morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2009-05-27
From: Paul C. Wolf Shelter

To: Rockfish Gap/Waynesboro, VA
Miles today: 5.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Day 65, 5 miles, 6:30 - 8:30 am   Matt nudged me awake and I knew it was before 6 am. The rain continues. It's been raining for too long, and the more it rains the more I hate it. Only thoughts of town motivated me as I put on cold clammy wet clothes and raingear and chewed down a white choc-macadamia clif bar--the only one I like. It was the last thing in my food bag.    I had narrow vision between my hood and the brim of my hat. I could see only wet flooded trail. We hiked steadily and breathed in humid sweet air. Straight out to Rockfish Gap w/out stopping, there was no reason to. I recall a thing about this morning's hike.    The visitor's center has a list of trail angels that you can call for a ride into town. A guy named Norman came and got us. Amazing that people do this for hikers. He wouldn't even take $2 I offered for gas.    Anyway, he dropped us off at McDonald's. For some bizarre reason I was fantasizing about going there for breakfast. We downed about 2,000 calories each in egg/cheese muffins and hash browns and coffee with lots of cream and sugar. Sufficiently wired we did laundry and checked into the motel which has a good hiker rate.    We spent a ton at Kroger on our resupply but it includes a box to be sent to Harper's Ferry. Money is starting to worry me but we will finish no matter what.    I ate a half gallon of ice cream on top of my horrible breakfast this morning, along with a bag of combos and 2 apple danishes. Dinner was healthy, though, Kefir, avocado, strawberries, and raspberries. I'm finally full.    Matt and I eat a lot of junk in town, but it is amazing that people who don't do much of anything eat at McDonald's. That food is just crap and horrible for you. You may as well eat cookies and ice cream for breakfast if that's what you want, it's just as bad. Forget dieting or crazy surgeries, come hiking for a month and you'll be underweight.
Date: 2009-05-29
From: Rockfish Gap/Waynesboro, VA

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

Day 67, 20 miles, 10 am - 6:30 pm   Up early into the partly sunny morning. We hit the continental breakfast, but for some reason I couldn't eat much. I drank a lot of coffee, though. I was ready to leave town this morning, and so was Matt. We had a good day off yesterday. I spent most of the day watching A&E shows about serial killers.    We got an easy hitch out of town and we got to Shenandoah NP for our first day here. The park is NOT flat like people constantly say, if you want a flat rockless trail you'd better not be hiking the AT, but it has gentle climbs and smooth trail. Green woods, ridge, and Skyline Drive. That's about it.    Tons of people left town today and there must be 25 here. We were lucky to get the tentsite that we did. Frankly this area is ugly and I'll be glad to be getting out of here tomorrow morning.    We had thunderstorms this afternoon, and the sky remains stormy looking, but hopefully it won't rain tonight because we didn't do a great pitch in our narrow, tilty site. What else. We had mashed potatoes for dinner, first time we've had them on this trip. And a bunny keeps hopping around our site. Otherwise a mostly uneventful day. Goodnight.
Date: 2009-05-30
From: Blackrock Hut

To: Hightop Hut
Miles today: 21.4
Weather: few clouds

Day 68, 21.4 miles, 6:45 am - 6:15 pm   I slept okay at our ugly site. Up at 6 and finally the sun poked through into the woods, with a blue but hazy sky.    Back out onto the trail, Blackrock Slide was cool but mostly we walked on brushy, grassy trail, with dense green 3rd growth understory. Lots of berry bushes are blooming. They have a strong musky scent with bitter undertones. Not unpleasant, though. Up and down the ridgeline, crossing Skyline Drive, some hazy views into the valley. I squished lots of gypsey moth caterpillars today. But down to business--the best thing about SNP are the CAMPSTORES!! We had a great break at Loft Mt. campstore, lots of coffee, soda, and doughnuts to be had. Perfect with blue skies and a picnic table. SNP is kind of boring, but the waysides are great! Woot!    Also, today we got great trail magic courtesy of Blissful and Skipper (AT '07.) I drank a ton of lemonade and ate practically 1/2 of an apple pie while chatting with them for about an hour. Wow. I could barely make it to the shelter 1.5 miles down the trail.    Easy night with few chores since we didn't need to make dinner and the water is a piped spring. Again we're tented in the last site available, tilty, rocky, and full of poison ivy to seal the deal. I want to be up and out early tomorrow. I always say that!
Date: 2009-05-31
From: Hightop Hut

