morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2012-06-15
From: Loft Mountain Campground (SNP, VA) 

To: Hightop Hut (SNP, VA) 
Miles today: 15.2
Weather: broken clouds

Day 66: A theory of relativityFor the 61 days we have been hiking the AT (not counting our rest days in town), we have covered an average of 14.7 miles per day, so today's total made this an above average day. But compared to yesterday's almost 20 miles, today we were "only" going to do 15. That made it feel like the day was going to be no big deal, and that early on there was no need to press.  Also, there was the matter of the 'Hiker Special' breakfast with blueberry pancakes available at the Loft Mountain Wayside, which didn't open until nine on weekdays (a wayside being Shenandoah's name for a short order grill). So, at 8am we are just starting to circle the campground on the AT to insure we will pass every single white blaze marking the trail, before making the steep littlFe .3 mile detour down to the restaurant. The meal is pricey by home standards, but exactly what we were craving. And the pancakes were loaded with blueberries.Our steep little climb back up the hill to the AT was not as bad as we thought it might be, but we were further slowed by the pleasant distraction of stopping to talk to day hikers. It was 11am and we had covered hardly any ground at all! So much for our "easy" day. Yellow Blazing is a derogatory term used to describe hikers who skip sections of the AT and take the easier path of walking the paralleling roads. However, at Ivy Creek Overlook we are confronted by an official Park Service sign saying the trail had temporarily been rerouted around a construction zone. So we can now add 150 yards of yellow blazing to our list of AT experiences...We stop in at Pinefild Shelter for a quick lunch break, where we learn Simple C (also there, with Ranger IPA {just "John" the last time we'd seen him} and Pace Car) was bitten by a dog accompanying a slightly strange section hiker we had also passed. One animal that didn't belong on the trail, and we bet this was not the first time this had happened. After one more climb (of many today!), we stop for the night at a nice tent site at the Hightop Hut (Shenandoah's term for "shelter"). Good water source, good company, early bed. Who could ask for more?
Date: 2012-06-16
From: Hightop Hut (SNP, VA) 

To: Lewis Spring & Road (Big Meadows, SNP, VA)
Miles today: 19.5

Day 67: An eclectic collection of meals (plus we cross our fifth and final hundred mile mark in the state of Virginia)5:45 a.m. - Breakfast at the picnic table in front of the Hightop Hut: N has two very thin honey buns he finds at the bottom of his food bag (some would say "squashed" honey buns). X has kept a banana at the top of her food bag as she hangs it each night, but wishes she had eaten it two days ago when it wasn't as bruised. Each top off the meal with an instant breakfast shake made with powdered whole milk. X adds Starbucks powdered coffee to hers for an expresso taste. 12:15 p.m. - Lunch at the Lewis Mountain Campstore. We settle for a meal of sodas, chips, string cheese, and microwaveable sandwiches selected from the cooler (plus a shared ice cream on a stick), but as we join Ranger IPA on the bench out front, we look with envy at his pop tart sandwich made with a large helping of peanut butter slabbed between two chocolate pop tarts. Some time before the top of the afternoon's first climb, X concludes we've eaten way too much food with eight miles of hiking still to go...4:45 p.m. - Large mileage reward at Big Meadows Wayside: Two of their Signature blackberry shakes. Ahhhhhh, tasty!Until well past Hiker Midnight outside Luray on the Shenandoah River: After our friend Martha picks us up from the trail, she takes us to a wine tasting dinner at her cousin's weekend retreat. We don't make it through the complete list of wine tasting choices, but we do chow down on the grilled lamb, fresh veggies, and excellent Greek salad. Not exactly standard hiking fare...
Date: 2012-06-18
From: U.S. 211 (Thornton Gap, Luray, VA)

