morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2011-06-19
From: Jenkins Shelter

To: Janny Knob 
Miles today: 24.4

Today was another long day of walking and the sparse water sources made the ridge walking extra tough. There was a good chance for rain today and thunder followed us all the way to the shelter. When we did finally arrive we were greeted by a church group. 8 girls under the age of 13, 2 fathers and two older women composed the group. We talked with them for a while and they were kind enough to let us use their pump filter (we treat our water chemically (sp?) so extra dirty water can be a bit chewy), which was nice because the water sources wasn't much more than a muddy trickle. We had an extra dinner with us that we did not need, so we had a two course meal consisting of Idahoan instant potatoes with fresh garlic and gravy and mac & cheese with dried refried beans and bacon. The church group began hanging their bear bag (you have to hang you food in a tree so that bears, raccoons and mice don't eat it) and they were quite comical. It actually reminded me of the Three Stooges episodes my dad used to watch. At one point the two fathers had stacked themselves in the air to try and untie a knot. When all was said and done their bag was about 4 feet off of the ground and right next to the trunk of the tree. A bear or raccoon could have easily gotten their foor. At this point I stepped in and offered to help them. Within 10 minutes I had both of their bags hung (in my longjohns, no less) and not a bear in the world could have gotten them. I felt a little bad for the fathers masculinity, hopefully they won't develope a complex
Date: 2011-06-20
From: Janny Knob 

To: Woods Hole 
Miles today: 20.4
Weather: overcast clouds

Sometimes time goes by fast, sometimes time goes slow. Today it did both. We left the shelter this morning and our first stop was 6 miles in. We had our second breakfast, silly hobbits I know, which consisted of a poptart and some freeze-dried granola with blueberries. The granola was acquired this morning from one of the mormon dads for our efforts with their bearbag last night. Karma is great We enjoyed out second breakfast next to a small river. Our goal for the day was to reach a hostel quoted to be, "a slice of heaven, not to be missed." Naturally I was excited to get there. We arrived at the hostel with plenty of time before dinner and quickly set about doing our laundry and taking solar-powered showers. The hostel and bunkhouse is run by Neville (just like the harry potter character, only a woman) and her husband michael, who are working to make it completely sustainable. Fruits, veggies and herbs are grown on the premise and many of their supplies come from the local amish community. They practice canning and are going to be raising their own pigs and chickens in the next few years. Simco, Caboose, Frodo and I were sitting on the porch supressing our hunger (it was 7pm and dinner wasn't until 8. Hikers usually eat between 4:30 and 6) when neville approached us and offered to make us some blackberry, blueberry, peach ice cream milkshakes. Of course we said yes and when she served them to us in mason jars, we quaffed them like we hadn't had anything to drink in a month. Dinner was served family style and Frodo and I even got to help cook. I cut veggies and helped wherever I could and despite the fact that I was only wearing a towel (all of our clothes were in the wash) it was quite a treat for me to be back in the kitchen.
Date: 2011-06-21
From: Woods Hole 

To: Rice field shelter
Miles today: 17.2
Weather: scattered clouds

Interesting day today. We woke up a the hostel, got packed, enjoyed a cup of coffee and some homemade bread, and set out for town. The ten miles into Pearisburg Virginia seemed to last forever and the final descent into town took a toll on my knees. Once in town we filled our seemingly unfillable stomachs with lots of mexican food and hit the post office. Waiting at the PO was a lovely package from my girlfriend as well as a surprise box from my sister molly. Both boxes were filled with baked goods and whiskey. Those women know the keys to my heart Travis also received a box from his girlfriend and we carried our treasure boxes across town to the grocery store. We resupplied at the Food Lion and posted up in the back of the store to repackage our goodies. I shared the cookies and bread with some other hikers and received brownies and more cookies in return. Our next challenge was getting back to the trail-head and fortunately for us Dan decided to pull over and give us a lift. The only downside to Dan giving a ride to four hikers and their fully loaded packs to the trailhead was the fact the he drives a Porsche coupe. A SMALL Porche at that. Designed with four tiny seats and very minimal trunk space it was like playing hiker tetris to get us in his car. We crammed inside and our feet were thankful not to have to walk another 2-3 miles. The long climb up to the shelter was made more difficult by our cumbersome packs but the mountain-top field that it was located near made it all worth it. I sat on a rock in the middle of the field and enjoyed the sunset while thinking about the wonderful dream that I am living and the amazing people in my life.
Date: 2011-06-22
From: Rice field shelter