To: Fisher Overlook
Miles today: 22.5

Day 69, 22.5 miles, 7:30 am - 7:30 pm   An early start this morning wasn't had. Overnight 4 hours of loud and scary thunderstorms rolled through. I woke up yelling-"There's a thunder and lightening storm coming!" and Matt got up to scramble to secure the tent. It finally ended by 5:30 am but left everything drippy and us tired from being up all night. Sometimes it sounded like lightening was striking right on top of us.    Luckily the day turned beautiful and mild. A beautiful summer day in SNP means you run from picnic area to campstore to wayside. It's simply the best way to hike the park. Brushy overgrown trail led us to South River Picnic Area, where we spent an hour eating and drying out the tent. Then came Lewis Mt. Campstore where I had lots of sugary refined food. From there we hauled straight to Big Meadows Wayside, which is aptly named because it is on a grassy, open area on Skyline Drive. There is a nice campstore/giftshop/restaurant there. We had dinner there, veggie burgers, fries, and the 'famous' berry shakes which were really good. Sitting there, comfortably indoors, eating hot food after walking nearly 20 miles already, I did have a pang of wanting to go home (wherever 'home' is) so I could go to sleep for about a month. This hiking life is exhausting. But, we enjoyed dinner, tanked up on water, and trucked on like good hikers.    Tonight we are not at a shelter, we are in a laurel grove near a rocky overlook. I'm so tired and looking forward to shorter miles tomorrow. No waysides tomorrow! How will I survive?
Date: 2009-06-01
From: Fisher Overlook

To: Pass Mountain Hut
Miles today: 16.7
Weather: clear sky

Day 70, 16.7 miles, 8:30 am - 6 pm   Happy morning as I did not leave my sleeping bag until 7 am. A bright morning but brisk, which kept the bugs away. Got packed, then had delicious black tea with Matt at the now haze-free overlook.    Beautiful day to start the month, only about 70 this afternoon with clear blue skies. Best day for us so far in the park. We breaked at outcroppings, looked around the horse stables, and ducked into Skylands Lodge, which was very fancy. It would be fun to stay there some time.    We had another long break at Pinnacles Picnic Area. How, how will I be able to hike without picnic tables, potable water at convenient intervals, mowed lawns, and clean facilites every day? Hopefully I'll manage. Anyway, we stayed at the pavillion for over an hour, stuffing ourselves with peanut butter and honey on bagels, granola, and chocolate. Fuel for the last 6 miles.    SNP woods are mostly overgrown 3rd growth with a fern understory, I guess because of all the deer. Otherwise the forest is choked out with invastive species like garlic mustard, bittersweet, Japanese knot weed. Not pretty at all but lots of woods in the East have this problem.    Anyway tonight we're tented again at a shelter with an awesome piped spring. Finally a flat tentsite big enough to pitch the tent properly. Ewok is tented next door, Midnight the ridgerunner across from us. The shelter is filled with sectioners. The last 2 days the trail has been quiet of people. I think we are in between groups right now.    Tomorrow is our last day in the park. We are going to do 24 miles to the end. We'll hit up our last wayside and drink enough coffee to fuel the day. Despite easier terrain I simply cannot do over 20 miles everyday. It's too hard on my body and too exhausting. My knees are sore and my legs hurt alot. That is the first time I've had any actual pain beyond mild soreness on this trip. I don't want to get hurt or be exhausted everyday. After this it's back down to 16-20 mpd which is more manageable.
Date: 2009-06-02
From: Pass Mountain Hut

