morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2003-05-27
From: Pinefield Hut

To: Bearfence Mountain Hut
Miles today: 20.6
Weather: moderate rain

Well, I¢m awake¢¦ Still a bit cool, but finally awake (I went back to sleep after today¢s Whipperwill alarm). Randy got up with the Whipperwill & started hiking, (he wants to do 20 miles), but so do we (we went back to sleep). The day started with a drizzle (as most were prone to).. And continued with a drizzle¢¦ We hiked 8 miles to the High top hut and ate a quick lunch (it was too cold to sit very long, it was 50 degrees). Have I mentioned how docile all the animals in SNP are? Deer stand and look at us as we walk by, sometimes only 5 feet away. No bears yet, but we¢re still looking (yeah, I kept saying this all the way to Maine & then home again). The day seemed to go by quick, doing a 20+ mile day, is easier after a shorter day. Well, except for the blisters. Wet shriveled feet inside of New Balance 806¢s blister up good. I got more blisters in the last 3 days, than I got in the first 3 months wearing my Lowa Tempest Mid boots (Awesome boots, I ended up using 3 pair). Sigh, but they are lighter, and they are all I have, so I¢ll make the best of them (less foot fatigue at least). Hmmm, back to todays weather¢¦. Drizzle, followed by rain, then more drizzle¢¦ And so it goes¢¦ The last mile today, we actually saw the sun for a minute. Go figure¢¦ Wench seems to still have a cold, but she¢s not hacking & coughing at night like she did the last 2 nights. Lots of people at the shelter tonight. Randy, 2 Florida section hikers, 2 other guys section hiking, a ridge runner, a mystery guy (who was sleeping at 5:30 PM). Siesta just rolled in with someone else, & 2 other hikers tenting. Hopefully I will be warmer tonight, I¢m using Wenches liner over my silk liner (over my feet & legs). We¢ll see how it goes. If it doesn¢t work, I¢ll buy something at the Big Meadows wayside tomorrow (fleece?), when I stop in for lunch (a burger, maybe a shake¢¦ Yumm¢¦.). Maybe buy my wife a shirt (as long as I can wrap it around my feet at night.)? Not sure where we will stop tomorrow night, it depends on the weather. Usually rain. Maybe we¢ll stop at Skyland and see what accommodations they have. Reservations are required, so we¢ll probably camp. Hope it clears up, Sun sure would be nice. Time to sleep now¢¦ zzzzzzz¢¦..
Date: 2003-05-28
From: Bearfence Mountain Shelter

To: Rock Spring Hut
Miles today: 11.5
Weather: light rain

Well, I was right. It got COLD last night, and I was cold. This morning was crappy, it rained, was foggy, and noone felt like getting up. Suddenly we awoke to the sound of a loud Beep, beep, beep, beep, like a truck backing up. What the hell? It WAS a truck backing up¢¦ A septic truck backing up to the privy to empty it ( down a grass access road). The privy was so full, that¢¦ Well, I¢ll skip that description for now, but it was piled high¢¦ I went to the privy last night, and talked to a deer 5 feet away from me. Cool.. So they emptied the privy, then got the truck stuck in the mud (a full days work). We finally hit the trail after the poop show, by about 10:00 (lazy hikers). Did I mention that all it does in SNP is RAIN? Did I mention that I am losing the feeling in both of my shoulders from carrying most of my pack weight on my shoulders (My shoulder strap padding is wearing thin)? The problem is, if I drop the weight off my shoulder to my hip belt, I get sciatic nerve pain down my right hip¢¦ A no win situation here.. I need to beef up the padding in the shoulder straps. Anyway, we hiked this morning, (it was cold and breezy), arriving at big meadows wayside in time for lunch. We had burgers & fries and soda (I also had coffee to warm my frozen fingers up). Then I shopped at the camp store for food and gear (to keep me warm). I bought a cheap knit cap & a light fleece sleeping bag to put in my summer bag liner. I should be warmer tonight. Called home, left a message & hit the trail. We hiked to the shelter for the night (Rock Spring hut), relaxed, ate, journalled & treated blisters (They suck!). Did I mention that we have hiked more than 900 miles so far (as of yesterday)?!?!?! Wow, awesome! Anyway, no bears yet (I was such an optimistic sucker, wasn¢t I?), but we saw wild turkeys today. I keep looking for bears, but it only makes me trip & almost step in Bear shit. Looking forward to a warm nights sleep. I¢ll let you know how it turns out. My feet hurt now, looks like my blisters are red, might be getting infected. I have antibiotic band aids on them, hope it helps.
Date: 2003-05-29
From: Rock Spring Hut

