morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2005-05-28
From: Tanners Ridge

To: Rock Springs Hut
Miles today: 5.0
Weather: broken clouds

Sat. May 28.Hunter, Lisa, Mike & I all packed up early & headed to the Big Meadows Wayside for a hearty breakfast. Hunter drove us there. On they way, we saw something very unusual on Skyline Drive. We couldn't figure out what it was at first, then we all realized that it was an Emu. It was hilarious! What in the world was an emu doing running up the Drive? I don't know, I guess it is someone's pet and has escaped. Well it was pretty funny looking. Hunter & Lisa have taken excellent care of me & Just Mike. Mike says that trail magic just can't get any better.We were tired out today so Mike & I only hiked 5 miles from Tanners Ridge to Rock Springs Hut. It started to pour down rain as soon as we got there. There was a doe with a newborn fawn right near the hut. When I say newborn, I mean newborn! It could hardly walk. It was wobbling along near it's mother. So cute. After a while, a group of Korean hikers stopped by & proceeded to cook up a feast in a wok. They had a giant stir fry & a big pot of soup. They even offered me & Mike some chop sticks & told us to dig in. We did, of course, & it was delicious. They eventually packed up & hiked on & we used all of the wooden chopsticks to start our fire.At the hut tonight were Sparticus, Rainbow, Waypoint, Tracker, Swan with brother Bucknaked, Mr Clean Sr., & some section hikers.
Date: 2005-05-29
From: Rock Springs Hut

To: Pass Mountain Hutt
Miles today: 15.3
Weather: broken clouds

Sun. May 29.Got an early start & made it to the Skyland Lodge. Had breakfast there: cheese omelett, hashbrowns, & fresh blackberry cobbler that had just come out of the oven. mmmmmm good!Hiked over Mary's Rock, & Stony Man Mountain. The terrain for much of the day was rocky. Just Mike & I stopped at the Pinnacles picnic area where there was a family reunion going on. They were sharing. I had a turkey & cheese sandwich on a croisant.We ran into a guy from the Potomac Appalacian Trail Club who actually had a weed eater & was doing trail maintainance on this holiday weekend. On a Sunday, at that. My hat is off to you Mr Carey Snow. Buck Naked & Swan went into town for supplies & hiked the 3 miles back up with a 12-pack of beer. It was chilling in the stream when we reached Pass Mountain Hut. It was a nice treat for everybody that was there.Still no bears!!!!!!!!!* I stayed in this hut on Dec. 30 of last year on my trial hike. 5 months ago. Seems like longer than that.
Date: 2005-05-30
From: Pass Mountain Hutt

To: Gravel Springs Hut
Miles today: 13.8
Weather: clear sky

Mon. May 30.Started hiking early again today. Made it to the Elkwallow Wayside for an early lunch: 2 cheeseburgers, 2 orders of fries, chocolate milkshake, & a rootbeer. Took an hour & a half nap before I started hiking again. Elkwallow Wayside is near Matthews Arm Campground & there were people everywhere. The last two hours before Mike & I made it to the Hut, it rained. But there was a light at the end of our tunnel. We saw a bear!!!! Finally. It was only about 1/10 of a mile before we reached the shelter. Mike was a bit ahead of me & I heard him yell "bear". The bear ran beside the trail towards me. He ended up about 20 feet beside me then he saw me & ran back into the woods. I think we scared him. When we reached the hut,(by the way, in the Shenendoah National Park, the shelters are called huts) we had a nice campfire. Others at the hut & nearby campsites were Rainbow, Sparticus, Trip, Unknokwn, Waypoint, Tracker, Mr Clean Sr., Caroline, & Shawn. The shelter & all of the tent sites were full. It is getting too hot to stay in shelters these days. Everybody is sweaty & not smelling too sweet. *I also stayed at this hut on my last trip. Dec 30, 2004.
Date: 2005-05-31
From: Gravel Springs Hut

