morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2019-06-25
From: Stealth Campsite MM800.3 (VA)

To: Cow Camp Gap Shelter (VA)
Miles today: 12.0

It ended up storming pretty hard last night, but we were dry in our tent. When I got up in the morning to go to the bathroom, one of my camp shoes was completely dry and the other was full of water. Today was another day of climbing. I had heard that Virginia was supposed to be flat. It¢s a lie! Fortunately the storm had made things a little cooler. Anyway, today we were to climb Bald Knob, but first we went downhill and then flat before doing the climb basically at the end of the day. We were headed to either Cow Camp Gap or Hog Camp Gap. I don¢t know where these names come from, but we didn¢t see any farm animals. I had been hoping that we could make it to the farther Hog Camp Gap, but by the time I made it to the top of Bald Knob, my feet were begging for mercy. We settled on Cow Camp Gap where there was a shelter and water even though it was a half mile off trail. I am so glad we did those additional 3 miles yesterday. On our way down to the shelter, a couple of section hikers passed me (because I¢m still so slow section hikers pass me!). We talked with them once we all got to the shelter, and one had been a thru-hiker in 2014.They opted to stay in the shelter but given the bugs we endured the night before last and the fact that the mice were so loud here we can hear them squeaking, we¢ll be in our tent, thank you very much.In fact, SC and I just got settled in and there is a late arrival to the shelter. It¢s a thru-hiker we¢ve met before and we¢ll catch up with him tomorrow.
Date: 2019-06-27
From: Porters Gap, Rock Spring Campsite (VA)

To: VA Route 56/Wintergreen, VA
Miles today: 10.3

I woke up first in our camping area, and was second out. The woman I met last night got out first, and then I was confused when she passed me later in the day. Apparently there is a very steep gravel road that goes to a town. It¢s 2 miles round trip, and she had gone down to get beer to drink at an upcoming river.Our first stop of the day was Spy Rock. It was a bit of a rock scramble to get to the top, but a 360degree view once we were up there. We didn¢t stay long because it was already hot. We next headed to the Priest Shelter. It¢s near the summit of The Priest (I think it¢s a mountain but everyone just refers to it as ¢The Priest¢). The shelter log there is probably the best on trail because hikers use it to confess their trail sins. It makes for an entertaining read. On the way up I was passed by 2 hikers, one we last saw on 5/23!Then it was a long walk down The Priest to VA Route 56. My feet and knees were complaining by the end. It had been so hot, and then it started to thunder. And not a little thunder but almost constant rumbling. I didn¢t see any lightning, and we must have been on the edge of the storm because we got some sprinkles but no real rain. I put Spike away in my pack and put the pack cover on just in case.When we finally got down to the road, SC¢s parents (Spike¢s Aunt and Uncle) were there to take us off trail for the night. They brought SC¢s boyfriend and one of her nieces (Spike¢s Second Cousin?) with them. They have rented an Airbnb for the next few days so we can see them and do some slackpacking. We went to the condo, took showers, and then had burgers for dinner. I¢m now in my cotton jammies ready to sleep in a real bed.
Date: 2019-06-28
From: VA Route 56/Wintergreen, VA

