morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2004-06-29
From: Hightop Hut

To: Rockspring Hut
Miles today: 23.9
Weather: clear sky

If I wasn't wide awake by the time I hit the trail this morning, what happened in the first hour would correct that.Today would offer me easy town food TWICE, thanks to my planned distance, so my stride had a bounce to it and I was moving swiftly. After all, breakfast was just eleven miles up the trail at a camp store. For some time now I've started just carrying my hiking poles snapped together in one hand on gentle terrain, I move a bit quieter and my stride seems a bit longer. Well, as I approached a particular trailside tree, a huge commotion came from above me and about twenty feet to my front. It seems a black bear had sought a high perch on that tree as I approached, but as I neared, it panicked. Apparently it decided I was too scary and it wasn't high enough. Its action was to execute an emergency fire-pole slide drill down the tree with no regard to all the noise it would make¢¦and noise it most assuredly did make. This tree slide started with me only twenty feet away. Naturally I looked quickly and when comprehension finally spoke to my scaredy-cat genes within me, I jumped back saying the only calculating, dignified thing that came to mind - ¢Holy Shit!¢ I immediately raised my hiking poles to prepare for the charge that was seconds away. The bear was the size of a large elephant with giant, flesh ripping, foot long claws. It had fire in its eyes and smoke coming from its nostrils. To my amazement, this vicious beast upon touching ground hauled butt away from me. As it powered through the trees and thicket, giving me a nice look at its quickly disappearing rear end, I then realized it wasn't as big as an elephant, nor did it appear to have the foot long, flesh-ripping claws of a T-Rex as I first thought. It was just a young adult about the size of Winnie the Pooh which I scared the honey out of and it in turn scared the Gatorade out of me.I regained my composure and continued to yell ¢Hey Bear¢ for the next six hours, which was sort of inappropriate while I was inside the camp store. Hey, one never knows what may be on the other side of the cookie shelf? After breakfast, I hiked north another eight miles to the Big Meadows lodge where I went to the Tap Room for chili, pepperoni pizza (two of them!) and a beer. The Shenandoah hiking sure is tough isn't it? I counted that meal as dinner and then moved on to this hut for a strong 24 mile day. I also saw my second doe and fawn together in the trail¢¦they let me move right up on to them¢¦.very relaxed they were. It's been another great day of animal spotting.The night is clear and without cloud cover, the temperature is dropping. It's going to be another brisk night. This is summer, right?
Date: 2004-06-30
From: Rock Spring Hut

To: Gravel Spring Hut
Miles today: 28.4
Weather: scattered clouds

June 30th, is my two month anniversary on the trail. To celebrate, I decided to hike a few miles to breakfast at one of the park lodges - Skyland. I had Belgian waffles with eggs and bacon, not unusual unless both were entrees. The waitress just giggled. Then I hiked another chunk of miles to another wayside area where I ate lunch. Then I hiked yet another chunk of miles to the final park wayside where I had two bacon cheeseburgers with two blackberry milkshakes¢¦they were yummy. Then I got sick from all of it with yet more miles to hike. This out-of-control gluttony was raising its ugly face.At this point I had already covered 23 miles, but more were ahead before I could rest. It was my second largest mileage day¢¦ an appropriate achievement on this my second anniversary. After four big days, tomorrow will see me walk through Shenandoah's northern boundary and to a road where I'll hitch into Front Royal, VA and a motel. I need it; my shirt is covered in salt stains.I've enjoyed the park and its abundant wildlife and views. And unlike the Smoky's, I've had outstanding weather. And although thrilling, it will be nice to relax my thinking that a black bear is right around the corner ready to pounce¢¦Boo!
Date: 2004-07-01
From: Gravel Spring Hut

To: Front Royal, VA
Miles today: 13.5
Weather: scattered clouds

A nice thunderstorm moved in after midnight to dump a load of rain. I love the sound of rain, especially when it's significant and especially when I'm snug as a bug in a shelter.It was a nice half-day conclusion to four big days. As I neared the road, I had my ¢hiker to town¢ bandana ready, but I noticed someone at their van by the trailhead.It was the owner of one of the hiker hostels. Terrapin Station hostel. He gave me and two other hikers (Cliffdancer and Bear Bait) a lift¢¦we all went for lunch at the Mexican restaurant on the spur of the moment. Why I even got to swing by the Post Office to pick up my mail drop¢¦lucky number thirteen. Then after several platters of gooey, cheesy, mushy Mex, they dropped me at the Quality Inn. It would be my first shower in five days of hard sweating, my clothes needed a wash more than I think I did. Maybe not? I spent the rest of the night sequestered on the king bed watching TV. Yep, I'm a slug.
Date: 2004-07-03
From: Rod Hollow Shelter

