morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2012-05-12
From: Rockfish Gap 856.3

To: Waynesboro Best Western Hotel, 856.3
Miles today: 0.0

We had now hiked 856.3 miles on the AT and were ready for another zero day. Besides, I needed to go to Urgent care. Nothing serious but I hadn't been feeling too well the last few days with the exception of yesterday, and I was worse this morning. Oh well. After breakfast we took a cab to the urgent care facility, several miles away. Of course, by the time we got there I was feeling better, but I felt I'd better go anyway, since we were heading into Shenandoah National Park soon. The doctor didn't feel like I had giardia...just some kind of viral infection, but treated me for it just in case. Good call, we thought, in this case since we'd be leaving town soon. We stopped at a nice market to resupply on our walk back to the hotel. While we were shopping, Ms. R-T. came up to me and started chatting. We discovered we had teaching in common. She was librarian and I a retired teacher. She invited us to speak to the fifth graders at her school if we were still in town in two days. We decided to wait a day before making our decision about that, and continued our walk back via Lowe's to buy more denatured alcohol for our stove, then to the Waffle House for dinner. Life is great on the AT, but sometimes it's BEST to be in town, though we were eager to return to the AT!
Date: 2012-05-13
From: Waynesboro, VA 856.3

To: Waynesboro, VA 856.3
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

I woke up feeling well, but we decided to take two more zero days to recharge our physical and mental energy, and because a MAJOR rainstorm was predicted for the next day. I called Ms. R-T to set up to speak to her students about the Appalachian Trail, then we spent the rest of the day was spent eating and relaxing. Life is wonderful on the AT, especially when you can spend an occasional day or three in a trail town relaxing, and getting your energy back, especially on Mothers day, preparing to get back in the Appalachian Trail!
Date: 2012-05-14
From: Waynesboro, VA 856.3

To: Waynesboro, VA 856.3
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: moderate rain

We were up at the normal time, even though it was a zero day, since we were being picked up at 7:30 to speak at the William Perry Elementary School. Once at the school, Ms. R-T gave us some treats to bring on our hike, then helped us get set up for our program. She pulled up a map of the AT on her computer, then printed a copy for each student. After the students came in, she asked us a few questions about how we decided to hike the Appalachian trail, then how we researched the trail, how we planned the hike. We did showed them our maps and Thru Hikers' Companion, then we showed them our packs. We let anyone who wished try on our packs and walk with them, and asked them to imagine walking twenty miles with the pack. That was the best part. We invited the students to follow us on our blog as we hiked. The students were all very polite and well behaved. Their parents and teachers would have been proud of them. The rest of the day we pretty much ate, sat around and relaxed so we'd be raring to go Tuesday. It became getting harder to sit around...a sure sign that we were ready to hike again. At 5:30 we got a call from Ms. R-T at our hotel: she had discovered that Gary had left his camera in her car. We went to the office to retrieve it, and invited her to join us for dinner. She accepted, and we took a ride with her to a nearby restaurant, since she needed to go to a meeting in an hour. (Random note: We noticed that Ms. R-T ordered a salad, and didn't even finish it. We, on the other hand, ordered an appetizer, each ordered a large entree of steak and riblets, which we shared, ate everything on our plates, then walked over to the Sonic drive-in and each ate a banana split!) Once we returned to our room we packed up for the days ahead then went to sleep to the sound of rain on the windows. Life is super, even when you are TALKING about the Appalachian Trail and preparing to on with your thru hike.
Date: 2012-05-15
From: Waynesboro, VA 

