morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2013-06-07
From: Maupin Field Shelter

To: Waynesboro, VA
Miles today: 21.0

Well, I did it! 21 miles today in a drizzling rain all day. I also made damn good time - I got out of camp late around 9:00 due to morning rain, and got to the road crossing into Waynesboro at 6:30! I outdid myself today. The first 10 miles today were very rocky, which was hard. The rocks were very slick due to the weather, and I had many slips but luckily no falls. The rest of the terrain was nice and easy, allowing me to walk at quite a nice clip. This is the first day on trail that I have actually averaged better than 2 mph including breaks! I believe it's my longest day to boot. I got into Waynesboro and met up with Wooden Spoon, Gaia, and Willow at the Quality Inn. I'm sleeping on their floor and couldn't be happier. We had dinner at an incredible Chinese buffet and I just went to town. It was awesome. I think I'll zero tomorrow and then it's off into Shenandoah National Park!
Date: 2013-06-08
From: Waynesboro, VA

To: Waynesboro, VA
Miles today: 0.0

Solid zero day today. I resupplied, ate, did laundry, ate, napped, ate, and then had dinner! Wooden Spoon and I split a room as she was ready for a second zero. We watched a Mountain Men marathon, and are looking into a King's Dominion amusement park side trip this week! Back to the trail tomorrow and I'm hoping for some nice weather during my time in "the Shennies".
Date: 2013-06-09
From: Waynesboro, VA

To: Calf Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 7.5
Weather: broken clouds

Today we took our time getting out of town, since we were only planning on hiking about 7 miles to the first shelter. We got a ride back to the trailhead around 12:00 from a local trail angel named Santa's Helper. He is an older gentleman in his 70's who thru-hiked last year and is planning on thru-hiking the PCT next year! He was very nice and asked for no money for the ride. The entrance to Shenandoah National Park was not a dramatic one, and the first 7 miles so far have been unimpressive. I am sure that it will be beautiful but so far it has been communication towers and fields. It poured rain for about 30 minutes today, but luckily I was able to find a rock cave to hide in and wait out the storm. We are expecting rain tonight and tomorrow, but I am hoping that it will not be too bad. Looking forward to some easier terrain!
Date: 2013-06-10
From: Calf Mountain Shelter

To: Calf Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: moderate rain

Today was my first zero day in the woods. We decided to zero at the shelter today due to heavy rain all night and this morning.The rain last night was just unbelievable. It was the hardest rain I have experienced so far on the this journey. Wooden Spoon's tent flooded badly, and there was an inch of rain inside her tent, and all of her belongings were drenched! I stayed dry through the night, but had no motivation to hike as it was still pouring rain all morning. We decided to hang out at the shelter and wait for a day for the weather to (hopefully) clear up. We played cards, hung out, and ate all day as hikers came in and out of the shelter. It was actually a pretty fun day. Angus, Spoon, Gaia and I are on the top bunk of the shelter. This is Spoon's first night sleeping in a shelter, so I gave her a pair of earplugs to use. We will hike rain or shine in the morning!
Date: 2013-06-11
From: Calf Mountain Shelter

To: Dundo Picnic Area
Miles today: 15.3

My first full day of hiking in SNP was great. We had some wonderful weather, beautiful trails, and easy terrain. I got out of camp around 7:45 and headed out for the day's hike. I really enjoyed the trail today, as although not flat, it was mild and well graded walking. We had a couple views that were nice, one from Blackrock, which is a mountain with a bunch of boulders at the summit. It was a beautiful view and a neat stop. We decided to take our chances at bending the rules, and camp in a day-use picnic area. This is not really allowed, but so far tonight we haven't had any rangers visit us. It is nice here as they have bear boxes for our food and water taps near picnic tables. Hoping to get out early before a ranger busts us!
Date: 2013-06-12
From: Dundo Picnic Area

