morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2019-04-09
From: Cherry Creek Shelter 

To: Roan Mountain Shelter 
Miles today: 18.0

Wet, muddy climb up Roan. Seemed to rain or drip all day. At least it was warm enough to wear shorts as long as I was moving. In clouds all the way up, no views. I was surprised that it was a small, enclosed cabin with a door! It was nice to cook inside out of the weather.
Date: 2019-04-09
From: Roan Mountain Shelter 

To: Roan, TN
Miles today: 16.0

Going down the mountain was muddy, very slippery and treacherous. After a few hours of sun, the mud firmed up a bit. The last several miles included long climbs and descents over two balds. Don¢t know why, but I finally felt really good and was able to move well for the entire stretch.Got to mount harbor hostel in the afternoon and was able to get cleaned up and organized fast. This is a clean, friendly, well thought out place. Very friendly and helpful owners. Can¢t wait for the breakfast tomorrow!
Date: 2019-04-12
From: Boots Off Hostel, near Hampton, TN

To: Old shelter 
Miles today: 30.0

Really lucked out with weather. It was supposed to rain at several points during the day, but never really did. Ended up hiking til about 9ish with another guy for a 30 mile day. Lighting and thunder show while in tent failed to produce rain, but put me to sleep almost immediately!
Date: 2019-04-18
From: Trimpi 

To: My Rogers HQ / Marion
Miles today: 10.0

10 very fast ones to make an early shuttle time from HQ to Marion. It was worth the huffing and puffing. I got a cheap motel room and the local enchiladas y tamales were pretty damn good, all things considered. Now we have 2 days of thunderstorms and possible tornadoes. I¢m staying put til that stuff passes.
Date: 2019-04-20
From: Atkins 

To: Roanoke
Miles today: 0.0

Can a bald retiree thru hiking the AT have a spring break? Why the hell not? My sweetheart arrived with a boat load of replacement gear and a big, fat care package full of great trail treats from our daughter! Couldn¢t get any better, right? Wrong.I drove a car! I wore cotton clothes. I don¢t reek of sweat, smoke, mud, shelter grime or mold! I haven¢t been attacked by a rhododendron for days! I am dry! I carry things in my hands, not on my back. On the 4th day of spring break, I actually felt full after a meal.... for more than an hour!And while WiFi is at my fingertips, I want to say thanks, again, to all of you for the support and encouragement.
Date: 2019-04-25
From: Jenkins Shelter 

To: Lickskillet Hostel
Miles today: 24.4

Good Day, dry trails, great lunch at Brushy Mtn Outpost and a long afternoon to get to Lickskillet. Tomorrow¢s forecast: 100% chance of rain, and thunder showers. I think I¢ll have a second cup of coffee before heading into the storm tomorrow morning!Oh yeah, we passed the 600 mile ¢marker today! We means Legend and his great dog, Jasper
Date: 2019-05-02
From: 703.9

To: Daleville
Miles today: 25.8

The redo on Mcafee Knob wasn¢t the same w/o Betsy. Tinkers Cliffs was very cool but got chased off by thunder and lightening. It finally caught me a couple hours later and got drenched for 30 min and swam down the trails in rivers of mud and debris. One hour later it was hot and humid again. Made it to Daleville, late, w/o slippin¢ and killing myself. Shower, Mexican food, pint of ice cream, bed... couldn¢t have taken another step. Time for a zero.
Date: 2019-05-18
From: Mountain Hostel 

To: Front Royal
Miles today: 0.0

Dear Family and Friends,Thanks again for the nice notes, support and concern after the recent tragedy on the trail. But believe me, I am lucky to be leapfrogging, hiking with, tenting next to, elbowing in a shelter, eating dinner or breakfast with all kinds of great folks everyday. And all of them willing to lend a hand when needed. Chao!
Date: 2019-05-20
From: Whiskey Hollow

To: ATC Bear Den Hostel 
Miles today: 18.0

Tough heat, humidity, rugged, rocky, relentless up/down for 14 friggin miles. But hey, I ended the day with some great folks I met treating me to a hostel stay and dinner at a fab brewery with a view near the hostel. Thanks to Oregon, Pennsylvania and Vermont for lending 3 great guys to the trail!
Date: 2019-05-21
From: ATC Bear Den Hostel 

