morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2014-05-12
From: Harpers Creek Shelter

To: Reeds Gap
Miles today: 7.9
Weather: overcast clouds

Immediately in the morning the trail goes up Three Ridges Mt. This might be the last 2000 foot climb for a while. That would be nice. But for now it's another up, up, and up in the gathering heat and humidity. With biting little flies. Glad we hit the trail before 7:00 and avoided the real heat. In truth, we all have pretty good trail legs at this point so these climbs are not nearly as bad as they could be. And the reward is some fine views. Thin Mint, Studebaker and Foxy, Weir Man and Knitter, and myself leap frogged one another as far as Reeds Gap. Short hiking day for me. I met my high school friend in the early afternoon, at Reeds Gap. I had a wonderful time. In the process we went into Waynesboro and I got all the usual chores and amenities done. I will be able to skip the trip into town when I pass Rockfish Gap on my way into Shenandoah National Park. It was so nice to step away from the trail for a while and catch up with an old good friend. I really do have a good life out here on the AT.
Date: 2014-05-13
From: Reeds Gap

To: Paul C Wolfe Shelter
Miles today: 14.1
Weather: light rain

My friend dropped me off, back on the trail with resupply. The pack is heavy but there are no big climbs today. Nice. Water is more frequent. The trail has gotten gentler. And very green. The green tunnel is forming. Humid and hot. Lots of biting little flies. I'm even more glad the trail's flatter. It's nice to just enjoy that. Humpback Mt is only a gradual 700 foot climb. By then the afternoon had gotten cloudy and thunder rumbled almost constantly. Just at the crest the storm was directly over head. Flashes of lightning and the thunder almost immediately after. It was alarming. Are my trekking poles lightning rods? Baggy and Cheeseburger were also up there, right behind me. I think your only options in this situation are to hunker down under an overhang or keep hiking. Faster. I might have stopped if it rained but it never did. I was glad when the cell cleared and the trail was heading down. The lightning show definitely livened up the day. The forest showed signs of light rain but not enough to clear the humidity. I find that one gets used to damp sweat soaked clothes. Salt rings form on your clothes. You just keep hiking. Whatever the situation, it will change. The trail eventually wound down to a large stream, where the shelter sat nicely located on the other side. The Paul C Wolfe Shelter is one of the nicest I've stayed at, with room for 10 on two decks and a large covered porch for cooking and eating. It even has windows. I set up my sleeping bag on the top deck by a window. Baggy and Cheeseburger came in. Then Rogue and Trillium. It was an excellent gathering. We made a fire. Cheeseburger brought out s'mores fixings, asking us to relieve her of the weight. Rogue produced a uke and as darkness descended upon the campfire we had good music and a rising full moon. Just plain good to be alive! I fell asleep later, by the window, with the moonlight bright on the forest outside the shelter.
Date: 2014-05-14
From: Paul C Wolfe Shelter

To: Blackrock Hut
Miles today: 25.7
Weather: overcast clouds

25.7 miles today. Not so much for some hikers but huge for me, and the most so far. The day was cooler. Very few bugs. The trail was gentler and mostly without rocky stretches. Easy hiking compared to the rest of the AT so far. Another factor is water. After about 10 miles without a water source I needed to get to this shelter, which has an excellent spring. I probably would have done less miles if water was more available. We were inside a cloud all day. No views. The trees dripped as they gathered fog moisture, but it never rained. Nice hiking. About six miles into the day I entered the SNP, Shenandoah National Park. Midway in the day Sisyfus caught up to me as I was filtering water. What a surprise and a joy. I last saw her 10 miles before Marion, many days and miles ago. Later we came upon Key Lime and Napoleon, both of whom I hadn't seen for weeks. I love this about the trail. I'm tenting tonight. The shelter is pretty much full. Thin Mint is at the shelter, along with Sisyfus, Napoleon, and Key Lime. New faces are Gandalf, Ranger, Prom Queen (a new Prom Queen, a man this time) and Trail Wife. A guy I've been calling Grumpy is also there. A merry gathering ('cept for Grumpy). It's always nice to meet new people. But now I'm in my tent. A whip-or-will is making a racket out there. These birds do go on and on. We're all register to be in the Shenandoah National Park. There was a sign in kiosk at the entry point. We've all hung our food bags. Bears are now a definite concern. All of us hope to see some while we hike through SNP. I think we're in the park for about 110 miles. There will be waysides where hikers can buy burgers and shakes. Very exciting. SNP. It's amazing to be here. At one time it seemed so very far away. Mile 878.5. Virginia has some more hiking surprises in store for us, I'm sure. But this state is going fast. The days and miles behind me gather some dust as the memories merge. I'm grateful for this journal. It's like memory insurance. On the other hand, many of the experiences and places, and the people, will probably always shine bright, with or without a journal.
Date: 2014-05-15
From: Blackrock Hut

