morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2016-10-03
From: Katahdin Ironworks Rd

To: Jo-Mary Rd
Miles today: 28.7
Weather: broken clouds

KI Rd 2104.4 to Jo-Mary Rd 2133.1For 28.7 Miles today.Overcast, but rain not forecast. Only about in the 50's for high temp.We got up to tinkle at 1 am. Greeted by what seemed to be fireflies, and Many of them. It's chilly at night & I don't know much about them, thought they were a summer bug. So....I need to Google that. If not fireflies, some other bug with bioluminescence abilities, just like fireflies. Goldenboy had a thought about them, he said they were the last ones to find mates for the season and the dimness of their glow was them running out of juice to find mates! Funny, and maybe true! Snap from NJ, start Feb 27 hikescameraadventure is his Instagram name. Then came,Goldenboy from CA March 5, traveling with Finch from Germany start date March 7. Then SOBO - no trail name yet, real name Eddie. No time for coffee, just took our bags of trail mix (aka-"nut bags") and asked if I've seen many SOBO's as he's lonely! I arrived at Jo-Mary Rd. Paid $12 for me & truck, plus $10 for 2 nights sleep out on the roads in the area. On my way in, I see a big orange tent...White Honda van....It's Liz!! WishBone & I stop for a visit for couple hours. We look at road maps, talk story and Liz gives us some oatmeal we forgot about the other day. We will see them again on Wednesday at Baxter. WishBone took me for a little walk on the N side of the AT crossing, very smooth so doable for this Moonbeam, still very much healing! 2:27 pm now, taco meat prepared, journaling and I hear woodpeckers, Squirrels and brightly colored autumn leaves that can no longer hang on to their trees, hitting the ground!! I LOVE AUTUMN!!So, this is not our sleep spot, at Kokadjo/B Pond Rd. It's our road crossing 7.1 miles before our planned sleep spot. It was suggested to us to add those miles to tomorrow, as the trail is flat & a bed of pine needles. That would mean 30 mile day tomorrow. So....with the knee incident of yesterday, I came here, just in case pressing the last 7 was too much. We shall see!!?? They arrived about 3:15 pm, ate sandwiches and continued on. Animal went without his pack & sticks, just a bottle of water, leaving at 3:40. Big carried his pack & used sticks as always, leaving at 4. They arrived at sleep spot at 5:30-ish, almost before me!! FYI the suggestion that the trail, the last 50 or 60 miles to Katahdin is "flat" & "easy" and "a bed of pine needles".....yes, it's somewhat easier, but nothing what we were told or heard.....as usual!! Perspective!!Critter Report:WoodduckSalamander - brown with black pin stripe down the sides. The Fireflies Woodpecker, a little brown bird larger than sparrow but smaller than Robin. I need to get my bird book out, he keeps landing on a boulder next to the truck. Noisy little red squirrels.
Date: 2016-10-04
From: Jo-Mary Rd

To: Pollywog Stream/Wadleigh Rd
Miles today: 23.5

Jo-Mary Rd 2133.1 ToPollywog Stream 2156.5 for 23.5 milesHighlights for today: low elevation of less than 1000', Nahmakanta Lake, then Nesuntabunt Mountain at 1520', Pollywog GorgeHuckleberry from GATwoSoles who I met at Pinkham Notch Visitor Center with Johnny B & High FiveFriendly NatePleasantly surprised to finally meet Liz's, Jay & Katie. They hiked up, moments after Friendly Nate moved on.Then a couple from Boston area, they are staying at the NLC, just stop to say hello and chatted a while. They loved on WishBone, as they are soft hearted for JRT's, lost their own not long ago at age 13. We are in ear shot of Iditarod dogs at a camp nearby, they love to sing, like WishBone! My guys arrived early today and we made quick work of eating and foot soaking and bed! Big miles yesterday and big miles day tomorrow!!
Date: 2016-02-28
To: Kansas
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

