morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2006-09-13
From: Harper's Ferry, WV

To: Bonzo's House
Miles today: 0.0

Day 104 (Wednesday)Up at 9am. Breakfast at hotel (waffles, bagels, and danish) watched "state and main" for 2nd time this trip while packing up at a very leisurely pace; also ate salad leftover from last night (room had fridge). Left hotel at noon and rode over to outfitter at Harper's Ferry with Jack, 'rents, and tentpole. (Blind Monkey walked into town). At outfitter, bought med wt. thermal's (bottoms only), blaze orange pack cover for hunting season, patch for jack, and spenco backpacker insoles. They had vasque trailrunners on sale for $70, but I figured I could get another 200 miles out of the pair I was wearing, allowing me to finish the trail in 3 pair, so I didn't get them. Ran into Bonzo working across the street from the outfitter and he offered to let us stay w/ him that night and we accepted (tentpole and I - apparently he had alread seen blind monkey). Also learned Degoba had stayed w/ him the night before. Went over to ATC HQ to register, (I was SOBO #28 for the year - tentpole 27, easy rider 29 and jack 30). Checked internet and hiker box. They had a great relief map of the entire AT and a foot massager. Ran into blind monkey and Jack there (as well as easy rider) and hung out until 4pm. Said goodbye to Jack's 'rents and walked back to Bonzo's to load up into his van (5 of us). Bonzo still had some work to do, so we checked out some of the historic Harper's Ferry exhibits, including the John Brown museum, Industrial museum, which had some belt driven lathes and mills used for mass producing rifles (very cool) and the local saloon. Piled into Bonzo's van around 6pm for some quick errands (5 of us and Bonzo and rio) and over to Bonzo's girlfriend Norma's house for dinner (spaghetti and meat sauce and garlic bread - 2.5 lbs for 7 people) and fell asleep in the easy chair while wathing "goodfellas" somewhere around 8:30pm.
Date: 2006-09-14
From: Bonzo's house

To: Bonzo's house
Miles today: 0.0

Day 105 (Thursday)Up at 2:30 w/ backache from sleeping in easy chair. moved over to couch until 5:30 and then back into easy chair until 8:30. Breakfast - kielbasa and eggs, courtesy Bonzo and easy rider. Left around 9:30 and dropped blind monkey and tentpole where we left off at trial and dropped easy rider off in Harper's Ferry. Stopped at convenience store for sausage and egg biscuits and a pack of Budweiser, after making a special trip to the dollar store for batteries. jack and Bonzo and I arrived at John Brown's cave aroun 12pm and put on raingear for mud. Entered cave behind jack and bonzo and reached 3rd chamber after a crossover for a safety meeting and beer. Proceeded to partially flooded crawl passage which we spent a lot of time trying to siphon out the water from with a hose that was left there. I crawled to the edge of the water and filled a bottle repeatedly for Jack to prime the siphon, laying on my elbows with by head slightly below my body. Jack and bonzo had a mudball fight and I mentioned to them a few times that I was not in the most comfortable position in the world and would appreciate it if they could do that after we siphoned the crawlpace. After about 7 priming attempts, jack gave up. I crawled out w/ bonzo's help (floor too muddy to get good holds to crawl out w/o help) and found they were trying to siphon w/ the output end higher than the input end the whole time (hose too short to reach a lower point). Found a rope for access to an upper passage and followed bonzo up and passed him and climbed about 60ft into a vertical shaft (15ft drops max). Journal contains diagram.Climbed down after reaching dead end of rock fall (shaft was 2-3ft wide at the widest, allowing for easy stemming on climb). Exited cave around 5pm and changed out of muddy clothes. Watched bonzo swing a tire swing at the egde of the Potomac for Rio to chase (Rio was in the van for 5 hrs) while shouting "come on you rookie! Get it!" Picked up some supplies for dinner and breakfast (cheeseburgers and tater tots, cinnamon roll and bananas) and went back to bonzo's for the night. Jack cooked dinner and we watched some college football for a while. In bed 8:30pm. P.S. After caving, Bonzo mentioned that he used to live in his van in that parking area before moving in with his girlfriend. I said, "In a van down by the river, huh?" and Jack nearly lost it. Fortunately, Bonzo didn't catch the Chris Farley SNL reference.
Date: 2006-09-15
From: Bonzo's house

