morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2004-09-06
From: Front Royal

To: Shenandoahs! Compton Peak
Miles today: 10.0

Monday September 6th 2004 ¢ One week! Here I am huddled in my tent at the top of the mountain, in the rain, alone, and do I feel it. Home Fry and I hiked together from the North Entrance of the park, on a blue blaze trail until earlier today when we got out back country permits at the ranger station. The trail is easier for me, and I enjoyed being alone again until tonight! At night I just want a warm bath, hot chocolate, a fire, and good company. I guess I have some sympathy for old people now, the kind that always wants to talk to you!
Date: 2004-09-07
From: Compton Peak

To: Gravel Springs Hut
Miles today: 8.0
Weather: light rain

Tuesday September 7th 2004 I was so freaked out by the storm that instead of sleeping until daylight, I woke up a little after midnight this a.m., scared that a tree would fall on me. I got up and packed in the rain, thinking how insane I was for doing this, and walked 8 miles in the dark to the next shelter. It was raining and foggy. Once I realized about 2 steps before that I was about to walk off of a cliff. Foggy walking in the dark is scary, but after a couple of hours I started to enjoy that raw rhythm. I got to the shelter at 4 am after circling around it blindly for a long time. As I unrolled my sleeping bag in a space that looked purposely left empty for me, the woman next to me asked, ¢Did you expect to get in so late?¢ At 6 am, all of the hikers insisted on asking me lots of questions. The first thing I noticed after they woke me up was that Home Fry, who was supposed to be there that night, wasn¢t actually there. There was only one thru hiker there, Porch, who said ¢It¢s only 13 miles to the next shelter.¢ !!! I don¢t think he was kidding, either. I didn¢t even know how think about walking, I was so tired. After the hikers left, I slept for a long time. When I awoke, I found that Home Fry had gotten miserably lost the night before. He left a note in the logbook for me and moved on. I feel pretty good. It¢s amazing how my life has become so suddenly, drastically, different. Even though my shoulders and neck still hurt, mostly I felt rested enough to enjoy the hoard that showed up late that day: Music Man, Baloo, Peg Leg, Smokey the Bear, Tied Rite, and one more fellow still without a trail name, newer even than I and hurting more too.
Date: 2004-09-08
From: Gravel Springs Hut

To: Pass Mountain Hut
Miles today: 13.5
Weather: moderate rain

Wednesday September 8th 2004 Today we all stepped out into the hurricane ¢ yes, hurricane ¢ and did 13.5 forgiving miles. We got burgers & veggie burgers & fries for lunch at the wayside station. The rangers were talking of evacuation, but where could we go? I felt my night hiking experience helped break me in for this level of intensity, so I didn¢t blink at the thought of going back out into the pelting rains and winds, the flooding roads. At night another hiker, Four Winds, showed up. Many of these hikers hadn¢t seen each other for weeks or months, and had packed in some beer to celebrate. Even though my sleeping bag is wet, I cannot stop smiling. I truly appreciate this wild life and the wild people in it.
Date: 2004-09-09
From: Pass Mountain Hut

To: Big Meadows Campsite
Miles today: 20.0

Thursday September 9th 2004 This morning Four Winds gave me a four-leaf clover and took my picture. They were going 20 miles, and I only 14. That was my plan, anyway. Brett and I lagged behind everybody else, so while we were hiking alone, we would meet up for breaks. These miles were tough ¢ mountains and views in reward, but tiring. When I got to the 14 mile turnoff to the shelter I was planning on staying at, ready for rest, there was Brett, claiming the day was early. I guess I just didn¢t want to break my streak of intense, crazy days, so I went for my first 20 mile day just a week and a half into my hike. Hiker hunger set in tonight. When I got to our campsite at 6, I was so exhausted, hurting, proud, but most of all, hungry! At the campsite¢s lodge I ate a mound of pasta, some French fries, and an entire loaf of bread for dinner. Today Brett gave me the trail name ¢Free Spirit,¢ because I am out here hiking alone, and also the way I hike is a little different. I drag up the hills, but I literally run on the way down. This is the only way I feel like I can do anything that even remotely resembles keeping up, though I¢m really too slow to hike with anyone else. I don¢t think I have ever ached so much in my life, but I am so proud of myself. Now I have walked 100 miles of the Appalachian Trail.
Date: 2004-09-10
From: Big Meadows Campsite