To: Bailey Gap
Miles today: 16.4
Weather: light rain

Two notable things happened today. First, we heard of a guy by the name of The Captain who lives by the trail and has a habit of handing out cold sodas to hikers. Now this may not sound like much to those who have never done a long-distance hike but to a hiker a cold soda can make your week. A trash can to lighten your load, a good water source or a stream to soak tired feet, a snickers from a stranger, fresh fruit, or a cold beverage are the kinds of things that can push me to keep hiking. When we arrived at a sign on the trail that pointed towards the Captain's place we were a bit puzzled because the arrow pointed directly at a river, upon further investigation I discovered that a zipline/pulley system had been constructed so that hikers could cross the river. Not knowing if it was structurally sound or what exactly awaited us on the other side we instinctively checked it out. River crossing complete we discovered that the captain was out at physical therapy but that his porch door was open and a note instructed us to procure cold beverages from his fridge. Random acts of kindness are a beautiful thing. The second thing that happened today was my encounter with a guy by the name of Ed. Ed has hiked almost everything in America that there is to hike, most of the trails I have never heard of and every one I have heard of, he has hiked at least once. In his own words he, "took the decade of the 90's off to hike," and has hiked more than 50,000 miles in his lifetime. I asked him about his life, his style of hiking, and the trails he has hiked. Ed does not look anything like what one would expect. He has huge glasses because of his lack of depth perception, a massively ancient pack, and a strange aura of "lost-ness" about him. Goes to show you that it isn't the gear in your pack that gets a hiker to their final destination.
Date: 2011-06-23
From: Bailey Gap

To: Sarver Hollow
Miles today: 21.1
Weather: light rain

Holy Ticks Batman! I had 5 of the little buggers on me today. I must have picked up the hitchhikers while walking through the tall grass. We passed by a 300 year old oak tree, the Keffer oak, today. It spans 18 feet around!
Date: 2011-06-24
From: Sarver Hollow

To: Pickle Branch
Miles today: 16.7
Weather: few clouds

We lost a good man today. Simco (AKA Scott Simcox AKA Scotty-too-hotty AKA Molten Scott Lava AKA Blue cross Bloodshed) finished his section hike today. Frodo, Caboose and I hiked with Simco for about a month and we waited with him near a creek for his friends to pick him up. While we waited we soaked our feet in the cold water and reminisced about the miles we walked together. Fortunately for us, his two friends arrived and brought with them home-made baklava, doughnuts and lots of fresh fruit. The best part of the day was watching Simco's friends watch us dominate the food they had brought us. It didn't stand a chance. Thanks for being part of my hike Simco, Cheers to you.
Date: 2011-06-25
From: Pickle Branch

To: Lambert's Meadow 
Miles today: 23.3
Weather: broken clouds

Up up up. Lots of up today. Fortunately the climbing is getting easier as my legs continue to get stronger. A beautiful view at dragon's tooth rock was our prize for a long stretch of trail that climbed along a ridge. Frodo, Caboose and I paused to enjoy the view. We hit a road crossing around noon and decided to try and catch a ride into town for a snack and cold beverage. Our food supply was running a little tight (hikers eat a lot and can always eat more) and the thought of a snickers was quite enticing. I stuck out my thumb and, sure enough, a white Toyota pulls over. Ben, who plans on hiking the same section of trail we do that day, offers to give us a lift to the BP/Subway a few miles down the road. I felt like I had won the lottery. I grabbed a sandwich, 3 cookies, a breakfast bar, an oatmeal creampie and a cold gatorade. Jackpot. Ben then returned us to the trail and took off on his hike while we stuffed our faces in the parking lot. What ben did for us was true trail magic. Spontaneous, needed, perfect and both magic giver and receiver left the situation with a smile. Back on the trail, with full stomachs, we trekked up to McAffee Knob and tinker cliffs, two of the AT's most photographed locations. Both offered breathtaking views of the, about to be rained on, Virginia countryside. The weather was turning for the worse so we picked up our pace to try and make the shelter before the rain came in. Just as the drops started to come down I noticed that the trail markers were the wrong color. Instead of following the white blazes I had been following the yellow blazes. Crap. It began to pour as I realized that a half mile back I had taken a wrong turn. Soaked we arrived at the 6 person shelter, where 11 people wanted to sleep, and we did our best to dry out.
Date: 2011-06-26
From: Lambert's Meadow 

