morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2016-05-11
From: Cow Mtn Shltr

To: Loft Mtn Campground
Miles today: 19.1
Weather: overcast clouds

A long, relatively easy day. The Shenandoah Park trail is groomed by the Potomac club. Lots of up and down but never long slogs or too rocky. I made 13 miles by lunch and finished last 6 miles in just over 2 hours. I tried to make it to a wayside for a burger but they're just getting cranking and closed early. Plus loft mtn was a whiteout so I wasn't willing to walk an extra 1.1 in the rain for a burger. These are the choices it comes down to. I plan on going for breakfast tomorrow am off a spur trail a couple miles north on AT. Dogwoods and azalea are in bloom and the woods are beautiful. I guess yesterday was the entrance tothe park and not representative. Today was much nicer. Most of the day it rained. It was a misty morning stroll in the park in the clouds followed by rain walking. In the pm it cleared for a while but then really socked in late afternoon. The cloud I'm in finally broke and I got to see sunset from inside my tent. I had no idea which direction it would set when I set up in the rain. Physically tired but everything is holding together well. I dodged a problem in town the other day: I bought new insoles at the outfitter. They offered more cushion protection on the frontof my feet; important for rocks. But they also had more structure in the arch and heel. I molded them by putting them in the oven and wore them around town. Too much structure. I'm certain my feet would have been screaming if I would have tried to hike in them. So I returned them on myway out of town. Soon ill have to get my next pair of treksta shoes as my current pair are giving it up. Ill keep looking for more support, hopefully before Pennsylvania (rocksylvania).Tomorrow is two weeks on trail. I feel like I'm just getting started but already approaching 20% of my trip. I'm happy taking one day at a time.
Date: 2016-05-12
From: Loft Mtn Campground

To: Hightop Hut
Miles today: 15.3
Weather: overcast clouds

The only thing better than the pancakes and bacon I walked an extra 1.6 miles for this morning was the mayonnaise packet I added to my summer sausage on tortilla for lunch. The Fritos and snickers I scored in the wayside were a close second. On another lousy weather day, high-calorie food becomes the highlight. I know my friend Jeff C will geta big kick out of the unusual (for me) things we eat out here. Among the top-five cal/oz foods are peanut butter, snickers, freetos, and olive oil. I carry and eat all of those. It was pretty nice weather this morning but the fog and clouds piled in quickly. I don't know if it's possible, but it seemed like thick clouds at the top, then slight clearing going downhill, then heavy fog at lower elevation. I couldn't quite figure out the physics of that. Less than a mile from the hut where I planned to tent, it started to rain and didn't let up. So I set up in the rain; a highly specialized process which involves several stages of unpacking and gradually getting into the tent (dry on the inside), getting out of wet clothes, jackets, etc., getting the sleeping pad blownup, and hunkering down in the sleeping bag to dry your wet undies and t-shirt while waiting for the rain to stop without getting chilled. That's just what you do if you don't like shelters (I don't) and you don't want walk anymore and it's raining and cold. So it was a good day although I was in a near white-out all day.
Date: 2016-05-13
From: Hightop Hut

To: Big Meadows Campground
Miles today: 20.8
Weather: mist

Culture shock: I'm in a natl park campground. Music, crying babies, dogs, .... But I pushed through today 20 miles so I could getthat hamburger I missed out on the other day. And resupply so I can keep moving through the park. It was a tale of two days: I stayed in the tent late after on and off rain all nite hoping to get some sun to dry things out. Then it rained again. So I started walking, planning to do ashort day to rest my feet a little and because these park regulations make it kinda weird to figure out stops (difficult stealths). It was misty and rainy all morning until just before lunch. Then the skies blew open and I saw blue for the first time in a while. My lunch was really pleasant and I became motivated to do another 10. Hiking conditions this afternoon were ideal. Mid -60's and crystal clear. The tread was smooth (mostly) and the grades were gentle (mostly). I sailed into the wayside @ 5:30 and they were still serving. Oh boy. I ate, powered up my device,and did a quick 2-day resupply, then walked to the campground. Yesterday I walked through the recent wildfire area that had closed a sectionof the AT. They re-opened it last week so I got to observe the fire results. It was probably a really good thing ecologically but freaked everyone around here out. Later in the day I came upon two deer grazing rightin the trail. They were completely unfazed by me and I had to coax themto move. No bears yet; I'm over halfway through the park. Maybe tomorrow.Hello to Ronnie and Ray in Palm Bay. Ronnie, I hope you don't mind: Steve was with me today. I know you miss him. We all do. Hiking isgood for clearing things out. It is fundamentally the natural rhythm ofhumans to walk. I am lucky to be here.
Date: 2016-05-14
From: Big Meadows Campground

