampton Gap Shelter

To: George Washington Monument State Park
Miles today: 10.0

Today I hoofed it to GWMSP to meet my brother Ralph for lunch. We had a very nice time together. After lunch the sky opened up and it began to rain very hard, so we sat in the car and talked. I then decided to rent a car and go to Oakland MD to visit my sister Mary. Ralph took me to a Hertz in Frederick, a few minutes later I was headed west on I-70. I arrived at Mary's just before dark. Several times I had to slow down to keep from hitting deer crossing the roads out in her back-country area. I was so glad to see her and her husband, Bill. Her friend Darlene was visiting too and later, my nephew Derick came in. It was great to be with family!
Date: 2012-06-09
From: George Washington Monument State Park

To: Annapolis Rocks
Miles today: 5.4

I really wanted to stay another day at my sister's house, but the call of the trail was too strong. I drove back to the dealer and then walked the 1/2 mile back to the highway. The very first car stopped for me and took me right to the George Washington Monument State park. The view from the monument was nice. Though populated, the expanse of Maryland was very pretty with farms spread out amongst the green of the mountains. While on the monument, I met Bobcat. He is just starting out from Harper's Ferry. I found myself in a neighborhood as I stepped out of the woods. This was the I-70 crossing. I stopped at Pine Knob shelter, but decided to move on as it was too early to stop for the day. I moved on to the Annapolis Rocks which was a great view too. Sleeping the tent was nice for a change. I really prefer it to the shelters, though I don't like the extra work in the morning of taking it down.
Date: 2012-06-10
From: Annapolis Rocks

To: Raven Rock Shelter
Miles today: 11.5
Weather: clear sky

A very nice day of hiking today. I came across another box turtle on the trail. This one was not a shy as the others and held his own (stayed out of his shell) as I took photos. A garter snake was my next treat. Finally, as I went through some of the Pennsylvania farm land, I saw two locals working the land. One was on a tractor pulling a scythe that cut the wheat. The other was on a tractor pulling a bailing machine, pulling a trailer. Every 30 seconds or so, the bailer spit a bail out high into the air and it landed in the trailer. As I walked through the field, I was joined by a cat. It was very loving and nuzzled me as I scratched it behind the ears. Soon I came to a road, and I was afraid it would follow me and get hurt in the process, but it chose to break off our short-lived relationship and head back to the fields.As I approached the road before the steep up-hill to the shelter I said out loud to myself "I want trail magic, and I want it NOW!". I then turned the corner and found Cokes and Mountain Dew in the stream!When I got to the shelter I again met Bobcat. As I spoke with my daughter Danielle on the phone, he broke out his ukulele and played a very nice tune. Before the sun went down, we were joined by Kirsten. She is a 22 year old Swedish student from Germany. She is here on a 3 month VISA and is (again) hiking from Harper's Ferry to Maine. I told them both about my "Trail Magic request". They laughed.
Date: 2012-06-11
From: Raven Rock Shelter

To: Tumbling Run Shelter
Miles today: 13.2
Weather: clear sky

Today I got to the High Rock view and finally called my brother Charlie as I was nearly in Pennsylvania, and thought it was finally time to let him know I was in the area. We agreed we'd meet this weekend. The view from High Rock was really impressive! From High Rock I looked out over the Cumberland Valley and miles of flat farm land.As I walked down, I came to the Pen Mar County park. Of a matter of course, being a raving Coca-Cola fan, I headed straight for the soda machine in the park. Here I was approached by a woman named Jen and her two children. She brought me a sandwich and a hand full of fresh cherries! I love it when locals help us out!!! Thank you Jen for sharing YOUR lunch with me. As I left the park for PA, she also offered to take a photo of me with my camera of the sign which showed the distance to Maine.Kirsten was at the shelter when I got there. Unfortunately, Bobcat was not as he met his parents at Pen-Mar park. As I marveled at the shelter, I said to Kirsten, "the only thing missing is an ice box". Shortly later, the shelter maintainer showed up with a cooler of ice full of sodas and apples. Kirsten remarked "You're good at wishing! I should hang with you!".
Date: 2012-06-13
From: US 30 Fayetteville

To: PA 233 - Ironmasters Mansion Hostel
Miles today: 19.5

After breakfast at the Flamingo restaurant, I hitched back to the trail. As I walked through Caledonia State Park, I saw the jetty-like modifications my brother Charlie had made to the stream to prevent erosion. I decided to not miss the famous Ironmasters Mansion Hostel, so I hiked almost 20 miles. It was worth it! I'll post pictures. The place is fantastic.Even better, I've hooked up with Bobcat and Kirsten again - some hikers I've been with for a few days, but lost yesterday when I stayed at the hotel. I'll be at my brothers place in a few days and post some earlier entries.Oh yeah, almost forgot! Yesterday was the half way point!Update: You MUST see the Ironmasters Mansion Hostel. It is fabulous! The fireplace is 10 feet wide and the the rest is just as impressive!I must say though, the nicest part was the welcome I got from Bobcat and Kirsten! They were so happy to see me. I felt very privileged to have such kudos from such nice people! As I write this, I realize how much I miss them. I hope our paths cross again. I raided the freezer and got out a 3 gallon container of ice cream. Kirsten, Bobcat and I posed for "3 gallon challenge" photos. Ironically, Kirsten is lactose intolerant. Just adds to the fun if you ask me!I met Don and John (twins), Big Orange, and Big Foot too. All nice people.
Date: 2012-06-14
From: PA 233 - Ironmasters Mansion Hostel

