morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2010-06-05
From: Maupin Field Shelter

To: Paul Wolfe Shelter
Miles today: 15.8
Weather: overcast clouds

Just call me cocky I guess. I woke and I thought, 15 miles, piece 'o cake, and went back to sleep. Had a very slow morning. The result? Chasing sunset, as always. Will I ever learn I wonder?So it was up out of Maupin Field, of course, then down to a couple of Blue Ridge Parkway crossings. Yay! Got to unload some garbage! From there I was headed for BRP mile 9.6 and almost stepped on a 3 foot black snake, stretched across the trail. I looked at him, he looked at me. I waited 10-15 minutes, then he went on his way so I did too. Stopped at the BRP Dripping Springs Parking Area and sat on the side of the road eating my lunch. Next, time to tackle Humpback Mountain. A long one! It took FOREVER! Stopped at a rocky outcrop to take in the view, saw a ski area across the next mountain. To my surprise, this was not the top, this mounting just kept coming, rocky outcrop after rocky outcrop. Fun though, I have to say I enjoyed my moments being queen of the world. Met a young couple backpacking with a baby. I had heard a baby crying earlier in the day and concluded I was losing my mind. LOL! NOT! Not today anyway. Finally, FINALLY, got over Humpack Mountain and got into Paul Wolfe Shelter around 7:30. This was Hiker Fest day in Waynesboro so I expected to find an empty shelter, but instead I found around 20 or so section hikers from the Virginia Beach area, all military, in 3 different groups. We had a blast! A young marine gave me his dehydrated beef stew, MAGIC! Met Kaiser, a beautiful German Shepherd. Another fine day on the AT.
Date: 2010-06-06
From: Paul Wolfe Shelter

To: Calf Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 12.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Those military folks at the shelter got nothin' on me! About the time they were leaving I was bound for Waynesboro. Hiked the 5 miles to Rockfish Gap and made my way to the visitor center which was closed. Dang!   No matter, sat on the steps of the Afton Inn, drinking Orange Crush, making phone calls and working out "the plan" for the next few days. Headed back to the now open visitor center where I met Dubose. That's his first name, I don't know his last, but he is a most excellent Waynesboro Trail Angel. He got me into town, showed me where stuff was, then worked out a plant to get me back to the trail in just a few short hours. And he took his mother out to lunch in the middle of all of this! What an amazing man. And let me say this loud:I LOVE WAYNESBORO VIRGINIA!!!!!Everyone, and I mean everyone, from the man at my maildrop, the deli lady at Kroger, the checkout guy, other customers, the waiter at the mexican restaurant, the woman at the Tastee Freez, and the guy at the outfitter, ALL went out of their way with kindness, help, and general friendliness. This town loves hikers and I love them. Best trail town I've been in, bar none. When Dubose got me back to the trail bad weather was threatening. I filled out my hiker permit, entered Shenandoah National Park, and the skies opened up on me. Had to don the rain gear to get it to quit raining, LOL! I kept the jacket on the rest of the day because you just can't trust a cumulus cloud. That's what I always say anyway. The wind blew pretty good, a front was moving in. Up and up I went over Bears Den Mountain where I saw several, maybe 5? communications towers. Met an older fellow hiking up there, we sat on some tractor seats concreted into the ground for some mysterious reason and chatted a bit. From there I descended to Beagle Gap, then up and over Calf Mountain where I found my friend Freeman (see Rocky Top in the Smokies). We had a great time catching up on hiker gossip along the trail, then it was off to bed with a happy sigh. And did you get this?I LOVE WAYNESBORO VIRGINIA!!!!!
Date: 2010-06-07
From: Calf Mountain Shelter

