morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2010-03-18
From: Thunderhead Mountain

To: Gatlinburg
Miles today: 28.0
Weather: few clouds

Just got off the phone with Justin. He was on top of Thunderhead Mountain at 5,000+ feet in a tee-shirt! He was looking out at the most amazing Vista and it has been a beautiful day.Yesterday he only made it to the first shelter doing 11 miles. He had a lot of food in his pack and it was a steep climb so his pace was a little slower. Today he was at 13 miles and was hoping to make it to a shelter which would put him at 17 miles for the day. He said the trail conditions weren't too bad. It was mostly slushy water. There were parts of drifts, but from being frozen, melting, and refrozen- they were mainly large ice crystals which weren't too bad to walk on. He was hoping to bypass Gaitlinburg,but he is running short of meal-food (he had a lot of snacks) so he'll go in for a hot lunch, get alittle more food and head back out. I believe he is doing this tomorrow, Friday, March 19th, but Im not 100% sure- our conversation was very quick. Glad the Smokys aren't as bad as we've read/heard, I just hope it stays that way!
Date: 2010-03-22
From: Gatlinburg

To: Standing Bear Hostel
Miles today: 22.2
Weather: light rain

I spoke with Justin briefly over the weekend. He woke at 3:30am Saturday, March 20th, to hike to the top of Clingmans Dome to watch the sunrise. It is the highest point on the trail at over 6,000 feet. He said it was amazing and I am sure pictures and stories won't do it justice. The trail conditions have been a little rough, with 4-5 feet of snow. As the day goes on and it becomes slushy, it also becomes more difficult to walk in as you can sink in. Some of the others he has been with are also complaining of the temperature with it being cold, but it hasn't really bothered Justin. he thinks he is just used to it from having really cold days when he first started. He went into Gatlinburg late Saturday afternoon-much later than he had planned, but the conditions were not in his favor. He was able to get a good lunch and pick up some more food before getting a ride back to the trail. He didn't get back to the trail until about 8:00 and to the shelter he was staying at until 9:30. When he woke Sunday morning he was pretty exhausted from the long day he had had before. It was suppose to start raining later in the afternoon and the wind had already picked up when he was on the phone with me. He was planning to hike the 7miles to the next shelter before the rain started and then just hang out and rest up. I believe his next stop is Hot Springs, however, I am not too sure. I also have to check with him on his miles. I know he had done almost 20 on Saturday but I don't know specifics. Our conversations have been very brief the past few times. He is more than half way done the Smokies! I did see in the forecast for his area may get some snow, so let's hope it wasn't/isn't too bad!
Date: 2010-03-24
From: Standing Bear Hostel

To: Hot Springs
Miles today: 25.1
Weather: scattered clouds

Justin made it out of the Smokies!!! The weather did not get any better the last few days- while most of us were getting rain he was walking in more snow. Last night, Tuesday, March 23rd, he called me as he was walking back to the trail from Standing Bear Hostel. He made it in earlier that day to re-supply and was able to hang out with a few other people. He is headed towards Hot Springs and may stay overnight there. He is planning on arriving there tomorrow- Thursday, March 25th. He sounded great and is very happy to have gotten through the dreaded Smokies!
Date: 2010-03-29
From: Hot Springs

To: Erwin, TN
Miles today: 39.2
Weather: light rain

Justin made it to Hot Springs Thursday, March 25th. He spent the night in the hostel- I belive Elmer's Hostel. Friday the 26th rained all day so he took his second zero day and spent another night in the hostel. He was able to get a lot of sleep and of course eat a lot of food! He was really enjoying Hot Springs and wants to go back for a weekend trip where you could hike south to max patch known for one of the best 360 views in NC. The town is only a half mile long and has the natural hot mineral waters. He thought about going to them for an hour as they are a spa and super relaxing, but decided not to. The hostel he stayed in was a big old house that was full of hikers. The owner was a vegetarian so he made vegetarian breakfast and dinner. Theresa- his mom- told me that him and another decided against one of the meals and went elsewhere for a good bar burger and beer!He was able to get on the internet briefly and thought it was so wierd; he was able to do something without having to walk! He was also not used to having his cell phone, so even though it was on him and it would ring from time to time, he wouldn't pick it up because he wasn't used to it. It made for a fun gave of phone tag!He is now headed to Erwin to resupply and pick-up a package with a new camera. Last week he dropped his and it broke. Although he missed out on a few days of pictures, he was thankful the camera didn't fall off the cliff causing him to loose all of his pictures! He was planning on arriving to Erwin in 4 days- Tuesday the 30th. He has been hiking with "Tunes" who is grom Germany and on a 4month time limit, therefore, his pace will be a little faster for the time being. And for anyone who is wondering if he has seen any bears or wildlife, he has not. The extent of wild life has been a deer one day at lunch and hearing coyote's at night from time to time.
Date: 2010-04-01
From: Erwin, TN

