morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2007-05-29
From: Neighbor Mtn Trail - campsite

To: Front Royal, VA - Super 8 Motel
Miles today: 23.5
Weather: few clouds

I forgot to mention a couple things in yesterdays journal. As I was approaching Pass Mtn Shelter, I saw a man and a woman hiking turn off the AT towards the shelter. I was hiking faster than them, but slowed down as I caught up to them. It was only another 0.1 mile to the shelter so there was no need to ask them to let me pass. Well a little bit later the lady hiker turned and looked back. She screamed very loudly when she saw me. She had not heard me approach and was startled to see me. I went into the shelter and ate dinner, then I left and hiked about 3 miles farther. I wanted to be close enough thc reach Elkwallow Wayside for breakfast. On the way to my camping spot I found a bag of oranges someone had left on a trail marker near one of thc Skyline Drive crossings. I took an orange and went over to the parking lot to eat it. There I saw two deer standing up on their hind legs boxing each other. Unfortunately they stopped before I could get a picture.This morning I was up and on the trail around 7 and reached the wayside by 8:45. They opened at 9. I ate two bacon, egg, and cheese muffins, two ordered of hashbrowns, and a blackberry milkshake. I also tried to plan my resupply for the next few days. I made a plan and bought enough food so I wouldn't have to go into Front Royal, VA which is 4 miles off the AT. Gopher (who I mistakenly called Cougar a couple entries back) and Judo were also at the wayside for milkshakes and other stuff.It was a hot day, so I took my time hiking with frequent breaks any time there was an interesting view. I reached Gravel Spring Hut around 1:30 for lunch. Judo left there shortly after I arrived. I stayed for about an hour and a half. Traveling Teacher arrived shortly before I left. We talked for a while. She just started a few days ago at Harpers Ferry and is heading south.I still had over 10 miles planned for today to reach Tom Floyd Wayside, so I hiked all afternoon and evening with only a couple short breaks. I reached Tom Floyd at 8 PM and everything was dead quiet. One person was sleeping in the shelter and there were a couple of tents up, but no one was making a sound. I signed the journal and then changed my plan and decided to go in to Front Royal. My feet needed a days rest and I wanted a shower. I hiked another 3 miles down to US 522 and tried to hitch a ride to town. I walked about an hour towards town and had given up on getting a ride since it was dark now. Then a car pulled up behind me. As I turned around to approach the car the woman in the passenger seat said "We know you." It was the lady I unintentionally scared the night before. They gave me a ride to the Super 8 motel. I was very happy. My feet were really hurting and they saved me about an hour and a half of walking.I checked in, took a shower, and headed to McDonalds for a meal and a milkshake.
Date: 2007-05-30
From: Front Royal, VA - Super 8 Motel

To: Front Royal, VA - Super 8 Motel
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: few clouds

Well today was another zero day. I spent about an hour and a half uploading about 10 pictures this morning. The part that takes the most time is viewing the pictures on the PC from the thumb drive card reader. Once I find a picture to upload the upload to trailjournals goes quickly. Yard Sale passed through the lobby while I was using the PC and then Sandwitch and Gorilla arrived after hiking about 24 hours straight. Rockman showed up, but decided to go to the Scottish Inn since it was less expensive. I later saw him at K-mart.I went back to my room and gathered up all my stinky grimy clothes and headed out to the laundromat. I made a couple phone calls and started reading "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" while at the laundromat. I got the book from The Dude when he finished reading it at Skyland Resort. The following hikers have signed in the front cover indicating they read this book on their hike: MacGyver, Jen Dog, 1/4 Moon, Ohm, and The Dude. I stopped at a Chinese Buffet for lunch on the way back to the hotel. Beatbox and Yorkie were already inside eating, so I joined them. I tried to plan out the next section of hiking and bought food accordingly. I bought enough to allow me to be flexible on how many miles I have to hike and where I stop. This means I will be carrying a heavy pack for a couple days. I may regret this. The Virginia Roller Coaster section is coming up. It is about 15 miles of constant up and down hill section.Now it is late. The local outfitter agreed to give me a ride back to the trail head in the morning at 9:30.
Date: 2007-05-31
From: Front Royal, VA - Super 8 Motel

