morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2006-05-24
From: Hightop Hut

To: Big Meadows Campground
Miles today: 20.4
Weather: clear sky

We got out early (6:30 am) so we could do more milage in the morning, while it's cooler. We had one more thru hiker (southbounder) come in late, after we'd all gone to bed. Pa led and within an hour, he saw a bear AGAIN! It was running through the bushes, so MA and I didn't see it. In the afternoon we also saw a red-tailed hawk (NEAT)! We also saw several deer as well. We meet three women coming towards us, in the afternoon, and they said they were doing a section of the trail. They have been hiking sections over a several year period. As they were talking, MA realized that we had meet them in Vermont a couple of years ago - what's the chances of meeting them again ........ We all had a good laugh and enjoyed talking to them for a while longer. We also meet a man who's goal is to hike in every National park. Interesting. We stopped at another campstore, wayside (Mt. Blackberry shake)and then ate supper at the Big Meadows Lodge! Expensive but good! Big Meadows' history is interesting. It was believed to have been created by the cold tundra-like conditions and later, perpetrated by fire, natural or lightening, or deliverately by native peoples in order to encourage the growth of wild berries and to attract game. Grazing elk & bison helped keep it open. It is about 1000 acres in size. The Park itself has over 500 remnants of farm structures and over 100 cemeteries. There are even sites of American Indians, but they are restricted for archeologists. Well, Ma & Pa are ready to take a shower and go to supper, so we're off to eat. We're planning a short day tomorrow (staying in a cabin) so we get to relax and sleep in tomorrow morning!From the Top of the Pack
Date: 2006-05-25
From: Big Meadows Campground

To: Skyland Lodge
Miles today: 8.1

After a nice breakfast and sleeping in (YES) we heading out for a short day of hiking. It was cloudy and we had some light showers, but overall it was nice hiking. Pa heard something and looked down a hill and there were a mother bear and two cubs. The cubs were jumping around and playing while mother was ambling off into the woods. It was nice to see them from a distance. This is getting to be a habit - even Ma is getting used to it (some)! There were lots of views of farms, as we walked along the ridge. We arrived around noon and ate lunch, then checked into the cabin. They are rustic (no TV - YUCK - just kidding)! We're sitting out on the small porch writing journals and reading. It's been a nice, easy day.... We're working out a plan for the next few weeks...From the Porch at the Cabin
Date: 2006-05-26
From: Skyland Lodge

To: Thorton Gap
Miles today: 9.5

We started early after a nice breakfast at the Lodge. There were some really nice views again and the terrain was pretty easy - only a couple of fairly easy climbs. We met Sleeper, a thru hiker who is slackpacking through the Park and a couple of other thru hikers & a dog (Jack) heading for Front Royal tomorrow (didn't get their names). Pa is getting some blisters (heels) and we hope they don't get worse. We went into Luray VA and got a weather report for the next week (mid-90's)! From the Top of the Pack
Date: 2006-06-06
From: Thorton Gap

To: Rt 522 (Front Royal)
Miles today: 27.7
Weather: scattered clouds

So is it a Flip-Flop-Flip or a Flop-Flip-Flop??? Anyways, I'm dizzy from the trips home and back....(Hee Hee) We were going to do a Flip-Flop from Maine, but decided that the famous BLACK FLIES of Maine were not worth it, soooooo we are back in VA and the bugs aren't anywheres as bad. We started at Thorton Gap around 9am on a sunny day with a light breeze and hardly any bugs (YEAH). We were finally making it out of the Shenandoah's! It's beautiful, but after two trips home and coming out in two sections, we were ready to move on. As you can see by the milage, our testosteron (sp) kicked in (by the end of the day we paid for the big milage). The views from several ridges was great - valley's and farmland. We stopped at Elk Wallow for the famous Blackberry shake and they didn't have any!!!! Luckiely we had one at one of the waysides, so although we were disappointed, it wasn't a disaster! We meet "Chuck", a thru hiker, near one of the shelters. We also saw several day hikers, coming in from Skyline Drive to some water falls. We were feeling the miles toward late afternoon, so started looking for the last shelter (two miles from the gap). We went by a place that we thought was one of the cabins you have to reserve from the Potomic hiking club, then found out it was the shelter we were looking for.... Oh well, by the time we realized it we were within a mile of the road. We got to the gap at 8pm (one of our longest days and definitely our longest milage). We hitched a ride within 10 minutes (great)! We'll start out again after a nice rest and should be in Harper's Ferry in 3 days! A big milestone! We're off to pick up some drinks, then going to bed..... Note to M&M: We couldn't finish anywhere but Maine....From the top of the Pack
Date: 2006-06-07
From: Rt 522 (Front Royal)