To: Pass Mountain Hut
Miles today: 15.3
Weather: light rain

Well, I finally got a good nights sleep. I slept until 8AM! Wow.. I snored too¢¦Too bad I have to carry 2 bags to sleep in that are heavier than my winter bag.. Sigh¢¦ I knew I should have kept it.. Well, except for the Stink part¢¦ My blistered feet feel really stiff and achey, and my toe nail is still swollen and infected. Skipping forward¢¦ Yes, they felt like shit all day & I got new blisters. I can¢t wait to get new boots sent to me. Anyway, it was a long drizzly day. It didn¢t clear up until we were a mile from the next hut, then it got sunny. My feet felt like crap, they burned, my wet feet create new blisters¢¦ What a mess. My whole left big toe is now swollen & full of pus from an infected toenail. It was made worse by duct tape that rubbed it raw (I covered old blisters and created new ones). Tonight, I performed surgery on my hang nail, cutting the skin open & removing the hang nail & dirt pieces. We¢ll see how it is tomorrow, right now I can¢t bend it, it is so swollen. I want my boots back, but no one is home to send them. Maybe I can get the boots shipped to me by my outfitter (Greenville, SC. Appalachian Outfitters). Anyway, my blisters have compeed bandaids on them, and I scrubbed them with purell, to try & get rid of any germs. We¢ll see if I can walk in the morning. Now it¢s time to sleep & see if the 4 Advil take the swelling down any. Tomorrow is a 13 mile day and another lunch at a Skyline drive wayside (and resupply). Full house at the shelter tonight: Wench, Hotdog, mule, papparazi, Keller (ridge runner), Randy, Jason & Ray (Coastguard), siesta, 2 other guys whos names I forgot (I did this a lot). Did I mention we stopped at Panorama to take a break (Juice, coffee, chips & carrot cake). Also a bathroom with warm water¢¦ Ahhhh¢¦.. Still no bears, but some people saw one today. Hmmm¢¦. No sun, no bears¢¦ Are you sure we are in SNP? It can¢t be¢¦ Sigh.. Moving on tomorrow, if my feet allow.
Date: 2003-05-30
From: Pass Mountain Hut

To: Gravel Springs Hut
Miles today: 13.1
Weather: few clouds

I dosed myself a couple of times with 800 Mg of Advil, and my feet feel better. My trail surgery seems to have helped, my ingrown nail area is not as red, my foot is not as swollen. Life is good again. And the SUN IS OUT!!! YAHOO!!! We hiked a quick 7 miles with no breaks, to the Elk wallow wayside, where we had lunch (got there by 11AM). Bacon burger, Fries Soda, ice cream cup, ice cream sandwich, Gatorade. But we had to eat with a billion flies buzzing us. I made more phone calls, one to my outfitter to get new boots shipped to me at the ATC headquarters in Harpers Ferry. One to my wife (msg), one to her brother (busy), one to check messages. She was pissed at me.. Oh well, can¢t win them all. Life goes on. I wanted to find out who won the Memorial day NASCAR & Indy Races (Jason is a race fan). After a 2 hour lunch, we hiked up over hogback mountain & sat at an overlook for a while. Great views for a change, enjoyed them while we could. Nice change from all the rain we had (and would continue to have). Suz, I wish I had called you at the beginning of SNP. You put in a word to your boss to get us good weather in NH, maybe you could have pulled some strings in SNP too. Anyway, it was a nice hiking day, give or take a few ankle turns. No permenant damage, but my right foot is sore. Finally we arrived at the shelter, where Randy, Homer and Nahn were, Jason & Ray showed up later. Now for snacks & dinner. Ray & Jason the 2 Coasy Guard guys, are pretty cool (well, for Coast Guard pukes... I was Air Force). Ray has been having BAD blister problems on his heels & elsewhere. One day he hurt so bad he had to hitch hike to a crossing nearer the shelter. His new trail name is ¢Twisted Blister¢. We¢re gonna miss them when they go home. We all sat in front of the campfire and relaxed tonight as lots of weekend campers hiked in (Boy scouts & others). Now we are sitting around telling bad jokes, puns & such. Gonna miss everyone, Jason, Ray & Keller (ridge runner)leave tomorrow, Randy the next day. On we go Northwards to Linden VA, to resupply. According to the locals, we will be hiking in rain again (surprise). Oh well, what else is new. Night all. Life is good.
Date: 2003-05-31
From: Gravel Springs Hut

