morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2015-07-27
From: Hurd Brook Lean-to

To: The Birches
Miles today: 13.4

There was no rush to get up on on the trail early. We (me, Big Ben, Sweetblood, and Smasher) knew it was going to be a short day. We left the shelter around 7:00am and didn't go crazy racing down the trail.We hiked three miles and officially made it out of the 100 Mile Wilderness. We took a walk down Golden Road to the Abol Bridge Camp Store. We hung out there for an hour and a half or so. We charged up our phones, resupplied for today and tomorrow, and just grabbed some food to snack on. We sat around outside the store (looking like vagrants) snacking on high trans-fat food and drinking soda. It was a good time!Eventually our break was over and we had to get back to walking. I didn't have to push myself as there were just 10 miles left and the terrain was flat. There was no need to race. I had a small ford but nothing crazy.As I was continuing on, maybe just a couple miles from camp left, I FINALLY saw my first view of Mount Katahdin. The mountain was absolutely huge and unmistakable. There are no mountains around close in size. With the view of Katahdin through a large gap in the trees, I stood on the trail in awe. All I could do was admire the mountain and the large cloud of fog obstructing the summit. It was intimidating at the time. It is intimidating as I write this. But tomorrow afternoon, I will be standing on top of the mountain. Many days and many nights of hard work to get to that point. I am ready for it!It's a bit sad knowing this journey, pilgrimage really, concludes tomorrow. Being out here for 147 days has been life. It's nice to have three other thru-hikers here with me tonight and also completing their journey tomorrow too: SweetBlood, Smasher, and Big Ben. We all plan to get up early tomorrow for the long climb ahead.
Date: 2015-05-21
To: Harper's Ferry
Miles today: 34.0

I'm getting really excited about our upcoming trip! Only 2 more days and we will hit the trail in Harper's Ferry, WV. My pack is ready to go and my feet are ready to hit the trail. Not so happy about being away from David for so long but I am looking forward to seeing him in Maine for our 25th wedding anniversary celebration! I'm inserting the 34 mile section I did from Hot Springs to Davenport Gap over Spring a Break for mileage sake.
Date: 2015-05-22
From: Home

To: Harper's Ferry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Today we began our journey to Harpers Ferry. We picked Jan and Pearl up and headed down Freels Rd. We ran into two sweet girls that woke up way too early just to see us off. Emily and Sarah Willis stopped to tell us goodbye and pray with us! These girls are amazing.   It took too many hours to get there for what should have been a 7 hour trip, but once we were reunited with the rest of our crew everything was as it should be. We explored the town and then had amazing pizza as our last meal before the trail. We explored Harpers Cemetary and found some Pritchetts there. Wonder if they are related? Side note....my great great grandfather, William H Faulkner fought in the Battle at Harpers Ferry. Laying in my cushy hotel room bed right now with the AC cranked to high, a full belly, and the man I love right next to me. Tomorrow is the big day!!!!!We won't get started early because the ATC doesn't open until 9:00 and we have to start there to log our trip and get pics made with our packs on. More to come....
Date: 2015-05-23
From: Harper's Ferry

To: Ed Garvey Shelter
Miles today: 6.3
Weather: few clouds

We began our day at the ATC in Harper's Ferry, WV. David took a German hiker to resupply at Walmart and we had a quick goodbye there. It was not what I expected because the reality of really leaving him had not hit me yet. We hiked a mile around the town and I realized that we were still in Harper's Ferry and we had just hiked around it. We decided to eat lunch in town before we crossed the bridge and I called David knowing he had to return the German guy back to the ATC nearby. I had him meet us for lunch which was great! After lunch we crossed the bridge and had a tearful goodbye. I turned around at least 20 times til I could not see him any longer. What an amazing guy he is...letting me do such a wonderful thing. We hiked 6.5 miles to Ed Garvey Shelter and we saw a red fox along the way. The weather was great. I ran 1/2 mile down the trail to get water from the spring and did not run back up...it was a much easier run down. We set up our hammocks (Colleen and I) across the way from the shelter. We ate a lovely dinner of steak, baked potato, and salad...ok, we didn't really. Colleen caught her cravat on fire accidently and proceeded to stomp it out thus creating her trail name, "Firewalker". Hanging the bear bag later was pretty entertaining, too. We looked alot like Lucy and Ethel. Slept ok that night.
Date: 2015-05-24
From: Harper's Ferry