To: Hightop Hut
Miles today: 19.1
Weather: few clouds

Today was hard! Due to my own irresponsibility and laziness, I had to bust my butt until dark.It started out as a great day. We broke camp and got on trail before any ranger visits, thus getting away with a great, however, illegal camping spot. After about 7 miles of hiking I came to my first Shenandoah wayside. These are stops on Skyline Drive that the trail travels nearby which serve hot food, ice cream, and soda. I got a burger, fries, ice cream, and a Mountain Dew. It was delicious, however it put me into a food-coma-zombie state from about 11:30 to 3:00. Spoon, Angus, and I just lay around playing cards and listening to music, unable to motivate ourselves to move. Our goal was to have a short hike to the US 33 road crossing tomorrow where we are getting a ride to meet Catnip, P.S., and Willow at the Massanutten Resort. Catnip's parents rented a condo there for this week but were unable to make it, so the three of them have been hanging out there all week. We are going to nero there for a day and enjoy some free resort time! The bad part of this plan was that that left 12 miles to hike starting at 3:00 PM. It was hot, and I hauled ass over a few mountains that weren't too strenuous - however adding the heat and hurry made it a very challenging hike. I made it to Hightop Hut just before 9:00 PM and I was exhausted. I skipped dinner and went straight to my tent. I am looking forward to some quality and free resort time tomorrow!
Date: 2013-06-13
From: Hightop Hut

To: Massanutten Resort
Miles today: 3.4

This morning was a nice short hike out to the US 33 road crossing, and then off to the resort! We got a shuttle from a guy named Yellow Truck who was quite a hoot. He was a character. We stopped at a Sheetz, which I don't think we have in Ohio, and got some awesome food. They have these made-to-order touchscreen kiosks where you can get tons of different options. It was delicious.Yellow Truck dropped us off at the resort, and we were in the lap of luxury! I had a bubble bath in a jacuzzi tub, this time with hot water! We played Clue, grilled out, and watched TV. Tomorrow Wooden Spoon, Angus, Footloose, and I are going to King's Dominion. We are renting a car, driving there, and riding some roller coasters. It will be our way of celebrating 3 months on the trail and 900 miles. Very excited for that!
Date: 2013-06-14
From: Massanutten Resort

To: King's Dominion
Miles today: 0.0

We rode roller coasters today! It was an awesome side trip and celebration.We had an Enterprise shuttle pick us up to go into Harrisburg, VA to rent a car. It was me, Wooden Spoon, Angus, and Footloose. It was about an hour and a half drive to King's Dominion, and we got into the park around 12:30. We were blessed with a day of short lines!We spent the next 7 hours riding roller coasters and other cool rides. Angus, Wooden Spoon and I went on the giant swing ride that hoists you up in a harness and then just drops you. It was a rush to be moving so fast after 3 months of walking 2 miles per hour! It was a great day.In order to avoid paying for a hotel, we stopped at this rest area outside of Harrisburg and are cowboy camping in the trees. Cowboy camping is sleeping out on the ground without a tent. It is an adventure and has been a good night. We will wake up early, return the car, and then Enterprise will shuttle us back to the trailhead. Everything worked out perfectly!
Date: 2013-06-15
From: King's Dominion

To: Bearfence Mountain Hut
Miles today: 9.0
Weather: broken clouds

This morning we returned the car, and then walked to Food Lion to resupply our food. After getting food taken care of, the nice gentleman at Enterprise took us right back to the trailhead. We got hiking again at about 12:30. Due to a later start hiking, we only walked 9 miles to the first hut. In the Shenandoah National Park shelters are called huts, and day-use picnic areas are called shelters. The hiking was nice today, and there was a campground/camp store about a mile before the hut that I was able to pick up a Coke at to pack in for dinner!Tomorrow it is back to the usual grind!
Date: 2013-06-16
From: Bearfence Mountain Hut

To: Skyland stables
Miles today: 15.3

The hiking today was awesome, and the weather was nice too. I got an early start, around 7:45, and enjoyed a nice view right off the bat. The trail was well-graded and smooth today, which helps with the hiking so much. Spoon, Angus and I took a nice long break at a cemetery and played some rummy during the afternoon. I reached Franklin Cliffs around 3:30 and took a break there, too, as the view was just amazing. There was a wayside today that I passed nearby, but I decided not to stop there this time. After the last wayside, I was stuffed and couldn't be motivated to hike for a couple hours, and I wanted to avoid that happening again!I got to the Skyland stables around 6:30 and was excited as it was a perfect camp spot. You are not allowed to camp near any developed areas in the park, but Spoon met a ranger at the first wayside who advised her that they won't ticket thru-hikers for tenting in the wrong spots. With this info, and after seeing how great this spot was (picnic table, water pump, and flat, grassy ground) we decided to camp here. All was good until about 5 minutes after we laid down for the night. Flashing lights hit our tents and a park ranger announced himself. After a brief lecture, he told us as long as we were packed up by 6:00 AM he would let us stay. This was very nice, and I was happy to have avoided a citation and having to pack up and move during the night!We're about a half mile from the Skyland Resort where we'll get breakfast early tomorrow morning!
Date: 2013-06-17
From: Skyland stables

