morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2015-06-03
From: Roan High Knob Shelter

To: Apple Orchard Campground
Miles today: 13.1

This morning we woke up to clear, blue skies. It was a relief after all the rain yesterday. We packed up and were out early and on our way, with wet shoes and boots. The first thing we came to was a chimney standing next to the trail. There must have been a cabin at some distant time right where we were walking. We came next to a little side trail which we followed to the site of the Cloudland Hotel. This was a luxury hotel with views of the mountains and the clouds floating over them. It was demolished 100 years ago because loggers had destroyed the area. The beautiful rhododendron gardens were dug up and the plants sold. A few remain, which we walked through yesterday. At the parking lot, we found bathrooms, water, garbage cans and picnic tables, so we stopped there for breakfast. After that it was a long downhill to Ash Gap and Hughes Gap. It started to rain again, so we put on ponchos and pack covers. We stopped for lunch at Clyde Smith Shelter, which was a Boy Scout Eagle project. After lunch we felt tired again. Breezy's feet are raw and blistered, and she is out of energy. We were kind of trudging along when she spotted Scott Jurek coming down the trail. He is trying for a new AT speed record. Today he was walking instead of running because his knee was hurting. He obliged us with a couple of pictures before heading north. It was great to meet him. We headed back south and finally we spotted the sign for the spring and campsite that we were looking for. We didn't hang bear bags tonight, but our food is in our scent-proof bags.
Date: 2015-06-04
From: Apple Orchard Campground

To: Beauty Spot Gap
Miles today: 9.7

The campsite this morning was full of mist. In fact, we were actually in a cloud. We have decided to get off the trail for this year when we reach Erwin, TN. In spite of that, we enjoyed the morning. The sun was out and the trail was nice. We met a 78 year old day hiker. He was in great shape and was doing an out and back. After having breakfast, we hiked on the Cherry Gap Shelter. There were a few hikers still there from last night. We were surprised since it was after 11:00. After leaving the shelter, we started our climb up Unaka Mountain. It was a good climb, going from 3900 feet to 5180. When we reached the top, we had lunch in the beautiful spruce forest on top, then headed down the other side. We stopped early for the night, only 5:00. We had time to set up, cook, eat and hang our bear bag before the rain started. Now we are comfortable in our tents, listening to the rain outside.
Date: 2015-06-05
From: Beauty Spot Gap

