morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2014-10-01
From: Darlington Shelter

To: Little Dogwood Run stealth camp
Miles today: 18.3
Weather: broken clouds

10/1/14 - day 821071.8 - Little Dogwood Run stealth Camp18.3 milesI made it across the Cumberland Valley - it was fun. It's a mix of woods and fields. I saw corn, hay, soybeans, and millet (I think). Two dairy farms with cows, and I smelled one modern pig farm. I could see it, a huge building, but you can't actually see pigs at one of these modern farms. But I could smell it!The picture is the new tunnel for the AT under PA 944. If we only had that for every busy road! We also went over I-81 and the PA turnpike. You can't walk from Maine to Georgia without crossing a few big roads.The purpose of crossing all this farmland is to get from one set of mountains to another. Soon (in a few days) I will be cutting across a corner of Maryland to get to West Virginia. Then I will be in the southern Appalachians, and things will get serious again.About 2/3 of the way across the valley the trail went through Boiling Springs, and I stopped in the AT regional office and bought an orange vest. Hunting season starts this week. I'll try to hang it over my pack somehow.Met a new young couple, and leap-frogged with them part of the day. She is "Gravity" and his name has "up" in it but I can't remember it. Nice kids but they walk faster than me, although they started a couple of weeks before me. There was also a guy at the shelter last night who started at the NY/ NJ line, intending to go to GA, but he quit today, hitching into Harrisburg. Oh well.
Date: 2014-10-02
From: Little Dogwood Run stealth camp

To: Tom's Run shelter
Miles today: 18.9
Weather: scattered clouds

10/2/14 - day 831090.7 - Tom's Run Shelter18.9 milesBack in "normal" AT style trail today - that is, lots of up and down. PA up to the Cumberland Valley was walking on top of broad ridges - really very easy except for the pointy rocks. But normal trail goes up and down mountains, over and over, and we started that again today, although on a small scale.We had 5 southbounders together at lunch time today. At least I was eating lunch, others were eating breakfast. There's a store 2/10 off trail at PA 34, and we all were there at the same time. Two young couples: "Gravity" and "Up in the air", and "Walky" and "Talky". 5 at once, that's a record for me. They're all nice, and they all started well before I did, so I don't know how much we will see of each other.The highlight of the day was the AT museum at Pine Grove Furnace State Park. They have Earl Shaffer's pack (the first thru-hiker) and Grandma Gatewood's shoes (the first female thru-hiker - and she wore Keds!). Plus a bunch of other stuff. The photo is their collection of signs.So I am still on schedule to meet Laurie on Monday - but there's a lot of miles to cover still! Tomorrow - the real halfway mark!
Date: 2014-10-03
From: Tom's Run shelter

To: Rocky Mt shelters
Miles today: 19.1
Weather: moderate rain

10/3/14 - day 841109.8 - Rocky Mt Shelters19.1 milesPassed the numerical halfway point for this year a little after dawn this morning. So there is the old center point, which has a bronze marker set in stone - I passed that yesterday. Then I passed a more kitschy halfway sign, with mileages (incorrect) and flags - that was late yesterday. But the AT is a living trail, and the mileage changes from year to year, so these old permanent halfway markers are always wrong. Doesn't matter. The psychological halfway point is Harper's Ferry WV. If my luck holds I will be there Monday to take a few days off with Laurie.Passed a really odd shelter today. A double cabin with a breezeway between covering a picnic table. There were flowers (real) hanging from the eaves. No joke - check out the photo!
Date: 2014-10-04
From: Rocky Mt shelters

To: Raven Rock shelter
Miles today: 19.9
Weather: scattered clouds

10/4/14 - day 851129.7 - Raven Rock Shelter19.9 milesToday was the day I wanted to quit and go home. If Laurie had been in a car at a road crossing, I wouldn't have thought twice about it.Just little things, really. I could not get my pack comfortable, no matter how I adjusted it. Incessant shoulder, neck, and hip pain, after 85 days on the trail, when those problems should be way behind me, really turned my mood sour.I crossed into Maryland, but how could I tell? I was expecting a sign for the Mason-Dixon line, but instead all I got was a mailbox (see picture). It had a trail register in it, but that did not help my mood any.Then the concession stand at Pen-Mar Park was closed for the winter already, and no vending machines. I'm back to eating my entire food budget for each day, so just a little extra helps, but there was nothing.Then the PA rocks continued into Maryland. There was graffiti all over the MD high point. I went to my hammock cold, tired, and still hungry, and thought about quitting.Not the best day on the trail.
Date: 2014-10-05
From: Raven Rock shelter