To: Spring
Miles today: 13.8

After no bear sightings at all so far on my thru-hike, I saw 5 within a two hour span today!Breakfast this morning was amazing. It was a $12 AYCE buffet with great food. We got there for breakfast around 7:45, and I didn't end up leaving until 11:00. And no, I was not eating at the buffet this whole time. The wayside issue presented itself again, and I had to sit around or a couple hours before I felt like hiking again. There were plenty of nice vistas today, and I try to take a short break (at least) at every view spot. At the Pinnacles picnic area, there were some nice older folks who had sandwiches, chips, cookies, and sweet tea. Splendid trail magic!After a tough descent down from Mary's Rock, I ran into Greyhound halfway up the next hill. He gave the quiet sign to me and pointed to a mama bear and her cub! He said she had bluff charged him a couple times when he had tried to pass, so he was just hanging out and waiting for them to move along. A bit later, as I filling up my water at the spring I was camping near, I saw another mama with two cubs! I am so pumped to have finally seen some bears. It has started to sprinkle rain tonight and we are supposed to get a lot of rain tomorrow.
Date: 2013-06-18
From: Spring

To: Hogwallow Flat
Miles today: 14.3

Today it rained all day while hiking, and then cleared up just before making camp. I'll take it!There was another wayside today that I did go to, but didn't eat much at. I was there for about 40 minutes. While there, it started raining pretty hard and continued until mid evening. Tons of views again today, and a couple were really spectacular - particularly the view from North Marshall Mountain.I found a nice clearing where Spoon, Angus, and I are camping tonight. Spoon and I played some crazy eights in camp, which I hadn't played in a long time. Tomorrow we leave Shenandoah National Park, and while it was great hiking and nice trail, I am looking forward to better camping opportunities and getting out of Virginia!
Date: 2013-06-19
From: Hogwallow Flat

To: Mosby Campsite
Miles today: 13.5

Today I left SNP! We are getting close to halfway!After an uneventful 10 mile hike, we hitched into Front Royal, VA to grab a bite and resupply our food. I had some tasty stromboli at a local pizza place and resupplied at Food Lion. We got back to the trailhead easily and by 5:30, and did three and a half miles to a nice campsite where Planet, Rigs, Splash, Buffalo, and Moses were set up. I bought some cheap fireworks at the Food Lion and put on a show for everyone in camp tonight!
Date: 2013-06-20
From: Mosby Campsite

To: VA 601 parking
Miles today: 16.6

We had some decently tough hills today which was rough after the 100 easy miles of Shenandoah. We also didn't really have any good views today, so that made the hiking a bit more tedious. Spoon and Angus were ahead all day, and we hadn't really talked about where we were camping tonight, so near the end of the day I kept finding notes from them telling me the plan(s). I walked through Sky Meadows State Park near the end of the day. It was a great trail and the highlight of my day. We are camping in a trail access parking lot tonight, and when I showed up there was a cold Dr. Pepper waiting for me from earlier trail magic! Perfect. Tomorrow we start the Roller Coaster - a 14 mile section with nonstop, steep ups and downs. It's Virginia's way of saying, "You may finally be done with me, but I'm going to kick your ass on more time!"
Date: 2013-06-21
From: VA 601 parking

