morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2016-10-07
From: doc's knob shelter

To: Pearisburg, VA
Miles today: 8.8
Weather: few clouds

Headed out from the shelter in rain. Climbed to Pearisburg mountain where the wind was blowing and it was cold! The descent into town was steep and we overshot town because of a trail reroute that we were not aware of. Think we did an extra mile or more then had to turn and go back to the road that would have taken us into o town. Now we hen we leave we will have to do that section again! Hotel is dirty but has a bed and real bathroom. Zeroing here because of rain
Date: 2018-07-15
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: few clouds

Where do I start?  In 3 days I¢ll board an airplane to fly to Harrisburg, PA to continue a 5 year journey of section hiking the AT.  This trip will be very different from past hikes since I¢ll be heading out without Pace Setter, my wife.  She¢s been a constant companion for the past 8 section hikes and 1,194 miles that have taken us to the 501 Shelter near Pine Grove, PA.  Our prior hikes, before I retired, took place in spring and fall, lasted from 9 to 14 days and covered distances ranging from 81 to 144 miles.  After I retired our hikes became longer (25, 28 and 17 days covering 225, 268 and 170 miles respectively).  The longer periods of time and distance, not to mention the rocks in PA, took their toll on PS¢ knees, so she¢s taking time off to heal in hopes of returning to the trail we both love.  She¢s graciously agreed to allow and even encouraged me to continue to hike without her.  While I¢ll miss her, I am very thankful for this opportunity. As the days count down and the things on the ¢to do¢ list get crossed off, I find an odd mix of excitement and apprehension: Excitement to get back on the trail, see new sites, meet new folks, test my own physical and mental capabilities, and possibly make it all the way to Katahdin; Apprehension as to being so far from home alone, coping with the summer heat and bugs, finding water, the logistics of resupplying on the trail, and wondering if I¢m physically and mentally capable of pulling this off.  Overall, I¢m cautiously optimistic, knowing that whether I cover 100 miles or the remaining 1,000 miles, I¢ll do my best to enjoy every bit of it. More to come,
Date: 2018-04-09
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

I'm trying to get more familiar with navigating this forum.  My original entry indicated that I would be doing a NOBO hike starting the beginning of April.  I have decided to complete a "flip flop" starting from Harpers Ferry.  I'll spend the last weekend of April attending the "Flip Flop Festival" and start hiking north on May 1st.  I'm finishing up food prep and logistics, and trying to make sure everything is ready to go on the home front for my 6 months away.  I'm a little nervous, but I have a great support network, and can't wait to get started.
Date: 2018-04-17
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

I'm 10 days out from leaving Michigan and heading to Harpers Ferry.  As the day draws closer, I am vacillating between so many emotions and feelings...excitement, nervousness, anxiety, calm, anticipation.  I am also experiencing what I'm sure many people preparing for a thru hike (especially their first one) do - organized chaos. I've had tables set up with food and gear EVERYWHERE!  I also suffer from "shiny object" syndrome, sometimes abandoning a task before its completion, to start another task, prompted by seeing an object, or a random thought that pops into my head.  I move things to a different location, thinking it will help me be more organized.  Despite all this, it's coming together.  Making plans to be gone from home for 6 months is difficult.  I am trying to anticipate any needs, or any upcoming issues that will need to be addressed at home while I am gone.  I had the furnace and hot water heater replaced recently, and hoping for a break in the weather to clean the gutters.  Having retired in October, there are lots of house projects to be done, many of which will have to wait until I return. As far as the trail goes, I should have what I need, and will make adjustments as I go.
Date: 2018-04-24
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Up to this point I have used my computer for my journal entries. I thought I would practice with my phone, since that will be the device I will utilize throughout my hike. I am somewhat technologically challenged and don¢t like using my phone for anything other than phone calls, text messages skimming emails, and playing candy crush. I don't do any social media, so this journal is my first "social media" account.  I thought I would go all out with my practice phone entry and add photos.  I attempted to load photos, but it didn¢t work. I did some research and found out that I needed a photo uploader. I downloaded it and uploaded photos, but now trying to figure out how to move and edit them, and do a journal entry to  coincide, so this is my first journal entry with my phone...without photos.  I¢ll try to figure the photo thing out later. The good thing is I can use voice recording for my entries! Big bonus for me since I dislike typing on my phone.  I¢m now three days out from leaving. I¢m looking forward to the festival this coming weekend!  Any elementary children  out there for hire to do my journal entries and photos?  LOL!
Date: 2018-04-24
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