To: Blackrock Hut 876.3
Miles today: 20.0
Weather: light rain

We got up at 6:00 this morning so we'd have time for breakfast at the Waffle House before our ride back to the trail arrived at 7:30. The sky was clearing, but there still were clouds over the mountains. We started hiking from Rockfish gap a little before 8:00 a.m., in the mist soon entering Shenandoah National Park.Within minutes, we arrived at the kiosk, where we filled out forms saying where we'd be staying while in the park. We made our best guess. Within a couple of hours the mist cleared, making for a mostly sunny day. The hike consisted of climbing ridges, then descending, crossing roads in the gaps. On the first ridge there were communications towers...but no cell coverage. The flowers were lovely as always: violets, two kinds of pentstamens, and lots of others we couldn't identify. We stepped carefully as the trail was quite slippery from yesterday's rain. It turned out that taking Monday as a third zero day was a good call, as it had poured all day in the mountains. Reports from other hikers indicated that the trail was not fun yesterday. Even today, when it wasn't raining anymore, the trail was still very wet...a river in places...and the rocks were very slippery. "Sit-A-Bit" passed us on the trail as we stopped to visit with No Hear Um. No Hear Um was hiking south as always. Soon he would get a lift north again, no doubt. We caught up with Sit-A-Bit at a Skyline Drive overlook, before he took off again, headed for the Blackrock Hut. Later Vegi Green passed us. We eventually caught up with her, and hiked the rest of the way into the shelter with her. Before we got in, it started to thunder, then rain. we eventually had to put on raincoats. This was supposed to be the last of the rain for a week. We sure hoped so. We were SO tired of the rain in Virginia! Once at the hut, we saw Sit-A-Bit, Easy, and Keeps Movin', who we hadn't seen since Hiawassee. Then Gorp, who we hadn't seen in two weeks came in. We had thought that Badger and Johannes would be a day or two ahead of us since we took three zero days in Waynesboro, but they showed up at Blackrock Hut as well. It was a nice surprise to see them. We made ham and cheese tacos for dinner, with fresh jalapeno peppers for added flavor. After dinner, Gary hung the food bags, we ate dessert (candy bars and Fritos) and crashed for the night. As we were getting in our bags, Waker showed up. We hadn't seen him since Pearisburg. So...life is great to be back on the AT, especially when you see trail friends you thought were days ahead!
Date: 2012-05-16
From: Blackrock Hut 876.3

To: Pinefield Hut 889.5
Miles today: 13.2
Weather: broken clouds

We slept in a few minutes since it was to be a short day, then saw a deer in camp. It was a beautiful sunny day, with lots of flowers and not much elevation gain and loss. We saw a cute little red eft along the edge of the trail early on. At eight miles we descended a half mile steeply on a "blue blazed" trail to the Loft Mountain Wayside for a delicious lunch with "Badger" and "No Hear Um". We had double cheese burgers, sweet potato fries with a sweet dipping sauce, and blackberry shakes. I had hoped to make some phone calls, but there was NO cell coverage. After lunch we trudged back up the "blue blazed" trail to the AT and hiked the last five miles to the Pinefield AT Hut. (Random note: In Shenandoah National Park, the shelters are called "huts.")Just before getting to the hut we met "Coach Watt's name", from PA, who is three-quarters finished with his section hike of the Appalachian Trail. Once we arrived at the hut, I went to get water from the bubbling stream nearby, and unfortunately lost a Platypus bladder cap in the water. Bummer, but Badger had a soda pop cap that fit pretty well. Thanks, Badger. Then J.D. gave me a cap from the soda pop he was drinking, and it was a perfect fit! Thank you J.D.! Johannes came in, ate his second lunch, then continued on, in order to shorten tomorrow's hike. J.D. also continued on, but Badger stayed. Gorp was also here, taking a break when we arrived. He went on as well. After dinner, Gary and I both realized that the two Gatorade bottles on the picnic table probably belonged to Johannes, so we planned to bring them (empty) tomorrow and give them to him. Badger, whose leg was sore, set up his hammock up the hill, so we thought it might be just us two in the shelter. Time would tell. Life is great on the AT, especially when we can get "town food" in the middle of the day on our hike!
Date: 2012-05-17
From: Pinefield Hut 889.5