To: Bears Den Hostel
Miles today: 13.3

Today I hiked the majority - about three quarters - of the roller coaster. It was a tough day despite being pretty short. I got started pretty early, and had about four easy miles until the start of the roller coaster. Once I got to the start of the coaster, it was nonstop, steep ups and downs. I started off on a roll and was just cruising. However, by the time I got to the last three hills before Bears Den, I was wiped out. It was close to 90 degrees outside and very humid. I was never so happy to get to a hostel as I was earlier today. It has been a while since a shower and laundry, so I was very excited to get those done first. The hostel has a "hiker special" which for $30 gets you a bunk with real sheets, shower, laundry, soda, pizza, and a pint of Ben and Jerry's! It was a great deal that I enjoyed very much. The air conditioning and TV lounge were great too. We watched A River Runs Through It, one of my favorites, and Wooden Spoon mended a couple pairs of my shorts. I owe her one!There was also a thru-hiker reunion for the class of '78 here tonight, so it was cool to talk to them about their experience 35 years ago. Tomorrow we cross mile 1,000 and enter West Virginia.
Date: 2013-06-22
From: Bears Den Hostel

To: Campsite
Miles today: 16.3

A day full of achievements! It was another hot day but we took it slow and enjoyed the easy stretch. It started with finishing off the last few hills of the roller coaster, meanwhile hitting 1,000 miles and leaving Virginia! It is absolutely crazy to think that I've walked 1,000 miles. It's hard to grasp. It also feels great to be out of Virginia. It was a state with many neat sections, but it was so long that it is nice to finally get it under my belt. Spooner and I walked together most of the day, since I was walking Gaia, but Gaia wouldn't move unless she could see Spooner. Gaia is having paw trouble, so we are carrying her pack and food, which means she has to be on a leash. She will see a vet in Washington. We played lots of games which helped pass the time. Later we ate dinner at the David Lesser Memorial Shelter, and then kept hiking until later, when we made camp. Tomorrow will be a short day into Harpers Ferry, WV and then a vacation in our nation's capital!
Date: 2013-06-23
From: Campsite

To: Washington D.C. 
Miles today: 4.1

This morning was a short, easy hike into Harpers Ferry, and then, I was there! I have reached Harpers Ferry, WV! This is a huge milestone and incredibly exciting. Harpers Ferry is widely regarded as the emotional or psychological halfway point, despite the fact that we have 70-ish miles until we're actually halfway. The first thing to do was stop at the Appalachian Trail Conservancy headquarters. Here they had sodas, snacks, and THE thru-hiker tradition. There are many traditions touted by AT experts, but the one it seems every single hiker does is getting a picture taken by the ATC at their headquarters. They save binders upon binders of these photos for anyone to look up. It is neat to think about coming back decades from now to look up my old picture!Spooner has a friend named Buckskin who so graciously came to pick us up in Harpers Ferry and took us into D.C. We stopped at a Waffle House on the way which was surprisingly packed, and unsurprisingly delicious. I got dropped off at my friend Kathleen's apartment, who is letting me crash with her for a couple nights. I am very thankful for this. I got cleaned up, walked to Union Station, and got Chipotl© which was totally awesome. I'm having a relaxing night watching the new season of Arrested Development, and I'm looking forward to zeroing here tomorrow!
Date: 2013-06-24
From: Washington D.C. 

To: Washington, D.C.
Miles today: 0.0

Today I got all my standard zero day chores taken care of early. I resupplied my food, slept in, and got Mickey Dee's breakfast. Angus and I went to an outfitter where I got a couple small things I needed and he got a new pair of shoes. The worker gave us 20% off our total orders just for being thru-hikers! Very cool. During the afternoon, Spooner and I went to Arlington National Cemetery. This was the only real sight seeing I did, but it was awesome. We saw the Tomb of the Unknowns and the changing of the guard, the Challenger memorial, and the Kennedy Graves. We also saw the memorial for Pan Am 103, on which an Ohio State Delt, Peter Peirce, was killed. It was cool to find his name and pay respects. Tomorrow we'll head back onto the trail. D.C. was a great time, but I think it's too big of a city to jump into from trail life. NYC will be nuts!
Date: 2013-06-25
From: Washington, D.C.