To: Manassas Gap
Miles today: 8.2
Weather: scattered clouds

We got on the trail around 9am, planning a short day. It was sunny, but humid. We had some elevation to start but not bad overall. We crossed a field after the initial climb out of the gap, with grass waist high. We meet a couple out for the day and saw a girl who was thru hiking (didn't get name). We stopped at the Jim & Molly Denton shelter for water and a break. This is one of the nicest shelters we've seen - it even has an outdoor shower! Someone took the time to do a brick walkway and there is a BIG front deck with a wooden lounge to sit on. There is also a covered picnic table to cook and eat at. Very nice... Most of the day was in the woods with several road crossings, no views to speak of. The bugs were minimal (YES) at least for now. Since we have a package to pick up atHarper's Ferry, we planned on a couple of short days, today and tomorrow, so that we wouldn't get there on a weekend. Ma picked up a Frog (calling it Leggs) to carry in her pack. (Good luck Leggs - and hold on - Ma is known to lose animals she carries) HEE HEEFrom the Top of the Pack
Date: 2006-06-10
From: Manassas Gap

To: Sam Moore Shelter
Miles today: 22.2
Weather: overcast clouds

Left around 9am from Manassas Gap on a beautiful sunny, breezy day. It must have been in the 70's. This was a PERFECT day for hiking (can we order some more). Hee Hee We stayed in the woods most of the day - not many views through this section. We did see several people out day hiking, which helps break up the day. We also started seeing vines on a lot of the trees, making a canopy over the trail. These vines completely covered many of the trees and it looks like some kind of ivy. Kinda Neat... When we stopped at one shelter for water and a break, we met "Rematch", a fellow thru hiker from Maine. We also meet two men "Otter & Koheba" who are also thru hikers. We reached the shelter around 6pm, opting to stay here rather than where we were planning to stay originally. It was such a nice day for hiking we decided to keep going. "Rematch" decided to go on to Bears Den (AT Hostel) another 3 miles. We hope to see him again down the trail. At the shelter is two guys out for an overnight and one guy who hiked the AT in 86 & 89, I believe. He wanted to hike a day or two in the area - he said the trail draws you back. The water is low at the spring and one of the guys let me use his small bottle to fill the water bag. Also there is a birds nest in the shelter. You can hear the little birds chirping as the mother brings them food. (Neat) I didn't bark, so I wouldn't frighten them... The two other thru hikers got in around 730pm and we all settled in for the night. Nice company and shelter. Tommorrow, Harper's Ferry... Oh, Leggs is still with us....HeeHeeFrom the Top of the Pack
Date: 2006-06-11
From: Sam Moore Shelter

