morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2014-06-17
From: Brown Mt. Creek

To: Day 66 - Mile 800 to Spy Rock
Miles today: 18.5
Weather: clear sky

Got up and out early after washing up in the creek. Passed the Brown Creek Shelter a mile down the trail. I guess we could have made it there last night if we used our headlamps, but another mile uphill, twelve hours into the day seemed like forever. At US 60 we found some trail magic of beer and cookies. Thanks!The uphill trek continued with a vertical so steep you could almost reach out and touch the ground ahead of you. Natalie and I picked our way slowly up Bald Knob while Mike jogged on in front. Creep.Water is again an issue. Not always available and not always in quantity. You have to plan well through this section. Should I carry six pounds of water or do I trust that there's water ahead as listed in the guide? You have to balance. I tend to be cautious and carry a little more weight. We heard from a group of southbound scouts that they had left trail magic at Salt Log Gap. Coolers with sodas and goodies; thanks guys!We hiked on to Spy Rock, a huge boulder field with great views. The last half mile climb really tore me and N up. The accumulation of miles and the heat of the last few days is wearing us down. We ate on the rocks (which requires a little scrambling to get up onto), made some calls, then I headed to bed. There are great campsites here just off the rocks. One couple is set up on the rocks. Well, I'm beat. Bye for now.
Date: 2014-06-19
From: Reed's Gap / Devil's Backbone Pub

To: Day 68 - Reeds Gap to US 250, Waynesboro
Miles today: 19.2

This will be short and sweet. We got up early and hitched back to Reeds Gap from Devil's Backbone. I got out first and waited for the kids. It was an uneventful hike with Mike taking off ahead of us to get to the post office in Waynesboro before five.Mike got to Rte. 250 before three. 19.2 miles in six and a half hours. Natalie and I got there at four thirty after taking a break for lunch. Pretty quick hiking.Mike had already gotten a room and picked up the stuff at the post office when N and I got there. The first thing we did was head for Andi and Yvanna's room. Yahoo! Andi, Yvanna, beer and chips, life is gut!Thank you to Natalie's family for all the goodies! Thank you to Mary, and John and Sarah for the care packages and news from home!! Zero tomorrow for Yvanna's birthday!!!!! Oh, and maybe a World Cup game or two.
Date: 2014-06-20
From: Waynesboro

To: Day 69 - Waynesboro 0
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Natalie went to the clinic yesterday and got antibiotics for her infected heel. So today we are taking it easy. Naps are nice. We met Andi and Yvanna and went out for dinner and to celebrate Yvanna's birthday. There's a western themed bar/pub called Jake's, just one street down from the Quality Inn. Simon (John Deere) and Hoff were waiting there with Puzzle, This Guy, and Ginger Ninja; all to help with the celebration. We'd met Simon, Hoff, and Puzzle before, but This Guy and Ginger Ninja were new to us. We all ordered burgers and beers and enjoyed the cake that Simon and Hoff brought. Lots of laughs with Ginger Ninja and This Guy.Some of the group were staying at the Lutheran hostel and had to be in by nine so they left early. Mike and Natalie, Yvanna and Andi and I stayed for a few more beers because the skies opened up dropping buckets of rain. Unfortunately the rain stopped. Fortunately we went back to A and Y's room for a nightcap and some fruit and cheese. Tomorrow we head into the Shenandoah. We hear there's a lot of bear activity there. We shall see. TTFN
Date: 2014-06-21
From: Waynesboro 0

To: Day 70-Waynesb'o to just past Sawmill Run Overlook
Miles today: 11.4
Weather: overcast clouds