To: Tom Floyd Wayside 
Miles today: 23.6
Weather: scattered clouds

Day 71, 23.6 miles, 6:30 am - 6:15 pm   Good tentsite, quiet night, and no surprise thunderstorms=a good night's sleep and an early start. The same ol' invasive plant overgrown woods, graded ups and downs. The 1st 7 miles I was focused only on...Elkwallow Wayside! I couldn't say much about anything else. This is our last day in the park and our last wayside, which is happy and sad at the same time.    So, we had egg and cheese muffins, hashbrowns, chocolate doughnuts, and coffee. We spread out at a picnic table, talked with Midnight, and washed up in the bathrooms. I won't miss SNP but I will miss the diversions and potable water, admittedly. Being a generally deprived hiker I think I geniunely appreciate it all at least.    Anyway, I hit the caffiene hard because I am so exhausted. SNP is easy but I can't handle 20+ miles every day. I'm tired, my legs ache, my knees hurt, and my feet are killing me! Luckily coffee and sugar are excellent long distance hiker fuel, so for awhile subsequent trail was no problem at all.    We walked all day, sometimes chatting, sometimes not, and finally we were walking the last miles out of the park on a soft, gently descending jeep road. I was so painful that it made me pretty happy to see trail like that in the evening light. Then, abruptly, after the Northern park boundary, the trail sent us spiraling down a rockslide, just so we don't get too complacent. It was funny, actually.    Tonight it's just us and Ewok, who's staying in the shelter. Another tilty, rocky, tight tentsite to work with. Matt put the tent up while I talked with Ewok about vet tech stuff.    The week did seem a bit long, but town already tomorrow.
Date: 2009-06-03
From: Tom Floyd Wayside 

To: US 522/Front Royal, VA
Miles today: 2.9
Weather: few clouds

Day 72, 2.9 miles, 7:15 - 8:30 am   Worst night ever. Thunderstorms came through, and an awkward pitch let a river of water into the tent, getting us and our stuff soaked. I had finally been asleep maybe 10 minutes when I awoke in a puddle, with thunder booming everywhere. I hate the rain.    Lucky though we got an easy hitch into town from Pastor Leah. She dropped us downtown and we proceeded with breakfast and chores. The book was confusing about laundry location, and the outfitter moved, so we spent a ton of time walking around pointlessly until we were able to figure out where everything was.    Now I'm tucked into the Super 8, eating grapes and watching Ghostbusters.    An aside, next time someone asks me if I'm out for the weekend I will say YES! I am so sick of people giving me a hard time about not 'looking like' a thruhiker! I'm also tired of people hassling me because I don't use a trail name. So what? Sometimes this trail is worse than high school in terms of conformity! We can look different and have a different hike but yet still be thruhikers.
Date: 2009-06-04
From: US 522/Front Royal, VA

To: US 522/Front Royal, VA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Day 73, zero day Front Royal   Maybe the weather channel is a bad thing. We watched 2 fronts approaching, one westerly and one southerly. We tried halfheartedly to get it together this morning, but dark skies and droning, swirling rain which is going to continue through Friday made it hard. We are so tired of the rain. It is making me hate the trail, which is not conducive to hiking.    So, at the last minute, we chickened out and decided to stay in and wait out at least part of this front. We felt a little bad at first, but gradually I realized--I love hotels! Part of the fun of the AT, for me, is getting to stay in hotels. Especially when you're warm and dry and sitting out more crappy weather. So it's another town day for us.    We did go out again for more provisions, and we walked downtown to look at Civil War memorials and visit the excellent used book store. What a great place! They even have a cat. I picked up a few books and so did Matt.    After that another day spent lounging, reading, drinking tea, eating ice cream from across the street, and being generally relieved that we are sitting out the storms for at least one day. Enough is enough. I want to enjoy things and not walk in a bad mood through more rain. We'll finish the AT, though, one way or another, because neither of us are attempting another thru on this trail. That's it.
Date: 2009-06-05
From: US 522/Front Royal, VA