To: Front Royal
Miles today: 13.4
Weather: scattered clouds

Tues. May 31.Last night was a giant snore fest. Everybody was snoring & out of synch. It was just one big loud sound of roaring. I'm sure the bear is long gone, never to return to this vicinity ever again. However, there is one critter that the snoring did not scare away. A racoon somehow got someone's food bag off of the bear pole & ate every morsel of food in it. We are guessing that the coon jumped onto the bag from a tree nearby, then proceeded to have a feast. Mike & I hiked out of the SNP today. As soon as we left the park, the trail got extremely steep & rocky. Mike almost stepped on a black snake. Glad it wasn't me this time. Tracker's wife was picking him up at the road crosing, so she gave me a lift into town. Just Mike is continuing on to Harper's Ferry. He is scheduled to meet his family there on Friday, so he has to make tracks. It has been enjoyable hiking with him. I am staying in a hotel in Front Royal & plan on being in Harper's Ferry by Sunday.
Date: 2005-06-01
From: MP 955.3

To: MP 966
Miles today: 10.7

Wed. June 1.Got a free shuttle to trailhead this morning. Forcast was calling for rain. Had some trail magic this afternoon. A guy named Goat was set up at Manassas Gap with cookout food for hikers. He had hotdogs, beer, sodas, chips, & cookies. What a nice suprise & I just so happened to be at the right place at the right time. Thanks for the lunch break Goat, where ever you are.It never did rain today, however I broke my new summer rule & stayed in the shelter anyway. Luckily there were no snorers.
Date: 2005-06-02
From: MP 966

To: MP 986.3
Miles today: 20.3

Thurs. June 2.Wow. My first 20 mile day with the backpack. I hiked from 7am to 5pm. I had nice cool weather to do my long hike. Temps were in the 60's all day & the rain held off until right before I reached my stopping point, at the Sam Moore Shelter. I was going to try to go another 3 miles to catch up with Just Mike but my body just would not cooperate. I sat down (fell down?) at the shelter & could not get back up for a while.After hiking about 16 miles I came across a sign that read "you are now entering the rollercoaster" Yes, 4 miles of a series of about 10 to 12 hills (I lost count). Each hill was about a 400 to 500 ft climb & then back down again. Whew. No wonder I fell out when I finally made it to the shelter. Tomorrow will be a shorter day!
Date: 2005-06-03
From: 986.3

To: 1000.4
Miles today: 14.1

Fri. June 3.Rain, rain , & more rain. I hiked about 3 miles & then stopped along the way at Bear Den hostel. Just Mike had just left. I ate a whole pizza then got back on the trail. At approx. 20 after 4, I crossed the 1000 mile marker! Then I made it to the next shelter after 11 more wet miles. Since it was still raining, I slept there, in spite of Mr Clean being one of the occupants. He is a loud snorer & on top of that, he he a sqeaky mattress pad. I met a funny guy there named Huge. But, after getting to know him for a bit, I renamed him   "McGuyver" (not sure how it's spelled) because he had so many gadgets & he like to fiddle with them until they worked. He said he liked his new name. To bad that he is a southbounder, because he is fun to watch & has a good sense of humor about it all.I had oatmeal & poptarts for dinner.
Date: 2005-06-04
From: MP 1000.4

To: Harper's Ferry, WV
Miles today: 9.4

Sat. June 4.I am still celebrating 1000 miles & my shoes are now falling apart. Today is a big day because I am getting to Harpers Ferry, WV. It is the psychological halfway point. The weather was foggy & humid. The terrain was flat most of the way except for one 500 ft climb & then a big drop into Harper's Ferry. I walked across the Shenendoah River to get into town. I went directly to the Appalachian Trail Headquarters where I registered & got my picture taken for the record. They counted me as the 192nd hiker that has made it to this point in 2005. All of the accomadations were booked up because today is National Trail Day & there was a Civil War function also going on. Fortunately, Just Mike had reserved me the last room available at the Comfort Inn. He is also staying there with his wife & 2 of his kids.
Date: 2005-06-05
From: Harper's Ferry, WV

To: Harper's Ferry, WV
Miles today: 0.0

Sun. June 5My friend from Salvo, NC is hiking the next 4 days with me, so he met me here in Harper's Ferry. His name is Jon Brown, so of course we had to visit the Jon Brown museum in town. We decided to take the day off from hiking & tour the town's other historic places as well. We also went to the outfitter, & stocked up on our food supplies.There will be a bit more lag time for the final few chapters of this journal. It will be posted after June 13. Stay tuned.
Date: 2005-06-06
From: Mason Dixon Line