To: Jim and Molly Denton Shelter
Miles today: 18.6
Weather: scattered clouds

We started the day out by saying goodbye to Jason & Ray as they left the hut. They¢re going home today, it¢s been fun hanging with them at the shelters at night. Jason caught my attention right away when I first met him, he was wearing a Chad Little ¢ John Deere hat (He liked John Deere, not Chad), I have a few of them myself. Ray & I commiserated on our blisters, I had many that week, and a few infections to go with them. His blisters were much worse than mine (that made me feel better). Hope they heal as he rests. The day started drizzly & later became sunny & cool, a nice day to hike again. We did a blazing 18+ miles by 5PM, with only a few breaks. As we rolled into the Jim & Molly Denton shelter, I saw a buddy of mine Gary Roberts standing there drinking a beer (that was a VERY GOOD sign!). I didn¢t know he was going to be there, theis was a very cool surprise! And when he pulled out cokes, beer, strawberries and oranges, it was even better! He¢s quite a trail angel, and a good friend who supports us & hikes vicariously through us. A while later, Mule & paparazzi showed up with a case of beer & chips (the party was on). This was the last day of our third month on the trail, so we celebrated that, and someones birthday. At the shelter: Dutch Tulip & her friend (His birthday ¢ I forget his name, I¢ll insert it here later), Janet, Queen Bee and Drone, Mule, Paparazzi, Siesta, Randy, Gary, Wench, Hotdog, and Jason & Alicia (Married for 5 months). It was quite a party, and another case of beer & a pint of bourbon (George Dickle) were added in later. It was a loud, happy celebration, it felt good for a change. We all went to bed at 11-12 PM & most didn¢t stir in the morning until after 8:00 (tired, hung over¢¦ You decide). Note: We ook lots of group pictures in front of the shelter, it was a fun photo session.
Date: 2003-06-01
From: Jim and Molly Shelter

To: Rod Hollow Shelter
Miles today: 18.9
Weather: broken clouds

Well we all got up slowly today and sat around talking. We said good-bye to new friends, Queen Bee, Drone and Janet; they are hiking south and we north. It¢s amazing how you can meet people for a few hours one night and miss them when they leave. Wench and I hiked out 1 mile to a local road and Gary picked us up in his truck to go re-supply. As we were standing by the trail, 2 women walked down the trail from the meadow. They stopped and asked if we would take their picture by the AT sign. We said of course. When they found out we were thru hikers they took our picture too! This was their first hike on a part of the AT, they hoped it would lead to more¢¦ Possibly the whole some day. What nice women¢¦ I hope they do hike more of it. Anyway, the rest of the day was nice trails, meadows, nice woods, long down hills, etc¢¦Met 2 more women out an a loop hike, nice people, they asked every good question there was¢¦Very on the ball, they knew what to ask. Finally at Dick¢s Dome Shelter they turned around and we flew 9 more miles to the next shelter. As we got closer to the shelter we got tired, giddy and laughed a lot. Our feet hurt and we slogged up the trail through lots of mud and got to the shelter. We set our stuff up in the shelter and sat under the pavilion eating our gourmet dinner¢¦Yum¢¦. Stuffing and Ramen noodles, with a Slim Jim and cheese¢¦ Then it was off to bed to journal. Note: At lunch, we stopped at Manassas Gap Shelter. We saw 5 people with 5 dogs. We talked at length to a local couple about trail magic¢¦ they might try it¢¦.Cool.
Date: 2003-06-02
From: Rod Hollow Shelter