To: Roan High Shelter
Miles today: 68.1
Weather: clear sky

After I spoke with Justin on Monday, March 29th he said he had a pretty awful night. The rain and wind really picked up and it was pretty cold. He was right around Big Bald Mountain that night. When he was going down Bald he hit a patch of snow which really upset him. I think it is safe to say he will be happy not to deal with it for a very long time. The day after he was able to do about 20 miles. Then on Wednesday, March 31st he did 6 miles getting him into Erwin around 11:00 a.m. He had some issues at the Post Office as they said they didn't have either of his packages- one his mom sent and one he sent up from Hot Springs. Justin being as easy going as they come was not too worried about it, but it would delay them a bit the next morning.He was camping at Uncle Johnny's where he had access to a shower and a free shuttle. A few of the people he was with had a BBQ and enjoyed a few drinks that night. I spoke to him very briefy on today- Thursday, April 1st as he was heading back to the trail in late afternoon. He was able to get his packages, the lady was looking up the wrong name the day before, and sent a few things home he no longer needed/wanted to lighten his pack. He is planning on resupplying at Roan so that he did not have to carry too much food as he is trying to keep as light a pack as he can. He should be there by Saturday, April 3rd. Roan Mountain will be his last 6,000+elevation until New Hampshire which he is looking forward to- easier elevation changes to cruise along better. It is known as the coldest, though, on the southern AT, because there are no other tall mountains around. I know he is sticking with Tunes for the time being, but he also made mention of- Butter and Grandma- a couple, Beaches and Patches- beaches is from florida and patches is his dog who have no time limit and are just enjoying the ride, Yellow Mello and Hobbot.
Date: 2010-04-02
From: ? unsure exact location

To: Roan High Shelter
Miles today: 26.0
Weather: clear sky

Justin called me today, Friday April 2nd as he was taking a lunch break. He said yesterday was one of the greatest days of his life. The weather was perfect and he has really been enjoying his time with the group of people he is with.One of the reasons they got a late start yesterday leaving Erwin, was because they were just hanging out enjoying some of the left over drinks from the night before. Then they hiked about 8-9miles to a shelter where they made a huge bonfire. Cookie Monster carried a 9 pound ham that they cooked in the fire. Justin said it was the best ham he has ever had- and we all know how particuluar he is with food, its the chef in him! There were about 10 of them who just sat around enjoying the ham and some more drinks all night. Two other names he hadn't mentioned until today were Deathmarch and Sugarbush.Today was another beautiful day, kind of hot he said. He is planning on doing about 18-22 miles and will be getting alittle ahead of the crowd. Some of them are stopping at a restaurant on the cross road they pass for lunch/dinner and a drink, but Justin is going to keep going. Tomorrow he should be on top of Roan for lunch and Sunday re-supplying at Roan/Elk Park. He plans to be in Damascus, Virginia by Thursday/Friday- getting him into his 4th state!
Date: 2010-04-07
From: Lake Watauga

