morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2006-05-12
From: Blackrock Hut 

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

Today was absolutely marvelous. The rain had cleared along with the clouds and it was sunny but chilly when we woke up this morning. We (and by we, I mean I) waited around in our sleeping bags until the crowded shelter cleared out. We were in no rush.For the first time since Tagalong joined me, we were rewarded with views of the surrounding mountains and valleys. We even learned that a piedmont is the area at the foot of the mountains where the valleys begin. The clouds came back late in the morning and it threatened to rain on our heads the rest of the day.Around lunch time we came to the loft mountain campground where Wingfoot said there was a camp store and a nearby wayside grill. We got a little confused about the directions and wandered around the closed, empty campground before trying the trail again. We had just given up hope on finding the store when I inquired about an odd humming noise. Dad joked that it was probably the generator powering the store, and we looked up and saw it through the woods. The store itself was closed, but the wayside about a mile down the road wasn¢t. After a massive, delicious and expensive lunch which included a blackberry milkshake, I purchased some postcards and a souvenir that Dad said he¢d bring back with him. It was a great stop and we left happy, but a little poorer.The rest of the day flew by although we did stop for a laugh at the post that directed us down a trail .4 miles on one side and .6 miles on the other to the wayside we had walked a mile to. We arrived at the path to the shelter around 6:30 when we were met face-to-face by a deer. After 10 minutes of watching it and taking pictures, we tried to skirt around it to the shelter. We¢re the only ones here tonight, if you don¢t count the lively shelter mice, so I pitched my tent inside once again.
Date: 2006-05-13
From: Pinefield Hut 

To: Bearfence Hut 
Miles today: 20.6

Today I had to bid adieu to Tagalong, but first we had some walking to do. It was another one of those days where it threatened to rain on our heads but it never amounted to more than a few sprinkles. We stopped at the empty ranger station to dump off some trash and have 2nd breakfast, and when we took to the trail again we heard what we thought was a bear crashing around in the woods. Try as we might, we were never able to see the bear through the underbrush so it remained an unconfirmed sighting.Shortly after this occurrence, we saw a scarlet tanager, which I¢d never seen before. It has to be one of the most beautiful birds I¢ve ever seen and heard. The birds were out in force and we spent a lot of the morning doing some bird-watching.We ate lunch at the ??? hut before finishing out last four miles together. The entrance station where dad had to meet his ride had a pay phone, so I called Robert before saying my goodbyes to my dad. He still had 2 hours before his friend was to pick him up and I felt bad for leaving, but I had a long way to go and it was already after 4:00. It took a while to get used to the loneliness of solo walking again, but pretty soon I was lost in thought. Suddenly I caught a movement on the path ahead of me and looking up I saw a bear standing on the trail! It ran before I had a chance to get scared ¢ it was so cool! At the same time, I wasn¢t sure how far it had gone so I held my poles up over my head and sang ¢Go Away Bear¢ while keeping a beat until I was far away from the area.I was cruising, and when I got to the Lewis Campground and saw that it was open, I decided I had enough time to have a soda and call dad and Robert to tell them about the bear. Heck, I might even plunk down the $16 for the cushy campsite. Sometime during this thought process, I walked past the place. I couldn¢t bring myself to walk south, so here I am, at a mouse-infested shelter, sodaless, with only a weird section hiker to tell my bear story to. He didn¢t appreciate it.
Date: 2006-05-14
From: Bearfence Hut 