To: Dicks Dome Shelter
Miles today: 15.1
Weather: few clouds

I went to the post office this morning to mail 6 oz of maps and guide book pages that I was finished with back to North Carolina. I had arranged a shuttle back to the trail for 9:30 with the local outfitter. He never showed up. I called and left a message, but he didn't return my call. At 9:50 I called for a cab. The cab arrived in a couple minutes and it was $8 for the ride back to the trail head. I saw Rockman walking back to US 522, so we stopped and picked him up. Today was a pretty uneventful hike. 15 miles through mostly wooded areas with heavy undergrowth. No bear, deer, or rabbit sitings. I did see another box turtle on the trail this morning. Maybe it was the same one I saw several weeks ago after Daleville and it is on its way to Maine. I saw Dorothy and Toto slack packing south this morning and met Michelle and John who are section hiking. Later I met Bunny and Hulgar who are section hiking for a third year in a row. They will be stopping at Harpers Ferry.I bought a $3.99 FM radio at Rite Aid Pharmacy yesterday. It has a 1" speaker and a headphone jack. I listened to music most of the afternoon and have it playing now. It has a small antenna and seems to work a little better than my first radio. I prefer to listen from the speaker instead of the head phones so I can hear what is going on around me too.It was hot and humid today. The weather is wacky this year. Lows below 10 degrees in April followed by 90 degree days in May.I didn't find any ticks on me today. I have found ticks on me pretty much every day for the past couple weeks. The flies and gnats were annoying today. Tomorrow afternoon I will enter an area known as the roller coaster. The Thru-Hikers Companion describes it as: "a 13.5-mile section with ten ascents and descents.....the Virginia corridor is narrow here, leaving Trail crews very little choice other than to route the path up and over each of these viewless and rocky ridges." It basically requires climbing up and down 500 to 800 feet every mile on rocky trails. My feet hurt just thinking about it. Oh well. Only 36 more miles left in Virginia.I need to get started early tomorrow so I can reach Bears Den Hostel before they close at 9:30 PM. The hills will slow me down, especially with the hot temperatures.Little Red and Wolf, Let me know where you are and when you will get to Harpers Ferry.
Date: 2007-06-01
From: Dicks Dome Shelter

To: Bears Den Hostel
Miles today: 18.3
Weather: few clouds

I was the last one out of the campsite this morning at 7:30. The trail in the morning had a couple hills and was mostly wooded with no views. I did pass through a grassy field at Sky Meadows State Park. I stopped at Rod Hollow Shelter for lunch. Most of the hikers from the previous night were there. (Rockman, Spindle, No Granola, Early Bird, Brian, and Glenn (Georgia twins)). A bunch of butterflies arrived at the shelter with me. When I removed my boots and socks the butterflies swarmed and landed on them. One butterfly landed on my ankle. The butterflies stayed on my shoes and socks for the entire 2 and a half hours I was at the shelter. The butterflies didn't seem interested in anyone else's shoes or socks. Mine must smell like flowers.I stayed at the shelter about 2 hours after everyone else left. I inflated my thermarest pad and read my book for a while.I entered the Roller Coaster in the afternoon. I climbed up and over 7 of the 10 peaks in the Roller Coaster. The hills were not as bad as I expected but the heat was. I stopped at Sam Moore Shelter and talked about renewable energy stuff for 45 minutes with Walking Cowboy, Beatbox, Yorkie, Brian, & Glenn. I moved on to Bears Den Hostel and arrived at 8 PM. It was a large stone castle looking building. I got the $25 hiker special: bunk, pizza, soda, ice cream, and a load of laundry.Spindle, No Granola, Sandwitch, Rockman, Dude, Castanets, Wet Socks, Batfink, and about a dozen others were there for the night.
Date: 2007-06-02
From: Bears Den Hostel