To: Reeds Gap, VA 664/Wintergreen, VA
Miles today: 10.7

This morning I woke up and realized that I didn¢t wake up last night with my arms asleep. I do this regularly out on the trail because of the way my sleeping pad works. And it seems like it usually happens now when I¢m in a real bed too, but maybe I¢ve turned some sort of corner.After breakfast of yogurt, granola, and fresh fruit (the granola is the only thing I could carry on the trail and yet I usually don¢t); SC, SC¢s boyfriend, and SC¢s niece and I were shuttled back to where we were picked up yesterday.Today¢s hike would involve some climbing. We stopped by the Harpers Creek Shelter to rest and check in before tackling Chimney Rock. Then we climbed even higher to the top of Three Ridges. On the way down from Three Ridges we stopped to appreciate the view from Hanging Rock Overlook. SC and her boyfriend got close to the edge while Spike, SC¢s niece, and I all kept a safe distance.After going down for a ways it was time to go back up to the summit of Bee Mountain. Then it was down again to Maupin Shelter. SC and the other two youngins got there first and caught up with a few thru-hikers we had met previously. I didn¢t see any thru-hikers. Anyway, we got water at the shelter and signed the log. I decided to go ahead and make my way to our pick up spot, 1.7 miles down the trail. The others hung out at the shelter a little longer. I was just under a mile to the car when a storm seemed to come out of nowhere. I hoped the others were not far behind me and kept walking. Eventually it poured. I¢m talking about the kind of wet you get when a bucket gets dumped on your head. There was thunder, lightning, and it even started to hail. I stopped when I noticed the hail and just stood there in the rain with my hands covering my head to try to provide some protection. The hail wasn¢t that big and didn¢t last very long, but I wasn¢t sure what to expect from the storm. Fortunately, a couple of minutes later the other 3 catch up with me. I inform them that there¢s a meadow up ahead and to not cross into the open if there was lightning. They pass me and then I catch up with them when they stop at the edge of the meadow. Fortunately, the trail was along the edge of the meadow, so we didn¢t have to cross into an open field. A few minutes later, we arrive at our pick up place and SC¢s parents are already there, waiting. We piled into their van for a quick ride back to the condo. One of the great things about where we are staying is that there are 3 showers and no one had to wait too long. I did hear one particularly loud rumble of thunder while I was showering. Yeah, showering during a lightning storm, probably not the safest thing. Anyway, we all survived our showers, and then started laundry. Dinner was some fattening chicken with cheese casserole dish. It was great. And then we had ice cream. After we were showered and fed, I asked SC¢s niece¢s favorite part of the hike. She answered without hesitation, ¢The rain!¢
Date: 2019-06-29
From: Reeds Gap, VA 664/Wintergreen, VA

To: Humpback Picnic Area/Wintergreen, VA
Miles today: 6.0

Today we decided to just do a short slackpack. The choices were .5, 4.8, 6, 11.4, or 19.1. I chose 6 so we could have some time to check out Waynesboro while we had access to a vehicle and to figure out resupply. SC¢s parents had brought a bunch of food and we needed to figure out what we would be taking with us and what would need to be sent in our next resupply. SC¢s boyfriend and niece joined us again today. It was mostly a flat walk with a couple of good views: Rock Point and Cedar Cliffs. I expected to see a lot of people out because the parking area where we were dropped off was full and it was a Saturday. We did see a few but not as many as I thought we would. We got done just before noon. The thing I have noticed over the last couple of days of slackpacking is that it seems easier to hike with a light pack but my legs are still short and I¢m still going slow. I do think I¢m stronger than I was when I started but only a little faster. It has me getting nervous about making it Katahdin before camping closes in mid-October. I want to see how Shenandoah goes before I start worrying though. Fortunately (or maybe unfortunately for SC¢s niece), it did not rain today, and when we got picked up, we headed over to Waynesboro to check it out. We got kombucha at Blue Ridge Bucha and then headed over to Rockfish Gap Outfitters. I picked up a few things I needed and asked about shoes. They didn¢t have much in my size for trail runners, but they sent me over to Corzet Running. They also didn¢t have much in my size, but I got a pair that seems like they will work. I really need to call places before I go so there can be some shoes in my size when I get there. Anyway, we went back to the condo, organized stuff (mostly food) for our hike through Shenandoah. We watched the documentary made by the Crawford family about their thru-hike last year. They did it in a little over five months. I think, if they can do it, why can¢t I? Well, one thing they did have that SC and I don¢t are a bunch of followers on YouTube picking us up at the end of the day and feeding us. They basically slackpacked the 100 Mile Wilderness.  Even so, watching that has inspired me to try and do some longer days, trail legs or no.
Date: 2019-06-30
From: Humpback Picnic Area/Wintergreen, VA