To: Harpers Ferry
Miles today: 23.5
Weather: clear sky

We were up and out early at 630am since we planned an aggressive day. Yesterday and today we have been on what they call the "roller coaster". These are a series of quick ups/downs in this section. Most of them are not much elevations, it's just that there are a lot of them. We have three more today and they happen to be pretty good elevations. We reached Bears Den and found that "Rematch" hadn't left yet, so got to see him again. There was also a couple who are section hiking "Wrangler and Knees", who are about our age. Beautiful view from Bears Den rocks. Shortly after that we came to a sign that is the VA/WVA line and was taking pictures, when "Rematch" came along. He almost missed the sign, so he had us take his picture. We climbed again to a rocky area with great views, so stopped and took a break. The day was much like yesterday, sunny, breezy and in the 70's. Hard to take! In the afternoon we saw a large group of boys and a few more day hikers. We also meet two more section hikers, going from Harpers Ferry to Waynesboro (Oatmeal & Uncle Noel). At the Blackburn Center (another AT hostel) cutoff, we had lunch. From there, into Harper's Ferry the trail stays pretty levels (so to speak) with no more "roller coaster" climbs. Around 230pm we reached Key Gap, about 6 miles out from Harper's Ferry. There was a guy sitting there reading a book and had a sign saying there was free food for thru hikers. What a nice treat! Matt and Courtney had everything you could want - sandwiches, chips, cookies, drinks, candy and fruit. They even had baggies, if you wanted to take something! Thank you both sooooo much for the great food and nice break. Courtney said they moved to Virginia a year or so ago and they had wanted to do some trail magic. We talked for a while, enjoyed the great food and headed towards Harper's Ferry. The trail was well maintained and about two miles from Harper's Ferry, we started seeing the "Remounts" used by soldiers in the Civil War. They are mounds of rocks and dirt that somewhat procted the men during conflicts. Some of these went on for a quarter mile. We got to Harper's Ferry about 5pm and got a cold shake (I lapped the cups). While in Harper's Ferry we saw two hikers that we hadn't seen for quite some time. One was "High Pockets", who had taken 3 weeks off to raft the Colorado river, and the other was a guy & his dog (we yapped a while) that we saw back in North Carolina, I believe. Nice visiting with them and seeing familar faces.From the Top of the Pack
Date: 2006-06-19
From: Rt 55

To: Campsite at 10 mile river
Miles today: 17.4

We left around 8:15 on a hot but less humid day. The air is heavy though and Ma is having a hard time catching her breath. The trail is nice in most areas, although we did have a couple of sections that were overgrown. We were somewhat concerned about ticks in these areas, so we've been keeping an eye out. We climbed to Nuclear Lake which was nice. The trail circled around the lake quite a ways. If it wasn't so early, we might have been tempted to swim, although it was kinda mucky in places. We crossed several fields in the morning which made for hot walking. We also went through a bogy area where they used the bog bridges, wooden pallets and even cement blocks for stepping on. It was interesting and surprisingly not buggy! I tried to catch a frog.... At NY 22 there is a train platform where, on weekends, thru hikers can take a train into New York city. We stopped for a break and then as we crossed the road, we saw a women with a hot dog stand. You would think the last thing we would want, on a hot day, is a hot dog. But no, we got one along with a soda. It tasted great but we felt it hit bottom later in the day! After another field crossing and a couple of miles in the woods, we hit another road where Mac & Cheese (former thru hikers) provided trail magic. There was COLD water, orange juice, cookies and various items hikers might need. Great trail magic. We would have liked to meet them, because they had sent a message on the guestbook, but we missed them by about 2 hours. Thanks We meet "Bamboo" and his dog "Chestnut", who he found abandoned on the trail last year. We arrived at the shelter by the campsite and meet up with "Law & Order", who I believe are brothers. The campsite was hard to resist. It sits right beside the river (which was nice) and had a pitcher pump for water, plus a privey. (Who could ask for anything more) HeeHee They stock the river with Trout and Bass, so we figured that on a weekend you'd be lucky to find a spot to camp. Definitely one of the best tentsites on the trail. We also came across an old cemetery "Gates of Heaven", but couldn't find any headstones or markers. We didn't want to wander to much since there was a lot of high grass and poison ivy in the area. It's been a hard day for Ma who still is having a hard time breathing right. We'll see what tomorrow brings. Time to eat, sit out for a while near the river, then into the tent, to sleep on Pa's sleeping bag - tough life for a dog.....From the Top of the Pack
Date: 2006-06-20
From: Campsite at 10 mile river

To: Kent CT
Miles today: 8.4

We were off at 6:30 to try and get some hiking in before it got any hotter. The trail climbed 1300' to some nice views from ledges on top. We saw "Law & Order" and a day hiker, who had seen a rattlesnake before meeting us. It was another hard day for Ma, with continued problems catching her breath and feeling exhausted. We decided that this is where we'll end the hike for this year. It's been great adventurem and we've meet a lot of nice people (on & off the trail. We'll be back next year backpacking somewhere. It's what we love.Happy Hiking....Nose & the Poolerbears
Date: 2006-06-21
From: HOME

