morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2007-08-12
From: Still In Michigan

To: Still in Michigan
Miles today: 0.0

"Start Your Engines, Gentlemen"      Ranger Jan Reporting   Well it looks as if I'll be on trail again this week. Plan on leaving Monday, Aug. 13th. I'll probably start where I left off and after a week or 10 days get off and drive to NH or ME. That way I might be able to meet a few of the hikers I know and do a little slacking and trail magic. There is still a remote possibility I can return after my 3 week Sierra Nevada Adventure and complete the AT. (it depends mostly on the weather) Otherwise I'll finish it next year. (not that I have anything to prove, since I've already completed it once, but for the continuity of my movie) Anyway stay tuned.
Date: 2007-05-26
From: Intro

To: View Entry
Miles today: 714.3

Well hello everyone this is the beginning of my trail journal. I realize that I am getting a late start on it since I'm about 800 miles into it but what the heck. I haven't had many opportunities to reach a computer so I now have a pocketmail that I can write my journal on and send it to Jenn and she'll pop it on the website. I can also receive emails through it everytime I send my journals or emails so if anybody is interested in sending emails my address is csochulak@pocketmail.com. I also will be typing up my old journal entries so you can see what I have to say about earlier parts of the trail. So I'll hopefully be hearing from people soon and hopefully my entries will be interesting enough to enjoy. Happy trails!
Date: 2007-05-27
From: Lamberts Meadow Campsite

To: Daleville, VA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: few clouds

We got up early today after spending the night at Lamberts Meadow campsite about 9.1 miles from Daleville. I left camp at 7 am in order to make it to the post office before it closed. The terrain was really nice. There was more climbing than I had anticipated, but it wasn't too bad. It was basically ridge walking with a few overlooks over a nearby lake and the metropolis of Daleville. I cruised into town in about 2 and a half hours which was pretty good. I walked to the post office and then tried to do my resupply at the Kroger but I was so overwhelmed with the shear size of the store that I couldn't find everything and just wandered around for awhile. I finally said forget it and went to the santuary of the motel. It is Queso's birthday today so the plan was to do our laundry and wash our filthy bodies and just relax in an airconditioned room and watch lacrosse and Forest Gump and drink a couple brewski's in the process. I was able to make a few phone calls to the parents, my buddy Al, and Jenn so that was cool. It was really a nice relaxing day after about 5 and a half days of hiking.
Date: 2007-05-27
From: Daleville, VA

To: Bobblets Gap Shelter
Miles today: 18.4
Weather: overcast clouds

I got up early this morning, but found it hard to get motivated. The comfort of an air conditioned room was tough to leave. I finally started things off with the continental breakfast and then went to do the rest of my resupply that I failed so miserably at the day before. Sometimes the grocery store can be a little overwelhming when you first come into town from the woods. It's like an overload for the senses. Anyway, I finally got going during the hottest part of the day or close to it. It was so darn hot, but the hiking was really nice. Gradual switch backs with blooming mountain Laurels went up nearly every climb that I did. I traveled pretty much all day with The Texas Franchise Boys and General Lee. Life Traveler made an appearance now and then as well. We have quite a large train of hikers right now. The trail eventually crossed the Blue Ridge Parkway. The road essentially is running along the ridgeline of mountains all the way to Front Royal, VA. I think it's an awful idea to have it going over these mountains, but what can you do. We rolled into camp with a nice breeze for most of the evening. We finally came to the shelter at 8:00 P.M. after covering 18.5 miles. I got a message from Tso ( Steve ) and he is behind me by a couple days. He is doing well and having fun. Hopefully he will catch up soon. Well it's time to hit the hammock. Over and out.
Date: 2007-05-28
From: Bobblets Gap Shelter

