morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2016-05-26
From: Gravel Springs Hut

To: Front Royal Hostel
Miles today: 13.4
Weather: few clouds

I had a good nights sleep. I saw the bear again just walking along in the distance while I was getting water. Aurora and Conundrum did not get much sleep since they camped and the the bear kept coming close to their tent. I got on the trail at 7:10am and right away I saw a deer running away. The trail continued to present me with beautiful, clear views and plenty of vegetation. Alex and Aaron are section hikers who stayed with us last night. I met them a few nights ago in a shelter when it was raining. I hiked with them a while and talked about the places we have traveled to. They are planning on hiking Mont Blanc which makes about a hundred mile loop in France, Italy and Switzerland. That sounds very interesting...I will have to look into that. A bunch of us stopped on a rock overlook on Marshall Mountain and took a bunch of pictures. It was very scenic and relaxing. Many times I think of the time commitment that it takes to have an adventure like this. I don't think I will do this again. I am thinking of doing the John Muir Trail in the near future. Three weeks is probably the maximum time that I would want to spend away from home. I am enjoying myself but I miss everyone and everything back home. I pretty much miss my normal life. My break off the trail is in 9 more days. I am looking forward to it but still have many more miles to cover before then. At first I wanted to reach Harper's Ferry before I got off. Now it looks like I will be 4 days past Harper's ferry. I may even make it to Pennsylvania before I get off. That would be great. The hike continues to be very nice and my pack is feeling light since I have exhausted my food supply. I will need to shop a little smarter this time to keep the weight down. There are so many different kinds of plants, trees and flowers. It would be nice to know what they are. I miss hiking with Junco. One reason is that he could name most plants and birds. I hiked the last 3 miles with Quirk and Simple Man. At 11:15 I arrived at Terrapin Station Hostel which we took a side trail of 1/2 mile to reach. It is a residential area and the hostel is in a garage type structure. It is very clean and comfy. The owner has a $30 hiker special which includes the bunk, shower, laundry, pizza and soda. A good deal!! He is also going to shuttle us into Front Royal for dinner and resupply. After I did my wash and took a shower, I ate a pizza and had some ice cream while finishing a puzzle someone had started. Spider-Man had helped me...but I could have done it on my own. Conundrum, Aurora, Spider-Man, Alex, Aaron and I shuttled to a Mexican restaurant, Jaliscos. The food was very good. When we finished we were picked up and taken to the grocery store. The hostel owner is very nice and accommodating. When we got back to the hostel I made my peanut butter bagel sandwiches for tomorrow and packed my food bag. And I treated my hostel-mates to sangria with fruit...homemade. It went down well!   We wound down our evening by talking a bit and watching TV.   Lights out is at 10pm... We were ready.
Date: 2016-05-27
From: Front Royal Hostel

