morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2012-06-23
From: Shelter (Unknown)

To: Shelter (Unknown) Little Bald
Miles today: 20.3

I woke up in the morning and cooked some Oatmeal. We left after packing up and I felt great. We were flying down the trail, but Porch Monkey was slow and not feeling well. We hiked up Big Bald Mtn., it was beautiful. We stopped and took lots of pictures and waited for Porch Monkey. He never came while we were there so everyone left, but I stayed and waited a little longer. I took pictures of everyone hiking up Little Bald Mtn. I caught up with them at Bald Mountain Shelter and we all ate lunch. My stomach hurt and I wasn't feeling so hot. When we were leaving, Porch Monkey made it to the shelter. After lunch, I was struggling. I kept getting light headed and dizzy so I took lots of breaks. Every time I went up hill I got out of breath. Songbird was amazing and was worried about me. I almost collapsed several times. So the worry was warranted. We got to a road and I fell to the street and took a 10 minute nap. After everyone caught up, we were off again. I tried to eat something but it did not feel good. If it were not for Songbird encouraging me and pushing me, I would not have made it to the shelter. When we got there I set up my tent, but I had to stop a couple of times because I kept getting dizzy.   We all ate dinner. I tried eating Ramen and some chips. The others got water for me. We all help each other out. We decided to get up at 5:30am and leave by 6:30am to get to Erwin. I set my alarm and woke everyone up but then I got dizzy, collapsed and threw up several times. I got pretty sick. Kit Kat, Spook, Skippy and Nuetellen left and Songbird stayed with me. Then we started hiking to Erwin.
Date: 2012-06-24
From: Shelter (Unknown)

To: Uncle Johnny's Shelter (Erwin)
Miles today: 16.9

My hike to Erwin took a while because I took several breaks, especially on the uphills. Songbird was amazing at helping me. I started to feel a little better. I thought it might have been a 24 hour bug and I think Charlie got me sick. Once we took our pictures at the top of the mountain we hiked down to Erwin. We stayed at Uncle Johnny's Hostel that was about 200 yards off of the trail.   We all got showers and did a huge load of laundry. Everyone was chilling in their rain gear. The others played Rummy while I journaled some of the earlier days. We thought about just waiting for our clothes and then moving out. While we were waiting we met a couple who gave us 2 cases of beer, so the others started drinking. I didn't because I still felt sick. Then we decided to take a Zero day to let me recover, wait for Porch, celebrate Songbird's birthday and Slack Pack. So we hung out for a while and then Porch Monkey showed up. So it is amazing how things work out. We took a shuttle to lunch. It stopped at an all you can eat salad and pizza place. Then the shuttle picked us up 1 hour later and took us to the business district. I walked through a drive through ATM and then got some Gatorade. We waited for the train back and then swam in the river for a couple of hours. The dinner shuttle dropped us off in a parking lot with several choices. Everyone voted and we did Mexican. I couldn't eat since I felt sick.   Then we went to Dollar General and a grocery store for re-supply. I secretly bought a cake to celebrate Songbirds birthday. Spook got candles and I got a card which everyone signed. I wrote a poem in it. After dinner we were all hanging out and borrowed Songbird's phone. I called my parents and Sam Ellis. I watched some of a movie and just wandered around hanging out with people. We played beer pong. I played one game with Kit Kat as my partner. We played 10 Cup. I hit 6 cups, Kit Kat hit 1, we lost. Then I went to bed after brushing my teeth and chugging a bunch of water. We decided to Slack Pack the next day.
Date: 2012-06-25
From: Uncle Johnny's Shelter (Erwin)

To: Uncle Johnny's Shelter (Erwin)
Miles today: 0.0

We decided to take this as a Zero day to help me recovery and wait for Porch Monkey to show up. On a side note, this trip has been amazing! It is funny how plans change. At first, I thought I was just going to hike to get done. Now that I have met up with everyone, I have slowed down and have been enjoying every moment. It has been so peaceful. Everything has worked out just the way it was supposed to be. God has had his hand all over this trip. Even though I am struggling with being sick, I am still having fun.
Date: 2012-06-26
From: Uncle Johnny's Shelter (Erwin)

