morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2015-06-11
From: The Priest Shelter

To: Undesignated Campsite
Miles today: 17.3

6/11/2015 Day 70 - I wanted to put in some pretty good miles today to give me a better chance of making to the Waynesboro post office tomorrow. It closes at 5 pm and isn't open on Saturday. Jared mailed me my replacement pair of shoes and i'd like to get them before the weekend. It was a tough day though and I only got in 17.3 miles. When I left camp this morning I descended The Priest Mountain, took 15 minutes to soak my feet in the Tye river, and then went right up Three Ridges Mountain. It was a challenge too. 3500 feet climb over 6 miles of jagged rocky terrain. It certainly felt good to get to the top. After another downhill I stopped at Maupin Field Shelter for dinner and had a nice conversation with Sache while we ate. Sache is a young lady from Australia and is a joy to be around. She's a bright and cheery person and brightened my already fairly good day.   After dinner I set off to put in another 3.5 miles to an unofficial campsite I read about in Guthook's AT app. I spoke to a Ridge Runner yesterday who told me there's a 9.3 mile section that's been closed off for camping because off bear activity. I'm getting within a couple of miles of that section. I heard from a Southbounder today that he saw a mother bear and her cubs in that area yesterday. She didn't bother him though. Black bears are pretty shy and avoid people, but are attracted to food if it's left lying around. The campsite is small, but nice. I'm sharing it with Wander, a Libyan who's attending Ohio State. He's trying to hike the trail during summer break from college. I think he might just do it. He's passing me up and started 27 day after me.Gonna hit the sack now. There's a nice cool breeze that's blowing through the trees making that nice soothing sound that's so relaxing.
Date: 2015-06-12
From: Undesignated Campsite

To: Waynesboro, VA
Miles today: 17.4

6/12/2015 Day 71 - It was a very early morning. I woke up at 4:10 am so I could try and get into town before the Post Office closed at 5 pm. I had to hike 17.4 miles to the trailhead at Rockfish Gap then hitch another 4 miles into town. The night before I hung my food bag in a tree about 15 feet up because of the increased bear activity in the area. It just so happened that Wander pitched his tent close to that tree. So at about 4:30 am, as I was getting the bag down, it got stuck. I had to pull on it pretty hard a few times before it let loose and came down and made quite the racket. I imagine that to Wander it sounded like a bear trying to get my bag. I hope I didn't worry him too much. I was on the trail at 5:07 am and it was still pretty dark so I had to use my headlamp for about 45 minutes. There was only Humpback Mountain to contend with today and it was only about 1000 feet up. The trails were also pretty smooth for most of the day, so it was pretty nice hiking. I stopped at the Paul C. Wolfe Shelter for lunch at 11 am and wished I had planned better to stay there the night before. It's a nice 10 person shelter overlooking a stream with a waterfall and had a large porch covering the picnic table. I hiked the last 5 miles at a pretty fast pace because I didn't know if I would have enough time to hitchhike in. Luck was on my side. The moment I stepped out of the trees a big red pickup pulled in front of me and the man driving asked if I was going into Wayneboro. I said yes and he told me to get in. His name is John and he's a local trail angel who just happened by. As he was driving into town he gave me a little tour and pointed out the highlights like the All You Can Eat Chinese restaurant, grocery stores, hotels and a few other things. I asked if I could offer him a few dollars for gas and he told me absolutely not. He dropped me off at the post office and I got the package Jared and Eric sent me containing my shoes. Thanks guys!I checked into the Quality Inn then walked about 1.5 miles to Rockfish Outfitters. I needed a new sleeping pad because my old one had an internal seam blowout which formed an uncomfortable bulbous mass along the left side of the pad. I found a pad that would work then headed back for a much needed shower and dinner. Things really worked out well today and I got my new shoes. A good day.
Date: 2015-06-14
From: Waynesboro, VA

