morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2007-06-06
From: Reeds Gap

To: Rockfish Gap
Miles today: 19.1
Weather: broken clouds

I like walking. It's the working man's mode of transportation. When one thinks of walking, idealistic images of peripatetic scholars or pilgrims come to mind. But, it's actually much more mechanical and routine when you're a thru-hiker -- like breathing or peristalsis. It's profoundly comforting.The ever-awesome Dutch Haus dropped our pack contents off at the Quality Inn in Waynesboro and dropped us off 19 miles away, so that we could walk into Rockfish Gap sans pack weight. Once again, we had perfect weather, scenery, and terrain. But, the longish mileage (even slacking) caught up with me, and I was dead on my feet. Around 3:00, I started yawning and my eye lids grew heavy -- I nearly dozed off on the trail! Funny thing is that my legs never became tired. They kept flexing and stepping involuntarily, the way the heart keeps beating even while you're asleep.We reached Rockfish Gap in late afternoon and went to the visitor's center to find a ride. The volunteer there called trail angels while I marvelled at a huge 3-dimensional map of the Blue Ridge Mountains that was on display. It was amazing to get a bird's eye (and giant's perspective) of all of the mountains we've traversed since Daleville. I hunkered down and looked at Shenandoah's ridgeline at eye level. It's not flat! Good to know that in advance...but I've heard that SNP is the sort of hiking one dreams of while trip planning in the dead of winter. Yeehaw! And bears, there should be loads of bears too. Double Yeehaw!I ended the day eating dinner with Bona Fide and Bad Influence. It's nice to always have company for dinner (good company to boat). The dinner (or picnic) table is a great place to swap stories, share information, and generally socialize.
Date: 2007-06-07
From: Rockfish Gap

To: McCormick Gap
Miles today: 3.7

In honor of Virginia's "flatness", I've come up with a list of new geographical terms on the AT:Puker:Any 1,000 foot (or over) climb done immediately after leaving town or gluttonous trail magic. The climb not only undoes the spirit-lifting effects of town food, it also makes one physically lose food via the mouth.Knob:As in, "that dude is a real knob". Like a person you'd refer to as a knob, a geographical knob is an insignificant yet thoroughly annoying phenomena; an impediment to forward movement or progress, a destroyer of happiness.Stay tuned for part 2 of the AT version of the professor and the madman.Today's AYCE lunch was courtesy of Phoenix Rising who was handing out Pizza Hut gift cards at Trail Days. Totally thoughtful trail magic... thank you Phoenix Rising!Bad Influence's friends drove in from Raleigh to meet up with and hike with him for a few days, and I was invited to join the party. We drove out to Rockfish Gap and hiked in a few miles then drove to the Loft Mountain Campground to do some good old-fashioned car camping. On our way to the campground, we saw Forrest's pack sitting in front of the grill. Bad Influence and I strolled in and surprised Forrest, who had just pulled a 26 mile day.We're planning on hiking an easy day tomorrow, meeting up with Lenny, Betsy, and Campbell for a picnic lunch, then heading off for another night of car camping. The Raleigh crew is helping us to live and hike and comfort for the next few days. They're a fun crowd... and you can't beat quiche and apples.I have really mixed feelings about places like Shenandoah National Park. While I thoroughly believe in land preservation and making "wilderness" accessible to the public, the sight of pavement and gasoline pumps (yes, a backcountry gas station!) makes me wonder how much is too much. Is a more luxurious and palatable forest a good compromise?The deer here are freakishly tame. Two of them walked up to our campsite and stared at us with their bedroom eyes. I think I'm in love.
Date: 2007-06-08
From: McCormick Gap