To: Harpers Ferry
Miles today: 20.0

Passed the 1000 mark. Paused for a moment of contemplation and celebration until driven on by hordes of flying insects! I think a pint of ice cream in town is a better way to celebrate. Fabulous weather today, cool,dry, breezy, perfect for hiking.Walked across the Shenandoah River to get to town.... gorgeous!Foto at the ATC headquarters manana, more town food and over the Potomac River I go.
Date: 2019-06-04
From: Leroy Smith shelter

To: Delaware Water Gap
Miles today: 20.0

Finally! Goodbye Pennsylvania! Fabulous people, horrific, rocky, swampy trails that seemed to go on forever! I was hit with lightning, rain, showers, sideways rain, thunderstorms, hailed on, and sideswiped by a tornado that touched down west of the ridge I was damn near blown off.
Date: 2019-04-12
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

When I was 11 years old, my dad took me to Yosemite for my first backpacking trip. I think it was 6 days and 5 nights and after the first day of hiking all I wanted to do was be anywhere but Yosemite. My back hurt, my feet were sore - I was dirty and the food sucked. I couldn't see how I would keep going for five more days... but I did. Every day I felt a little stronger, I bonded more with the other kids and hikers in our group - I made it up Halfdome and made it out the other side with a great sense of accomplishments and memories that will last my whole life. But I definitely didn't think after that - "why don't I do this for six months"?I went on many more trips during high school and college but after college got a demanding job in Boston and caught up in trying to make ends meet - pay rent, student loans, and try to save anything I could. I went over 3 years without spending a night in the woods. Finally, I made my way back to NH and rediscovered my love for the outdoors. I would do a lot of day hikes and some weekend trips and every time it never seemed long enough. I wanted more - a bigger adventure where I could really challenge myself, meet new people, see new places, feel how I felt in Yosemite.After a lot of research, thinking things over and talking with friends and family - I decided that 2019 would be the year I did the Appalachian Trail. I'm 27 years old and the timing would probably never be better. I don't own a home, I'm not in a committed relationship, and finally have the financial ability to make it happen. I started I've never done a solo overnight hike before - now I'll be spending 5-6 months in the woods. It certainly is a little nerve racking but I'm much more excited than anything. I can't wait for all of the memories I'll make, the people I'll meet, and the lessons I'll learn. It should be one hell of a ride. -Kevin
Date: 2019-04-24
To: Franklin, NC
Miles today: 4.0

Week 1 is in the books and things are off to a great start. I¢ve gone 110 miles so far and feeling good overall. Staying in Franklin, NC tonight to rest and resupply and then back at it tomorrow.I started at Amicalola Falls last Monday, registered as a a thru hiked and did orientation and instantly met another hiker, Clark, who I have been hiking with since.Stayed at Springer Mountain Shelter the first night and mistakenly put my tent under a ¢widow maker¢ (dead overhanging tree). Woke up in the middle of the night to it creeping above me and ran into the shelter. While talking about it the next morning I received my trail name, Crypter, from a Air Force veteran (he said it was a term they would use for out of commission planes - what I could have been if I had stayed put). Its unique and stuck - so I¢ve got a kick out of telling the story and will not make that mistake again.I¢ve met tons of people already. The names I can remember so far are Camelback Santa, Soup, Ragnar, Death by Snoring, Phoenix, Catch Up, Flavor Town, Rev, Sunshine, Poppins, Phat D, Chef, Copilot, Rainman, Indie, Memorial, Fisher, Wind, Cloud, Peach, and many more people that don¢t have trail names yet. I¢ve only had one bad day so far, staying on top of Tray Mountain (4200¢) after hiking through snow and sleet when temps dropped into the 30¢s. My sleeping bag and liner kept me warm but it was a very long night. Most days have been 65-75 degrees although nights generally get into the 40¢s. I go to sleep and wake up with sunset and sunrise typically and hike 8-10 hours per day. Most full days I¢ll do 15 miles with my longest day so far being 16.5. The difficulty can vary a lot depending on elevation changes and weather but I¢ve already summitted 5 4000 footers including Standing Indian Mountain at 5435 ft.I¢ve had some blisters and a bad sunburn but overall cant complain. Can tell I¢ve already lost some weight- it is very difficult to have an appetite to eat enough when you¢re burning so many calories every day. Meeting lots of great people and have a group of 3 I¢ve been hiking with (myself plus Clark, Tim, and Camelback Santa). I should be in the Smokies in a few days which is one of the most beautiful areas of the trail and will try to send another update when I¢m out (service is generally pretty bad on the trail, at least so far). Katahdin here I come!
Date: 2019-05-10
From: Franklin, NC