To: Byrds Nest #3 Shltr
Miles today: 14.0
Weather: clear sky

Note to self: don't stay in natl park campground again. 11-yr old running and screaming til 10, college-age talking and laughing around fire til midnight, 2 hrs of coffee-induced fitfulness, cryingbaby 2-3, idiot revving his diesel @ 6. Oh well; I got up and out early. And it was a beautiful morning. Crisp and clear. In the first mileI saw two deer and then, yes, my first AT bear. He was mid-size and mellow. We both seemed content to just stare at one another for awhile. Then he went back to sniffing around and I went on walking. A very beautiful animal. I felt just a bit like I was invading his space at first, but in the end, I wound up feeling more like him than the tourists. Thru-hikers seem to be a curiosity very similar to bears. People talk about their appearance, habits, and way. Nothing negative; it's just thatthe tourists only come a little bit out of their bubble while the hikersubstantially leaves his behind. Well, it's raining again. I got in 14 miles by 1:15 and the front arrived @ 1:30. I got my tent up and I'm hunkered down for the duration. They say it's going into the 30's tonight. Should be nice tomorrow though. Today's trail was the opposite of yesterday: it was rocky (mostly). Tough on the feet. That appears to be thelimiting factor for hiking for me: my feet. They just get tired. Everything else is holding up. Ergo only 14 today: vying for a little rest andrecovery. Shenandoah Park really is beautiful and it's wonderful to see people out walking and enjoying the park experience. I should be out of the park in two more days and ill probably go into Front Royal for a town day.
Date: 2016-05-15
From: Byrds Nest #3 Shltr

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

Today's word: wind. All night long it roared. This is quite a front blasting up the west side of the mountain range. Fortunately I was tented just off the ridge on the leeward slope so I was pretty calm. The wind continued most of the day. It felt like it got colder as the day progressed (it was mid-30's last night). I started out with pants on under my shorts and my long woolen shirt over my t-shirt. I took of the extra layer around 10 (started @7) and got too cold so I added my long sleeve shirt. Did 12 miles by noon and went into my last Shenandoah wayside for a cheeseburger, fries, and a beer for lunch. Then I launched offto the shelter, another 5. Had to keep moving to keep warm.The surprise of the day was snow. Just flurries, but that's how cold it is. Probably be 35ish again tonight - thank goodness for silk liner. Headed intotown tomorrow afternoon.Getting to know some of the thru hikers I've been leap-flogging since daleville. I think when they start seeing you every few days after a few weeks they start to include you in their sphere. It's an interesting culture out here.
Date: 2016-05-16
From: Gravel Springs Hut

To: Front Royal 
Miles today: 13.4
Weather: scattered clouds

A relatively short day into town. Mostly downhill with no food in pack (light) made for quick hike. I blasted through the Shenandoah Nat Park quicker than I imagined. I feel tired but good. It is quite a workout day after day. One thing I know from marathon training is you have to rest and recover regularly. Well, walking all over a town completely designed for the car is not the way to rest and recover. But I did get a shower (#2) reapplied food and ate a huge burger and fries with pizza and ice cream for snack tonight while I do my load of laundry. I think I'll blast out of here tomorrow and book it for Harper's Ferry (4 days). Then find place to rest. Weatherman says it's going to rain the next few days. After yesterday snow flurries, I'm not sure what to expect. Today was a Blue Sky Day. We used to call the intangible value of a business (above asset value to reflect the ongoing extra value realized though reputation, contacts, customer base, experience, etc.) Blue Sky. In a high-quality business, the blue sky value is where the real money is. Anyway, today was big Blue Sky. Near perfect hiking weather: walking cold on the downhill and just below a sweat on the ups. Saw bear #2 first thing out this morning. Just a little fellow and mostly what I saw was rump running away. It was cool anyway.
Date: 2016-05-17
From: Front Royal 