To: Loft Mountain Campground
Miles today: 20.4
Weather: scattered clouds

BIG DAY! I am not fast but I am steady and consistent for sure. Freeman got out of the shelter before I did, so shortly down the trail I found him with his books, identifying a massive old cherry tree. I like being around people who know and share so much, I enjoy learning about the forest plants. After a bit I moved on, I had a lot of ground to cover. Had 1st break at Turk Gap, then lunch at Skyline Drive mile 90, parking for RipRap Trail. Yummy! Salami and cheddar on ryekrisp crackers with lemonade. From there I hiked on to Black Rock Hut, 1/3 up Black Rock Mountain. Needed to get water, it had been a dry hiking day! Met a ridgerunner there on the lookout for a problem bear. Made my way on up Black Rock Mountain which was the highlight of the day. The pinnacle was a boulder jumble, remains of a shattered cliff. It was very very cool, although I was somewhat worried about rattlesnakes so I moved through quick. From there a bit more of a hike to Loft Mountain Campground where I am sharing a sight with Home Brew. Saves us both a few bucks. With a bit of luck I'll get a shower in the morning which will be good, since I STINK! What a day!
Date: 2010-06-08
From: Loft Mountain Campground

To: Hightop Hut
Miles today: 14.0
Weather: clear sky

It was another unbelievable day on the AT. Started out doing camp chores and staying busy until the camp store opened at 8:00 in hopes of buying a little luxury, shampoo and conditioner. No luck, oh well. Still had the luxury of starting my day with a shower and doing a quick load of laundry. Around 9:30 I was on my way, the first part being where the AT circles the campground. This gave me plenty of opportunity to consider the pros and cons of going 1 mile downhill out of my way for a hamburger. You already know what I did I'll bet, and yes, the hamburger won. It was a major downhill which meant a major uphill on the return. And worth every step! At the wayside I saw Krispy Kritter, Draggin Tail and Sherpa. Spoke with them for a bit, then headed back up the hill with most of the day's hiking still ahead of me. It was mostly a lot of up and downs with a water stop at Pinefield Hut six miles in. There I saw the same hikers and some others. Conversation made it's way around to Edward Abbey and it turns out Draggin Tail had met him back in the 1970's!!!!! Abbey is a hero of mine!!! How cool! Turns out those guys were headed to the same shelter as me, so he agreed to tell me the story at dinner. Draggin Tail had worked support on the first ever environmental impact study of Lake Powell. Abbey was interested in the project, so that's how it all came to be. Turns out Draggin Tail (and son Sherpa) currently are hiking to raise awareness of current water issues for an organization called Water for People. They have a website called hikingforwater.org if you're interested in learning more. Every day on the AT holds some surprise!
Date: 2010-06-09
From: Hightop Hut

To: South Picinic Area
Miles today: 6.4

Started my day with rain. Had to pack up the tent and everything in damp conditions, but it was just fine. Freeman and another guy turned up at the shelter after I had gone to bed so it was a fun surprise to see him in the morning. Had my breakfast, got my act together and got hiking. Today was a short day. I hiked to the South Picnic Area where a friend picked me up. I'll be off for several days now, visiting with family and friends. I expect to resume posting some time next week.
Date: 2010-06-13
From: South Picnic Area

To: Milam Gap
Miles today: 11.4

Had a wonderful time visiting with family and friends, now it's time to get back to the trail. A friend drove me back to South Picnic Area and off I went.Up over Baldface Mtn and past Lewis Mtn Campground. Along the way I finally saw a bear. Heard a little rustle off to my left and when I located the motion for just a quick second I saw a little bear cub scurry in among the rocks. It was a quick look for sure. No sign of mama but I'm sure she was nearby. Stopped by Bearfence Mtn Hut for water and found ridgerunner Midnight, same guy I met last week at Blackrock Shelter. Southbounder, 2005. Chatted a bit, then set off again, up over Bearfence and Hazeltop Mtns. My friend picked me up at Milam Gap, so the day's hike ended there.
Date: 2010-06-14
From: Milam Gap

