morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2022-05-22
From: Stealth camp site at mile 850.9

To: Rockfish Gap
Miles today: 13.39
Weather: clear sky

Stealth camp site at mile 850.9 to Rockfish GapHad a huge thunderstorm overnight. Lots of lightning. It really lit the sky up. It was very cool. Pretty nice day of hiking. Hiked 13.39 miles. Only a little over 2,600 of elevation gain. Was hot and humid and started to rain around 4 PM. That helped cool things off. Otherwise, it was a pretty uneventful day.  Had some nice pictures of views. Met some interesting people at the Paul Wolfe shelter at lunch. One guy was from Guam. He was about my age and seemed to be in pain. He said his Achilles¢ tendon was bothering him.  He said he was going to buy a pair of Hokas in Waynesboro because some one told him that would help. Another guy from Austin joined us as well.  We mainly talked about the trail and various shelters we stayed at. Got picked up by a shuttle driver and spent the night in Waynesboro at the Holiday Inn. Because I got to Rockfish Gap so late I decided it didn¢t make sense to try to get back to the trail because it was almost dark and I had to resupply.
Date: 2022-05-23
From: Rockfish Gap

To: Calf Mountain Shelter 
Miles today: 7.81
Weather: overcast clouds

Rockfish Gap to Calf Mountain Shelter Entered Shenandoah National Park today. I think the AT is in the park for over 100 miles. Short day today. I got a late start because I went to Walmart this morning to resupply.  I got picked up at 10:30 to the trail. Only 7.81 miles with a little over 2,100 of elevation gain. Rained most of the day and a lot of trail was covered in clouds and fog. Really cooled off. It¢s in the 50¢s now. Saw a very large white tailed deer. Got a picture. At Calf Mountain Shelter sleeping in my tent. When I got here the shelter was full but the people said they would shove over and I could fit in. It seemed really crowded already and there were other people tenting so that is what I decided to do too. Someone just played taps. It is 8 PM here.
Date: 2022-05-25
From: Sawmill Run Overlook 

To: Stealth campsite at mile 888.8.
Miles today: 14.24
Weather: overcast clouds

Sawmill Run Overlook to stealth campsite at mile 888.8.Medium day. Hiked 14.24 miles with over 3,000 feet of elevation gain. Started raining after I set up my tent, but otherwise it was a very nice day.  Cool but sunny at times. Shenandoah National Park is beautiful. I saw three groups of Rangers and park service employees along the trail. There were 11 people in total.   One male. Ten females.  The first group of 3 was going through an orientation and were learning about the different trees in the park. The second group of 4 were pulling garlic mustard plants by hand. The team leader explained to me that it is an invasive species that crowds out plants that butterflies like and need. She said the garlic mustard plants came from Europe long ago to be used as an herb in cooking and it got out of hand. The third group of 4 were spraying the garlic mustard plants with some type of acid. I took a picture of their sign.  Saw several deer.
Date: 2022-05-26
From: Stealth campsite at mile 888.8.

To: Stealth campsite at mile 905.7
Miles today: 16.93
Weather: overcast clouds

Stealth campsite at mile 888.8 to stealth campsite at mile 905.716.93 miles. Over 3,700 of elevation gain. Medium day. Was foggy almost the entire day.  Only once did I have view without clouds. The trails in Shenandoah National Park are some of the best trails I have seen anywhere on the AT. Very few rocky spots. They badly need trimmed back though.  Grass and weeds and other vegetation is overtaking the trail in some spots. Went to my first camp store in the park. I was pleasantly surprised at how well stocked it was.  Met a guy from the UK named Guru G. He started asking me questions about my poncho.  Very nice guy from around London.  An older lady was getting off the trail.  She hurt her Achilles¢ tendon and tried to hike through it and made it worse.  Her brother was with her and they were heading to Waynesboro and then she was going home to Florida. Ate lunch with a guy whose trail name is Blue, because he looks like Blue from Old School.  I had to shout ¢my boy Blue¢ and he said that¢s the one. I¢ll try and post his picture. Very nice articulate older gentleman from Maine, who has nothing in common with Blue other than the physical resemblance. I told him it was an awesome trail name.  He had an interesting story. He started a thru hike in 2021. He fell and hurt himself near Daleville on April 26, 2021. He went through rehab and started again on April 27, 2022 at Daleville. Passed 900 miles. There were two separate hiker made markers. I got pictures of both of them.  Saw lots of deer. They are definitely acclimated to humans and I got within 10 feet of them before they moved a little out the way. Got a picture of a hawk sitting on a limb in the forest. Lots of flowers still blooming everywhere. Starting to rain again. Supposed to rain tonight and all day tomorrow.
Date: 2022-05-27
From: Stealth campsite at mile 905.7

