morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2007-05-06
From: High Top Hut, VA

To: Rock Spring Hut, VA
Miles today: 23.9
Weather: clear sky

As I lay in bed last night, trying to finish reading the copy of Elmore Leonard's "Hombre" that someone had left behind, it was pouring. But sometime after midnight, it cleared off, and the temperature started to drop. In the morning, the sky was clear and blue, and scarlet tanagers were flitting about in front of the shelter, but it was cold. I was just barely warm enough, lying in my sleeping bag with my polypro on, and I did NOT want to get out!However, I eventually got myself moving and as soon as the sun came over the hill, it warmed right up.   The hiking was easy again and I thought about the park as I walked. I can't decide if I like it here or not. On the plus side, the hiking is easy, the scenery is beautiful, and there are lots of snack bars to get food at. On the other hand, the trail is right next to the road for most of the time, the shelters are awkwardly spaced, forcing either short or long days, and the food is expensive.The shelter problem is most inconvenient trying to decide how far to go tomorrow. I can either do 15, then 22 the next day, or 28, then 9 on Tuesday. I was toying with the idea of doing 28, because I like getting into a hostel early, but I've just done three long days in a row. I was feeling a little tired this afternoon. I guess I'll see how I feel in the morning. If it's really cold again, I'll probably just go back to sleep.The Brain
Date: 2007-05-07
From: Rock Spring Hut, VA

To: Gravel Springs Hut, VA
Miles today: 28.4
Weather: overcast clouds

Oof! Well, I'm tired now, but the cheeseburger and milkshake I had at Elkwallow were worth it. The bad news is that my plans for a short day for tomorrow have fallen apart. Anyways, let's back up to this morning.This morning was warmer than yesterday, so when I poked my head out of my sleeping bag at 6:00 AM, I decided to hit the trail.   Powered by a big, hot cup of tea, and the motivational power of milkshakes to come, I hit the trail strong, just before 7:00. The reason for starting so early is that the Elkwallow Wayside, home of the Mountain Blackberry milkshake, was 23 miles away, and closes at 5:30. I wanted to be sure that if I was going to do this long day, I was going to get my milkshake.Between the early start and the easy grade of the trail in the park, I made it in plenty of time, although the promise of real food is all that got me through the last hour or so. I had a cheeseburger, rare and loaded, then went back for the milkshake. It was every bit as delicious as I'd imagined it to be. It was thoroughly overpriced ($10 all told), but I didn't care. It was 4:30 , I was full and happy, and had enough daylight to be able to crawl the last 6 miles to the shelter.Just before I'd gotten to the Wayside, I ran into the PATC ridgerunner. He asked me for, of all things, my real name. Turns out, he's the guy who runs the Front Royal Terrapin Station Hostel, and had gotten the box I'd sent there, which is good, except he's closed this year. He told me he'd taken my box to the Front Royal post office, so now I have to go into town tomorrow, turning a 10 mile walk into a 14 mile walk and a 4 mile hitch. At least it's not too much farther, and I should be in town with plenty of time to get some rest.In other news, my streak of not being alone at shelters continues unbroken. Just after dark last night, three college kids rolled in and crashed into their bags. They were just getting up as I left this morning, so I didn't find out anything else about them. And tonight, just after I got in, a couple on their first day of the section from Front Royal to Pearisburg came in. So, once again, I have much appreciated company.The BrainView from Mary's Rock-2 - Click picture to see full sizeShenandoah bear poles-1 - Click picture to see full sizeShenandoah bear poles-2 - Click picture to see full size
Date: 2007-05-08
From: Gravel Springs Hut, VA