To: Damascus, VA
Miles today: 57.4
Weather: overcast clouds

I spoke with Justin yesterday early evening, Tuesday April 6th. He was at Lake Watauga hanging out and enjoying the beautiful views for awhile. He said hes been taking a few hours in the afternoon, a siesta, to get out of the sun and just relax a little. He did mention that his feet are starting to feel the amount of miles he has been walking and will probably be getting a new pari of shoes hopefully in Damascus.He had gone into Hampton on Monday and stayed over in a hostel. He has still been with a group of people and loving everything, especially the more flat walks! They hit the 400 mile mark the other day which was pretty exciting. Deathmarch had gone into town, I am not sure exactly when it was, and was given a few New York Strip Steaks along with some beers by the person who gave him a ride back. Everyone enjoyed those treats a lot! Some other names he has mentioned is King, C. Biscuit, Charlie Brown, and Mouse. Andreas the German who they were calling Tunes is now officially Sockburn from burning 3 pairs of socks trying to dry them in the fire. Justin was planning on doing a big day today, 25+ miles and then about 10 miles into Damascus tomorrow Thursday, April 8th.
Date: 2010-04-12
From: Damascus, VA 

To: Atkins, VA
Miles today: 67.7
Weather: clear sky

Justin got into Damascus on Thursday, April 8th night. He was originally planning on just spending the night and leaving Friday, but his packages weren't there and he had done a few long days so he didn't leave there until Saturday afternoon- April 10th. He was able to get new insoles for his boots at the outfitters which will hopefully help him out. Yesterday he said was a rough day. He was feeling ill from probably something he ate- a cheescake thing he got from the outfitters. On top of that his heels would occasionally rub the wrong way and was not pleasant at all. I spoke with him this morning as he was getting ready to start walking and he was feeling a lot better. He was about 28miles past Damascus. He was by himself and had just got done saying that he has gotten used to being with people and has found it easier to keep a good constant pace walking with others when Hobbot walked by-talk about perfect timing! He plans to be in Atkins in 2.5 days and due to lack of food will need to keep a good pace to get there to resupply!
Date: 2010-04-14
From: Atkins, VA

To: Bland, VA
Miles today: 64.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Just spoke with Justin, Wednesday, April 14th late afternoon. He was in Atkins but did not have to go into the town. There were a few gas stations and a restaurant right on the highway. The one was very hiker friendly and served food; he had just ate and was drinking a 'fantastic' strawberry smoothie. It was very convenient as he did not have to worry about getting a ride into town; others he knew were having some difficulties doing so. The past few days have been nice weather and he was enjoying the lower elevations. Yesterday he was practically jogging! It also helps that his pack is a lot lighter since he has begun sending things home and is also carrying less food by resupplying more often. His heels are still not in the best shape; they are lacking a lot of skin They are more of an annoyance, but as long as he isn't thinking about it, it isn't too bad. Last night he enjoyed some Pizza Hut for dinner. The shelter he stayed in was by a visitors center where they delivered to. He also saw the Ponnies in VA state park which was pretty exciting as they are a novelty. He should be in Bland on Friday.
Date: 2010-04-26
From: Catawba, VA

To: Lexington/Buena Vista, VA
Miles today: 123.7

First I want to apologize to all of those who have been following this journal and not having updated it in almost 2 weeks. I myself have not heard from Justin as much as I was and when we did catch eachother it was very brief. I was also away on business and not able to update this. He is doing well and still moving along. He did have to slow down for about a week due to his shin really bothering him. It is feeling much better and he feels great. Today he was going into Catawba to pick up a few packages and then hit the trail. He is supposed to be at McAfee Knob, which is something he has been looking forward to since he starting planning his trip. Unfortunately the weather is not supposed to be too great, but hopefully it doesn't ruin it for him. He is planning on being in Lexington/ Buena Vista by Friday where I am supposed to meet up with him for the weekend. I will keep you posted on his whereabouts.
Date: 2010-05-03
From: Lexington/Buena Vista, VA

