morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2018-06-27
From: Hightop Hut

To: Big Meadows Lodge
Miles today: 20.4

The overnight rain subsided before I left the hut to begin hiking. I was very pleased to not be hiking in the rain. However, there was a good chance of more rain today. After a couple hours of hiking I came to a picnic area and took a break here. I ate a protein bar and some trail mix. While here it sprinkled momentarily so I put on my pack's rain cover before returning to the trail. Rain came in the 11:00 hour but it wasn't heavy enough nor did it last long enough to adversely affect me. After a couple more hours of hiking I arrived at a campground in the park. Here there was a small store with cold sandwiches and other ready to eat items. I had a turkey and cheese sandwich, pretzels and a Gatorade. There were other hikers here too having lunch, all familiar faces. While eating I decided to call the lodge and see if a room was available. Fortunately there was but it was a bit pricey. I opted to spend the money and treat myself. The main factor was hearing that a storm was in the forecast for late evening. I wanted no part of that.Today I also met a former hiker with trail name Joe Camo. He was doing trail magic and gave me a bag of chips. I declined the soda since I haven't drank soda since 1995. Unknown at the time, but Joe would play another part in my adventure in the days to come.Today I had two bear encounters. I saw a small bear about 15 minutes after leaving the campground. The bear kept a safe distance. A few hours later the weather turned very foggy and I came across a larger bear walking on the trail and toward me. I was a bit concerned when it kept walking toward me. I made some noise with my trekking poles and it wandered off the trail. I resumed hiking and I passed the area where the bear left the trail but there was no sign of the bear. I was fine with that.When I arrived at the side trail to the lodge the weather was nice and I seen an overlook about 100 feet further on the main trail. I decided to rest here and enjoy the view before making my way to the lodge. It was a great view with a nice breeze coming directly at me. I took a video and posted it to Facebook. After about 30 minutes I went and checked into the lodge. I was given half of a small cabin. It was small but nice with one bed and a full bath. I ate dinner at the main lodge which included chips and salsa, a salad and a small pizza. How those two beers found there way to me I'm not sure, ha ha!My decision to stay at the lodge paid off as a storm came before midnight. The wind and rain could be heard from within the cozy, dry cabin. For book followers, mile 925.5 page 90.
Date: 2018-06-28
From: Big Meadows Lodge

To: Pass Moutain Hut
Miles today: 18.8

My fourth day in the Shanendoahs was an adventure day that will certainly be remembered. I had the luxury of the cabin overnight and was in no hurry to leave in the morning. The couple extra hours of sleep I enjoyed were well deserved and I'm sure my body was also thankful. After a coffee from the lodge's gift and snack shop I returned to the trail at 9:30 AM.My sights were set on reaching the Skyline Lounge around lunch time. Hikers are always willing to take advantage of every opportunity for good food. Especially when it can be reached from the trail. With my late start I was not planning to see any familiar faces at the lounge. I figured most hikers would have had their lunch and moved on. Upon arrival I found three hikers I know relaxing in the lobby. They'd already eaten and showed no signs of eagerness to return to hiking. I ordered a cheeseburger and fries and an iced tea. The burger was excellent!I resumed hiking leaving the other three to the comforts of the lobby. Another hiker was arriving as I departed and I jokingly said the kitchen was closed, she was not happy. But I quickly assured her I was joking and the food was excellent.Bears in the Shanendoahs have proven to be more common than anywhere else on this adventure. Stories of bear encounters started to become commonplace but to this point they've eluded my camera. I decided to leave my cell phone on in airplane mode in hopes of getting a photo or small video of a bear. This was a good decision. After completing a 30 minute incline I rounded a corner to find a bear in the trail about 75 yards ahead of me. I quickly started filming. The bear was on the video long enough for me to zoom in, then out, then begin walking toward it while filming. It left the trail to the right and I continued to film and walk down the trail. I fully anticipated passing through without seeing the bear again. That would not be the case. I arrived to find the bear in the bushes about six to ten feet off the trail. Although surprised, I continued to film and then zoomed in. It realized my presence and demonstrated behavior I'd say was consistent with not being happy. I stopped filming and quickly moved farther down the trail. The memory of this encounter will be with me forever. I posted the video to Facebook but was unable to do so to this online journal.Today I learned my good friend Mike U. would be coming to Front Royal to meet me the following day. Tomorrow was going to be a good day. For book followers, mile 944.3 page 91.
Date: 2018-07-03
From: US 522, Front Royal, VA