To: Skyline Drive MP 12.3 (Jenkins Gap, SNP, VA)
Miles today: 20.0

Day 69: Liquid Sunshine in Shenandoah! (Or how our friend Martha Bogle's status moved from trail angel to sainthood) {Plus how we managed to hike through Shenandoah in six and a half days with a hot shower and a washer/ dryer every night but two!}The predicted rain started about 6am and by the time Martha delivered us back to Thornton Gap, everything was wet from the steady shower. Our focus was on keeping our shoes dry for as long as possible (which turned out to be less than half an hour), and get in the day's miles as soon as possible. Without the distraction of the usual great Shenandoah scenery, it was easy to do.The opportunity for one more blackberry shake at the Elkwallow Wayside was a tremendous incentive, and pretty well soaked and sweaty, we ducked off the trail in (for us) record time. We met the fast moving Pace Car heading out as we were heading in. He was the only northbound hiker we met all day (add the half dozen folks we met going south, and it was a lonesome day on the AT). You do not always appreciate what a wonderful thing a warm restroom is, but as we dried off, this morning we certainly did. We added two grilled ham and cheese sandwiches to our shake order, and inhaled more than ate them. Our spirits were revived, even more so as the rain let up as soon as we were back on the Trail.We had a major highlight when a small bear cub scampered across the trail and started climbing a tree just ahead of us. Quite nimble, he climbed and looked, climbed and looked, climbed and looked. We were extremely wary of his momma being near by, which kept us from getting great photos, but the cub was all we saw.After a second break at Gravel Springs Hut, the sun came out for our climbs over South and North Marshall Mountains, and we had the day's only views. However, as we approached Jenkins Gap, waves of fog started rolling back over the Skyline Drive. The Shenandoah area has a large number of active trail angels. (We've mentioned Bill Gallagher before as a prime example. We need to reaffirm that by saying how when we had a major gear malfunction [meaning an item you can't go for 24 hours without] one call to Bill and he picked up our replacement at the Waynesboro outfitter and delivered it to us at Big Meadows! Bill, we're forever in your debt...) But today our friend Martha went well beyond the fifth or sixth extra mile, by coming out to pick us up again and take us back to her home for a spaghetti dinner. As we sat watching the rain return, falling harder than it had in the morning, we realized we were two lucky Troverts. Tomorrow we leave this wonderful park with truly amazing memories of our time in Shenandoah. Thanks for all the support, Martha.
Date: 2012-06-19
From: Skyline Drive MP 12.3 (Jenkins Gap, SNP, VA)

To: VA 55, Manassas Gap 
Miles today: 15.9

Day 70: The heat is on!Today was a day of transition as we said goodbye to Shenandoah and positioned ourselves to end our long stay in Virginia by the end of the week. We also transitioned between local friends willing to host and support us during this leg of the journey. Unfortunately it appears the temperature is also making a quick transition from pleasant to downright hot! We started the day in the fog but as we drove back to Jenkins Gap, we broke above the clouds, with views of the lowlands both east and west looking like they were filled with cotton. In spite of our slowness at getting our gear organized and packed, Martha had us back hiking by 8:30 a.m. The rocks in/on the trail were all wet and slippery from last night's rain, and we tried to be both slow and careful at the start. [Maybe it is because we're getting closer to Washington and maybe because we just passed a significant anniversary of the Watergate break-in, but somewhere between 3 and 5am my iPhone lost about 400 words of pithy prose - the rest of this day's report! It just disappeared! With the forecast for 95° today, I'm tempted to take a zero and see if I can reconstruct it. But although the dogs bark, the caravan must move on, and I'll try to come back and fix this later... -N]
Date: 2012-06-20
From: VA 55, Manassas Gap 