To: Iron Mountain Gap
Miles today: 20.1
Weather: clear sky

We woke up and all grabbed a day pack, packed it with some lunch, water and anything else we thought we needed. We were shuttled up to Iron Mtn. Gap. The plan was to "Slack Pack," hike South back to Erwin, Virginia. It feels really weird to hike with practically no weight. We all were running, jumping and playing while hiking up and down the mountains. We were having an awesome time. We all ate lunch and then some of us left while some of us took our time. I was moving kind of slow because of my recovery from being sick. Everyone we met said Happy Birthday to Songbird because Skippy, Kit Kat and Spook had run on ahead. After about 15 miles Songbird and I passed a family we met previously and they only said they saw Kit Kat. Turns out Skippy, Spook and Porch Monkey went the wrong way for a little bit down a side road. Songbird and I hiked all day together and started cruising at the end. I was excited to get done and to celebrate Songbird's birthday. I was excited for her reaction because I almost spoiled it a couple of times. We finished 2nd and 3rd but once everyone got back, we grilled hot dogs, surprised Songbird with her cake/candles and sang Happy Birthday. Then, we played Rummy, planned out mileage, dates and the game plan for the rest of the trip. I was able to jump on the internet and say Happy Birthday to Lexi. It was a great day! I started feeling a little better, so the day off was worth it. Today we put in 20 miles. Everyone was making fun of me for being a hopeless romantic. After planning out some re-supplies and mileage, we all went to bed. I slept amazing at Uncle Johnny's. The next morning we will get up early, shower, pack up our stuff, get shuttled back up to Iron Mt. Gap. and hike North this time. On a side note, this trip has been a huge blessing. On the Appalachian Trail even the down hills have up hills. I hope everyone back home is having an amazing summer and not missing me too much. (haha, just kidding) Miss everyone and I will try to keep in touch more as I get further North.
Date: 2012-06-27
From: Iron Mtn. Gap

To: Overmountain Shelter
Miles today: 20.6
Weather: clear sky

We started hiking at Iron Mtn. Gap going North as we should. I jumped out in the lead going up the mountain. We climbed up to Greasy Creek Gap, then onward to Little Rock Knob down to Hughes Gap, then right back up to Roan Mtn. I still struggled a bit on the uphills, but this day was awesome. The climb was up to 6,275 feet. At the top of Roan Mtn., we ran into a parking lot with REAL bathrooms and water fountains. We then hiked up to Roan High Knob Shelter, which is the highest Shelter on the trail. We all ate a snack and took pictures. Then we hiked down to Carvers Gap where we all took group pictures and watched the clouds for a little bit. Then we continued upward in the beautiful weather to Stan Murray Shelter where we all cooked dinner. I felt a little dizzy so I took a 1/2 hour nap. When it got dark, we all put on our head lights and night hiked 3 miles to Overmountain Shelter (barn that sleeps 20. The night hike was a lot of fun and was a cool opportunity, plus it helped me rest a little. There was no one at the barn so we had the whole place to ourselves. I put my sleeping pad down, hung my pack to protect against mice and passed out hard. I slept so good I didn't want to get up in the morning. Once I finally got up and started cooking breakfast, the view was spectacular! Most people go their whole lives without seeing some of the things I have seen or having some of the experiences I have experienced. There has been something every day that keeps me going or inspires me and encourages me. I am so lucky to have met some really great people which I look forward to knowing the rest of my life. I finally feel better from being sick (had 72 hour sickness.) I've been at such peach hiking.
Date: 2012-06-28
From: Overmountain Shelter