To: Blackburn Center
Miles today: 18.0
Weather: clear sky

Well, a slow start after a long day. We did 18 miles yesterday after noon¢¦ We flew¢¦. Today was a roller coaster day¢¦ 10 mountains to climb in 13 miles¢¦Blah... Wench and I got moving north at about 9:30, through the muck and mire that the AT becomes after a rain. We hit the roller coaster shortly there after¢¦Remember hands up and yell at the top? What a day¢¦After some very tiring ups and downs, we had lunch at the Sam Moore Shelter, then after being humiliated some more by the next mountains, we stopped at the Bear¢s Den Hostel for sodas. Found a small tick in my leg here. Then on to an over look miles later for another break. Lots of candy was eaten here¢¦.By the this time my legs were like rubber¢¦ We had some good views, but eventually became too tired to enjoy them. Wench had a run in with a stick and went down, minor scrapes, a giddy laugh and she was on her way. I kicked a stump with my shin (because it was there? No because I hadn¢t scraped anything in a while and figured it was time). Anyway, we eventually stumbled up to the trail to the Blackburn Center and stumbled down the hill to the bunkhouse. The couple managing it this year, invited us in for dessert (we missed dinner). So we dropped our packs and had green beans and ice cream with soda¢¦ Ah¢¦ it hit the spot. After a tour of the place (and its a really nice place, with a view of Washington DC on a clear day¢¦.with binoculars). I laid out my bedding and went out to see the night lights in the distance and made some phone calls¢¦.Shari again¢¦.no answer, so I called my brother and sister-in-law and talked to them for a while , it¢s been awhile. Good to talk to them it¢s been a while. But finally I had to hang up, brush my teeth, journal and got to bed. Tomorrow is a big day, Harpers Ferry ATC office is only 11.8 miles away and the 1,000 mile mark is only 4.4 miles away. Can you believe it? Tomorrow we hit 1000 miles!!! Need some beer for that celebration. Anyway, off to bed with dreams of tomorrow. Life is good.
Date: 2003-06-04
From: Harper's Ferry

To: Harper's Ferry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: fog

Forgive me if I digress, I send home all the pages before this one and can¢t remember what I said. Last night Wench and I celebrated 1,000 miles by having a fancy dinner at the hotel. Translation: Nothing else close by was open and it was late so we had to eat at the hotel. Service at the Hill Top House Hotel is ok, but not in the dining room that night. It¢s a big old hotel from the 1880¢s. Nice, but it needs work. Great location and a great view from the property, of the Potomac River and the railroad bridge over it, by the historic district of Harper¢s Ferry. Anyway, today Wench¢s cousin was coming to visit (Connie). She is going to visit with Wench and drive us around to do our chores. We started at about 9:30 by going out for breakfast in Charlestown. This was followed by laundry, food shopping and lunch at the Anvil restaurant. After lunch, Connie had to return home. It was a pleasant day, Connie is real nice woman, I could see how much Wench enjoyed having her there to talk to (Hell, I enjoyed it too!). I forgot to mention that we also stopped the ATC Headquarters to pick up my new boots. My outfitter back home had ordered them and shipped them to me on the trail after my old ones ran out of tread. (Appalachian Outfitters in Greenville, SC. ¢ Great People!). After Connie left, we relaxed at the hotel, then went to the local outfitters to shop. We stopped, got ice cream, walked through the historic downtown area, and then went back to the Outfitters (the house above the store, in the back yard), for a party. It was a ¢survivor¢ party, for the surviving thru-hikers on the trail in the 2nd rainiest season they have ever had in this area. Cool idea. Hotdogs, Hamburgers, Salads, Desserts and Beer. I¢m trying to put weight on. I weighed about 184 pounds, when I arrived at the ATC Headquarters yesterday, fresh off the trail. That is a loss of 38 pounds in 3 months. Not to worry, I always put weight back on in town (and that was a dehydrated, starving weight). All the walking around we did, was also helping to break in my new boots. The already feel a little better (less stiff). After walking back to the hotel with Rev and Wench, it was a normal journal and pack the pack night. That and we both made a couple calls home then called it a night.
Date: 2003-06-06
From: Dahlgren Back Pack Campground

To: Devils Racecourse Shelter
Miles today: 18.4

Woke up to the birds, then went back to sleep until about 7:15. Got out the food bags off the bear line and ate a gourmet breakfast. Quaker granola bars with peanut butter on them ( need to try to stop my weight loss and get rid of the heavy peanut butter). We packed up and headed out, our first goal was the MD Washington Monument, only 2 miles away. A nice park with bathrooms and water and a trail up to the 30-foot tall stone monument. Pretty cool, you can climb up in it to see the view of the ¢flat¢ land in the valley. MD trail (AT) is a forgettable thing (I hope). All rocks, mud, roads, always able to hear traffic and lawn mowers. The part I will remember are the battlefields and monuments (oh¢¦and the soda machines). Anyway after many streams and road crossings we finally got to the Devils Racecourse Shelter (still within hearing range of roads and lawn mowers). After toasted marshmallows and dinner, it was early to bed. It was a long day. 2 days of 18 miles in a row. My legs and feet are tired. Tomorrow, we hike into Pennsylvania. 6 states finished, tomorrow we start our 7th. Soon we will be at the official halfway point of the trail, by the Iron Masters Hostel in Pine Grove Furnace State Park.NOTE: My shoulders are still numb; I may have damaged some nerves, by carrying most my pack weight on my shoulders (to spare my back). Since Harpers Ferry, I¢ve been putting pieces of blue foam ground pad under my shoulder straps. This seems to help immensely, no more shoulder pain (I was getting bruises on my collar bones). Oh well, time to clean and treat my swollen toe and call it a night.
Date: 2003-06-09
From: Quarry Gap Shelters