To: Dahlgren Backpack campground
Miles today: 18.8
Weather: overcast clouds

10/5/14 - day 861148.5 - Dahlgren Backpack Campground18.8 milesI did not want to get up this morning. It was 36 degrees, and I was still feeling tired and depressed from the day before. I rolled out about 6, and didn't hit the trail until 7, about an hour later than usual.I realize that my funk from yesterday is just the huge miles (for me) I have been doing to make it to Harper's Ferry to meet Laurie. 4 days in a row over 18, and today will make 5. So I suck it up and start walking.And things go a little better. There is a nice view from Black Rock Cliffs (see picture) and no graffiti. There are lots of day hikers on both sides of the I-70 crossing. The odd Washington Monument State Park is interesting. There's no vending machine, but I shrug it iff and keep hiking.Then, at the end of the day, I find this campsite, which has flush toilets, hot and cold running water, and two former thru-hikers who give me food. Much better than yesterday.Tomorrow I should be able to get going early and make it to town to meet Laurie!
Date: 2014-10-06
From: Dahlgren Backpack campground

To: Harper's Ferry
Miles today: 17.2
Weather: clear sky

10/6/14 - day 871165.7 - Harper's Ferry17.2 milesGuest entry by Lovely Laurie!:Christmas in OctoberChristmas morning arrived on Oct 6, or at least it felt that way as I drove the last 5 hours of my two-day drive to Harpers Ferry. It¢s been almost 3 months since I¢ve seen my hubby Forrest, so I had packed my little Prius with stuff he needed, such as hiking food and winter clothes and sleeping bag; and a few things to remind him of home, like his electric piano and of course, ME.About an hour out I got his first call. He had about 3 hours more of hiking to get to Harpers Ferry. I had reserved a 3-room cottage at the Camp Hill B&B, so after unpacking I walked down a block to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy to get a map and directions to the A.T. so I could meet up with Forrest. I opted for the urban route and walked down Washington Street to the historical district. There I found the white blaze that marked the A.T. route over the big bridge. But once I crossed the bridge, I had no idea which way to go. I was pondering my route choices when I looked down one trail and saw Forrest walking my way. My Christmas gift had finally arrived and I ran down the trail and jumped into his arms!!!!On our way back to the B&B, he showed me how to read the A.T. trail blazes, which were doubled up when they indicated a turn. We walked up the A.T. and then took the blue blaze to the ATC where he got his official picture taken, and an unofficial one with me (which is the picture of the day). He signed the trail log and was told he was the 109th south bound thru-hiker this year.
Date: 2014-10-07
From: Harper's Ferry

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

10/7/14 - day 881165.7 - Harper's Ferry0 milesGuest entry from Lovely Laurie!:Behind the Scenes I always imagined that a ¢Zero¢ day was like the Lord¢s Sabbath; a day of rest from the hard work of hiking, when body and soul got a chance to relax and regroup. NOT. First, Forrest spent several hours rummaging through the supply boxes I brought from home, emptying his pack, sorting through the clothes and supplies preparing to switch over from summer to winter clothes and gear, compiling a mound of dirty clothes, which I volunteered to wash.Then Forrest re-evaluated his miles per day, making a more realistic goal of 13-15 mpd on average, but also spacing the miles so he¢d had a place to ship and pick up his supply boxes. Apparently as the season wears on, there are fewer inexpensive choices for south bounders because many hostels are closing for the seasons. And with the post offices closed on the weekend or having reduced hours, it takes a bit of effort to find places that will accept his supply boxes, and/or a tired thru-hiker. All in all, it was an eye opener. What was really amazing was after doing all of that Forrest still had the energy to tour Harper's Ferry with me. We went down to the historic district and took an hour tour by a really great interpretive ranger dude. On the way back, we asked a tourist to snap a photo of us climbing the stairs up to the Catholic Church. The A.T. runs up those stairs.
Date: 2014-10-08
From: Harper's Ferry