To: Blackrock Hut
Miles today: 20.6
Weather: scattered clouds

6/14/2015 Day 73 - I was going to hitch hike back to the trailhead at Rockfish Gap but ran into Ma'am at breakfast who had a ride arranged. I asked if I could get a ride with her and she texted Mama Sunshine, whos friend was driving us. He's a pretty nice guy from Hot Springs, I wish I could remember his name. We got to the trail around 8:30 am and hiked just a couple hundred meters before we saw the Shenandoah camping permit self registration. It's a National Park so there are a lot of rules to follow. I filled one out and attached it to my pack, as instructed. The trails were really nice today and I made some good time. I bumped into Sashay (this is how she spells it) about 7.5 miles in and we chatted while she ate lunch. I filled up my water bottles for the 13 miles of sketchy water sources. While talking to Sashay, Scott Jurek stopped and rested for a moment with some locals who were running with him for a bit. He asked if we were thru hiking and we told him we were. Scott is trying to break the supported speed record for the trail this year and is really moving out. He's trying to do it in 42 days to break Jennifer Phar-Davis' record of 46 days. I think he's on day 19 and passing me and everyone else. He seemed like a nice guy.I hiked on alone and ate lunch at around 1:30 pm. As I was sitting on the side of the trail eating an English muffin, salami slices and some cheese, I heard a noise to my front left. About 30 or so feet away I see a doe, a white tail deer, looking at me and licking her lips. I tried shooing her away but she ignored me. I even tossed a rock right in front of her to spook her, but she just sniffed the rock then went back to watching me again. It was a little creepy. I got up and started walking toward her and then she finally casually walked away. Sashay caught up about then and I told her about the deer. She walked about 20 feet or so and said, "this deer"? The doe was standing right in the middle of the trail behind me, just where I couldn't see her as I was sitting. It must have been the English muffin.A couple of hours later I passed the intersection to Apache Trail and heard the signature sound of a rattlesnake. It startled me a bit, I was about 6 feet or so from a rattlesnake and didn't see it at first. It was just of the trail to my right. I'd say it was about 2 1/2 to 3 feet long and had 6 or 7 pair of rattles on its tail. It had the typical diamond pattern and viper head, but it was unusually dark for your typical rattler. Anyway, it was just letting me know it was there and warning me off. It slithered into the woods shortly afterward.I made it to Blackrock Hut at around 6 pm and met up with Sashay, Scientist, Backtrack, and two hikers I hadn't met yet. A ridge runner was staying at the hut as well. For some reason they call shelters huts in the Shenandoah NP. I hiked 20.6 miles today in my new shoes. They're a little stiff and my feet are a bit sore, but they did ok for new shoes. Another good day.
Date: 2015-06-15
From: Blackrock Hut

To: High Top Hut
Miles today: 21.4

6/15/2015 Day 74 - I saw my first bear today. I left Blackrock Hut a little after 7 am and headed in to the Loft Mountain camp store a little more than 7 miles down the trail. I bought some more food, a couple of days worth, and headed back to the trail. The reason I'm resupplying only a day and a half out of town is to keep my pack weight down. Every day of food weighs roughly 2 pounds and I don't want to carry any more than I need to. It's so much nicer to hike with a light pack. I hiked on to the next hut, about 13 miles into the day and ate lunch with Backtrack, Scientist and a couple of LASHes (Long-Ass Section Hikers). I rested there for about 45 minutes then hit the trail to finish the last 8 miles to the Hightop Hut. I was about 16 miles into the day and I'm usually deep in thought about some philosophical idea, or food, and I wasn't paying much attention to my surroundings. All of the sudden I heard sticks breaking and something rushing through the woods to my left. Before I knew it, a black bear ran across trail about 40 - 50 feet right in front of me. He was fast too. I now know why they say don't run, it would be pointless. He was gone that fast. Anyway, after a minute or so I continued on to the shelter. I sure am glad that black bears are afraid of people. I met some section hikers at Hightop hut and we talked a little. They seemed like nice folks. They were going southbound to Waynesboro. Scientist, Backtrack, Sashay, and Epicuris showed up shortly after I did. I sent my tent up, ate, and slept pretty well.
Date: 2015-06-16
From: High Top Hut