To: Dicks Dome Shelter
Miles today: 15.2
Weather: few clouds

I left the Hostel about 8:30am with a plan to do 19 miles to get to Dicks Dome Shelter. I have to get there because my plan for tomorrow is to meet some friends from Washington DC who will hike with me for 2 days. I will meet them Saturday 5 miles past the Shelter at 9:30am. I should be able to make that if I reach Dicks Dome today. Right away on the trail I exit the Shenandoahs. It has been very nice hiking there. The trail today did not have many scenic views but it made up for it with beautiful plants, flowers, thick forests and different types of terrain. I hiked by many different flowers blooming beautifully, with very aromatic scents. The trail went by meadows, public homes, chainlink fences, and marshy areas with small footbridges. Hooray for the trail volunteers who built them as they help to keep us out of the marshy areas and keep our feet dry. Our first stop was by the Jim and Molly Denton Shelter and WOW...it was top notch! It had a porch with Adirondack chairs, a pavilion with picnic table, a shower and horse shoe pit with horse shoes! It was really nice resting there and eating lunch. I joined Aurora, Conundrum, Simple Man, Quirk and Lucky Dog. When I finally took off again I met with very thick woods. I could not see very far into the woods at all because of all the vegetation. This was very different from what I have been hiking through. One thing that was consistent...Spring is in full bloom. The flowers were blooming and there were some very aromatic scents in the air. I traveled through more marshy areas with foot bridges and over creeks stopping by Manassas Gap Shelter for a water break. The temperature is rising and I am drinking much more water. It is HOT! There was a big black snake sleeping in the shelter rafters. I sure am glad that I am not staying there. With 4.5 miles to go the trail got a little rocky and the creek crossings were a little difficult. It was hot and the sun was out but the sun hardly touched me due to the thick canopy. It is also very humid now. I really have to keep hydrated.I had to cross a footbridge after a side trail to get to the shelter. It is octagonal in shape and only fits 4 people if you are creative enough. We were very creative tonight! It all worked out well. Lucky Dog, Trek(72 years old) and Shutterbug were in there with me. I think this is one of those rare times that I am the youngest in a group. It was a humid evening with thundering in the distance but it didn't rain on us. Goodnight.
Date: 2016-05-28
From: Dicks Dome Shelter

To: Sam Moore Shelter
Miles today: 15.3
Weather: scattered clouds

We all got up early as is the norm in shelters and I was the first to leave at 7:20am. It was humid but thank goodness we did not get any rain last night. Some of the trail is muddy though which indicates that the rain just missed us but got other parts of the trail. The trail was very muddy and the creeks were very high. There are lots of flowers along the trail and the forest has lots of vegetation. When I got to Sky Meadows State Park, the terrain changed. It is not as thick anymore and I come out on very pretty meadows. There are many trails that come off the AT and they are well marked. I reach the parking area where I will meet my friends, Rudy and company, at 9:15 am. While waiting for them, I met a section hiker who was dehydrated and therefore cutting his hike short. He said that he got dehydrated a couple of years ago and you can get dehydrated again but quicker once you have been there. He didn't want to risk that. I also met another man who was doing trail maintenance and gave me his number to call him if I needed a ride to the airport when I get off the trail next week. If he is not busy he will take me. The trail is full of Trailangels! A young lady drives up and asks if I am waiting for Rudy, her name is Kristen. She is one of the hikers that will be joining us. She drove from Charlottsville, where she is a law intern. Rudy and Gaby drive up soon after and we all get acquainted. Rudy and Gaby do not have backpacking experience but Kristen has a little. They were welcomed to a trail that was thick with vegetation and humid. We make a couple of creek crossings as we made our way slowly through muddy areas of the trail. After 3 miles we reached a shelter where we took a break. Ish and Two Socks come in...they are slack packing 25 miles! Oh to be young and fit! I introduce them to my friends and we all rest for a while then head off to Sam Moore Shelter which is 7 more miles. After a short way, we reach the beginning of the Rollercoaster part of the trail which goes for 13.5 miles and, of course, has lots of ups and downs. In this heat and humidity it is brutal! This will be tough for my friends and it will be tough for me too! And as we expected, it was tough. What makes it worse is the weather...it's in the 80's and humid. We stop many times for breaks...well deserved too I might add! This takes me back to when I started this journey and I was only doing 8/10 miles per day. I've come a long way and I am loving it. We finally reached the Sam Moore Shelter, 10.3 miles down the road. Rudy, Kristen and Gaby sleep in the shelter and I pitch my tent. A section hiker Jason makes a fire which Kristen was really wanting. I saw Ginger Patch again and met a section hiker named Barry who is also from Houston and retired from Exxonmobil too. Small world. It was a good night for my friends and I.
Date: 2016-05-29
From: Sam Moore Shelter