To: Ensign Cowall Shelter Area
Miles today: 9.7
Weather: haze

Mon. June 6.I've decided to hike the last 40 miles of my journey from North to South, starting at the Mason Dixon Line. This is the Pennsyvania/Maryland line. I've always wanted to go there since my last name is Mason. Also, I figured that they wouldn't let me get any further with this strong southern accent of mine. So, since I am starting at the Pennsyvania border & hiking South, the rest of my hike will be in Maryland till I get back to Harper's Ferry. The reason I've decided to hike backwards is so that I can run into all of my friends that are hiking Northwards & tell them farewell & wish them happy hiking. John Brown & I started hiking around 1230 pm & we immediatley ran into Beta (the guy whose food got eaten by the coon). Then, a few hours later, we saw Caroline.Today was fair weather hiking up until the last hour. A major thunderstorm hit. We made our way to the E Cowall Shelter dripping wet. Eventually the storm blew over & we pitched our tents. I must mention that John Brown, who I will now start referring to as JB, has a very awesome, new Go-Lite Tent.The highlight of the day was the fact that some people showed up in the shelter that I was able to say goodbye to. They were: Mr Clean Sr & Shawn. And, good friends: Sparticus & rainbow. And, very good friend: Just Mike.
Date: 2005-06-07
To: Dahlgren Backpack Campground
Miles today: 13.9
Weather: overcast clouds

Tues. June 7.Today was a long day of hot & humid hiking. JB has bad blisters on his feet which he developed yesterday. He has wrapped them in duct tape to relieve the friction. We ran into the Odd Couple today & Fatty (he is actually skinny).We ended up camping at the Dahlgren Backpack Campground which is right off the trail. It is free & has bathroom facilities & hot showers. A hiker named Matt camped with us. I haven't seen him since Grayson Highlands State Park back in Southwest, VA.There is a nice fine dining restaurant right near the campground & JB & I treated ourselves after our 13 mile day. Of course we had to make use of the free showers first & try to make ourselves presentable. I am so glad that Crystal made me buy this town shirt, so I can look halfway decent. I had an excellent meal: Cream of asparagus soup with crab meat, cesar salad, prime rib with steamed squash & baked potato. We are trying to go out in style here.I slept in my tent while JB snoozed under the stars (I guess he was too full to set up his tent?)
Date: 2005-06-08
From: Dahlgren Backpack Campground

To: Ed Garney Shelter Area
Miles today: 10.9

Wed. June 8.Nice hiking today except that JB almost stepped on a big black snake! Ewww. Again, I'm glad it wasn't me. On this very last night on the trail, I managed to botch up my dinner. I scorched my powdered milk & ruined the Lipton Noodles I was planning to eat. Luckily JB had packed extra food, so he shared. I started over & had Mountain House beef stew.JB talked me into sleeping with no tent. I call this "cowboy style". Just me, my sleeping bag & a few bugs. It took me a while to get to sleep since it was my last night & I was comtemplating on the last 3 months of adventure & what is to come. When I finally fell asleep, I slept well.
Date: 2005-06-09
From: Ed Garney Shelter Area

To: Harper's Ferry
Miles today: 6.3
Weather: few clouds

Thurs. June 9.The final day on the trail! Arose at 6am. I had coffee & poptarts for breakfast. It was a nice morning & we started off on our leisurely walk to Harper's Ferry. About 4 miles from Harper's Ferry, we ran into Waypoint. Then, when we reached town, I finally found the last person I was hoping to get to see before I left the trail: Quarter of the Way. He went to lunch with us at a restaurant in town. Then, I was off the trial just like that.JB & I headed back to Shenendoah National Park to meet Crystal & her family at Big Meadows Campground for the weekend.I still have one last journal entry to add & more pics, so keep checking this site.
Date: 2005-01-16
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Hi gang.....I have really enjoyed reading everyone's entries on this site. They have been extremely helpful in my preparations. I'm excited about meeting you all on the trail. It is 63 days from today that I start. Thanks to bluevist, Andy and JAWS on your sites, I am already living the adventure in my mind as I read their entries. God bless those out there and the rest of us who will soon be there with you.
Date: 2005-01-17
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