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

10/8/14 - day 891165.7 - Harper's Ferry0 milesGuest entry by Lovely Laurie!:A Play DateWith a new supply of clean clothes, winter supplies, and trail food all packed up, Forrest was ready to enjoy a real Zero day, with nothing at all to do except hang out.After a hardy pancake breakfast, Forrest practiced his electric piano for a while I wrote a few blog entries for his journal and then hunted for something interesting to do today. We took a short trip over to Leesburg, VA, to tour the historic Oatlands Plantation. We love visiting historic homes and this home had some great bones as well as a tour guide well informed on the history of its owners. We especially loved the formal gardens and sat for a while under a pretty arbor (today¢s picture). Next we headed into Leesburg with cheeseburgers on our mind. We found a great place that actually knew how to cook a well-done burger, so we were both happy and well fed.On the way back to Harper¢s Ferry we spotted a Pumpkin patch festival and stopped to partake. We both wandered toward the petting zoo, tentative at first to feed the animals -- We both remembered 30 years ago driving home smelling like donkey after a trip to the petting zoo -- but the assortment of goats and sheep and other cutie pies were too hard to resist.All in all it was a great day, not so much for what we did, but that we did it together. Tomorrow Forrest heads back to the A.T. and I head back to Georgia. If he stays on schedule, we¢ll have another play date in two months when I pick him up at the end of his thru-hike. I can hardly wait.
Date: 2014-10-09
From: Harper's Ferry

To: Bear's Den Hostel
Miles today: 20.5
Weather: overcast clouds

10/9/14 - day 901186.2 - Bear's Den Hostel20.5 milesMy photo upload is not working - until I get that fixed no new photos through 10/19!Had a great time with Laurie - two whole days off! We needed that time together. We did touristy things, but it didn't really matter what we did, just that we were together every minute. It was good for the soul.So back on the trail this morning. Harper's Ferry was a very interesting town - a nice place to visit in the future. Crossing the Shenandoah, in the dark, at rush hour, was sensory overload. But the big climb out of the river valley wasn't too bad.I had planned to do only 15s, after the long days into Harper's Ferry, but I just kept going until 5 and ended up here, and its a great place. Its right on the trail, an old stone house that must have been a lodge in a previous incarnation. The ATC owns it, and they have bunk beds in the basement. I got a hot shower and a frozen pizza and a bunk for $23.50. And the bunk has an actual mattress on it! Such luxury! After the 2 days with Laurie, and now this, I feel like I am really getting pampered.But its supposed to rain tomorrow, that should get me back to normal...
Date: 2014-10-10
From: Bear's Den Hostel

To: Dick's Dome Shelter
Miles today: 18.3
Weather: light rain

10/10/14 - day 911204.5 - Dick's Dome Shelter18.3 milesGuess who showed up after dark last night? Marathon Man. I haven't seen him since NJ. He did the 4 state challenge while I was visiting with Laurie. Basically you start at the PA/MD border, do all of MD, then all of WV, and just touch the VA border before stopping. All in less than 24 hours. 40+ miles I think. Not for me - I have to whittle away at the miles a little each day.So I am now in VA, my 11th state. WV was very short, and yesterday the trail followed the border with VA before settling into VA. The forest is changing too - today there were some large tulip poplars, something you don't see up north. Also some nice Beech trees. And the PA type rocks seem to be slowly petering out, changing to smoother (and slicker) rocks.It rained today for several hours and is supposed to continue tonight. But I am snug and dry in my hammock. Also with my winter sleeping bag that Laurie brought me.Leapfrogged with some section hikers today. They were excited about keeping up with a thru-hiker, until I pointed out that I was 60-something, and they were 30-something! Don't get too cocky about hiking the same distance as me!I know my intention was to do fewer miles, but unless I stop in the early afternoon, the miles add up. Tomorrow I do 15 to pick up my next resupply box, the one for Shenandoah Park. I plan to go through the park in one section, taking advantage of the snack bars as much as possible!
Date: 2014-10-11
From: Dick's Dome Shelter