To: VA 605, Morgan Mill Rd (gravel)
Miles today: 19.1

Day 71: 39, -78 and 97° (Plus the Troverts observe Hike Naked Day) (And start the Roller Coaster)Summer officially begins today at 7:09 p.m. EDT with the arrival of the Summer Solstice. More important for the thru hiker community, the solstice also marks Hike Naked Day. So, at 12:01 a.m., eager to show off their combined 40+ pound weight loss as soon as possible, after discarding their camp pajamas, the Troverts don only their shoes and headlights, pick up their trekking poles, and head off to observe this traditional thru hiker holiday. This is our first attempt at night time hiking and we are stumbling more than usual. We also quickly discover we are now the target of every flying insect along the trail. Well before sunrise, we also realize with today's predicted blistering heat, we are risking major sunburn in places that have not recently seen the light of day. We put our clothes back on...The AT is often described as "the long green tunnel." However, this morning the trail felt like walking in the Long Green Ditch, as often the sides of the trail have not been trimmed back, making the walk seem claustraphobic with the tall thick vegetation closing in and the sun beating down overhead. We finally reached some welcome open space as we hiked through Sky Meadows State Park. This is an area familiar to both N and our BCM, and one where you can describe our location in only six characters: "39, -78" (that is the designation for 39° North Latitude, 78° West Longitude). [For readers new to this report, this was all explained and documented in our long ago February 28th entry.]By early afternoon, both the heat and the humidity were making the day not one of our more favorites on the AT. We had stopped at the strangely shaped Dicks Dome Shelter to take on water at lunch. At Rod Hollow Shelter we stopped in briefly to drench our shirts in the cool piped spring water which provided immediate if short lived relief. (There we ran into the same four hikers we had first met at the Denton Shelter 13 miles back at the same time yesterday. Other than Retread and Greenhorn early, and two folks walking south around Ashby Gap, that was about all the people we saw on the trail all day.Just past the shelter, we began the dreaded Roller Coaster, 13.5 miles of tightly packed ascents and descents (more accurately described as "pointless ups and downs," or PUD's). On the third of the Roller Coaster climbs, Rob ended our misery by meeting us at a gravel road in the middle of nowhere and taking us back to cold drinks, hot showers, another great meal, and a soft bed. Having good friends living nearby to support us is truly a blessing of the Shenandoah - Harpers Ferry corridor and we are getting spoiled more and more each day...
Date: 2012-06-21
From: VA 605, Morgan Mill Rd (gravel)

To: Blackburn AT Center 
Miles today: 14.1
Weather: scattered clouds

Day 72: A warm welcome to West VirginiaAt every National Park site we have passed through or near on our journey north, we have been blessed by folks, both active employees and retired, who have gone well out of their way to offer us assistance. However, none of these have been as early or as insistent in their offers of help as Superintendent Rebecca Harriett at Harpers Ferry. She offered to provide us showers, shelter, home-cooked meals and shuttling from Shenandoah into WV and MD from their home in Berryville. What more could a thru hiker ask for? So for the last several days, Rebecca has taken us in like members of the family. Well, actually more like VIP's than mere relatives... Her husband Rob Lamar has been like a one man Sherpa support team taking care of our every need. This has enabled us to keep up our mileage in spite of the near record heat we've been dealing with on the trail. Today we had hoped to make it to Keys Gap, so we would have a short hop into Harpers Ferry tomorrow. But even with an early start, the humidity was already oppressive. We found our stops for water much more frequent. Fortunately we passed two great resources along the way: the Bear's Den hostel and the Blackburn AT Center. By the time we pulled into Bear's Den, the ups and downs of the Roller Coaster had pretty well beaten us up. Also some tough rocky sections had already put us behind schedule. A chance to rest in the cool while enjoying a cold Coke certainly revived our spirits. A few rough miles later and we had the double celebration of 1,000 miles completed and arriving in West Virginia. Lunch came in the heat of the day, and afterwards X spread her little piece of Tyvek on a rock and took a short power nap (now that's a rare occurance!). When we saw the sign for Blackburn Center we decided we had done enough for the day. N tried out their excellent solar shower in the front yard and we both enjoyed the swing on the wrap-around porch. Shortly thereafter, Rob was there to collect us and we were treated once again to some wonderful Lamar/Harriett hospitality for a final night in their home. Our thanks go to Rob & Rebecca for all they did for us in helping us move on to Maine!
Date: 2012-06-23
From: Appalachian Trail Conservancy, Harpers Ferry WV

To: Dahlgren Backpack Campground (MD)
Miles today: 17.8
Weather: scattered clouds