To: Bears Den Hostel
Miles today: 3.0

We are only going 3 miles today but we are still on the Roller-coaster! Today I had my first hot breakfast on the trail in a while. Kristen heated some water for me to make oatmeal and hot tea. That was really good! Barry will be hiking with us to Bears Den...his car is parked there. We are the last to leave but are in no hurry. Right away I reach the 1000 mile mark of the trail. Whoop! Whoop! Another milestone! It was good to have someone with me on the trail to celebrate with! We continue on and although it is still hot and humid, it doesn't seem as hot as yesterday. We come across a creek crossing that I can see is going to be a challenge. Kristen makes it across but Gaby has trouble and she takes her pack off. Kristen takes the pack and Gaby makes it across. Barry slips and his foot goes in while trying to help Gaby. Rudy and I make it across ok. We make it to Bears Den and it seems like we hiked more that 3 miles. I decide to stay the night in the Hostel. The Hostel looks like a small castle. It was actually built in the early 1900's by a physician and his wife from Washington DC as a summer home. It is made of stone and looks like an English Country side home.Barry offers to take the group back to their car...that was a really nice gesture. We say our goodbyes and they are off. Barry comes back as he will be staying at the hostel as well. I see Spiderman in the driveway and meet his mom and brother who will hike with him four days. It is nice to see the family of hikers come out and hike. Besides my wife who hiked a couple of miles with me and my cousin David who hiked several miles with me, Rudy is the only family/friend that has come out over night with me!!!! Take note family and friends...come join me!!!! The rest of the day is mostly relaxing and enjoying the company of other hikers. Some I know,others are new to me. These are nice times when you can catch up with everybody and hear funny or serious stories that have happened out on the trail. The hostel does not open until 5pm but we can hang out in the downstairs bunk room. There is a shower there and we all take advantage of it. There are also loaner clothes that we can put on until we wash our clothes. I have lost so much weight that nothing fits me so I have to hold my loaner pants with my hands so they don't fall off me! How do guys walk around with their pants halfway down their butt??? There is a scale there so I weigh myself. I HAVE LOST 31 LBS!!! I am at 151 now. Unbelievable, I did not think it was possible to get that low for me! I need to eat more! Once the hostel officially opens we go upstairs where the living room and kitchen is. It is a very nice and relaxing place. For $30 we get a bunk, shower, laundry, pizza, soda and a pint of Ben and Jerry's ice cream. Great deal! In the area that I sleep in there are quite a few hikers...Aurora, Conundrum, Quirk, Simple Man, Barry, Pinky and Lost & Found. We decide to watch a movie, Blazing Saddles. It is still funny after all the times I've watched it.
Date: 2016-05-31
From: Harpers Fery WV High Street

To: Harpers Ferry WV High Street
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

I slept pretty good and got up early even when I didn't need to. I decided to take a zero day and arrange transportation for when I fly home on Saturday. I walked to a restaurant for breakfast but I didn't realize that it was so far. Quirk, Simple Man and Pinky are supposed to eat there this morning from our original plan but I am not sure if they are still going to follow through with that. When I arrive, they are not there. I order a hearty breakfast and hot tea...it was a very good meal. Right when I'm finishing here they come! I sit with them a while and head over to the AT Center which is the official headquarters for the AT trail. Most hikers check in there and get their picture taken and put into the hiker register. It is a neat place with knowledgeable people.   I see Spider-Man with his family there. I get my picture taken and find out that I am #389 thru hiker. When I signed in at Springer Mountain, the beginning, I was around #600 starting. I stayed a while, used the computer, and read some of their information. Many more hikers come in including Aurora and Conundrum who are staying at the same place that I am. Harpers Ferry is a very historical town and has great significance in commerce, railroading and the Civil War. This is a must visit town for anybody. John Brown became famous when he took over an armory to try to free slaves. He was unsuccessful but many believe he began the conflict which led to the Civil War. I walked around and read everything I could see, plaques, markers and registers. I am a real sucker for History stuff. The day was hot but nice in the shade. It was a perfect day to visit the local pub for a local brew with some other hikers. I went to the same restaurant as yesterday for dinner, next door, with Aurora, Conundrum, Moon Boots and Bug Juice. I got the macaroni and cheese again because it was so good. A couple of glasses of wine topped off my night. Another good day.
Date: 2016-06-01
From: Harpers Ferry WV High Street