To: Front Royal
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Boy does taking a zero feel like playing hooky. Especially when it rains most of the day. You feel like you are getting away with something. I think this is the first time I've paid for two straight nights lodging and just chilled. All previous zeroes (not many because frequently we don't take one on a section) have been with family or friends. It took me awhile to get my head wrapped around not pushing on, but once I did, it's been great. Time to eat some more, read the paper, do the crossword, go to the coffee shop, eat some salad, find the best milkshake in town (I'm 100% certain I'm not lactose intolerant), soak in Epsom salts, eat some more, email and pay bills, and eat some more. I must have had 20 strips of bacon (they were thin) this morning.When you're hiking, you're pretty much always monitoring everything: the temperature, your water supply, drinking enough, eating continuously, your physical response to hiking, the terrain, your breathing, the weather, distance to next stop, occasionally checking cell signal, etc. That's not to mention normal mental processes like memory, planning, music, wonderment, etc. On a zero, none of that is there once you've got your resupply, laundry, and shower. It's a chance to let go of the tension (it's not a bad tension) of hiking and just veg out. I have performed my vegging very well. Tomorrow I get a 10:30 am shuttle back to the trail and book it. Ill be in Harper's Ferry by Saturday am for my mail and then on to Pennsylvania. My next zero will be with cousin Cynthia and Bill. Uncle Jim will be there, too. I am truly blessed to be here. It feels really right. I am thankful for all the folks with whom I've communicated from the trail. If you're reading this and you want to connect, please sign in the guestbook. That'd be cool.
Date: 2016-05-18
From: Front Royal

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

Got a ride out of town @10:30 after a big breakfast. The rain was petering out just then so the timing was great. It was chilly and threatening all day which is good hiking weather. The tread was about one third smooth, one third rocky, and one third muddy. Ups and downs were modest and the lower elevation forest was further into spring. Actually fewer wildflowers and more leafed out trees. So it should have be an easy fifteen day. Except my feet were screaming. My left big toe was in full arthritic trauma and my right foot was just wrong across the top. I gutted my way through it, thinking it would work itself out. Finally at about mile fourteen I think I figured it out: I had purchased and placed in each shoe a cheap cushion insert. No structure, just a thin cushion. I couldn't believe that would cause so much pain but that's the only thing that's different. So I pulled them out and walked into camp with considerably less pain. The true test will be tomorrow. Hopefully I'll be back on track without the pain. I feel pretty dumb for walking so long in pain without doing something about it. Lesson learned. It doesn't take much to ruin your hike so I'll be more careful. There's at least 10 people in the vicinity of the shelter, many of them thru hikers.So it goes: I see noone all day and the shelter is full. I saw a few people I was leapfrogging in the Shenandoah Park. Everyone is friendly but pretty much into their nightly routine. From here on I think the hike is different. No more big mountains. Less wilderness. More roads, airplanes, lawn mower noises, less old growth forests. I think it'll be more about navigating to the next resupply or the next zero. More just filling the groove. But if my feet hold up, I'm psyched for the next section. I plan on doing 15/day for the next week until I get to cousin Cynthia and Bill's.
Date: 2016-05-19
From: Ducks some shelter