To: Pinefield Hut
Miles today: 13.2
Weather: overcast clouds

Pinefield Hut. 13.2"The trail through SNP is like a walk through the park." When I first heard this my mental image was a level trail. This is not the case. The AT continues its ups and downs. But there are no rock scrambles, the trail is well maintained, and the grades are gentle. It's been the most consistently easy section so far. And there's the occasional wayside, or store. Food can be had. It's a wonderful thing to step off the trail and have food you don't have to carry. Today it was a pint of ice cream. Over a thousand calories of goodness. And a beer, just because I could. I skipped the .3 hike in to a wayside where cheeseburgers and shakes are to be had. I won't skip the next one. Like yesterday there was a lot of fog blowing over the SNP. Everything wet. Dripping trees. Cool and no bugs. But today there was an occasional view. It wasn't quite pea soup fog like yesterday. I hiked with Thin Mint all day. It was good to have company. We were both of the same mind to just do 13.2 to the next shelter rather than 20 plus to the following shelter. My feet liked the plan. And I'm glad we stayed with it. It was around 2:00 when we got to the shelter. Prom Queen and Trail Wife showed up within an hour and minutes later a thunderstorm hit. Poured a gulley washer. It's now 8:00 and it's still raining. Cupcake came in later, wet and glad to be here. We did good to stop. With just five of us here in the shelter it's comfortable. I'll be amazed if anyone else shows up.Tomorrow I'll pass the 900 mile mark. It seems almost like a dream. The trail and most of the culture around it have been so honest. I was being taught from day one how to hike this trail. The trail of course is the head instructor. But the experience and advice of others has been priceless. The rest is just walking. And as I was promised, I've made it at least this far. It's been the best adventure ever.
Date: 2014-05-16
From: Pinefield Hut

To: Bearfence Mountain Hut
Miles today: 20.6
Weather: light rain

It rained, sometimes hard, into the early morning hours. In the morning the sound was of the "unreliable water source" in front of the hut transformed into a raging torrent. What had been an easy crossing was now a challenge. My feet got their first dunking of the day when I crossed to return to the trail. It was cool this morning. Almost glove cold. I didn't remove my extra layer until a mile up the trail. Lately I've been starting off in my T-shirt. I don't know where this cooler weather came from but I like it. No bugs. No sweat dripping from the brim of my hat. Perfect hiking conditions. I was loving being on the trail. The theme of the day, besides being excellent for hiking, would have to be water. No problem finding a water source today. Very often the trail itself was a stream. The mountains were shedding water everywhere. Often the soundtrack was of swollen creeks. I embraced my inner child and just walked through the many places the trail had become a water channel. It felt good on my feet, but they never got dry. Less than a mile from this hut (shelters are now called huts in SNP), the trail edges Lewis Mountain Campground. I turned off the AT and entered the world of drive in campers. Fun. Three camp sites in and I had Yogied a beer. Yogiing is when you get a camper to offer you food or drink without asking. It's an honored thru hiker skill. I sat at their picnic table enjoying a beer and conversation until Thin Mint arrived and was offered his own beer. Three men, friends since high school, out for a weekend camping trip. We all enjoyed this chance meeting. Then Thin Mint and I headed for the camp store. First we plugged in our phones to charge at an outlet outside. Then went in, cruising for food. It's become habit to look at the calories on packages and choose what has the most. As we sat on the bench outside, eating microwaved gut bombs and drinking another beer, we were both simply loving life. The cashier came out to visit and tell trail stories. We got our pictures taken together. We went back inside and got more food. It doesn't take much to make a long distance hiker feel like a king. Two satisfied hikers left the camp store and returned to the AT. We had all of .8 of a mile to the hut. Life is good. It's dark now. The shelter is mostly full. The tent sites are pretty much water logged. 900 miles. That's a lot of hiking but it's not even half way. From this hut Katahdin is 1273 miles away. I don't much think about it. Just feeling great to have 912.3 miles completed.
Date: 2014-05-17
From: Bearfence Mountain Hut