To: Dahlgren's Backpacker Campground
Miles today: 10.9

Slept ok. Woke up and heard a strange, loud noise close to my hammock. I was too scared to turn my headlamp on and just hoped for the best. I was really afraid of what I might see. Ate oatmeal for breakfast and some weird protein applesauce that you drink. Felt great after the first mile and took off. Hiked the first 4 miles in 1 hour 20 min. with Colleen most of the time. Terrain was VERY rocky and it made you have to be careful not to turn your ankle. We stopped at a cool state park called Gathand State Park (I think). We layed there in the shade waiting on the rest of the crew and took advantage of the restrooms and clean water. There was a guy there named Need to Eat and he had brough sticky buns fresh from the bakery as trail magic. Amazing surprise. Colleen and I almost went back south as we left but realized we saw people we had already seen and turned around. I did not get far before I started having stomach cramps. There were alot of people on the trail so it was hard to find somewhere to "go". I hate that whole thing...We made it to Dahlgren's campground which had a shower, and the ability to order pizza if you were willing to walk a 1/4 mile to pick it up. We shared it with some other hikers, one guy named Hercules (It was his birthday) and two guys we now call Walter and Jeff the Pizza Guys. (We gave them their official trail names!) I have not bitten my nails yet btw. EW! Also met a guy on the trail who was teaching himself Japanese while he hiked. Got the chance to share AT for Haiti with lots of people already as well.
Date: 2015-05-25
From: Dahlgren's Backpacker Campground

To: Annapolis Rocks, MD
Miles today: 7.3

Oatmeal for breakfast again. No coffee because its just a pain to make. I know that is hard to believe but its true. Gorgeous but very ROCKY day again today. My feet hurt and blisters are now happening. My phone died and that was disturbing for me as I like to be able to get in touch with my people. We walked over a footbridge over I 40 which was breezy and then almost got lost again because someone was standing in front of the sign to turn at. We made it up the mountain which was VERY steep but worth the view at the top. Colleen and I found a great place to camp and got settled. We saw a black and yellow snake eating a red salamander. It was like watching the discovery channel. I washed my clothes in stream water and ate tuna for dinner. We went to the cliffs and watched the sun set which was beautiful and met some more hikers there. I stink. Like a pack mule. I don't like it. I had Robin help me pour water over my hair so I could wash it and it was freezing but really made me feel better. It was up to 88 degrees today. I used earplugs while sleeping and slept great! Wishing David and the boys were here with me. I'm used to getting to share life's greatest moments with them. I'm getting much better at hanging the bear bag. If you don't know what I mean then look it up on youtube. Colleen is an amazing 16 year old. She knows lots of things about science and plants and has given me a free college education while hiking! I have done great keeping up with her so I am impressed with how my body is adjusting.
Date: 2015-05-26
From: Annapolis Rocks, MD

To: Ensign Cowall Shelter
Miles today: 6.6
Weather: overcast clouds

Got up and found spiders all over everything I own. Not a good surprise but it didn't seem to phase me like it normally would. Stopped at Black Rock Cliffs and got an amazing view. Best so far. We rock hopped on huge boulders which was fun yet exhausting. Colleen fell off a huge tree she was walking on but only scraped her knee a bit thank goodness. I saw a black snake crossing the trail and was glad it wasn't a rattler. (Robin did see one shortly after though). Met a super nice Christian lady and her sister and walked with them for a bit. They stopped at the shelter with us and had lunch and we prayed together. What a treat! We got there pretty fast and waited for the rest of the crew to show up. When they got there we walked into town which was supposed to be a mile and a half. NOT. After a 1/2 mile or so we met a man who was in his yard doing yard work and he asked if we needed a ride to town. His name was Elmer and he was a Godsend. He took us to town, waited for us, and then took us back to the trailhead where we enjoyed Subway sandwiches and snacks from town. Met more hikers. Vanguard, Obsolete, Caboose, TeaTime, and the Russian Jumper. Funny story - Jan's dog Pearl decided that going to the privy and rolling in human feces was a good idea. When we called for her she came running smelling like...well not good. Poor Jan had to haul her to the stream and give her a major bath. Colleen and I hammocked and the others stayed in the shelter fearing rain was coming. It never did and we slept like babies in our hammocks until we woke at 5 to coyotes howling! Go moving at 7:30 and on our way to our next stop.
Date: 2015-05-27
From: Trail of Hope Hostel