To: Blackburn AT Center
Miles today: 7.9
Weather: overcast clouds

Today was a planned easy day. I got up around 7 AM and hung around Bears Den Hostel until about 9 AM. I wasn't in a hurry since I only planned to hike 8 miles today. Once on the trail I hiked straight through without taking any breaks. I hadn't planned it that way. There just wasn't anyplace along the trail that looked like a good spot to take a break. I hiked over the last three peaks of the roller coaster. They required moderate effort and then continued through the green tunnel to the Blackburn AT Center. The only eventful part of the trail today was a small sign indicating we were crossing the border into West Virginia. Woohoo! State number 5. I happened to catch up to Rockman at the marker.The Blackburn AT Center is a large cabin owned by the Potomac AT Club. There are caretakers that live in the cabin. Red Wing and Hopefull are the caretakers and they have a 6 month old baby. There is a small hostel cabin that has 4 bunks and there are tent sites. They have a solar shower, but it is not working due to leaks caused by freezing. When I arrived No Granola and Spindle were already there and had decided to cook spaghetti for everyone that was there for the night. We took showers. Spindle had her car there since they were ending their section hike. She drove No Granola, Rockman, and me to a grocery store. No Granola shopped for dinner, while Rockman and I shopped for trail food supplies. Back at the Blackburn Center, Glenn and Brian had arrived along with Duct Tape and his son Toad Catcher. There were some other hikers around that I didn't meet. There were 12 people for the spaghetti dinner. I think Brian and Glenn ate thw most. I think they each had three large plates. These guys are about 6 feet tall and look like they weigh about 170 lbs.Later we sat around the porch talking. Glenn and Brian sang a song. (7 spanish angels, I think). They were pretty good. Toad Catcher played the guitar for a while. Sublime and Gorilla showed up later and were glad to get some left over spaghetti. Most of us slept on the large wrap around porch. The porch is about 6 ft wide and wraps around 3 sides of the large cabin.This was a very enjoyable day.
Date: 2007-06-03
From: Blackburn AT Center

To: Appalachian Trail Conservancy - Harpers Ferry, WV
Miles today: 12.0
Weather: moderate rain

Today was another easy day, but with a lot of significance. There was nothing special about the trail today. The forcast was for 100% chance of rain. They were right. I started hiking around 8 AM and it started sprinkling around 10 AM and got pretty heavy around 1:00. After today's hike I have completed 1,008 miles!I reached the ATC offices around 2 PM soaking wet and got my polaroid picture taken in front of the building. I am number 181 to have made it from Springer Mtn this year. Approximately 600 to 700 hikers make it this far in recent years. They had some numbers on the wall that show almost 3,000 hikers starting each year in the mid-nineties. This has dropped to about 1200 a year for the past couple years. About 25% drop out in the first 30 miles and only a little over half of those starting make it to Harpers Ferry. The attrition rate continues going north. Only about 25% actually complete the trail and I plan to be in the group that finishes!I picked up my new boots that were mailed to the ATC. They are very similar to the ones I have been wearing, so I hope I don't have any problems. These boots are ventilated so they should dry out faster than my current boots and also should allow my feet to stay cooler in the hotter weather.I'm staying at the Hilltop Hotel tonight. I have been able to take a shower 5 of the last 6 days and been in a bed 4 of those days! Tomorrow I head back into the woods for a while.
Date: 2007-06-04
From: Appalachian Trail Conservancy - Harpers Ferry, WV

To: Dahlgren Back Pack Campground
Miles today: 17.9
Weather: overcast clouds

Today started slowly. I was up around 7:30 and walked down to the Post Office to mail some maps I was finished with. I placed my old shoes in a trash can on the way. I am wearing my new Merrell Mesa Ventilators. The have the same sole design as the Pulse II boots I have been wearing. They fit and feel similar, so I am hoping I don't have any problems.I walked back to the Hilltop Hotel and checked out, then walked over to the ATC office. I left notes in the mail box for Little Red & Wolf and Gator Gump. I talked to some section hikers for a little while and then headed back to the trail. The trail went through town and I stopped to look at the historical markers along the way. There are a lot of civil war history markers in this area. I finally made it out of town and followed the trail along the bank of the Potomac River for a few miles. Foot caught up to me and hiked with me for a while. We stopped at Ed Garvey Shelter for lunch. Rockman was already there.The trail passed through Gathland State Park. There were two drink vending machines. I bought a lemonade and some other citrus drink. Beershake showed up as I was about to leave. The vending machine ate his last dollar bill and jammed, so no one else could get anything. I stopped for the night at Dahlgren Back Pack Campground. It is about 20 feet from the AT. There are restrooms with hot showers, picnic tables, and tent sites. All free! Judo, Chill Out, Walking Cowboy, Beershake, and a couple hikers I don't know were already here. Gorilla, Sublime, and Sandwitch showed up later. There is also a group of boy scouts here.I took a shower, set up my tent, and cooked dinner all before 8:00. It seemed strange to be in my tent by 8:00 while it was still light outside. I was glad to be away from the bugs that had been buzzing around my head all day.
Date: 2007-06-05
From: Dahlgren Back Pack Campground