To: Blackburn A.T. Center
Miles today: 17.8
Weather: overcast clouds

The plan was to attack the next fourteen miles of trail hard. It was the infamous section called the Roller coaster. A series of 13 up and downs which are covered in rocks and ask for your full attention. On top of the roller-coaster was the lingering thought that I might still catch Belle at the hostel just ten miles north. The roller coaster was rather like being back in Georgia with its quick ups and awkward rocks, but with nearly a thousand miles on these legs, my nimbleness of foot is at a pretty high level. So, the miles, although strenuous, were not as bad as I was expecting. I reached the hostel with out taking a break at 10:45 am. The caretaker there informed me she¢d caught a ride to Dulles airport near Washington D.C. at eight.         So there it is, three lousy hours late¢¦I felt I was living a Hollywood movie. Once again, I was sad for her, we all help each other by just being out here. Many don¢t like hearing about others when they come off the trail¢¦it weakens them in a way I guess?        I collapsed in to an Adirondack chair on the porch to comfort my soul with a Diet Coke, the caretaker ask me if I was going to the BBQ? ¢BBQ?¢ I asked. Seems another seven miles north there¢s a fabulous place called the Blackburn A.T. Center run by the large Potomac Appalachian Trail Club. Since I was tired and also tired of doing twenty-mile days, a stop there would shorten the day and just might put a smile in the day that up till now seemed pretty sour.        I arrived about 4 pm after all the roller coaster was behind me and immediately got a beer put in my hand. Burgers, chicken and wonderful salads followed soon there after. I was meeting an entirely new group of hikers again. The conversations with the hikers as well as the club members were engaging. As darkness fell, the picnic tables were cleared and loaded up with firework-like objects and lit. Not quite on the level of our Nations capital celebration or as naturally enchanting as last night¢s firefly show, it was still wonderfully festive and it reminded me there was much to smile about. For today, yours truly walked across another Stateline. Virginia is in my past and West Virginia is my present. And if that weren¢t enough, in just 3.4 miles tomorrow morning, I walk through the ONE THOUSAND MILE mark. Then it¢s in to historic Harpers Ferry and the office of the ATC to get my picture taken. Wow, 1000 miles!
Date: 2004-07-04
From: Blackburn A.T. Center

To: Harpers Ferry, WV
Miles today: 12.0
Weather: light rain

Happy Independence Day everyone and Happy Half-Way to me!I hit the trail my usual time, only this morning it was socked in fog. Thunder was rumbling everywhere on the ridgeline, but Harpers Ferry was a scant twelve miles away. With my raingear on and strengthened by the emotional accomplishment that lay just an hour ahead of me, I hiked with an air of invincibility. The rain came in buckets and then dump trucks, but I continued. At 8 am I guesstimated that I had hiked, carried and survived my way across a 1000 miles of rock, woods, weather and mountains. There were no neon lights in the wilderness to announce my achievement. As I neared Harpers Ferry my heart swelled with pride. My legs and feet were on autopilot delivering me as a casual bystander to the fabled trail stop. I reached the ATC by eleven where Rachael, a worker/volunteer captured my skinny new self on a Polaroid. I was number 534, which was marked in red Sharpie, signifying that I was a north bounder. If reaching Mt. Katahdin is anything like this morning, only greater I suppose, I¢ll be a puddle of tears and joy and pride and smiles.        Along the way, everyone has been commenting on my pace, which at two months and four days is exceptionally quick. Many have misjudged my age as being 38, which those of you who know my true age also makes me raise my head a bit higher. There is still much more to hike, but for today I will pause and cherish what is and leave what will be for later. My folks arrived a bit before one, it was wonderful to see them and take this smallish break at their house. A quick look at their scale reports that I¢ve lost 33 pounds to this point. I¢m stronger in more ways than I¢ve ever been in my life¢¦and I don¢t mean just muscle. I may need to revise my own assessment of being a mental cupcake?        Stopping to smell the evergreen pays dividends in ways we can¢t even imagine.
Date: 2004-07-06
From: Harpers Ferry, WV