To: Daleville, Virginia
Miles today: 9.4
Weather: few clouds

Early start today to try and get into town and take advantage of all of the food that exists there. We busted out 9.4 miles by 9:15am, checked in at the Howard Johnson and walked to the super-market for doughnuts and fresh fruit. I ate my 3 doughnuts, apple, and banana in the company of some other thru-hikers: Chopsticks, Caboose, Frodo, Bear and Vertigo. We grabbed some salad fixins for lunch later and headed back to the hotel to clean up and relax. I watched some TV, made a few phone calls and reorganized/cleaned my pack. One of the best parts about town stops is the ability to satisfy cravings instantly. I had been Jonesing for some BBQ and the Three Little Pigs restaurant did a fantastic job of satisfying my craving. A few brews in the hotel room with some fellow hikers followed by Star Wars and a pretty solid food coma meant the stop in Daleville was a success.
Date: 2011-06-27
From: Daleville, Virginia

To: Wilson Creek
Miles today: 11.3
Weather: overcast clouds

I slept in until 7:30 this morning and visited the complimentary hot breakfast at the hotel. The breakfast was free but I almost wish I would have spent a few bucks to get something better. Free hot breakfast does not mean tasty hot breakfast. Frodo and I split a room with Caboose and we took our time getting packed up, being that we didn't have to check out until 11:00am. Time came to check out but because we only had 11 miles to do today, we set our stuff in DJ Senators room and made our way to Wendy's. A frostie and cheeseburger in one hand, chicken nuggets and fries in the other we headed back to DJ Senators room to watch some HBO and prepare ourselves mentally to get back on the trail. The short mileage day allowed us to leave about 2:30pm and the 5 miles to the first shelter flew by. We grabbed some water and took a short break and just as we set out, to finish our day, the rain started to come in. I hustled back to the shelter to stay dry and after the storm passed we walked the last 6 miles to our shelter for the night. Thank goodness for dry shoes!
Date: 2011-06-28
From: Wilson Creek

To: Bryant Ridge
Miles today: 21.2
Weather: overcast clouds

We pushed hard this morning and had our first 18 miles done by 1pm. This section of the trail parallels the Blue Ridge Parkway for about 100 miles and we crossed the road numerous times today. With the majority of our miles done for the day, we decided to follow our guidebook and visit a campground a short distance from the trail. Normally we don't stray too far from the A.T. but the thought of ice cream and a nice rest was persuasive enough. I got keylime pie and blackberry ice cream at the camp store, had a few cold coca-colas and relaxed for a while. We hitched back to the trailhead and and took some time to bathe in a nearby river. In good spirits I walked the remainder of the distance to the shelter, which is one of the biggest on the trail and can sleep 20 smelly hikers.
Date: 2011-06-29
From: Bryant Ridge

To: Glasgow, Virginia
Miles today: 24.8
Weather: clear sky

25 miles in before 5pm was the goal today and we just barely squeaked in. There were a couple of long stretches without water today, making the hills and exposed ridge walking even more challenging. When we crossed the long footbridge that marked the end of our day, a trail angel by the name of Ken was waiting to give us a ride into town. He took us the 6 miles into the small town of Glasgow, which he described as, "Small enough you would only need a nine iron to hit a ball from one end of town to the other." We walked to the public library to use the internet and spent some time in the AC updating journals and checking bank accounts. Glasgow is a very hiker-friendly town and they offer an in-town shelter right downtown. The small size of the town meant that a grocery store was within 100 yards of the shelter, something that a hiker is not used to having. I definitely took advantage of the close proximity of ice cream and cold beverages.
Date: 2011-06-30
From: Glasgow, Virginia