To: Paul C. Wolfe Shelter (VA)
Miles today: 8.1

Today we said good-bye to SC¢s family. Everyone slept in for the most part. We left the condo about 11 and started hiking maybe 30 minutes later. First we had to get back to the trail. The picnic area was .3 miles from the AT, but fortunately it was mostly flat. On this particular trail 2 hikers noticed Spike and asked about him. Pretty good for only .3 miles of trail. I was kind of hoping that we would hike all the way to the road to Waynesboro today. However, we didn¢t particularly start early enough for that. Also I had us doing a lot of bonus miles (walking off trail). I mean, when Guthook comments say things about a view like ¢Totes amazed balls!¢ and ¢Super awesome dope fresh yo!¢ it¢s obviously worth the steep .4-mile round trip plus the climbing we did on the Humpback Rocks themselves. So we are staying at Paul C. Wolfe shelter which is really nice and has a great creek running in front of it.SC and I also got a new experience today: using a bear pole. You use a long hook to hang your food bag on hooks at the top of a tall pole. I have seen these and understand the concept, but this was my first time actually using one. The pole you use to get the bag to the top was much heavier than I had expected. Plus we¢re carrying a lot of food. The guy we are sharing the shelter with was highly amused by our (ultimately successful) attempt. Anyway, today was another day of seeing thru-hikers pass us. We saw eight and are sheltering with a guy who started in Georgia but is ending in Harpers Ferry. We are always surprised that we are not the last people making our way to Maine. Although there is a saying out here, ¢Last one to Katahdin wins.¢
Date: 2019-07-01
From: Paul C. Wolfe Shelter (VA)

To: Calf Mountain Shelter (VA)
Miles today: 12.7

Today we left the George Washington National Forest and entered our first national park. Our choices were either stay at the first shelter at 12.7 miles or the second was only 25.7 miles. We stayed at the first.I had heard Shenandoah was flat. So far it seems as hilly and rocky as it has been of late. There wasn¢t anything too exciting today although we did cross I-64. We could have gone into Waynesboro, but we didn¢t need anything there. We walked across Bear Den Mountain with its communication towers and tractor seats. Then SC and I met up on top of Little Calf Mountain because .3 miles past the summit we hit 400 miles! Little Calf Mountain was followed by Big Calf Mountain and then Calf Mountain Shelter. Apparently the backpacking shelters in Shenandoah are called ¢huts¢ but Calf Mountain isn¢t technically within the national park boundaries so it still gets to be called a shelter. Anyway, we get to the shelter and there are three women sitting at the picnic table. I ask if there¢s room in the shelter itself and apparently two of them are staying in the shelter while the third is hammocking. SC and I set up inside and learn that two of them are from Michigan. The other is from Florida and this is her first night backpacking. Later a fourth woman joins. SC had talked with her earlier and she is on her 4th day of hiking. She sets up in the shelter as well. So, not counting Spike, there were five women in the shelter and only women. Then there was one of the women from Michigan hammocking along with a young guy who appears to be thru-hiking. We leapfrogged with him all day but haven¢t seen him before. Then there are two tenters: a man and a woman who we last stayed with at Porters Gap. The female hammocker attempted a thru-hike in 2015, was injured, and then came back to finish in 2016. Anyway, she is super tall, and we all sought her assistance in using the bear pole. SC and I were better than we would have been had we not had the practice at the last shelter, but the stick thing you use to put the bag on the pole was short, so it was difficult for short people like me to use.Anyway, we all have our food hung on the bear pole except for the tenters. They have packed in wine from town which they were clearly enjoying. Sometime after dark they realize that they need to hang their food. Most of us in the shelter are still awake and enjoying watching the drunk people try to figure out how to use the bear pole in the dark. I guess I should be getting some shut eye now.
Date: 2019-07-04
From: Pinefield Hut (VA)