To: Erwin, TN
Miles today: 200.0

Sorry for the long delay- WiFi has been tough to come by on trail. I¢m now 345 miles in and still going strong. Staying in Erwin, TN today to rest up and relax and then will be back at it tomorrow.Ive been in NC/TN for three weeks now. The three guys I started hiking with have had to take zero days (days you don¢t hike) for injuries and so I¢m now a couple days ahead but I¢ve met plenty of new people and always see friendly faces when I stop for the night at shelters.The toughest section of the trail for me so far were the Smoky Mountains which I reached on 4/30. I was greeted a couple miles after entering the Smokies by a 4 foot Rattle Snake in the trail. I heard it when I about ten feet away and bushwacked around it. I heard a lot about Bears and Wild Boar in the Smokies but didn¢t see a single one. There were plenty of deer though and they were not shy about getting close to humans. I had one walk up to me as I was resting on a log and hit within about 20 yards.In addition to lots of challenging terrain and elevation gain, the Smokies has far fewer water sources and strict restrictions on where you could camp. The shelters were all packed with lots of section hikers and sometimes would have over 20 people at them meaning I would have to find a rough spot to throw the tent up.I also was dealing with some large blisters and got a nice burn on my knee from spilling boiling water so safe to say the Smokies were a challenging section for me.Luckily, my Dad and his friend Chris met me halfway into the Smokies (we had planned this before I left) and cooked a great dinner of burgers and potatoes that raised my spirits a lot. My brother Paul joined after the Smokies as well and hiked a challenging section with me featuring 3000 feet of elevation gain in 7 miles.It was awesome to have Paul, Chris and my dad on the trail and they left my with plenty of food for the next leg of the trip.I¢ve hiked about 90 miles since they¢ve left including mostly rural NC terrain and the town of Hot Springs, NC that the trail literally goes right through. I enjoyed a big dinner at the local diner with a bunch of other hikers and stayed at a motel in town. My friend Achilles and I saw some local kids playing basketball and joined them for a fun game of HORSE. It was one of the more enjoyable times I¢ve had in town and the kids seemed mesmerized by meeting someone from NH that was 6¢ 3¢. My body is definitely getting used to hiking now and I¢ve been able to do a couple of 20 mile days this week. My blisters are gone now and I am mostly pain free. I have lost about 10 pounds as well- it is very difficult to eat enough to maintain weight when you¢re burning 4-5,000 calories a day. I try to eat as much as possible when I¢m in towns and might have eaten a whole pepperoni pizza last weekend.Overall, I¢m in good spirits mentally and physically and excited for the next stretch. There hasn¢t been a single day where I thought for a second about getting off trail. I should be in VA within 10 days. -Kevin-Kevin
Date: 2019-05-28
From: Marion, VA