Day 74: "The hikers' feet are on thy shore, Maryland, my Maryland/ I smell 'em half a mile or more, Maryland, my Maryland..." (plus the Civil War on South Mountain and working for a free dinner)Emotionally, after yesterday's high point at the ATC, it seemed like today we were doing a re-start of the AT, and we worried about a letdown. We need not have worried. It turned out to be one of our best days yet...We toured historic Harpers Ferry then crossed the Potomac on the railroad bridge as we followed the AT out of town. We shared the perfectly level C&O Canal towpath with runners, bikers, and all sorts of hikers before beginning the big climb of the day at Weaverton. Between the Weaverton Cliffs Overlook and the next shelter, we realized we were hiking with the Charons who our friend Greenhorn had been trying to catch up with for as long as we were with him on the trail. We introduced ourselves and they proved to be as delightful a couple as Greenhorn had described. Both our ages and hiking pace seem similar and over the course of the day we enjoyed getting to know them. Both the trail and the weather were kind to us today, and the miles seemed to pass quickly. By 5:30pm we had arrived at the Dahlgren Backpack Campground, our destination for the night. We had read in our guide hot showers were available and of course that in itself was enough of a reason to pull us in. As we approached the site we noticed a large group (with tents way too big to be long distance AT hikers!) had already set up at the opposite end of the large open area from the restroom/showers. Word quickly spread through our today not so little hiking bubble that they were a 4-H group (concentrating on insects) out of Frederick, MD, and they were offering a spaghetti dinner (complete with homemade cobbler) to all the thru hikers. The only thing they wanted in return was for us to tell stories of our experiences on the AT. Wow! After setting up our tent, X had time before dinner to avail herself of the shower which didn't disappoint. Sweaty hiking clothes were washed and hung to dry right as the call to dinner came. About a dozen thru hikers mingled with the group and it was a delicious meal. The evening unfolded around the campfire as the Charons, Last Out, Bright Flower, Toenail, Franklinstein, Carver, Rampage, and the Troverts shared stories of the trail. Most of the memorable experiences focused on the random acts of kindness (i.e. Trail Magic) that have happened to us over the past three months and stories of the weather (usually of the miserable variety). Finishing up with S'mores and cobbler we headed off to our tents quite full and feeling very blessed by the folks who we'd just met. The trail continues to be a special place.
Date: 2012-06-24
From: Dahlgren Backpack Campground (MD)

To: Raven Rock Shelter (MD) 
Miles today: 18.8
Weather: scattered clouds

Day 75: The Troverts encounter a man on the AT wielding a loaded AK-47 (Fortunately he is a Maryland state trooper involved in a major manhunt for a fleeing felon)(which may explain why helicopters were circling overhead for the previous half hour...)We heard several versions, but perhaps a robbery suspect (homicide involved?) ditched a vehicle on I-70, ran in the woods, and then south on the AT. His description may have involved a green shirt and either dread locks or cornrows...But before all that, the day started with a climb of South Mountain's original Washington Monument (which we made along with Carver who we met yesterday). There were nice views towards Antietam Battlefield. We have to mention Really Great trail magic today: Just before the manhunt, Carver found a full cooler Cabana Boy and Dutch Tape (2010 thru hikers) had placed before the Boonsboro road. The three of us were amazed at the sodas, apples, snacks, all resupplied this morning. Sweet!  In the afternoon, the Baltimore chapter of the AT Class of 2009 (with many friends) threw quite a spread at the Ensign Cowall Shelter. All of the homemade salads were particularly good and instead of the usual hot dog/hamburger fare, they made homemade sandwiches to order and heated in a cast iron press. Great Reubins!It was tempting to linger, but we had another five miles and a really steep climb to reach the beautiful, almost-brand-new Raven Rock shelter for the night. Too full to eat any dinner after all the trail magic, after we arrived we washed up and got to bed early. We are joined by Tyler who had to bushwhack back to the trail after his hitch back from a town resupply dropped him off in the middle of the road! He almost headed south on the trail before he worked out his location. He asked us for a wake up call in the morning so he can also get an early start. The only downer for the day is that the Charons didn't make it past Trail Magic II, which means we didn't get to visit with them again tonight, and with us taking a break tomorrow to visit X's sister, we will have a hard time catching them again. Such is life on the trail...
Date: 2012-06-26
From: Shippensburg, PA