To: Iron Masters Hostel
Miles today: 17.4

We got up early, said goodbye to the 2 section hikers & hit the trail. We started off trudging through water & going uphill (so what else is new?), but the difference was that the sun was out!! We had about 18 miles to go to get to the Iron Masters Hostel & the little store next door. Can you say, ¢We are halfway done!?!?!¢? It was an uneventful day, Paparazzi, Wench, B-Rock & I passed each other along the trail all day, then arrived at the hostel together. Mule had already been there for hours. We did 18 miles in about 7 hours, arriving at the store at 3:20 (then we sat around & ate for hours). I had a soda, a pint of ice cream, a burger, a hotdog, a Powerade, and candy (and I ate all of this 2 hours after I had lunch). An hour or so later, I had more ice cream and an apple pie (was my body trying to tell me something?). I still wasn¢t full, but it was close enough. I took a shower, did laundry, cleaned & treated my feet, watched TV, talked on the phone, journalled, read a book & went to bed. A long, busy day. Tomorrow we go to the official half way point of the trail (where the marker is, as opposed to the real 12 way point for this year.). NOTE: I think Wench had a good time at the hostel, there was another woman there (Sarah). She misses having women to talk with, mostly she is around all guys. It was nice to see her talking to Sarah.
Date: 2003-06-10
From: Iron Masters Hostel

To: Alec Kennedy Shelter
Miles today: 15.5
Weather: broken clouds

We all relaxed and sat around the hostel, snacking & eating breakfast. We didn¢t really need to get going early, we only had to do 15+ miles. At about 9:15, Wench, B-Roc, Paparazzi & I got moving , we planned on hiking 8-9 miles to a store for subs & resupply. The hiking in the morning was easy, we took pictures of the hostel, then of the iron furnace next door (and then finally hitting the trail North). Wench went ahead with B-Roc, Paparazzi hung out at the local lake for a while, and (I lagged behind to take it easy on my foot & knees. Everything seemed to hurt today, but I can still hike, the pain is worse when I stop & bend my foot. Anyway, the hike took less time than we thought, and before we knew it we were at route 34 and the green mountain store. 3 days in a row of sun (or should I say, no rain), make for easier hiking (well, there are still a few muddy & flooded sections, but not too many). At the store, we all got whole subs, and paparazzi also got a pint of Ben & Jerrys ¢Cherry Garcia¢ ice cream (can you say belly ache?). I had a new kind of sub, Roast beef, Turkey, Ham, & cheese with lettuce, tomato, mustard, mayo, salt & pepper¢¦ Awesome!! Then I had some cheddar & sour cream chips, Hersheys ice cream & syrup and a Powerade. I think I am finally maintaining my weight, time will tell. Too bad food weighs so much. I may eat a little less on the trail & stuff myself in town to see how that works (it didn¢t¢¦. But I stuff myself in town anyway). After lunch we headed up the trail, soon climbing steep steps up switchbacks (in the hot sun), followed by scrambles over rocks & boulders. NOTE: There are nice people in the north (we are trying to convince Paparazzi, he¢s from Alabama). A lady stopped on the side of the road in her van to see if we needed help or directions (she saw us come out of the woods & look at our AT guides). We said no, we were going to the store right up the street & thanked her. She drove away in the opposite direction she pulled in from (she had turned around & come back top see if she could help us. Cool, nice lady.). Anyway, after a few climbs, rocks & lots of sweat, we finally arrived at the shelter, relaxed, drank fluids, ate & sat back to journal. Sorry if I seem to write the same things every night, but we don¢t have much variety in our routines these days. It was a long day, and a sunny one. Tomorrow we have 3+ miles into Boiling Springs, then 14 miles through a flat private property section of the trail( an 18+ mile day). This section used to be the Cumberland road walk, now it¢s through corn fields & such (It will be a long hot day). BUT¢¦ maybe some treats in town (2nd breakfast?). Then the next day on to Duncannon & $1.50 drafts at the Doyle hotel to celebrate making it half way!! The Doyle is one of the original Anheiser Busch Hotels (needs some work now), $1.50 drafts (Yeungling), $15.00 rooms (single¢¦ $5.00 per additional person). Can¢t beat the price, but don¢t sleep on the sheets¢¦ More to come.