To: Byrds Nest #3 Hut
Miles today: 22.4
Weather: broken clouds

I left the shelter before 0700, into a cool but perfect day for hiking. Sun shining. Birds singing. The forest green and alive. The plan Thin Mint and I had was 22.4 miles. But first a stop at the Big Meadows Wayside for breakfast, about six miles into the day. It's a Saturday on a nice weekend in the very popular SNP. Lots of day hikers are out. And campers. At the wayside people looked so clean. And smelt of soaps, deodorant, and lotions. Thin Mint and I stink. There's no way around it. We've been wearing the same clothes for days. I gave it a moments thought, realized that nothing can be done, and got down to the business of eating. Throughout the day the trail passed locations popular with day hikers. I ran into the occasional Q and A conversations with people aware that they're on the AT and dirty smelly hikers with packs might be thru hikers. The interest is genuine and the questions are fun to answer. But it's an odd encounter in that they look at you with amazement. Like you're doing something heroic. And that's not the case. But I love talking about the AT and enjoy the opportunities to share trail experiences and encourage others. We encountered miles of rocky treadway. It's like walking on a dry stream bed, except the rocks are jagged. The trail itself is well made. An army of people must have constructed it. I'm thinking CCC but will have to research. The problem is that erosion has removed soil between the rocks. The feet and ankles get a workout. In these sections one has to constantly watch the trail and foot placement. So the feet were very happy to see the hut. And what a great hut! Again I have to think CCC. Stone, massive roof beams, and a real roof of wood. Not one of the common tin roofs here. There was a great fireplace inside. Thin Mint and I were the only ones there. After eating we made a fire and in the gathering dusk the lights came on down in the valley. It's a rare shelter that has such a view. This might be my favorite shelter yet, for location, style, and fireplace. But few things are ever perfect. Here it was the most aggressive shelter mice yet. Our food bags were out on the bear pole but it didn't take long for the mice to crawl into Thin Mint's pack. We hung our packs up on the bear pole too. That was a first. The mice were running along the back wall, up and over the head of my sleeping pad. The pitter patter of little feet. Ugh! I turned my pad 180 with my head towards the open side of the shelter and went to sleep. Of course the cold morning breeze blew directly into the open end of my bag. But I slept like a log anyway. Regardless, I love this shelter.
Date: 2014-05-18
From: Byrds Nest #3 Hut