To: Erwin, TN
Miles today: 11.8

We woke up this morning in a thick fog. We went across a meadow where the cloud was so thick it was hard to see even the trail markers. The grass was tall and our feet were instantly wet. We continued to a long stretch where the trail was lined with mountain laurel on each side. It was so pretty and we were in very good moods. We stopped at a convenient log for breakfast. I didn't have a lot of food left, so I had a Rice Krispie bar and some sunflower seeds, with water to drink. Very soon we came to a road and found Brother Bob sitting by his truck. He had chairs, coffee, fruit, brownies and cake for hikers. there we met three high school boys from Ohio on a trip with their backpacking club from school. The rest of their group was still on the mountain. We climbed up to the Curly Maple Gap Shelter and stopped there for lunch. It was our last shelter of this trip. The shelter was build as an Eagle Scout project and was very nice. From there it was an easy four miles down the mountain and along the river to Erwin. There was a little rock climbing as we approached the road, as the trail climbed high over the river and then back down again. the Nolichucky River is wide at the road, and the trail crossed on the road bridge and led us straight to Uncle Johnny's Hostel. Johnny's wife shuttled us to the Super 8 for $4 each. We walked to the Dollar Store to see if we could find something clean to wear, but all I could find was some socks. I bought a 4-pack and we each put on a new pair. We bought snacks at Walgreens, ate dinner at Huddle House and got some bottles of Smirnoff Ice to celebrate. We stayed up very late, almost 11:30 drinking our very weak drinks and watching episodes of Modern Family on TV. A great end to our hike for 2015!
Date: 2015-07-01
To: Home
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Here it is almost a month after we finished our hike. I finally got motivated to do the entries from our last days. I will get pictures put up soon too. After we finished in Erwin, Chris drove out and picked us up again. We decided to stay with him and Colin for a week, figure out how to get home, and do some sightseeing in North Carolina. We borrowed Chris' car and went back to Ashville to tour the River District. It is full of art studios. We visited many of them. There are some very talented artists there. We stopped for lunch at a little Mexican restaurant, and then drove through the town and back to Weaverville. During the week we met another friend of Chris and he brought all of us to lunch at an excellent vegan restaurant. I was very happy with that choice, as I am a vegetarian. It is always nice to be able to choose from the entire menu. Afterwards we had dessert at a chocolate place. It was chocolate overload, but delicious.   On our last day, Breezy and I again borrowed the car and drove through the Smokies to Clingman's Dome. It was fun to walk up the walkway with the crowds of people. We were in much better shape than most of them and it was fun to be the ones who were not huffing and puffing our way up. The views at the top were great, and we walked a tiny section of the AT, about .1 mile. Afterward we drove slowly back home with another lunch stop at a non-vegan restaurant. It was a beautiful drive and a great way to end our week of "vacation."   The next day, Chris drove us to Charlotte and we caught a bus to Washington D.C. My nephew and his wife live nearby and they picked us up and drove us to their apartment for the night. My daughter Sheryl drove out and spent the night with us too. In the morning, we all headed for home. Sheryl and I went to NJ and Breezy went with Kevin and Becky to Pittsburgh. Her husband met her there and took her the rest of the way home.   Since then I have been getting back into normal life at home. The weeds were high, so I have been slowly pulling them out and getting the gardens into shape. I discovered that our little apple trees have apples on them for the first time! I have been repairing my equipment and spending time reading and looking at Facebook. Of course, eating is still a favorite past time. I guess that will have to end soon. Next week I will visit Breezy and the rest of my Ohio family. I have been on one dayhike and plan to do some more hiking locally. Next year Breezy and I are planning to continue our southward trek to Springer Mountain, so stay tuned.
Date: 2015-07-25
From: Home

To: Harper's Ferry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Breezy and I were finished with the trail for 2015, but you know how that AT gets it's hook into you and then pulls you right back. Breezy called me one day and suggested a section in Maryland and PA, which I had missed last year. Out on a Limb had invited me to hike it with her earlier this summer, but I declined. It was just too soon after finishing our southern section for the year. Breezy and I decided to do a section from Harper's Ferry to either Boiling Springs or Duncannon. We will be leaving tomorrow to start the hike of about 120 miles. I am really looking forward to it, although I am a little worried about the heat. I have never tolerated summer heat well, but I hiked in it last summer so I should be able to do it again. All of my blisters have healed up and my feet are getting nice and soft again, ready for new blisters. I haven't done much in the way of hiking or even walking since I got off the trail, but still I think I am in fairly good shape physically and it is, after all, one of the easiest sections of the AT. A big shout out to my sister, Out on a Limb, who I hiked with for 1000 miles last spring and summer. She has hiked this year from Springer Mountain north all the way to New Hampshire and is continuing to hike long days and big miles. She has suffered quite a few injuries this year, and has continued hiking in spite of them. I am so proud of her for her strength and determination.
Date: 2015-07-26
From: Harper's Ferry

To: Ed Garvey Shelter
Miles today: 6.3
Weather: broken clouds

I started out early this morning from home and drove to Boiling Springs, PA. After getting my parking permit, I drove to the parking lot and waited for Breezy and Chuck to arrive. After they arrived we stopped again at the ATC building before starting out to Harper's Ferry. About 25 miles out, I suddenly remembered I had left my hiking poles in the van, so we had to go back and get them. By the time we got to Harper's Ferry it was already 3:00. We saw a lot of farms, horses, cows, goats and a zebra along the way. We signed in at the ATC. I was section hiker 326 and Breezy was 327. We actually started hiking at 4:00 after saying goodbye to Chuck. The Potomac River was full of rafters and tubers. They were having a great time on such a hot day. We walked on a foot bridge that looked like it was going right into the train tunnel,but actually ended before the tunnel with some steep stairs down to the trail/towpath. We then went a few miles on the C & O Canal Towpath before heading into the woods. At times the canal was just filled with duckweed. I spotted a large turtle sitting on a rock in the middle and Breezy spotted a shoe just sitting on top of the duckweed.   It was so hot that we were bright red and drenched in sweat. Climbing up Weaverton Mountain, we had to stop many times to cool down. We had dinner at the cliffs overlooking the river. Afterwards we continued climbing for a while and then it evened out. We got to the shelter just as the light was fading. We set up tents and hung our food. It is too hot for a sleeping bag so I am just sleeping on my sheet.
Date: 2015-07-27
From: Ed Garvey Shelter