To: Quality Inn, Front Royal, VA
Miles today: 13.4
Weather: clear sky

It was nice to take it easy today. I left a message with the SOBOs at the shelter to give to Dice. I told him that I was going to get a room here if he came into town. I got in early, walked across town to get my box from the post office, then came back to the hotel. I got a room with two beds, because it was the same price, although I didn't expect Dice to show up.However, late in the evening, he called the room from the front desk. He'd just done over 100 miles in just 4 days. It's good to see him again. It's been nice hiking alone, but I'd rather hike with someone. It's good to know someone else will be there at the shelter at night. We've shared SNP stories, gotten some food, and chilled out for a while. Tomorrow, another easy day, then it's back to pounding out the miles. I'm looking forward to it.Everyone says that Shenandoah is the place to see bears, but I didn't see any. Even Dice, just half a day behind me, saw one full grown, then two cubs later in the day. The last time I crossed Skyline Drive, I saw three guys who said they'd seen one this morning just north of there, right on the trail, but I didn't see anything. I guess I'm going to have to wait until I get to the zoo at Bear Mountain, in New York.When I got into town, I went to the gas station to pick up some snacks, and I saw that at the Baskin Robbins inside, they were having a 2-for-1 special on sundaes. After dinner, I went back over and picked up a pair of 3-scoop sundaes, complete with hot fudge, whipped cream, nuts, and cherries. I had one, and put the other in the freezer for later. It was a bit of a struggle to finish the second one, but they were delicious, and I enjoyed every bite.The BrainDeer at Gravel Springs Hut-2 - Click picture to see full size
Date: 2007-05-09
From: Quality Inn, Front Royal, VA

To: Dick's Dome Shelter, VA
Miles today: 15.1
Weather: broken clouds

The Quality Inn had two options for a shuttle back to the trail: 8:30, or 10:30. I'd been hoping for 9-9:30, but I know there was no way I could be ready by 8:30, so I signed up for the later shuttle. This way, I got to sleep a little, enjoy my breakfast, and pack up slowly. I also got to check in on the status of my ride to Trail Days.When I got into town yesterday, I registered on WhiteBlaze, and made a post asking about a ride. Within an hour, Cannibal messaged me, saying his little brother is coming from Philadelphia, and he could probably swing by and pick me up. There was no new news this morning, but I'll probably (I hope) have confirmation by the time I get to Harper's Ferry. I was amazed at how easy it was to find someone, and how quickly people offered help. The trail community is a wonderful thing.Dice and I hit the trail about quarter to eleven, just as it was getting hot. Fortunately being in the lowlands, the trees have fully leafed out and there was lots of shade. I can now see how the trail, especially in Virginia, is called "The Long Green Tunnel." There were parts where, for 100 yards or so, the trail would be straight and flat, and everything was green, except for the brown of the trail. It was beautiful, but I can see how 500+ miles of it would get boring. We both took it pretty easy, and we both ate huge dinners, getting ready for tomorrow. We're going to do 26, to have a shorter day into Harper's Ferry on Friday.I almost forgot to mention right during the hottest part of the afternoon, we came across a little trail magic. At a road crossing, someone had left some waters and some drink mixes. It was perfect, too. I'd filled up both bottles at the motel, but I could barely drink it. It was disgusting. But with some drink mix, it became tolerable, and I picked up a couple packets of mix to take with me.The BrainJim & Molly Denton shelter-2-Dice & Karl - Click picture to see full sizeMosby's Confederacy sign, VA - Click picture to see full sizeDick's Dome shelter - Click picture to see full sizeBird's nest at Dick's Dome shelter - Click picture to see full size
Date: 2007-05-10
From: Dick's Dome Shelter, VA