To: PA 16
Miles today: 43.2

We leave Harpers Ferry in grand style by way of an enormous bridge over the Potomac River. The majority of the hiking for the next two weeks will be flat ridgelines that go on for ten to fifteen miles at a time. Only the lose rocks and boulders will slow our pace. The big ascents and descents south of here won¢t appear again until Massachusetts. Or so I¢ve been informed. I¢m familiar with this area of Maryland and Pennsylvania since it is here that I actually learned how to enjoy the journey. As a result, crossing the bridge out of Harpers Ferry and the Stateline into Maryland didn¢t have the same impact on me as others. It won¢t be until New Jersey, some two weeks away, that I¢ll feel the excitement of new territory again.        The temperatures will be higher due to the low elevations and sunken valleys that seem to hold the breezes at bay. Maybe wrongfully, I just want this chunk to be behind me. With my folks near to this area, I¢m planning on hiking to meet them many times at road crossings instead of my normal shelter-to-shelter hikes. Some do this as ¢slack-packing¢, which means not hiking with their backpacks. The ATC has no problem with this style, but for me personally, I just like the idea of Georgia to Maine with a backpack. Nutty, but it makes sense for me. I certainly won¢t be carrying a lot of food or my stove, but I like my backpack and it¢s sticking with me all the way to Katahdin. Oh, just a few days ago, word on the trail was that someone died up on Katahdin last week. Seems a rockslide injured two, killed one and another escaped any injury. It reminded me that despite the fun and occasional motels and towns, when we¢re out there, our only protection is our own wits, common sense and physical abilities. It¢s fun, but its no cakewalk. And as we move north into The Whites of New Hampshire, it becomes even more dangerous. Umm¢¦ I meant to say, thrilling.   (This is a multiple day mileage count)
Date: 2004-07-08
From: PA 16

To: PA 34
Miles today: 43.9

After much thought, I¢ve decided to share the secret to my youthful skin and appearance. Got your attention didn¢t I? As I recently mentioned, one source of flattery for me is how many hikers have been shocked by my true age¢¦which I¢m keeping quiet on. Only the other hikers will know for sure.Billions of dollars are spent each year on anti-aging creams, wrinkle elixirs and miracle over-night masks. Why some have even resorted to injections that paralyze parts of the facial muscles just to have the face in the mirror appear more youthful! It should be noted that I¢m in favor of self-improvement. If something about yourself leads to insecurity, then by all means do something about it. Liking what you see can help your self-esteem and in turn your successfulness greatly.But all those treatments not with standing, there is a more natural, effortless way to smooth, younger looking skin. It is only now making its way from the far, remote mountains of the Mongolian ¢ China border, where for dynasty¢s it has been known. Hollywood tried to capture the legend decades ago in the movie ¢Lost Horizon¢ from the book of the same name, where people of advanced years held the complexions of an individual half as young.Some of us on the AT have stumbled upon this rare treatment by sheer luck and to protect the trail from being swamped by vanity seeking city dwellers, we¢ve guarded this knowledge. But the need is there and as a result of the countless enquiries, I¢ll share this newly learned ancient miracle at no profit to me. I do this only as a service to the greater beauty of humanity. Its really quite simple.Each day when you wake up, take an early morning stroll along the wilderness of the AT. You¢ll want to be nearly the first one out on the trail as I often am, this is the secret to experiencing this magical treatment. So enough pomp-and-circumstance (too late), the secret is¢¦cobweb facials.By being the first one out each day, you¢ll walk yourself, or should I say your face, directly into the full impact of these little eight-legged critters nightly toil. They¢re silken webs and strands will paint your face a hundred times over. The only danger is on overly zealous spider that has visions of capturing you whole so it can have its way with you till Thanksgiving. Most of these strands are invisible and only make themselves known till they lay their sticky filament across you nose or forehead or everything. Truly annoying is this treatment, many a hiker will wait to be second or third out in the morning to avoid them. Of course, they don¢t look as young. But as in so many things which are unpleasant, they produce positive results.So, the next time you spot a new wrinkle or can¢t take your attention off those enlarging crows feet, slip on some hiking shoes, set your alarm to ¢too early¢ and go give yourself a magical morning cobweb facial. ¢¦Individual results may vary.(This is a double day mileage count)
Date: 2004-07-10
From: PA 34