To: Front Royal
Miles today: 15.2
Weather: light rain

10/11/14 - day 921219.7 - Front Royal, VA15.2 milesHeavy rain overnight that continued this morning. Today's photo is a foggy hillside.Relatively easy and short day down to the road near Front Royal. Today was a new experience for me, staying at the home of the trail angels Sharon and Tom Johnson. Tom is a past president of the Potomac Trail Club and is writing a book about the history of the trail. Sharon shuttles hikers to and from the trail and lets them sleep on the floor of the room over her garage. They are both in their 70s.It was great! There was some confusion over my resupply box, which I had mailed from Harper's Ferry, but it was found and crisis averted. They fed me leftover lasagna. They don't charge for the help they give, but accept donations.Tomorrow I'll get a ride back to the trail and start the long climb into Shenandoah National Park!
Date: 2014-10-12
From: Front Royal

To: Gravel Springs Hut
Miles today: 13.4
Weather: light rain

10/12/14 - day 931233.1 - Gravel Springs Hut13.4 milesLate start out of town, as usual when I depend on someone else for a ride, but that's all part of the hike. Started walking about 9 and entered Shenandoah National Park a couple of hours later. My 3 month anniversary!Immediately there was an increase in day hikers and section hikers - it was a Sunday after all. And its leaf peeper season. The trail in the park is never very far from Skyline Drive - I crossed it twice today and came near enough to see it many times. The elevation also doubled - this is the highest I've been since New Hampshire, much higher than PA. Up to 3300 feet today. It will be twice that further south though.I got interviewed today! Well, sort of. There was a ranger leading a large group of hikers, and she stopped and asked if I was a thru hiker. She was thrilled when I said yes, and she asked the usual questions and the hikers asked a bunch of questions. It was fun. They asked how much weight I had lost, and I told them how hungry I was, but no one offered to give me food. I know they had some tasty snacks in their packs. Some people just can't take a hint!No cell service here, so I can't call Laurie. I got spoiled by the good reception in PA, but now that I am back in real mountains I'll probably have problems.
Date: 2014-10-13
From: Gravel Springs Hut

To: Byrd's Nest #3 Hut
Miles today: 17.5
Weather: broken clouds

10/13/14 - day 941250.6 - Byrd's Nest #3 Hut17.5 milesHiked in the rain most of the morning, wearing my rain gear, and I was still cold at times. Last night a 20-something female southbounder showed up. She had started in August, a few weeks after me, and was the first southbounder I know of to catch and pass me. Her trailname is "Kid", and she is travelling ultra-light, as in not carrying much of anything. So this morning she catches me a couple of miles out of the shelter. She is wearing shorts, a short raincoat, and no hat or hood. I have all my raingear on. She can't stop to talk because she has to keep moving to stay warm. Its a different mindset - I could not hike that way.Later I catch her at the Elkwallow Wayside. She is standing inside trying to get warm and dry off. She's also trying to decide if she will hike the trail through Shenandoah, or "yellow blaze" by hiking Skyline Drive, essentially walking down the shoulder of the road. Its about the same distance, but there is considerably less climb on the road. The trail keeps crossing the drive, and is usually on the other side of the spur from it.I leave first, after eating a breakfast sandwich, hash browns, a blueberry pastry, and an orange juice (I have to eat one meal at each wayside - so I can carry less food through the park). A mile or so later she passes me, so she decided to stay on the trail. At the speed she is going she could finish in ~100 days. I probably will not see her again...In the afternoon the clouds part and I finally take out the phone for a picture of the clearing storm - that's the photo for today.And I get cell phone service from the top of some unnamed mountain and can call Laurie!
Date: 2014-10-14
From: Byrd's Nest #3 Hut