To: Skyline Drive Mile Post 92.4
Miles today: 9.7

We ¢officially¢ entered Shenandoah Park today, and as soon as we passed the invisible park boundary, the trails became smoother and well groomed. This section of the AT is shaping up to be the Cadillac of trails. There are also tame deer grazing with their fawns every mile or so. Very idyllic and pretty.More of Bad Influence¢s crew drove in to meet up with us. Lenny and Betsy¢s two daughters, Betsy¢s sister, Cathy, and her son. Betsy drove the ¢chuck wagon¢, and met us for lunch, which was composed of great deli sandwiches and a cold beer.I raided the camp store, taking full advantage of the ridiculous array of fattening treats. My belly has been on the fritz big time since Glascow and today¢s the first day I¢ve been able to fully retain the caloric value of what I eat. (I¢ll spare you the gory details). I was slowly starting to run out of fuel so it¢s great to be feeling better, and to be able to take it easy with Bad Influence and his crew. It¢s funny; Campbell offered to let me drive her car to the store. I hadn¢t even considered the possibility of car travel, because I haven¢t driven in years. And being on the AT solidifies my status as a chronic pedestrian.There¢s a lot of black bear propaganda in the park, which utilizes scare tactics to convince people to properly store their food and trash. These posters unfairly make bears look menacing and angry. But, we all know that black bears are chubby and shy like a tax accountant with a lisp. I want to launch my own campaign for the bears called ¢Pour ¢ honey ¢ on ¢ your ¢ body ¢ and ¢ embrace ¢ a ¢ bear ¢ cub¢. Celebrate today.
Date: 2007-06-09
From: Skyline Drive Mile Post 92.4

To: Loft Mountain Campground
Miles today: 14.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Picture the absolute perfect day of hiking: temperatures in the low 80¢s, sunshine, groomed trail, graded accents and descents, great company, and throw in a bear. That¢s the day I had today. This park is spoiling me. Oh, I also ended the day be strolling into Loft Mountain¢s store and buying cold drinks. Shenandoah is certainly living up to my expectations!I spotted bear #3 today. He (she?) was hanging around the blue blaze to Black Rock Hut. They say that the third time¢s a charm and the bear was by far the best bear yet, so glossy and chubby. After following him for a dozen feet with my camera, I held off, realizing that I was coming close to being a stereotypical midwestern national park tourist. I didn¢t want to be guilty of harassing the wildlife.The terrain today was so gentle that at one point, Bad Influence looked back at me with a crazed look in his eyes and took off at a brisk trot.Shenandoah is a very controlled space. The park ranger silently zooms by our campsite every 15 minutes, in his electric golf cart. We¢ve been marked as the park miscreants and earned a written warning because our campsite was a pig sty. What can I say? Two of us are thru hikers (read: too perpetually tired to deal) and two have never camped before. It¢s a car camping/thru hiker train wreck if I¢ve ever seen one. But, the food is incredible (five stars to Betsy the camp chef extraordinaire) and the cocktail hours have been divine. Band Influence¢s friends have been delightful trail companions.
Date: 2007-06-10
From: Loft Mountain Campground

To: Hightop Hut
Miles today: 14.0
Weather: clear sky

Shenandoah continues to amaze and impress me. There are some climbs, yes, but it¢s all graded and manicured like footpaths on an old estate. Beautiful deer meander around the trail as if strategically placed by the park service.   Ahh¢¦..Bad Influence and I said goodbye to Lenny, Betsy, Elizabeth, Hayes, Cathy, Jamie, Campbell, and Sam this morning. Before we left, Betsy cooked up some of her world-famous (or soon to be world famous) blueberry pancakes soaked in bacon grease. They were great company for three nights, and I hope (hint, hint), to be invited to nest year¢s grand outing.Here at Hightop Hut, there are hoards of women. Two are thru hikers (Gus and I) and there are six female section hikers. I also saw 2 lady section hikers at Pinefield Hut earlier in the day. It¢s good to see the ladies representing! It¢s easy to let the absence of female hikers slip under the radar, but the odd ratio of me to women was made apparent by being completely reversed at tonight¢s shelter.It¢s funny; the Raleigh crew was referring to us as ¢the big dogs¢ and ¢the professionals¢. Lenny was asking us a question about something, and I told him that we were no longer fit to hand out advice, because we¢d been out here so long. I likened us to tenured professors who had grown cocky, lazy, and felt secure enough professionally to slack off with teaching and research (not that any of us had professors like that in school¢¦). Don¢t get me wrong, we¢re careful and safely conscious for the most part, but we do cut corners here and there! ¢Do as we say, not as we do¢, is a good rule of thumb. In our favor, it¢s been noted that the class of 2007 has been particularly anal retentive about bear bagging. Our weaknesses lay in other areas. Many other areas¢¦.
Date: 2007-06-11
From: Hightop Hut