To: Bear's Den Hostel
Miles today: 14.1
Weather: overcast clouds

Day 106 (Friday)Up at 7:30; snooze till 8:30 packed up and ready to leave at 9. Drove to trailhead where we finished the 4 state challenge (1/2 mi back into WV) and reclimbed the hill (on trail 9:30), passing 1 older woman backpacking on the way up. Easy ridge walking day. Stopped at David lesser shelter for lunch and found it vandalized. Climbed up a bit and called PATC to report (plexiglass windows smashed, deck verticals smashed, bench thrown over deck and shelter urinated in). and they thanked me (jack and I replaced the bench on the porch - very heavy). Reached Bear's Den hostel around 8pm and attempted combo lock based on erroneous (or out of date, to be fair) mileage key. Finally got in and found tentpole there w/ his brother Jeff and his brother's girlfriend Maria. Checked in and got a tombstone pizza and pint of ben and jerry's chunky monkey and root beer for dinner from the caretaker Queen Diva. Showered, cooked and ate dinner and played some scrabble w/ tentpole and his brother and gf. In bed 10:30pm.P.S. also forwarded linden maildrop to avoid Sunday holdup.
Date: 2006-09-16
From: Bear's Den Hostel

To: Rod Hollow shelter
Miles today: 10.5
Weather: light rain

Day 107 (Saturday)up at 8am. Breakfast - oatmeal and PB (oatmeal believed to be left behind by blind monkey) from the community food cabinet. Drizzly morning, so we (jack and I) hung out, I updated my journal, found my missing bounce box (I think) in Kent, and I surfed the internet and talked to my dad. Hit trail around 1pm after the sun came out (and after being informed that the upstairs areas are closed at 9am by Dave (caretaker). Dumped some of the 2qt crystal lights and extra milk and butter in the hiker box. Did last 10 mi of the "roller coaster" (8 hills in 13 miles around 500ft each) and arrived Rod Hollow shelter around 8pm. Dinner Hawaiian chicken (courtesy jack's mom) - very good. 2 weekend hikers at the shelter "hot rod" and sasquatch and good times were had by all. In bed 9:30pm.
Date: 2006-09-17
From: Rod Hollow Shelter

To: Jim and Molly Denton Shelter
Miles today: 18.3
Weather: few clouds

Day 108 (Sunday)Up at 8:30am - breakfast granola - on trail around 9:30 just behind jack. easy hiking on gentle terrain. Passed several ridgetop meadows w/ yellow flowers and about 18 dayhikers. Stopped for lunch w/ jack at Dick's Dome shelter (a modified geodesic dome) and met a family including a guy who said "you guys don't carry maps, do you?" (we do) and "shelters don't usually have privy's do they" (they do) whose wife seemed to enjoy seeing her husband be wrong. He then proceeded to inform us that he would be having boiled shrimp for dinner that night. They also had a 3-4yo granddaughter who said I looked like a captain w/ my "priate's" hat. Arrived at Jim and Molly Denton shelter around 8PM and found tentpole there. Played rock paper scissor with jack and decided what to eat for dinner and settled on turkey, garlic and herb. Added as many supplements as I could to lose pack weight. In bed around 9:30pm.
Date: 2006-09-19
From: Gravel Springs Hut

To: Luray, VA
Miles today: 14.8

Day 110 (Tuesday)Up @ 5:30 when I heard what I assumed was an owl, but everyone else insisted was a coyote (woke everyone up) Back to sleep until 8:30. Breakfast-peaches ¢n cream oatmeal w/ extra powdered milk (because I had it to get rid of) actually very good. On trail 10:00 am. Reached Elkwallow wayside (5.7 mi in 2 hrs) @ noon after passing ranger out hiking. Lunch @ Elkwallow wayside - BBQ pork sandwich, fries, iced tea & blackberry shake (supposedly a park specialty --pretty good -- fries also very good). Dumped trash and got a snickers bar to go. 8 mi to Thornton Gap covered in 2.5 hrs. Reached pass mtn. Hut approx 3:20 pm, read Blind Monkey¢s farewell diatribe, which included a note to me apologizing for the lack of a diatribe and hiked to the gap. Little traffic on Skyline Drive; called local trail angel ¢Skyline¢ listed in companion for a ride, but he couldn¢t get us until after 5pm, when the post office closed, so we hitched in to Luray, making it to the post office about 3 minutes before closing time.   Picked up mail drop & sent maps, journal & extra food back to Kellee. Dinner @ Chinese restaurant in Luray (sweet & sour chicken & wonton soup) & then we went for ice cream. Called Skyline back for a ride to trail, but he was waiting for company and sounded a bit annoyed, so we walked 12 mi back to Rt 211 & tried to hitch unsuccessfully for 12 hr while walking north until we reached a Days Inn approx 7:45 pm, where Jack negotiated a $45/night rate (reg $60) & we decided to stay & hitch back in the a.m. Watched Bad Boys II, got caught up on my journal (1st time in several weeks), & ate all of the brownies out of mytrailfood to save weight (can always buy more snacks in the park). In bed 12:30 p.m.
Date: 2006-09-20
From: Luray, VA