To: Manassas Gap Shelter
Miles today: 10.7
Weather: few clouds

Mike and I spent a couple days by swimming at the hotel pool and having a night out at a West Virginia bar called the Altos Club, soon to be renamed the Green Frog. We were accompanied by Andy and Charlie. Andy is the cousin of Mike's wife Jenny. When we arrived at the bar's parking lot, Charlie was the first to say he didn't have a good feeling about this. We went in anyways. We ended up having a great time. The night ended with dinner at Outback. Thanks to Andy as the night was on him!On July 1, my sister Rose and her husband Ron picked me up at the hotel where Mike and I were staying. Mike headed home. I wasn't able to hold back the tears as Rose and Ron came into the hotel lobby. It was great to see them. They said they'd come visit me in West Virginia and they did. We spent a couple days visiting Harpers Ferry and its sight-seeing attractions. We all walked to Maryland following the AT along the Potomac River. Spending time with them was wonderful and it gave me the opportunity to share stories from my adventure. They brought some goodies from my sister Barb, thanks sis!Eventually it was time for them to leave and we drove the hour to the trailhead were I'd resume my hike. It was the same spot Mike picked me up at. Again I had a few tears but the adventure needed to go on. The three days of rest and relaxation was needed. Thanks for the R & R Rose and Ron!Today was the hottest and most humid day I've hiked. I only managed 10.5 miles after averaging nearly 19 per day while in Virginia. Having a loaded pack with all the goodies from family and friends didn't help either. About 30 minutes into the hike I saw my first copperhead snake. It was only about 18 inches in length and smack dab in the middle of the trail. It was clearly unmistakable as a copperhead and I made sure it was alive then stepped around it and went on my way. In another 30 minutes a came up to a hiker standing still in the trail. I thought she looked familiar and as she spoke I was certain who she was. It was Cajun Fire. I haven't seen her since just before entering the Smoky Mountains. You may recall, she was the one that had her tent destroyed by a bear while in the Smoky Mountains. Her and I stayed at the same shelter today and it was nice to catch-up on her adventures and her about the bear incident first hand.It was unbelievable how much the heat and humidity cut into my miles. There was no option but to end early to ensure I didn't get heat exhaustion, or worse heat stroke. I was sweating out water faster than I could drink it. I moved slow and took lots of breaks. It will be short mileage days until this heat wave ends. For book followers, mile 981.5 page 95.
Date: 2018-07-04
From: Manassas Gap Shelter

To: Rod Hollow Shelter
Miles today: 12.9
Weather: scattered clouds

Happy Fourth of July!The heat and humidity continued. I was on the trail by 7:30 AM hoping to get some easier miles before mid-day. But it really didn't matter as the humidity was still the enemy. There was a shelter about 13 miles away and that became my initial goal. I figured once I was there I'd assess the possibility of going farther. When I arrived around 3:00 PM I found three hikers there. A father and son and a girl named Cheesy, all are section hikers. They informed me they would be staying put but were going to tent. I decided to stay and claimed a spot in the shelter. It was 6.9 miles to the next shelter and that was not feasible in the heat given how I felt. Stopping to tent in between is not something I wanted to do either as rain was possible.In the end four other hikers arrived and all four tented. For the first time I would be the lone hiker sleeping in the shelter. I napped from about four to seven o'clock. I was in and out of sleep during this time.At about 7:00 PM it started to rain lightly and thunder could be heard off in the distance. Getting late, I ate cold foods in the comfort of the shelter while the others ate at a picnic table under a separate roof. At one point one of them yelled to me that the hiker log book had an entry saying a copperhead snake was seen going in the hole in the right corner the day before. The only hole I could see was at the foundation's base, not on the shelter floor which was 2 feet up. It didn't really phase me as I figured with the rain it would stay where it was. And I'm a bit bigger than the shelter mice. I'm not going to lie, I did think about the possibility of it finding its way into my sleeping bag at night. I simply hoped that would not be the case. Lucky for me the snake didn't make an appearance. Well, at least not that I know of.The temperature dropped slightly with the rain but I slept most of the night outside the sleeping bag atop my air mattress. It rained most of the night but not heavy. It was a very light rain that really had no affect on trail conditions the next day. For book followers, mile 994.4 page 95.
Date: 2018-07-05
From: Rod Hollow Shelter