To: Bearfence Shelter
Miles today: 14.42
Weather: overcast clouds

Stealth stealth campsite at mile 905.7 to Bearfence ShelterMedium day. Hiked 14.42 miles with over 3,000 of elevation gain. Talked with people today who said there was a big storm last night.  I didn¢t hear it.  Packed up my tent and the rain was just starting.  Started hiking at 7:48. Then it started pouring. It rained until about noon so I was completely soaked.  My pack stayed dry under my poncho.  All the views were nothing but clouds. Saw lots of deer and only one other hiker in the rain. I started to dry out and made it to the Lewis Mountain campground. They had pay showers ($2.50 for 5 minutes) and laundry ($1 to wash and $.50 for the dryer).  It felt so good to have clean dry clothes and to get a shower.   The camp store had sandwiches you can heat in their microwave so I got a chicken sandwich and two Whitecastle sliders. Then I hiked the remaining mile to the shelter. Two section hikers and two thru hikers here with me at the Bearfence Shelter. One of the thru hikers is from the UK and is called Guru G. I met him yesterday.  He was formerly a Buddhist monk and teaches yoga. I was just asking him why he left the monastery in Sri Lanka when the other hikers arrived, so I don¢t have an answer yet. The other other thru hiker is completing the triple crown. He has already done the PCT and CDT.
Date: 2022-05-28
From: Bearfence Shelter

To: Stealth campsite at mile 933.4. 
Miles today: 15.46
Weather: overcast clouds

Bearfence shelter to stealth campsite at mile 933.4. It was a challenging day. Hiked 15.46 miles with over 3,000 of elevation gain. Today was the first day of the Memorial Day weekend and I could tell. People everywhere!  Or as some people comment, Muggles everywhere.  Muggles are the non-wizards of the Harry Potter books. So basically everyone who is not a wizard. Thru hikers call non-thru hikers Muggles in the FarOut app.  Not sure if this means thru hikers are comparing themselves to wizards. Stopped at the Big Meadows Wayside to resupply. It was jam packed. They have a restaurant there and I thought I might have lunch there when I was hiking the side trail to the building. The line was very long so I skipped the restaurant and just bought resupply items. The trail went along the border of a cemetery. I got a picture.  It wasn¢t as overcast today so I got some pictures and videos of views.
Date: 2022-05-29
From: Stealth campsite at mile 933.4. 

To: Stealth campsite at mile 948.6
Miles today: 15.09
Weather: broken clouds

Stealth campsite at mile 933.4 to stealth campsite at mile 948.6. Hiked 15.09 miles with over 3,000 feet of elevation gain.  It was very difficult to hike today. The trail was packed with hundreds of day hikers.  The whole park was on Memorial Day weekend overload.  People with dogs, families with small children, big groups of 10 or more people.  Muggles everywhere!  Unlike other parks, the AT is the main trail in Shenandoah National Park and runs for over 100 miles straight through the center of the park.  So it¢s not surprising that there were so many people on the trail. I should exit the park on Tuesday.  No rain clouds today so got some good views. At one of the views an older couple was taking each other¢s pictures so I volunteered to take a picture of the two of them and they took mine. I¢ve seen several rabbits here and many deer. Got pictures. Hiked with a retired policeman from Dallas for a while today.  Trail name is Rookie. He is hiking with another guy named Cruise.  I hiked with Cruise for a while today too.
Date: 2022-05-30
From: Stealth campsite at mile 948.6