To: Dahlgren Backpacker Campground
Miles today: 10.9

Well, after we went to bed last night, all the fun started. First it was so warm and muggy I couldn't get comfortable. The bugs were so loud it was hard to think. Then there were trains in the valley below. The headache I had gotten from the heat had finally started to subside and I was drifting into sleep when a big clap of thunder woke me up. I quickly jumped up and closed the flaps to the tent. The thunder got very loud and the lightening strikes were brilliant even through the tent walls. Then the rain really came, just pouring! I turned over and found that my sheet was soaked. When I checked, my whole tent was wet. Rain and mud were even coming in from under the vestibule. I got my poncho and laid it out on the floor to keep the rest of my things a little drier. I put the rain cover on the pack to keep it from getting soaked. Three times violent storms blew in and the rain was so loud on the tents that we couldn't hear anything else. Neither of us got much sleep. We got up at 6:00 and packed up all the wet things, and started hiking. We went three miles to Gathland State Park for breakfast. We got out the wet things and attempted to dry them. We were there for two hours. This area is the home many Civil War battles, and there are ruins of the original buildings. There is also a large memorial to War Correspondents. We finally moved on and hiked until lunch. It was very humid, but not quite as hot as yesterday. We stopped for lunch about 2:00. I had a hard boiled egg, but the shell refused to come off and I finally got so frustrated I threw it into the woods for the ants. We walked another two miles to our campground. Along the way we met an older couple on a road, who thought we were just amazing for being out backpacking. We didn't feel amazing, we just felt tired and hot, but it actually is quite amazing to be out here. Now we are at camp. There are bathrooms and showers, so we are once again clean instead of muddy.
Date: 2015-07-28
From: Dahlgren Backpacker Campground

To: Ensign Cowall Shelter
Miles today: 13.9
Weather: haze

No rain last night. Phew! We started at the campground and had bathrooms and showers. That felt so good! It has been so hot that we just pour sweat. Our hair and clothes are almost always drenched. This morning we walked to Washington Monument State Park for breakfast, and then went to see the monument itself. It is the original monument. Right now it is closed because it was hit by lightening so we couldn't go inside. We did see two deer and two fawns by the monument. Later in the day we spotted a turkey. We hiked to the Pine Knob shelter for water. There we saw Jim, who we had met at the campground last night. We stopped at Annapolis Rocks for lunch with a nice view. We talked with Dan, who is the caretaker of the campsite there and is also a ridge runner. He had lots of interesting stories and we stayed too long. After lunch we hiked on to the Pogo Campground and got water there for the night. Jim was staying there but we decided to go an extra five miles to the Ensign Cowall Shelter since we were worried about our food supply. It was a hot, hard five miles. We pulled in after 7:00, just exhausted and overheated. The tent sites were not good, so we opted to stay in the shelter. There was the biggest spider I have ever seen, sitting on the bulletin board, but I got the broom and knocked it into the bushes. There are crickets hopping all over us. It should be an interesting night.
Date: 2015-07-29
From: Ensign Cowall Shelter