To: Bearfence Mountain Hut
Miles today: 8.0
Weather: broken clouds

Friday September 10th 2004 8 milesToday I did laundry for the first time on the trail. It is flat and would have made more sense to do more mileage in this section.I got lost getting out of the campsite. Excitement. So I got to Bearfence (where there was no bear fence) early, and am purifying my water in the sunshine when along comes a lady ranger. She complimented me on my water purification skills, but didn't like that I was by myself. I like how people feel the need to remind you to be nervous, and then go and leave when they're done offering their unhelpful criticism. Not one person seems to be able to come up with the brilliant idea that perhaps I've already heard it all before. While they mean well, these people only end up making me feel uncomfortable, feel embarrased for them, annoyed at them, etc. To top it all off, what these people say doesn't help me at all -- in fact, I'd say the opposite. After 11 p.m. two college-aged hikers from the area come in. They're really friendly but seem to be missing something either in the I.Q. area or in the social skills area, but I talk to them for a bit before we go to sleep, or rather, get talked at. They call themselves the "Stinky Foot Gang" or something along those lines.
Date: 2004-09-11
From: Bearfence Mountain Hut

To: Hightop Hut
Miles today: 12.0
Weather: broken clouds

Saturday September 11th 2004 12 milesTwo hikers, Goosedreams and Flaco, have caught up to me. From them I found out that the rumor on the hiker grapevine is that I¢m a fictitious character made up by some other hikers. I guess the escapades I¢ve been writing about in the trail registers were a little too unbelievable ;-)
Date: 2004-09-12
From: Hightop Hut

To: Blackrock Shelter
Miles today: 26.0

Sunday September 12th 2004 26 miles Today I hiked 26 miles! Oh yeah! That¢s right! I feel awesome! I meant to hike 22. Actually I meant to hike 16, but I did 8.5 before 10:30 so I figured why not? Though I think I should figure in a few extra miles every day just for getting lost. I have a propensity for doing that. That¢s where those last 4 extra miles come from.When I got lost, I was so tired and aggravated. I had taken a trail that led me backwards! When I got to a road crossing, a sympathetic old couple drove me back to where I got lost from and a mile up again so I wouldn¢t get lost again, and I hiked to Blacktop. I¢m glad I didn¢t have to do a 30 mile day! The mountain was a rock scrambler¢s heaven, and I felt so alive, on top of the world. It¢s nice to see some faces I already know at the shelter. Today, when I was really moving fast, I decided that I was going to go all the way to Springer, making my trip 1004 miles long. I had thought about it before, but today I was decided that it really was my goal. I¢m so happy out here!
Date: 2004-09-13
From: Blackrock Hut

To: Calf Mountain Hut
Miles today: 14.5

Monday September 13th 2004 14.5 milesToday I got up while it was still dark out and hiked back up Blacktop Mountain to watch the sunrise. While I really only watched the clouds turn different colors, I was glad I did it. Floco and Goosedreams went into town, but I am staying with Dean and Martha, a retired couple that is hiking their last 1000 miles of the trip they started 27 years ago. I¢ve been eating the junk food that they sell in the park, and I¢ve become really unhappy with what I¢m putting into my body. I can¢t wait to get into town and get some real food so I don¢t have to live off of Mrs. Freshly¢s Jumbo Honey Buns anymore. I really also need to get my stove mailed back to me.
Date: 2004-09-14
From: Calf Mountain Shelter 

To: A blue blaze near Dripping Rock Parking Area
Miles today: 17.0

Tuesday September 14th 2004 17 miles I met Goosedreams in town at the library in Waynesboro. I wasn¢t planning on staying in town, so we told each other we¢d see each other at the next shelter. He wasn¢t there by the time I had eaten, bought groceries, gone to the post office, checked my email, and hitched and hiked out of town. My hitch out of town was from a man & his toddler in a SUV ¢ I¢ve already noticed that SUV¢s and pick-up trucks are the most likely to stop for a hitchhiker. He took me on a detour to a parking lot, which freaked me out at first until he pointed to the top of the hill, where the frame of a teepee was perched. He told me that he had spread the ashes of his best friend up there. He seemed lonely. As he was dropping me off I ran into Irish, a hiker who was trying to hitch into town. When I introduced myself, the first thing he said was, ¢S***, you¢re real?¢ Yeah. I wonder when people are going to get over it. As Goosedreams said, ¢People don¢t just appear.¢ Even though it was close to dark when I got the shelter outside of town, I wasn¢t tired and I thought I could get to a hostel by hitching out on a road that bisected a blue blazed trail. I ended up walking around in circles. My map showed a 4-way trail intersection, but in reality there was only a 3-way intersection. I tried each one for a little ways, but I ended up getting so confused that I wasn¢t even sure of which way I had come from. Soon it was dark, and I was still lost. A moth must have been flying near my headlamp, because a bat flew so close to me that it¢s wing brushed my face. I ended up sleeping underneath the oak trees right in middle of the trail. I had sent my tent home, but I was only bothered by a few falling twigs too heavy to hold its acorns in the winds.
Date: 2004-09-15
From: Dripping Rock Parking Area