To: Stealth campsite mile 965.4. 
Miles today: 17.38
Weather: clear sky

Stealth campsite at mile 948.6 to stealth campsite mile 965.4. Long day today. Hiked 17.38 miles and over 3,700 feet of elevation gain.  Overall, I felt really good today. This part of the park wasn¢t as crowded today. Also it was Monday, the last day of the weekend.Three other people at the campsite including a guy from Cincinnati who now works for EY in Atlanta. He is on a leave of absence. Also met a couple day hiking with their young son today on the trail. The lady grew up in Oakwood on Spirea Ave. Dry, hot and humid here today.  Got some pictures and videos of some nice views. Finish with Shenandoah National Park tomorrow. Plan to go into Front Royal, VA and stay at a Marriott by the interstate and zero there on Wednesday. Saw a snake I thought was a copperhead.  iNaturalist says it¢s a garter snake. Lots of flowers blooming. Saw more bunnies and deer. Hiked with a guy from Maine for a while today.  His name is Moose Boy. He lived in Rochester, NY and worked for Kodak before he retired. Started right after graduation from the University of Maine.
Date: 2022-05-31
From: Stealth campsite mile 965.4. 

To: AT trailhead at VA 522. 
Miles today: 6.51
Weather: clear sky

May 31Stealth campsite at mile 965.4 to AT trailhead at VA 522. Short day today. Hiked 6.51 miles with 2,383 of descent.  Only 600+ feet of ascent. Just had to make it to VA 522 and then get a ride to my hotel. When we got up this morning there were several deer eating and hanging around the campsite. They definitely were not afraid of us.  One in particular got very close and hung around for a long time. I got pictures.  When I was getting near the end of the days hike I came across miles of chain link fence running alongside the trail. I wondered if it was a CIA property because it is northern Virginia. The cab driver said the property is owned by the Smithsonian and is used to breed and raise rare or endangered animals. She said she knew they were trying to breed pandas but wasn¢t sure what else. It ran along the road to town for miles as well. Had a real problem with getting a ride from the trailhead to my hotel. Contacted 4 shuttle drivers. All were completely booked. Called Front Royal Taxi. The earliest they could pick me up was after 5 PM. Finally, I called Yellow Cab. The lady said they could pick me up around noon but she could not guarantee anything. I got to the trailhead a little before noon and tried to call them but I had a really poor connection and, when it did go through, it kept going to their voicemail. A car drove up and two elderly women dropped off a hiker who was a grandson of one of the women. I asked them if they were going towards Walmart, the direction of my hotel. They said they were not familiar with the area but they would give me a ride. So I loaded my stuff in their trunk and just as we started to leave, the taxi pulled up. I said I would go with the taxi since I called it. The driver could not get the trunk open. She said it was a new car and she didn¢t know how to operate everything yet. Fortunately, her grandson came back down the trail and unlocked all the doors and then the trunk opened. Had a chance to shower, do laundry, and walk to Walmart and Aldi to resupply. It feels different than when I zeroed before leaving the trail for Texas. When I zeroed then, my legs, my feet, everything just hurt and really needed the rest. I don¢t have the growing pains anymore (knock on wood) and hopefully they are gone.Saw some sad news that a thru hiker fell off the cliffs near McAfee Knob and died. Apparently, he passed out and fell off. He was 23, from The Netherlands and was a grandmaster at chess. I posted screenshots from the AT thru hikers Facebook page.
Date: 2022-06-02
From: AT trailhead at VA 522. 

To: Designated tenting spot at 988.4
Miles today: 16.44
Weather: overcast clouds

VA 522 at 972.1 to designated tenting spot at 988.4.   16.44 miles. This tenting spot was a disaster. They bulldozed the top of a mountain but it was very rough - lots of tree limbs and stones. Things would have worked out except that three thunderstorms rolled through. Even those would have been ok because they ended around 11:30 PM. But then it got very windy. My tent almost collapsed several times. It was a long, mostly sleepless night. Starting out I walked along the grounds the Smithsonian uses to breed and house rare and endangered animals. I tried to take a picture of the fence to give an idea of the magnitude of the operation. There is a tree that has a virus that looks like a rhinoceros and someone put up a sign saying Ray¢s Rhino.  There was a plaque indicating an historical event stemming from the Civil War.
Date: 2022-06-03
From: Designated tenting spot at 988.4

To: Rod Hollow Shelter
Miles today: 7.36
Weather: scattered clouds

Designated tenting spot at 988.4 to Rod Hollow ShelterDid not feel good today. Hiked only 7.36 miles. Saw a box turtle on the trail and got a picture. The trail is very overgrown in spots and it¢s hard to use trekking poles when it is overgrown. I tried to get a picture to show how the vegetation hangs over the trail. Lots of people at the shelter. I slept in my tent and all the tent sites were taken.
Date: 2022-06-04
From: Rod Hollow Shelter