To: Pond Campsite
Miles today: 17.5
Weather: overcast clouds

I woke up with the sun and took my time packing up my stuff. We walked a quarter mile to the Family's Inn restaurant for breakfast and were treated very well by our waitress and the kitchen. $8 for some good southern food and great hospitality was money well spent. Ken the trail angel showed up at the restaurant and gave us a ride to the post office, where frodo and I sorted through the maildrops we had waiting for us. Along with the new pair of shoes I needed, my mother sent about a dozen kinds of dried fruit, a huge bag of pumpkin seeds, and a package of Oreos. I took what I would need for the next few days and sent the rest about 200 miles down the trail. It will definitely be nice to have some variety in my diet. Trail angel Ken then gave us a ride back to the trailhead. The trail passed the 33% done marker at that point and was also located on the longest footbridge on the A.T. I took the opportunity to strip down to my britches, climb up to the top of the bridge, and plunge myself into the river 35' below. It was hot and the cool water felt great. Once we had all dried off we headed down the trail and were greeted by a long climb and high humidity. The plan was to camp about 15 miles into the day but the campsite was never located. My tired feet unwillingly carried me until 7:30pm when I was just about ready to pitch my tent in the middle of the trail. Luckily we stumbled upon a fantastic campsite located right next to a creek that fed into a pond. The daylight was used to cook, clean up, and set up the tent. I crashed hard. My feet are hurting from the new shoes and I am starting to develop a strange rash on my left leg.
Date: 2011-07-01
From: Pond Campsite

To: Housekeeping
Miles today: 0.0

First and foremost, thank you all for your thoughts, prayers, kind words, and support. I apologize that my journal is not up to date but with sparse (at best) long-term internet access it is difficult to do much journaling online. I will continue to do my best but do not fear if you don't see an update for a while, I am still alive and hiking. If you have not already done so, check out my friend and hiking buddy's blog at travisap13.blogspot.com I also posted a new maildrop today. Thank you in advance for any treats that you send! If you are sending something please remember that I have to eat and/or carry everything I receive and that sometimes smaller quantities are appreciated I hope to finish updating my journal soon. All the best from the trail
Date: 2011-07-03
From: Seeley-Woodworth

To: Maupin Field 
Miles today: 20.7
Weather: scattered clouds

It was determined last night that I have a serious reaction to poison ivy and that is why my leg looks like it was standing next to Chernobyl when in blew up. I will be in town in two days and can hopefully hold out on treatment until then. At least now I have something to look forward to in town :P Our trek today included about 6,000 feet of vertical elevation change, attributed to one big descent and one big ascent. The 4 mile climb to the summit was grueling and I wrung my t-shirt out at the top. As caboose would say, "I was sweating like a whore in church." We arrived at the shelter and chatted with fellow thru-hiker One Day and section hiker Restaurant Bob.
Date: 2011-07-04
From: Maupin Field 

To: Waynesboro, VA
Miles today: 20.8
Weather: overcast clouds

Running low on provisions, we pushed hard to get to Waynesboro, VA. When we arrived at the road crossing we had done 21 miles by 1pm and the only thing on my mind was the chinese buffet awaiting us. Eight plates of food and 4 dishes of ice cream later, I waddled out of the restaurant and set about finding a place to stay for the night. The Days Inn was our best bet and the room was clean and quickly became covered in the debris of our pack explosions. I relaxed and enjoyed watching the Food Network on cable. Wendy's for dinner and Wal-Mart for resupply. I picked up some lotion for my poison ivy and hopefully tomorrow will bring me a new pair of shoes and thus make me a happier hiker.
Date: 2011-07-05
From: Waynesboro, VA

To: Black Rock Hut
Miles today: 20.0
Weather: clear sky

I enjoyed breakfast at the hotel and finished up our laundry before leaving for the outfitter. My current pair of trail running shoes is too narrow and has been causing some discomfort. I picked up a new pair of Merrells and we got a ride to the entrance of Shenandoah National Park from a local trail angel. The park parallels Skyline drive for about 100 miles and is known for it's black bears and blackberry milkshakes. 10 miles into the day we caught a glimpse of two cubs climbing a tree but since we couldn't locate mama we boogied out of there and got to the shelter. Early night tonight as we are going to be doing some big miles the next few days.
Date: 2011-07-06
From: Black Rock Hut

