morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2004-05-11
From: VA620/Trout Creek 

To: 4 Pines Hostel
Miles today: 7.0
Weather: few clouds

Day 72 Start: VA620/Trout Creek Dest.: 4 Pines HostelMiles: 7.0Total: 688.4Today was a lazy day. We hiked a 7 miler to the Catawba Grocery store for lunch. Somehow that ended up being the end of our hiking day. Maybe it was the food, the hotdogs, the ben & jerry's, and subs that were being eaten like mad. I think I actually took in more calories today than I burned. Or maybe it was all us loitering hikers thinking about the hostel just .7 miles up the road. After some thoughtful discussion we all decided to rent a van for Trail Days and get picked up in Troutville on Friday by Entrprise. This gave us an extra day to get to Troutville so it made the decision to stay at the hostel tonight real easy. Honeypie worked a deal so we got a 10 person van for 3 days for $150 bucks. Splitting that 8 ways made it affordable for everyone. Wolfcookie called the hostel and Joe, the hostel owner, sent his son down with the pickup to get all of us. Wolfcookie also made arrangements with the store to prepare a bunch of pizzas for us since we would be calling back shortly to order them for dinner. The hikers present at the hostel were: Dances and Wolfcookie, Honeypie, Hoss, Knee, James the wandering nunn, Harmony, Numbas, Baker, Toe-ritus, a couple section hikers and another thru-hiker that came in really late. Joe Mitchell was a great host. The hostel is simply a large 3 bay garage with thick pads on the floor for sleeping, a bathroom with shower, a fridge, toaster oven and microwave. For entertainment there are horseshoes, darts, a piano, and a guitar. Honeypie and Knee spent some time singing trail lyrics that they made up on the fly to popular songs that they were playing on the guitar and piano. They were quite the entertainers, keeping all us laughing for hours. Honeypie and I dominated the horseshoe pits as a team. We were really putting on a clinic for the poor souls that dared challenge us. Joe provided a few of the hikers with a ride back to the store to pickup the pizzas, beer and sodas. This was probably the best hostel stay yet. I think because of the company we were in, the simplicity of the hostel and also Joe's hospitality. Everything came together just right there to make it a wonderful and very fun place to stay. Now off to sleep with the gentle sounds of the piano and Honeypie's voice in the background singing some of the funniest tunes ever.~Dances with Wolf Cookie
Date: 2004-05-17
From: US 220 / Troutville, VA

To: Fullhardt Knob Shelter
Miles today: 5.4
Weather: light rain

Day 78 Start: US220 Dest.: Fullhardt Knob Shelter Miles: 5.4 Total: 718.9 Today was a short and very sad day of hiking. My best friend, my hiking partner, my wife, left the trail today. She was told at Trail Days that she should seek immediate medical attention for the swelling in her feet. She had been contemplating a trip to the foot doctor and the people at the boot clinic at Trail Days just helped confirm her decision to get off the trail. My mother and her friend Dee drove from PA to Troutville yesterday to pickup Wolfcookie and take her home. Hopefully Wolf Cookie will be back on the Trail after the doctor gives her the go ahead!
Date: 2004-05-17
From: US 220 /Troutville, VA

To: Home to Lawrenceville, PA
Miles today: 0.0

We called Linda last night to have her come and get me so I could see a foot doctor. It has gotten to the point where I've been crying before we've even put in the miles we need to and I was beginning to hate being on the trail in that condition.Before Trail Days we had decided that Tom and I would enjoy 3 more days with our friends in case I did go home. We had some fun, saw the Camera Crew, Nuffy, Leki, Xena, Bloody Cactus, K-Less and we had gone done with Hoss, Honey Pie, Toe-ritus, Wounded Knee, Baker, and Wandering Nunn. It was nice to spend some time with them while I was still considered a "thru-hiker".I slept the first few hours in the car after dropping Dances off at US 220. It had just started to rain and Tom was in his rain jacket and garbage bag "rain skirt". I wanted to run across the road after him and tell him that I wasn't really leaving, please don't head out without me. After 70 plus days without more than 20 minutes of seperation it was really rough to leave him and not know when we'd see each other again or when he'd get to a phone to call home.We stayed in a hotel outdside of Carlisle, PA and I slept in my sleeping bag on the fllor, tucked between the wall and the dresser so I could pretend I was still on the trail (it didn't work...) and pretend the wall was my Tommy (it failed miserably...)! He'd snuck an anniversary card into the van before he left and it made me cry, not just the wording but the fact that he remembered and made the effort. He's one hell of a man! I sure do love that boy and miss him terribly!* Wolf Cookie
Date: 2004-05-18
From: Fullhardt Knob Shelter