To: Wytheville, VA
Miles today: 65.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Well, after being mostly injury free for the first six weeks of my hike I¢ve been sidelined with shin splints. For those of you who haven¢t experienced them before, it¢s a common overuse injury where your tendon starts to detach from your shin bone. I started feeling pain in my left leg leaving Marion but aches and pains are typical while hiking long distance and didn¢t think much of it initially. Unfortunately, the pain got worse and I realized it wasn¢t something that was going to go away. I was in a tough spot though, being 20 miles from Marion and 30 miles from the next road crossing. I didn¢t want to backtrack so (with a lot of help from Advil) hiked through the pain for a couple days and was very fortunate to find a ride from a church group doing ¢trail magic¢ (giving out free food and sometimes toiletries to hikers) at a dirt road crossing.I made my way to Bland, VA (about as exciting as the name implies) and was dropped off at the only motel in town on Saturday. The owners quickly informed me they were all booked up. I asked if they knew of anywhere else to stay and they told me my best chance was to go into Wytheville, a much bigger town 15 miles south. I got a ride from a local named Bubba to a small motel on the edge of town and have now been resting up, icing heavily, and doing rehabilitation stretches for three days waiting for my leg to heal. I also got a ride from the cleaning lady at the motel to a mall and got to watch a movie and get my first haircut since starting. At first it was nice having some down time but I¢m definitely ready to get back on the trail now. Shin splints can linger and I¢ve talked to multiple hikers who have said it is usually a 2-4 day healing process and you need to slowly work back up to big mileage. I¢m hoping to get back on the trail tomorrow and will probably be doing only 8-12 miles a day for the next week.Most hikers on the AT get some sort of injury along the way and I¢m not letting it dampen my spirits. I have some friends as well that I started hiking with who will now catch up to me which will be nice. Minor setback and I¢m hoping to be back to 20 mile days in a couple weeks. I will keep you all up to date, I got off trail at mile 585 and should hit 600 before the end of the week. - Kevin ¢Crypter¢
Date: 2019-06-04
From: Wytheville, VA

To: Pearisburg, VA
Miles today: 50.0

My shin splints are getting better, slowly but surely. I was really disappointed when I first had to get off trail because I was finally starting to feel good doing high mileage days (18-20 miles for me). I had become very single minded on accomplishing mileage goals and hitting one checkpoint after another. 300 miles, then 400, 500. But I also think I was not fully enjoying all the trail had to offer- the viewpoints, the hostels, the downtime in trail towns with friends. Those are really what makes the trail so enjoyable, the hiking is more the work you do to reap those rewards.Since my injury, I¢ve been taking things slow and enjoying the trail a lot more. I¢ve met a lot more people and had a number of ¢old¢ friends catch up to me again. I stayed at two amazing hostels this week including Woods Hole Hostel - one of the oldest on trail that features a picturesque bunkhouse, gardens, farm animals and dogs running around and the best homemade meals I¢ve had so far in the trail. I ended up liking it so much I stayed two nights. It¢s one of the places that really highlights the trail community and I hope to visit again someday.I finally left the motel in Wytheville last Wednesday and have been taking it easy, doing 10 or so miles a day. My leg still has some tightness and gets sore after a long day of hiking but is definitely improving. Doing low mileage has allowed me to sleep in late, spend more time at shelters and enjoy cool spots along the trail like Dismal Falls- one of my favorite spots so far that had cliffs over a swimming hole (picture is me jumping in- it was pretty cold). I ended up spending two hours there with about 15 other hikers and had a great time.This next stretch will be a tough one- 90 miles to the next town with few hostels and resupply options along the way- but I¢m resting up today in Pearisburg and am ready to start increasing my mileage. Hopefully I¢ll be back to full strength soon but for now I¢m enjoying the ride.- Kevin ¢Crypter¢-Kevin
Date: 2019-06-27
From: Waynesboro, VA