To: Gravel Springs Hut
Miles today: 17.5
Weather: clear sky

Another cool morning and perfect hiking day. And the final wayside, five miles before the hut. We're loving the SNP waysides. Step off the AT, into burger and fries. And black raspberry shakes. I didn't even make supper at the hut. Tomorrow we hike out of the north end of the SNP and waysides will be just a pleasant memory. I've got to rant a moment about shelter graffiti. Some shelters are covered with it. Some not as much, but all have been tagged by clueless visitors. Seabisquit is an example. Some hiker, trail name Seabisquit, has tagged bunches of shelters. In big bold letters. He's obviously packed a black felt tip pen, likely just for blessing the rest of us with his name. Clueless! I met a young man going by the name of Seabisquit. I'll assume it's someone else defacing the shelters. But if I see him again I'll be sure to ask. He's not the only one by far. When did it become "cool" to tag AT shelters? Why? Not only is it rude and illegal, but it's also idiotic. A lot like robbing a house in the snow and leaving foot prints to your location. Sigh. End of rant. There were four of us thru hikers at this shelter, and about ten section hikers. We all had so much fun visiting around the picnic table. And I finally saw a bear! A bear! Right up from the hut. So they're not mythical beasts after all. I went to sleep in my tent and slept like a log again. Another great day on the AT.
Date: 2014-05-19
From: Gravel Springs Hut

To: Front Royal, VA
Miles today: 13.4

Another perfect hiking day. Incredible. Clear blue sky. Cool temps. No flies. Just perfect. I want to pinch myself. It seems unbelievable to have so many great hiking days in a row. It was an easy hike to US522. Much of the 13.4 miles was down hill. Along the way the trail left SNP. Good bye waysides. I had my thumb out on the highway to Front Royal by around 1:00. In about 2 minutes a section hiker I had met back in North Carolina stopped and gave me a ride to the hotel in Front Royal. Oddly enough we had passed Bigfoot Jim earlier in the day, doing trail maintenance. Now he's checking the trailhead to shuttle hikers. What people give to the AT is astounding. I think this outpouring of pure goodness in humanity will be what impresses me the most about this amazing trail. My agenda is to get to DC tomorrow to meet my son-in-law. I'm very excited about this. We're going to be tourists for a couple of days. I will miss the trail, but it's been a long time since I had a zero. My feet are very happy about a few days off. This is going to be good! I can't wait to see my Aussie son. So I said bye to Thin Mint at the highway. The trail is indeed magical. I'm sure we'll meet up again, somewhere up the trail. Squirrel (now Grey Squirrel) and Flossie were also at the same hut this morning. I hope to see them again as well. And I really hope that during my days off trail my hiker family from the days of Georgia and the Smokies will be close when I get back on trail. Those hikers from the early stages are extra special. Runaway and Grasshopper, Big Gulp and Pretty Bird, Zacksquatch, Pinecone and GB. They're all behind me and I miss them. We went through the first blisters together. And the snow storms. And the emotional dynamics off the first few weeks on this long journey. In many respects we were babes in the woods together. Meanwhile, I'm back in the world for a few days. It should be very interesting.
Date: 2014-05-22
From: DC

To: Jim & Molly Denton Shelter
Miles today: 5.2
Weather: scattered clouds

After seeing some more sights in DC Brad drove me back to Front Royal. I resupplied and picked up the trail where I left off late in the afternoon. There was enough light to make it to the Jim & Molly Denton Shelter before dark, with time to spare. This is a nice shelter with a big comfortable porch. There's also a covered pavilion for cooking and eating. And a solar shower. There was only myself and a couple in the shelter. One more hiker hung a hammock in the area. I think most hikers stop in Front Royal and this shelter comes too soon for stopping for the night. It's good to be back on the trail. The weather is warmer but still nice for hiking. As much as I enjoyed my time with Brad, and as difficult as it was to say goodbye, the AT is in my blood now and I miss it when I'm away.
Date: 2014-05-23
From: Jim & Molly Denton Shelter