To: Rock Spring Hut
Miles today: 14.1
Weather: overcast clouds

Day 111 (Wednesday)Up @ 7am. Continental breakfast @ Day's Inn, apples & muffins. Watched weather report & Daily Show w/ Jon Stewart; started hitching @ 8:30. Got a ride after 45 min from a guy who said he hiked 1/2 the AT one summer as a Boy Scout (Jack & Tentpole still at the hotel). On trail 9:30. Easy climb up to Mary's Rock which sign @ the panorama @ Thornton Gap indicated was named for Mary Thornton who, according to legend, climbed the rock @ age 3 by herself & returned with a bear cub under each arm. Passed a few dayhikers & section hikers before reaching Skyland lodge at about 2:20 p.m. Lunch @ Skyland- Rubin sandwich & fries (also ate trail lunch beforehand). Very crisp day (50's) & breezy on the ridge. Also, saw another young bear in the morning on the rocks above me (running away from me). 2 total so far this trip. At the lodge, Jack caught me & I had a couple of beers at the bar with him and he had a cheesesteak in the tap room since the dining room closed at 2:30. (I also had a blackberry cobbler, by the way). Met a dayhiker named Roni, a nurse proctitioner from Waynesboro who works 3 days/week in DC (fri-sun) & spends the rest of her time hiking. She offered to let us stay at her place in Waynesboro when we came through. She also ended a running argument between Jack & me by confirming the reality of tendonosis and recommended marijuana as treatment. Left skyland w/ Jack @ 4pm & hiked to Rock Spring hut arriving at about 6:30 where we met Tentpole (who passed us while we were in Skyland) & 3 local section hikers out for a week, Grasshopper, O.D., & Grape Ape. Got colder while we drank their brandy. 45 deg @ 8pm. Dinner--spicy tuna. In bed 8:45. 2 more hikers showed up @ 9:15 coming from 24 mi s.P.S. Met Baloo & Bonita @ skyland (staying the night there due to Baloo's blisters--commented that Jack & I were "cultivating the hiker look."
Date: 2006-09-21
From: Rock Spring Hut

To: Hightop Hut
Miles today: 23.9
Weather: broken clouds

Day 112 (Thursday)Up @ 7am, skipped breakfast to make 4 mi to Big Meadows fast (hiking w/o water--still 45 deg out). Reached Big Meadows 9:30 am (on trail 8 am); Jack met me there a few minutes later. Late arriving NOBO hikers were still asleep when I left. Breakfast @ Big Meadows Lodge- eggs, hashbrowns, corned beef hash & pancakes (buttermilk), buscuit & hot chocolate (awesome) all fo $15. Changed into shorts & T - shirt & got water. Hiked 8 mi from Big Meadows to Lewis Mtn Campground from 11 am to 2 pm where we stopped for lunch - cheerwine soda (like a shirley temple - pretty good), chocolate & peanutbutter on tortillas (courtesy Jack). Hiked on @ 3pm & spoke to Ace who I met in the White Mountains about picking up our maildrops in Waynesboro to avoid delays due to weekend post office closure. Reached Hightop Hut @ 7pm. Just Jack, Tentpole & me for the night. Dinner - southwestern turkey w/ salsa & sour cream (very good). In bed 8:30 pm. P.S. Spoonman left a cryptic entry in the register about being in NJ & heading for NY. Degoba signed in the next day (9/16 & 9/17) & asked me to try and make sense of it, but I couldn't.
Date: 2006-09-22
From: Hightop Hut

To: Blackrock Hut
Miles today: 21.4
Weather: broken clouds

Day 113 (Friday)Up @ 12:30 am to the sound of mice running around the shelter. I couldn't get back to sleep, so I decided to pack up and go night hiking. Filled up water bottles and Jack woke up and told me night hiking was a stupid idea and that I would probably get tracked by a cougar. I was a bit more tired at 1:30 than 12:30, so we both took 2 benadryll and went back to sleep until 10 am. On trail at 11 am (apparently got passed by Lefty and Pyro in the am). Reached Pinefield Hut around 2 pm and Loft Mtn Wayside about 3pm and had a bacon cheeseburger, fries, root beer and a pretzel. Reached the summit of Blackrock Mtn around 7pm, and Blackrock hut around 7:30, where we met No-load, a former Navy Lieutenant turned actor (ROTC from RPI) from Baltimore, and "Party of Five" women at least 1 of whom was from Juneau, AK. Dinner - Beef & Turkey stew. In bed 9 pm.P.S. Saw 3rd bear todayP.P.S. Saw 1st skunk of the trip on trail today.
Date: 2006-09-23
From: Blackrock Hut