To: Pass Mtn 
Miles today: 26.8

I¢m going to try to keep this entry short since this was my longest day on the trail so far and I¢m tired. After waking up at 6:00 this morning I took a little detour about 7 miles in for some blueberry pancakes and bacon. Just like last time the food was pricey but delicious. I saw another thru hiker come into the store, but I¢d never seen him before. At least I didn¢t think so until he hollered out my name. Grizzly had shaven off all of his hair and his beard And didn¢t look at all grizzly-like. I think it¢s his alter ego, Nick the investment banker.I called my mom to wish her a happy Mother¢s Day and Robert to say hi before moving on. It was another dreary day and it rained off and on so I donned my rain gear. There were 2 miles this morning that actually looked like what I¢d been told VA would be like, flat and nice, but the rest was pretty normal ¢ hilly and rocky.I ran into Snake mid-afternoon and we walked together for a couple of miles. During this time I had a major ankle roll which made me think I might have to stop hiking. I worked the kinks out, but we¢ll see how it feels tomorrow.At the Pinnacles picnic area, I hid from the rain and cold wind in the pavilion and decided to eat my dinner there since there was a water faucet. As I was making a mountain house, a non-English speaking family pulled up to survey the wind conditions in the shelter. They entertained me during dinner and also built a fire which warmed things up.The rest of the hike was a blur ¢ I just remember rocks and fog. I sang for something to do and to keep the bears away. I have been warned the shelter would be full, so I found the tent sites as soon as I could and set up camp. So much for keeping it short¢¦
Date: 2006-05-15
From: Pass Mtn 

To: Compton Gap Trail
Miles today: 22.7

I woke up this morning to find myself in a wet tent. The rain had stopped so I took my water-logged bags off the bear pole, ate breakfast and left. Pebbles caught up with me on the trail back to the AT and we walked together to get to the next wayside where we got grilled cheese and cheeseburgers. This was the first time I had gotten to really talk to Pebbles, even though we met in the Smokies and I had a really enjoyable morning.In the end Pebbles and I walked together the whole day, all the way to Terrapin Station, the hostel we are staying at tonight. After showering up, we went out to eat at a Mexican restaurant where I had 2 margaritas with my dinner, which turned out to be 1 12 too many. I entertained the tightly packed van all the way back to the hostel.
Date: 2006-05-16
From: Compton Gap Trail

To: Manassas Gap
Miles today: 14.5

Don't worry, Overflow didn't just hike 84 miles, I'm just catching up the total miles until I can figure out what went wrong...The reason I stopped at Terrapin Station was to resupply so I can get to Harper¢s Ferry. If it weren¢t for that reason, I probably would have left in the middle of the night due to homesickness. This is happening at every hostel I stay at, and I¢m thinking about writing a song called, ¢The Hiker Hostel Blues.¢ I didn¢t leave last night, and this morning I got my groceries and McGriddles.It took a while to pack up and move out, as usual, but I didn¢t have a huge number of miles to do so it didn¢t matter. After walking a ways, I sat for a while on the adirondack chairs at the Jim and Molly Denton shelter enjoying an orange. I really like to take breaks like this - it relaxes me and reminds me that I¢m lucky to be able to be out here.I caught up to Pebbles on the uphill to the destination shelter, and we walked the rest of the way together.
Date: 2006-05-17
From: Manassas Gap

To: Bear's Den Hostel
Miles today: 23.3
Weather: overcast clouds

Last night, after storytelling time, I woke up because I heard a mouse chewing on something. It was coming from the vicinity of Snake¢s and my pack. I got up and hit the packs and I saw it jump out and run away. This morning I discovered a nice big hole chewed right through the middle of my rain jacket. Why? Who Knows....As I was walking with Pebbles and Grizzly today, I started to get really sad that I wasn¢t going to Trail Days. I don¢t want to get left behind my new friends, and I don¢t want to miss out on a trail experience. This weighed on my mind all day and sunk my spirits lower and lower as Pebbles, Snake, Grizzly and I formed a train over the hilly region called the roller coaster. Even the great conversation couldn¢t cheer me up and I arrived at the hostel practically in tears, convinced I would always be an outsider looking in.I finally perked up when we got to the beautiful hostel and I had some alone time to refocus. I decided to talk to Robert about the possibility of me going to Trail Days, and with that cheerful thought I reserved my spot on the hostel lawn and made a pizza.
Date: 2006-05-18
From: Bear's Den Hostel