To: Big Meadows Campground
Miles today: 20.4
Weather: overcast clouds

I feel very content. How could I not feel this way? I passed the 900-mile mark, saw five bears, and walked 20 miles all in one day. And now, I¢m perched at a small metal table at the Big Meadows Lodge overlooking the Shenandoah Valley.Bad Influence and I rolled into Big Meadows at 3:59, the Tap Room opened at 4:00. We couldn¢t have planned it better. We¢re holed up here until 5:30 when the lodge restaurant opens. It¢ll be a big night of eating to celebrate a big day of walking.As for bears #4, #5, #6, #7, and #8, it¢s bear overload out here! Bad Influence¢s hike had been lacking in the bear department until today. We saw our first one before lunch; then a mom and two cubs (who we got frighteningly close to before we were aware that they were there), and a yearling right before the trail to the lodge. They were all glossy and fat, and we mostly got a view of their hind ends as they ran away from us. We did hear the mother bear utter a huff and a snort, telling her cubs to steer clear of the hiker trash. It¢s sort of wild that such large creatures with large teeth and claws are afraid of us harmless hikers. Really, if I got my paws on a bear, the worst I¢d do is use him as a pillow for a nap.I randomly found a squirrel¢s tail sans squirrel on the trail near Big Meadows. I searched the area for the tailless squirrel with no luck. That means I¢ll have to mail the tail to Lala. He¢ll know what to do with it.This in the news: Rashes, and lots of ¢em. It¢s getting warm and muggy out, plus there¢s a stew of evil biting insects at our heels at all times. There are bizarre rashes on my ankles, bum, and left armpit. Very third world, and they itch in a painful stinging sort of way. Bad Influence has rashes on his shoulders where his pack straps rest. The pharmacists thought they might be from yeast infections, so he¢s using some creepy feminine itching cream on them. Experiments in hygiene seem to always lead to experiments in self-medication, always disastrous, always embarrassing. We¢re here alone (save 2 Amish who randomly blundered into the ladies room then disappeared) at the campground and are pseudo stealth camping on the perimeter near the AT. It was system breakdown at the showers, laundry, and toilets.
Date: 2007-06-14
From: Gravel Springs Hut

To: Front Royal
Miles today: 13.4
Weather: light rain

I've become a collector. It started with the squirrel tail I found and has escalated to shocking proportions. All of my collection is being mailed to Lala as a surprise, so I can't mention specifics (such as the jar full of live ticks). I'm sure my gifts violate some Leave No Trace principles....leave squirrel tails on the ground, leave ticks on the leg, etc. But, I'd hate to deprive Lala of his trail-via-the-mail experience.I'm officailly through Shenandoah (sigh). After leaving the park boundry, I began to think about the strange compromises made to create such a space. Admittedly, I thoroughly enjoyed the little luxuries such as grills, showers, and flush toilets scattered throughout the park. But, it felt strange having to carry a backcountry permit while camping about a mile from the road every night. Having been on the trail for a while, the luxuries were appreciated, but I can imaine being annoyed by the clutter of civilization in any other situation.A severe thunderstorm rolled through last night, spinning off a tornado in the valley. We stayed dry throughout the night, but got soaked through and chilled en route to Front Royal. Fortunately, hot showers and fluffy towels awaited us!This area feels distinctly like the mid-Atlantic. The trail outside Front Royal march us through the backyards of suburban houses and next to a multi-mile long area owned by the Smithsonian and fenced in with chain link fencing. I'm well aware that the AT is not a pure "wilderness experience" by any stretch of the imagination. Rather, it's a generally good compromise between wilderness area and communities of people who want to enjoy it. This is a trail where the backyards and the bears go hand in hand.I believe that this trail is teaching my hard-headed and absolute self a bit about compromise.
Date: 2007-06-15
From: Front Royal