To: Stealth campsit
Miles today: 17.8
Weather: light rain

Hallelujah. My feet hurt normally today. I was worried yesterday but taking those cushion insoles out of the shoes seemed to work. Which is not to say my feet didn't hurt. They did but in a normal way. Today's word could probably be Rocks. It started out as mud. But then we hit the section of trail near the northern end of Virginia they call 'the roller coaster'. It's only 13 miles but it gets its name from the continuous sequence of 300-600 ft ups and downs. The profile is not that tough, comparatively. It's the fact that almost all of those hills are piles of Rocks. So you are navigating Rocks for what seems like forever. I'm almost through the roller coaster and I still haven't taken any vitamin I (ibuprofen). That's a good sign. Most of the thru hikers seem in pretty good spirits. We passed the 1000 milemarker today, a real psychological lift. We're also on our last full day in Virginia as we pass into West Virginia tomorrow. Everyone will be going through Harper's Ferry tomorrow and Saturday. Everyone (myself included) will stop at the Appalachian Trail Conservancy headquarters for their traditional 'halfway' picture on the front porch of their building. For me, I reached the 2/3 point in my AT hike today. I have about 730 miles left. It seems doable as long as I hold up, feet and all. Also today: No Rain. And it's considerably warmer tonight. I saw my first mosquito this evening.I think we're going to get one more minor cold snap but the season is finally changing. I feel lucky to have had the cold and rain I have. It'll make June more bearable. All is well on the AT today: another tough day at the office.
Date: 2016-05-20
From: Stealth campsit

To: Stealth campsite
Miles today: 16.8
Weather: overcast clouds

Good Bye Virginia, it's been grand. The longest state on the AT is behind me. Tada. Seems like a lift to finish each state (there are 14) so this'll be a good week. Finish West Virginia tomorrow and Maryland Tuesday. Pennsylvania will take awhile. Trail miles seemed hard to come by today. I guess the roller coaster and the rocks just slow things down. It takes patience to navigate rocks, especially when they go on and on. And they did go on and on. It was a day of extremes, though as the trail was a runway when it wasn't rocks. After the roller coaster section, I hiked the devils backbone. It was a long (miles) narrow ridge with the top of it a pile of boulders. Thankfully the trail gods ran the path down below on a shoulder of the ridge where it was more manageable most of the time. So it was a day of flying down the smooth parts and grinding to a crawl on the rocky parts. There's a storm predicted at 2am with rain until midday tomorrow so most folks are booking it for Harper's Ferry to get a hostel. I pulled up 3 miles short and camped. I'm not into the town/hostel things unless it's time for a rest or the weather's really bad. I have mixed feelings about the technology-based hiking thing. It's nice to know what the weather's going to do but it makes it less of a wilderness experience to game the weather. Seems a bit soft. I'm happy to not have a smart phone but I do listen when they tell me what the weather's going to do. Kind of like hitchhiking I guess. Anothergood day on the trail.
Date: 2016-05-21
From: Stealth campsite

To: Crampton Gap Shelter
Miles today: 14.5
Weather: overcast clouds

Rocks, rain, and mud. They say to stay out of Vermont until after memorial day (they call it vermud) because it's a pain and it tears up the trail. This year, this may, I'm calling it Marymud here. When not navigating rocks, it was a mud slosh. It might sound like I'm complaining, but I'm not. The mud, the rain, and the rocks gave me a chance to prove out my gear changes and it was a fantastic success. First, a big shout out to my mom. I've decided she should have a trail name since she's such an amazing trail Angel. If she'll accept it, I'm going to call her XC. Remember your Roman numerals if you want the clue. Anyway, XC, aka Mom got my old hiking boots (Vasque ankle high gtx) sent to me in Harper's Ferry on really short notice. I was quite apprehensive about switching shoes at this point but my feet just were getting beat up by the rocks. Today was a very different story for the old feet and I'm thrilled. On top of that, my new rain kilt (I retired the garbage bag) arrived from ULA, the same folks that made my pack. Made out of sil-nylon, it has Velcro fasteners and an elastic waist. Best part: it's deep royal purple. I'm definitely stylin now (with dry shorts underneath. So hiking was great. I went to the ATC headquarters this morning and had my picture taken. I forget my number but they number section hikers separately from this year's thrus so the # doesn't mean much. Then I resupplied and ate: twice. I waddled out of town in the rain (oh yeah, it rained from 2 am all day with just a brief hiatus mid-morning). It was sort of cold as we were in a mist/cloud much of the afternoon. Did I say it was muddy here?I'm in my tent (I packed in the rain this morning and it did pretty well) in a nice tenting area on the way down to the shelter. Ill hang a bear bag rope myself again tonight as the bear pole is 0.2 miles down the hill. Another good day on the trail.
Date: 2016-05-22
From: Crampton Gap Shelter