To: Sandy Hook Bridge (Maryland)
Miles today: 1.4

We headed out of the city at 1:00 PM, and got back to the ATC around 2:30. It was so very hot today that we sat in the air conditioned building until they closed at 5. One of the employees gave us free ice cream! Then we walked only about a mile and a half, crossed into Maryland, and made camp. We're camping along the Potomac River at a gross campsite that we cleaned up, doing a good deed for the day.
Date: 2013-06-26
From: Sandy Hook Bridge (Maryland)

To: Dahlgren Backpack Campground
Miles today: 15.8
Weather: overcast clouds

I'm in Maryland! After the long state of Virginia, it is nice to have so many state lines coming up. The first section of the trail this morning was lovely, smooth, and flat. It coincided with the C&O Towpath. Later, after walking up onto a ridge, I ran into two goats! I do not know whether Maryland has wild/feral goats, but I suspect these were escaped pets. They were not shy and would come right up to say hello!Once we arrived at Dahlgren Campground, we found out that you could order pizza to be delivered! Quaker, an old guy let us on on this tip. He also insisted that I take a twenty from him to get one for us. He wouldn't let me say no, and did this just because. He is a very kind person. We got a pizza and a two liter of Coke - awesome!Late in the night, Spooner's friend T Suds, who thru-hiked in 2009, met up with us. She will be hiking for a couple days.
Date: 2013-06-27
From: Dahlgren Backpack Campground

To: Ensign Cowall Shelter
Miles today: 13.9
Weather: light rain

Today began with a short climb up South Mountain to the Washington Monument. Not the one in DC. The stone tower dedicated to the beloved George Washington was erected in 1827 and I was too lazy to climb it once I got there. I also missed the view from Annapolis Rocks, "an outstanding overlook", later today-- it was .2 off trail. I arrived at Ensign Cowall Shelter right after the afternoon thunderstorms were over. I found Wooden Spoon and T Suds there, set up my tent, and then cooked my favorite staple, Kraft Mac and Cheese for dinner. Wooden Spoon and T Suds used their wilderness skills and built a fire with extremely wet wood. We shared the beer that T Suds brought from an Asheville brewery and played a game called Contact. Two section hikers joined us around the fire and one volunteered to give me a foot massage. It was the best trail magic.
Date: 2013-06-28
From: Ensign Cowall Shelter

To: Deer Lick Shelters
Miles today: 14.5
Weather: few clouds

It was another pleasant morning of a few small ascents and descents. I caught up with Wooden Spoon and T Suds right before lunch and we took a side trail to High Rock to eat and enjoy the view. Had the usual (a pepperoni and cheese tortilla and a Snickers). I had 3Gs and was able to text with my Mom-- she ordered new shoes for me and had them sent up the trail. Thanks Mom!The sky turned gray as we continued down the trail and I high-tailed it to Pen-Mar County Park, three miles north. I got to a pavilion in the park as the afternoon thunderstorms started. Great timing! We spotted a drink machine across the playground and during a break in the rain, I purchased the last two sodas in the whole machine. When the sky cleared an hour or 2 later, I continued hiking and quickly crossed the Maryland- Pennsylvania state line. Took some pictures for my friends/ family/ fans. Another state down! I stopped at Deer Lick Shelters (there were two shelters) for the night. I tried dehydrated black beans in my Ramen and liked it. Sometimes I surprise myself. Wooden Spoon and T Suds and I played Crazy Eights before bed and I won so now I get to carry the cards. Extra pack weight, woof.
Date: 2013-06-29
From: Deer Lick Shelters

To: Random campsite
Miles today: 16.5

It was a short hike to Old Forge Picnic Area, where I took my first break. Wooden Spoon and T Suds were meeting friends there so I joined them at the picnic table. Gaia was returned to the trail after a weeks vacation in DC to rest her infected paws and T Suds was getting a ride back to her car. It was pure joy to see Gaia again with so much energy and to be hooked up with doughnuts, popcorn, and Coke. Calories much needed for today's climb. Spooner, Gaia and I made it to Fayetteville late afternoon and hit up Henicle's Market, the town's only grocery store which is closing for business. Everything was 30% off so it was a cheaper but limited resupply. Thankfully, they still had one box of my favorite pop tarts (wild berry) left and the ingredients to my famous trail mix (Swedish Fish, Skittles, and Gummy Bears). Whew. On the way back to the trail we stopped at La Mattina's Italian Restaurant for cheese sticks and oven grinders. Back on the trail, we passed through Caledonia State Park and I wished we had time to stop for a trip down the waterslide. Halfway up this climb, we took a break at Quarry Gap Shelters. It was well kept and equipped with a sun dial, water features, chess, and frog statues. It was a tough decision: stay and live in luxury for the night, or keep hiking and make tomorrows hike to Pine Grove Furnace State Park (ice cream!) shorter. We decided to push on.