To: Pine Grove Furnace State Park
Miles today: 37.7
Weather: overcast clouds

Well the past few days have been great! I think I left off with us on Day 6 and in between we have hiked a bunch and stayed in a super cool shelter/hostel called the Trail of Hope. Robert and Sandra were amazing and Patrick made us a great dinner and breakfast there. We had the chance to slackpack for two day which means that someone keeps our ginormous backpacks while we hike and then returns them to us at the end of the day. We still have to take necessities while we do it but it is truly a load off your knees and allowed us to get some mileage in without as much pain. Take it when it's offered and consider it a blessing. Slackpacking doesn't come around every day. Colleen and I actually ran a good portion of the 11.1 miles the first day and it was amazing to see what your body can do when you challenge it. I can see changes already but not sure that any real weight has been lost yet. I think I have gained some muscle though. We hiked into Pine Grove Park today and I went to the general store and had a BLT and fries. Our buddy Jan had to get off the trail today with Pearl for a few days because her father is in poor health. Please lift her up in prayer. The trail won't be the same without her.We checked into the Ironmaster Hostel for tonight due to impending thunderstorms coming. I really don't fancy being in a tree with lightning. My buddy Matt Sereno is coming in from Harrisburg and grilling hotdogs for us! I cannot wait to see him. I am hoping that down the line David will surprise me and make a weekend trip to meet up with me. HINT HINT. If not, I will be seeing him in Maine to celebrate 25 years of wedded bliss with him. I am one lucky girl. Well, I will bid you adieu and keep you updated on our next adventures.
Date: 2015-05-27
From: Ensign Cowall Shelter

To: Pen Mar State Park
Miles today: 9.5
Weather: overcast clouds

Left today at 7:35 for Pen Mar with Colleen. Phil, Robin, and Jan left a little earlier. We hiked up Raven Rock which was horrific and rocky. Ate lunch with the crew at the top and met up with Hercules again. Met another guy who was going southbound and had just lost his 6 month old son a few months ago. The trail seemed to be doing him some good. The trail is way cheaper than therapy. 4.5 miles left after that. We did lots of boulder hopping and then about a mile and a half out we got caught in a torrential downpour. It was greatly welcomed until we realized that we were walking with our shoes totally covered. We were very dehydrated and had run out of water about 5 miles back. So we drank water from our faces as we hiked...lol. We hiked into Pen Mar and sought refuge in a picnic pavilion with other hikers. Changed out sopping wet clothes in the bathroom and drank so much water it hurt. From the Sunset pavilion you could look out and see 4 states. Beautiful park. Stayed at Nostalgic Dreams hostel. Colleen and I split a single bed but it was such a welcome sight that we didn't mind squishing in together. Had an amazing meal at an authentic Sicilian restaurant and then Colleen and I lay there and talked til we fell asleep. Breakfast was homemade cinnamon rolls, ham casserole, and fresh fruit. After that Elizabeth took us up to a hotel near Walmart to resupply. That was a boring day cause I just wanted to walk.
Date: 2015-05-28
From: Pine Grove Furnace State Park