To: Big Meadows Campground
Miles today: 19.5

6/16/2015 Day 75 - While I was eating breakfast Sashay asked if I wanted to split a campsite with her at Big Meadow Campsite. I said sure. In the Shenandoah NP they have campsites where you have to pay $20 for the night. Granted, there are bathrooms with hot and cold running water, and nearby coin operated showers and laundry. I hike the 12.4 miles to the Bearfence Mountain shelter where I ate lunch and filled my water bottles at the stream. Sashay was leaving right as I got there and said there may be more who want to stay at the campground besides us. Shades was at Bearfence and was having some foot trouble because of a worn out Superfeet insole that was hurting him. I hate to see people with injuries, I know it could easily happen to me as well. Anyway, Sashay said that we were all meeting at the Wayside restaurant before checking into the campgrounds and that we would meet there. They are all faster than me, probably because they're all in their 20s, but I'm not too far behind them at the end of the day. I overshot the turnoff to the blue blaze to the Wayside and had to backtrack a quarter mile. When I pulled into to the Wayside everyone was finishing up their dinner. I grabbed a burger and talked to Shades while everyone else did some shopping at the camp store. Sashay, Backtrack and myself walked down about a mile to the campground and got a spot. I set up my tent and decided I wanted to get a bottle of wine and an ice cream cone from the Wayside. I really should have got them while I was there. So, I walked the mile back, got a bottle of wine and a cone, then walked the mile back. I shared the wine with Sashay and Backtrack while we talked about after the trail stuff. It was a nice night.I hiked 19.5 trail miles today, plus several others that I'm not counting.Good day.
Date: 2015-06-17
From: Big Meadows Campground

To: Byrd's Nest #3 Hut
Miles today: 15.3
Weather: clear sky

6/17/2015 Day 76 - I sat down this morning, after eating a pop tart and drinking some coffee, and figured out what I needed to average to reach Katahdin by September 17th. I figured I needed to average 13.9 miles a day, which is less than what I'm doing now. After 3 long days I decided I would back off a bit to rest and enjoy my hike. Consecutive 20 mile days get old.I decided to go for Byrd's Nest Hut #3, 15.3 miles away. I packed up and said goodbye to Sashay and Backtrack. They're going long miles to try and reach Front Royal before Friday. Backtrack is meeting family there and Sashay is getting off trail for good and going on to New York, Canada, then Japan. Scientist is getting off trail as well and he pulled ahead yesterday. Ma'am and Jingle Butt are leaving the trail there as well. I hiked back to the Wayside, ate a second breakfast, then hiked back to the trail where I left off yesterday. I hiked a good 8 miles then saw a sign post that said "Skyland Resort and Restaurant 0.1 miles. I decided to check it out since I hadn't eaten lunch yet and found a pretty fancy restaurant right off the trail. I went in and saw Corky there and said hello. I hadn't seen her since North Carolina or Tennessee. I had a gourmet burger, fries, and a blackberry lemonade. It wS delicious. I moved on another 4 miles and right when it started to rain I came across a park pavilion covering picnic tables. Campground and Young Guns were there and Corky soon joined us. Campground and Young guns are getting off at Harpers Ferry as well and I could tell they anxious to finish up the 80 or so miles. I hiked on to Byrd's Nest #3 Hut. Corky and another hiker were there and we were later joined by Ghost Hiker and her fiend who is hiking with her for a section. I'm glad I decided to go only 15.3 today. I needed the break.
Date: 2015-06-18
From: Byrd's Nest #3 Hut

To: Gravel Springs Hut
Miles today: 17.5
Weather: overcast clouds

6/18/2015 Day 77 - It rained hard last night but luckily I was sleeping in the shelter. By morning the mist and fog had dissipated and the sky was blue. I left at around 7 am with plans to stop at the Elkwallow Wayside for lunch. Corky passed me up and got there before me. It was 11.8 miles and I got there in just under 6 hours. I did take a couple of long breaks to respond to a text from Jingle Butt saying that she finished, and to reserve a bunk at Terrapin Station Hostel. I got a burger, fries and a soda, then went back for a blackberry ice cream cone. The food is expensive at the waysides, but it's a luxury that irresistible after a long hike. A Park Ranger named Larry Morgan was standing by our picnic table while we were eating and told us some details about the local bears. He said there has never been a reported bear attack in the Shenandoahs and that the bears just want your food. He told us a story about one bear who would sneak up and steal food from people when they were sitting at the campfire and not paying attention. I hiked 5.7 miles to to Gravel Springs Hut and when I got there Detox was taking video of something in the spring. He said there's a Copperhead in there and he got some footage of it. The shelter journal mentioned it as well, and also warned of a bear who likes to walk around the area. I'm here with Corky and Stove Kicker tonight, with a young couple camping a little ways away.Looking forward to the hostel tomorrow. I need to shower and wash my clothes. It's been a 6 days of hiking in hot and humid Shenandoah National Park and I'm getting a little ripe.
Date: 2015-06-19
From: Gravel Springs Hut