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Well, we're heading back to the trail the first part of next week. After several weeks off (MA's father was seriously ill) we decided that we have just enough time to make it to Katadin before it closes for the year. I'm hoping MA & PA aren't to out of shape (Right!). So wish us luck and I'll fill in the journal when I can (not many places between here and the end). NOSE
Date: 2006-08-16
From: Kent Ct

To: CT4
Miles today: 11.0

After a night in New Milford, we are finally back on the Trail. It seems strange to be back after almost 6 weeks off...... We started around 9am with a climb (of course)HaHa. We reached Caleb's Peak with a nice view and where we meet two SOBO's "Link and Easy Rider". We talked with them for a while and had a morning snack. As we reached the bottom of a steep descent we heard a group from a local YMCA, who we assumed were rock climbing on the cliffs we had just descented. We came to a dirt road where we hiked about a mile, then followed the river for another couple of miles of easy hiking. We reached the Stewart Hollow Lean-To around 11am where we meet a NOBO "Mash". We got water, ate lunch and talked to Mash for a while. He is from Florida and said he was feeling a little tired lately so was taking it easy. He headed out for Salisbury just before us. We knew we would be taking it easy, so probably wouldn't see him again. We meet four more SOBO's (didn't get all the names) over the next few miles. We decided to do a short day as MA & PA were feeling the effects of being off the trail so long (tired, sore feet, OLD). I was raring to go but they said it was like starting at the beginning again. What wooshies!   We went into Cornwall to a store and meet "Blueberry & Buster", a couple of SOBO's. Time to pack it in for the night and see what tomorrow brings. We're all excited to be back in spite of having to get back into shape (so to speak). HaHaFrom the top of the Pack
Date: 2006-08-17
From: CT4

To: Falls Village
Miles today: 12.0

We left around 7:30am climbing Pine Knob. Another pretty view and the trail has been really nice. We stopped at the Pine Swamp Brooki Lean-To and saw that Mash stayed there last night and lost his food to what he called a "Friendly Bear"! He has a food drop at Sailsbury so it wasn't a lot of food. We had a late morning snack and contiued on to climb Mt Easter (our biggest climb of the day). It wasn't too bad but we had to stop a lot to catch our breath (hard to believe we were doing 20 miles and zipping up and down without much problems - just 6 weeks ago). It doesn't take long to lose what you build up. We're not discouraged, just surprised! We go to the Mountainview Cafe 15 minutes after it closed. The owner was nice and gave us water and a couple of BB Muffins. We decided to stay at the cabins they have out back, since we were tired and it would mean a pretty good climb up to where we originally planned to camp. Tommorrow it will be about 10 miles to Sailbury and our first food pickup. From the top of the pack
Date: 2006-08-18
From: Falls Village

To: Sailsbury
Miles today: 9.5
Weather: light rain

We left around 7:30am, after a breakfast at the Cafe. The trail followed the river for a while which was really nice. We then did a short road walk passing by a Hydroelectric plant. As we turned into the woods again we came to Great Falls, where you can swim. It would have been nice had it been later in the day. Took some pictures and enjoyed the falls. We then climbed Prospect Mt, our big climb of the day. It wasn't as bad as we thought and there was a nice rocky area to sit and enjoy a break and nice view. We also say an interesting rock formation called the "Giant Thumb" (neat). CT has been really nice, both the trail and the views. We reached Sailsbury around 11am and couldn't believe we did so well on the time! Very encouraging! We say several hikers coming into town while there. Because MA & PA are having some problems with there feet (blisters and some breakdown) we are taking a couple of zero days (ALREADY)! It is so good to be back and we don't want anything to bring us off, so if it takes a little pampering the first week, so be it. We want to give our feet a chance to recover before it becomes a problem and we REALLY want to finish the trail. We did see three NOBOs but didn't get a chance to talk to them since they were anxious to get chores done and get something to eat. Haven't seen any dogs yet! Monday we will be back on the trail and hopefully into Williamstown by the end of the week. From the top of the pack
Date: 2006-08-23
From: Sailsbury