To: Falls Creek Campsite
Miles today: 10.4

Today was another scorcher. We didn't wake up until after 7:00 and got started walking around 8:00. We stopped for breakfast at a convenient rock and then headed on. We stopped for water after a few miles and were already very hot. We spent a long time at the Little Antietem Creek, filtering water and trying to cool off. The bugs have been terrible, hanging around us in a cloud and trying to get into our eyes and noses. When we got to Raven Rocks, we climbed up for the view. They are high rocks that jut out from a cliff. We continued to Raven Rock Shelter for lunch. After lunch we went to High Rock, a local tourist spot. It is a very high rock with a great view. There are steps to get up to it, and the local kids have been spray painting it and everything around it for years, so it is very colorful. the view was spectacular from there. We continued through the afternoon, very hot. About 5:00 we got to Pen Mar Park, after coming down a huge rock scramble. We ate dinner at the park, cleaned up, brushed our teeth and cooled down. The young men from the shelter last night were at the park too, along with a couple of other hikers. After dinner we headed down the trail. We passed the MD/PA border, which is also the Mason Dixon Line. Finally we reached our camp by the Falls Creek. No one else is here tonight, but it is noisy with the bugs and the creek running below us. We are considering cutting the hike short because of the extreme heat, which is forecast to continue for at least another week.
Date: 2015-07-30
From: Falls Creek Campsite

To: Old PA 16-Blue Ridge Summit
Miles today: 1.7

It was already warm when we got up. The evening and night were pleasant, although muggy. The bugs were loud again and the water was running in the creek behind my tent. Moonlight bathed the woods outside. Since my tent door was open, I could see out into the woods through the night, which is always nice. We started uphill this morning as usual. It didn't take too long to get over the mountain and to the road. Then it was a little over a mile up the road to town, with the cars and trucks whizzing past. We picked up our resupply boxes at the post office and took them to the laundromat. There we changed into our sleeping clothes and cleaned up a little in the bathroom. We called for a shuttle and then went across the street to the diner, and had omelets along with lots of water and coffee. We stopped at the gas station for some ice cream, then headed back to the laundromat to wait for our shuttle. Mike picked us up and drove us back to the van in Boiling Springs. We visited the ATC and returned our parking permit. After a while we drove to the Super 8 in Carlyle where we swam in the pool and then had some pizza and beer in the room. All of our things are damp and smelly, but we are clean and fresh again.
Date: 2015-08-31
From: Old PA 16-Blue Ridge Summit

To: Home
Miles today: 0.0

Well, it has been a month since I left the trail and I am finally getting around to putting in my journal entries. I find it discouraging when we have to cut a hike short and don't accomplish our original goal, so I have a tendency to just put my things away and not look at them again. I actually think we did quite well this year, in spite of doing fewer miles than planned. One of the things the trail has taught me is to just take it as it comes. It is much more enjoyable that way. When either one of us is not enjoying the hiking, it is best to continue it at a later time, so that we can spend our hiking time taking in the beauty and sights, sounds, smells of the land rather than focusing on wanting to be somewhere else. This is one of the great advantages of being a section hiker rather than a through hiker. After our hike in July, I took Breezy back home and then stayed with her and Chuck for a few days. I had time to visit with her son and daughter-in-law and their two lively little boys, as well as my mother, my brother and sister-in-law and their five children. We all went for a picnic in the park and enjoyed a good afternoon and evening together.   It has been almost continuously hot since I got back home, so I think our decision to leave the trail was a smart one. I try to go walking, but find I often cannot even bear to go outside when it is so hot. I hope that the weather will cool off a little in September. Breezy and I are planning to spend a weekend camping in a cabin in New York with our cousins and will do some day hikes with them. I am looking forward to that. I have not yet decided whether I will do any more on the AT this year, but be assured, I will be back on the AT before too many months go by.
Date: 2016-04-25
From: Home

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Breezy and I had a great time on the trail last year. Although we didn't hike as many miles as planned, we had a lot of time to get to know each other better. Last year was the first time I had gone on an unsupported hike, so it was a lot different than the previous year. We did only a few days of slackpacking while our brother-in-law, Foodwalker, was nearby. It was great to hike again with my older sister, Out on a Limb, after Traildays in Damascus. I have started a new journal for 2016. It is under the same user name, but you may have to select that journal.I am ready for new adventures! (Maybe my adventure won't be falling and breaking ribs this year. Haha)
Date: 2015-05-08
To: prep
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: few clouds