To: Harpers Creek Shelter
Miles today: 10.5
Weather: overcast clouds

Wednesday September 15th 2004 10.5 miles This morning I woke up to voices while it wasn¢t quite light out. I didn¢t see any people, but I was able to get my bearings anyway. I was sure of which way I had come from, and I realized that either way I chose, I would either get to the parking lot or the Appalachian Trail eventually. I set off on the path I thought would take me to the AT, but in about 10 minutes I was at the parking lot. A Mr. Patterson drove me to the visitor¢s center for some potable water, and then to a spot where the AT crossed the road, for I had wandered further than I thought. I had heard about this lovely waterfall, so I blue-blazed on the Mau Har trail instead of hiking over the Three Ridges in weather that would not have allowed for any views. It was a lot tougher than I thought, and I had to boulder myself up and down a small cliff because my water bottle fell off of my pack at one of the more narrow sections. Then I walked the wrong way on the AT to get to a water source and shelter for the night, because I knew I couldn¢t climb the next mountain before dark.I only did 10.5 miles today, but it feels like much more. I am worn out and I just don¢t feel like hiking, especially knowing that Priest Mountain, a 4,000 foot climb, is directly ahead of me.
Date: 2004-09-16
From: Harper's Creek Shelter

To: Seeley-Woodworth Shelter
Miles today: 14.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Thursday September 16th 2004 14 milesI expected this Priest Mountain to kick my butt. Yeah, right. Right before the mountain, a couple renting a place for the week asked if I wanted to take a shower. Laurel and David really made my day, even though I was just as dirty and smelly by the time I got to Cripple Creek, a third of the way up the mountain. There I saw a skinny dog that wouldn¢t come at the sight of food, but they way it was jerkily lapping up water made me think it was insane. Its collar had an antenna. Later, I saw two young teenagers with a TV antenna-like thing, which they were waving around as they asked if I had seen a dog anywhere. It started to rain, but didn¢t amount to much. At the top of the Priest, the view I got was just tops of mountains, the bases shrouded in clouds. The last few miles of the day felt freaky. At some point I sat down to take in a good view, and I got completely lost in thought. When I finally snapped out of it, I felt that a lot of time had gone by. The trail wasn¢t well marked, and I worried that I was lost. Goosedreams had caught up to me at lunch, and when I got to the shelter at the end of the day, I was so happy to see him that I gave him a big hug. He had gotten water from one of the most delicious water sources on the trail for both of us. It is nice to have such good company.
Date: 2004-09-17
From: Seeley-Woodworth Shelter

To: Seeley-Woodworth Shelter
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: moderate rain

Friday September 17th 2004 No milesHurricane Ivan hit today so we stayed at the Seeley-Woodworth shelter all day. In the middle of the day Rocks and his dad Len came by as well as a northbound section hiker. They brought the news that I may catch up to some female hikers that are ahead of me, so I¢m really excited about that. Goosedreams felt like a little bit of a wimp hanging out in the hurricane, but when he was so miserable hiking through the last hurricane, he told himself that it was okay to take the day off when he thought he might get injured or even just be really unhappy. When we heard a giant BOOM from a large tree falling only a few feet away, I was glad not to be under it. We spent the day reading and talking, mostly about hiking, food, and most importantly, how to make French fries on the trail. Unfortunately I am eating more than I thought I would, and by not hiking today I have to re-supply earlier than I wanted to. I¢ve hiked about 200 miles now. It feels like a lot, but there¢s so much more to go. In the middle of the night, I ventured out into the storm to use the privy, but I got lost trying to find it. I yelled, knowing that I wasn¢t far from the shelter, but it took Goosedreams a while to realize that I wasn¢t just having a nightmare. He looked over to where I was supposed to be sleeping, hoping that I was there, but I wasn¢t. By the time he had his light shining, I had decided to walk downhill, find the water source, and then walk on that path back to the shelter, but I found the shelter just by walking downhill. I explained to Goosedreams, simply, ¢I got lost.¢ He told me, ¢It makes life more interesting.¢ There were so many trees fallen down; it was a mess. The worse part was that I had to go out there again and dig a hole, because I never did find the privy. Just yesterday Goosedreams and I had been joking about how my name should be ¢What Blaze,¢ instead of ¢Free Spirit,¢ because I got lost so much.
Date: 2004-09-18
From: Seeley-Woodworth Shelter

