morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2012-06-05
From: Front Royal

To: Home (for now, thru the 12th)
Miles today: 0.0

June 5 through June 12. Off trail for now.Our decision to get off trail now was a good one. It gave us some time to rest and start a dose of Z-pac each, to clear away the sinus infections we have both been harboring. Our first day off trail started with 4 french presses full of coffee for Low, and trying on clothes for hours for Sweet. Apparently, we've both lost a bit of weight or at least inches, but that opened up a section of the closet neither of us has seen for a couple of years. We get to were thin clothes to the wedding!After a couple of errands around town, we drove to Caledonia State Park, to see if we could offer a ride to some hiker trash. We shuttled a few people to the grocery, and upon returning them, we picked up Magpie. She's a hiker we met back in GA, the first few days of our hike. She wanted to go to Wal*Mart, so we took her & ended up bringing her home for a cookout and a shower. We returned her to the trail the next morning & got busy packing for Timmy's...... I mean, Lisa's wedding down in Tuscaloosa. We left Thursday night, as it's a heck of a drive down to AL & we needed to be there Friday for the rehearsal. Friday, around noon, we stopped to see the Chatanooga Choo Choo, before checking in to our hotel in Tuscaloosa. (Not a planned side trip Sweet was into, but a beautiful old station none the less.)The wedding was lovely, with reception to follow on the Bama Belle, a riverboat. Best of luck to John & Lisa. After the hub-bub, we walked around the U of Alabama campus. It's no Happy Valley, but you have to show respect, especially standing in the shadow of bear.Our return north was put into a somber mood because of the news that Dexter, Sweet's family dog, was sick. We made it before the eternal needle was given. He was a good dog and will be missed. We planned to resume hiking on Monday, but that got scrapped. Severe storms were forecast for Tuesday. So, we postponed one more day. Too long off the trail, but the comforts of home can be a big draw.
Date: 2012-06-13
From: Front Royal

To: Manassa Gap Shelter
Miles today: 10.7
Weather: overcast clouds

Sweet's Mum lovingly returned us to the trail in Front Royal today. We made a fortuitous stop at Subway before leaving town. Just after heading north from the road we saw another box turtle. When it seemed time for lunch, we pulled into Jim & Molly Denton Shelter & met a few new faces. When they saw us pull out Subs for lunch thought, we thought there was going to be a riot. People were pissed! Well... not at us, just that they didn't think to pack out lunch from town themselves. We dined in all our glory & kept going.It was tough being off so long, like we were out of step. Our bodies were protesting being back at work, while our minds were excited. The worst, we forgot out trusty bottle of NSAIDs & Sweet's Sunhat at home. We called it an early day, but for starting past 1:00, it wasn't a bad return to the trail.
Date: 2012-06-14
From: Manassa Gap Shelter

To: the base of The Roller Coaster
Miles today: 13.0

Being off trail must have made us soft. We slept late... really late. We didn't get on the trail until after 11:00.While going through Sky Meadows State Park we had an odd happening. Just ahead of Sweet on the trail was a black snake. Nothing new there, but as we approached it, we must have startled it. It jumped! not a lunge toward her or away. Just a whole body jump, maybe 5 inches into the air. Then quickly slithered away. Hmm.Toward the end of the day, we approached a section of trail called The Roller Coaster. It is famed for traversing ten ascents & descents in 13.5 miles. We walked just past the Rod Hollow Shelter, & set up for the night. We were staging. Prepping for the ride we'd be taking tomorrow.
Date: 2012-06-15
From: the base of The Roller Coaster

To: just after Snickers Gap
Miles today: 11.4

Another late, 11:00 start. (Man, what did we do to ourselves?) Prepped and ready for the ride, we climbed the first hill the roller coaster had for us. We were quickly cursing the fact we didn't start the ride last night. There were plenty of amazing camp sites along the way through the Coaster. We decided to mix it up a bit and ate our big(cooked) meal for lunch today. As it's now berry season, while Low cooked, Sweet foraged for blueberries, returning with nearly a quart. Apparently, mixing our meals around wasn't the best idea. We were both treating low blood sugars quickly after finishing lunch. The lows persisted, even with lowered basals & treatment, for some time.We ate dinned on the rocks of Bears Den & proceeded over VA 7, VA 679 at Snickers Gap. Once at the trail head parking lot, we thought how nice it would have been to eat at the restaurant .1mi down the road. Well, we already ate, so continued walking on. A reminder of the 6 Ps of planning.
Date: 2012-06-16
From: just after Snickers Gap