To: Elk Park Campsite
Miles today: 17.8

I slept in. Kit Kat, Spook and Skippy left earlier than us. Porch, Nuetilla and I left at 10am. Songbird took a Zero day to hang out with her friends. This was one of my favorite days of hiking in a long time. It was such a beautiful day. I was at such a place of peace. We hiked up Little Hump Mtn., which was a bald and the views were outstanding. Then we passed through Bradley Gap and up over Hump Mtn. It was so cool. We completed North Carolina today, so I am completely done with two states of the AT. The down hill was much fun as I was almost running and jumping from rock to rock. I passed the old Apple House Shelter which got torn down. I got some water, drank about 2 liters and then refilled my water. We got to US 19E (the main road).   Once I got there, Kit Kat, Spook and Skippy were waiting with donuts from Krispy Creme. Some car stopped and gave them the donuts, so I had two. They were REALLY GOOD! I had hiked 9 miles in 3 hours and 10 minutes. We waited for Nuetilla and Porch and decided to wait until 4pm to go to a steak house. We waited 3 hours on the side of the road and played Rummy. At 3:30 we walked 1/2 mile to King of the Road Steak House. We got the special, all you can eat salad bar, sirloin steak with bread and fries. I also had a soda which was refreshing. We all got full and then left to hike the rest of the 8 miles. It was really nice to walk off some of that big dinner. We went 7 miles and stopped at Jones Falls. It is a beautiful waterfall. We climbed up the front of the falls (not real smart but we made it) and took lots of pictures. Climbing down, we went into the woods and hiked down. It was a little safer. Then we continued on to Elk Park Campsite. Purch's knee was bothering him so we stopped and camped. Kit Kat, Spook and Skippy Night Hiked to Mountaineer Falls Shelter. We slept right next to the river so I took a nice bath in the river and cleaned up. I cooked dinner, set up my tent and hung my food on our make shift bear hang. Tonight is the first night I myself made a fire. Someone else always started our fires before. I slept pretty good. I am almost caught up on my journals. Every day is as good as you make it and these past two days have been great. Thank you all for your prayers and thoughts. I can't wait to share my pictures and stories with you. I am looking forward to our dates and dinners when I get back.
Date: 2012-06-29
From: Elk Park Campsite

To: Kincora Hiking Hostel
Miles today: 15.8
Weather: clear sky

We got up at 6:30am, packed up camp, ate breakfast and started hiking. We found a waterfall off of a side trail .2 miles. Don't ask me what made us go here but when we got there, there was a perfect swimming area. We swam for a good 1/2 hour and took several pictures. We got dried off and started hiking again. About 15 minutes in, I had to poop so bad, I had to jump off of the trail and take care of business, if you know what I mean (haha). I hiked to Mountaineer Falls Shelter. This shelter has 3 levels with a 3 foot carved bear on the top, so I took a picture. Then we hiked another 15 miles up and down. The last 6 miles looked like downhill, but the map lied? It was 105 degrees and I was sweating so bad and trying to drink as much water as possible. I was listening to my I-Pod and hiking super fast trying to finish for the day. I started getting angry and frustrated, so I had to stop, get a drink of water, eat a snack and get refocused. I prayed to be able to relax and enjoy the rest of my hike. The last bit of the day was still up and down. I had heat exhaustion, but I pushed on. I finally hit the road at 6:15pm. I waited 45 minutes for Nuetilla and Porch to finish before we walked to Kincora Hiking Hostel run by Bob Peoples. While I was waiting, I met 3 nice people who were just leisure hiking to the falls. They gave me a banana. It was glorious! When the others finally got to the road, we walked .2 miles to Kincora. When we got there, Kit Kat, Spook, Skippy and Bob were pulling up. Kit Kat had bought 4 pizza's from Little Ceasars. We each got our own pizza and a Gatorade. I met Bob Peoples, he is so cool. We all showered, did our laundry and just hung out. I picked out my bed in the bunk room (top bunk) and played monopoly. It brought back a lot of cool memories. I did not win, but it was fun. Then we did our night things, brushed teeth, stretched, talked it out and went to bed. It was hot, but my bed was really comfy. I slept so good last night and we got a chance to sleep in for the first time in a long time.
Date: 2012-06-30
From: Kincora Hiking Hostel

To: Kincora Hiking Hostel
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Today I caught up on all of my journals and damn it feels good! I slept until 9am and when I got up, it felt good to ease myself onto my feet. I took a shower and started journaling all morning. We decided to play Gin Rummy and I ended up winning after playing for 2 hours. The best part was Songbird caught back up with the group today. We got a good chance to talk to Bob Peoples today. We offered to help do trail maintenance because he manages parts of the AT, but he said it was too hot. It is 105 degrees again today, so I am glad we are not hiking today. We got shuttled into town for re-supply and dinner. We went to Chic-Filet and I got the six piece nugget meal and a chicken sandwich. I couldn't resist the chocolate milk shake. Then we went to Ingles Grocery Store where I got tonights snack food and my re-supply to get to Damascus. I got some Smore stuff as a surprise for everyone. Now we are back and we are talking about the El Comino Santiage Trail in Europe. It sounds very interesting. Today was a perfect day to relax and recover. Now some are playing monopoly and I am finishing my journals. On a side note, I didn't think that it was possible to not like chocolate milk because it is my favorite, but the chocolate milk I bought was so gross. I just ate my double stuffed Oreos and I am drinking lots of water. Charlie the cook is making a mega breakfast for us tomorrow. He is so excited that he is making me excited. We also can look forward to Twix Ice Cream tonight. It's hiker midnight and we are winding down to go to bed. We are getting up at 6am tomorrow. It is supposed to be 105 degrees again and we are hiking about 18 miles. We added another person to the group today. His trail name is Otter. He is a through hiker as well going to Maine. He has been by himself for 28 days and he is very happy to be part of a group now. Good night everyone.
Date: 2012-07-01
From: Kincora Hiking Hostel