To: Bearfence Mountain Hut (VA)
Miles today: 20.6
Weather: clear sky

I was awake at 5:30 and woke up SC. She was out by 6:10, and I was a few minutes behind her, probably because I had to change from my sleeping clothes to my hiking clothes. I slept well and didn¢t have to reinflate my sleeping pad in the night.SC wanted to try to do a 10x10 (10 miles by 10am), so I told her just to go on and check in by text.  She didn¢t make the 10x10 but she did a 10x10:10 and an 11x11:11. We were the first ones out of camp. Everyone else passed me about 8:30am. I was planning to break up the day with 2 shoes-off breaks: 1 at 8 miles and the other at 14. My first break was Hightop Hut. I planned on stopping for 30 minutes. However, it took some time to get my shoes off and then there was a south bound section hiker to talk to and the hut register to sign. Then I went to get water. A day hiker then dropped by. By the time I got my shoes back on, my 30 minute break had turned into 90 minutes.It started thundering about an hour before I took my second break. I was sure Spike and I would get wet, but the rain held off. The second break was at the South River Picnic Area. Because of the threat of storms, I didn¢t end up taking my shoes off for that break. I just took off my pack, threw away some garbage, and put on my packcover. I had hoped there would be some families picnicking for the holiday that might feel sorry for me and give me a cold soda, but no such luck. It was now about 5:45 and I had 6 miles to go. Those last 6 miles were probably the fastest of the day. By this point it had cooled off and it was sprinkling off and on. My feet had given up on sending pain messages to my brain. The terrain was good for fast miles. And I also got something like a second wind. I got to the shelter about sunset. SC had picked up some food for me at a campground just before the hut (I didn¢t get there until after they had closed).  The one thing I really was wanting to celebrate this accomplishment was a beer. Somehow there were two(!) waiting for me. I¢m hoping my body isn¢t completely wrecked when I wake up tomorrow.
Date: 2019-07-05
From: Bearfence Mountain Hut (VA)

To: Rock Spring Hut (VA)
Miles today: 11.5

One of the things that kept me going yesterday was knowing that today we would pass by a campground where we could get showers and do laundry. I have a sensitive nose, and before I started this journey I was concerned that my smell would get to me. For the most part, this hasn¢t bothered me but today? Today I felt disgusting. We had a relatively uneventful first eight miles to Big Meadows Campground. We each got a shower and then did laundry. A guy who seemed like he must live in the park had lots of questions about our hike as well as lots of advice.Once we were all fresh and clean, we were presentable enough for Big Meadows Lodge. We were there before dinner service started, so I checked out the tap room. They didn¢t have much on their menu that I could have, so I opted to wait for dinner. We sat in this beautiful room with windows that looked out at a view of the Shenandoah Valley. We took this opportunity to charge our electronics and use WiFi to update our phones. Finally it was time for dinner. SC got a burger and I had the short ribs along with a blackberry ale. Dessert was a sundae: blackberry ice cream with chocolate and blackberry syrups and whipped cream. Everything was good except for the polenta that came with my dish. I mean, I¢m a hiker. I eat food off the ground. If I¢m not eating your polenta, it must be bad.Dinner took longer than anticipated, and suddenly it was 7:30 and we still had 3.5 miles to the next hut. It was thundering, so I put on my packcover and got out my headlamp. SC decided to try and get by without a light. However, when you are walking in the woods at dusk, everything looks like a potential bear. SC saw one such stump, and she did such a double take, she lost her footing and fell. This is her first official fall of the hike. Meanwhile, I¢m following as usual (I might have taken a quick pee break once we were out of sight of the campground), and I see something on the trail in front of me and my first thought is, ¢Bear!¢ But this bear is wearing SC¢s pack? Oh good it¢s her! Yeah, I had caught up to her (I don¢t know the last time that happened), and she told me about her fall. We walk together the rest of the way to the next hut, talking loudly to warn any possible bears about our presence. I had told SC we were going to tent at this hut because it was raining and it was supposed to be a particularly leaky hut. Also we knew who would be in the hut, and one of them was not very considerate with sound and light at night. However, once we found the shelter in the dark and saw that there were only 2 people there and that it was raining pretty hard, I had a quick change of mind. We couldn¢t even find the tentsites in the dark, and so pitching a tent in the dark and rain suddenly seems impossible. So we set up in the shelter. I¢ll enjoy falling asleep to the rain on the tin roof.I feared that I would be sore or my feet would be mad after yesterday¢s 20 mile day, but everything feels about normal for out here.
Date: 2019-07-08
From: Gravel Spring Hut (VA)