To: Cornelius Creek Shelter
Miles today: 18.8
Weather: broken clouds

I woke up around 8:00 A.M. this morning and nearly everyone was already up which was kind of surprising because it's not usualy like us to get up at a reasonable hour. I was the last one out of the camp and I hiked about 6 nice miles to a shelter for a short snack break with Life Traveler then I hiked about 3 more miles to Jennings creek to catch up with the rest of the gang. Jennings creek had a nice place to swim so we spent a considerable amount of time just chiling out. I used General Lee's thermarest as a floatation device for awhile then Queso, Lee, and I buried Denny the Dog in the sand. He did not care at all. We then played hearts for a while then waited under the bridge for a thunder shower to pass. Then we decided we should start walking again around 4:00 P.M. We hiked about 4 miles to Bryant Ridge Shelter which can sleep about 20 people but there was a group of about 15 inner city girls there. I'm sure they were perfectly nice girls but we didn't feel like dealing ! with that. In fact Uncle Tom said he didn't want to have to step over about 15 girls to go take a leak. So we hiked about 5 more miles up about 2,000' Cornelius Creek Shelter which had some of the best camping spots we have seen in a while. We rolled in late so we basically did our usual cooking procedures and made some drink mix trades with each other and then sat around the fire. We have heard a rumor that it is suppose to be about 98 degrees tommorrow so hopefully I can get up reasonably early before it heats up too much. Today we hiked about 18.2 miles over some really nice but challenging terrain. Right now I am here with Uncle Tom, Queso, General Lee, Captain, Lou, Denny Dog and Couch who also happens to be a resident of Maine. There definately a lot of Mainers out on the trail this year. Well, it's time for some shut eye. Good night everyone.
Date: 2007-05-29
From: Cornelius Creek Shelter

To: James River Footbridge
Miles today: 19.7

I slept alright last night. The wildlife has definately become more active lately. I'm not sure if it is because we are in the right area or because summer has come upon us but there is usually some commotion outside the hammock every night. We did not get up particularly early. I was kind of tired from the past 2 nights and we planned on doing big miles today too, so not much was going to change. We hiked about a mile to an overlook then 2 more to a side trail to Apple Orchard Falls. Then we debated whether or not we wanted to go down the 1.1 miles to the falls or not.It ended up that Queso, Denny Dog and I went down and Captain, Cornelius (lewis's new trail name on account of his apelike hair), and General Lee went on. It was a pretty cool falls and we watched this snake manuever around the water a bit but it was an extra 2.2 both ways so we figured about 1% of the thru hikers go to see it. It didn't take much time for us to catch up though and we eventualy started pounding out the miles. It was really cool hiking with the flowers coming out and all. We evwentually got to Petites Gap where we met the Runner who was giving out cold soda's to anyone who was hiking through. Oh my what a treat that was. And it turned out the Runner had hiked the AT and the PCT and held the record for hiking both. He still holds the record for the PCT which I can't remember and the record he set for the AT was about 58 days which has since been broken. He gave us some very insightful info and said " you will never regret hiking the trail but you will always regret not finishing it" and told us to do whatever we had to do to do it. We then continued along our way to the next shelter to met up with Uncle Tom, Birdman, and Birddog. The hiking from the gap to Matts Creek shelter was really awesome. It was a nice smooth and mellow hike with one good climb. The scenery was really nice as well. We decided to hike another mile or so to the James River which we thought would be cool because of the historical significance but it was not as nice as expected because of the train tresle nearby and the nearby damn congesting the river. Of course we made the best of it and had a nice time anyway. General Lee and Queso went to town to get a few beers and ended up getting a ride with a local guy named shoelace who was piss drunk and talked our ears off but he was nice enough. He kept telling us to not jump off the footbridge because he would have to come save us if something hapened to us and we agreed not to even though we probably will tommorow. Then 3 people who know the Runner brought some pizza out of the kindness of their hearts to us and we graciously accepted. All said and done I had a good time and knocked down 19.7 miles of the trail to put me at about 771 miles. Still a long way to go but I just have to take it one step at a time. Until tommorrow...
Date: 2007-05-30
From: James River Footbridge