To: Blackburn AT Center, VA
Miles today: 26.2
Weather: clear sky

Today was a little bit too long of a day. Dice and I started early, trying to get a good jump on the miles, but the terrain was rougher, and it just wore us down. The first part of the day was easy, and the trail went through some beautiful meadows. On one side, the sky was blue, and on the other, all fog, with one fading to the other across the middle of the sky. In one of the meadows, I saw a fox run out of the woods and across to the other side.I started out feeling really good, but I pushed too hard early on, and crashed before I reached the first shelter. After that shelter was a section known as the Roller Coaster, a series of short, steep hills and I was not feeling ready for it. But when I got up to the shelter, Dice was sitting there with a small bottle of Jim Beam, which had written on it "Cheers! Diablo" Right before we left the shelter, we opened it up and passed it back and forth. That, combined with the break, was just the pick-me-up I needed to do the next section.The Roller Coaster was rough and steep, but no worse than Vermont, and I powered through it. It actually reminded me a lot of hiking back home: steep, rocky, going up and over pointless little hills, and muddy streams down at the bottom. I felt good going through it, but by the time I got to the far end, I was getting tired, and there were still a few miles to go.I stumbled the last hour or two, then finally came to the trail to the hostel here. It was a long, steep quarter mile off the ridge, but when I finally got here, Redwing laid out a delicious dinner and I ate my fill. I had had no idea they served dinner here, and it was a most welcome surprise. Scratch, a section hiker, was here as well, and we've spent the evening sharing stories with him.After over 500 miles, it's good to finally be done with Virginia. I let out a big whoop when I saw the sign for the West Virginia border, about 5 miles south of here.   The trail follows the border most of the way to Harpers Ferry, but I'm considering myself done with the state. Tomorrow I'll pass the 1000 mile mark, and be in Harpers Ferry!The BrainShoe on a stick-1 - Click picture to see full sizeShoe on a stick-2 - Click picture to see full sizeTimber rattlesnake-1 - Click picture to see full sizeTimber rattlesnake-2 - Click picture to see full sizeCrescent Rock, WV-1 - Click picture to see full sizeCrescent Rock, WV-2 - Click picture to see full sizeView from Blackburn Center - Click picture to see full size
Date: 2007-05-11
From: Blackburn AT Center, VA

To: Harpers Ferry Hostel, MD
Miles today: 14.2
Weather: clear sky

Today was a day of milestones. First thing, we crossed the 1000 mile mark. There's a shelter right near the milestone (my book says it's at 1000 miles, but this year's book says it's 0.3 short), and Dice and I stopped to celebrate. Later, we crossed out of Virginia for the last time, and headed down the hill to Harpers Ferry. When we got into town, we went over to the ATC office, got our picture taken and entered into the archives (we were NOBOs numbers 48 and 49 for 2007), and asked about food in town.As we went back to the trail to go downtown, we ran into Diablo. I've been chasing him since the N.O.C., and I finally caught up. He and Dice had hiked together for a while, so they had a little reunion. After a lunch of a gyro and a cheeseburger, we walked along the Potomac River, crossing out of West Virginia into Maryland, then turned off the trail and up the hill to the hostel.The afternoon and evening have been spent relaxing, taking a shower, and talking with the other guests. Some are driving cross-country, one guy is biking coast to coast, and there are a bunch of rafters who showed up at almost midnight, to camp on the lawn.I'm psyched to have made it to Harpers Ferry. This is the psychological half-way point (the actual halfway mark is about 80 miles north of here), and a huge milestone. It feels good to be done with Virginia, and to be getting closer to home. In just two more days, I'll cross the Mason-Dixon line into Pennsylvania, and be back in the north. I've loved the south, and I'll miss some things (the hospitality, hush puppies, sweet tea, biscuits and gravy), but I'll feel that much closer to home.The Brain   Hopeful & Hikelet - Click picture to see full sizeKarl at 1000 miles! - Click picture to see full sizeTurtle - Click picture to see full sizeHarpers Ferry, WV-1 - Click picture to see full sizeHarpers Ferry, WV-2 - Click picture to see full sizeHarpers Ferry, WV-3-Dice - Click picture to see full sizeHarpers Ferry, WV-4 - Click picture to see full size
Date: 2007-05-12
From: Harpers Ferry Hostel, MD

To: Pine Knob Shelter, MD
Miles today: 21.4
Weather: light rain

I definitely stayed up too late last night. It was just too easy, especially being around people other than hikers for once, so it was well after midnight by the time I crawled into my bunk. Nonetheless, I was up, although with difficulty, at 6:30 this morning. I ate one of my dinners for breakfast, because I have a couple extra, and then the caretaker made pancakes, so I had some of those as well. It was nearly 9:00 by the time I left, but I made good time on the nearly flat terrain, and got into camp at a reasonable hour.Dice and Diablo had gone to the bar last night, and they said they were going to take a short day today, but they rolled into the shelter here about an hour after I got here. They'd gotten to the last shelter at 3:00, and couldn't sit around, so they kept going. Two section hikers, Luxury and Thin Mint were here when I got here, but they moved on a few miles to the next campground, so I was thinking I might be alone, but now they're here, as well as the Maryland Ridgerunner. Dice and Diablo had stopped at one of the campgrounds along the way, and found a soda machine, so they hauled a few up here, and Dice brought an extra one for me.There's a huge storm coming in. It's been building all day, and it sprinkled a bit on me the last hour of hiking. It's not raining now, but the sky is getting dark, and I can see the lightening flashing all around. I'm excited to watch a good storm come through.The BrainC & O Canal towpath - Click picture to see full sizeStonewall Regiment sign-Harpers Ferry - Click picture to see full sizeSign-Property of the State of Michigan - Click picture to see full size
Date: 2007-05-13
From: Pine Knob Shelter, MD