To: Cove Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 19.9
Weather: few clouds

Day 79Start: Fullhardt Knob ShelterDest.: Cove Mountain ShelterMiles: 19.9Total: 738.8Woke at 7am and started hiking at 7:45am. I averaged about 3.2 miles per hour all day. This was definetly the fastest hiking day I have had. Mainly because the trail was relatively flat and clear of rocks. It made going faster easier. Wolfcookie would have enjoyed the trail today, maybe not the 20 mile day but the trail was good.For some reason Virginia has been having thunderstorms roll in almost every afternoon. And it always seems like we are racing to the shelter to avoid getting soaked or struck by lightning. Today was no different. A storm blew in while I was still 3 miles from the shelter. Fortunatley it didn't start to really pour until I was at the shelter. I was planning on going to the next shelter 7 miles away but the rain changed my mind. Plus I have been soaked in sweat all day and maybe geting a little chafing starting again. So it really seemed like a good time to call it quites.I caught up to Tailwind today. We saw him at Trail Days but hadn't seem him on the trail since Hot Springs. I am planning on hitting Waynesboro Sunday since I have a mail drop and wil not be able to cover the 109 miles from here by Saturday afternoon. Off to cook dinner. Its kind of weird being at the shelter by 3:30 and already doing 20 miles. Hopefuly I will be able to get up early and start moving again. Oh, I got trail magic today...there was a coler full of soda at Bearwallow Gap. Thanks to whoever put it there. I miss Wolf Cookie :-(~Dances
Date: 2004-05-19
From: Cove Mountain Shelter

To: Marble Springs Campsite
Miles today: 24.1

Day 79Start: Cove Mountain ShelterDest.: Marble Springs CampsiteMiles: 24.1Total: 762.9Today I was actually the first person up and out of the shelter...and yes there were more people there than just me. I was hiking at 6:30am. I stopped at 3 different shelters today for snacks, lunch, and dinner. The Bryant Shelter was my first stop. That shelter is huge! It has a very large front porch and a huge loft. I should have pushed on yesterday so that I could have spent more time at that shelter.I had lunch at the Cornelius Creek Shelter. I caught up to Freedom and Carefree. Actually they were just leaving the shelter as I got there. They mentioned Rex was back on the trail. Someone had seen her recently. I am glad to hear she didn't give up because some young pounks decided to steal her pack. No one knows if Ichabod is back on the trail. He was going to go home for a week and think about it.I stopped at the Thunderhill Shelter for dinner. Chipotle Rice on tortillas with a little taco seasoning. Mmmm it was good. The rice had a nice little kick to it. Freedom and Carefree were at this shelter when I arrived. They had their tent setup and were in for the night. I finished dinner and left the shelter at 5pm to head another 6 miles to the campsite. I am spending my first night in the new hammock...alone with no wolfcookie :-( Actually, this is almost my first night camping alone. There's another couple (section hikers) camping about 300ft away with 3 dogs. One of the dogs is missing it's front leg, all of it. The dog gets around great. Hopefully with the dogs around I don't have to worry about bears tonight. I had my first tick today. The little bugger was climbing up my leg while I was setting up the hammock. I looked for more but didn't find any. He was tiny and fast too. Yuck! Well off to bed. Hopefully I don't fall out of the bottom of this hammick during the night. There are about 3 Whiperwhils making their noise right now...and now an owl started in right above the hammock. It's kind of cool but at the same time almost as annoying as the snoring people in the shelters. ~Dances with Wolf CookieP.S. The chaffing was really bad today. Mostly due to the amount of sweat that pours off my body and completely saturates my shirt and shorts. So tomorrow I will try and hitch into Glasgow to get some diaper rash cream, gatorade, and probably ice-cream :-)
Date: 2004-05-20
From: Marble Springs Campsite