Our first day back hiking with Andi and Yvanna. We had a little breakfast at the motel before heading back to the trail and I bumped into Delaware and Gadget; nice young people. M & N and A & Y hitched out from Main St. I walked down W. Broadway to 250 and using my "Hiker to Trail" sign, I got picked up very quickly. Lee Diehl, who produces organic feed in Waynesboro, was kind enough to take me to the trailhead. Thanks, Lee. And thanks for the Mennonite made pecan roll; delicious. A & Y were already there and M & N got dropped off shortly after. There's a kettle korn stand near the trail and we were enjoying some when Heike came walking by. She was just getting to town and said she had been caught in last night's rain. She's staying at QI and we told her about Jake's. We also told her we'd be in Luray for the Germany vs. U.S.A. World Cup game. She said she'd try to get there.We got on the trail at 11:50 with no idea how far we'd go. The hiking wasn't bad, both because of the terrain and the company. It's nice to be hiking with our friends again. We hiked to Beagle Gap and had lunch. We could hear thunder in the distance and as we resumed our hike the rain moved in. We sloshed through a downpour for a few hours. The AT became a creek running down the trail the color of chocolate milk. As it tapered off we began looking for a campsite and found one about a mile beyond the Sawmill Run Overlook. We had dinner and a little chatter before heading to bed. Oh yeah, we made sure we had a good bear bag hang. The bears are supposedly very active around here.The rain began again shortly after we got on our tents. Pretty heavy out there, I'm glad I'm in here.Night All.
Date: 2014-06-22
From: Just past Sawmill Run Overlook

To: Day 71 - Camp at 869.3 to camp at 889.3
Miles today: 20.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Woke up to a damp, dreary looking morning. Everything was wet to some extent, but I felt that we'd get a chance to dry out at some point today. Just a feeling.I was out of camp first with A and Y right behind. About two miles into our hike, at Skyline 92.4, as we crossed the road, Yvanna saw what she thought was a trash can down the foggy road. Then she noticed that it was moving toward us. My first bear after 870 miles in the woods and I see it on the road. It walked toward us, but at a good distance and then turned off into the brush along the side of the road. Pretty cool to finally see one. The three of us hiked on to the Black Rock parking area. We waited there for M and N and had a snack when they came in. We talked for a bit and then I headed out alone. We wanted to make Loft Mt. Campgrounds, another 6.2 miles away, where we could do some laundry and grab some food.As I walked along I saw something move on my left. I spotted two bear cubs climbing up a tree and saw Mama Bear staring out of the brush at me. I started to slowly back away while keeping my full attention on the sow. After a few steps, a voice from behind me asked, "What do you see?" It was a hiker I didn't know who had come up behind me. I had been so focused on the bear I never heard him. I pointed to the bears and he said, "I knew it wasn't a squirrel." "You scared me more than the bear."Yvanna and Andi came along and we all tried to get close without aggravating Mom. N came up next and almost ran toward the bears she was so excited. She said Mike was behind us (sore knee) so I went to find him. When I did we all passed the bears (turned out there were three cubs) taking pics and trying not to make mom angry. Five bears in two hours after more than two and a half months; crazy.Our animal day wasn't over. N saw another bear when she hiked out ahead of us and over the course of the day we saw nine deer.As we got close to Loft Mt. Campgrounds, at around 3:00 p.m., a SOBO hiker came by and said, "Hi, John." I didn't recognize him and was trying to figure out who he was when Natalie yelled out, "It's my dad!"What an excellent surprise. The best trail magic for Natalie. We all went up to the campstore and had a great reunion. We had some drinks and snacks and a lot of talk. We dragged out our gear, because the sun had broken through at last, and dried out our wet gear. There was a laundry there and a shower and we took advantage of them both. Ron (Natalie's dad) shuttled us down to a restaurant where we chowed down on burgers, chicken nuggets, grilled cheese, ice cream, chips, and soda.We still wanted to get some miles in, so around 7 we headed back to the trail. We took some pics with Ron and said our goodbyes. A great visit!We hiked out a few more miles and found a campsite, set up for the night and went to bed. A long exciting day. Thanks Ron for finding us. Natalie was thrilled and the rest of us enjoyed the chance to meet you. Hope to see you again soon. Good Night All.
Date: 2014-06-23
From: Camp at 889.3

To: Day 72 - Camp at 889.3 to Lewis Mt. Campgrounds
Miles today: 22.3
Weather: overcast clouds