To: I 70 Footbridge, US 70
Miles today: 22.2
Weather: few clouds

Today was a slack packing day. I paid a Shuttle driver to take me 22 miles down the trail and I hiked back. It was a nice morning but it turned hot right away. My first stop was at the Washington Monument, the original one. It has a lot of history and I climbed it for some great views. It was built by the towns people many years ago to commemorate George Washington. I came up on many Civil War battle areas and of course I read all the plaques. They were all very interesting. A lot of men died in that war and I still do not understand why. Most of the trail is a mixture of nice and rocky terrain and no long ups or downs. I come up to Gathland State Park where there is some battlefield history and a War Correspondents Monument. Another great thing is there is a Trail Angel with trail magic. Lots of fruit, vegetables, cookies, muffins, chips and drinks. I stay a while and take some pictures and head out. A little further down the trail I run into Sweet Potato who took 5 days off in Baltimore and is hiking with a friend for a few days. It was nice to see her. Some of the trail coming into Harpers Ferry is very rocky. It takes a little time to navigate but the last part is flat and joins the C&O Canal Path. Some of it is along the Shenandoah River and is very pretty. I finish the hike by crossing over a train trestle which has a walking path next to it. I arrived at 4:15pm and it was HOT!!!   I took a shower and met up with Aurora and Conundrum for a farewell Italian dinner since it will probably be the last time I see them on the trail. When I get back on I will be 11 days behind. It will be hard to catch up to them. I will be behind many hikers I have spent time with and I will miss them. When I get back to the trail I hope to meet up with other hikers that I met early on who are behind me and make new friends.
Date: 2016-06-02
From: I 70 Footbridge, US 70

To: I 70 Footbride, US 70
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

I had some fruit for breakfast and made my way over to the ATC. I had ordered new replacement boots but my new boots were not there nor were they at the Post Office. I did not think they would arrive in time but I was hoping that they would. At the ATC I ran into Oriole. He had gotten off the trail and went home for a few days. That was easy for him since he is from Baltimore. He enjoyed his break but he is back now. I also saw Diesel, Cold Snap and Highlander, who told me Nomad had to get off the trail because he fell and broke some ribs but, he is hoping to get back on later. I spent my afternoon shopping and sight seeing. I had dinner with the husband of the hostel owner and he invited me to go to listen to a Keltic band in another town. I, of course, accept. We travel about 20 minutes and arrive at an old style general store where we found lots of things like hardware store items and knickknacks. In the back room there is a group of 7 musicians playing Keltic music. About 25 people are sitting around watching and listening. The music sounds really good and the instruments are interesting..different. We stay for about an hour then head back. It was a very nice evening. Back at the Hostel there are only 2 female section hikers from Wisconsin and myself there. We stay up talking for a bit before I go to sleep.
Date: 2016-06-03
From: I 70 Footbride, US 70

To: I 70 Footbride, US 70
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

I wake up bright and early...as usual and I catch the 6:50 train out of Harpers Ferry to Washington, D. C.'s Union Station. I have a little time to spare when I arrive so I explore. I have never been to this station before. I don't spend too much time as I need to catch the subway to Reagan International Airport. When I get in I find out that my flight is delayed because of rain back home but I finally get on and head home. I do have some weird feelings about going home for a break. Part of me wants to continue and make progress on the trail and the other part wants a break. I do miss my everyday normal life. Looking forward to seeing my wife, grandson, mom, family and friends. I am sure my body needs it and it will give me time to go through my gear and clothes. I may not have any entries for a few days while I take a break. Woo Hoo! HOME!
Date: 2016-06-13
From: I 70 Footbride, US 70