To: Blackburn Trail Center
Miles today: 7.9

He said I should go! Sometimes my husband really takes me by surprise. I found this out after a delicious homemade breakfast by Queen Diva. Along with the fact that he thought my message said I was in a hospital. They should really reconsider the word ¢hostel¢ ¢ it creates a lot of confusion.As I walked today I pondered how I should get to Damascus. Arriving at no good conclusion, I decided that if I couldn¢t find a ride then it wasn¢t meant to be. Fortunately, when I stopped at Blackburn to check it out, Yetti told me there was a spot available in the caretaker¢s van. Never one to pass up an opportunity that falls in my lap, I ran down and introduced myself. The caretaker was a former 2-time thru hiker named Red Wing, and he kindly agreed to let me ride with them. He also made us a delicious spaghetti dinner and brownies. It turned out I had read his trail journal last year, so I felt like I was talking to a celebrity and I asked a bunch of questions about his and his wife¢s trip.Did I mention that Yetti had come down with a cold a couple of days ago? He really struggled with the 8 mile hike today and then he crashed in the bunkhouse. I mention this because as I lay here coughing, he keeps looking at me apologetically saying, ¢I¢m sorry Overflow.¢
Date: 2006-05-19
From: Blackburn Trail Center

To: Damascus Trail Days
Miles today: 0.0

Plagued with two coughing hikers, we set out around 7:00 am for the 5 12 hour ride to Damascus. When we got there we made our way to tent city, where people were surprised to see me setting up my tent. I told Yetti I was going to shadow him all weekend so that the crowds didn¢t freak me out, and he didn¢t object too strongly.We checked out the gear reps before going out to pick up groceries for grilling out and partying tonight. Then we checked out the vendor tents downtown where I bought, for the first time ever, deep fried Oreos. They were pretty good, although nothing I would ever eat in the real world.
Date: 2006-05-20
From: Damascus Trail Days

To: Damascus Trail Days
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Question 1: How do you clean puke off the inside of your tent? Question 2: Where do you sleep when you¢ve puked inside your tent?Question 3: How miserable is it to wake up throwing up in a tent in the middle of a rain storm?The answer to the third question is unbelievably miserable. I don¢t drink very much or very often, and last night I was okay with the fruity punch Snake kept giving me, but things went downhill when Pebbles drunkenly suggested I try a glass of Bourbon. That¢s about as much as I want to remember about the night. At least I can say that now, at the age of 29, I have actively participated in a party.Two good things happened to me today. I ran into Tofurky, and she¢s decided to jump up to where we are on the trail! I also got a new tent after showing the MSR rep the big puddle that always forms under my Thermarest after a rain. He said that it was sealed incorrectly and was really nice about it.I did a lot of wandering and sitting today and it was really nice to not have to hike. I tried to just watch the hiker parade, but was thrown into it by Yetty and Uberdude where I had to try to avoid getting hit by jets of water. Tonight I did laundry, bought a salad from an overworked Subway, and listened to some Bluegrass before going to bed. It was a very tame night.
Date: 2006-05-21
From: Damascus Trail Days

To: Damascus Trail Days
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: few clouds

The sounds of air being let out of Thermarests indicated the end of trail days, and prompted me to put my pack back together. My coughing fits were worsening no matter how many oranges I ate and I kink of shuffled around throwing my wet, muddy junk in my pack. I rejoiced when I got to trade in my tent and get a clean and dry one. Yetti and I stopped for one last meal at the Dairy King before heading back to the van. 5 12 hours later we were back where we started, on the peaceful porch of the Blackburn Trail Center
Date: 2006-05-22
From: Damascus Trail Days

To: Harper's Ferry
Miles today: 12.6
Weather: clear sky

I woke up this morning in a fit of coughs and feeling very under the weather. It was time to hike, something I hadn¢t done in a while, but my body was revolting. Nevertheless, I got myself up and out and said goodbye to Red Wing. I was so out of it during the hike today it felt like I was floating instead of walking. The only thing I really remember was stopping at the David Lesser shelter and wishing I could stay there. The significant thing about this shelter is that it is at the 1000 mile mark. I thought about the incredibility that my feet had moved me 1000 miles. I¢m truly astonished that I¢ve made it this far.I did finally make it to Harper¢s Ferry, the mental halfway point and the headquarters of the ATC. My energy was completely drained, but I got my picture taken and signed the book anyway. I¢m sure it¢s not a good picture. I got my mail drop and then Yetti, Jebus, and I went out to eat at the Secret Six in historic Harper¢s Ferry. It was here that I decided I was going to get a hotel room for 2 nights and take a zero day tomorrow to recuperate.We went over to the outfitter where I embarrassed an employee by asking for a tank top with a bra built in, to which he replied that they didn¢t have blouses with type of equipment. Snake¢s mom was at the store and she offered to drive us around and then get us some pizza to eat at her B&B cabin. We accepted and did just that after checking into our hotel room (Yetti, Thumper, and Jebus decided to stay with me).
Date: 2006-05-23
From: Harper's Ferry