To: Waynesboro, VA
Miles today: 109.8
Weather: light rain

Well I have seen Justin with my own two eyes and he is doing great! I picked him up in Buena Vista on Friday afternoon and we spent the weekend in Buena Vista and Lexington. For all of the Phillies fans out there, Buena Vista is the hometown of manager Charlie Manuel! I picked him up around 3:00 Friday afternoon and had the pleasure of meeting 12% and hotlips who needed a ride into town as well as DC and Pine from a far who were a few rooms down from us. That night we just layed low at the hotel as Justin had pulled a few big days in order to get into town. The first order of business was him taking a nice long shower since he smelled so lovely! He enjoyed some lasagna that I had made him as well as brownies and some other treats.Saturday we did some errands- getting his hair shaved which should help in this heat (although it wasn't too long yet), resupplying, and doing laundry. It was very hot and humid so we took advantage of the air conditioning and not having to be outside walking. That night we went into downtown Lexington, a very cute little downtown; University of Washington and Lee and the Virginia Military Institute are right there. We were able to enjoy a very nice dinner- thank you Terri- at the Red Hen! Most other hikers crave any hot food that they can get. Well as those of you who know Justin personally, he wanted not only a nice dinner, but a 5 course chef's tasting which is exactly what we got! Sunday again was hot and humid- in the 90s- although was fairly overcast. We killed time by getting some breakfast at the Waffle House- a southern must- Walmart, car wash and then walked around Lexington again. We got back to the trailhead around 5 where he had to repack and organize his stuff. It took a good hour and half and was very interesting to see everything that he fit into his pack. He is now off again and headed for Waynesboro which is about 50 miles away. He was aiming to get there on Wednesday. The forecast last night and today wasn't in his favor, but luckily the rest of the week shouldn't be too bad so lets hope for the best!PS- check out a few of the photos we uploaded over the weekend!
Date: 2010-05-06
From: Waynesboro, VA

To: Shenandoah Mountains
Miles today: 56.5

I spoke with Justin this morning as he was heading back to the trail. He got into Waynesboro last night around 5:00p.m, Wednesday, May 5th. It was later than he planned as his math was off. Apparently his math hasn't been the sharpest lately and he needs to pay more attention to it- he said that not me! He also needs to be more aware of his surrondings and directions. On Monday after stopping for lunch he walked a good hour and a half in the opposite direction- back tracking- before he realized what he had done. He was not too pleased to say the least. He ate at the famous chinese buffet for dinner and took full advantage of the 'all you can eat'. He was also able to go to the outfitters to have his boots looked at as well as resupply with some food. He is only carrying about 2days of food on him, because the next section is known to have a lot of shops and places to eat along the trail which he is looking forward to. He is also looking forward to the rumors he has heard about the Shenandoah's beign very well groomed, almost like a paved pathway, and it being fairly flat. He doesn't want to get his hopes up too much, however, because he has heard rumors before that were not completely accurate. Waynesboro was a very hiker friendly town which was a nice breath of fresh air. There was a list of people and their phone numbers that you could call for a ride. He had met a 'trail angel' last night who stopped and gave him a ride into town and left his number for him to pick him up again this morning. He camped out last night in town with DC, Pine and Bloodhound. He explained how it is difficult to just camp wherever on the trail right now, because there are a lot of road crossings. So last night with the next shelter being a good 10 miles out and it being late before he was ready to hit the trail, he had to stay in town. Today was a nice day out, a good hiking day he said. Hobbit had caught up to him and was heading into town. They said their 'goodbyes' as there is a good chance their paths will not cross again on the trail. Justin is planning on keeping a 20 mile pace, but didn't have any specifics or exact locations to give me. I will keep you posted.
Date: 2010-05-07
From: Shenandoah Mountains

To: Shenandoah Mountains
Miles today: 50.0

Justin was hitting the 900 mile mark today. Doing real well and enjoying the easier terrain. He's been able to average about 20miles a day. He did see his first rattle snake the other day while having lunch and saw 3 bears yesterday-a mom and 2 babies. The mom went about 30 feet away from him, a little too close for comfort!
Date: 2010-05-17
From: Harpers Ferry

To: PA
Miles today: 110.3
Weather: clear sky

Sorry it's been so long, but Justin made it to Harpers Ferry! He was there on Saturday, May 15th. Today he will probably be crossing into PA. I will be back on in a few days with more details, but I wanted to share the good news and give a quick update as I know it has been awhile. Hope for some better weather as the next few days aren't looking too good!
Date: 2010-05-19
From: Waynesboro, PA