62 Days and counting.....Just made a trip to REI in Austin. San Antonio is a great place to live...nice weather, friendly people....but not geared very well for outside sports ( maybe that is why San Antonio was rated the fattest city in the U .S. 3 years ago). The only two backpackers here in SA are me and the neighbor's dog, but he won't dig a six inch hole when he comes to visit. Anyways enough fun for now. I can hardly wait.........Heres to the class of 2005.....God bless and see you soon
Date: 2005-01-18
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

I imagine many of you went through the same mental gymnastics of what to tell your family and friends when you made the decision to be a thru hiker. At first I thought I would not tell anyone until I was halfway through the trail, and then, voil , I would tell them and they would be impressed how far I had made it....Ha..Fat chance...I told a few key friends and soon everyone was inquiring what I was doing. Their reactions were ......"His slinky is kinked"..."Missing a few buttons in his remote"....."His belt must have missed a few loops"..."The cheese musta slid off his cracker"..."A few fries short of a Happy Meal"......Ha...But this is okay...they said those things about me before I told them of my plans.....In reality, most of them are envious that we have this opportunity to get out in God's creation......61 days and counting...Until later.........
Date: 2005-01-19
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Still learning how to use this site....I will post a picture soon to go with the name......I am curious and look forward to hearing the stories of how people got their trail names. Being from the great Southwest I felt I needed to have a good cowboy name. I initially thought of "Vaquero"..Spanish for cowboy. However I figured nobody (including myself) could pronounce it. "Vaqueta" (Cowhide) I thought would be a good name because that will describe my feet one month after I start. However I settled on Trampas from an old TV show (wanna guess which one).....Thanx for the kind words Susan and bluevist....See you soon.....Vayan con Dios mis amigos y amigas (Go with God my friends)
Date: 2005-01-20
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

January 20...Two months till D day (Departure day from Amicalola Falls)...Glad to see JAWS and Hydro are doing so well..Hope bluevist and Andy get back out soon...Thanx to those who signed the guest book and E mailed with words of encouragement.......Look forward to seeing everyone soon...(No George I won't be carrying maps ...Yes I will be going on my instincts......No I won't be going on my "end stinks")
Date: 2005-01-24
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

HI Gang....Hope all is well...The new gear guide for backpacker arived today...I think I am all set on gear but will give it the once over to see if I want to modify anything....Went to the Rio Grande Valley to do some bird watching over the weekend and carried my pack with some weight to train....It was hot though 83..... on Saturday ( Yes I am saying that to annoy all of you enduring the blizzard to 2005...ha...Just kiddding). I had been thinking of wearing shorts all the way through summer, but hearing of the tick problems in New England..I may switch to long pants.....Pests love my blood I am covered with skeeter bites from this weekend....Just curious for you AT vets and others how ticks and bugs will affect your plans to gear ( to DEET or not to DEET...permethrins....body armor)....I am curious too if any of my classmates from school will be on the trail ......I went to Andrews University and Loma Linda University....I did internship at Michigan State....I am anxious to meet everyone on the trail....In my 700 miles of backpacking I have found backpackers to be the nicest people one can find.....But I am espicially want to meet on the trail or at Trail Days in Damascus any that may have gone to my schools.......Well it is back to the grind today and training on the stairmaster until (as Appalachian Annie put it) til you puke.... I am up to 5 miles a day on the stairmaster carrying 19 pounds in a weight vest ( I know it sounds like over kill...but I will require more effort to make it than a lot of you trail studs.......ha).......Until March 20 .....Vaya con Dios........
Date: 2005-01-26
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

56 days and counting.........Hope everyone is staying warm.......Lets hope the cold weather gets it out of its system now and it is nice in March (Sorry to Hydro , Andy and JAWS who are in the trail. I hope you stay warm too..........) ...Decided on one more gear change..I have some Alpino boots i have had long term but they are heavy ( 4 lbs.) so probably will switch to a lightweight Vasque or something..Let me know if you have great boots to recommend.It is back to do the stairmaster when I finish here......I have trouble with one knee...inflammation behind the knee cap (condromalacia patellae if you are inclined to the medical term)......I am working out the problems now so that hopefully I am full go in March....See everyone soon..........
Date: 2005-01-28
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