To: stealth camp
Miles today: 16.4
Weather: moderate rain

10/14/14 - day 951267.0 - stealth camp near spring16.4 milesThe rain really blew in overnight, and pulled out 2 tarp stakes on the leeward side of my tarp, so I woke about 2AM with rain misting my face. No lasting harm done, but I lay awake for quite awhile after I repaired things listening to the wind howl as it blew up and over my little camping spot.So I was up at 5, and had difficulty finding the bear pole to retrieve my food bag in the fog. My headlamp just illumined the cloud in front of my face. I took everything into the shelter to pack it up (I was the only person there), and it was just as wet inside as outside. Every surface was wet and clammy and the wind was blowing the rain around inside. Then I saw a mouse run along the top of the wall. And people wonder why I don't stay in the shelters!It rained all day, sometimes hard, sometimes dripping off the trees, most of the time in the cloud, so wetness just surrounded me. Passed some great viewpoints, at least I think they were great - all I could see was a wall of grey cloud. Until I arrived at one spot just as the clouds parted for just a moment - that's today's picture.I made it to Skyland just in time for the AYCE breakfast at 10:15, so I cleaned up the leftovers on the buffet. It was tough going back out in the rain, but I have promises to keep ... (You know my motto).Then I met a northbound section hiker who knew my name! "Are you Forrest?""That's me.""I've been following your journal."Turns out she does a section every year, and looks up thru hikers to see if she will meet any. She took my picture. Of course it was raining, so we didn't talk long, just your usual 2 minute trail chat. I'm sure she told me her name, but I forgot it. Whoever you were, thanks, that was very nice.So I walked and walked and walked in the rain, not seeming to make much progress. My objective was to get to the next wayside for supper. I planned my food budget so I could carry less food through the park, but I have to actually get to the waysides and eat or go hungry.Well, I got lost in Big Meadows campground looking for the diner. I have no excuse, since the guidebook has a map. All the signs are intended for people in cars. It was pouring rain, and the wind blew off my pack cover, and I didn't realize it for awhile. Then I had to backtrack about a half mile and found it snagged in the bushes.Eventually I found the diner and got a cheeseburger for supper. No cooking today. Got back on the trail about 5 and hiked another mile or so.Discovered some water in the bottom of the pack, which is where I keep the sleeping bag and underquilt. Not surprising I guess. But my fancy dry bag has holes in it, which I have tried to repair with duct tape. Guess it didn't work. Nothing like 95 days of hiking to reveal weaknesses in your gear!More rain tomorrow (its pouring on my tarp as I type this) , and they are predicting thunderstorms!
Date: 2014-10-15
From: stealth camp

To: stealth camp
Miles today: 16.0
Weather: light rain

10/15/14 - day 961283.0 - stealth camp16.0 milesThe wind and rain really picked up in the wee hours. I had the tarp lines tied to rocks, but the rocks were being dragged along the ground, so I had to get up and pile on more rocks. I could hear the wind coming way down the mountain, a roar that increased in volume as it got nearer. When it passed my spot the tarp would bow and then quiver, and my hammock would sway to one side. Then as the wind passed my hammock would sway back the other way. If there hadn't been a downpour at the same time it would have been fun.I could hear trees crashing down and tree limbs falling with each gust. Then, on one huge gust, there was a "POW", and I turned on my headlamp to reveal a rip in my tarp. A wind-pruned branch had pierced it, about a foot from my head! That's today's picture, my attempt at duct tape repair.Later I contacted Laurie, and she contacted HammockGear, and they are going to send me a cuben fiber repair kit at no cost. Thanks guys! Now if my duct tape will hold until then...So at my normal hour to start hiking, I was laying in the hammock watching lightning overhead. Yes, the thunderstorm front was coming through. Those passed quickly, but not the rain. It poured until about 3PM.But I got out in it and moved forward. I stopped to eat lunch under cover at Bearfence Hut (no diner food today), and there were six twenty-somethings huddled in there out of the rain. No hiking for them today, they were spending the day in the shelter. And guess who was asleep on the upper deck? Marathon Man. So I caught him again, and passed him again, since I suited back up and continued on in the rain.The rain has slowed me up. It takes extra time to insure things stay dry and I stay warm and dry. My original plan was Waynesboro on Sunday, but I'm sure I can do Saturday, and maybe even Friday if the weather improves. And who knows, I might see something other than fog at the views!