To: PA 225
Miles today: 45.7

Carrying only what you need opens the door to wonderful surprises. In the case of food, despite our ever present hunger, I still will only carry what is needed, not wanted. If I followed the latter, my pack would be such a burden no joy would be possible¢¦been there done that!This allows me to share an early trail tale. It was my longest section hike, a ten-day one hundred and forty mile hike that involved no resupply. The food I was carrying would eventually lead to my distain for camp food I now experience. A good week into the journey, the sun had finally graced me with a shadow. The consecutive days of pewter skies was getting a bit tiresome. However, the sun appeared and reintroduced me to my shadow on a small clearing. At first, I almost didn¢t see it or maybe it was that I didn¢t believe it at first sight? The trail, as if on a silver platter, was presenting me with an apple! Oh it was beautiful. Ruby red and chartreuse green with touches of pink, why it even had a perfect stem and a single, elegant leaf as if some food stylist had readied it for a photo session.Being from the city for so many years, I was naturally suspicious. Being a fan of Disney, I also assumed that a wicked witch was hidden waiting for me to bite the poisoned gem. Fortunately, the AT and its powers to relax you, even your bias, overcame my raised eyebrow and had me bending down to pick it up. It was perfect, not even a blemish. But how¢¦?¢¦I raised my head and the riddle was solved. A big mature, fruit loaded apple tree dangled its treasure just over my head. I lengthened one of my hiking poles to reach a particularly loaded branch and with one tap, the tree surrendered lunch. I didn¢t even have to enter into a Wizard of Oz fight with it. They were chilled to a glorious 42 degrees. There¢s nothing better than a fresh apple off the tree, one of life¢s truly great pleasures.The trail is full of surprises and magic, all we have to do is walk it. As for that same apple tree, the fruit still had some growing to do for we north bounders. But it¢s sure to make quite a few south bounders happy in another month or more. Timing is everything, isn¢t it?   (This is a multiple day mileage count)
Date: 2004-07-14
From: PA 143

To: PA 309
Miles today: 40.9

I once asked an authority on rattlesnakes about what happens if you¢re bitten?His answer: ¢About $20,000 in hospital bills.¢GaadZooics!Ever since Duncannon, the famous PA rocks have become the norm. The local hiking clubs often write in the shelter registers that they¢ve been out sharpening them for us¢¦the bastards. It¢s nothing that some tough soles, thick socks and about five layers of Dr. Scholls air-pillow inserts can¢t handle. That is if you can still squeeze you foot into your shoe with all that. Surprisingly, it¢s those little rocks that seem to make your feet ache the most at the end of the day.But PA has other rocks too. Actually, great fields of them that confuse you as to where you walk to follow the trail. Only by wading out into them do you come along a white blaze. It¢s sort of slow going. If moving forward a bit puzzled isn¢t enough, these boulder fields make just the perfect habitat for rattlesnakes. Now isn¢t that an inviting hike?We hikers do look out for one another though. One persons terrifying encounter can be another¢s warning. With a note warning of a snakes territory, we can side step around it, unless it leads us to another snakes home. Boy, these rocks sure are fun aren¢t they? Please, before me, really. I¢ll follow.(This is a multiple day mileage count)
Date: 2004-07-17
From: PA 309

To: Delaware Water Gap
Miles today: 48.6
Weather: scattered clouds

I was raised to not say anything if I couldn¢t say something nice. ¢¦boy have I failed to fulfill that teaching. Lehigh Gap mountain is absolutely the wrong name for it. So what should you name a fallen, jumble of sun hot stones that force you to scramble hand over ass risking life and limb? In my opinion I¢d call it The Devils Forehead. You don¢t follow white blazes up its face, but rather curious triple 6¢s that somehow seemed etched in the boulders!(no more meet the folks, no more large, easy amounts of food, and no more doing laundry daily. Its back to my normal shelter routine and brand new territory, I¢m really looking forward to getting back out there in a more detached way again. Tomorrow a glorious new Stateline, New Jersey and the third highest concentration of Black Bear on the trail.)Miles, are a two day total.
Date: 2004-07-17
From: Delaware Water Gap