It's time (well, past time really) to gear up for my 2016 AT hike. I did a 2 week hike in 2014 and a 4 week hike in 2015 and am planning on rejoining the AT where I got off last year near Marion, VA. I absolutely loved being on the Trail for a month last year and dearly wanted to continue. However, Life has other considerations and after 3 family weddings and a new grandchild last year, I believe this year will be the year to complete the AT.With the experience I gained from the two previous years I'm going to make a few improvements to go lighter - we all say that and its hard. I've tried to take advice from the ultralighters I've met on the trail and have made a few gear changes from last year to drop a few pounds. We'll see if that improves my speed and endurance.
Date: 2016-03-15
To: AWOL's AT Guide Ordered
Miles today: 0.0

My preparation continues - and my major accomplishment this week was to order the AT Guide from AWOL. This little gem is one of the most valuable items to have when you are hiking the AT.One the highlights of Trail Days for me last year was to meet a number of the authors of various AT books. Skywalker - AWOL - Gene Espy - all of these authors have made the trail so vivid for me as I planned and dreamed of thru hiking the AT. I was particularly surprised when I met AWOL - quiet and gentle - I had imagined him being much more gregarious. I don't know much of his history, but I am ever thankful of his contribution to hikers with his maintaining and publishing the AT Trail Guide.I also had a chance to meet Gene Espy - a true pioneer of the AT - the second man to thru hike the AT in 1951. I now have a signed copy of his book "The Trail of My Life" that I will cherish forever. These humble men are the stuff that the trail is made of - and made for.
Date: 2016-04-21
To: Cape Cod, MA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

I'm finally on my way to the Trail, indirectly. My wife and I left KS on Monday for a slow trip to Cape Cod, MA where we would work on our cottage for a week before I head for the Trail. Along the way I was able to stop at a couple of the places I've always wanted to stop along I-70 - The Wilbur Wright birthplace and museum in Millville, IN and the National Air Force Museum at Wright Patterson AFB. The Wilbur Wright site was really interesting; he only lived there for 18 months but they did a fantastic job of incorporating Life in the 1800's with the history of how the Wright brothers succeeded in conquering powered flight. The other end of the spectrum was the USAF museum which is just an incredible cathedral to the finest aviation technology there is. As I walked thru the museum I was bathed in Awe! There are many more aviation historical sites in Dayton, OH so I will be back. It was a stop and smell the roses type of trip instead of rushing across the country and seeing how many miles we could make. And it was almost not to be. I had a personal goal I had to complete before I could leave for the Trail, I needed to pass my Certified Flight Instructor practical test. I passed the test on April 14, so now I am a Flight Instructor! Ever since I retired from "corporate life" two years ago I have had two major goals to complete so I could start my "new" life - completing the AT and getting my Flight Instructor certificate. One is now complete, one is still in the works. Both are significant achievements that will help pave the way for how I want to live in the next phase of life. They are part of the Inspiration I found on the Trail last year, and with God's grace and help I will achieve this next goal. I'll be flying to Charlotte May 1 where my brother will generously shuttle me to the Trail. And I will be off ...
Date: 2016-05-08
From: Cody Gap

