morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2013-05-26
From: VA 624, Four Pines Hostel

To: Campbell Shelter
Miles today: 10.3
Weather: clear sky

I woke up early because everyone at the hostel was packing up to get an early start. I just kind of sat and watched everyone pack up and then once a bunch of people left, I finally got up and started getting my stuff around. I really enjoy the slower pace out here but most people still seam like they are always in a rush. When hikers pass us sitting at a cool spot and find out we've been there for an hour, a lot of times they are really surprised and don't understand how you can just sit somewhere and miss getting those 2 or 3 miles in. Other people will talk about wanting to slow down and enjoy the hike more, but they have it in their minds that they have to do 20 miles a day to get done. I don't understand why some people treat this experience like a job or a race and I actually feel bad for them for missing out on the real beauty of the trail. There are many people that will successfully complete a thru hike and have nothing to talk about except all the miles they hiked everyday, and if that's all they want from it then more power to them, but I think there is so much more to experience out here that so many people are missing. End rant! Today was such a great hike and the terrain was fairly easy without many steep climbs. We got back to our normal routine of taking it easy and finding good resting spots to take in the scenery. When we passed the parking lot for McAfees Knob, we knew it was going to be a zoo up there. It was strange to be around all of the day hikers and I was much more aware of how much I smell being around so many clean people. The hike was really easy and once we got to the top we waited to get a few pictures and then relaxed on top of McAfees Knob for about 3 hours. The crowds finally cleared out around 6 30 and it was much more peaceful up there. It was also nice to hike fewer miles and just take our time all day. It's suppose to be pretty cold again tonight so when we got to the shelter and it was full of weekenders, I didn't mind tenting at all. Hopefully they just don't blast their music all night long. Definitely a great day today and passed the 700 mile mark.
Date: 2013-05-27
From: Campbell Shelter

To: Daleville, VA
Miles today: 15.4

This morning I was ready to go early because I was excited to go into town and because I was excited to go to Tinker Cliffs. The hike was pretty easy up to Tinker Cliffs and once I got there I sat on the rocks overlooking the valley below. It was a beautiful spot to hang out and wait for Orion and Davy Crockett to catch up. After sitting on Tinker Cliffs for about an hour, I heard people walking below me and looked down to see Davy and Orion walking below the cliffs. I yelled at them but they both had music in and couldn't hear me so after being unsuccessful at getting their attention, I hiked along the cliffs to where the real trail met up with the one they were on. They were extremely disappointed to realize that they missed the cliffs, and I will admit it was a very confusing section of trail because to get up to the cliffs the trail took a 180 turn but another trail continued straight. Since we still had over 10 miles to go to get into town and it was already about 1 pm, the guys decided not to hike back a half mile to see the cliffs. Although they missed the cliffs, Davy did see a bear and followed it down the mountain to take its picture. I still haven't seen a bear but I'm hoping to see one soon. The rest of the day seemed to take forever which is pretty normal going into town. We finally got into town around 7, and went to Three Little Pigs for dinner and a coupe pitchers of beer. We also got free banana pudding for being hikers, and it was delicious! After dinner decided to get a hotel room for the night so we could shower, sleep on beds, and be in town to resupply and run errands tomorrow.
Date: 2013-05-28
From: Daleville, VA

To: Daleville, VA
Miles today: 0.0

 We decided to take a zero day to let our bodies recover and to have plenty of time to get everything done in town. It seemed like town was the place to be because I ended up running into a ton of people that I hadn't seen in awhile and met a bunch of new hikers. I finally got some new Sol insoles for my shoes because I had worn mine thin around the ball of my feet and it was causing my legs to feel like I was walking through spider webs all the time. My toes are already numb on both feet but I don't need my legs going numb too. After the outfitter, I resupplied at the grocery store and then got a ride back to the hotel. We decided to stay at the hotel another night instead of hiking 1.5 miles to camp at the fire station for free because a bed was too good to pass up. The rest of the day was really relaxing and we set up a slack pack for tomorrow to do 21.5 miles and then have our packs brought to us. Zero day well spent!
Date: 2013-05-29
From: Daleville, VA