To: Taking a Zero Day at Delaware Water Gap!
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

The measuring of a hurricanes destructive power goes by the term Category One, Category Two and up to Category Five.A tornado¢s destructive power is measured on The Fijita Scale where they¢re designated as an F1 to F5.After two and half months of hiking and exposure to other hikers, I feel it may be in the interest of all concerned to create a measurement on hiker aroma. I¢m purposing that this be named The Postcardian Scale of Smell. Designations could be PU-One, PU-Two and up to the very repulsive PU-Five. I would also use a graphic icon of a clothespin to further enhance the warning to innocent bystanders.A hiker with a designation of PU-One would have an aroma that would cause crinkled nose, flared nostrils and a turned head upon hugging them. A PU-Three level might require giving the hiker a five foot perimeter in a closed room. Any travel in a car with said individual would be with all windows down and your head and nose favoring the opening.The most destructive and repulsive designation, the formable PU-Five, would pretty much rule out any contact in an enclosed space. A perimeter of 15 feet would need to be maintained to avoid scorching of the nasal passages and watering of the eyes. Fabrics exposed to PU-Five¢s can never recover; only burning will remedy the stench. Family members of a PU-Five are recommended to perform an intervention with tomato juice. Approaching a PU-Five should be done with extreme caution; the subject could be suffering from ¢Stenchia¢, a malady of disorientation. They may try to hug you thinking that you actually want to hug them. Sad but true. You can¢t hide from the aroma of a PU-Five, you can only run, and I suggest you run for all you¢re worth.
Date: 2004-07-18
From: Delaware Water Gap

To: Brink Road Shelter
Miles today: 24.6
Weather: light rain

Apparently those famous Pennsylvania rocks do not stop at the Stateline of New Jersey! I should have taken geology in college then I would have known that the ridgeline the A.T. follows is the same one in both states! Oh well, no bother.   Like the mountains we faced down south, the rocks are just something else we move through or over or around.More importantly is that I crossed my seventh Stateline of thirteen¢¦ and into my eighth state of fourteen. Tonight I¢m sleeping in New Jersey, and I¢m back to my normal routine of shelter to shelter hiking instead of meeting the folks at road crossings¢¦ which is significant tonight since I spent the last ten hours in ¢rain¢ and everything is hanging in hopes they¢ll dry overnight¢¦ fat chance!   It¢ll be wet clothing to slip on in the morning. Ah, the joys of thru-hiking.It¢s all made a bit more complicated since this tiny shelter is full with seven of us¢¦ it sleeps five. One hiker is sleeping on the picnic table that¢s under the roofs edge since there¢s no floor space.   He apparently doesn¢t carry a tent or any form of shelter!   That¢s nuts in this hikers opinion.   Another is at our feet sleeping sideways.   I don¢t mind making room for others when it¢s raining out. As we say out here, ¢There¢s always room for one more in the shelter when it¢s raining.¢   What bugs me is the irresponsible action of not carrying any form of shelter. Oh well¢¦ hike your own hike¢¦ and they were lucky we made room!
Date: 2004-07-19
From: Brink Road Shelter

To: High Point Shelter 
Miles today: 19.6
Weather: light rain

It was another one of those courageous thru-hiker mornings.   Yep, had to suck it up and put on wet clothing.   It continued to rain all last night and into the morning, the result is nothing has a chance of drying out.The ridgeline was socked in fog and low clouds.   Don¢t ask me what the difference is between the two, and there may not be a difference, but neither allows you to see a whole heck of a lot!   But a short 3.5 miles, I came to NJ 206 road, where a left turn put me in Gyps Pub at 9: am where they made me a breakfast cheeseburger and brewed up some coffee.   Another hiker named Amazing Grace was already there too, so we waited out the rain for an hour or so while eating.   It was an unplanned stop¢¦ my favorite, when it evolves real food.The gray skies gave way to sunshine by 4: pm and turned positively beautiful for the rest of the day. The A.T. was taking us to High Point State Park where you find the High Point Monument, the highest spot in the state of New Jersey.   If you don¢t like the weather in the morning, you can still hike your way into beautiful blue skies, sometimes.   I really get to feel the full power of the land and its weather by living out in it for this long of a period.   It¢s unparallel in my life¢s experiences.