To: Punchbowl Shelter
Miles today: 18.2
Weather: overcast clouds

Day 80Start: Marble Springs CampsiteDest.: Punchbowl ShelterMiles: 18.2Total: 781.1Today is Wolfcookie and my 4th wedding Anniversary! I woke up early but was so comfortable in the hammock that I didn't hit the trail till 8am. It was an easy hike from the campsite to the Matts Creek Shelter. At the shelter I decided to clean up a bit in the stream thinking that I maybe able to hitch easier if I dont look and smell too bad. I hit 501 at 11am and stood on the road for about 2 minutes. There were no cars and no signs of cars. I thought I might be in for a long wait. To my surprise the very first truck that came by picked me up. It took a whole 2 minutes to get a lift to Glasgow, 6 miles off the trail. In town I called the wife but she was at the doctors getting her feet checked out. I spoke to my parents and then decided to get some lunch, do laundry, get chafing cream and then try calling the wife again. This is my first town visit alone and it is really different. Wolfcookie is not here and neither are any other hikers. It feels really strange to be completely on my own with nothing but the pack on my back and my boots for transportation. After all the errands were done I called the wife again. This time she was home. The doctor said she has an inflammed nerve in her foot. He will try injections once a week to se if he can get the inflammation to go away. This could take 2 to 7 weeks. Wolfcookie is also being fitted with custom orthodic insoles which should take care of a lot of her foot problems. Hopefully she will be back on the trail in a few weeks because I really miss her. So the hitch into town was a little too easy. It took me 40 minutes to get a ride back to the trail. Not to many cars go south on 501 and even fewer pick up hikers. Its ok though because I was picked up by a nice guy who is a high school and college soccer coach. The high school team is in the playoffs now. Hopefully they will finish 1 or 2 and be able to move onto the regional championships. After 4.5 hours in town I decided to push to the Punchbowl Shelter. I almost stopped a few times along the way to hammock because the views were good and there was a nice breeze. Now I am wishing I would have stopped. The shelter is next to a pond, which in it self would be cool. But what lives near ponds? Crickets and bullfrogs. I am sure by morning I will only have partial hearing due to the damage of those LOUD crickets. Oh and another reason I pushed for this shelter is because I saw a guy at he last shelter and he told me Willow, Sweet Cheeks and MC were at this shelter. I thought it would be cool to catch up to them but alas...no one is at this shelter. So I get to spend my first true night completly alone, except for the 20 million crickets and dozen or so bullfrogs. Time to put the ear plugs in and try to get some sleep.~Dances with Wolf Cookie
Date: 2004-05-24
From: Rockfish Gap

To: Rockfish Gap
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

Day 85 Start: Rockfish Gap Dest.: Rockfish Gap Miles: 0 Total: 847.6 Ahh, a nothing like the feeling of a zero day. Wolk Cookie drove down from PA. to spend the night with me at the hotel. We had a great time together in Waynesboro. Her feet haven't gotten any better yet, but she's only had one treatment so far. At least they feel better in sneakers and without the 25lb pack. We hit the outfitters were I got a new pair of boots. My old ones were pretty much shot. The goretex liner was ripping out of them and causing lots of heal blisters. So hopefully these new ones will get me to Katahdin. Waynesboro has to be the best and most freindly town I have been in yet. I got several rides from people without even trying. I think they recognize the hiker shuffle and then pull up and ask if I need a lift somewhere. The town even puts together a brochure for thru-hikers that describes all the services in town and where stuff is. There's a group of trail angels that drive around to the trail heads, outfitters, and othe places frequented by hikers to see if anyone needs a ride or anything else. Its pretty impressive. So on the day off I got to spend time with the wife, buy new boots, and eat and eat and eat. It was a good time! Tomorrow its off to the Shandendoahs and then Harpers Ferry. Its hard to believe that I am almost through Viringia. ~Dances With Wolf Cookie
Date: 2004-05-25
From: Rockfish Gap