To: Bears Den Hostel
Miles today: 9.9

Today makes the third day in a row the weather has been hot and humid. These conditions have cut my daily miles in about half. Although disappointing, I needed to understand the weather is a factor in hiking and needs to be dealt with accordingly. In talking with other hikers it is affecting all of us. It was good to know it wasn't just me at 50 years of age.From where I was at, today's options for shelters were at distances of seven and 21 miles. The heat pretty much ruled out the one at 21 miles and I really didn't want to do only seven miles then hang around a shelter all afternoon. Odds are I'd be along most of that time. And we all know I prefer shelters over tenting. Then I remembered from the day before a hiker mentioning he was aiming for a hostel. I looked in the guide book and the Bears Den Hostel was ten miles away. Ten miles would be respectable in the heat and allow me to spend the rest of the day hanging at the hostel. And so I began hiking with the plan of getting to the hostel.It wasn't long before my hiking clothes were drenched with sweat. I was like a human waterfall. The first six miles were uncomfortable but acceptable. The last four were down right miserable. I labored through each step. The hostel sat at the top of a half-mile climb and I swear I left a trail of sweat over that half-mile. At last I made it! The hostel had no air conditioning but sitting in front of a fan after a cold shower was good enough. The hiker special was $30. For that I received a bunk, shower, laundry, a tombstone pizza, pint of Ben & Jerry's and a Gatorade. It included coffee and pancakes in the morning but I only indulged in the coffee while eating peanut butter cookies from my sister Barb.There were two notable events during today's hike. My adventure has surpassed 1,000 miles. I didn't see any indicator on the side of the trail, probably due to just wanting to get the day's hike over with. At the hostel I creatively made my own picture (play off of Dr. Evil) to celebrate the milestone. I also saw a bear today about an hour into the hike. Oddly enough, when I saw the bear he'd run up the hill and I'd eventually hike upward and see him again. This occurred four or five times. I then came across Cheesy and she appeared a bit shaken by the bear coming up the hill from behind her. She left the shelter about 30 minutes before me. We hiked together and chatted about 45 minutes before I pulled away. She's from Virginia and was only hiking for a week and I wanted to make sure she was beyond the bear encounter.I have a suspicion that bear was aiming for the Bears Den Hostel to also avoid the heat. Luckily I beat him there and locked all the doors, ha ha! For book followers, mile 1,004.3 page 96.
Date: 2018-07-06
From: Bears Den Hostel

To: Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC)
Miles today: 19.9

Officially hiking into Harpers Ferry was very emotional. Hikers have this town on there mind right from the start down in Georgia. And when I began crossing the road bridge over the Shanendoah River, that is when the emotions started. I'll be honest, I was not 100% sure I'd make this destination when I began the adventure back on April 6th. I'd never hiked like this before and wasn't sure what to expect. Fortunately, I've overcome some minor setbacks (dental issues) and been lucky enough to avoid injury and illness. Others have not been as fortunate.When Barb B. from Florida told me she wanted to send a care package, and she said this many months before I started, I purposely gave her the address to the ATC knowing it would be special in many ways. There were many days of hiking were I'd say to myself, you have to keep going and get to that package. And after hiking over 1,000 miles I got to the ATC and picked-up her care package! Thanks so much Barb for being part of this momentous achievement. I hope you and everyone else are enjoying following the adventure. Without all of you supporting and following me this would not be possible, thanks.The weather today was overcast with light rain until about 2:30 PM. The temperature was cooler with acceptable humidity. This allowed me to get back to good mileage and hike 20 miles today, leaving Virginia and crossing into West Virginia. I also took the advice of Mike U. and froze a bottle of water. After the first three climbs today I used the bottle to cool down by placing it against my neck, head and wrists. Once the ice was completely melted, I added some electrolyte mix and enjoyed an ice cold drink. Thanks for the tip Mike. It felt great today to be back to hiking like I had become accustomed to. I averaged 19 miles per hiking day in Virginia. Virginia was over 500 miles of hiking and the state has now been crossed off the list.At about the halfway point of today's hike I texted a couple Air Force friends to see if they could come to Harpers Ferry tomorrow. I served with them at Fairchild AFB and they both now lived within an hour of Harpers Ferry. I was happy to find out later in the day when I checked my phone while on the highway bridge that they'd love to get together tomorrow.I stayed at the Teahorse Hostel and discovered hiker Lost & Found was staying here as well. It has been a few weeks since we've crossed paths. We went to a nearby place called the Barn to catch-up over a couple beers and celebrate our being in Harpers Ferry. For book followers, mile 1024.2 page 97.
Date: 2018-07-10
From: Rocky Run Shelter

To: Raven Rock Shelter
Miles today: 20.6
Weather: clear sky

What a difference a day can make. I took one ibuprofen before setting out to hike and the foot pains from the day before did not return. This allowed me to hike 20 miles which I've become accustomed to doing regularly. The hike today took me through some historic areas associated with George Washington. I spent some time talking to a local historian, but we talked more about hiking rather than our first President.At the Teahorse Hostel I bumped into Erich, the hiker from Switzerland. He now goes by the trail name 'CH' since his first name ends in those two letters. The last time I seen CH was at the Hiker Inn in Damascus, Virginia. With my taking time off to visit with family and friends he was able to catch up with me. We took the opportunity to discuss our hikes at dinner and I'm happy to report he's doing well. Looks like he'll be able to complete his hike before his deadline to head back to Switzerland. There was a stretch where we hiked together today and he's much faster now compared to when I first met him in the rain some time ago. A couple times I fell behind while keeping him in site. Eventually I think I will pull ahead once again as I consistently average more miles per day than CH. For book followers, mile 1,060.8 page 101.
Date: 2018-07-11
From: Raven Rock Shelter