My section hike this year will hopefully will end in Hanover NH. I will hike from Vernon NJ (NJ 94) to Great Barrington MA (us 7) and then from Manchester Center(VT11 & VT30) to Hanover NH. I did the section between Great Barrington and Manchester last year. I will only have NH and Maine left if I can make it to Hanover. That's about 260 miles ( 164.6 miles and 96 miles).I hope to do this in 3weeks or less.
Date: 2015-05-10
To: prep
Miles today: 0.0

This year I will be hiking alone. My friend OneStick can hike this year due to health problems. He is doing much better. I will miss not hiking with him on this trip. I will do my best to hike next year with him. The good news is I hope to end where he finished last year.i will have to push my self to do 260 miles in less than 21 days. I never have been a hiking machine or in top shape. Not everyone can be Superhiker!;-)
Date: 2015-05-12
To: prep
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: few clouds

Did a short day hike to Roaring Fork Shelter from parking area at Max Patch in NC. The hike was easy and the weather was great. Max Patch was in the clouds when we arrived but on the way back it was clear.We 10 to 12 thru hikers 2 at the shelter and the rest back to Max Patch. I carried as much trail Magic as my day pack would hold. I even was given a para cord bracelet from Hawkeye. This is the first time I have had a chance to do some trail Magic since my 2006 thru hike. It felt good and they truly seemed to appreciated it. We had I nice hike today. My new boots seam to work out ok. It was only a 5 mile hike with no steep climbs or descents. I just have to do 15 a day for almost three weeks to reach my goal on this hike.for the next to weeks I will work on reaching that goal. My wife did great on the hike. She let me know she is not a thru hiker! She said she's a section hiker now. Looking forward to getting back on the trail!
Date: 2015-05-30
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

This year I bought a lighter pack in a effort to cut my total pack weight down. My gossamer gear pack is maybe 28 oz without the foam pad in the back. It's made so your sleep pad can replace the foam pad they give you. My wife would tell me just to loose some weight to reduce my Total hiking weight. She thought that was funny! I did loose about 40 to 45 pounds since the beginning of the year. Still need to loose a lot more. My total pack weight without fuel and water is 27 lbs. I will leave Monday with a total pack weight of 32 to 33 lbs. Would like it to be 28 to 30. My food bag for 4 days is 8lbs too much for a section hiker. I cut my cloths down and my first aid down.I also bought a silnylon water carrier to cut weight and volume. I still cary rain jacket and rain pants. I have 3 shirts, 1 pair of shorts, zip off pants 3underwear, 3 socks,beanie, cap,and dirty girl gaiters. I also have three bandannas I phone4, battery power pack, guidebook pages,small cook pot,spork, water fired, various water storage. Hygiene stuff, hiking poles and personnel stuff ,money and credit cards/ID ... That's about it. I'm sure I will find more to cut out of pack. Forgot about tent,sleeping pad, sleeping bag. I hope I meet my goal this year. Please sign my guest book on my journal thanks!
Date: 2015-06-01
From: NJ 94 Vernon NJ

To: Wildcat Shelter
Miles today: 17.1
Weather: light rain

My shuttle was a early to pick me up and take me to the trail. Beatnik has hiked the whole AT also. He's on the AT shuttle list and I highly recommend him. The wether has been bad the last two days rain and cold. They had local flooding also. I started up the trail at 8:15 and as normal up from the road. The climb up had a section the call the stairway to heaven. Trail maintainers build steps out of boulders and rocks. Stopped by the Wawayanda shelter to take a break. Met a section hiker named Robin. The trail had some nice easy section mostly in the beginning. Then there were huge boulders you had to climb up and down on, There was a ladder to climb up a huge boulder in one section. The going was slow due to everything being wet and slippery. I stopped at a creamery to get water and I met sparrow and the Delibolical Duo. A father and his 11 year old son. I was tired,wet,and cold, but I still had 2.1 miles to the shelter. Most of it was easy but had more Boulder scrambles to do. This was a long first day back on the trail. Tomorrow it's going to be cold and rain again. Then it's going to be nice.