To: Fontana Dam
Miles today: 8.7
Weather: overcast clouds

The wind howled over the gap all night long, sounding like a freight train at times. It was hard to sleep with the noise, and when I woke up at 4:30 am I couldn't go back to sleep. I layed there until 6 am when it was finally light enough to see without my headlight. I got up and started packing up and eating a cold breakfast. By 7 am I was on my way. Papa was packing up as well and just a few minutes behind me.After a short 3 miles I came to Cable Gap Shelter and there were still a bunch of hikers getting ready to go. They said there had been a big crowd last night so I was glad I camped at Cody Gap. I signed the shelter journal and took off for Fontana. From Cable Gap the trail wound uphill for a couple of miles and then I finally got to see Fontana Lake below. It looked wonderful, cool and blue through the trees, and the morning was really warming up. The excitement of seeing Fontana was diminished as the trail continued to wind uphill along a ridge instead of down toward the lake. Papa caught up with me and we continued on and talked briefly as we leap frogged eCh other up the climbs. He was a retired school teacher from Colorado, out for a walk. He wasn't driven to complete the trail, but wanted to experience Nd enjoy it as much as he could.We finally got to the long downhill section to the lake, about 2.7 miles and 2000 feet down. As tough as some of the uphills are, some of the steep downhills are just as bad on your knees. We finally made it to the Fontana marina and called for a shuttle to the Fontana Village. Papa was overnighting here before tackling the Smokies and I was meeting my brother here. I was now done with my southern clean up section! With that completed I was moving up to southern VA where I got off last year!!!My brother Steve arrived an hour and half later after I had enjoyed a huge hamburger at the lodge restaurant. In about 4 hours we will cover what it took me 4 weeks to walk last year. After a couple of resupply stops we arrived in Marion, VA. I stayed in the same hotel as last year, the Travel Inn, and was even assigned the same room. I even went out for Mexican food at Mi Puerto as I did last year!I was now ready to get on with the main part of my trip. Last year I left Queen Bee, BB, and BonBon here as they continued north and I returned home for my daughter's wedding. They all made it to Katahdin, and I was so happy for them as I watched their progress. Hopefully this year I will follow in their footsteps.
Date: 2016-05-11
From: Stealth Camp above Davis Hollow

To: Campsite near O'lystery Pavillion
Miles today: 10.6
Weather: clear sky

I broke a Cardinal rule of mine today - Always eat people food when you can. I had a late start due to early morning thunderstorms that rolled through the area. The storms finally cleared out about 8:30 am and then I got up, had a cold breakfast and packed up my wet tent. The camper next to me emerged from his tent and introduced himself as Grey Ghost, from Williamsburg, VA. We chatted for a while as we packed up, and then went on our way. The storm clouds had given way to blue skies and it was pleasant walking, though the trail was wet and slippery. We had found the mountains again and were continually climbing and ascending today. After a few miles I reached a milestone- 1/4 of the way to Maine! 547 miles down and 1642 left to go! Descending Walker Mtn. I came to some much needed pasture walking. I was suffering from low energy today and really welcomed some flatter terrain to make up some miles. As I approached Old Rich Valley Road I was saying to myself too bad there won't be any trail magic like yesterday at Lindamood school. I had stopped at the road to consult my map to see where I should try to camp when a pickup truck came driving by and stopped. A wiry gentlemen got out of the truck and pointed at a cooler in the back of his truck and asked if I wanted a drink. Trail Magic! He had a cooler of pop and I grabbed a Coke and we introduced ourselves. His name was Lumbermack and he had a farm just up the road where he had just opened up a hiker hostel last week. He had completed the AT himself in 2006, and a couple of years ago sold his place in North Carolina and bought this farm to be near the AT.Now Lumbermack appears to be the kind of man that could have retired comfortably and enjoyed vacations in the Caribbean or such. The fact that he and his wife chose to relocate near the AT to open up a Christian based hiker hostel says a lot about his devotion to the AT, and his devotion to Jesus. They will no doubt be a great comfort to many hikers as their ministry progresses over the years. So if you are a hiker nearing mile 553.9 NOBO, consider staying at the Appalachian Dreamer hostel (276-682-4061). It's not in the AT Trail Guide yet since it just opened.I however broke my Cardinal rule, it was 5 pm, I only had about 8 miles today and I decided to push on. As he drove away and I started up the hill I'm saying to myself "Dumb Ranger, Dumb!"I continued on for another 2.5 miles up a pastured hillside and down into the Holston River valley. Near the O'Lystery Pavilion I stopped at a campsite with a nice little brook beside it. It was a pleasant evening as I set up camp and cooked my noodles, but I still couldn't help think that I could be eating real food and taking a shower right now.
Date: 2016-05-12
From: Campsite near O'lystery Pavillion