We knew we'd be passing the 900 mile mark and decided to meet at, or near Hightop Hut (shelters are called huts in Shenandoah) so that we could cross the mark together. Before we headed out we had a visitor in camp. A young buck with antlers just coming into velvet was hanging around us as we got ready to go. So tame; they have no fear here in Shenandoah. I hiked alone and enjoyed the quiet morning moving down through the mist. M and N caught me at the road crossing at Powell Gap and we watched as waves of clouds rolled up the side of the mountains. I hiked out ahead of the kids until the road at Smith Roach Gap, where we all met for lunch. It was a quick uphill from there to the Hightop Hut where we got water and then walked the half mile to a stone marker for 900. We took a few pictures and then climbed to the summit.The kids wanted to hang out and I wanted to move out so I left for Lewis Mountain Campground eleven miles away. It was 1:30 and the times listed in the guide for some of the stores and restaurants hadn't been accurate. I wanted to be sure I made it before the store closed. I passed a lot of day hikers and saw some wildlife; snakes and deer, no bears today. There was a group of about twenty teenage girls, with some adults, hiking forty miles over a few days. One of the adults, Derek, was excited to meet a thru-hiker and asked if he could take a picture with me. I sense a future thru-hiker there.I got to Lewis Campground at 5:20 and went to the campstore for the chocolate milk I'd been craving. The sign on the door showed closing time as 6 p.m. In the book it had 7 p.m. I'm glad I hurried. Along with the milk I had an apple fritter, York Peppermint Patty, chips, a water, a root beer and a Hershey Bar. Just a little something to hold me until supper. I told the man working the register that there were people coming in from the trail and he said he'd stay open until they got in. Thank you. M and N got there forty-five minutes later with Andi and Yvanna not far behind. They all loaded up on food and we decided that 22 miles for the day was enough. We got a campsite there. It was $15, but you were only allowed two tents per site. Two of the day hikers I passed today, James and Dillon, were there and told me to set up on their site. Thanks guys.We cooked dinner, drank some beer and soda, ate all the junk food we had purchased at the store and chatted with our neighbors. Soon enough it was time for bed. We'll see what tomorrow brings. Bye for now.
Date: 2014-06-24
From: Lewis Mt. Campgrounds

To: Day 73-Lewis Mt to just belowStoney Man Summit Trl
Miles today: 17.2
Weather: broken clouds

Our hike today consisted of traveling from restaurant to restaurant. In the Shenandoah Park there are places along the parkway not far from the trail, where you can stop for a meal. For us today, there were two; one nine miles from Lewis Campground, and the next about nine miles from there. Deciding we should take advantage of the high calorie option, we were stopping at both.I passed Derek and the girls again and took some pictures. They're a church group, Latter-day Saints, and I asked them to say, "Guten morgan" to Andi and Yvanna, who were hiking behind me; they did, getting big smiles from A and Y. We made the first restaurant, Big Meadows Lodge, and had lunch. The girls fell asleep afterward on the benches outside. I got bored so I hiked out alone. Some nice views along the way and the terrain was kind. This is a great place to take someone as an introduction to backpacking. Lots of wildlife, nice people, and well worn trails.I was taking my time and after a while Andi and Yvanna caught up. We hiked together the rest of the way to the Skyland Resort and Restaurant. It's kind of snazzy for being in the middle of a national park. Pseudo snazzy, wannabe snazzy; weird. M and N showed up after some time and we ate, but the novelty of food in the woods is wearing off. After Luray and the World Cup I think we'll get back to normal.After supper we hiked on a short way and found a site a bit off trail. We set up quickly and I went into the tent to write this. The kids are outside talking and giggling; the best part of the day. Night All.
Date: 2014-06-25
From: Just belowStoney Man Summit Trail