To: Boiling Springs, PA
Miles today: 48.2

As promised I am here to deliver some more details. I was actually able to meet up with Justin yesterday, Tuesday May 18th. I had been on vacation and already took the day off as I was taking a red eye back from California. With Justin being so close I had to go see him!I picked him up in Pen Mark Park, Maryland. We were able to find a hardware store for him to get a screw and fix his pack- he had been carrying everything on his left shoulder which was not too pleasant. Then we had a little dinner date in my car with one of his favorite salads I suprised him with. His appreciation for fruits and vegetables has increased significantly since hitting the trail. He picked up a few things in the grocery store and then we headed to do some laundry which took a decent amount of time. He wanted to wash his sleeping bag and get rid of the lovely smell it was carrying. Then with Geoff's help we were able to find a spot for me to drop him off at near a shelter since it was 11:00 p.m. and I didn't want him walking too far in the dark!Everyone must have wished for better weather, because the rain seems to have gone away. It was hard for him the past few days to get far in the rain and mixed with the not so great views I don't blame him. His right knee is bothering him a little, so let's hope it doesn't turn into anything major. Tomorrow he should be at the actual halfway point, can you believe it! Walking over 1,000 miles in 2 and a half months is a huge accomplishment. Let's hope that the second half is just as good or even better than the first. He wanted me to tell Corkscrew thank you for the trailmagic gifts, they were great. And also wanted to say hello to the 4 city girls as he had promised he would.
Date: 2010-05-21
From: Boiling Springs, PA

To: Duncannon, PA
Miles today: 50.6
Weather: overcast clouds

Justin was in Boiling Springs, PA today Friday, May 21st for lunch. He said he could tell he was in the north as apparently smaller towns in the north are cleaner/nicer than those in the south for the majority (no offense to anyone!!)Yesterday he did the famous half gallon challenge in Pine Grove. He chose cookies and cream and originally wanted a pie, preferably pecan, to go with it but they didn't have any. After 3/4 of the way done- he had to give up. He wasn't feeling too hot and it wasn't worth the finish. It took him a few hours until he starting feeling better again. Today is day 2 of really nice weather and he is taking advantage of it. He's been with Athos and they've been pulling 20+ days and plan on keeping the miles up for the next few days.
Date: 2010-05-24
From: Duncannon, PA

To: 501 Shelter
Miles today: 25.7
Weather: light rain

Justin made it to Duncannon on Saturday, May 22nd. He had done 24 and 26miles the two previous days and was feeling it! He wasn't planning on staying in town overnight, but due to another wasated trip (walking in the wrong direction for some time) they decided to stay the night. There was a small group of them who were going to hang out and grab some drinks in the bar. He was planning on picking up with the 20+mile days again, so we'll see how that is working out for him next time I hear from him.
Date: 2010-05-25
From: 501 Shelter

To: Delaware Water Gap
Miles today: 49.2
Weather: broken clouds

I just spoke with Justin briefly; he was about 2 miles away from the 501 Shelter to finish up an 18 mile day. He has been with a group for the past few days, about 7 thru hikers and a few section hikers. Last night 4 of them played a form of Texas Holdem poker, I couldn't understand the name he was saying. Instead of playing for money, which they don't have, they played for weight. Whoever won got to give a pound of weight to the others. Justin was a little skeptical at first being that he had only played one time, but decided why not. He ended up winning and was pretty excited about it!501 is a shelter right on the trail and about 2 miles away from a town. There was an all you can eat place where he wanted to go and was going to try and get a few others in. The place has a shuttle that would take them back to the trail, but he was going to call and see what he could do to have them pick them up as well. With the warm weather Justin had seen about 4 rattle snakes already today, 2 of which he came too close for comfort to. Hopefully he is able to avoid them in the future!His plan as of now is to be at the Delaware Water Gap Saturday night for the holiday weekend. There is a shelter or camp site about 10 miles past. The others were in favor of his idea, so hopefully they are able to do so.He was excited to report that he has less than 1,000 miles left- he said his countdown has begun! He is aiming to end on August 1st right now. Doing 13 miles a day would get him there, so he thinks it is possible unless something comes up.
Date: 2010-05-26
From: Unionville NY

To: View Entry
Miles today: 136.9

This is going to be a quick one, but I wanted to at least let everyone know where Justin is. He is currently in Unionville, NY- stayed at the Mayor's House, a hostel, last night. He made it to the Delaware Water Gap Sunday and then did his first 30mile day Monday. He is doing well! I'll try to get back with more details soon.