To: Pinnacles Picnic Area
Miles today: 14.9

A good and funny day's hike for sure. Started with breakfast at Big Meadows Wayside, then off I went hiking. My friend sort of parralled me all day, hiked in, hiked back, moved the car ahead, then did it all again a few more times. Pretty hilarious and definitely broke up the day. Hiked around the Big Meadows complex and met several day hikers curious about thru hiking. I still enjoy talking to folks I meet along the way. Made my way on to the Skyland complex near the stables where my friend met me with lunch. We sat at a picnic table to eat, finishing just before it poured down. We took refuge at the stables and chatted with a worker there while watching a farrier trim and care for the horses hooves. The worker was good enough to explain the fine points of what we were watching and we talked hiking. A good exchange. Everyone always wants to know how heavy is the pack and all about the toilet issues. Funny, that's the biggest deals. Well, pack weight is a pretty big deal to me too.Got back on the trail and at a trail junction found a sweaty can of orange Fanta, just for me. Nice magic.The day's hike ended when my friend picked me up at Pinnacles Picnic Area. Headed back to Big Meadows where I had my first good look at a full grown bear. Nice, nice, nice. He paid no attention to me at all, he was foraging, turning over rocks and branches.By the way, even though I'm hiking along with and around my friend, make no mistake about it, the full pack is going past every white blaze I know of. Forgot to mention last week, the day I arrived at South Picnic Area, just north of the Hwy 33 crossing at Swift Run Gap, 'bout a mile or mile and half in, there I found the cathedral. It was a wonderful space of tall tall tall tulip poplars (Tn state tree!). Very little undergrowth because the canopy was so dense. A holy forest place.
Date: 2010-06-16
From: Pinnacles Picnic Area

To: Skyline 21.9, Rattlesnake Point
Miles today: 15.4

Woke to the sound of steady rain but unlike yesterday I decided that rain or shine, I am hiking today! Sure enough, by the time I got to the picnic area the rain had stopped. It remained foggy most of the day, so no views to be seen. Turned out the picnic area was closed for some construction, recovery money is being spent on improvements all over Shenandoah. Hiked past Byrds Nest 3 shelter and checked out the register and got caught up on all the news. I've really fallen back now, most of the people I've hiked with are a week ahead of me. Skipped the side trail to Mary's Rock due to the fog. Hiked on to Panorama and got water. There were signs posted that the water was bad, so I treated it, right out of the faucet.Got soaked through in a very heavy thunderstorm, including some hail. After a bit it quit raining and I made my way to Elkwallow Wayside. After supper I hiked a few more miles to Rattlesnake Point.
Date: 2010-06-17
From: Skyline 21.9, Rattlesnake Point

To: Tom Floyd Wayside Shelter
Miles today: 14.7
Weather: few clouds

What a crazy week it's been! I spent 4+ days seeing the sights in Washington with my daughter, then my good friend from Roanoke spent 4 days shuttling me to and from the trail in Shenandoah. He'll have to be considered an unofficial member of Team Cody as the Shenandoah Shuttler. Oh well, enough goofing off, time to get back to the trail proper.So, I set off from Rattlesnake Point with several Skyline Drive crossings in the first few miles. It was really quiet on the trail, I only saw one other thru hiker all day, a guy named Hedgehog. Sat along Skyline 12.3 to eat my lunch, aggravated because I had not located the spring on Hogwallow Flats. This meant no guzzling lemonade with my lunch, but I survived it. From there I hiked on up Compton Peak and the spring was running good on the way up. Kept going to Floyd Wayside where I was too late to go on to the next shelter. No matter, getting water was a time-consuming chore and I needed to tend to three little pinholes in my tent, so I managed to keep busy. Read the log and learned my friend Whippersnap has indeed gotten a dream job with the Land Conservancy (Whippersnap rocks!). If I'd gotten an earlier start, so on and so on, I'd be at the next shelter among friends, instead I was all alone this night. After so much visiting it felt kind of lonely, but I think it's just what I needed to get focused.
Date: 2010-06-19
From: Dick's Dome Shelter