To: Stealth campsite
Miles today: 15.7
Weather: few clouds

Well, they said there'd be days like this. It rained all night and it was raining when I got up and it rained all day. So I broke camp, hiked, and set up camp in the rain. To top it all off, somehow I bought the one mountain house meal (beef stew) which I can hardly handle. I had a bad experience in Maine (it had rained all day that day) with their beef stew and swore I'd never buy it again. Perfect. Oh well, I added some sunflower seeds to it (helped the texture) and added some olive oil (helped the consistency) and I got it down. I'm in my tent at a stealth site and it's raining. As soon as I get a break (if), I'll go out and hang my bear bag. I saw zero AT hikers on the trail today. I guess they're hunkered down or I'm between groups. I saw a few weekend hikers and most of them didn't seem very happy. A very pleasant couple at the Washington monument (the original one in Maryland) gave me an apple and took my old shoes to take to the trash. So I'm hiking in my boots, like it or not. They really handle the rocks better but they create the typical round of taped toes and weird ankle and forefoot pains. I guess we all choose our poisons. I'm glad to have the boots. There were six young local fellows hiking the four state challenge today. They started at five this morning on the Virginia side of the va/wv line. Soon they should cross into Pennsylvania having traversed West Virginia and Maryland. Hence the four states. It was a muddy (did I mention the rain) 43 miles. I saw them at the halfway mark at lunch so I hope they made it.Marymud has been a bit rough so far (I finish it tomorrow) but the people seem really nice. There's oodles of history everywhere. Some of the walking today was along old woods roads; all of it was either muddy or rocks. I'm on a march to pine grove furnace state park for a pickup Thursday by my cousin for a zero in Lancaster, PA. Ill be ready. I've been told the weather is going to break and it'll be 'real nice'. That'll be 'real nice'.
Date: 2016-05-23
From: Stealth campsite

To: Falls Creek campsite
Miles today: 15.4
Weather: clear sky

A long and adventurous day. I slept in a bit to wait for the sun to come up to dry some things. I wound up not leaving the campsite til 10:30, three hours later than usual. But I got most things reasonably dry. Considering I arrived in a downpour after two days and a previous night in the rain, I was in good shape by 10:30 today. So I set out. At some point, I finally just accepted there are going to be a lot of rocks. The mud will eventually dry, but the rocks are here to stay. I'm not sure of the geologic reason or if it's an ice age, glacial terminal morraine thing, but there's just lots of rocks. But the weather was nice, not too sunny but nice.I walked through a few grassy fields and went up and down various rock fields. Then, to my surprise, we had a bona fide climb. It was 'only' 800' or so but it was a good climb that felt like Tennessee or Vermont. The hike across the top was also more like other states. But the descent, wow, it was rock hopping, hard to find the 'trail', 'i can't believe they expect me to traverse that' kind of stuff for 600'. It was pretty radical (and fun). Then came the thunder. Against any notion I had about the weather for the day, the skies opened and drenched me for 1 1/2 hours. Crazy wind and blowing rain. Then, just as I arrived at the Maryland/Pennsylvania border (the Mason Dixon line), the rain stopped. Lucky for me, because I needed to go into town at the next road crossing.I took off my kilt and started hitching. First car took me to Wal-Mart.Resupply and subway done, I headed back toward the trail. First car to come by brought me back. Good thing because it was 7:30 and starting to get dark in the woods. I booked it for the first campsite (1/2 mile) and found a spot not taken by the outward bound group or a couple of thru's. Of course, just for good measure, it rained for the ten minutes it took me to set up. No big deal; just par for the day. Another good one on the AT.