To: Harper's Ferry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Not much to report today. Snake¢s mom ran us around again in the morning, and then Yetti and I crashed in the hotel room watching movies all day long. It was the sickest sounding hotel room ever, and our conversation was basically, ¢stop coughing,¢ ¢you stop coughing,¢ ¢shut-up,¢ all day long. By the way, Batman Begins is a good, although slightly scary, movie.
Date: 2006-05-24
From: Harper's Ferry

To: Dalgren Campground
Miles today: 17.5

I knew when I woke up this morning and couldn¢t breathe. I didn¢t feel any better, but the hotel was expensive and I¢d been in approximately the same location for almost a week. At this rate, I¢ll never make it to Maine, much less get there in time for Robert¢s birthday. So, Yetti and I packed up our stuff and walked back to the ATC center. Grizzly was there and was also feeling under the weather. He had to do the 1 mile section around town we had already done, so we said goodbye and hit the trail. The first few miles were perfectly flat and ran along the cand o canal, so we walked together watching the turtles and ducks. I knew it wouldn¢t last forever, and sure enough the path turned and headed up a hill. I slowed down and Yetti sped up. At least it was still beautiful out.I took a lot of breaks. During one of these, I observed a Pileated Woodpecker standing less than 10 feet in front of me and jumping around tearing bark off of an old, dead tree. I watched it, fascinated for about 15 minutes before moving on. I made it to the camp site at 8:30 where I collapsed on the ground for several minutes to collect myself. Yetti had been here for 3 hours and was at a loss for things to do. I set up my tent and utilized the indoor plumbing before making dinner.
Date: 2006-05-25
From: Dalgren Campground

To: Pogo Campground
Miles today: 9.0

It is nearly impossible to get a good night¢s sleep when you can¢t breathe. That might explain why I woke up tired and cranky this morning. I decided over breakfast to take a zero day here for another recuperation day. It¢s free and there are sinks, toilets, and hot showers. I couldn¢t really ask for a better place.It rained during my afternoon nap, and I¢m happy to report no leaks in my new tent. All I¢ve done today is sleep, write, and cough. Amendment: at 5:00 pm I started getting restless so I ate dinner, packed up my stuff and left. I was really drained, but luckily it was easy walking. I bypassed the shelter and night-hiked to the next campground. It¢s always difficult to set up camp in the dark, but I somehow managed it, and fell to sleep around 10:00.
Date: 2006-05-26
From: Pogo Campground

To: Tumbling Run
Miles today: 22.9

I felt a little bit better this morning, so I set out early to try to catch Grizzly before he went into town. I never did catch him, but I did make it into a brand new state. Now I¢ve walked through Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and Maryland all the way to Pennsylvania.The walking was pretty easy again today except for a couple mile section that appeared as if the ground opened up and threw up rocks. This slowed me down and made me fall, twice, hard. Feeling low (and being sprinkled on) I arrived at Pen-Mar park where I sat down and ate. The lowest point of my day came soon thereafter when I found myself heaving into the toilet in a fit of tears. Not knowing what else to do about this new development in my condition, I kept walking.By dinner time, I was feeling much better and relaxed, so I stopped at the Old Forge picnic ground about a mile before the shelter for a picnic dinner. Tummy full, I got to the shelter around 8 and was surprised to see that Grizzly had somehow snuck by me while I ate dinner. I pitched my tent at a beautiful little campsite by the creek and settled in for the night. I¢m a little worried about my right foot, the arch really hurts, I¢ll see how it does tomorrow¢¦
Date: 2006-05-27
From: Tumbling Run