To: Day 74 -Stony Man Summit to 937.2 Thornton Gap
Miles today: 8.4

I was up at 5:30 and out at 6:30. I passed a hiker named Yellow Beard on Little Stony Man Cliff. He had spent a sleepless, windy night there. I took some pics at the overlook and moved on. There were a couple of nice picnic areas along the trail with water bubblers; nice, no filtering. There were a lot of deer along the trail browsing on the plants that line the way. They just stand and stare until you get about ten feet away, then they calmly walk off into the denser brush. I stopped at Byrd's Rest Hut #3 and signed the register, then made my way to Thornton's Gap. After cleaning up in the huge, CLEAN restroom there, I walked down to Rte. 211 to hitchhike the eight miles into the town of Luray. I was getting my HIKER TO TOWN sign out when a truck pulled over and offered me a lift. A local construction worker who had done a lot of the historical restoration work in Luray took me to Rte. 340 a couple miles from downtown Luray. Thanks for the lift. I was going to hoof it from there when Coffee and his wife pulled over and gave me a ride the rest of the way to town. Coffee had been attempting a thru this year when a bad knee forced him off trail. They dropped me off at the outfitters. Get well soon, Coffee, and thanks.Natalie and Mike saw me outside the outfitters when they got into town. Their ride was provided by a nice lady named Sharon Shutle who helps out hikers all the time. Thanks Ms. Shutle. As we walked down the street we texted Andi and Yvanna to meet us for lunch. Before we could finish the text they were dropped off next to us by another local trail angel. Thank you. At the suggestion of Linda, the woman at Appalachian Outdoors Adventures, we ate at the West Main Market. Delicious sandwiches and nice people. We also took her advice and stayed at the Best Western, which was a nice, clean place with a decent little pool. John, the man at the desk, was very accommodating and even offered us a ride to the store to resupply.The girls crashed and napped, the guys hit the pool and then watched some World Cup. We grabbed some food at Gennaro's next door and after a late supper hit the hay. Germany vs. U.S.A. tomorrow then we hike out again.TTFN
Date: 2014-06-26
From: Thornton Gap

To: Day 75-Thornton Gap to camp south of Jennings Trl
Miles today: 7.8

A very late start after watching Germany beat the U.S.A. in a wet, sloppy, uninteresting World Cup match. We watched the game at Uncle Buck's in Luray and enjoyed great service (thanks to our waitress, Betty) and good food. Yellow Beard, who had met Andi and Yvanna before, joined us for the game and lunch. After the game we did a bit of resupply and hitched out to Thornton Gap. Andi and Yvanna got a ride right away from a woman who worked at Uncle Buck's. M and N went ahead of me and I waited to see if they'd get a ride. While I waited a truck pulled over and asked if I needed a ride, and when I said yes they asked if I'd mind if they pick up the couple up the road. I said that'd be great they're with me. So we all rode out together. Thanks for the ride.At the trailhead we saw Sweet as Peaches and Odysseus who were looking for Hat Trick. We told them he'd been in Luray, but had headed out here earlier. They left to find him. We hiked into the woods at about 4:30 p.m. not knowing how far we'd go. A couple of miles in we saw Yellow Beard being dropped off. He hiked with us for a few miles to the campsite we decided to use, but chose to move on because he had no water. Our water was low too, but we knew there was a stream about a mile further on we could use and campsites were few and far between.Mike and I got all the water bags together and headed out to fill them while Natalie, Yvanna, and Andi set up camp. About a quarter mile out we saw the biggest bear either of us had ever seen. It was massive. I couldn't get my camera out in time for a shot because I was too busy gawking at it. I was thinking that maybe I wasn't that thirsty after all, but we continued down the trail a little more cautiously.Not much further along we saw a cub on our right walking nonchalantly through the trees. We didn't see his mom though, which made us nervous. He crossed the trail in front of us and moved away on our left. We looked around, never spotting the mother, and moved gingerly down the trail.We reached the spring, filled up and walked/ran back to the campsite eyes wide open for anything that moved. When we got there, Odysseus, Hat Trick, and Sweet as Peaches were there. We warned them about the bears and they moved on. We ate a little dinner and made sure to hang the bags high and away from the camp. Tick check tonight because we all had some on us today.Try for twenty miles tomorrow. Nice chance to chat with Amy on the phone.Night All
Date: 2014-06-27
From: Camp south of Jennings Trail