To: camping past Bearwallow Gap
Miles today: 22.0

The plan was to wake up at 7 to get an early start on the 21.5 mile slack pack and to beat the heat, but instead we all ignored the alarm and slept until 8 30. We finally got up and ate breakfast and were hiking by about 9 30. It felt amazing to slack pack but the heat was still overwhelming at times. Although it was great to slack, 21.5 miles is still a lot even without a pack and by the time we got done, I was exhausted. Once we picked up our packs, we still had to find a place to camp and the guide didn't show any campsites until the shelter in 3.5 miles. Plus, the shelter didn't have a water source so we filled up at the gap and I carried 3 liters of water which after a day of slack packing is not weight that you want added to your pack. The hike out of the gap with full packs and after 21.5 miles was extremely difficult but luckily we found a place to camp about half a mile from the gap. Although I was tired, it was a great day and the new insoles definitely helped.
Date: 2013-05-30
From: camping past Bearwallow Gap

To: Cornelius Creek Shelter
Miles today: 14.9
Weather: few clouds

We woke up early, which for us is still only 7 am, because with the heat you pretty much have to take at least a couple hour break in the middle of the day. The day started off pretty good, but after a couple hours I had absolutely no energy and wasn't feeling well. We got to a swimming hole and although I had really been looking forward to swimming, once I got there I was just feeling off and tired and didn't want to swim. I still put my feet in the water and hung out but I definitely missed out on some of the fun. After the swimming hole, we for some reason decided to climb a 1000 foot mountain in the heat of the day. I started out ok but after a few minutes I had no energy and could only walk about 30 seconds before needing a break. I was definitely dehydrated, but there wasn't a water source for at least a few miles and not until I got over the mountain. I slowly made it up and coming down was easier because it takes less effort. Once I got to the next shelter I drank a ton of water and made Ramen with three bullion cubes for the salt. After eating, drinking water and lying around, I felt much better and was able to make it the last 5 miles up 1500 feet to the shelter. Once I got to the shelter I set up my tent and then sat around and talked until going to bed. Today was definitely a hard day and I will be much better about hydrating in the future but it is hard to stay hydrated with this heat. Guess I better get used to it though because it's just getting started.
Date: 2013-05-31
From: Cornelius Creek Shelter

To: Matts Creek Shelter
Miles today: 17.7
Weather: broken clouds

This morning we got up at 7 again and were on the trail by 8 30. We immediately had a 1000 for climb but it was switchbacked and not too bad of a climb. The heat held off until about 1 pm which made the first half of the day very enjoyable. The second half of the day was hot but still a good hike. The last 3 miles to the shelter were down hill and my legs were definitely feeling it. We finally got to the shelter around 7 pm and then found room to set up or tents. There were a lot of people at the shelter but it was still a pretty calm night. Tomorrow we plan to swim in the James river and then head in to town to resupply. My feet are really sore after today but hopefully a good swim in cold water will help a bit.
Date: 2013-06-01
From: Matts Creek Shelter

To: Glasgow, VA,
Miles today: 2.2

This morning was slow going because since we planned to swim at the James river and it was only a mile hike to the river, we didn't want to get there too early. I spent the morning catching up on my journal and just relaxing which felt nice. We hiked along the river for about a mile and then crossed a foot bridge, which many people jump off of. Orion jumped off the bridge but Davie, AquaMan and I chickened out. Later we found out that it's actually illegal and some people got tickets for jumping off the bridge. Once we got to the other side of the bridge there was trail magic. A couple past thru hikers had hot dogs, deviled eggs, beans, beer, and soda, and it was all amazing! After the trail magic we hitched a ride into town to resupply and we got to camp for free in town and got a free shower. We ate lunch and dinner at the one restaurant in town, an Italian place that was really good, resupplied, and chilled out for the day. Great nero today!
Date: 2013-06-02
From: Glasgow, VA,