To: Bearfence Hut 910.1
Miles today: 20.6

We were out hiking early for us, at 7:05, for our twenty mile day. About seven miles out we saw a deer. At nine miles or so we had lunch by a beautiful spring. A couple of miles later we saw a mama bear and her yearling cub, our first bear sighting! The cub was in a tree at first, then his mama called him down, so he ambled off with her. A couple of miles later we saw another yearling bear cub! Wow! A few minutes later we took a wrong turn onto a fire road. When we arrived at the highway we realized our mistake and backtracked. Fortunately, we hadn't gone far off the AT. A few minutes after we were back on course, Foster passed us, hiking SOUTH! We hadn't seen him since the Mountain Harbour Hostel/B&B, back in Roan Mountain, Tennessee, five hundred miles back. He said he had sprained his ankle and had to get off the trail for two weeks to let it heal, before hiking south from Front Royal. He was planning to get off tomorrow to go to Trail Days in Damascus, then start hiking north to Maine from Front Royal next Tuesday. Since he lived in Virginia, he would be able to make up the missing miles in his home state once he climbs Katahdin. We continued, finally catching Johannes to return what we thought were his bottles- except that he wasn't missing any bottles. Since we were near a campground, we recycled the extra bottles, and threw away our trash. (Random thought: It's amazing how little trash we generate out here on the trail. I carry a gallon size zip lock bag, which we put all our trash in. I normally empty it when we get to town every four days or so, unless we pass a trash can sooner.) We hiked the last mile to the hut. Johannes, Jonathan, Waker, and My Way were already there. Jonathan is a section hiker who started in Rockfish Gap and is hiking to his home state of Pennsylvania. My Way is a thru hiker. When I unpacked my pack I discovered I was carrying some old candy bars and other unneeded things, under my pack liner. Waker took a couple of the Paydays and some trail mix I'd gotten in some trail magic before Hot Springs, Tennessee. I had been wondering why my pack was so heavy, and I was glad to lighten my load by over a pound! Waker, who needs to eat much more than I do, was happy to get the free food, so it was a win-win situation. After dinner, a deer came close to the hut. The deer in the park were not shy at all! I just hoped this one wouldn't wander out, where she would be less safe. Life is great on the Appalachian Trail, especially when you see your first bear... at a distance!
Date: 2012-05-18
From: Bearfence Hut 910.1

To: Rock Spring Hut 921.6
Miles today: 11.5
Weather: clear sky

We woke up to another beautiful clear morning. I didn't think we would ever take a clear day for granted again, after all the rain we had had in Virginia. Two more deer visited the hut as we ate breakfast. The younger one kicked up its heels in exuberance, then both settled down to browse. We were the last ones out of the shelter except Waker, who was still asleep in his tent when we started hiking at 7:45. Six miles into our hike, we crossed a road, and to the left was a cemetery, still in use. I wondered what the tombstones would say, if they could talk. We continued on the last couple of miles of the day's hike, checked out the lodge...too pricy for us...then hiked the mile to the camp store and restaurant. Since the restaurant employees wouldn't let us bring our packs into the restaurant, I sat at a picnic table while Gary ordered food...half pound cheeseburgers, fries, and sodas. While we were eating lunch we met Gator, a section hiker who had thru hiked in 2009 (March 9-September 26.) Jonathan also joined us. I had hoped to make some phone calls, but again there was no reception. The trail to this point today had been relatively flat, and not too rocky, so we made good time. We enjoyed the flowers along the trail: violets, mallow, trilliium, buttercups, mustard, and mountain laurel, plus some we couldn't identify. (Random thought: We had a book on AT flowers at home, and I photographed all the different flowers I saw along the trail, so I hoped to key some flowers out once we got home.) After lunch we hiked back to the AT, then backtracked the thirty or so feet back to where we'd gotten off of it before lunch, then continued to the next shelter, Rock Springs Hut. (Random thought: Yes, we're purists. We don't want to miss any blazes. We figure we were only doing this trail once, so we didn't want to miss anything, not even a white blaze.) Since we were the first to arrive at the hut, we set out our sleeping pads and bags. Then it was time to get water...downhill a couple of hundred feet. About that time, Jonathan showed up, then Romulus from Rome, Georgia, who was hiking the Shenandoah National Park this year for his section hike. Then Gorp came in, started a fire, cooked and ate FOUR hotdogs, then continued on. Later on, as we were getting in our bags, a young couple came in with sausages, hotdogs, cheese, veggies, chocolate, marshmallows, and crackers...all of which they shared. They were trail angels of the best kind. Thanks! Life is good on the AT, especially when you score town food and huge amounts of trail magic at the end of the day!
Date: 2012-05-19
From: Rock Spring Hut 921.6