To: Shippensburg, PA
Miles today: 0.0

Day 77: N scores a cheap pair of dress pants for the upcoming wedding (32 inch waist, no less!)X's sister and brother-in-law, Edie and Wayne Wilhide, collected us from the trail yesterday and opened up their beautiful home to us for the most restful rest day in the past eleven weeks. We needed it! About the most strenuous thing we did all day was head to the mall to find a pair of pants to replace the suit that now hangs loose on N. (We pointed out to someone today that we each had lost the equivalent of our starting backpack weights!) J. C. Penny came through with the perfect pair on sale for only 14 bucks.We talked about a second zero day tomorrow, after going to nearby Chambersburg this evening for a special showing of ¢Beauty Beneath the Dirt,¢ a documentary on the Appalachian Trail (¢What happens when you put a lawyer, an Ivy League graduate, and a city chick from Chicago¢s South Side on the AT?¢), but have decided instead to take advantage of the great weather and get back on the trail early in the morning. We¢d write more, but this is a rest day¢¦
Date: 2012-06-27
From: Old Forge Park, Old Forge Road (PA) 

To: Shippensburg Road (PA) 
Miles today: 22.0

Day 78: 1% of the entire Appalachian Trail in a single day!We were up before dawn, as Edie and Wayne whisked us back to Old Forge Park, and had us on the trail by 6am. The temperature was 56&deg when we started, and we were loving it! In fact, the temp today never got over 80&deg all day.After a mile, we passed Tumbling Run Shelters (famous for its designation of the two small adjoining shelters as one ¢snoring¢ and the other ¢non-snoring,¢ and the [non-working] doorbell on the privy). We recognize our friend One¢s tent, and stop to get an update on his last few days. He passes us later, but we think he waited for the concession stand at Caledonia State Park to open, while we decided to walk on, and take an early lunch break at the Quarry Gap Shelters, where the personal touch of the volunteer maintainer/ ¢inn keeper¢ is in evidence in several of the appointed details, one being hanging baskets of impatiens. X follows the instruction to ¢water as needed.¢The trail is kind to us today, and the weather could not be better. The miles seem to fly by. The Chimney Rocks slow us down a bit, and we get a (thankfully) brief taste of PA rocks just past Quarry Rocks. We see few people, with an exception being four young women ending their short section hike at a 5-way gravel road intersection where they are calling Enterprise to ¢we¢ll pick you up!¢ and take them to their car at Pen Mar park. We arrive at Shippensburg Road around 4:30pm, just moments before Edie and Wayne arrive to take us back for steaks on the grill. We¢re so full tonight, we doubt we¢ll be in any shape to try the ice cream challenge tomorrow, but we are not complaining¢¦
Date: 2012-06-28
From: Shippensburg Road (PA) 

To: PA 94 (PA)
Miles today: 19.0

Day 79: Crossing the AT halfway point for the second (or third?) time (Plus the Troverts stage a hunger strike at Pine Grove Furnace SP to protest the lack of B&J's Cherry Garcia for the half gallon challenge)(And X posts the winning entry in this month's "It's a small world" category)We completed the first half of our AT hike today. It's such an important milestone, it was observed at least three times in three different places. We guess you can just take your pick!The trail was wide in some places today; in fact, wide enough to walk side by side or easily pass by approaching hikers. We came upon a group of young men all loaded down with camping gear they didn't yet find fully comfortable  We nodded & spoke to each as we went by. Then as we reached the end of the line, X suddenly squealed with delight and reached out to hug the group's young leader. He was Ty Edwards and had worked as a teacher/naturalist for X at Crow's Neck Environmental Ed Center for two seasons, the most recent being last spring. Today Ty is working at Kings Gap Environmental Education  and Training Center in Micheax State Forest as the leader of a month-long wilderness survival program for court referrals. Ty's group of middle to high school age boys had all had some brush with the law and were using the outdoor experience as opportunity to help clear their record. After two weeks in the  woods, they were all being succsusful. We wished we had more time to spend with him, but were so pleased to see him. What are the odds of running unexpectedly into a former acquaintance on the AT?  X still smiles when she thinks of the encounter.