To: Terapin Station Hostel
Miles today: 9.6

6/19/2015 day 78 - The plan for today was to make it to the Terrapin Station Hostel. Everyone was up before 6 this morning and I was the last one out of Gravel Springs Hut, even though I was on the trail by 7 am. It was 10.1 miles to the hostel, including the 0.5 mile off of the AT. The trails were nice and easy, and the weather was overcast and cool. Perfect day for hiking. I took my time and got there right at noon. Mike, the hostel owner, showed me around and then left me to take a shower and do laundry. There's a box of clothes in the bunk room where you can find something to wear while you wash all of your clothes at one time. A nice touch. I found some fashionable surf shorts and a t-shirt with a bicycle on it. After I took care of my chores I planned the next leg of my hike. With nothing else to to do I ate a few mini pizzas and sat down to a few episode a of Alaskan Bush People. A 1.5 quart container of ice cream is included in the package deal but I could only eat half of it. Maybe I'll finish it for breakfast. It's a nice lazy evening.
Date: 2015-06-20
From: Terapin Station Hostel

To: Jim & Molly Denton Shelter
Miles today: 9.0
Weather: overcast clouds

6/20/2015 Day 79 - Mike slept in so we got off late for our grocery resupply this morning. That's ok though, it gave me a chance to finish my tub of vanilla with fudge swirl ice cream for breakfast. After shopping, I broke down my food and packed real quick before hitting the trail at 10:30 am. The area around Front Royal is a little too developed, but the trail is really nice and groomed. Kind of like walking in the park with some steep hills every now and then. I made it to Jim & Molly Denton Shelter at around 2:30 pm and members of the Potomac AT Club were replacing the roof. I ate lunch while they worked and helped them take their gear to their trucks when they finished for the day. It seemed the least I could do since I was sleeping under their handiwork. I'm in the shelter with Gas Monkey, his girlfriend Starburst, Stream Cleaned, and U-Haul. It just started to rain and the thunder is getting pretty loud. I'm glad I'm in this nice shelter right now.
Date: 2015-06-21
From: Jim & Molly Denton Shelter

To: Rod Hollow Shelter
Miles today: 18.4
Weather: few clouds

6/21/2015 Day 80 - Virginia is such a beautiful, and green, state. This morning was some nice and easy hiking that took me through some nice neighborhoods and reminders of older settlements. A grave yard gate here, and old stone fence there, and a chimney out in the middle of nowhere.I didn't see many hikers until I reached Dick's Dome Shelter for lunch. There was a large group of day hikers who didn't speak English bogarting the little 4 man shelter and some section hikers at a nearby picnic table. They cleared of a place at the table for me to eat lunch. Shortly before I reached the shelter I spotted a turkey hen with 5-6 poults (baby turkeys) on the trail a short way ahead of me. The hen saw me then casually and silently led the poults into the brush and disappeared. For some reason it seemed so serene, and almost elegant. Very cool. After lunch I hiked another 8 miles or so to the Rod Hollow shelter where Hawkeye and Stream Cleaned, as well a a couple of section hikers, were already set up. Detox showed up a little later with nothing but his backpack, shoes, hat and a skimpy loin cloth. Today is the summer solstice, the longest day of the year, and some hikers are hiking nude to celebrate. Detox had a lady take a photo of him without his loincloth. It made her day. Tomorrow is roller coaster day. A lot of small 200-500 foot hills, up and down all day long. It sound pretty challenging.
Date: 2015-06-22
From: Rod Hollow Shelter

To: Blackburn Trail Center
Miles today: 17.9

6/22/2015 Day 81 - Today was a hard hike, but a good one. 13.5 miles of 9 small hills/ mountains in a continuous up and down stretch. It's call "the roller coaster" for obvious reasons. Much of it was quite rocky, adding to the level of difficulty. About 10 miles into it I stopped at a place called the Bear's Den Hostel. It's a beautifully maintained stone building owned by the Appalachian Trail Conservancy. It has a hostel in it. among other things. I bought a Coke and ate my lunch at a picnic table near the house. I hit the trail about 45 minutes later and finished up at Blackburn Trail Center which has is a place primarily for trail maintenance crews, but the have a small cabin and camping spots for hikers. The caretaker was very hospitable and gave me and other hikers sodas and banana bread. I called and reserved a bunk at the Tea Horse Hostel in Harper's Ferry for tomorrow night. I hiked a total of 17.9 miles today.I'm a little sore and a lot tired from today's hike. I think I'll hit the sack a little early tonight.
Date: 2015-06-23
From: Blackburn Trail Center