To: Chestnut Knob Shelter
Miles today: 11.6
Weather: clear sky

I woke up to the sound of my little babbling brook around 6:30 am. I thought I heard a few light raindrops on my tent earlier, but everything was dry. As I was lacking energy the day before I decided to have a more substantial breakfast to try to get my energy level up. In a typical day an AT hiker will burn 5000-6000 calories and I rarely consume more than 2000 calories. That is why we have a preoccupation with food when we get into towns.I packed up and started up the first climb, a fairly moderate 700 feet up Brushy Mountain. Along the way I met Homer (think Simpson). Homer was an engineer who had worked in the nuclear industry before he retired. He was section hiking and had just got on the trail. We made it to the top of Brushy Mountain and then down to the Knot Maul Branch Shelter where we ate some lunch. After lunch we continued on down Lynn Camp Creek and then up 600 feet on a steep section of trail to Lynn Camp Mountain. The trail went back down again to Lick Creek, before starting the big climb of the day, 2100 feet up to Chestnut Knob. We were having a mountain day once again. Homer stopped along the way to refill his water, I continued on thinking he would catch up with me.Chestnut Knob was a brute, not so much physically as mentally. After winding my way up through forest trails I came out into the clearing which one would think is near the summit. There were beautiful views of the surrounding mountains that seemed to stretch on forever. In reality, the clearing goes on for 2 miles and you have to climb an additional 600 vertical feet. Unlike a bald, this clearing looked man made but that had gone unmaintained for a number of years.I finally caught site the shelter on the summit and was relieved to finally be there. There was only one other hiker there, Golden, who we had met down at Knot Maul Shelter. I chose a bunk (a piece of plywood) and started arranging my stuff. The views from the top of the knob were impressive, with a great view down to Burke's Garden a couple thousand feet below.Several other hikers started to arrive including Voodoo, Caboose, Strider, and Wildflower. There were storm clouds brewing and within a few minutes blue skies and sunshine gave way to storm clouds and a slashing wind. Caboose said it looked like Homer has set up his tent about a mile and a half down the trail near a pond.We all started cooking our dinners in the shelter as the rain began pounding down. This was a fairly nice shelter made of stone and enclosed on all four sides. Someone read that it had been a ranger's cabin back when it was constructed. The wind and rain were really strong and once again I was glad to be in a shelter. I hoped Homer was surviving in his tent down the mountain.
Date: 2016-05-13
From: Chestnut Knob Shelter

To: Laurel Creek campsite
Miles today: 15.1
Weather: clear sky

The rain and wind continued all night long on Chestnut Knob. A little after daybreak the rain subsided and the mountaintop was covered in fog when we looked out. The temperature has dropped during the night and it was cold and windy. Inside the shelter we made breakfast and packed up. I departed the shelter about 8:40 and headed down the mountain to Walker Gap.The AT Trail Guide showed the profile of the trail to be relatively flat after climbing out of Walker Gap and straddling a ridge line overlooking Burkes Garden. In reality, the ridge was a roller coaster of rocks, with 4 miles of constant ups and downs on mostly rocky trail. At the end of the roller coaster there was a 1600 foot descent down toward Jenkins Shelter and the first water for the last 9 miles. On the way down Voodoo and Caboose passed me, 2 of only 6 hikers I had seen all day. They stopped to get water and have lunch not long after they passed me. I stopped and talked with them and I found out that Caboose used to work at Yuengling brewery and then had a job selling hops to breweries. Tough job! After Jenkins shelter I had 4.4 miles to go to make my intended campsite. After a 600 foot climb the trail leveled out and actually was relatively flat compared to the earlier roller coaster. I descended down to Laurel Creek and arrived at a beautiful campsite. Golden was already there, as well as Yellowjacket. A few minutes later Jelly rolled in with his dog Maggie (Peanut Butter).After setting up my tent and cooking dinner, I cleaned up and slipped into my tent. It was getting cold quickly as the sun set and looked to be a cold night again. Friday the 13th was in the books without any disasters.
Date: 2016-05-16
From: Trent's Grocery