To: Vandeventer Shelter
Miles today: 17.7
Weather: clear sky

We all got up, or I should say I set my alarm for 5:30am to wake up Charlie the chef. (haha) So, I got up and set the table and putz'd around until breakfast. We ate at 7:30am and Bob Peoples joined us. He was pretty cool, he is so the man. I cleared the dishes and some of the guys dried the dishes. We all took pictures with Bob and headed out of Kincora. We passed the Laurel Fork Falls. The falls were so cool and beautiful. We spent about 15 minutes playing in the water, then moved on again. We made great time to Hampton, TN. I hiked 9 miles in under 3 hours and we did a pretty big climb up Pond Flats, up almost 2000 feet in 2 miles, then down 1800 feet in about 4 miles. I got to a freaking nice lake about 1/2 hours before everyone else, so I sat in the shade, rehydrated and snacked on some food. Once everyone got there we all went swimming in the lake. It was sooooo refreshing. We swam for 1 hour as it was 105 degrees, so we took a long break. We took a 3 hour break during the hottest part of the day. On the other side of the lake was a rope swing, so we stopped and tested it out into the lake. It was Songbird and Skippy's first time on a rope swing. Then we got dried off and we were off again. We passed Wilber Dam and hiked up hill a long way to Vandeventer Shelter. The view was really cool from the top of the mountain. I walked .4 miles to get water, then cooked, cleaned up and set up my tent in the dark. I hung my bear bag and got in my tent. It was hot, but then it started thundering and lightning so hard and so close. The wind was so strong that I thought my tent was going to blow off the mountain. The rain was so hard I was a little nervous. I can't lie. I was going to go into the shelter so I rolled up my sleeping bag, waited for a minor break in the rain and booked it to the shelter. When I got there everyone and everything was soaked. I made up my mind to take my chances in my tent. When I ran back to my tent it was blowing away. I restaked it in the rain, climbed in with my pack and all of my stuff. I prayed no big trees would fall on my tent or that I would get struck by lighting since I was right under a big tree. Luckily, the hurricane only lasted 1 hour, then it just rained all night. This is the first night I slept with more than just my shorts on. Scary night all around but a good experience, another blessed moment. The next morning I was amazed my stuff was completely dry. Damn, Big Agnes makes a great tent!!!
Date: 2012-07-02
From: Vandeventer Shelter

To: Double Springs Shelter
Miles today: 14.4
Weather: scattered clouds

That next morning there were fallen trees and branches all over the place. Thank God that we were all safe. Needless to say, I did not sleep that well because of the monster winds and heavy rain. Everyone was kind of sluggish this morning. They said that they wanted to get up at 5:30am, but everyone got up at 7am. We headed out. I ate a bunch of crackers for breakfast. We had to hike around a lot of fallen trees and everything was slippery and wet. Today was less high up and down and more rolling hills. When I got to the first shelter I ate lunch and took a 30 minute nap. Neutilla woke me up just before my alarm went off. I hiked by myself all morning. It was nice to just move and think. After my nap I hiked with Pourch and Songbird. We passed several dried up water sources and everyone was getting dehydrated. Finally, we got to a stream and I pumped water for everyone. Then we hiked across open pastures with cows. That was pretty cool. We wanted to go 23 miles today and end up at Abingdon Shelter but some of our group were struggling. So we stopped at Double Springs Shelter. This gave everyone a chance to eat dinner, set up and relax. Songbird and I surprised everyone with Smores. I started my second fire today (haha) like a champ. I let my tent dry out a little so it was nice to sleep in. I slept with my rain fly open because it was hot. I slept great tonight because I was exhausted. Everyone wanted to wake up early so I set my watch alarm for 5:30am. 5:30am came really early, but I got up, packed everything up, stretched and woke everyone else up.
Date: 2012-07-03
From: Double Springs Shelter