To: past Keys Gap
Miles today: 15.0

Getting on the trail at a more acceptable time was key this morning. We passed the first VA/WV state line crossing near Cresent Rock. This was also our 1000 mile mark! Large groups of people were on the trail today... reminding us it must be the weekend. The oddest moment we had though, is when a group of day hikers told us we couldn't proceed because their friend was peeing ahead. Low laughed at them & kept walking. Well, if you have any sense, stepping off the trail to do your business would be natural. Needless to say, senselessness occurred, as we reminded people the AT isn't a private party their company booked for an outing.We saw a timber rattler today, before reaching Keys Gap too. At the trail head we diverted west to Torlone MiniMart & restaurant for dinner and a small resupply. We decided to stop short of Harpers Ferry, since the ATC HQ would close before we would arrive. Sleeping our last night in VA excited us. On to West-By-God in the morning & MD tomorrow.
Date: 2012-06-17
From: past Keys Gap

To: Ed Garvey Shelter
Miles today: 10.1
Weather: broken clouds

Waking was a joy today. The trail into Harpers Ferry flew by & crossing the Shenandoah River was beautiful. Climbing up to town didn't even bother us. At the doors of the ATC HQ we posed proudly as 2012 thru hikers #524 & #525. As we looked around the building, we were surprised by Sweet's parents walking through the door. They happened to be nearby & hoped we'd be in town. After stashing our packs at the ATC, we all walked around town and had lunch. They had more to do today, so we said our goodbyes and headed back to grab our packs. Back down the hill we went, with packs this time, to the outfitter. Then we ate second lunch & crossed the Potomac into MD. The first few miles of MD were towpath flat. A sharp ascent to Weverton Cliffs was followed by more nearly level ridge running. We set up camp, as it got dark, near the Ed Garvey Shelter. Sweet drew the short straw & fetched water as Low Cooked. Five States down & working on six.
Date: 2012-06-18
From: Ed Garvey Shelter

To: Pine Knob Shelter
Miles today: 16.6
Weather: light rain

It started to rain last night, It continued to rain this morning, but backed up into a misty fog by the time we got on trail. Coming into Crampton Gap, the trail passes through Gathland State Park. It's a pretty park with lots of old buildings& a museum to explore. We met a large group of Scouts on White rock cliff, & two slower scouts 0.5mi further down the trail. It was nice to see them enjoying themselves.Dinner was enjoyed at Dahlgren Backpack Campground, a state run facility that offers "backcountry" camping with flush toilets & hot showers. Sadly, we wanted to make more miles and kept walking. Just after Dahlgren, we happened upon a restaurant, trying to get desert for Low's Birthday today. Sadly, they are closed on Mondays.We walked into another park then, that houses the first monument built for George Washington. Another park we'll have to revisit. To end the day, we crossed the I70 footbridge & made camp at the Pine Knob Shelter.
Date: 2012-06-20
From: Raven Rock Shelter

To: PA 16 (Waynesboro, PA)
Miles today: 7.5

We left Raven Rock excited. Crossing one more state and getting nearer to home would excite anyone, though. We lunched at Pen-Mar Park. Then, shared a swing in the shade for longer than we should have. The weather is so hot. We enjoy the shade.Just after the park we entered PA. The berries seemed somehow sweeter on this side of the line. Our plan was to stay at Tumbling Run Shelter tonight. We didn;t. The weather was so hot and humid that both of us kept sweating off sites. High, grumpy, & defeated, Sweet made a call home, asking her dad to pick us up. Probably a good idea. We'll have to make up the rest, but after a night at home.
Date: 2012-06-21
From: PA 16 (Waynesboro, PA)