To: Punchbowl Shelter
Miles today: 10.5
Weather: light rain

I was up at 6 30 because I started baking in my tent once the sun came up. After packing up my stuff, I went to the gas station to buy a bacon, egg, and cheese biscuit, and a giant bottle of bug spray. The gnats and mosquitoes are by far the most annoying thing out here and bother me the most out of anything that we go through out here. We took our time leaving town and still managed to get back on the trail around 10 30. The hike today was a lot of steep climbs and it started out very hot and humid but then it rained for about 3 hours. When we were coming down a hill, Davie pointed out a lizard to me and I put my trekking pole up to its mouth and it kept trying to bite the end of it. Of course Davie's first thought after seeing this was, I wonder what would happen if I put my finger down there, so he did and then screamed when the lizard latched on to his finger. It was a pretty awesome sight but I was sad I didn't get a video of it. We got to the shelter really early, about 5 30, but decided to stay because it started raining again. There was a big group of thru hikers at the shelter and since we all got in so early, we ate and had our normal camp stuff done by 7 30. Since there was all this free time, Orion and AquaMan decided to hang a bear bag, which turned in to about an hour of entertainment when they kept missing the branch and then got the rope stuck. After this, Davie decided that he was going to try to catch a snake in the pond at the shelter. Although he didn't catch one, it was more solid entertainment. Next we all sat around talking and laughing until dark and then I went back to my tent to find a Cicada coming out of its shell while hanging upside down on my tent. Since I was protected by my bug netting, I sat and watched it for at least a half hour and took some video of it emerging. I felt like I was watching national geographic in my tent. Today was a lot of fun and I laughed even more than usual. Definitely a day to remember.
Date: 2013-06-03
From: Punchbowl Shelter

To: Cow Camp Gap Shelter
Miles today: 15.1
Weather: light rain

We left camp around 9 am and had a fairly uneventful hike for most of the day. We took a break near a lake and I put my feet in the water for awhile. We made it to the shelter, which felt like a long .6 miles off trail, and tented at the shelter where a southbound thru hiker disappeared in 2011 and whose body was later found in another county. At midnight a couple hikers came into camp and I was positive that I was about to die, but within a few minutes they set up camp and went to bed.
Date: 2013-06-04
From: Cow Camp Gap Shelter

To: The Priest Shelter
Miles today: 16.8
Weather: broken clouds

My right shin was hurting this morning so I took it easy hiking. About an hour after we started hiking, we came to the top of a grassy bald and sat on some rocks to enjoy the view for a couple of hours. The rest of the day had a lot of PUDS (pointless ups and downs) and then we climbed Priest Mountain. My shin was hurting pretty bad by the time I got to the shelter, to the point that I didn't feel like cooking dinner and just wanted to get in my tent and go to bed. Hopefully it will hold out until I get to town.
Date: 2013-06-05
From: The Priest Shelter

To: Maupin Field Shelter
Miles today: 13.8
Weather: overcast clouds

My shin continues to hurt worse and worse every time I hike, which has me very worried. I slowly hiked down the mountain and made it to the Ty River around noon and hung out by the river for a while. Then I decided that I really wanted pizza but there was no place anywhere close that would deliver and then Orion suggested that maybe his dad would bring us pizza. Orion came back to the river after calling his dad and informed us that we would be getting pizza and beer soon. It was amazing pizza and beer and I was so grateful to Orion's dad for bringing it out to us. We finally got hiking again around 4 pm and hiked up Three Ridges, the highest mountain peak we will see until until New Hampshire. The climb felt much better on my shin then the down felt, which hurt so bag that I was in tears for the last 3 miles of the hike. I was so happy to be able to sit down when I got to the shelter and then I just snacked for dinner before climbing into my tent and going to sleep.
Date: 2013-06-06
From: Maupin Field Shelter

To: Reeds Gap
Miles today: 1.7

It was raining when we woke up this morning and I was not looking forward to hiking in pain or in the rain. We were suppose to meet one of Orion's friends, Tom, to hike with us for a couple days, but we decided it would be miserable for him and us to hike in the rain all day so we got Tom to give us a ride to Orion's parents house and decided we would slack pack the section on Sunday with Tom. At Orion's parents house I showered and his dad made us a delicious lunch before we headed over to his sisters house where we would be staying for the next few days. We went to Buffalo Wild Wings for dinner and then went back to the house and watched a movie. It was definitely nice to be inside and not out in the rain all day, plus I really needed to rest my shin splints before they became a huge issue.
Date: 2013-06-07
From: Reeds Gap