To: Deer Lick Shelters, PA
Miles today: 22.7
Weather: clear sky

I fell asleep last night to the sound of rain pouring on the shelter roof, but by morning, it was clear and sunny. A high pressure system has moved in, bringing a cool, breezy day. The best part is the humidity is gone. The hiking is so much easier in this weather (although flat trail helps), and the only thing slowing us down was the rocks. Most sections were smooth, but parts of it were over fields of rocks. Our books said that we could get pizza delivered to Pen-Mar Park, so we hurried onto it. When we got there, Dice pulled out his cell, but the number was no longer connected. Someone told us that there used to be a military base there, but it closed down a few years ago, and all the businesses left. We were disappointed but there was still a soda machine, so at least we'd get some soda. Or so we thought. It was busted, and would only take coins. We started asking the tourists for change for bills, but weren't getting much luck. Diablo and Dice rustled up enough for one, but that was it. Dice told me, "You're up," so I went over to a group of picknickers, and asked if any of them had any change. One woman said she had some in her car, so we walked over. It was a jackpot! She had $15 worth of quarters, so I handed her my singles, and we started walking back. On the way back, she offered us some sodas, so we went back to their table. Then they offered us some sandwiches! Good bread, good roast beef, lettuce, mayo, mustard, the works, plus salad, chips, and brownies for dessert! We were overjoyed, and were happy to share our stories.Afterwards, we shouldered our packs, full and happy, and crossed over the Mason-Dixon line into Pennsylvania. The three of us had a small celebration, then moved on, into our 7th state. Diablo left us near Rt. 16, staying to camp, because he has a box in Blue Ridge Summit, just up the road, and he wanted to get to it early in the morning. When Dice and I got into camp, we pulled out the maps from here to Duncannon, and planned the week ahead. I'm probably going to do another long day tomorrow, then a short day to the Iron Master's Hostel (and the half-way point!), and spend the afternoon finalizing my ride to Trail Days. From there, it'll be either two medium days and a short day, to Duncannon, or two long days. The terrain is right to do long days, so I'll probably end up doing that, especially after taking a short day.The BrainPink Lady Slipper - Click picture to see full sizeMason-Dixon Line, MD-PA border - Click picture to see full sizeDice & Diablo at the Mason-Dixon Line - Click picture to see full size
Date: 2007-05-14
From: Deer Lick Shelters, PA

To: Birch Run Shelter, PA
Miles today: 23.2
Weather: scattered clouds

When I woke up this morning, I was shivering in my sleeping bag. I was cold, even with my warm socks, hat, and polypro shirt on. By the time I'd had my oatmeal and a cup of tea, it was just starting to warm up, although I was a little chilly until I hit the first climb of the day. Because it was so cold last night, I pitched my tent for the night for the first time since before Pearisburg, even though this is a beautiful shelter.Speaking of beautiful shelters, the last one before this was the nicest shelter I've seen yet. The caretaker was there when I showed up, doing some work on the fireplace, and we talked for a while. He's been working on the shelter for 30 years, four days most weeks, and it showed. There were tons of pegs, tons of mice hangers, a skylight, a tarp to roll down and protect from the wind, board games, and everything was perfectly clean. I almost decided to stay, but I was looking forward to a short day tomorrow, so I moved on.It turned out to be the right choice. About two miles from here, I came across a PATC cabin, where there were two families sitting around, two mothers out with their daughters. We started talking, and they invited me over to have some dinner! It was a delicious meal of steak tips, rice, beans, salad, and a tortilla with some kind of spicy chicken salad. I kicked back and chatted for a while before finally finishing up to the shelter.I set up my tent and was getting water when Dice and Diablo showed up. They'd taken it easy and gone to get lunch at a restaurant in town. They'd also gotten some food from the families at the cabin. They were wonderfully generous, and it couldn't have come at a better time of the day. I was tired and getting hungry, but didn't really want to stop for just a snack. Now, I'm full and happy again, with a nice short day coming up to the halfway point tomorrow!The BrainQuarry Gap shelter "Innkeeper" Jim Stauch - Click picture to see full sizeQuarry Gap shelter - Click picture to see full sizeMSR MicroZoid-Karl's tent - Click picture to see full size
Date: 2007-05-15
From: Birch Run Shelter, PA