To: Day 76 - 950.0 camp to Bear Hollow Creek 966.4
Miles today: 21.4

Everyone was up early. We hope to make it to Harper's Ferry by Monday. Today was a most unremarkable day except that we left the Shenandoah National Park, and we met one of the nicest trail magic ladies we've had the pleasure to meet.The hiking was relatively easy and we had all agreed to meet at Hogwallow Gap for lunch. M & N and I got there first and as I hung my shirt on my trekking poles to dry, a car pulled onto the grass along the side of the road. A man got out of the driver's side and a young lady got out of the passenger's side. She walked toward us and (with a little prompting from her Poppy) asked us if we would like trail magic. We said, "Yes, of course!" and were offered sodas, cookies, and chips. We learned our trail angel's name is Lily and she and her Poppy, Dave, are paying back for the trail magic Dave's son received on his thru hike last year.Andi and Yvanna came out of the woods and were met with the same invitation and a "Guten morgan" from Lily. Now where did she learn that? That was great trail magic Dave and Lily. Thank You.Seeing Lily reminded me of my grandlings back home. I miss them all and can't wait to see them. We hiked another quick ten miles and set up camp by a stream. Both Natalie and I soaked our feet. My foot and shin are swollen, and her ankle is sore. A family of five, mom, dad, and three children, who are thru-hiking stopped to camp nearby. There wasn't much conversation because we were all in bed by eight. Another twenty miles tomorrow. Night AllP.S. Almost forgot, we saw Route Step today and I finally remembered to take a picture. We pass each other a lot because he southbounds in sections. He also has been kind enough to put out trail magic along the way. Thanks.
Date: 2014-06-28
From: Bear Hollow Creek

To: Day 77 - Bear Hollow Creek to stream at 987.6
Miles today: 21.2

Natalie and Mike went out first today. Natalie's got a tender ankle and wanted a head start. I was out next with A and Y close behind. I've been fighting a sore right foot and leg for two days. I kicked an immovable object the other day and the pain has moved from my toes to the top of my foot and my lower shin. I'll take some ibuprofen and hope for the best.Today was much like yesterday. We hiked about twenty miles. Basically heads down hiking. There was a nice change of scenery as we passed through Sky Meadows State Park where the forests opened to wide grassy areas which were cool. We had some trail magic at the Tucker's Lane parking area when Shock Top (Marie) drove in with Gator-Ade, water, and bananas. Thanks, Marie, and thanks for the trail maintenance you do.We saw a few more thrus today that we hadn't seen before and a few we have, but none that we've had extended conversations with. Sometimes I think, at this point, we've all become a bit cliquey. Everyone seems comfortable within their little groups. Unfortunately, our little clique will be breaking up when we get to Harper's Ferry and Andi and Yvanna leave to visit Andi's brother in Washington D.C.. We'll get together again before too long. Mike and I will be looking to spend some time with our family when we get to Massachusetts and I'm sure they'll catch us there if not sooner.We hiked on looking for a good site. Andi spotted one by a nice creek where we set up and had a fire. We ate, talked for a bit and went to bed. Long hours hiking mean less chatter at the end of the day.One small incident today. Andi was going to brush his teeth before going to bed. He spread a nice big blob of paste on his brush and began to scrub. "Ack! Ack!" He was spitting and choking and went running for the stream. Benadryl anti-itch cream doesn't make a flavorful toothpaste. The good news is his teeth are no longer itchy.Bye for now.
Date: 2014-06-29
From: Stream at 987.6

To: Day 78 - Stream at 987.6 to Wilson Gap 1005.9
Miles today: 18.3

My ankle and shin were very swollen and sore today. Whether it's a sprain or I hyper-extended something, I don't know. I do know we needed to hike about twenty miles and thirteen of them were over a section called the Rollercoaster because of the radical ups and downs. We did have a nice break at mile 999.7. We got off trail at Snicker's Gap and walked down to the Horseshoe Curve Restaurant. A nice pub with decent food and cold beer. The kids were smart enough to skip the beer and settle for soda. I wasn't that smart. After we ate we rested there for a bit, then headed back to the trail. We passed the thousand mile marker on a stone, then another on a tree and still another that was an actual sign. I don't know which was right, but we took a group picture at the sign. We still needed to put in a few miles to make tomorrow easier. I did okay for the first couple of miles, but my leg became more swollen and I slowed down considerably. At five miles from the break I was done so we made a site near Wilson's Gap. Andi and Mike want to do three things tomorrow; get out of Virginia, get to the ATC, and watch the Germany vs. Algeria World Cup match. The ATC is the Appalachian Trail Conservancy where they take your picture and you see what number hiker you are passing through. When we left we were around #2000 on the trail. Andi and Yvanna gave me a cream they use for muscle ache and I tried that. We'll see what tomorrow brings. Thirteen miles to town and having passed the Rollercoaster they look a bit more tame.Everyone's tired, so after a little supper we're all in our tents.Good Night.