To: Pass Mountain Hut 936.9
Miles today: 15.3
Weather: clear sky

We started hiking about 7:00, on a mission to get breakfast at the Skyland Restaurant, about five miles out. We arrived there at about 9:00, and enjoyed omelets, biscuits, grits, home fries, and fruit...nice. While we ate, I charged my phone, checked email, and made a few phone calls, since I finally had cell coverage. We finally left about 11:00, continued hiking. We saw a trail crew shortly, and thanked them for their work. We continued to a picnic area, four miles later, and saw Jonathan. His family had driven south from Pennsylvania to see him. Then, it was two miles to the first shelter, where there appeared to be a backpacking class for women, then another mile to Mary's Rock (0.1 mile off the AT.) (Random note: I left my poles in the shelter, but fortunately remembered them after hiking a few feet...whew!) While at Mary's Rock we saw a little girl on her first backpacking trip with her dad. We were impressed, needless to say. We couldn't wait to the same with our grand girls! Next, we had a gnarly two mile descent to US 211, and then another mile or so to Pass Mountain Hut. When we arrived, Johannes was there, with tales of his EXTREME trail magic in Luray. The person he hitched with not only gave him a ride into town, but took him back to his home where he did Johannes' laundry, let him shower, gave him lunch, shuttled him to his errands, and gave him a ride back to the trail...plus gave him a shirt! How about that for trail magic? Soon Jonathan came in, and soon after that Scout, who started March 21, and actually managed to get a six month leave of absence from his job! Later on Stats came in, then Maine-iac and Blue. Stats is a science teacher on sabbatical from his job at a private school. Maine-iac, who we'd met previously at Wayah Bald graduated a semester early from high school so she could hike the trail, and will start college this fall, and Blue is a college student we'd met a week into our hike at the Tray Mountain shelter. Life is great on the AT, especially when you keep seeing the same trail friends over and again...You never say, "BYE." Rather, you say, "See you on the trail."
Date: 2012-05-20
From: Pass Mountain Hut 936.9

To: Tom Floyd Wayside (shelter) 960.5
Miles today: 23.6
Weather: clear sky

We started hiking a little before 8:00 a.m., thinking we were only going thirteen miles, and arrived at the Elkwallow Wayside Restaurant (mile 944) for lunch. We had the usual double cheeseburgers, sweet potato fries, and small sundaes, and sodas. While chatting with our trail friends at lunch we decided to hike all the way to Tom Floyd Wayside (shelter) rather than to Gravel Spring Hut as planned, since rainy weather is predicted for tomorrow. That way, too, we would get into Front Royal earlier on our nero day! It did, in fact, start to sprinkle a couple of miles before we made it into the shelter. Waker was there when we arrived, as was Jonathan, who arrived just before we did. Water was a LONG way down, so I had a snack before the trip. The spring was quite small, so I was glad I had my cut off pop bottle with me. (Random thought: Way back on the hike, I had noticed that filling a water bladder with a small screw top was difficult and time consuming from most water sources. After searching in vain for a very lightweight cup, it occurred to me that I could cut off a soda pop bottle to use. This I did while we were at the town shelter in Glasgow. This FREE solution worked very well.) Using my cut off soda pop bottle, I filled all of the water bladders, then trudged the long way back up. We didn't see much wildlife today. Aside from the usual millipedes and bugs, the only animal we saw today was a beautiful black rat snake. There weren't many flowers either, though we were unsure why. Even though we were a bit tired when we got in, we thought it would be great to get into Front Royal early tomorrow. We were really glad we'd made this decision when it started raining after we went to bed. Life is great on the AT, especially when you're in a dry shelter on a rainy night, with the prospect of hiking into a trail town tomorrow!
Date: 2012-05-21
From: Tom Floyd Wayside (shelter) 960.5