To: Little Irish Creek
Miles today: 15.1

Well today was a bit interesting. I got a little bit of sleep last night because of the trains periodically rolling through over the river so I was feling a little lethargic. I hung around the bridge for a while and jumped off it with L.T. It was only about 20 feet but it was significant. The water was really warm and well like river water before a damn with god knows what in it, but I needed to cool off. Queso and General Lee decided to hang around and go to Natural Bridge which is a kind of cool natural rock formation that was bought buy Thomas Jefferson for the people to enjoy, but has now been turned into a tourist trap. There is a wax museum, a dinosaur park, and Foam Henge. Yes Foam Henge, a replica of Stone Henge made out of foam. So they went there and I decided to be the nice guy and take Denny Dog with me. So Denny and I left around 11:00 and sweat our buns off all day long. It was excruciating at times when we were climbing. The views were kind of cloudy in yhe humidity and air pollution so we really couldn't see very far. It was kind of alarming how bad it was. Anywho I ended up hiking with the Texas boys and L.T. for the better part of the day. We eventually stopped at Punchbowl shelter and I decided to go an extra 4.4 to Irish Creek to meet Uncle Tom. So Cornelius, Captain, Denny, and I headed north with a thunderstorm on our tales that just happened to miss us. It turned out to be a cool spot with ample camping space. It was a vast improvement from last night, and we still managed to do 15.1 miles despite the heat. I look forward to getting a good nights rest and hopefully getting up early to get some miles done before noon time. I have to set myself up for an easy resupply in Montebello on friday. Hopefully I can get phone reception so I can call Jenn tommorrow to check up on her. It really lifts my spirits to talk to her. Well, sleepy time. Denny is keeping guard under my hammock tonight so the critters should leave this area alone tonight. I think .
Date: 2007-05-31
From: Little Irish Creek

To: Hogcamp Gap
Miles today: 13.0
Weather: broken clouds

Well, as usual there is always something that happens on any given day that may suprise you. Not more than an hour ago we were sitting around a fire at our campsite with some clouds and a little rain here and there when the heavens opened up and nasty thunder and lightning moved in. It was so loud and the rain was so heavy it was amazing. I am a little wet in my hammock, but not too bad. This hiker Dave, who has hiked the AT and the PCT twice, asked if he could get under my tarp during the monsoon. Of course I said yes although I don't think he was stayed very dry. Then a lightning bolt hit not more than 40 yards away and he felt a shock through his leg because it was touching the ground. I don't know if I felt the power of it or it was the fear or adrenalin charging through my body but it was scary. Luckily there was no other bolts landing that close. It was definately a close call and one of the dangers of being in a storm out here. Unfortunately Denny is now soaked and is sleeping under my hammock right now. I kinda feel bad for him. The earlier part of the day was much quieter and a little less dangerous. I got up around 7:00 today and eventually Denny and I got going at about 8:00. Not bad for me lately. The first 5 miles were nice and easy and really beautiful. We hiked along Brown Mountain Creek for a long time and it was realy cool. After we stopped at the shelter nearby we started to climb and climb some more. It warmed up real fast. Once we got up around 4000 feet it wasn't to bad after that. Then we were treated with Cold Mountain which was a bald. Then we walked down to the Hogcamp Gap for a short 13.1 mile day. Which brings us to a nice relaxing afternoon before the heinous thunderstorm where our friend Lewis has just informed me he was shocked from the lightning as well. I wonder what tommorrow will hold in store for us?
Date: 2007-06-01
From: Hogcamp Gap