To: Harper's Ferry ATC
Miles today: 11.9
Weather: overcast clouds

6/23/2015 Day 82 - After hiking a pretty nice and easy 11.9 miles, I made it to Harper's Ferry and checked in with the Appalachian Trail Conservancy HQ. They take your picture in front of the building and give you a number. I'm the 834th thru hiker to check in with them this year. This is the half way town but isn't the official halfway point any more. It's at mile 1022 and halfway is 1094.5, so I have a few more day of hiking before I reach that. It's pretty cool that I've hiked over 1000 miles though.Another milestone is that I'm in a new state! After 550 or so mile of hiking in Virginia, I crossed into West Virginia. In a day or so it will be Maryland and then a few days later, Pennsylvania. This morning before reaching town, I saw two young bears, probably older cubs, in the woods before they saw me. When I tried to get my camera out of my belt pouch they got startled and ran off. I got a quick blurry shot of one before they disappeared though. I'm staying in the Tea Horse hostel with Stream Cleaned, Finn (yes, he's from Finland), Hawkeye and Father Goose. I actually met Father Goose at a local cafe when I went out for dinner. He's a pretty cool guy, a math teacher from Maine. Laurel is the owner of the Hostel and a nice lady who keeps a really nice place. I'll be staying another day to shop for food and check out historical Harper's Ferry.
Date: 2015-06-24
From: Harper's Ferry ATC

To: Zero
Miles today: 0.0

6/24/2015 Day 83 - Taking a zero in Harper's Ferry. Laurel came up to the hostel area kitchen before 6 am and set a nice table and made waffles. They were delicious. At breakfast, Finn was still feeling very poorly and showed me a bite he had near his left armpit. It had a ring around it and it looked like the lymph nodes in his armpit were red and swollen as well. I recommended he see a doctor, as did Laurel, and she took him shortly after breakfast. I saw them again at Walmart while I was grocery shopping and Laurel offered to take me back to the hostel rather than take the bus. On the ride back, Finn said the doctor told him he had Lyme disease. He's now on antibiotics for a couple of weeks and should be back to normal soon. Laurel said he could stay at the hostel free until he recovers. What a nice lady!I walked down to the Historic part of town a little later in the day and saw a few sites to include a museum about John Brown and Lee's capture of the town in the Civil War. There is a street where the store fronts are made up to look like the mid-1800s. Pretty cool.I didn't stay there long, my back's been hurting a little and I decided to cut I short. It's just been the last couple of days where the old bulging dis has been bothering me much. I hope it doesn't persist.
Date: 2015-06-25
From: Harper's Ferry ATC

To: Rocky Run Shelter
Miles today: 16.0

6/25/2015 Day 84 - I was a little bit worried this morning because I woke up and my lower back was still hurting and it was a bit difficult to move around. I took some Ibuprofen and got up for breakfast. Loren made some delicious waffles and served them with bananas, orange juice and coffee. She made more than enough to fill us all, and that's saying a lot with hungry hikers. Loren is a down right good person. Finn is laid up with Lyme disease and she is helping him with a place to stay and drove him to the hospital and to the store for groceries. After breakfast, I went down to the post office to see if the package Eric and Jared sent had arrived yet. It was 2 days late already but was there this morning. I just have to say that I have a couple of really good sons. Not only did they send what I requested, they also added TP, Starbucks coffee and mocha packets, and had the section of my trail guide spiral bound. I'm a lucky dad. They sent me a bit too much stuff so I put the extra in the hiker box for others to use. I hit the trail around 9 am and enjoyed the walk through the historical district of Harpers Ferry. The trail runs right through it. After crossing the Potomac River on a foot bridge, the trail followed and old canal than ran adjacent to the river. It was nice and flat for a couple of miles. Easy hiking. It also took me into another new state, Maryland. I stopped at the Ed Garvey shelter and talked with some section hikers about the AT. One of them, a young lady, had a 1 year old Australian Cattle dog who was friendly and chill. If I were to get another dog I would seriously consider that breed.I walked through a park that displayed Civil War era ruins and had signs explaining their significance. I wanted to make the shelter before the rain storm hit so I didn't have a chance to check out the park more closely.I made it to the Rocky Run shelter before the big rain hit and stayed dry. I hiked a total of 16.0 miles today.