To: Super 8 Motel, Front Royal VA 963.4
Miles today: 2.9
Weather: light rain

It started raining about midnight and continued through the morning so we slept in a bit. About 8:00 Stats came in, looking for the turnoff to the hostel. (Random note: Unfortunately for Stats, the turnoff to the hostel was several miles south, and he had missed it.) We ate a snack, then started hiking, since it was only three miles to the Front Royal turnoff and breakfast. After three miles, we came to a trail magic on a bench at Sweet Tea's house, which was right on the trail. She had a cooler with water and sweet tea out for hikers! We had met her and her dog "Heavy" four miles out of Damascus, on our way out of town, and when she was completing her thru hike in mid-April. (She hiked right from her home north to Maine, starting last June, then hiked Damascus south to Springer Mountain in the fall, and hiked from her home to Damascus in March and April, completing her thru hike inside of twelve months!) We walked to her house, and visited with her. (Random note: We had exchanged e-mail addresses when we met her in April, and she had said we could visit with her in Front Royal. At that time, we didn't realize she lived right on the trail! We had emailed each other several times in the meantime and had set up to stop by her home on our way into Front Royal.) Then she brought us to a motel in town. Thanks SO MUCH, Sweet Tea. We took her out for breakfast, and picked her brain on all things related to the AT, then went to do the normal town things: laundry, resupply, blog work, etc. I walked from the motel to the library, a mile or so away, and Gary got a haircut and did the laundry. We found a great hamburger place right across from the motel, which was especially nice since it had started raining before dinnertime. (Random note: The most valuable advice Sweet Tea gave us, I think, was to stay in the present, while on trail, and not worry about what was ahead. That advice was really useful.) We would be on the trail again tomorrow after breakfast. Life is great on the AT, especially when a friend and trail angel is there to help you out!
Date: 2012-05-22
From: Super 8 Motel, Front Royal VA 963.4

To: Dick's Dome Shelter 978.6
Miles today: 15.2

Right across the street from our motel last night was a great burger and frozen custard place, so we were able to go back for dessert an hour after finishing dinner. It's amazing, but we were hungry an hour after finishing half pound cheeseburgers and fries! This morning we got up early so we'd have time to walk down the street to get some eggs, hash browns, and sausage to supplement the motel breakfast. We brought the food back to the motel so we could eat while waiting for Sweet Tea to pick us up to take us back to the trail. Promptly at 8:30, she was there to pick us up. When she picked us up, she dropped off another hiker at the same time. Heavy, the dog she rescued on the AT in December, was also in the car. Once we were back to "Sweet Tea's" house, we took a picture of her and Heavy by their trail magic bench, and started hiking. We passed by the first shelter about the time August passed us, then continued to Manassas Gap Shelter for lunch. Scout was there when we arrived so we ate with him. While we were there we saw a pair of cardinals chasing each other. It was the season for birds cavorting, I guessed. Also on the trail we saw red spotted efts, the juvenile form of brown newts. The newts, we learned, live in ponds. One of the efts had a big, fat worm in its mouth, with the tail still wiggling. We continued hiking, hoping there would be room at the next shelter, which was dome shaped, and only slept four. We got there in two hours. Scout and August were there already, but there was room for us! (Random note: This shelter is hexagonal in shape and is domed, pretty, but not very efficient for holding people and their gear.) I filled the water bladders from the stream in front of the shelter, and treated the water with Aqua Mira, then ate dinner: fresh ham and cheese in corn tortillas, with Fritos and a Milky Way for dessert. August continued hiking north after a break. Soon Beast and No Sweat came in, then pushed on as well. At 8:30, after the rest of us were asleep, another hiker came in...not too quietly. He had thru hiked fourteen years ago and was saying how much harder the AT was now, but maybe part of it is he was also fourteen years older. He stayed in the shelter, and left before any of the rest of us got up, but, again, not quietly. (Random note: Thru hikers usually got up very quietly, especially if they were in late, or were the first ones up. This hiker was a very rare exception.) Seven other hikers had also come in late, quietly, but had tented. Since it rained from about 11:00 p.m. on, life was especially good to be in a shelter on the AT, especially one that only holds a few people.