To: Loft Mountain Campground
Miles today: 27.4
Weather: scattered clouds

Day 86 Start: Rockfish Gap Dest: Loft Mountain Campground Miles: 27.4 Total: 875.0 Wolfcookie left me off at 6:30am and she headed for home. I headed into the woods and towards the Shenandoah National Park. The hiking in the park is the easiest yet. The climbs are short and not very steep. The trail is wide and fairly smooth, all of which makes for good, easy hiking. So, as I am cruising along I hear another rucus in the bushes ahead of me. This blob of something about the size of a chicken, comes charging out of the bushes, stumbling, squaking, and making all kinds of racket, plus its coming right for me. I stop, startled, trying to figure out if I should run or get ready to pound this thing to a pulp with my hiking sticks and give it a good kick. I opt to stand my ground and pummel or be pummeled and just as I am getting ready to swing my poles this thing turns up the hill and runs into the woods. I get a good view of it and see its just a little, harmless grouse playing injured because it has two little chicks its trying to lure me away from. It¢s hard to believe how much noise that thing made...maybe I am just a little too jumpy. Today I saw quite a few fellow thru-hikers that I hadn't seen in a while. I saw Flora & Fauna getting water from a spring, Patrick & Michael heading out of a shelter as I was heading in for a break, and then I followed Camel, Dragon Slayer, Ashtray & Tinder into the last shelter. As we were walking Ashtray spotted a bear in front of us. We all stopped and watched it for a minute before it slowly walked off. I hiked into the Loft Mountain Campground just as it started to rain. Another massive thunderstorm was moving over. I was lucky enough to be in the breezeway of the campstore (which closed 15minutes before I got there) and the laundry building. As I stood there watching it rain a guy comes out of the laundry room and we start talking. His name is Anthony from Australia and he was in New York City for his brother¢s wedding. He is going to be in the states for 3 weeks and decided to get out of the city and see some of America¢s parks. He offered to share a campsite with me and we ended up building a campfire and sharing stories of our hobbies and interest. Anthony is a realy neat guy, farmer, plumber, tree cutter, off-road dirt bike tour guide...and I am sure more. We had a good evening watching the fire and talking. It still amazes me how many intersting people you meet out here on the trail. ~Dances with Wolf Cookie
Date: 2004-05-26
From: Loft Mtn Campground

To: High Top Hut
Miles today: 14.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Day 87 Start: Loft Mountain Campground Dest.: Hightop Hut Miles: 14.0 Total: 889.0 I had a good breakfast at the Loft Mtn Wayside Grill. For $4.10 you get three huge pancakes that overflow the plate and are close to a half inch thick. I couldn't even eat all of them but I really, really tried. After breakfast I had to walk .8 miles back through the campground to restart my hike on the AT. The hike was pretty uneventful. I arrived to a very full shelter. I set the hammock up and made dinner. A lady knocked over her boiling pot of water and nearly scalded my leg and soaked my shorts, I was sitting right next to her. Another thunderstorm rolled in and it rained for a long time. I stayed pretty dry in the hammock but everything felt damp. I also noticed at about 1:30am that I may have placed the head end of the hammock slightly higher than the foot end since I woke up crummpled in the foot end. A little re-adjustment and I was back to a warm, damp sleep. ~Dances With Wolf Cookie
Date: 2004-05-28
From: Rock Spring Hut