To: Pen-Mar Road
Miles today: 23.8

I was slow getting up this morning. I was putting my shoes on when I heard Rockman say "Come on Diesel, you slacker." Rockman had stopped a couple miles back last night and had caught up to me before I got started this morning. I caught up to Rockman a few miles later at Washington Monument State Park. Apparently there are several Washington monuments in addition to the one in DC. We went up to the stone monument that looks like an old milk bottle and took a break. There was a pretty good view from there.I left there and headed up to Annapolis Rocks for lunch. I wasn't having a great hiking day. I didn't seem to have much energy and was hiking slowly. As I finished my lunch and was packing up, Foot and AAA hiked past. I joined them for several miles. I had not seen AAA for several weeks. The trail got rocky and I slowed down and fell behind the others. My feet were sore and I was doubting I would complete the 19 miles to Devils Racecourse Shelter. I stopped at Ensign Cowall Shelter around 4 PM. I took my shoes off, went to the spring for water, mixed some Crystal Light Energy powder into my water bottle, and ate a couple energy bars. I sat there for about an hour contemplating what to do. I had only hiked 14 miles and felt worn out. I decided I would continue on to Devils Racecourse Shelter.I got back on the trail at 5:00 and felt energized. The trail was now a lot less rocky and my feet were feeling much better. I reached the turnoff for Devils Racecourse Shelter around 7:00 and decided not to stop there. I thought I could make it to Pen-Mar Park by 9:00, cook dinner, and then hike another 30 minutes and find somewhere to camp. It didn't quite work that way. The trail turned rocky again, which slowed me down. Then it started raining and getting dark. I finally reached Pen-Mar Park around 9:30. I got a rootbeer out of the vending machine and filled one of my water bottles. It was a very nice park and I would have loved to stay there, but it is illegal to camp there. I hiked up the trail about 20 minutes and found a spot to put up my tent. I hear small animals moving around outside. I hope they don't mess with my tent. I ended up hiking 23.8 miles today and almost 10 after 5 PM. I hiked 2 days in Maryland and just crossed into Pennsylvania in the last mile. I am tired and my feet are sore. I am hoping for an easier day tomorrow.
Date: 2007-06-07
From: Caledonia State Park

To: Pine Grove Furnace - Ironmaster's Mansion Hostel
Miles today: 19.5
Weather: broken clouds

I woke up a few minutes before 6 AM this morning and got up shortly after. I thought I was going to get an early start today. I was slow getting things packed up and didn't leave the campsite until a little before 8:00. I stopped at the park office and wrote a note requesting they change to compact fluorescent bulbs. The office wasn't open. I was going to leave the note in the door, but then a park ranger opened the door and I gave him the request.I saw Gorilla on my way out of the park. He was waiting for a mail package that had not arrived yet. I climbed up to Quarry Gap Shelters. The trail was steep going up to the shelters and surrounded by Rhodedendron bushes. It was like a flashback to the North Carolina mountains. I met Poge and several of his friends hiking with him for a few days. The shelters were in excellent condtion and had hanging baskets of flowers. The trail leveled off mostly after another short climb. I reached Birch Run Shelter around 12:30 and met Beach Bum and his dad. I cooked a new lipton meal and read my book until 2:00. Then I thought about the Pine Grove Campstore and the 1/2 gallon challenge. I didn't know what time the store closed.I hiked quickly this afternoon. I covered 9.9 miles in just over 3 1/2 hours. I arrived at Pine Grove Campstore at 5:40. The store was open until 7 PM. I went inside to review the ice scream selection. They only had chocolate and peanut butter twist. I bought a cherry coke and went out to the porch to cool down and decide. Judo was on the porch and finished her 1/2 gallon. I went back in and got a 1/2 gallon of peanut butter twist. It was a bad choice, because the peanut butter was hard and very rich. I finished the 1/2 gallon in 40 minutes. While eating the ice scream, several hikers returned from the hostel. I met Caveman of Ohio, Wing Heart, No Worries, and a couple others that I don't remember the names of. I was the 50th person to complete the 1/2 gallon challenge this year. Beershake came over and told me he failed to complete the challenge.I went next door to the Iron Masters Hostel. I took a shower and washed clothes. The hostel is a large two story brick building that was part of the underground railroad. The caretaker, Donna, showed us the secret trap door in a closet that led to the crawlspace.Tomorrow it is suppose to be 93 degrees, so I am going to stay around here. There is a lake with a beach and swimming area and there is a grill at the campstore.
Date: 2007-06-08
From: Pine Grove Furnace - Ironmaster's Mansion Hostel