To: Rockfish Gap (Waynesboro, VA)
Miles today: 20.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Day 114 (Saturday)Up @ 6:30 when one of the party of 5 fired up a very loud stove, but they gave us hot water, so I had Thai Tea & they made "Treet" biscuits and gave us leftover Treet (like spam). On trail 8am. Reached Calf Mtn Shelter Jct & Jack went in to look for Tentpole and No-Load (he was carrying some pants he thought No-load left behind). Very easy trail until past Tower Mtn where it got rough and steep. Reached Rockfish Gap around 4pm w/ Jack and hitched to the outfitter from a woman who said she was on her way home from visiting her son in jail and had hitched to GA when she was 12 looking for her father. At the outfitter, bought 1 can of Jetboil fuel and looked for a hat, but they didn't have much selection (my fleece had had been missing since Port Clinton, PA). Learned we missed Lefty & Pyro by 15 minutes. Called Tentpole & leadned he was at the Quality Inn w/ No-load. Hitched to the Quality Inn w/ the local funeral director who said, "Walk 20 miles in a day?!? Naw suh, not me! I probably don't walk 20 miles in a month!" Took showers at the hotel after Tentpole let us in and went to AYCE chinese buffet for dinner (very crowded) and did laundry simultaneously. After dinner, back to the hotel and watched Pirates of the Carribean and fell asleep to Jerry Maguire around midnight.
Date: 2006-09-24
From: Rockfish Gap (Waynesboro, VA)

To: Rusty's Hard Time Hollow (Reed's Gap)
Miles today: 22.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Day 115 (Sunday)Up @ 8am & packed up. Breakfast @ motel lobby (waffles, milk, juice & hard boiled eggs). Met Ace @ 9 & picked up Jack's & my mail drops. Finished packing & started hitching @ 10 am. Walked to the edge of town and met a construction worker, Jason, who offered me a ride if I could wait 5-10 minutes, and then said he was ready to go about 45 seconds later. Reached the blue ridge parkway and walked 5 minutes down the road before realizing the trail didn't follow it and turned back. Stopped in at the visitor center and ran into tentpole and Jack and took pics with the statue of Robert E. Lee. hiked on at 11 am and reached Paul C. Wolf shelter @ 12:30 (5 mi). Stopped for lunch. Nice shelter w/ porch and plexiglass windows and acorns hitting a metal roof very loudly. Shelter also had shelves and Jack said, "If I was staying here overnight, I would put my water bottles on one and...(paused)...something else on another." I thought that was funny enough to warrand recording in the register. Lunch - jalapeno squeeze cheese & tortillas. Met 1 NOBO section hiker and hiked out @ 1:40, 10 min behind Jack. Hiked alone the rest of the day. Summitted Humpback Mtn around 5 pm, made a few phone calls & hiked on to dripping rock parking area about 6:15 pm and hiked on. It started raining and got dark around 7:30 before I reached the BRP again at milepost 13.1 (3/4 mi from rt. 601). Followed the road 3.2 mi past rt 661 to Rusty's Hard Time Hollow, arriving about 9pm. Read all the signs on the way in; met Rusty and was suprised to find Lefty and Pyro were the only ones there, so I assumed Jack & Tentpole decided to stay at Maupin Field Shelter. Dinner - 2 PB & J sandwiches, rootbeer & little debbie star crunch (all courtesy of Rusty --I was too lazy to cook). In bed 11pm.
Date: 2006-09-25
From: Rusty's Hard Time Hollow (Reed's Gap)