To: Brown Mtn Creek Shelter
Miles today: 15.5
Weather: overcast clouds

September 18th 2004 Saturday 15.5 miles It was still really blustery this morning. We climbed over Cold Mountain, a bald, and it was so intense; I definitely wouldn¢t have wanted to do this yesterday! I needed to lean into the wind so as not to get blown over. Goosedreams was relishing it a little more than me, but I managed to make good time too by running down some hills, eager to get into the dwindling town of Buena Vista, Virginia. The road was pretty much deserted, but two runners were just finishing up 20 miles up the mountain, training for a race, and they drove me to the grocery store and then back to where I had gotten off the trail, 18 miles in all. Like many people I have met so far, especially just off the trail, the runners were surprised that I am out here alone. I told them that people you know end up hurting you more than people you don¢t know. So many people are concerned about my safety as a solitary female, but I think I¢m just as safe as any guy ¢ maybe more, since people are more likely to help me.The last two miles from the road to the Brown Mountain Creek shelter was so nice. It¢s not even three o¢clock, but what a change from this morning ¢ the sun is shining and the sky is blue! Towards sunset a woman carrying a baby with a young girl came by. They had lost one of their party, so we blew a whistle and shortly he came. I gave the girl a granola bar. I hope they get back to their car okay, though I¢m sure it¢s just a matter of how long it will take.
Date: 2004-09-19
From: Brown Mtn Creek Shelter

To: Fuller's Rocks
Miles today: 12.0

September 19th 2004 Sunday I made camp on top of Fuller¢s Rocks today, 2 miles before a shelter, but I¢m not so afraid of being alone anymore, or at least I¢m making an effort. Up here I expect to catch a beautiful sunrise. It¢s been almost 3 weeks, and I¢m averaging a little over 12 miles right now.
Date: 2004-09-20
From: Fuller's Rocks

To: Devil's Marbleyard
Miles today: 14.5

The sunrise this morning was the best I have ever seen. There was barely enough flat space for me to sleep, but I am so glad I camped on this cliff. The towns of Big Island and Glasgow are both a trip, such small towns hanging on the edge of almost nothing. Glasgow¢s main street (maybe it¢s only street) boasted some painted dinosaurs. It was hard to get a hitch, but I ended up eating at a diner & motel, Mom & Pop¢s, with an elderly man who gave me a ride. He talked a little about his life. It seems to me that the kind of people who stop and give you rides have their priorities in order ¢ what they talk about and what they care about most is the people that they love. I¢m getting tired hiking all of the time. It feels like that¢s the only thing I¢m doing, so to do something different, I swam in Matt¢s Creek and explored Devil¢s Marbleyard, which wasn¢t as impressive as I thought it would be. I camped right near the trail intersection, under the open sky, cowgirl-ing out. It¢s hard to plan my days, and I¢ve gotten to camp pretty early lately, though I¢m nervous about doing more miles because I¢m a bad judge of what time it will get dark.
Date: 2004-09-21
From: Devil's Marbleyard

To: Cornelius Creek Shelter
Miles today: 15.0
Weather: clear sky

September 21st 2004 Tuesday Happy Autumn! Cornelius Creek Shelter The walk today was one of the most beautiful areas yet, especially around Apple Orchard Mountain and the Guillotine. I didn¢t see anyone until the afternoon, and after two nights camping by myself, I was starting to feel a little lonely.I¢m sharing a shelter with a crazy homeless lady, but she¢s giving me some good information about the next town, Troutville. This situation is a little sad. She¢s 65 and had a whole set-up here. She said she¢s been here for a couple of days, and before that she stayed at other shelters on the trail and in hotels. Hiking this trail you meet people from all walks of life, from the man who threw his cigarette carton out the window of his truck but cared enough to pick me up, to this homeless woman. Just as it got dark, Flaco, and his girlfriend I-Ching, rolled into the shelter. I was glad to see them. I¢ve been feeling impatient lately, but I need to get to a town on a specific day in order to get a package. It¢s getting hard to stay still though. I-Ching showed me a trick where you hold your fingers up to the sun and measure how many finger-widths it takes between the horizon and the sun. Each finger shows 15 more minutes of daylight left.
Date: 2004-09-22
From: Cornelius Creek Shelter