To: James Frye (Tagg Run) Shelter
Miles today: 7.2
Weather: clear sky

I had to be out of the Ironmasters Mansion Hostel by 8:30, so I headed back over to the campstore at a little after 8:00. Shadow was outside clearing gravel from the sidewalks as his work for stay project. Caveman of Ohio and Beershake joined me at the campstore. I think everyone else who stayed at the hostel hit the trail earlier.Walking Cowboy, Chill Out, Beach Bum, Mel, and a couple other hikers showed up by about 9:00. Sublime emerged from his camping spot. He was greeted with excitement by the growing crowd. Sublime had announced his plans to try and beat the 4 min 14 sec record for completing the half gallon challenge. Sublime purchased a 1/2 gallon of chocolate ice scream and sat it on a picnic table in the sun to soften. After a while the box corner started to separate, so he transferred the ice scream to a large zip lock bag. Once all of the ice scream was soft he started the challenge. Beershake was the official timer with his stop watch. I captured the event on video with my camera. Sublime finished the 1/2 gallon in 3 min 48 secs for a new record! He didn't feel to good for the next hour. I captured the event on video with my digital camera. I'll have to figure out how to upload it to youtube (spelling?)I went over to Fuller Lake with Caveman, Beershake, and Shadow. There was a sandy beach and swimming area with a lifeguard on duty. It was about 11:00 and already very warm. I went in the lake for about an hour. Then I had a burger and fries at the concession stand. I relaxed in the shade and read a couple chapters of my book for a while.A little after 2:00, Caveman, Shadow, and I headed back to the concession stand. Caveman and I got ice scream cones, then the three of us headed up the trail 7 miles to James Fry Shelter. It was still very hot with a lot of uphill climbing. I was sweating excessively. We reached the shelter by 5:30 and set up tents near Tagg Run (creek). I got some water in my folding bucket and cleaned up and cooled off. I ate some stove top stuffing for dinner.It has suddenly gotten very windy and I hear lots of thunder. I am sure the rain will start soon. We passes the halfway marker today and I got my picture taken there. I hope the second half of this journey is as wonderful as the first half.
Date: 2007-06-09
From: James Frye (Tagg Run) Shelter

To: US11 - Middlesex, PA - Super 8 Motel
Miles today: 20.2

It rained last night. My tent kept me dry, but I had to pack it up when it was wet. Caveman and Shadow were already gone when I got up at 7:30. I was hiking by 8:30. The trail wasn't too difficult today. There was a couple hills and there was a few rocky spots. Overall the trail in Pennsylvania has been very enjoyable. I met a few section hikers today and talked with them for about 2 hours when I stopped at Alec Kennedy Shelter for water and a reat. Shortly after my break I met a Diplomatic Historian from the University of Georgia. He was just out for a day hike. I hiked a couple miles with him into Boiling Springc. The trail dropped down out of the hills into a flat valley here. There is asection of about 16 miles that is in the valley and very flat. Boiling Springs was a very nice town. I saw a couple groups of people taking wedding pictures near the lake. I went to a caf© and ate a salad and sandwich. I only planned to hike to Boiling Springs today, but once I got there I decided to hike another 14 miles to Darlington Shelter. I ordered another sandwich to carry with me for dinner. I made it about 8 miles from town and was going to stop to eat my sandwich a little before 8 PM. I looked at my guide book and noticed there were hotels and restaurants only 0.2 miles from the trail where it crossed US11 and decided I would stop there for the night. I crossed at least 15 roads today.I got a room at the Super 8 motel and took a shower, then went over to the Carlisle Hotel lounge about a block away. I had a couple beers and met some people there. I met a couple from Connecticut. They were in town for their nephews graduation. They gave me 2 apples, 2 bananas, and some Hersheys kisses. After they left 2 sisters that were in town for a cousin's wedding showed up. One of them had gone to NC State in Raleigh and the other lives in Virginia. They knew someone else that had hiked the AT a couple years ago. There was a DJ at the lounge and a couple guys sang karoake songs. It felt strange to bein the lounge after so many quiet nights in the woods, but I really enjoyed it. I'm looking forward to breakfast at the diner across the street.