To: Campsite at MM 1107.1
Miles today: 11.5

Stephanie of the hostel fed us breakfast and then I hiked the .1 miles from the hostel to the grocery store, where I again ate. Love this appetite! Bobcat took off first and I said good-bye. Kirsten and I then hiked together for about the first mile. As soon as we hit uphill terrain, I fell behind. I bade here farewell (and yes, I've not seen her or Bobcat since). In the afternoon, I took a .2 mile detour to a local grocery store where I grabbed a sub for dinner. As I went down to PA-94, I again met Don and John. They'd ordered pizza and had it delivered to the roadside. Nice trick that. I'll have to remember that. They had saved me a piece, but since I had the sub, I turned it down. Soon I reached my planned stop; a campsite. It was very nice and I watched the minnows in the stream before calling it a night. I was nice and quiet camping by myself.
Date: 2012-06-15
From: 1107.1 Campsite

To: Boiling Springs PA
Miles today: 8.1

I hiked from the campsite to Boiling Springs today. After I got out of the mountains, there was a nice stretch through the PA farmlands. My sister-in-law Stephanie picked me up in Boiling Springs and I'm spending the weekend with them.I'd like to write a lot of journal entries while I'm here with my brother and his family, but then I'd not be able to enjoy their company. Therefore I'm going to keep this short. Happy Birthday Danielle, my lovely daughter! I will try to upload some photos. Love too all.
Date: 2012-06-16
From: Boiling Springs PA

To: Off Trail in Carlisle PA
Miles today: 0.0

Zero day today as I spend time with my brother Charlie, his wife Stephanie, and the kids, Nick and Audry.Steph took me to a massage salon where I got a deep-tissue massage. It was great. My brother's house is very nice and the property is a lovely three acres in the country. Charlie and I walked the propery together last night and his 3 cats followed us around the whole way. Nick thought it would be a good idea to take in a ball game and we all agreed. We went to Harrisburg to take in a minor league game. The home team was stomped, 19 to 9, but it was great fun to be in the ball park. The seat were great; first base line, forth row. Right in the action.
Date: 2012-06-17
To: Off Trail in Carlisle PA
Miles today: 0.0

Today I had the pleasure of going down to the chicken coop and collecting eggs for breakfast. I then made omelets for Charlie and I while the others slept. We then went to Steph's fathers house for Father's day. Here I met two of her sisters and their families as well as her father and mother. Charlie and I left early and we went to the home my brother Ralph and his wife Rose. It was great to see them again. My nieces Kelly and Erin were there too. Sadly, I'd not thought to get pictures with them. I don't think there are any pictures of us together. I'll need to rectify that situation soon.
Date: 2012-06-18
From: Boiling Springs PA

To: Darlington Shelter
Miles today: 14.3
Weather: light rain

Steph dropped me off at the ATC in Boiling Springs just at the rain started. I got some fuel, and picked up a free meal from the hiker box and headed up the road for the trail head. I'd gotten only a few feet onto the trail when I spied a red-eared slider (water turtle) on the trail. It was about 4 inches across. No pond in site. Odd. The trail for this stretch is a narrow corridor of woods between cultivated fields of corn and wheat. Many of the trees were mulberries, and I ate handfuls of them along the way. There are many roads to cross, including I-90 and PA-11. When I got to PA-11 I went down the bushwhacked side trail to the road and went to the Middlesex Diner for coffee. As I continued on through the woods, I came up on a small deer. It froze and I got many pictures of it before it spooked as I again started walking toward it. When I went through the tunnel under PA-944, I knew I'd not be going back to Charlies. It was the "point of no return" as the trail when up the steep hill to the Darlington Shelter. There is an old car in the woods. It is so old that there is no longer any sign of the road that must have existed at some time.
Date: 2012-06-19
From: Darlington Shelter

To: Duncannon PA
Miles today: 11.3
Weather: scattered clouds

Lots of rocks today. I decided to push into Duncannon. It's a nice old town. I avoided the famous Doyle hotel and went for the air-conditioned motel further north. I met Hill Hiker and Roveaus (sp) along the way, and shared a ride to the hotel with them. Roveaus is getting off the trail. He broke a bone in his foot.
Date: 2012-06-20
From: Duncannon PA

To: Clarks Ferry Shelter
Miles today: 4.6
Weather: scattered clouds

Started the day with breakfast with Roveaus and Hill Hiker at a diner near the hotel. Today was a very hot day. Over 95 degrees and high humidity. To make matters worse, the first several miles of the "trail" were the roads of Duncannon and the bridges over the Susquehanna river. The only saving grace was an ice cream stand that was open. I got a triple scoop, but could only finish half of it. It is hard to eat when it is this hot.At the shelter I met a south-bound hiker named Twin who lost both big toes to frostbite in April! He started in New York, in April. I met up with Overdrive and Peach, whom I'd met briefly in Duncannon.Between the late start, the heat, the road miles, and the steep, rocky, uphill climb to the shelter, I called it quits at 3:00 PM.
Date: 2012-06-21
From: Clarks Ferry Shelter

To: 1154.6 stealth site
Miles today: 9.2

HOT. HOT. HOT!I got an early start today to beat the heat. Sometime around 1:00 PM I arrived at the Peters Mountain Shelter. I called my wife, and then took a nap until 3:30. I went down the VERY STEEP trail and the 300 steps to the water supply. Getting water was harder than the rest of day's hike! The book says it is a tenth of a mile. It must have been at least 3 times that distance! Around 4:00, another hiker, and amateur astronomer, named StarMan came in. Overdrive and Peach showed up too.After dinner, I decided to tent and headed off down the trail I assumed went to the tenting area. It did not. It went back to the trail, so I carried on another 2 or 3 miles until I came upon StarMan. We shared a stealth site. As the sun went down, I laid in the tent sweating from every pore! The bugs were bad too. I'm regretting not taking a double-zero at Duncannon, but like they say, "No pain, no Maine".