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

So, I forgot to mention that we saw a rattlesnake right in the middle of the trail. He had just eaten and was pretty sluggish but instead of moving on in the other direction he went right in the direction of our shelter. Not good. We had to do a lot of convincing to get rid of him. We met a really neat lady named Black Bear that is from Maine. She has two sons that are the same age as our boys are. She was so glad to see some women on the trail. Most of the people who are thru hikers are men, but luckily there are more women every year. We also met this amazing mom that is hiking with her three kids...Brie Griggs, are you hearing this? Her oldest is 9 and the twins are 5. They just follow right along and do great. Its an amazing sight really. Check for pics of them on my facebook page. Well, tonight was good. Matt came in and due to storms we had to nuke the hot dogs he brought in the microwave at the hostel. Still it was amazing and he also brought fresh fruit which was a God send. The things we take for granted! Well, I am going to bed...its near hiker midnight. 9pm.
Date: 2015-06-04
From: Shippenburg Road

To: Boiling Springs, PA
Miles today: 19.6
Weather: light rain

We stayed at a shelter due to excessive rain on the way to Boiling Springs. It rained and it rained and it rained. Not fun. Needless to say, I didn't get to sleep in my hammock and I ended up in my sleeping bag on a wooden bunk. In the middle of the night I woke up to a huge furry creature jumping into bed with me. No, it wasn't a bear....it was a hiker's dog named Nate. It did give me quite a fright. After I realized it was him I just told him to lay down and snuggle me. He did. Hiking into Boiling Springs was quite a treat! You are in the woods for so long and then suddenly you are walking through a cornfield with dairy farms all around. It was gorgeous and I felt like I was in a dream. As I walked through the field two white butterflies followed me through the field. I think I smiled the entire way. I disappeared once again into the woods but quickly realized that I was on the verge of entering a small township. It was a super scenic little postcard town with a ton of history. As I walked through the park I passed an older couple and their grand-daughter and they stopped me and asked if I was hiking and what I needed from their cooler! They handed over candy, fresh fruit, and lots of love and encouragement for me. They were angels sent from God for sure. The sweet lady was in the process of chemotherapy for breast cancer so keep her in your prayers! I then headed up to the ATC Headquarters and met up with my friend, Catnapper. After the rest of my crew joined we all headed to the local pizza parlor and ate til we couldn't breathe. I stayed at the backpacker campground and when I got there I realized it was the first time I had been without the rest of my crew. I was alone!!! When I got to the campground there were four guys there who took me right in and made me feel safe there. Its amazing the way the people on the trail take care of each other. Its alot like church actually. Today we are resupplying and resting. My knees look alot like tree trunks (normally they are very knobby) and I have blisters galore from the wet shoes. I am staying with Phil and Robin in a room tonight so I can do laundry and shower. Very coveted things in the hiking world. I ate in a tavern today that was established in 1832. Now I am updating my journal and waiting for laundry to finish. I wish I could better express how wonderful of an adventure this is. You really must try this!
Date: 2015-06-23
From: Windsor Furnace Shelter