To: Dave's Place Hostel Damascus, VA
Miles today: 18.5
Weather: broken clouds

After everyone was up and ready to go, we headed out. I was hiking fast by myself, I had a lot on my mind. I hiked 8 miles in under 3 hours. Not too bad. I waited at Abington Shelter for about 40 minutes while I read the joke book and the shelter log. I also ate lunch and just relaxed. Once everyone caught up we chatted, laughed at some jokes and then headed out. The terrain was rolling again. Small ups and downs, so we moved very fast. We hit the TN/VA state line around 2pm. Took a bunch of pictures and then everyone moved on 3.5 miles to Damascus, VA, while I waited for 2 hours for Porch. After he didn't show up I decided to head for town. I went the 3.5 miles real fast. As soon as I got off of the trail a huge thunder and lightning storm broke out. I took refuge under a sign in a park. I waited 40 minutes for the storm to pass or lighten up and then walked to Dave's Place to meet up with everyone. When I got there, I showered and found out why my foot was hurting. I had a big blister on the bottom of my foot. I popped the blister and cleaned it out. Porch showed up finally, he showered and we met everyone for food. I had 2 big beers and a big burger. We played 3 games of pool. I won them all and yes I actually played well. I didn't just get lucky (haha). Then we went to the Dollar General, bought some snacks and went to the park to watch fireworks. We got a spot right up front and I layed 30 yards away from where they were lighting the fireworks. We really enjoyed these fireworks. I'll tell you one thing, for a small town the fireworks were really good and lasted a good 35/40 minutes. They had a band playing live music too. It was nice to be in a town to celebrate the 4th of July, even though it is the 3rd. Then we all walked back to the hostel and got ready for bed. I slept on the floor in Songbird's and Neutilla's room since we only got 3 rooms. I slept great again even though I was on the floor. Just goes to show you, I am getting to use to sleeping anywhere (haha). This really has been a great experience. Good night, talk to you guys tomorrow.
Date: 2012-07-04
From: Dave's Place Hostel, Damascus, VA

To: Dave's Place Hostel, Damacus, VA
Miles today: 0.0

Today was a good morning. I slept in until 8:30am. Then I noticed that Neutilla moved out to the couch because our fan was too loud. I moved to the wooden cot. When we were all up, Neutilla and Spook went to Rainbow, which is a hippie festival. They got a ride from some random people. The rest of us went to breakfast at C-Bows. The food was amazing. I would definitely recommend C-Bows if you are ever in Damascas. After breakfast, we all walked back to the hostel. Otter and Songbird made an attempt to hitch hike to Rainbow. I was going to go check it out but I was worried about getting back and the hitching part. So, I hosed down my tent and cleaned everything - stakes, pack, stove, pots, water purifier and let it dry in the sun. After 20 minutes, Otter and Songbird came back. They had no luck. We all went to Dollar General, got some snacks and played Gin Rummy. I won. We went to Subway for dinner. Porch rode a mountain bike down some famous creeper trail. Today was a relaxing recovery day. I re-supplied and am waiting until tomorrow to get my next package. I am excited because I am getting more letters. We got a really nice lady at a different hostel to do our laundry with good detergent. So our stuff is actually clean. Now we are all just hanging out and getting ready for bed. We are shooting for breakfast, post office, check out and doing 18/20 miles tomorrow. I am mailing home more stuff that I do not need so my pack should be lighter. Although the weight I am losing in my pack from gear I'll probably gain in food. I am trying to eat more so I stop losing so much weight. My pants are starting to fall down a lot. Also,I decided I'm going to start working out every day besides all of the hiking. Otter, Songbird and myself are going to do upper body and abs every morning. I did a new push up routine tonight and I already feel it. I also did 30 minutes of abs. I am trying to get "FIT" by the end of this hike. Good night, I am going to bed. It is getting late for us hikers. (haha) It is only 10:30pm, talk about late. It is funny how free we feel being out here with all of our possessions in a bag on our back.  It is funny how 9pm seems late and walking places seems natural. I have hiked 475 miles and have now completed 3 full states. Now I just have to finish the rest.