To: Caledonia State Park
Miles today: 15.8
Weather: few clouds

The weather is still hot. hotter than yesterday, but we slack packed it from PA 16 to PA 30. It was rough pulling ourselves out of bed in the morning to get back on trail. The allure of AC and a mattress are strong.
Date: 2012-06-23
From: Chledonia State Park

To: Shippensberg Rd
Miles today: 10.8

We're enjoying the time at home, so decided to slack again from Caledonia to Shippensberg Rd. We flew through the miles today. It's our home turf though. It was a big surprise catching up with Sipsey today! Now back home to hang out with niece and nephews before we head out again.
Date: 2012-06-24
From: Shippensberg Rd

To: Pine Grove Furnace/ AT Museum
Miles today: 8.6
Weather: overcast clouds

We left Shippensberg Rd this morning with full packs, on a mission. we had to see the halfway sigh, and make it into Pine Grove Furnace before lunch. Along the way was one shelter, where we breaked & we stopped at the midpoint marker for a few minutes. We got in to the Pine Grove Furnace General Store at 11:30. Low became part of the half gallon club, in 23 minutes & 18 units of insulin. Sweet did not.We stuck around the Museum for a hiker feed & some story telling that was scheduled for today. After our great pace this morning though, we didn't continue. We realized there were a few things we forgot to do at home that were necessary. So, back home we went.
Date: 2012-06-27
From: Pine Grove Furnace/ AT Museum

To: Boiling springs Backpackers' Campsite
Miles today: 18.7

Getting back on trail was a must today. We've spent too much time at home. Enough time off to feel soft walking this morning. Thank you, again, to sweets parents for shuttling us around while we were near Chambersberg. We made decent time leaving Pine Grove Furnace. The weather is turning hot again. Our guide book listed a few road crossings, but we were quite confused because we crossed 3 more roads than was listed. We stopped several times today to pick blueberries. Also the Trail was along farm fields often. Camp was made just outside of Boiling Springs, PA, at a campsite on the edge of town. The local groundhogs were surprised to see us setting up camp, but they made do. A set of train tracks is near the campsite, so we had a little noise to contend with. Even with the noise, it feels good to be back on trail.
Date: 2012-06-28
From: Boiling springs Backpackers' Campsite

To: Darlington Shelter
Miles today: 14.8
Weather: few clouds

Leaving camp this morning was easy, because we knew town was so close. That also meant town breakfast. We stopped in at the ATC building in Boiling Springs before heading to Cafe 101 for breakfast. Leaving town we stopped at the outfitter for bug spray. But they had none... curious.The terrain was fairly easy leaving town, but the temp was heating up fast. It was decided that we would walk Rte 11 & eat lunch, while hiding from the heat of the day, At the Middlesex Diner. A good choice.After talking with more tired truckers than we could count, we left the diner to continue north. Passing through this area on foot instead of in a car is odd to us. Familiar and foreign all at once.We made camp near the Darlington shelter. Eyes are set on Duncannon, tomorrow.
Date: 2012-06-29
From: Darlington Shelter

To: The Doyle
Miles today: 11.5
Weather: clear sky

A storm rolled through last night. It wasn't bad, but it did catch us by surprise. It was slow moving for us today. Slow from the start. The heat was overwhelming, all day. We cooked lunch at Cove Mtn Shelter. After eating, a short nap. Sweet sweated off a site & changed it a lunch. Low sweated off his site near Hawk Rock and decided to walk into town before replacing it. Once off the steep decent into town, we found it weird trying to follow the blazes through town. It's easy to tell where the trail is in the woods, but walking by ford dealers and gas stations is more difficult. No sure path. The Doyle was a sure landmark, though. So we stopped. The Doyle Hotel is an old Anheusuer-Busch Hotel, complete with dining room/bar, three stories of rooms, & a separate Ladies' entrance. We were told to drop our packs in the hall. Then, found seats for dinner. It was busy, so we sat separately until some room cleared, ate & got a room. Cool showers & sleep were come soon.
Date: 2012-06-30
From: The Doyle