A lot of people ask me about my food on the trail.  I use a combination of different food options, but my dinners are primarily freezer bag cooking of homemade meals.  I like to have food that I would normally eat at home, with the same flavor.  The best way to do that is to actually cook the meal, then dehydrate it. It doesn't look anything like it would at home (it's usually a brownish powder), but the taste is just like home cooked.  Not all my dinners are brown powder.  I also utilize some pre-packaged foods which I use in combination with other foods.  For example, I use quinoa and brown rice packets (thanks for tip on one of your favorites, Ayden!) which I heat in the microwave, the add canned chicken, which I've dehydrated, to make a meal. See my photos labeled "food prep" for a visual of the process. Breakfast will typically consist of combinations of chia seeds, oatmeal, dried fruit, and nuts. Lunches and snacks will be a variety of items such as hummus (dehydrated and reconstituted on the trail) and tortillas, beef jerky, cheese, snack bars, and other snack items.  I will also be adding olive oil and coconut oil to a lot of my food for the added calories.  Bon appetite!
Date: 2018-05-01
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

I'm leaving today. I spent the morning at the ATC HQ yesterday meeting thru hikers coming in from GA. As they came in and set their packs down in front of the ATC, I couldn't help but notice how "streamlined" and organized they were. My pack doesn't look like that...yet. They were very encouraging and said their packs were not that efficient when they started. As you hike, you figure out what you don't need, and send it home, or put it in a hiker box for someone else. I'm getting a late start today, as my morning didn't go exactly as planned, but that's ok. I don't like rushing around, so I got a cup of coffee and went with the flow. It's a beautiful sunny day in the mid to upper 70's. The heat is coming the next 3 days - upper 80's to 90 degrees. Thanks to everyone for all your messages and encouragement. It is greatly appreciated. I'm off - headed north!
Date: 2018-05-01
From: Harpers Ferry, WV

To: Ed Garvey Shelter
Miles today: 7.0
Weather: clear sky

Today was the first day. Before leaving ATC HQ in Harpers Ferry, I met Balto heading SOBO (Southbound), Ulysses heading NOBO (Northbound), and Wind Eagle (NOBO). The weather was absolutely beautiful. Coming out of Harpers Ferry, the Appalachian Trail is the C&O (Chesapeake & Ohio Canal) Towpath. It is a beautiful walk along the river. After getting lulled into complacency, I then hit ¢the trail¢. There¢s about 1000 foot ascent after getting off the tow path. I¢m in decent physical condition, however getting in backpacking shape is very different. At the end of the day, my deep hip muscles felt like I had laid on my side and did 1000 leg lifts. Getting to camp was a relief, until I had to go get water. The shelter and campsites were at the top of a ridge....the water was at the bottom. It was a very deep descent with switchbacks, and of course, once I went down, i had to go back up. It took me 54 minutes to get my water, when all I wanted to do was relax for a minute. No time for that. Once I got my water I had to set up camp, eat my dinner and hang my bear bag.  Luckily there was a bear pole for the bags and I didn¢t have to hang it from a tree.  I¢m not gonna lie. It was a rough first day. It was very nice guys from Cleveland at the campsite along with Field Trip,  ulysses, and the Canadians, very nice couple from Toronto Canada. The Canadians don¢t have trail names yet. I will do my best to keep my journal up-to-date, but with limited battery life I may have to catch it up when I get to locations with the electricity.
Date: 2018-05-02
From: Ed Garvey Shelter

To: Rocky Run Shelter
Miles today: 9.1
Weather: few clouds

The day started off well. I'm a little sore, but the trail was nice and soft the first half of the day. I noticed on the easier parts of the trail, I get a "cadence" going and develop a rhythm with the trail. It motivates me to keep going. I'm not sure if that's unique to me, I suspect other hikers have the same type of experience. The afternoon brought on rocks. These are not like stones in a driveway that are easy to walk on. My best description of them is that a dump truck 3/4 full of rocks ranging from 2 inches to 2 feet, and 1/4 full of dirt, drove down the trail, dumping its load. The rocks are at all sorts of odd angles, and there's very little dirt to step on. As carefully as I tried to step, my feet turned every which way in my boots. I think because the rocks in Pennsylvania are so much more challenging, and go on for much longer (I wouldn't know from experience since I haven't hiked there yet), no one talks about the rocks in Maryland. I just look at it as a training ground for what's to come, but it was sure nice to get to camp and put my feet in a cold stream. It was another tough day, but the sunset made it totally worth it.The three gentlemen from Cleveland, the Canadians, and Field Trip stayed at Rocky Run. Slept in my tent - it was hot, tomorrow will be hotter. During the day I met Ex-FedEx, Ferrell Dad, Sawdust (who knew what kind of tree had 7 trunks - see photos), and Taxman.
Date: 2018-05-05
From: Raven Rocks Shelter