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

We gave it one last try, however, our feet didn't hold up well. We both are having foot problems and just can't do the milage we needed to do to finish this year. It would have put to much pressure on finishing and not enough on enjoying the trail. As we've said before, the trail will always be there, and we'll be back....... Nose & the PoolerbearsThanks to all of you who have followed our journal and signed our guestbook.
Date: 2005-11-13
To: The clock is ticking
Miles today: 0.0

Looking at my calender today I realized, that only three months are left until the adventure begins. On Monday 02/13 I will board a plane to Atlanta and the next day should see me standing on top of Springer Mountain.I have dreamed to walk this trail one day since I was 16 years old. And as the years went by the excuses to postpone the realization of this great adventure have gotten more and more. Maybe we fear to live our dreams because once they come to reality they proove to be less desirable than we could ever imagine.Despite all fears I'm pretty sure I have to do it now. If I don't do it know I will never do it. The last months I tried hard to find a way to take the needed 6 months timeout, though whatever I did, it won't work out. But as my Grandma used to say: A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush! Why not take all the time I can get and live at least a portion of my dream? I have 90 days to get as far as I can and if this means I will only make it to Harpers Ferry: Ok, that's better than to postpone it another couple of years.I'm not sure yet if I will continue this journal throughout the whole time. It depends if I find a way to get access to the internet and my rusted English skills allow me to express more than the ordaninary "today was a xxx day and I walked xxx miles". BTW: I'm German and my English classes are long time ago, so don't be too amazed about my queer sounding style. That's all for today. Hope to see you on the trail.Bruno
Date: 2005-11-14
To: weight is an omnipresent issue
Miles today: 0.0

As every other prospective Thru-Hiker (or in my case: Long-Distance-Section-Hiker) I spent uncounted hours going through my gear and investigating how to squeeze out a couple of ounces weight. But the most obvious part of gear to cut some ounces (or pounds) from has been silently ignored: My body!I'm at 220 lbs now and for a body height of 6 feet this is definitive way too much. Imagine: If I loose 20 lbs by running a little bit every two or three days it's almost the same as if my pack would contain only 8 lbs !! Sounds so logical and easy :-) It's time to get in shape at least a little bit. Let's see what the next weeks will bring. Bruno
Date: 2005-11-15
To: This boots are made for walkin...
Miles today: 0.0

and that's just what they (hopefully) do. For months I tried do decide which shoes to wear on the trail. On one hand weight is an important issue, so this would point to lightweight trail running shoes. But on the other hand I'm an old fashioned guy and love to wear my full leather boots (Hanwag Yukon) because they are almost undestroyable and give ample support in every terrain. I usually hike in the Alps (Karwendel-Gebirge) and that's pretty rough terrain, so solid shoes are a must. But do I really want to walk thousand miles ore more in a shoe which weighs almost 30 oz?? (No, not one pair ... one shoe!!) Not really.Yesterday in my lunch break I went to the outfitter just to look around a little bit. I wanted to get an idea what shoes are on the market. 2 minutes after I entered the store I came across a pair of Lowa Whistler which were on sale. Original price 140 $, first reduced to 92 $, then again to 46 $ and exactly my size. I tried them on and instantly felt at home. When it comes to buying shoes I'm usually a nitpicker, but this time it seemed those pair of shoes had waited only for me. 5 minutes later I left the store with a new pair of shoes. Altough actually designed and advertised as snowshoeing boots one can also use them as hiking boots. Waterproof Gore-Tex membrane, soles with extra-grip for mud and snow, thin fleece insulation linner and relatively lightweight (38 oz for both). At home I first got a little scared because it's absolutely unusual for me to buy shoes that quick. But this time it feels to be the right decision. Maybe it was a hint of fate, so I wore them all day and they really don't feel like boots but rather than sneakers. I'm absolutely flabbergasted (btw: nice word) Bruno