To: Rocky Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 19.8

I'm now taking one ibuprofen each day about three hours after starting to hike. Three hours of hiking was when my feet would start to ache. Hoping this strategy works.Today I crossed a significant line and almost crossed another. First, the significant line. After hiking a couple hours I crossed the Mason-Dixon line, leaving Maryland behind me and entering Pennsylvania. It feels good to cross another state off the list and now be in the north verses the south. This means I'm moving along in the adventure that ends in Maine. Although now in Pennsylvania, I'm actually moving farther away from Ohio. Sorry sister Barb!When I arrived at the shelter today I was the only hiker there. For some reason, Pennsylvania prefers to have two smaller shelters side-by-side rather than one larger shelter. At first I though this was a waste of space. But it does make sense if there are two groups of hikers and each wants to feel as if they have some privacy.Eventually another hiker arrived. One I've not seen before. She is from Pennsylvania and hiking this state only. Today was her first day. I never did get her name but we talked over dinner and she was kind enough to give me a handful of fresh cherries she carried in with her. She decided to tent and in the end I was the only one in my shelter and a couple hikers came later to occupy the other.Now to the second line I almost crossed. About 45 minutes after hiking up to Chimney Rocks and taking in the view, I was cruising along an easy stretch of trail when I froze in my tracks. I didn't see it initially but I certainly did hear it. I'd never heard a rattlesnake in the wild until this moment. The rattle came from right in front of me and from the ground. So I pretty much knew what it was. It was a six foot timber rattlesnake and only the last foot or so was on the trail. He shook his rattle to let me know he was there and I'm thankful for that. I watched for about a minute as it slowly slithered off the trail. Sorry to say my phone was buried in my pack and I decided it was best to just keep moving. I'm now paying more attention to lines I cross. For book followers, mile 1,080.6 page 106.
Date: 2018-07-12
From: Rocky Mountain Shelter

To: Pine Grove Furnace SP
Miles today: 22.8

I've been looking forward to today for a long time. The day I cross over the half way point of total adventure miles. I now have less miles to go to finish than I've already completed. And that feels great!There is a tradition on the AT to eat a half gallon of ice cream to celebrate the half way accomplishment. I'd originnally planned on tackling the challenge. However, I decided to forgo the challenge and opted for real food. Besides, the ice cream wasn't special. It was stuff I could by in my hometown. Having hiked over 22 miles and skipping a snack, I ordered a cheeseburger with fries. The fries were thin cut like those at carnivals. Perfect! I ate around 6:30 PM and also ordered a buffalo chicken wrap for a snack before bed. Let me tell you, this was the best buffalo chicken wrap I've ever had. They grilled it which I think was what put it over the top.I spent the night at the Ironmasters Mansion Hostel. The building is a historic mansion and is now used by the ATC for a hostel. I paid to be included in the breakfast which was bagel, waffles, OJ, Mixed fruit and coffee. I skipped the scrambled eggs.My feet have been feeling better since I started the one ibuprofen per day regimen. For book followers, mile 1,103.4 page 107.
Date: 2018-07-13
From: Pine Grove Furnace SP

To: Backpacker's Campsite
Miles today: 18.9

I'm in the middle of a nice stretch for hikers on the AT. With good planning there is town food readily available for three days in a row. Today I had my sights set on reaching Boiling Springs for dinner.Prior to that I left the trail around lunch time and walked a half mile to a small deli. I ordered the club sub with loads of fixings and also bought two single serving bags of pickle chips. Add in a cold drink and it was an awesome lunch.Today the trail went through plenty of farmland. At times I felt like I was back in Ohio in the farming areas. There were corn and soybean fields. The corn here is about seven feet tall in some areas. The trouble with hiking in these areas is the lack of shade. Being out in the sun too long means taking extra precautions. You either cover up or use sunscreen. Trouble with sunscreen is you are adding it to dirty, sweaty skin. Not to mention bug screen too. All this can't be good for your skin since we seldom shower daily.Once I arrived in Boiling Springs I ate at a cafe and had chicken fajitas and a small garden salad. There weren't any places to stay in town so I opted to tent. This was the first time I tented in almost a month. The campsite was near railroad tracks. Trains came through twice an hour all through the night. Without the protection of house walls I heard the squeak of every wheel. A small price to pay for great town food.Before heading out the following morning I talked to a few locals at the gas station. The spring that is in Boiling Springs runs year round at a constant temperature. And the main source of the water is Lake Erie. For book followers, mile 1,122.3 page 112.