To: Pine Grove Park 
Miles today: 29.5

I had asked Grizzly last night if he wanted to do 30 miles with me today and he said, ¢Sure. I¢ll set my alarm for 5:30.¢ At 6:30, I found myself packed up and standing in front of the shelter wondering if I should wake him up. I finally tapped him on the foot and was told that he would catch up. Six hours later, I was eating a hot dog at the Caledonia State Park and I saw him fly by without looking up. Perplexed by a thru-hiker who doesn¢t stop at every food opportunity, I tried to run after him and flag him down to no avail. Not willing to forego my meal, I returned to the stand to buy some ice cream.I did finally catch up, not long after this incident, at the next shelter. Relieved that I would no longer have to be alone for the day, we walked the rest of the afternoon together. We stopped for dinner at a shelter and Grizzly was catered to by a father and his two sons while they bombarded us with thru-hiking questions.We got to the park at 8:30 and when I went to the camp store to get a soda from the vending machine I noticed the door was open. The proprietor let us go in and get some snacks and convinced us to check out the hostel next door. There, we found Snake and Cookie who were surprised to see us and who were recovering from the half gallon ice cream challenge. I decided to not even attempt it. The caretaker of the hostel offered us work for stay and somehow Grizzly roped me into it. I guess I¢ll be doing laundry tomorrow.
Date: 2006-05-28
From: Pine Grove Park 

To: Alec Kennedy Shelter 
Miles today: 15.5
Weather: scattered clouds

So I ended up doing laundry until 11:00 this morning and Grizzly waited for me after his yard work since the whole thing was his idea nayway. Right off the bat I could tell the day was going to be difficult because I was exhausted. I should have eaten more for dinner. It was really exciting to pass the midway marker today and I jumped from side to side saying, ¢Look! I¢m closer to Maine than Georgia!¢ I lost this energy long before I got to the Green Mountain General Store for lunch where I found Grizzly at the pay phone. The store was cute, with hard wood floors and a real deli. The sandwich I got was delicious and we became so comfortable and full on the front porch that we remained there for 2 hours before strapping our packs back on.The day went downhill from here. Neither of us wanted to walk and the stomach problems that had plagued Grizzly earlier in the week came back to attack him again. We struggled to make it to the shelter and we ended up having to night hike the last mile of so. Neither of us was in a good mood when we finally stumbled in.
Date: 2006-05-30
From: Cove Mtn Shelter 

To: Duncannon
Miles today: 4.2
Weather: broken clouds

Last night I awoke to sounds of chewing. Thinking that another mouse was widening the holes in my rain jacket, I got up and started shaking my pack. Nothing ran out of it, and as I sat back onto my loft I saw the source of the noise. On a beam that was at my eye level was a furry animal that looked like a squirrel except that it had bulging eyes, its arms were connected by flaps and its tail was scraggly. At first glance I thought it was a bat. It was uncomfortably close to me and my head, chewing on the beam, and this caused me to sit up and watch it for an hour. At some point snake sat up and said ¢What is it?¢ but evidently he never saw it. No one believed me this morning and they tried convincing me it was a dream.Much to the ire of Pebbles, the one and only section hiker in the shelter woke up extremely early, built a fire, and then insisted on talking very loudly to Yeti, who was too polite to not respond. We eventually all got up and started the mad dash down the mountain (as always) into town where a real breakfast awaited. Wow, the Doyle. I don¢t really know how to describe it to do it justice. I loved the atmosphere of the place, from the friendly bar and owners on the first floor to my tine little air-conditionless room on the third. I pretty much spent the whole day here, at one point waiting for my laundry, at another eating a steak dinner at the bar. The day and night were both hot, and that became the perfect excuse to drink beer at the bar all evening. Besides, it was Yeti¢s birthday.
Date: 2006-05-31
From: Duncannon

To: Peters Mtn Shelter
Miles today: 11.2
Weather: clear sky

In the interest of catching up on my journal, I¢m going to try a new format every once in a while:Grilled ham and cheese at Goodies, late start as usual from town, hot and buggy! Crazy road crossings, smutty Vampire booke on tape, Japanese hiker, and 200 steps down to water.