To: Rusty's Hard Time Hollow
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Day 116 (Monday) + day at Rusty's (there are no zero days at Rusty's)Up at 7:30 am. Tentpole and Jack walked in at 8 after having camped 2-3 miles down the Blue Ridge Parkway after walking past Rusty's gate the night before. The conversation as relayed to me went as follows:Tentpole: "I think this might be it."Jack: "No, it's not, let's keep going."I told them I figured they stayed at Mauping Field Shelter, and they said they figured I'd figure that. Breakfast - pancakes courtesy of Rusty (very good). Helped Rusty clear out some space in the kitchen so he could do some chimney repair, and met 2 alumni, Pirate & Pawpaw, who stopped in after Rusty went into town for a drill bit and to exchange some tires w/ Lefty. Listened to some WWII stories from Pawpaw and drank beer when Rusty returned (fed a moldy apple pie to one of Rusty's goats at Rusty's direction, btw). Lunch - hot dogs. After lunch, took a 2 hr nap while Lefty and Pyro did a bunch of work w/ Rusty on the chimney and played some ping-pong w/ Tentpole. Dinner: Vennison sloppy joes (sloppy doe) while listening to a CD or radio crank calls. (Listened to some Willie Nelson & Johnnie Cash earlier in the day, including Boy named Sue). In bed 9pm.
Date: 2006-09-26
From: Rusty's Hard Time Hollow (Reed's Gap)

To: Rusty's Hard Time Hollow (Fish Hatchery Rd)
Miles today: 16.9
Weather: clear sky

Day 117 (Tuesday)Up @ 7:30. Breakfast - Pancakes courtesy of Rusty. Jack mentioned that Lefty & Pyro were slackpacking (2 days) so I decided to get in on it. Slacked 16 mi to fish hatchery rd (started @ Reed's gap at Jack's request instead of Maupin Shelter Rd.) On trail 10 am w/ pickup set for 5pm. Ran into No-load @ Maupin Shelter & hiked on, passing 1 day hiker. Took the Mau-har trail, a 3 mile trail that cuts 7 miles off the AT (a necessary shortcut to meet the pickup time). Jack & Tentpole also took the Mau-har trail. Reached the Tye River about 12:30 pm ahead of everyone, and talked to a dayhiker about the climb up the Priest (a 3000 ft climb; he said he wouldn't mention that fact to his girlfriend who was hiking with him), and proceeded to climb the priest, reaching the summit at about 2:30 (an easy, graded climb made easier by the fact that I was slackpacking). Stopped @ the Priest shelter after the overlook and picked up what I thought was an empty MSR fuel canister to pack out. Ran into Lefty, Pyro & Tentpole @ the shelter jct (taking a break) & resumed hiking at 3:30 pm. Lefty & Pyro passed mepretty quickly & I hit spy rock @ 4:45 & took 5 minutes to check it out before hitting Fish Hatchery Rd @ 5pm sharp (Tentpole behind; passed section hiker Mario enroute to Spy Rock). Unfortunately, Fish Hatchery Rd was a gated, gravel road & the parking area was another mile away, downhill. Reached Rusty @ 5:15 & apologized for being late (No need, said Rusty). Rode in back of truck w/ Lefty & explained reason for leaving Jack (pushing the pace a bit too hard for my taste). Back @ Rusty's, Rusty mentioned the fee for slacking would be $10 for the day + $40 for the next day (no thanks). Dinner - hot dogs & beans courtesy Rusty & we watched "Lord of War" w/ Nicholas Cage afterwards. In bed 10pm.
Date: 2006-09-27
From: Rusty's Hard Time Hollow (Fish Hatchery Rd)

To: Brown Mountain Creek Shelter
Miles today: 21.5
Weather: clear sky

Day 118 (Wednesday)Up @ 7:30 when Pirate said he would give me a ride back to trail but was leaving soon. Packed in a hurry & left a thank you poem & said goodbye. Left Rusty's @ 7:55 am. Pirate dropped me @ the intersection of the Blue Ridge Parkway & the road to Monticello, about 3.5 mi from trail (Thanks a lot!). Walked 2 mi into Monticello & stopped @ the country store & picked up 4 snickers bars, a banana & chocolate milk ($6). Walked on to the fish hatchery & fed the fish (25 cents for fish food), & read about Virginia fish & game management. Reached the AT @ 10:30, & Seely Woodworth shelter @ 11:10 (2.2 mi in). Ran into Mario who had camped there w/ Jack, Tentpole & No-load & was taking a zero in the woods. He gave me some extra T.P. & I hiked on @ 11:30. Passed Lefty & Pyro slacking north @ 1:50 (no stopping for chit-chat, but they mentioned passing Jack & Tentpole). Passed a few bald ridges (Cold Mtn & Tar Jacket ridge) w/ great views & got some cell service & tried to forward my Daleville box to Catawba, but it wasn't there yet. Reached Brown Mtn Creek shelter at 6:10 pm & met No-load having dinner (in for 2 hrs). Dinner- turkey stew - very good. Washed clothes in the creek & dried them on a fire No-load built. In bed 8pm.