To: BearÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs Den Hostel
Miles today: 9.88
Weather: clear sky

Rod Hollow Shelter to Bear¢s Den HostelEntered the roller coaster today. Here is what FarOut says about it:The Roller Coaster, a 14-mile stretch of steep climbs and descents with few views.Hiked 9.88 miles with 3,367 of elevation gain. Did not feel good and it was a real struggle to hike today. Passed 1,000 miles!  Not quite half way but making progress. Right now the mental part is harder than the physical part. Today is Saturday and the trail is very crowded with day hikers. Saw a lady hiking with her Cockatoo. The bird¢s name is Bubbie. It¢s male. I didn¢t ask her to explain. At the Bear¢s Den Hostel. It is owned by the Appalachian Trail Conservancy and is right on the trail.  It is a very nice building. Only Tennis and I are here for the night. I have been hiking with a guy today whose trail name and real name is Tennis.  I asked him if he is a good tennis player. He said he never played the game. He said he doesn¢t know why his parents named him that. He is 80!  And slower than me but steady.
Date: 2022-06-05
From: BearÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs Den Hostel

To: David Lesser Memorial Shelter
Miles today: 11.75
Weather: few clouds

June 5Bear¢s Den Hostel to David Lesser Memorial ShelterHiked 11.75 miles. Very tough day. Did not feel well. Finished the roller coaster. It was slightly easier once I got through that part of the AT.  Had some very nice views today. Took a picture of the trail to give an idea of how rocky some of the sections are. Still lots of wildflowers blooming. All the tent sites at the David Lesser shelter were occupied tonight.
Date: 2022-06-06
From: David Lesser Memorial Shelter

To: Harpers Ferry. 
Miles today: 10.02
Weather: clear sky

David Lesser Memorial Shelter to Harpers Ferry. Hiked 10.02 miles. Felt a little better today. The trail today was better than it has been the last few days although there were sections that were very steep and required hand over hand climbing. The section once I entered Harpers Ferry National Historic Park was very nice. You could see where the park service removed the rocks from the trail and piled them alongside the trail to make a rock wall. This part of the trail was nice compacted earth. As I got closer to the Shenandoah River the trail became much steeper and very rocky and where the hand over hand climbing was. We basically had to climb down to the river, cross the river on a bridge and then go up the other side.I crossed into West Virginia but was still not done with Virginia. The trail continued to go through both states. I think I was finally done with Virginia when I crossed the Shenandoah River. That took forever!  Got pictures crossing the river. I hiked the last section into Harpers Ferry with three people I met at the shelter the night before. They were Sonnyside (his real first name is Sonny), Buoy Critter (he was a retired Navy guy whose job it was to maintain sonar buoys) and Mother Hen, a lady from outside Atlanta. I had planned to get off the trail at the Quality Inn, since that is where we all were staying. They wanted to hike to the end of Harpers Ferry. So I went along with them. We passed some sights in the Park, including Jefferson Rock, as well as remains of buildings from the 1800s. Jefferson Rock apparently is a rock Thomas Jefferson sat on to observe the Shenandoah River. There are a number of restored and reconstructed buildings dating from the time when John Brown launched his attack on the US armory at Harper¢s Ferry.  We saw Neil Harper¢s house, for whom Harpers Ferry is named. We went to the local outfitter because Mother Hen had packages mailed there. She could not locate them. It gave me a chance to check out the place and it was very small with a very limited selection. We had lunch at a place called the Rabbit Hole. I had a salad. We then walked to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy headquarters to get our pictures taken. It is a tradition for thru hikers to get their picture taken here and put in a book for the year (2022 in our case). We all got our pictures taken and put in the book for posterity.  I got pictures of the pictures. Finally made it to the Quality Inn.
Date: 2022-06-11
From: Harpers Ferry. 