To: Rod Hollow Shelter
Miles today: 18.4
Weather: light rain

Up early and on the trail by 0600. We're definitely into the long daylight now. The trail has gotten easier. The elevation changes are much less and most grades are gentile. Meanwhile, the green tunnel has formed. There's lush growth everywhere. Plants and grasses are encroaching on the path. Often a hiker is brushed on both sides by the growth. My tick alarm has been going off much of the day. I find myself checking for ticks often. But so far I didn't find any today. It's just a precaution. There's no sense being dramatic or worried. But I've developed the habit of checking. I don't think I'll stop. Ticks have become part of the AT. Hikers adapt. Better safe than sorry. I was the first hiker at this shelter. Now there are four section hikers, as well as Sharp Knife and Hiccup. No telling who else will show up. In fact four more weekenders just arrived this moment. Memorial Day Weekend. There's a big black snake living in this shelter. I figure I'll just leave it alone. So far I'm the only one in the shelter. The snake feeds on shelter mice. That makes it a good guy. Tomorrow I hit the "roller coaster." 13.5 miles of sharp ups and downs. And 1000 miles will be crossed in the process. I've heard about the roller coaster ever since I started researching the AT. I'm looking forward to it, but expect it to be a series of steep ups and downs. Glad I'll be hitting it first thing in the day. And after that? Goodbye Virginia and hello West Virginia. Very exciting.
Date: 2014-05-24
From: Rod Hollow Shelter

To: Blackburn AT Center
Miles today: 17.9

This was an important day. First thing in the morning was "The Rollercoaster." "13.5 miles of sharp ascents and descents." It wasn't so bad except for the rocks. Lots of stepping from rock to rock. I went up and down short hills of a few hundred feet most of the day. It's never real easy when a section gets it's own name. We've all heard of this section. It'd good to have it done.Then the trail broke 1000 miles. That's so nice to have done. And for the first time in over 500 miles the AT steps out of Virginia and into West Virginia. I'm back in VA now but in six more miles I leave VA for good. 25% of the AT is in Virginia.   Good to have that milestone done. Tomorrow I'll be in Harpers Ferry. This is huge to me. It's been a great day. Being Memorial Day Weekend, the AT is seeing lots of hikers. We ended up with about 18 section or weekend hikers at the shelter last night. I passed more all day. And scores of day hikers. Families. It's good to see. I got into the Trail Center about 5:30. It's a very nice place. I'm in the four place bunk house. So far I'm the only one here. I think it'll stay that way. But we'll see. The main house was built around 1910, I think. For a doctor's summer home. Beautiful place in a beautiful location. I like it here a lot. Lots of weekend hikers came in as night fell. But they all put up tents and seemed to not want to disturb "thru hiker territory," the bunk house where I stayed. I don't know how one lessens this sort of awe some people have for thru hikers. I'll keep working on it. We're all hikers. Period.
Date: 2014-05-25
From: Blackburn AT Center

To: Appalachian Trail Conservancy 
Miles today: 12.5

Wow. The day came. Back in the beginning one of the major trail milestones was getting to the ATC, but such an event seemed so far out in the future. Today was the day. I set off up the trail in the morning feeling especially blessed. Today was another fine hiking day. And the trail into Harpers Ferry from Blackburn Trail Center is gentle and more down than up. It's quite rocky in places, but rocks have just become a fact of life on the AT now. Lots of day hikers out on the trail on this warm and sunny Sunday. I had many good conversations along the way. I really enjoy the interest people have in the AT. It's so good to see people appreciate this national treasure. So into Harpers Ferry and a short .2 blue blazed side trail to the ATC. I got my thru hiker picture taken. I'm number 238 thru hiker to come through the ATC this season. I would have guessed I was in the 300s. The big bubble is definitely still behind me. There's a hiker lounge at the ATC. And there was Chef, Stakes, and Cliff Walker. It was SO good to see them again. And a big surprise. I also got to finally meet DaVinci. And my bounce box was there. And a package from home. Some days are just over the top. Meanwhile, I had contacted my cousin Ken, who lives nearby. We haven't seen each other in well over 40 years. Ken showed up at the ATC and took me to his place in Winchester, VA. Wonderful. I cannot express how great it is to reconnect to family. I have a dental issue to take care of while I'm in the area. Hopefully I won't be off the trail more than a couple of days. It can't be helped. Meanwhile it's good to catch up with relatives. The AT awaits and it's so exciting to be on the verge of crossing into the mid atlantic states. I really can't wait. Hopefully some friends behind me will catch up. Who knows what the trail will do. Whatever it is it will be wonderful.