To: Ensign Phillip Cowall
Miles today: 8.9

My 10 days off the trail are over!! I am really anxious to get back to hiking, but I am having mixed feelings about it. There were things I planned on doing while I was home that I just didn't do...like keeping up my journal! I just felt like relaxing and being lazy and I enjoyed every minute of doing just that. I watched some movies, had some massages, shared some great meals, and spent time with family and friends. I planned my break so that I could go to my 40th high school reunion. It was amazing to see some of my ex class mates. The break was fantastic! I'm going to miss everyone...again. My wife will be coming up to visit in less than 3 weeks...I can't wait!My son Gabriel gave me a ride to the airport. It is time to get back to the second half of my trail life. After landing in Baltimore I took an Uber back to where I left off near Boonsboro, MD. I priced the taxi and it was twice as much as Uber!! It is great to have options. I really did not change my gear at home. I just got another t-shirt and hiking pants and I cleaned and aired everything out. My pack is at 32lbs with food and water. My goal was to start by 2:45 pm and do 9 miles and I came close to starting at that time. It is hot, in the mid 80's.   I was dreading hiking in the heat but once I got in the woods, it was not that bad. The trail was relatively flat but then it became very rocky so I had to slow down. I had a couple of good views especially on Black Rocks. I got to Ensign Phillip Cowall Shelter at 6:15pm. To my surprise Justin was there. I have not seen him in maybe a month and a half. We had shared some good times. I only did 8.9 miles today and I feel tired. I can blame it on jet lag but I know that I need to get back in shape! Bedtime came at 7:30 pm
Date: 2016-06-14
From: Ensign Phillip Cowall

To: Tumbling Run Shelter
Miles today: 18.1
Weather: broken clouds

I met some new hikers since I am behind most of the group I had been hiking with...they are Chicken Feet, Crocs and Helter Skelter. I got going a little late at 7:45am. I have been behind on my sleep from my trip home and I tried to make it up last night. One night of trying to get it back won't cut it though. I will need another good night since I still feel sluggish. The morning was nice and cool, in the high 60's, but it quickly got into the 70's sunny but mostly shady. I started hiking mostly in the woods but would come out to some meadows. The meadows were not very large so I quickly got back into the shade of the trees. There were quite a few creek crossings and there were very rocky sections of the trail. I did have a first...a chipmunk stopped long enough for me to take its picture. I have seen many chipmunks but they are so fast that I could never get a picture until now!!!! While I was home I visited the dentist for a cleaning and my podiatrist. The podiatrist cut about 2/3 of my right big toe nail off, it was cracked from bumping into rocks so many times and was hurting. I was hoping it would not affect me when I got back on the trail but on the steep downhills with rocks, it hurt when my foot would slide forward in my boot. It isn't too bad but I hope it gets better fast.I came out on a couple of views, Raven Rock Cliff and High Rock. At High Rock it was a 0.2 mile side trail. I dropped my pack and went to check it out. It was a great view of the valley. One side was the Antietam battlefield and on the other side was Gettysburg. I am really not that smart...a local was there and she let me know what I was looking at. I had a nice afternoon of hiking. I came up to Pen Mar County Park and ran into Goldberry doing Trail Magic. If you remember, I started hiking on the same day as Goldberry and her husband Bombadil and met them at the start. She only had 90 days off from her job and it was time for her to go back to the real world, but before she did she was doing trail magic and supporting her two daughters who are also through hiking. It was very good to see her again, she is a very sweet lady. I finished Maryland and entered Pennsylvania. 6 states finished and 8 to go. I ended up at Tumnbling Run Shelter. The shelter was cool..it had two sleeping areas with a picnic table in between. There was a sign on one that said "Snoring" and the other "Non Snoring". It worked too! There was one in the snorer and four of us in the other. Lieutenant Dan was there. He is a section hiker that I had met the day before. There was also a mother and son section hikers. The snorer was a recent high-school graduate who was taking a gap year and hiking the AT. Nice group. I got in my sleeping bag at 8:30pm hoping to get plenty of rest. I got tired today while hiking which shows that I still need to get back into shape.