51 days to go.....My sister form Asheville is going to start the trail with me in March. We are going to do the Amicalola Approach trail to Springer. She will go with me 2-3 weeks ( or until they discover her missing at from her job) It is a toss up which will come first. She lives in Asheville NC, the lucky bum.In case anyone is still looking for gear, Mt Rogers Outfitters has a great deal on Zoid tents (Zoid one with footprint ) for $179.00 total. The process continues of going through gear and deciding what to carry. It is fun ...Well back to the grind..Vaya con Dios...
Date: 2005-01-31
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Enjoying reading JAWS and Hydro's updates.... Sounds like the weather is being brutal this year. The good news is the snow and rain hopefully will make the spirngs flow well this year. I have hiked during dry years on the trial and water can be scarce with low flows. We have seen animals on the trail....We saw two bear through the Smokies when we went in April one year. There a group thathad been bothered by bear all night at Low Gap between Hogpen Gap and Unicoi Gap in Georgia, but I would suspect they left lots of food laying around at night. We did see a Bobcat between Hogpen and Unicoi gap that trip. I woke up to find a skunk one foot from my nose in the middle of the night in the shelter at Icewater Springs. Lots of people have had encounters with skunks at the shelters, but they won't bother you if you leave them alone. I hope to see many more animals. The training continues...Working still on the stairmaster. Hope to get out and hike with the backpack when the rain quits....Vaya con Dios.........
Date: 2005-02-07
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

41 days and counting......I am looking at those who have signed the start dates in Trailplace.com. Only 3 signed up that started in January..JAWS, Hydro and one other...But 6 more have started since the first of the month...I know each of us has to HYOH....But it seems closer knowing others have started for some reason. I added up my miles on the stair master and I am up to 157 miles on the machine this year....I hope that will prepare me for the climb up Shuckstack from Fontana Dam...Last time I did it I almost wished a bear would get into my pack that night to lighten the load...I will carry a cell phone, but will have it turned off except breifly in the evening to call home. Cell phones are annoying enough in the corner store and on the road...even more so in the woods....Like the bumper sticker says...."Your driving a car, not a phone booth." Needless to say I will not be working on the trail, (though my California license is valid through Dec 2006)......So in an emergency call me.. .My number is 1-800-GOODLUCk...(Ha...Just kidding)....Pam will always know where I am.To those doing the trail, I hope to see you soon....From reading the journals of all of you, sounds like I will be a novice compared to all you pros. But we will have fun anyways.... Thanks for your help ...Vayan con Dios mis Amigos.....Trampas
Date: 2005-02-13
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

5 weeks to go....It is sunny and 75 here today...Great trail weather....I have bought a plane ticket into Asheville, NC and will meet my sister there..She has gotten 3 weeks off her Physical Therapy job to start with me....My base weight is now up to 19.7 pounds including water (4L), but no food or clothes or the UV wand for water purification yet. It is a struggle to keep the weight below 30 pounds, but will keep trying....I went to Sprint today to update my PRL (Preferred Roaming List)so I can connect with any tower along the trail....They say this needs to be done every 3-6 months if you haven't done this and plan to carry a phone with roaming..I will update it again at Harpers Ferry....I just received the Thru-hikers companion 2 days ago..Had I known how valuble it is I would have ordered it sooner......I didn't know the stump in front of Plumorchard Gap Shelter is home to copperheads or the West Mountain shelter has a resident Rattlesnake....In case you couldn't guess I am not a big fan of sleeping with slithering creatures on two legs or otherwise..(Ha)...Vaya con Dios....Trampas
Date: 2005-02-15
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

The nice weather here is San Antonio has even put me more in the mood to get started. I sealed the seams in my tent yesterday. My weight in my pack is now up to 20.7 pounds. The breakdown is as follows;Forrester Backpack        Cats Meow bag                2.8Prolite 4 pad                1.1Zoid 1 Tent                3Water(~4L)                8Sprint Phone                0.4Steri pen                0.6Tikka Lamp                0.2                        20.7 I am going to mail my stove to my parents house today. I am curious how those who are flying to the trailhead are getting their stoves there? I have yet to weigh my stove, food and clothes. ( and trowel, I assume it doesn't weigh much...ha).33 days to go...See you soon...Until then..Vaya Con Dios Mi Amigos..Trampas