To: Manassas Gap Shelter
Miles today: 10.7
Weather: moderate rain

Day 74, 10.7 miles, 11 am - 4 pm   I guess it's lucky we won't have another town stay for awhile, eating potato chips, doughnuts, and ice cream for dinner can't be good for you. Oh well. We stayed up too late last night but still got up early. It rained all night and continuted into the morning.    I still didn't want to venture out into the grey dark rain today. The woman who gave us a ride into town, Pastor Leah, gave us her card and told us that if we needed a ride to call her. Rainy weather is hard to hitch in, not to mention depressing, so we called her and she graciously offered us a ride back to the trailhead today. So I drank tea, packed, and really wasn't feeling it, but we headed out after the Daily Show (of course) and Leah's husband Don was already waiting for us in the lobby. He offered to drive us to VA 55, but we were strong and declined. We were back on the trail in minutes thanks to Don and Pastor Leah. They are such nice people.    Sticky, slippery, slushy mud was the trail today, with constant rain and dark fog to match. I was in a pretty miserable mood and within minutes I was caked in mud up to my knees and felt like I hadn't showered in weeks. Matt and I talked it out, he says that sometime the trail makes him feel manic and crazy which I can relate to. Eventually my head settled down and I reduced myself to concentrating on putting one foot in front of the other.    We stopped only once, for a few minutes, at the Denton Shelter to have a quick snack. After we continued on and prayed for shelter space which thankfully we ended up getting. Now it's 5 pm and only 2 are here, Red Leg and Shenanigans. This area is kind of beat but I am more than happy to not have to tent in the mud.    Unbelievably, I am chilled in Virginia on June 5. It's probably not even 60 out and the rain drones on. At least I have a book again.
Date: 2009-06-06
From: Manassas Gap Shelter

To: Sam Moore Shelter
Miles today: 19.8
Weather: overcast clouds

Day 75, 19.8 miles, 7:30 am - 6 pm   Hmm...uneventful day. The rain has finally cleared out, but the trail is still a muddy, mucky, waterlogged, slippery mess. 2 days of wet muddy feet and my skin is already starting to get blistered and irritated. Hopefully tomorrow the trail will drain out a little.    Dense woods, brushy, some tall poplars, flooded stream beds, a few road crossings, and a trip through Skylands State Park. We did 1/2 the roller coaster section today, now we are at camp with only Shenanigans here.    Tomorrow is our last full day in Virginia, we are finally finishing this state! Hard to believe that we started here on May 1. 1,000 miles tomorrow. A landmark but still many miles to come.
Date: 2009-06-07
From: Sam Moore Shelter

To: Blackburn AT Center
Miles today: 10.9
Weather: few clouds

Day 76, 10.9 miles, 8 am - 2 pm   The woods were we camped this morning were very pretty in the misty morning sunlight. There was a brook in front, and an excellent spring to collect water from. We had tea this morning and slowly got ready, no rush today.    We continued on the roller coaster which actually has been the best part of this section so far. Prettier woods, a bit of dry trail, better for me. Clean sock day helped with my burned feet so they feel better today.    We went down to the PATC with the intention of taking a break and moving on, but the caretakers gave us a soda and carrots, oranges, radished, bread w/olive oil. Then I took a warm shower, and they have a big screened wrap porch. And, Brian and Laura Jo practically extolled the reasons why we should stay, and why heading to Harper's Ferry in the morning would be a piece of cake. So we decided to stop early.    We had a peaceful, quiet afteroon. I scored a padded bench to nap and read on. I was happy to relax with the best of both worlds--a cotton blanket, fresh air, a bench, a book to read. Other hikers didn't show up until dinnertime, about 6 o'clock, so I had a long afternoon to myself.    This is a good place to finish up VA. Today we have walked 1,000 miles, tomorrow we will walk through bittersweet Harper's Ferry and start Maryland.
Date: 2009-06-08
From: Blackburn AT Center