To: Bears Den Rocks
Miles today: 18.1

This was one long hard day! Got started really early for me, on the trail by 7:20. I'm not any faster in camp, I just get up earlier. The birds were making one heck of a ruckus around 5:00 this morning, I had to listen a bit, then get moving. Some of the younger set of thru hikers had shown up in the night, folks I had not seen since the time of Trail Days. Hadn't occurred to me that this group would be coming along behind me. Maybe more friendly faces to see soon. I would like that. With all the on/off of the trail I keep running into much stronger hikers who seem to be in the same places I am. Funny how that works out. Anyway, got going, came upon a lovely spring and campsite a mile or so beyond the shelter. Had considered yesterday hiking on to this spot, but it was probably better for me to have a little social life at the shelter than to camp alone. Still, it is a great spot! Have I mentioned lately the privet that smells so good! I always thought it was some kind of honeysuckle, but Freeman told me it is privet. I love it, but it's fading now too. High summer is upon us I believe. The temp today was also on up in the 90's and I sweated A LOT today. I'm going to have to start carrying more water I'm afraid. I really like to go with just one liter if I can, so I dread the extra weight of another water bottle. I will definitely feel it. After the campsite I came upon Sky Meadows State Park. Just as the name implies, meadows in the sky, and quite lovely. Maybe one day I'll go back and just visit the park. I continued on to Rod Hollow Shelter for lunch and a water refill, then to psych myself up for the rollercoaster. This is 13 miles of 10 uphill & downhills, very steep, very rocky, no views. I found it to be quite exhausting and got really discouraged after a bit, it wore on me and my feet got very sore. At some point though, I said to myself, CODY! This is no different than the 700-800 foot climbs you do off trail with hiking buds (Hi Lillian, Marnell & Margaret!) at home all the time! Get over yourself! Well, that helped some. It was good to hike along for a while thinking of past hikes with good friends. It was also good to get to a hostel with other hikers and talk a bit about it and have some fun and laughs. Also, caught up with Whippersnap, Joe, and Croft, all very supportive friends. Improved my spirits immensely. This place, Bears Den Hostel, is fantastic. The people have been so kind and helpful. I got my body and laundry clean, ate a bunch of food, goofed off and hung out with friends. Just what the doctor ordered. Even the hard days on the AT are good.
Date: 2010-06-20
From: Bears Den Rocks

To: David Lessor Shelter
Miles today: 11.1

Wow! What a difference a day makes! Started the day at Bears Den Hostel with a couple of pancakes, then spent some time on emails and phone calls. It was a very relaxed morning. Finally got out to the trail and started my hiking day by completing the rollercoaster. It did not get the better of me today! Passed a sign that said West Virginia state line that made me smile. Actually the trail rides the state line, not entirely sure which state I'm in tonight! Enjoyed the view from Crescent Rock, then went on to Sand Spring and had lunch. Good spring. Did you know that there is apple juice in Skittles and one regular sized bag provides 50% of your daily vitamin C needs? I did not know this until today. After lunch I raced on through Devils Racecourse, nothing but rocks, no big deal. Came upon a 1000 in the trail made of rocks and yes indeed, I crossed the 1000 mile mark today. I can hardly believe it. Continued on to the shelter, humming John Denver's Country Roads song, you know the one, Almost heaven, West VirginiaBlue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoah River...and so on. Got to the shelter where I met Stickbuilt and we had a nice talk while I fixed my supper. Good guy. The water here is a long way downhill and there's no bear bag setup, but Stickbuilt let me use his rope. Other than those two things this is a lovely shelter with good campground. As I am here in my tent there are plenty of critters moving around outside so I'll bet carelessness with food is the norm here. Today was a really good day and very exciting with the state line, 1000, and all.
Date: 2010-06-21
From: David Lessor Shelter