To: Iron Master's Hostel, Gardners, PA
Miles today: 9.9

I am now officially halfway! Dice, Diablo and I pounded out the miles to the halfway point this morning. There is no marker at the exact spot, but we tried to clock the distance from the last landmark, and when we thought we were there, we took our packs off and had a celebration. From there, we went the last couple of miles to the hostel here, and the half-gallon challenge. The challenge is this: When you get to the store here (which isn't supposed to be open weekdays until after Memorial Day, but the owner was here today, so he opened up for us), get a half-gallon of ice cream and eat it as fast as you can, if can even eat it all. Unfortunately I couldn't man up to the challenge, and only finished about 3/4 of my ice cream. Dice and Diablo got theirs down, as did Boy, who showed up just as they were finishing.The hostel didn't open until 5:00, so while everybody else moved onto the next shelter, I walked around on the porch. Even when they did open, there's no internet access here, so I had to dictate an email over the phone to my mother. I needed to get back to Cannibal, whose brother is supposed to be driving me to Trail Days. I told him I would update him from Harpers Ferry, but couldn't get my email there either, as it wasn't working that day.I've taken a shower and gotten my box, so I'm all ready to head back out on the trail tomorrow morning. just two days left to Duncannon and Trail Days!The BrainRuins near Pine Grove Furnace SP - Click picture to see full sizeKarl-Halfway!-1 - Click picture to see full sizeDice-Halfway! - Click picture to see full sizeDiablo-Halfway! - Click picture to see full sizeDiablo & Dice w Karl-Halfway! - Click picture to see full sizeHalf-Gallon challenge-Dice, Diablo, & Karl - Click picture to see full sizeHalf-Gallon challenge-Diablo & Karl - Click picture to see full sizeHalf-Gallon challenge-Dice - Click picture to see full size
Date: 2007-05-16
From: Iron Master's Hostel, Gardners, PA

To: Super 8 Motel, Carlisle, PA
Miles today: 27.4

I got up to a humid morning, and cooked up one of my extra dinners for breakfast, and left a little before 8:00. A few miles down the trail, just after I took my first break, Bobcat came up behind me. He started March 16th, and has been pushing hard the whole time. I haven't taken a rest day since Easter, April 8th, and I thought I had the longest streak, but he hasn't taken a rest day since March 30th.We hiked together all afternoon, and the talking made the miles fly by. It started to thunder as we were hiking, and soon was raining. Bobcat and I stopped to put our pack covers on, and rather than put on his raincoat, Bobcat just pulled off his shirt. I asked him about it, and he said he's going to get wet from sweat if he puts the jacket on, so he keeps his clothes dry for later. It sounded like a good idea, so the two of us hiked shirtless for a while. Just outside Boiling Springs, we left the woods out into farmland, and a driving wind. We were cold and wet, but feeling manly. We had been thinking about pitching our tents at a campsite just outside town, but because it was so wet, we decided to keep going to get to a motel. We put our shirts back on to go through town, with a stop a the ATC office there, then set off across the flats.The hiking across the Cumberland Valley is the flattest section of the entire trail. We cruised the 8 miles from the ATC to Route 11 in about 2 and 1/2 hours, checked in, and got some laundry going, then went across the street to the 24-hour diner, whose sign reads "Good food and plenty of it." They lived up to their promise, and we both enjoyed our large dinners. I'm now full, happy and clean again, with only one more day left going into Duncannon, before several well-earned zero days.The Brain