To: Ed Garvey Shelter
Miles today: 22.0
Weather: broken clouds

Day 77, 22 miles, 6 am - 6 pm   Up and into a nice morning on the ridge. Rocky but easy trail. As we got closer to HF, I became intensely emotional, reliving the time I was here in '04. When we finally went over the long bridge into town, I hit me that I myself walked all the way here. I was nearly in tears but I got ahold of myself as we walked up the blue blazed path to the ATC HQ. We signed in, had our pictures taken, and there you are.    We needed to buy cheese for our crackers this week, as well as find something to eat for lunch. We walked down the road, finding that the pizza place wasn't open yet, the general store had gone out of business. Practically out of town, our last bet was the 7-E, which thankfully was in business and open. We bought some cheese and filled up on vanilla cokes and ice cream while sitting under a tree across the street at the high school. It has suddenly gone over 90 degrees so it was nice to cool off.    After that we went back to the ATC to sort through our maildrop, hit up the outfitter for denatured alcohol and a new t-shirt for me (I called it my 1,000 mile shirt) and then chores finally done, we headed out of town at 3:30. Nice quiet evening for us after we finished the towpath-riverwalk. Up the ridge on wide trail. We wanted to get to the next shelter but I was tired, and this is a nice shelter with only a few section hikers here. I agreed to fetch water, which took me 45 minutes, as the water trail was 1/2 mile down! Good source, though.    I'm glad we're in Maryland. I was feeling weird about the trail, but now I feel like I've gotten somewhere, mentally and geographically. + + +I remember on the train ride to Georgia, you went through HF and you could actually see the AT from the train. It was crazy. I remember thinking to myself, I'll never get there. It's not that I didn't think I could do it, but that it just seemed so improbable to walk and walk until you've walked 1,000 miles. But I did it. In retrospect, it was nice to have that perspective on the train that morning on March 23, to actually see one of my destinations. In '04 I was in HF visiting with Matt for 3 days when he was attempting a thru hike that year. We stayed at the Hilltop House, which now is being torn down. It was emotional time, one being that I missed him alot, another being that he told me that his hiking partner Jill was getting off the trail. I felt really bad about that, about him having to continue on alone. Well all that was a long time ago, but I always associate HF with my first visit there.
Date: 2009-06-09
From: Ed Garvey Shelter

To: Pine Knob Shelter
Miles today: 16.6
Weather: few clouds

Day 78, 16.6 miles, 6:45 am - 5 pm   Long day today, I can hardly remember this morning. I didn't sleep well with a large snoring man in the shelter and thunderstorms.    Easy Maryland trail today, thank God, because our packs are heavy with a week's worth of food, and sudden hot temps are wiping me out!    We had a good time looking through Gathland and Washington Monument SP's. We took a 2 hour break and warm showers at Dahlgren Backpacker's CG. We also got caught in a nasty hail and then thunderstorm that cooled things down a great deal but also turned the trail into a river within minutes. I stood there for 10 minutes with my rainskirt on my head, hoping that the downpour would be short, but it wasn't going to happen. We walked in the rain to this disgusting dump of a shelter. We intended to go on, but as we were hoisting our packs after our break, a ridgerunner came in and told us that there was a severe weather and flood warning for tonight until tomorrow. Great. We stayed put despite a weird loud talker. Everyone else are sectioners.    Poor Matt is having troubles today, his feet are starting to split and we had to do surgery on his pack because the seams are giving out. He is tough though and will get through it.
Date: 2009-06-10
From: Pine Knob Shelter

To: Deer Lick Shelter
Miles today: 22.7
Weather: light rain

Day 79, 22.7 miles, 6:15 am - 6 pm   We stayed in the gross shelter overnight but at least it kept us out of the rain and gave us an early start today. It actually turned into a GREAT day. We walked through some fields that are sporting summer flowers, we crossed a few pretty streams, and I saw some hemlocks. The woods were often open underneath, and truthfully they were the prettiest woods I've seen in awhile. The last 50 miles of VA didn't agree with me, probably because of all the rain we had, but whatever. Today's scenery left me feeling alot happier.    Maryland ended with some rocky climbs and already we are in Pennsy! We took a wonderful break at PenMar Park to celebrate. We got sodas and toasted to a new state. The pavillion was very nice and has a view of the valley, but it's so dark and hazy that you can't see much at all.    Tonight we are in a nice shelter all by ourselves. We need it because there is another storm rolling through as we speak. It's supposed to rain all night. Of course.    On a tangent, it is odd that I want to attempt a thru of this trail. I tire easily, I have low energy to begin with, and I'm not good at just enduring things. I fear thunderstorms, heights, and serial killers. My blood sugar crashes every 90 minutes and my joints are not durable. It makes no sense but here I am on another stormy, windy, rainy night on the AT.