To: Ed Garvey Shelter
Miles today: 15.6
Weather: overcast clouds

Happy Naked Hiking Day!!! Lol, I did not, but met a couple of fellas who did. Yes indeed. Even went so far as to have lunch with them, but I'm getting ahead of myself.Woke this morning and sketched out my plan for the next 7 days or so. Today I go into town and resupply, got to have all this figured out before going into a store and buying too much. Also was expecting a maildrop from home. Lots to organize, and hike too! And, this is no ordinary town stop, this is Harpers Ferry WV, home of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy offices. I was psyched to say the least. Also spent a few minutes texting with my good friend Stickwalker who is about two days behind me. I would like to hike with him and Belly Rub again, hope it works out.So, got on the trail and made my way heading down gradually. Town was total 9 miles or so, terrain decent if a bit rocky, so I was pretty relaxed and just hiked along. Met the two naked hikers individually, but both had donned shorts by the time they got to me. Whew! Not sure if I could have handled that!Made my way into town and began to visualize going into the office. I got all choked up and blubbery! Oh brother, I said to myself, let's buck up here and have a little respect for what I've accomplished so far, so with that I squared my shoulders and walked across a really scary bridge over the Shenandoah River like it weren't nothin'. This fearful emotional all the time stuff is getting boring, even to me, LOL!The no longer naked hikers and I ate hamburgers, salads, and drank beer. Told our stories and laughed plenty. Good times.At the ATC office they took my picture, I guess now I'm officially an AT hiker. It was fun. Then maildrop, sorting out, and I realized my pack is heavy enough, I don't really need peanut butter and tortillas just now, so magically, no resupply to do! I'm good for a few more days. Managed to take long enough that once again I was chasing the sunset up the mountain, trying to get in before dark. I made it.Fyi, my mother is a gorp genius. The current batch is sunflower seeds, almonds, M&M's, Mike&Ikes, and pineapple tidbits. Pretty delicious stuff. Just sayin'. Thanks Mom!
Date: 2010-06-22
From: Ed Garvey Shelter

To: Pine Knob Shelter
Miles today: 16.6
Weather: haze

Big day, big day. Returned to my old pokey getaway ways and dawdled around the shelter for a bit, yakking it up. Finally got going and a funny thing happened. A man hiking toward me said, are you Cody? Fastlike all kinds of thoughts went through my mind, so I said yep, that's me. His trailname is Trekker and his wife is Rising Fawn. They are from Nashville, Tn Trails members, and he went to high school with a good friend of mine. Pretty cool to meet him on the trail, wish I could have met Rising Fawn. Continued on to Gathland State Park. Where to begin? Well, came into the park through a small arch because it looked like the trail was gonna skirt around the outside of the park. The park has an unlocked ladies room, a juice machine and a soda machine. I made use of all then sat around watching the yard crew work and generally doing nothing. Who shows up? Stickbuilt! This is his home terrritory so he was doing a little magic, or trying to. Sadly I was the last thru hiker to leave the shelter so not likely anyone else would show up. Stickbuilt told me some ghost stories about the civil war soldiers who died on this ground, then prepared move on to another road crossing to try and give away some sodas. He carried off a bit of trash for me, then had a good laugh watching me go back by the arch so I could walk 30 ft of trail then re-emerge in the park. This is the first time anyone has laughed at my purist behavior, very friendly laughter, not mean at all. I laughed too, it seems kind of silly when thinking of 30 feet or so, but this is the way I want to hike the trail, carrying my fully loaded pack past every white blaze I see. It was tough in Shenandoah, I really wanted to leave my toothbrush back in the room, LOL. Told Stickbuilt that story, we had a friendly laugh, now he knows where I'm coming from.Also at this park is the War Correspondents Memorial. A very unusual arch style monument. Cool.Passed Crampton Gap shelter and a southbounder going from Massachusetts To Springer GA with a decent sized iguana perched on his pack. An amazing sight. Nice guy.Headed on to Dahlgren Backpack Campground, planning to eat my lunch there. Found Stickbuilt's trailmagic there and a couple of hikers planning to go to dinner at the fancy-shmancy place nearby. I resisted the seduction! It took me a while to get my brain thinking clearly, but did eventually, so I hiked on. Passed some civil war monuments that got me to thinking how humbled I am to walk this historic ground on which so many died. I am deeply touched by the history of the places I am walking and I am again reminded of how fortunate I am.Hiked on till I came to the Washington Monument built by the people of Boonsboro MD in 1837 I believe. Climbed to the top to take in the view, fab! And saw where Antietam Battlefield is. Managed to summon up the courage to walk the footbridge over I-70 and arrived at Pine Knob Shelter where I found Just Blue Skies and Web Walker, two sisters hiking together whose company I really enjoy, so off came my pack and I called it a day. Did I see some stuff or what?