To: Waynesboro, VA
Miles today: 0.0

This morning I slept in until almost 10 am, which felt amazing. After everyone woke up, we headed out to resupply, which was much easier to do with a car. The rest of the day we spent relaxing and watching movies. It was such a relaxing day and my shin is starting to feel better after being off of it for most of the day.
Date: 2013-06-08
From: Waynesboro, VA

To: Waynesboro, VA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

This morning I slept in again and then spent the day relaxing. Davy, Orion, and I all wanted to go see a movie, so we went to see After Earth. It was a little overwhelming for the first half hour of the movie but I got used to it and enjoyed the sensory overload. After the movie we went back to the house and grilled out and just sat outside drinking beer and enjoying the evening. Another great zero day, and my shin continues to feel better.
Date: 2013-06-09
From: Waynesboro, VA

To: Reeds Gap to Humpback Gap
Miles today: 11.4

We got up early and headed to the trail to meet Tom for our slack pack. A couple of Orion's other friends also came out to hike. Originally we planned on doing 18.8 miles but after a couple hours of rain and over 11 miles of hiking, everyone was happy to end the hike early. Plus my shin was starting to hurt again so I had no problem ending the hike early to let it rest a little more. Orion's sister, Sierra, made us a delicious dinner and then we had a few beers and great conversation for the rest of the evening. Davy Crockett and I called about aquablazing, canoeing down the Shenandoah River, and plan to leave tomorrow morning. It has been so great staying at Sierra's house and she has been so generous to us! I'm starting to get way to comfortable in town so is definitely time to leave.
Date: 2013-06-10
From: Reeds Gap to Humpback Gap

To: Waynesboro, VA,
Miles today: 0.0

I woke up to a down pour and after looking at the weather which called for rain most of the day, we decided to push aquablazing back a day. It was another relaxing day, and Aquaman, Davy, Orion, and I all took naps for at least a few hours. Once we all woke up, we cleaned the house and then went to buy groceries for dinner so we could thank Sierra for everything she had done for us. I called again about aquablazing to find out what time we needed to meet in the morning and the guy informed me that due to all the rain we've gotten, the river is three feet about normal level and too dangerous to be on until at least Wednesday our Thursday. The new plan is to just head out tomorrow and hike instead odd aquablaze. Clearly it wasn't meant to happen. It feels bittersweet to be leaving tomorrow because it has been so great the last few days but I am ready to be back on the trail.
Date: 2013-06-11
From: Waynesboro, VA,

To: Humpback Gap to McCormick Gap
Miles today: 11.6
Weather: broken clouds

slept in until almost 10 am this morning and then lounged around for another couple of hours before finally packing up my stuff to head back to the trail. Staying in Waynesboro has been great for the last 6 days, but since I really don't want to leave, I know is time to get back on the trail. We ate lunch at McDonalds and then Orion dropped Davy Crockett and I off at the trail around 2 pm. Orion and Aquaman are staying in town for a couple more days before getting back on the trail, but hopefully they catch up because it would be nice to get to Harpers Ferry at the same time to celebrate the psychological halfway point together. It did feel good to be back on the trail and my shin splint is feeling much better. For the first hour of the hike, time seemed to stop and I kept looking at my watch every 10 minutes thinking an hour had past. The terrain was very easy but mentally it was a hard few miles after so long off trail. I decided to listen to some music and immediately fell back into my hiking rhythm and the rest of the hike went much smoother. My shin felt great the whole hike, which was a huge relief. I still plan to take it slow and be careful but it's really nice not to be in pain any more because it's all you can think about when you're hiking. Davy and I ended up camping close to a road because it was the only flat spot we could find and it was getting late. We were still hidden from sight but roads always make me a little nervous. We also entered the Shenandoah National Park today, which is suppose to be a beautiful and fairly easy section, so I'm excited for the next few days of hiking. I'm meeting my parents again in 5 days, so my goal is to average 15 miles a day and make it to Luray to meet them and my dog. Should be very doable but if my shin starts hurt, I will slow down and they'll just pick me up wherever I get to. It feels oddly nice to be back in my tent but I'm sure going to miss sleeping in a bed.
Date: 2013-06-12
From:  McCormick Gap