To: 225 Footbridge
Miles today: 8.3

The Doyle is what it is. People complain about the age or shared bathrooms, but We're glad to have stayed. The electric light show in the sky was kinda cool to watch from the fourth story, corner room too. Low took a little walk through town in the early hours, letting Sweet sleep a few more hours. Fast was broke at Goodie's Cafe... a mountain of food for a low price. Then the walk through & out of town. When we crossed 322, we talked about hitching up to State Collage for a meal at Herwig's Austrian Bistro. Sadly, we climbed the hill heading out of town instead of going for pig and kraut.Our breakfast was so large & heavy that we breaked without lunch on the mountain. For whatever reason, Sweet pulled out her phone to check messages, & had one from home. Being Saturday, her parents offered to come see us. We decided to go home for a night. They picked us up at a trailhead on PA 225. We picked a liter of berries waiting for the car. Yummy but painful. Low fell a few times, into the bushes, trying to reach another handfull of black raspberries. When Sweet's parents arrived, he looked as if he had been attacked: covered in scratches & blood from the thorns.We stopped back in Duncannon to point out the Doyle and the refurbished train station. (Trains are a hugh intrest of Sweet's dad.) On the ride home, we decided to grill out & enjoy the evening since Pops (Sweet's Granddad) was visiting. So we did. We enjoyed a nice evening outside with burgers and fixings. We all swapped stories, of current and past adventures. It was a wonderful night home with family. Sadly, It marked a change in our hike & lives forever.
Date: 2012-07-01
From: 225 Footbridge

To: Home 
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

Our plan was a nice night at home, then straight back to the trail. Plans changed though, when Pops didn't wake this morning.Fenwick Peter Brown was a devoted Husband, Father, Grandfather, & Great Grandfather. He had a happiness he loved to share with others through story and song. Growing up in Womwlsdorf, PA, Graduating from PSU class of '42, and serving in the Asian theatre in WWII, Pops had an amazing young life. He never lost his spirit of adventure, and often commented had he been younger, "I'd be walking that trail with you." Losing him is difficult. Time will be taken to grieve before we return to walking.
Date: 2012-07-02
From: Home 

To: Home
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

We want to apologize to anyone who has been reading our Journal regularly. We stopped posting and walking on the first of July for reasons we hope you understand. Our hope was to continue walking sooner. We couldn't bring ourselves to do it though.We've committed ourselves to a summer camp for children with diabetes in central Ohio. From the end of July into August, We had to be off trail for camp. So we stayed off trail until after camp.For a while, we were kept busy helping with the affairs of the estate. Then, prepping ideas and activities for camp took up most of our time.The Story for the next month has little to do with hiking, so we won't bore you. Fear not... Our hike will continue. By the time we come back though, we will be soft and out of shape. (Does that make anyone want to continue reading our blog?) Hmm...
Date: 2012-07-25
From: Home

To: Camp!
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

We did some hiking today. It wasn't on the AT, but walking through the woods and sleeping in a tent is what we write about. Isn't It?The two of us had the honor to work with the CITs at camp this summer. The Counselors In Training are young people who were campers, taking a step toward becoming staff. One of the chances they get is an overnight hike in the woods.Fully outfitted, we walked mabey five miles over 24 hours. It was difficult for some of our group, but made Sweet & Low miss the trail.Its been over three weeks now. Soon, we will return.
Date: 2012-08-09
From: 225 Footbridge

To: Spring near Clarks Valley
Miles today: 9.2

Finally! Back on trail! After more than a month off trail. We began walking again today. Apologies go out to Low's Sister & Father, though. We failed to send cards for your birthdays. We are sorry.Sweet's Mum lovingly dropped us off at the trailhead today. The weather was nice. The terrain fair. The hikers... Soft. Out of shape. Sore. After just a few hours, we were tired. A month off trail is a bad idea. The more you know.We took our first break at Peters Mtn Shelter. Then continued north. The skies turned grey before we had made camp & thunder started rolling through. Low ran ahead to find & filter water, an important chore before stopping for the night. Water was found and a camp site selected quickly to prevent getting soaked our first day back on the trail.The weather held until after dinner was cooked. Then, the rain came. Happy with our distance for only walking half the day, we slept happily on the trail once more.
Date: 2012-08-10
From: Spring near Clarks Valley