To: Montebello
Miles today: 10.0

Well, the rest of the night went alright and the rain eventually disipated completely. My stuff wasn't really that wet either except for my shoes and they were soaked on account that a stream was running under my hammock during the downpour. I got up around 6:30 and was out of camp around 7:30. It was a beautiful morning for hiking and the 10 miles to the road that went to Montebello was nice and easy. The trail was really nice with all sorts of ferns everywhere. It made the walk enjoyable.We got to a fish hatchery road around 10 and Birddawg, Denny and I walked down a steep jeep road to Montebello. We stopped by the fish hatchery and checked out all the trout in the pools. It was pretty cool. Then we walked to the post office where I picked up my new camera. I got a new digital Olympus 770 SW. It is waterproof and much lighter than the Nikon N80 I have been hauling around for 800 miles. I will miss it very much and have no plans on giving up on it, but for this trip I just needed something lighter and more handy. Afterwards I did a little resupply in this little campstoreand then I met up with the rest of the gang who were at the Dutch Haus which is a bed and breakfast with a bunkhouse. They give out free lunch to hikers daily so I had chicken fajitas, corn, chocolate cake and lemonade. Unfortunately there was no more room for Birddawg, Denny and I so we went to the campground across from the store. It was perfectly suitable for our needs with a shower and a laundry room. I was contemplating going back to the trail but it was really hot so I stayed there. It was called the Montebello camping and fishing resort but it was basically a campground with a manmade pond stocked with trout. It was nice enough though, and it was nice to get clean. I have been averaging about a shower a week lately so it was needed. So that brings us to tonight where it is raining slightly, but it is always nice to sleep in the hammock so I will take it Denny is sleeping under my hammock again tonight. I'm not sure how much longer he will continue to be on the trail with us. Hiking on the trail day after day takes its toll on a hiker whether it be a dog or a person. We'll have to enjoy his company while we can. He has walked nearly 400 miles with us which is a lot. He will truly be missed. I guess that's it for now. Goodnight all.
Date: 2007-06-02
From: Montebello 

To: Maupin Field Shelter
Miles today: 18.2
Weather: overcast clouds

We, and by we I mean Uncle Tom, Birddawg, Cornelius, Captain, Denny and I got up early today and caught a shuttle to fish hatchery road. When we got to the road we met some guys who were driving up the road some more so we got another ride halfway up that road and only had to walk about 4 tenths of a mile more to the trailhead. We got started around 8:30 and when about a half mile to Spy Rock which had a nice overlook although it was a bit hazy. I haven't had my camera more than a day and I dropped it here and dented it already. I guess it's good that it is shock proof although I didn't really want to test that out already. Then we hiked up and over Maintop Mountain and back down 700 ft. and up 700 more ft. to The Priest. I'm not sure why they call it that although I would be interested to know. Then we beat feet down 3000 ft. while passing about 30 Boy Scouts to the Tye River for lunch. The water was nice and cool and refreshing to get into. We stayed by the river for about an hour and then began a laborius climb up about 3000 ft. up over Three Ridges. It was a tough climb with some vistas along the way. It was an easy 2.5 miles from there to Maupin shelter where we tried to figure out a way to go to Rusty's Hardtime Hollow. Rusty's is basically a hostel that has a barn converted to a bunk house for hikers. He doesn't charge anything, but donations are a good idea. The motto there is "It don't matter, do what you want. Anyways they don't allow dogs so we ended up just staying here and getting rested up for tomorrow's hike. Our friend L.T. went so I'm sure he'll have stories to tell tommorrow. Supposedly there is a tropical depression or storm moving our way so we're planning to knock out 21 miles tommorrow and get to Rockfish Gap and then to Waynesboro. Supposedly it gets a little easier from here until New England but I've learned to take everyone's opinion's about the trail with a grain of salt. I do look forward to enjoying the Shenandoah's ! although I'm not loooking forward to seeing The Skyline Drive everywhere. It will still be cool though. Well need to get up early tommorrow and enjoy the morning so it's time to hit the sack.
Date: 2007-06-03
From: Maupin Field Shelter