To: Blackrock Hut
Miles today: 16.8
Weather: clear sky

I woke up this morning to at least 50 slugs on my tent. It was not the best time in the world trying to flick the slugs off before rolling up my tent but eventually I got my stuff put away and got moving. As Davy and I got close to the trail to the shelter, I realized Walmart was standing there trying to figure out which way was north on the trail. Walmart informed us that Saint Croix and Nimble were right behind him at the shelter. We spent the next half hour or so catching up and then Davy and I stayed at the shelter for a little while to eat breakfast before heading back out on the trail. We caught up with everyone after a couple of hours and it became clear that no one had enough water to last the 13 miles to the next shelter, plus it was really hot. The miles seemed to take forever since I was dehydrated but we eventually made it to the shelter and chugged water. The rest of the night was spent catching up with everyone I haven't seen in a few hundred miles, BittetGoat, Walmart, Saint Croix, and Blue, and then we had a long conversation about the concept of time before I headed to my tent to go to sleep.
Date: 2013-06-13
From: Blackrock Hut

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

I got up by 7 this morning and started hiking by 8 30. Everyone at the shelter was headed to the campstore to get a few beers and food so we were all motivated to hike the 7 miles as fast as possible. It rained a little bit but mostly held out until we got to the campstore. We all got a six pack and sat outside the store under an overpass and enjoyed our beers while listening to music. A few hours later we hiked another 2 miles and then took a side trail to a restaurant to eat some burgers. We still some how managed to get 13.2 miles in even though it didn't feel like we really hiked at all. Definitely a fun day! Once I got to the shelter I claimed a spot to avoid the rain we're suppose to get tonight, so hopefully the bugs aren't too bad. Oh yeah, I also saw 5 bears today, which was pretty awesome.
Date: 2013-06-14
From: Pinefield Hut

To: Bearfence Mountain Hut
Miles today: 20.6
Weather: broken clouds

It was chilly out this morning so everyone got a late start getting up because it was nice and warm in a sleeping bag. Davy, BitterGoat and I finally hit the trail a little after 9 and planned to do a 20 mile day. We stopped for lunch at the shelter and realized that we would be crossing 900 miles in a half mile and we would be getting a view. It felt pretty amazing to cross the 900 mile mark and we listened to music and hung out on the rocks while admiring the view. Not a bad way to spend an hour. We decided to get hiking again and really wanted to get to the campstore before it closed at 7. We had 4 hours until the store closed and 11 miles to hike so BitterGoat and I set off to try and make it. We were flying and managed to average 3.5 mph for a little over 3 hours and even with taking a side trail to check out a cabin, we made it to the campground by 6 45. After hiking almost 20 miles, we then preceded to run the .2 miles to the campstore. I felt pretty great and the microwave cheeseburgers, ice cream, and soda made our effort well worth it. After we ate our food, we sat and drank some beers Blue's parents dropped off and then decided that we should try to make it to the shelter before dark. The shelter was packed and I ended up camping on a pretty steep incline, but it was a great day and I really enjoyed the challenge today. Tomorrow I plan to get up early to make it 7 miles to another restaurant for breakfast.
Date: 2013-06-15
From: Bearfence Mountain Hut

To: Stealth Camp
Miles today: 14.7
Weather: scattered clouds

I left camp early to hike the 7 miles to the next wayside before 11am so I could get breakfast. As soon as I started hiking though, I decided that I didn't feel like hiking fast and enjoyed a nice stroll for a change. I still got to the Wayside around 11 and ordered a burger, and then BitterGoat and I also shared a fried chicken platter. I then topped my meal off with ice cream. After that feast, I of course didn't feel like hiking so I spent the next 6 hours laying outside in the sun with a bunch of other hikers. Around 5:30 pm, BitterGoat, Davy Crockett, and I decided that we should probably start hiking again since we wanted to do at least 9 more miles. We ended up finding a really cool place to stealth camp on top of the mountain and enjoyed a quite night with a small fire and soft level ground to sleep on. For taking a 6 hour break, I'd say it was a very productive day.