To: Woods Hole Hostel
Miles today: 16.8
Weather: overcast clouds

We woke up at Trent's early, but waited till 7:30 to go for breakfast because "that's when the biscuits will be done". When I got there Buffalo Betty and Homer were already having coffee and biscuits. I ordered mine and sat down with them waiting for my breakfast. Down Under came in shortly and did the same. We ate up and made plans to meet at Woods Hole hotel which we heard was outstanding. Homer prodded Bettyvto meet us there after her day hiking so she could experience AT hostel life. She said she would and we all set off. I was the last one off and was behind the other two all day. The trail was fairly level and wound through a low river valley with numerous stream crossings and Rhododendron tunnels. I had lunch at Wapiti shelter, a sandwich I had ordered at Trent's to go! Then came a 1200 foot climb up to a ridge, and then the trail followed the ridge for quite a while. There were a couple of nice views, and I met Tick Tock on one of them. He was a lawyer from Boston. We wound our way down through rocks to Sugar Run Gap, and I headed down to Woods Hole. When I arrived, Homer, Betty, and Down Under were sitting with other hikers around the fire pit. (I want one!). I had made it just in time for dinner and the others had reserved me a spot in the bunk house.The tradition at Woods Hole is that the owner, Neville, gathers everyone in a circle around the fire pit , we join hands, have a moment of silence for prayer or thought, and then proceed one by one to introduce ourselves and to say one thing we are thankful for. For me it was supportive friends and family. We then went to the picnic tables in back to feast on dinner - salad, fresh home made bread, and steak stir fry. It was just an outstanding meal! After dinner we helped out cleaning the kitchen and Neville served fresh home made mango ice cream. Delicious!!It had been a long day and after sitting around the fire pit for a while talking with other hikers, I crawled into my sleeping bag and fell instantly asleep, thankful.
Date: 2016-05-17
From: Woods Hole Hostel

To: Pearisburg, VA
Miles today: 11.7
Weather: few clouds

Woods Hole is one of those very special places on the AT. The main house is an 1880 cabin that Neville's grandfather refurbished in the 1930's as a wildlife biologist graduate student. He later bought the property around it and refurbished again into a hiker hostel in 1986. He died shortly thereafter but his wife kept the hostel going and now it has been passed to Neville and her husband Michael. The main house has rooms that can be rented, as well as bunks in the bunkhouse. The focus of their farm/hostel is on sustainability and fresh local food, and house and bunkhouse ( it looks like it used to be the barn before being refurbished for hikers) are set up beautifully. Neville and Michael are both massage therapists as well as cooks, farmers, artists, potters, and business people. The good karma flows from them like water from a mountain spring.After the best rest I've on the trail yet, we were greeted with breakfast of farm fresh sausage, eggs, fresh peach crisp and fresh fruit. I'm not a coffee drinker but their coffee was reportedly the best on the trail so far. As is their tradition, we gathered in a circle, had a moment of silence for prayer or reflection, and then went around one by one offering one thing we were thankful for. "The best rest I've had in the trail since I started", was my offering this time. They then passed out plates of breakfast food and we sat in their cozy living room and ate our feast. It was hard to leave a place like this, but we did one by one and said our goodbyes. We had only been there less than 14-16 hours and it felt like you were leaving home and family. Every hiker was in awe, and a few chose to stay another night to rest further.It was on to Pearisburg for me, to resupply, pick up some mail, and potentially take a zero day. The trail to Pearisburg followed a ridge like the day before and it rained constantly off and on all day. We were up in the clouds so the viewpoints were a whiteout, a real disappointment. At Angels Rest it started raining harder and descending the mountainside became slippery and treacherous. I finally got a cell signal so I started calling a few places to secure a room for the night. I got one and slid my way down the mountain into Pearisburg. Once I hit the road, a short walk takes you into Pearisburg and my motel. I went by the post office to retrieve my mail, took a shower, and then met Down Under, Trail Talker and Limey at the Mexican restaurant. After a great meal and two margaritas I was ready to crash. It was good to be in town, but nothing like the thankful feeling of being at Woods Hole.