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Starting about a week ago on June 3, I felt really run down. Then over the next few days it felt like I was getting a cold. I was really slow and physically felt ill and exhausted. I dragged myself into Harpers Ferry thinking I¢d bounce back after a couple days of rest. I decided to take a double zero (2 days of no hiking) because I had a lot of gear replacements I needed to take care of. The heel fell off my right shoe, so I needed a new pair of shoes. My sleeping pad got a hole in it and I couldn¢t find the tiny hole to patch it. One of my tent poles broke and my Leatherman multi tool broke.  There were no local stores where I could walk to and take care of these things so I rented a car and drove to an REI in Rockville, MD. I was able to take care of everything there except the knife. My plan was to get back on the trail on Thursday. I started to feel better but my cold symptoms were worse, so I extended my hotel for another day. On Thursday morning, I had trouble catching my breath and was coughing up pink phlegm. I knew that wasn¢t good. I called around and ended up at an urgent care facility run by West Virginia University and got tested for Covid.  The result came back positive. That explained a lot about why I was feeling so badly physically.  I was able to get treatment that afternoon. I received a Monoclonal Antibody infusion intravenously. The infusion itself took about one minute and then I had to wait for an hour to be sure I didn¢t have any adverse side effects. They told me to rest for 3-5 days or until I felt better. So, I am still at the Quality Inn for another day or two or three. I am feeling much better but I want to be sure I am healthy before I get back on the trail. In addition to dealing with the medical issues, I had to rent a car to get around. I rented a car from Enterprise for one day to go to REI. I tried to extend it but they said they were selling the car that afternoon and I had to return it. They had no other cars available. So I had to find another rental car and I had to go to Martinsburg, WV to pick it up. I ended up renting from Hertz. Right now I have my hotel room and rental car through Monday morning. If I am feeling up to it I¢ll try to get back on the trail on Sunday.
Date: 2022-06-12
From: Harpers Ferry. 

To: Crampton Gap shelter 
Miles today: 10.84
Weather: light rain

Harper¢s Ferry to Crampton Gap shelter First day of hiking after Covid. Felt good. Took it easy. 10.84 miles with 1,772 of elevation gain.  Trail is in great condition. Some rocky spots but compared to Virginia, it was a very nice day. The first 2.5 miles were very easy. The C&O Canal bike trail and the AT are together for that long and then the AT turns uphill and the C&O keeps going flat along the river.  Couple of steep climbs and water is kind of far apart but still a nice day. Was hot and humid. Was supposed to rain but it didn¢t. Got a video after I crossed the Potomac where the Shenandoah and Potomac join.  Lots of water still in what was the C&O Canal. Saw lots of turtles with green flotsam all over them. Got some pictures. Passed through Gathland State Park, the site of a Civil War skirmish.
Date: 2022-06-13
From: Crampton Gap shelter 

To: Pine Knob shelter
Miles today: 12.75
Weather: overcast clouds

Crampton Gap shelter to Pine Knob shelter. Hiked 12.75 miles. Felt really good this afternoon and was considering pushing it but it is very hot and humid here so played it safe. 2,476 of elevation gain. I was hiking up the hill to Pine Knob Shelter and I was stopped by a hiker coming down the hill. It was a lady I hiked with for a few hours near MacAfee Knob. Her name is Jennifer Stetson.  When we hiked before I told her we bought our first house in Upper St. Claire. She was from Bethel Park and went to Carnegie Mellon. She said she did her student teaching at Upper St. Claire High School. She now lives in Maryland somewhere close to the AT. She was hiking with a few other people. Some of the wildflowers seem to be nearing the end.  I got pictures of them fading away. At Pine Knob shelter. At least 5 other people here. All in tents.
Date: 2022-06-14
From: Pine Knob shelter

To: Raven Rock Road
Miles today: 12.1
Weather: clear sky

Pine Knob shelter to Raven Rock Road. Had a big thunderstorm come through about 4 AM. Lots of lightening, a lot of which looked like heat lightening. A lot of flashes but not much thunder. Then the real thunderstorm started and there was plenty of lightening followed by thunder. Things got a little wet but not bad. Hiked 12.10 miles.  I was very tired today so I went into Waynesboro, Pa. I texted a shuttle driver and he picked me up and took me to the Days Inn. Old and kind of run down but it¢s clean. $65 per night. I plan to slack pack tomorrow. Also needed to resupply some lunch items. Nothing appeals to me for lunch.  Saw another turtle. This must be their busy time of year. Saw a bunny. Saw deer too but it was like yesterday. No clear picture.