To: Rockfish Gap and Waynesboro
Miles today: 20.8
Weather: light rain

Well the Tropical Storm prediction turned out to be true. It started to rain slightly at around 5:00 A.M. I really lost some ambition knowing that it was going to pour all day. At around 7:00 A.M. I looked up from the shelter and could see a figure walking toward us through the mist carrying a cooler and some boxes. It turned out to be Mike the ridgerunner bringing donuts and coffee to anyone at the campsite. It was awesome. I do believe I drank about four cups of coffee. I hung out with this cool guy named Feathers for a while then headed out around 8:00 to catch the Texas boys and Uncle Tom. It was not long before the rain really started to come down. It was really nice hiking and not all that difficult but the rain added a new element of danger making the rocks very slick. It was basically a very long schlog through a monsoon for almost 21 miles. We really didn't stop at all except to call for Denny when he chased a deer or to grab a quick snack. It was really gruling at times but it was just something we set in our minds to do so we did it. When we finaly got to Rockfish Gap it was a relief. It basically put us at 850 miles on the trail. Not bad at all I guess. It took us no time at all to get a ride to Waynesboro because they have a list of people from around town who are willing to give hikers rides if they can. The list is posted around places in town and at information keosks. It was so nice to get out of my soaking wet clothes. We got a room at the Quality Inn and got and contact with Queso and General Lee who took a detour off the trail to see Lexington and Monticello. I was glad to see Queso so I didn't have to worry about Denny anymore. We then went to a Ming Garden to devastate the buffet and then went to the supermarket to grab a six pack of microbrews to drink while watching nonsense on T.V. Tommorrow will be a resupply day and then I'll hit the trail to enter Shanendoah National Forest which should be real interesting. So I'll look forward to keeping everyone updated on what is happening. Peace!
Date: 2007-06-04
From: Rockfish Gap and Waynesboro

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Well I made a complete change of plans. I ended up zeroing in Waynesboro. I got up around 8:00 A.M. and did my errands. I went to the Post Office, got groceries, and then got my head shaved. I had thought about getting it cut the day before but then I found a tick in my hair I decided to just shave it. It wil make it easier to find the little devils and will be much cooler out in the heat. While I was walking around a muscle in my leg was bothering me. It was enough to be uncomfortable to go up and down hill. So I just decided to stay and rest up then do some twenty milers through the park.Jenn is coming to visit me in Harper's Ferry so I a have to be their by the 14th. I can't wait to see her. It's been a long time. I will basically have 10 days to go 161 miles. I think that I could do that in 9 pretty easily and I might be able to go further than Harper's and have Jenn pick me up somewhere North. I have even been toying with the idea of doing the Quad state challenge. It is basically try to cross 4 states in one day. It's about 40 something miles so it wouldn't be easy. I'll have to see how I feel when that time comes.The rest of my day was spent eating and watching T.V. from a comfortable position. lT.V. can be realy frustrating for me to watch-even more so than when I left for this trip. How important is this Paris Hilton garbage? OH well, what can you do? Oh, another thing we did was tie a rope to the bathroom door handle while Cornelius was in there. That was a good laugh. Anyway, I look forward to being on the trail again tommorrow in the Shenandoah's! Time for some shut eye.
Date: 2007-06-05
From: Rockfish Gap and Waynesboro

To: Blackrock Hut 
Miles today: 20.0
Weather: scattered clouds

I got up early this morning and got a ride with Birddawg and Captain from this nice older gentleman. We called him up and he was up at the Inn in 5 minutes. It was simply awesome. The hiking today was just great. It wasn't all that hot today and there was a nice breeze. We hiked about 7 miles or so before we actually got in the park.On the way I stepped off trail on some rocks to go to the bathroom and I saw 4 big Rattle snakes laying in a pile by some rocks. One of them was nice and big and had very bright colors. When Birddawg came along he started playing with the big one. He was grabbing its tail and picking it up for closeups. It was rattling like crazy. It surprisingly never snapped at him. I got some cool picks of the whole thing. It was my first big rattler sighting. I also saw about 11 deer and one bear today. The bear was pretty close to me then ran stopped and turned and looked at Birddawg and I then and walked off. It was cool. After that a bunch of us met up some how at one spot within a half hour of each other. It was pretty cool. We all went to the same shelter area for the night. I am in the hut tonight with about five others. I like to sleep in a shelter every once in a while. Plus it's almost like a wake up service for tommorrow. I think that the hiking is going to continue to kick butt for a while. It was so easy doing 20 miles today. The trails are so well groomed and gradual. We do go up and down a lot but it is very gradual. The only let down is that we cross Skyline Drive a lot. I'm not going to complain about it anymore though. I just have to live with it and enjoy the trail. Nealry ten, time to read some and pass out.