To: Bearfence Mtn. Hut
Miles today: 34.5
Weather: broken clouds

The rain came in last night and our tarptent got soaked. Fortunately none of my gear got wet. The plan was to push out 34 miles and take advantage of the relatively flat terrain. My new shoes seem to be holding up well and we had 22 miles done by 2pm. The latter part of the day was more of a struggle because I don't think i ate or drank enough and I was starting to drag. About a mile before our shelter we stopped at a campground store in close proximity to the trail. There we had planned on getting dinner and a few supplies for the next day. In a turn for the worse the store was closed. At this point I am completely exhausted and my body is craving calories. My t-shirt is beyond soaked and my feet are killing me. Someone must have been looking out for us because the store manager heard us outside and let us buy some sandwiches and Gatorade. The manager had been an elite runner in his earlier years, so he talked to Frodo and I about races and training. With an overly full stomach (my eyes were too big for my stomach) I trudged the remaining .7 miles down the trail to the shelter.
Date: 2011-07-07
From: Bearfence Mtn. Hut

To: Byrds /nest #3
Miles today: 22.9
Weather: few clouds

After our long walk yesterday, my body took some convincing before I could make it get out of my sleeping bag. It happened eventually and I ate my breakfast of a protein bar and poptart as I packed up. After walking for a few hours we found ourselves at the Skyland Resort. I got us a table and we dined on over-priced, under-portioned tourist food. To some extent, the cold water and blackberry ice cream pie made up for the sub-par vittles. On our way to the restaurant Frodo saw a sign for a wine tasting this afternoon. Collectively we decided to forgo the extra miles we had planned, cut our day day short, and sip on some locally grown grapes. Fantastic decision. The local Virginia winery that was featured has a fantastic product and the winemaker himself led the tasting. After trying 4 very distinct wines we stayed late and chatted with the South African winemaker about life philosophy, the trail, and why we do the things we do. He was as passionate and driven about his grapes as we are about our journey. He even bought us a bottle of his own wine
Date: 2011-07-08
From: Byrds /nest #3

To: Front Royal, VA
Miles today: 30.9
Weather: overcast clouds

After getting another early start, we paused at a wayside with fellow thru-hikers Jedi and Chef Boy-ar-dee. I got a breakfast burrito and a blackberry milkshake. mmmm With hiked the remaining 26ish miles to Front Royal with Jedi and Chef and it poured most of the way there. Torrential downpour + trail = soaked hikers. The 13 hours of walking it took to finish our second ultra-marathon in two days was difficult but Caboose's parents picked us up from the trailhead and took us to a fantastic hotel. Hibachi for dinner and looking forward to our second zero day tomorrow.
Date: 2011-07-09
From: Front Royal, VA

To: Zero #2 in Winchester, VA
Miles today: 0.0

Mr. and Mrs. Brown really took care of Frodo and I all day today. I took two showers and ate more food than can legally be considered healthy. I did my best to get my journal updated but my body needed to relax and I ended up just watching Harry Potter. My body really needed this day off. My feet are quite sore from the 89 miles we did in the last 3 days and I am doing all I can to rest them.
Date: 2011-07-10
From: Zero #2 in Winchester, VA

To: Manassas Gar
Miles today: 10.7

Mrs. Brown made some fantastic blueberry pancakes, eggs, and bacon for breakfast this morning and I ate myself to a happy place With only a few miles to do today we didn't hit the trail until 3:30pm. Half-way to the shelter we crossed a road where the smells of barbecue were wafting through the air. Luckily for us we must have looked very hungry because the man carefully tending to his grill invited us over for some food. Salba, a native of Guatemala, piled our plates with chorizo, skirt steak, chicken, grilled green onions and I even got to try some kidney. His wife had made a variety of sauces, homemade tortillas, and cut up lots of fresh mango. I played soccer with their kids, shared stories about our trip and information on the A.T. and dessert was a frozen chocolate-dipped banana. We said thank you and left shortly before dark to finish up our hiking for the day. It never ceases to amaze me that people can be so spontaneously generous and kind to complete strangers.