To: Past Rausce Gap Shelter
Miles today: 16.0

Waking to a little rain isn't new, just disappointing. The rain is needed though, and falling at night is better than while walking. We ate lunch at the Yellow Springs Valley Site, a site where a mining community once stood. There is nothing left of the village but a few crumbling stone foundations & a name on a map.Before making camp, we passed over an old stone arch bridge with a pH well nearby. The well raises the stream's pH by passing it through a limestone filter of sorts. Very neat, & needed to allow the stream's fish a chance to survive.Camp was made with time to spare in the evening. The tent was mostly dry, so we didn't have as much trouble as expected.It is starting to become apparent though, we may not make it to Katahdin on our current pace. Spending as much time off as we have, no matter the reasons, has affected out hiking.
Date: 2012-02-17
To: Getting Ready to go
Miles today: 0.0

So, tomorrow is the big day. I am off from the Amicalola approach trail to start my adventure in the morning. The weather looks like it will be a challenge but not too big a one. I will send my first updates from Hiawassee probably on Wed/Thur 2/23 ~ 2/24. Until then....
Date: 2012-02-18
From: Amicalola Visitor Center

To: Stover Creek Shelter
Miles today: 11.6
Weather: overcast clouds

Day 1Big thank you to Mom and Michael for droping me off this morning. I got started around 8:45 this morning and made it to the Stover Creek Shelter at 3:45. The approach trail from the Amicalola Visitor Center was tough and all up hill as advertized, I don't think I would do it again but am glad I did it this time. The rest of the hike after the approach trail, from Springer Mountain down to Stover Creek Shelter, wasn't too bad at all except for the pains in my feet and back. The weather was great all day and I even had a clear view from the top of Springer Mountain when I got there. I was going to stay at the Springer Mt. Shelter but the group of young folks with a cooler full of beer convenced me otherwise. I decided to tent at the shelter rather than sleeping in the shelter since the upstairs loft of the shelter was occupied by two other hikers and their two PUPPIES. From what I understand the puppies were up most of the night and there were a lot of trips down the stairs to the bathroom that kept everyone up. So, even though it rained I am glad that decided to put up the tent.
Date: 2012-02-19
From: Stover Creek Shelter

To: Hawk Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 5.3
Weather: light rain

Day 2Slept good last night, not great, but I did feel rested this morning when I got up. It was cold and sprinkling rain when I got up this morning and that continued through out the day turning to full rain at times. I got to the Hawk Mountain shelter and felt like hammered dog you know what. So, since there were no other shelters in easy reach and it was supposed to continue to rain, turning to snow over night I decided to cut it short and stay at the Hawk Mt. shleter tonight and recover this afternoon.
Date: 2012-02-20
From: Hawk Mountain Shelter

To: Woody Gap
Miles today: 13.1
Weather: clear sky

Day 3Last night wasn't great. No more shelters for me, famous last words. The shelter was packed I was in the loft with 4 other guys and the down stairs was full also. The guy next to me snored all night, not just snored but literally shook the rafters. There was a guy in a tent 100 feet from the shelter that was kept awake by this guy, truely it was increadable. I did manage to sleep a little bit, and since I had been "relaxing" since noon yesterday I managed to feel rested this morning when I got up. It was freezing this morning. There was no snow but there was hoar frost on all the trees and bushes and the ground was frozen. The sun was up though and it promised to be a beutiful day, and it was. The hike was good and started off with 3 good sized climes. The second was Sassafrass Mountain which I had heard was very difficult and it was. Followed by Justus Mountain. I was able to climb both with out too much trouble but did over heat when I topped Justus Mt. I coverted my pants to shorts, pulled my long johns off, and stripped my top down to a t-shirt and light pullover and was ready to go again. I think that the lighter weight clothing is definately the way to go now. I will try wearing only shorts when hiking from now on. I had originally planned to stop at gooch gap after covering about 10 miles but when I got there I still felt good and Woody Gap and a night at the Hiker Hostle was calling to me. I called the hostle and they informed me that they indead had room for the night. So, with the lure of a hot shower, soft bed, and leigh's breakfast, I headed for Woody Gap.