To: DWG
Miles today: 70.2
Weather: overcast clouds

It's been a few days since the last post. Got back on the trail and headed to Bake Oven for the night. Climbed over something called knives edge which is exactly what you'd expect and the over more rocks and more rocks. Stayed the night there in the shelter and then headed north again towards Palmerton. I stayed in the garage of the Stempa family and ate at the Kunkletown Pub which was amazing. Slack packed for two days and then hiked around 17 miles yesterday to the hostel in DWG. Ended up in a lean to behind the church in my hammock and stayed up chatting with the PA ridge runner. Got cold and around 5 I went and slept on the floor in the hostel to warm up.ive met some amazing people so far and am loving how God just puts the right people in the right place at just the right time. New Jersey today!!!! I made it all the way through PA!!
Date: 2014-07-18
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Hello once again, and a big WAR EAGLE!Another year has passed and we, like all of you, are another year older. There is an old adage that with age wisdom magically permeates into our being and then we will no longer be the impulsive rash youngsters we once were. We are still waiting for age to transform us into wise old owls but until that happens we are planning one more AT adventure."Age is a case of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it don't matter." We quote Satchel Paige, one of the tremendous old-time baseball players who pitched a game at age fifty-nine, and who, like us, is a native Alabamian. We are older than that but we hope you will follow us through this journal as we try to make our minds triumph over our rebellious old bodies, our decrepit old bones, debilitating muscles, arthritic joints, and our too-flabby appendages in which our spirits now dwell.Here's hoping we can overcome our psychological fear of failure, and that our relentless desire to learn and experience new things and our lingering young-at-heart attitude will prevail and we will reach Katahdin this year!
Date: 2014-07-23
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Kaitlyn and Hailey (our granddaughters) were full of energy this morning, dancing and prancing along the AT, as they were getting ready to experience setting up a campsite, cooking outdoors, and sleeping in a tent (in the woods) for the first time.We parked at the picnic area at Wayah Crest Picnic Area and started walking south toward Siler Bald in the early morning fog on this slightly overcast day. Our future thru-hikers, fully dressed in hiker attire, including slack packs and hiking poles, were, hopefully, filling their memory banks with things to tell their friends and classmates: crossing a stream on a truncheon bridge, filtering and drinking water from a mountain spring, observing many wild flowers including Turk's cap lily, stopping for numerous breaks -- their inquisitive minds racing with question after question -- and finally climbing Siler Bald. Although Siler Bald is slightly grown up this summer it is still a bald with great views, and certainly worth the climb.We met several day-hikers out enjoying the day, some of them with their grandchildren and some of them with their dogs.As we were on our way back to the Wayah Crest Picnic Area the girls were racing ahead of us on the trail and a situation arose which gave us an opportunity to teach the girls even more about this great trail. Two young men whom we had met earlier on their way down from Siler Bald and on their way back to the picnic area had almost stepped on a huge rattlesnake on the trail. They could have gone on ahead, but knowing we had young children with us, they waited at least forty-five minutes in order to warn us of the threatening snake coiled right beside the trail. This is life on the trail; hikers look out for one another, and this caring for their fellow hikers is what makes this trail one of the special places on earth.
Date: 2014-08-29
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Today we hiked in Dismals Canyon located near the town of Phil Campbell in north Alabama. The canyon there has some unique features: landforms as well as flora and fauna. Dismals Canyon is best known as the home of a unique, native and endemic species of glow-in-the-dark insect known locally as dismalites. Also found in the canyon are Canadian hemlocks, growing hundreds of miles from their normal range of growth in Canada. It is believed that ancestors of these trees got pushed hundreds of miles south out of their normal habitat during the last age of glaciers. The steep, perpendicular walls of the canyon are shaded by these huge towering hemlock trees; some of the trees are estimated to be almost 400 years old. The dismalites require a very specialized habitat in order to survive and thrive: humidity to prevent them from drying out, vertical surfaces (the moss-covered walls of the canyon) on which to hang their sticky webs made of strands of mucilage in order to trap food, an adequate supply of food in the form of insects, and darkness so their light will attract those food insects. The larval stage of the dismalites emits a bright blue-green light to attract food in the form of flying insects. As the larva move in and out of their moss home they appear to twinkle in the dark. When you are down in the canyon looking up at the blue light from the dismalites growing and glowing on the moss-covered canyon walls, it is difficult to tell where the dismalites stop and the stars begin in the night sky as the blue light of the dismalites on the steep rock face looks like a star-filled sky. The dismalites are believed to be close cousins of the rare glowworms found in Australia and New Zealand.In 2006 a rare salamander known as the hellbender was found in Dismals Canyon. Imagine encountering a two-foot long salamander while you are outside hiking. Sometimes students think a salamander is a lizard but that is not true; there is a big difference between a salamander and a lizard. A salamander is an amphibian and a lizard is a reptile.Other features of the canyon are natural rock rooms formed by house-sized boulders. This area was used by the Chickasaw Indians before their forced removal to Oklahoma along the trail of tears.This was a great late summer day in which to explore Dismals Canyon with the grandkids.
Date: 2015-01-06
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Unfortunately we were not able to begin our hike at the time we had hoped due to health issues with both of our widowed mothers. Tom's mother (86 y.o a.) has been battling breast cancer with chemotherapy; she is having a difficult time. Tom is spending time with her. Brenda's mother (87 y.o.a.) shattered her right hip on December 30 and we celebrated New Year's Eve in the surgical waiting room at the hospital.We will continue to monitor the health of our mothers. If their health improves as we hope it will, we would like to start our hike in February.