To: Cove Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 12.0
Weather: clear sky

September 22nd 2004 Wednesday,The two women that were ahead of me awhile back took some days off and are now behind me, which is a shame because I really did want to meet them. Home Fry and Peg Leg are both behind me at Rusty¢s Hard Time Hollow. I had gotten so lost when I was in the area that I decided just to stay on the trail. Goosedreams is ahead of me and has rushed ahead to catch Peg Leg, because he has Peg Leg¢s knife. Too bad Peg Leg isn¢t actually ahead of Goosedreams. Sometimes the communication on the trail is lacking. I¢ve been thinking a little about New York and the people there. I¢m not sure if I want to go back to school or not. Sometimes when I see something wonderful, I feel sad that I¢m alone, because I always know somebody who would have really enjoyed it, if he were there. Today I¢ve been thinking about Lauren, and how she always seems to have such a positive attitude. My pack is finally light enough not to feel like a burden to me. I briefly met a hiker, Def Balance, at Bryant Ridge Shelter this morning. I left an invitation in the register for a slumber party at Cove Mountain Shelter, and this night Peg Leg showed up, so he¢s not behind me anymore. While there was no water at the shelter, we did get a beautiful sunset. Peg Leg knows a lot about mushrooms, and he showed me one that fluoresced in the dark, which I thought was the coolest thing.
Date: 2004-09-23
From: Cove Mountain Shelter

To: Fulhardt Knob Shelter
Miles today: 20.0
Weather: clear sky

September 23rd 2004 Thursday 20 milesToday was a long day because I had some wicked shin splints. I had to force myself to take every step. During lunch at Wilson Creek I sat and watched a crayfish drag a leaf around, and read a little bit from a book Peg Leg gave to me. We hiked the last few miles to Fulhardt Knob shelter together, and we shared fruit-by-the-foot and a water filter. The shelter here has for it¢s water source a rain cistern. I was happy, but even happier when Home Fry, Scooter, and Flare showed up, boasting a bag filled with trail apples and wild peaches. These peaches were ripe, but their color was still green.
Date: 2004-09-24
From: Fulhardt Knob Shelter

To: Lambert Meadow Shelter
Miles today: 14.5
Weather: scattered clouds

September 24th 2004 Friday Today my stove arrived at the post office in Daleville/Troutville, and to celebrate I promptly went out and bought way way way too much food. I had shin splints in the morning, but I seem to have outwalked the pain. On the way out of town I was struggling with my heavy food bag, and saw Flare sleeping by the trail. He woke up and complained that he was suffering from Town Gut, and how it just wasn¢t fair that I had overdosed only on fruit and bagels. Unfortunately, I had given in to the French fry craving, and was hurting a little too. I really enjoyed walking with Flare. He didn¢t mind slowing down for me. Flare, Home Fry, Peg Leg and I camped at Lambert Meadow Shelter. We built a roaring fire and made a group one-pot meal consisting of beans, rice, tomatoes, and spice, as well as baked apples with peanut butter, chocolate, and honey and cinnamon for desert. I also dug out food from my food bag, earning myself the nickname, ¢Free Spirit the Ravenous.¢ This is one of the best nights I have ever had, in spite of the still-continuing nightmares.
Date: 2004-09-25
From: Lambert Meadow Shelter

To: Four Pines Hostel
Miles today: 10.5
Weather: few clouds

September 25th 2004 Saturday It was sad to say goodbye to Peg Leg this morning. We had talked a bit. He has a bad leg, and some people told him he would never make it, but now he¢s about 2/3 done. Like most people on the trail, he¢s a little quirky: he¢s the kind of person that would feel completely comfortable never saying a word in a small group of people having a conversation. He told me, ¢You¢ll make it,¢ and it felt really good to hear somebody say that.Today I saw two spots that everyone has been talking about for miles: Tinker Cliffs and McAfee¢s Knob. They really were as wonderful as everybody said they would be. Flare and I sat at McAfee¢s Knob and talked about all the little houses in the valley down below. This was after I had climbed down the mountain and then, realizing that I had missed the blue-blaze to the overlook, turned around and climbed back up the mountain. I got lost again, but instead of back tracking, I took a long cut on a Forest Service Road. Flare, Home Fry, and I stayed at the Four Pines Hostel, which was basically just somebody¢s garage.