To: Gravel Springs Hut
Miles today: 194.5
Weather: light rain

Day 89 Start: Rock Spring Hut Dest.: Gravel Spring Hut Miles: 28.4 Total: 941.3 Today was a long day. I pushed the miles to get close to Front Royal where Wolf Cookie will be meeting me tomorrow. She may hike with me for a few days to see how the feet are. I am just looking forward to seeing her again. I managed to eat three meals today from restaurants. The first was a large breakfast from the Skyland Lodge. Scrambled eggs with diced tomatoes and green peppers, hash browns, three huge strips of bacon, a biscuit, three cups coffee and an orange juice. After eating all that I added a short stack of pancakes. It was really good. Then for lunch I made it to the Panorama Overlook for 1/4lb of peanut butter fudge, a pepsi and a pint of ice cream. Dinner was at the Elk Wallow Wayside, a cheese steak, large fries, and a blackberry shake. It was really good. I then bought a single can of Busch Light and carried it the last 6 miles up to the shelter for a night cap. I ate very well today. It was a little pricey but it was really, really good. Tomorrow should be a pretty easy 13 miles to the road that leads to Front Royal. I hiked almost the whole day with Wildhorse. I met him a few weeks ago and we managed to end up at the same shelters a few times. He does consistent 20+ mile days so after tomorrow I probably won't see him again. He also just happens to be from a town about 20 miles south of where I live in PA. It seems there are a lot of people from PA out here now. Rock Steady is from West Chester, PA. I met a couple on vacation from Waynesboro, PA and another couple from the Harrisburg area. Its always neat to meet people from your home state. I will be leaving the Shenandoah Park tomorrow and from the people I have talked to it will be just in time. Since Memorial Day is so close the park will become very busy with tourist. But since summer is now here the whole trail will probably be busier...could mean more good eats from weekend hikers carrying to much food :-) ~Dances With Wolf Cookie
Date: 2004-06-02
From: Snickers Gap

To: Harpers Ferry Hostel
Miles today: 21.5
Weather: few clouds

Day 94 Start: Snickers Gap Dest.: Harpers Ferry Hostel Miles: 21.5 Total: 1010.8 I had to say goodbye to Wolfcookie again today. She dropped me off at Snickers Gap and headed for home. I really miss her and can¢t wait for her to be able to get back on the trail full-time. Hopefully the feet will be as good as new soon. At least I got to call her from the Hostel tonight. I crossed the 1000 mile mark today! And I made it to Harpers Ferry. Jan and I need to come back here someday so we can explore this town. There is so much history here it is incredible. I took a few pictures but didn't even come close to capturing this town. I signed in at the ATC Headquarters. I am thruhiker #188. This includes all the section hikers, flip-floppers, NOBOs and SOBOs. They take a Polaroid picture of you and place it in this year¢s hiker book. After my visit at the ATC, I went to Kings Pizza and ate a very greasy and very good 14" pizza all by myself. It was soooo good. I hiked out of town and hit the Harpers Ferry Hostel. This was a very nice place but it was full so I had to set up the hammock on the lawn. Some past thru-hikers were doing a free cookout for this year¢s thru-hikers. It¢s too bad I was still full from that pizza beause the burgers and dogs looked good. I did somehow manage to find some room for a pint of B&J ice cream and it was good. I cant wait to get to New Hampshire so I can get a pint of Bovinity Divinity...mmmmm. Well off to sleep, a long day planned for tomorrow. ~Dances with Wolf Cookie
Date: 2004-06-03
From: Harpers Ferry Hostel

To: Ensign Cowall Shelter
Miles today: 29.6
Weather: scattered clouds

Day 95 Start: Harpers Ferry Hostel Dest: Ensign Cowall ShelterMiles: 29.6 Total: 1040.4 Longest day yet! I started a little late today, around 7:30am. The hammock was just too comfortable to get out of at 6am. I probably could have walked a few more miles but Tigger refused to carry my pack. The walk was pretty good but I think Maryland must be preparing me for the dreaded PA rocks I keep hearing about. Maryland has a lot of sections with nothing but small pointy rocks sticking up. There's not a single flat place to put your foot so you are constantly off balance and putting your feet in strange positions. I met a Ridge Runner today. I didn't know they got paid! 10 days on and 4 days off. Paid to hike and camp in the woods. Imagine that! The trail has passed through a lot of civil war sites. With all the history I am passing it makes me realize just how much I have forgotten or don't know about our country¢s past. I may need to get a book or two on the civil war. I saw the Washington Mounument today. It is not what I thought of when I thought of the mounument. Nonetheless it was pretty cool with some great views. Tomorrow I should hit PA and officialy be done with another state! 6 down, 8 to go! Tonights shelter occupants were Slick, Smurf, and Ez-duzit. ~Dances with Wolfcookie