To: US 522/Mountain Home Hostel and B&B, Front Royal, VA
Miles today: 13.7

It did rain most of the night last night. It was still wet and cloudy when we left the hut. As always, it was hard to get motivated to leave when it¢s raining. However, we would be getting off the trail tonight and taking a zero tomorrow, so that helped. Both SC and I started off with covers on our packs and wearing rain gear. You have to be careful in rain coats: if it is too warm, you¢ll be wetter from sweat than you would have been from the rain. It rained pretty steadily through the morning, and we hiked by several viewpoints obscured by clouds. I was careful to move up hills slowly in order to keep from getting too hot. Eventually the rain stopped. I began to get warm, so I told myself, when you start to go uphill again, stop and take off your poncho. However, not 2 minutes later, the rain came back with a vengeance. I couldn¢t help but sing ¢Rainy Days and Mondays¢ in my head most of the day. I finally left Shenandoah National Park. I feel like I can say it now that I¢m done, but I kinda felt ¢meh¢ about the whole Shenandoah experience. Sure there were some nice places to eat, but the views weren¢t nearly as great as what we saw in southern Virginia and it rained pretty much every day. The terrain was easier than what we had been doing but not as easy as I had been led to believe. And maybe I just have what are called the ¢Virginia blues.¢ Anyway, I¢m glad I¢m done with the park. After leaving the park, the trail became very rocky. Ugh. And this is particularly not fun in the rain. SC and I take a break at a shelter (this one is actually called a ¢wayside¢ for some unknown reason). Again, we have trouble motivating ourselves to venture out in the rain, but eventually we do and take a moment a couple miles later to take a picture to mark having completed 500 miles!By this point the rain has mostly stopped but the trail is muddy and slippery. At one point I hear a loud thud. I look around and notice that the ground is covered in walnuts the size of lemons! I move quickly before one hits me in the head and gives me a concussion. As we get close to the road, there¢s a couple of coolers marked as trail magic, but all we find in them is water which we are not exactly wanting more of at the moment.At the road, a guy offers us a place to sit and some snacks. We are only a half mile from the hostel and want to get out of our damp clothes and take showers. SC takes a couple of snacks, but he¢s not offering anything I¢m not allergic to, so I politely decline.We keep going and wonder if we¢ll have the place to ourselves. No one we stayed with last night was planning on stopping here and no one has passed us during the day. We are surprised to show up and find a full house! Apparently the rain has a way of getting people to leave the trail.
Date: 2019-07-09
From: US 522/Mountain Home Hostel and B&B, Front Royal, VA

To: US 522/Mountain Home Hostel and B&B, Front Royal, VA
Miles today: 0.0

SC and I have been doing a lot of hiking over the last few weeks. We haven¢t had a zero day since 6/17 and we both are experiencing at least some level of Virginia Blues. So, we decided to take a zero day in Front Royal. We get a ride into town with a non-hiker guest and then walk all over to resupply and check out the town. The visitors center even has a hiker bag with really nice lip balm. My shoe issues continue. If you remember, I picked up new shoes in Waynesboro, a little over a 100 miles ago. They are too big without enough support or cushioning. I went to an outfitter and picked up a pair of insoles. We¢ll see how they work. When we were done, we got a ride back to the hostel which is now a much quieter place. The weather was nicer so everyone else got back on trail. We¢ll join them tomorrow.
Date: 2019-07-10
From: US 522/Mountain Home Hostel and B&B, Front Royal, VA

To: Whiskey Hollow Shelter (VA)
Miles today: 15.0

We had a good breakfast and said good bye to our gracious hosts before getting back on the trail. Even though it didn¢t rain yesterday or today, the trail is still pretty muddy and sloppy.We basically have our choice of three shelters at 5, 10, or 15 miles. 5 miles is too short and the shelter in 10 miles isn¢t very nice, so we go for the 15.Between the first and second shelters we come out to a road and a woman sitting in a lawn chair asks us if we would like a cold soda. I wasn¢t much of a soda drinker before hiking but I now believe it is the nectar of the gods. And today it is hot. This sudden offer of soda is the best surprise. It turns out her husband is hiking. He had to take some time off the trail to have some medical treatment, and she¢s slack packing him while he gets his trail legs back. She also has some snacks, again, all things I¢m allergic to, but SC has her first Twinkie. It¢s a great break, but time to get back to hiking. The last 5 miles are difficult, and I get to the shelter as the sun is setting. We are staying at the shelter with 2 thru-hikers and one section hiker on his first day out. The section hiker had been planning this trip with his brother who then backed out. Let¢s just say if I were him, I would be mad at my brother for his gear suggestions.One of the things we noticed in the shelter logs today is that some person (probably a guy, they usually are) has been leaving rambling, conspiracy-filled manifestos. The one for this shelter is particularly long and ends with ¢pack out my trash.¢ We have hung his trash on the bear pole. I understand his manifestos have been reported to the proper authorities.