To: Front Royal
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

I got a bothersome rash the other day. I couldn't figure out what caused it until I realized that I hadn't washed my clothes in over a week. Hmmm... these are the little details that slip under one's radar the longer one lives in the woods. So, I'm taking my first zero day since Memorial Day weekend, and I am attending to little details like showers, laundry, and absorbing vast quantities of greasy food and cable TV. Here with me are Bad Influence, TK Express, and a few others who have also fallen under the magical spell of Front Royal's flush toilets. I'm eager to head out in the morning to undo all of town's cleanliness and comforts. And, in a week's time, I'll be pleased to do it all over again.TK Express, Bad Influence, and I discussed the standard psychological make-up of a long distance hiker over dinner last night. It was an enlightening talk, to say the least. We discussed the obvious characteristics such as the obsession with physicality and a love of nature. And we also decided that hikers are fiercly driven. We have to be driven, be it by the fires of hell or a need to prove one's ruggedness, in order to walk as far as we have.So what has spurred me through the past 950 some miles? That's the million dollar question that I've been pondering and will continue to ponder during the coming miles. I love to see what's around the next corner. I love to wake up on a bright clean-scrubbed morning after a stormy night. I love to walk and think and be around others who are, more so than in any other setting I've been in, like minded. I love the lessons that the trail teaches me, like appreciating compromise or realizing that, from time to time, I depend on others (a good lesson because I'm fiercely independent by nature).For the most part, America isn't very pedestrian friendly. I realized this when walking to the store from the motel today. It's more difficult (and dangerous) to cross four lanes of traffic at rush hour than it is to walk 15 miles over mountain paths. The outskirts of Front Royal have no sidewalks, and motorists stared at me as I lugged my groceries back to my room. In many towns, even "hiker-friendly" ones, a lone pedestrian is an object of novelty or even suspicion. When I worked as a staff photographer for a major university, I shot an event at the graduate school of public health. One of the speakers talked about the need to make towns more pedestrian-friendly in order to encourage people to walk rather than drive. Could this work, I wonder? People love their cars; automobile ad execs have seen to that. New York is a paradise for the walker and has apoiled me. And New Yorkers, on the whole, seem to be more fit than the masses of chubby motorist who stare at me when I cross major roads.Now, I realize that there are many factors at play aside from daily walking, but one has wonder, we all might be a little better for taking a daily walk.
Date: 2007-06-16
From: Front Royal

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

Today the trail was flat and posh, and we passed a few different trail maintainers hard at work with weed wackers and clippers grooming the trail. I stayed up until 1:00 a.m. last night compulsively channel surfing, not the best use of time, but a practice I indulge in at motels. There's something about being an itinerant, sitting alone in a motel room zooming through the TV channels. It's pleasantly unsettling.There's quite a crew of hikers assembled here at Dick's Dome. All of the people spewed forth from Front Royal's motels this morning. Dick's Dome is an interesting creation of geodesic dome and tar paper shack inspired design. Words can hardly describe the place. One of the hikers awarded it with a "WTF" ribbon, but I personally have taken a shine to its crazy style.Our zero has bumped us into a new crowd. I got to meet 501 and Catchup (sister of Skiman who I met on my way into Front Royal). Also here are TK Express, Bad Influence, Bugs (AT 2006), Montreal, and others. Every thru-hiker here is 30 or over, and it's an enjoyably relaxed scene. It's good to not be the oldest person at the shelter -- though there's such a diverse array of age groups represented out here, and that rarely happens.
Date: 2007-06-17
From: Dick's Dome Shelter