To: Front Royal, VA
Miles today: 109.0
Weather: broken clouds

This week I entered the second major National Park of my thru hike, Shenandoah NP, and it did not disappoint. After having somewhat mixed feelings about the Smokies due to overcrowding, lack of water sources, and difficult terrain, the Shenandoahs were one of my favorite parts of the trip.The trail in SNP is just over 100 miles and it is relatively easy compared to the rest of the trail so far. There were no major climbs, well groomed trails, and so many facilities. It was like being in a hiking dream to walk by facilities every day with trash cans, bathrooms, and running water. In addition, the trail follows Skyline Drive fairly closely and crosses over it a number of times. With this being the case, there were multiple ¢Waysides¢ (casual restaurants), lodges, and camping areas to eat at or stay at. These were a huge treat and allowed me to carry far less food than normal.The first night in SNP, I stayed at Loft Mountain Campground- sharing a site with five other hikers. I met a Park Ranger named Mark who told me he had thru hiked in 1974, one of only 30 people to complete the trail that year. He drove me and my friend Camelback Santa to a nearby restaurant and shared stories from his trip while I enjoyed a steak and cheese, french fries, and ice cream. When we got back to the campground we found out an amazing Trail Angel named Tambourine was giving out trail magic and I got a dessert of hot dogs and Doritos.I did 20 mile days four out of five days in the park including a 22 yesterday that was my longest since the injury. I finally feel like I¢m completely back to full strength and it¢s a great feeling. When I started, I had little doubt I could complete the trail but the injury certainly gave me second thoughts. Now that it¢s healed up, I¢m fully confident I can do this.I was sad to leave the Shenandoahs yesterday but can¢t wait to be out of Virginia. It¢s a beautiful state, but I¢ve already spent five weeks here and it¢s time for a change. I¢ll pass the 1000 mile mark in two days and be in historic Harper¢s Ferry, VA by Sunday in all likelihood. I¢ve certainly gained a new appreciation for the South but looking forward to crossing the Mason-Dixon Line and getting closer to friends and family in the north. The next week should be full of milestones as I¢ll likely hike through four states (VA, WV, MD, PA). There are only 40 miles of trail in WV and MD and some people do it in 24 hours in what¢s called the Four State Challenge. I¢ll probably do it in 2 as that sounds miserable to me. Until next time.-Kevin ¢Crypter¢-Kevin
Date: 2019-07-26
From: Port Clinton, PA

To: Pawling, NY
Miles today: 225.0

I am so close to New England now it feels kind of surreal. Almost two thirds of the way through the trail and the last two weeks have been awesome. The middle portion of the trail has had a distinctly different feel to it than the south had. It doesn¢t feel as remote now - towns are closer together, there are a lot more people on the trail (day/section hikers especially), and frequent highway/road crossings. I can definitely tell I¢m in more densely populated areas which is nice because I can travel light (carry less food) and there are a lot more services/stores close to the trail. It also doesn¢t hurt having decent cell service most of the time.New Jersey only has about 50 miles of trail but was a fun state. It featured board walks, a wildlife refuge, and lots of trail magic. It wasn¢t particularly difficult but the heat wave did mean I had to alter my strategy a bit. The temperature got into the 90¢s my second day in NJ with a heat index over 100. This meant that I really didn¢t want to hike through the hottest part of the day and would try to get most of my miles done in the morning. The first town I stopped at in NJ to was actually just over the border in NY - Unionville. I stopped and got pizza there with two friends, Zippy and Diggs, and a local pastor (former thru hiker names Bonzai) let us use his house to shower and get out of the sun. We didn¢t really want to go back out into the heat and heard about a local drive in that let thru hikers camp and watch movies for free so got a ride to the theater in Warwick and had a great time watching the Lion King and eating popcorn and candy. There were probably 15 thru hikers there that night including a few friends I hadn¢t seen in weeks and it was a lot of fun.We crossed over into New York on Sunday and finally the weather cooled down the next day. New York was possibly my favorite state so far - gentle terrain, delis and parks along the trail, and plenty of lakes to swim in. Swimming is something I¢ve really missed being on the trail and it felt great to go to a beach and cool off in an actual lake for once. The trail also went directly through a zoo near Fort Montgomery, NY for about a quarter mile- probably the most unique stretch so far.The highest point in New York is bear mountain at just over 1300 feet so there weren¢t many tough climbs and descents. I did the 85 or so miles in New York in 5 days and am feeling great. I¢ll be in CT today (Friday) and MA on Monday. I¢ve been moving at a good pace through the easier middle states and should be able to meet my goal of finishing in five months (before September 16). I¢m really excited to return to New England where I have lots of friends and family close by. I can¢t wait to get back on trail today after spending last night at an inn - resting up and enjoying some NY pizza. Until next time.- Kevin ¢Crypter¢-Kevin