To: Sam Moore Shelter
Miles today: 15.5
Weather: clear sky

Today's agenda: The infamous "roller coaster" of Northern Virginia. The roller coaster is an area where the trail traverses across the top of a number of ridges. At the start of the ridge crossing mayhem was a sign reading:"HIKER NOTICE" Warning!!!"You are about to enter the roller coaster!!! Built and maintained by the "trailboss" and his merry crew of volunteers. Have a great ride, and we will see you at the Blackburn Trail Center (if you survive)."The sign also included a small mark indicating that you had to be at least a certain height to ride the coaster. Was the coaster exciting? Yes! Was it the big bag of thrills that I was promised? Yes! Was that sarcasm? Yes! I don't get the hype, but it did make it fun. Or at least funny. I threw my arms in the air and shrieked with fear and joy on the descents. Out here, you're done for if you don't have a decent sense of humor.We received some quality trail magic courtesy of Wingnut (AT 1999) at route 605. He had coolers of cold drinks and comfy camp chairs along side the road. He pointed down the road, telling us that the President has an underground stronghold there. Apparently, there's a number of these presidential hidey-holes in this part of the country. Anyways, I appreciate the interesting factoids and tasty beverages Wingnut! Both made a good day better.
Date: 2007-06-19
From: Blackburn PATC Center

To: Harper's Ferry
Miles today: 12.0
Weather: haze

We are socialized to live our lives according to mile-markers such as birthdays, graduations, and anniversaries. Things aren't too much different out here on the trail. It's true that if I walk for a week, 2 weeks, or 2 months, I'll still be in the woods. But, the mile posts along the A.T. certainly have their impact on me. Reaching the 1,000 mile mark and getting to Harper's Ferry really hit home. Looking at the Katahdin summit photos at Blackburn really moved me. The past 24 hours have been a wake-up call reminding me that I'm actually hiking to Maine, that I'm making this 2,175 mile trip, that it's an awesome journey.We rolled into Harper's Ferry around noon and booked rooms at the Hilltop Hotel, a 100 year old decrepid mansion overlooking the mountains. Here with me are Bad Influence, Ohm, 1/4 Moon, Step and a Half, and Gus. They put us in the special hiker-rate rooms with the crazy plumbing and loud air conditioning. It's lovely.The only place to re-supply is 7-11, a mile down the road. Bad Influence and I rolled in and got 5 days worth of grub. We smelled horrible and were walking around with our arms loaded down with primarily junk food for the trail. We looked like dope fiends with a bad case of the munchies. Fortunately, the 7-11 folks are used to hikers and didn't call the cops on us. As an integral part of our re-supply, we stopped at the liquor store to buy mini bottles of champagne to celebrate reaching the halfway point in Pine Grove Furnace State Park. I can't believe that everything I'll be eating during the next 5 days came from a 7-11 and a liquor store. What's wrong with this picture?!I found out some excellent news courtesy of my snail mail drop. My old room mate from NYC, who now lives in Toledo, has graciously ageed to let me room with her when I'm done hiking. With only a few short months left, I was starting to mull over my post-hike life plan. It feels so good to know that I have a place to call home. Thanks Sally! You've given me the additional emotional stability I need to carry on. For all of my itinerant talk, I still need a place to call home, an anchor, a place of safety to ponder when I'm stuck on a ridgeline in a lightning storm. The concept of "home" is a complex necessity that I've been lacking. For me, home isn't necessarily a physical structure to live in. Rather, it's knowing that I have loved ones who will look out for me (and I'll look out for them). Being on this hike has really made me dependent on the kindness of others, and I've gratefully fallen into the role with a flop and a hapy trusting sigh. The "strong" one-woman show has ended. Thank goodness. My strength was my weakness, my achilles heel. My friend Amanda sent a note to me saying that, "without a doubt, you'll come out different than you arrived." A thousand miles in, I can already clearly see that this is the case.We had the chance to meet a delightful couple, Pat and Al Meyer, flying up the hill on their bicycles en route to the C and O canal path. Hello Pat and Al! Nice to have met you....