To: Pennsylvania Maryland Line - Waynesboro, PA
Miles today: 4.9
Weather: overcast clouds

Got up and had a leisurely breakfast with Wingnut, Phaedrus, and Thumper. I texted Chuck about a ride to Waynesboro. I am taking a "Nero" day today. A nero day is a partial day of hiking, and a partial day of rest. A Zero day is a day of no hiking. The 4.9 mile hike was a mixture of nice, comfortable trail, and some uncomfortable rocks, boulders, ups and downs. In some locations (like in the middle of a big boulder field going up) there were no visible white blazes on the trees. It was incredibly frustrating, stopping several times to find the blazes, sometimes moving several steps the wrong direction to finally see a blaze, on a tree BEHIND cover, when there was a very visible tree which should have had a blaze on it. These invisible blazes were interspersed with smooth, soft, open trail, which had blazes on seemingly every tree, as far as the eye could see. Many of the hikers were complaining about it. Chuck was going to pick me up at High Rock, but I would have been 3.1 miles short of my goal of reaching the Maryland/Pennsylvania state line. He graciously agreed to pick me up a little later at the state line, despite the fact that his son's prom was tonight, and Chuck was cooking dinner. He met me close to the line, and walked the rest of the distance to the state line. He recommended a hotel in town (Cobblestone) that was easy walking distance to Walmart, Applebees, and Subway, with a post office not too far away. The hotel had a washer and dryer, free breakfast, and free wifi - a hiker's dream. He dropped my off, and offered to assist me while I'm in the area if I need it. Thanks Chuck! My first official "Trail Angel"!As I was checking in, I heard a voice behind me call my name. It was Puddles, who I met during the weekend.  She left a day before me.  Her husband Brian, is very supportive and out for a few days while she gets started. After checking in, I went to the laundry room, waiting for a washer to open. A gentleman in crocs showed up and I asked if it was his laundry in a the washer, which it was. I asked if he was "Bite Me" and it was. I had heard about him from Thumper the night before, as he was staying in the shelter where I camped. He left camp earlier than I did, so I hadn't met him yet. We sat down on the floor of laundry room, and chatted while our laundry was going. I was dressed in my rain kilt, and the only clean shirt I had left. He's a retired biologist from North Carolina, who started a thru hike from Georgia, before getting a hernia. He had surgery and returned to the trail in Harpers Ferry to do a flip flop hike back to where he left off. Had dinner at Applebees. It's quite different looking at a menu. I am now looking for what has the MOST calories! Weird!
Date: 2018-05-06
To: Waynesboro, PA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

I decided to take a zero day today, it wasn¢t because I felt physically unable to hike, but that I needed to get more organized and caught up. I think it will prove to be very beneficial to me in the long run. I was able to upload all my photos, and catch up my up my journals. I also re-organized my backpack to layout that makes more sense to me. I now have a lot less food and less gear. This will be process for a while, constantly tweaking the system.Today was my first resupply day out of a store. Prior to going to store, Bite Me and I had dinner with the Canadians.  Matt is now ¢Snickerdoodle¢ and Rachelle is ¢Chattacoochie¢.  As Chattacoochie was deciding what beer to select and considered the Yuengling, I suggested that would be appropriate for a Canadian to have a Yuengling as her first ¢Trail beer¢, since it was the oldest brewing company in America. She agreed and was happy with the selection. After dinner, Bite Me and I headed over to Walmart. I selected my food items and we headed over to the toiletries section. Bite Me needed hand sanitizer. As we wandered around in separate aisles, I found the hand sanitizer, and hollered out ¢Bite Me¢ as I looked down aisles in search of him. Several customers gave me an odd look, and I directed him to the sanitizer. I found a few more items that I needed then looked for Bite Me. I found him near the foot care area.  He had been having trouble with his shirt rubbing his nipples while he was hiking, which was become quite painful for him. As I walked up to him, he selected a package of corn pads. They are little round cushions with a hole in the middle, designed to keep corns from rubbing on shoes. He held them up and proudly announced, ¢I think these will work¢ which immediately made us burst into uncontrollable laughter! More odd looks from customers followed. We returned to the hotel where I sorted and organized my food into daily bags. During the flip flop festival, a previous thru hiker mentioned that she organized her food this way and made it easier and more organized. Each daily bag includes all meals and snacks for the entire day. It made sense to me, so that¢s how I organized my food. Tomorrow I¢ll be back on trail.
Date: 2018-05-09
From: Caledonia State Park

To: Birch Run Shelter
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: overcast clouds

The first steps in the morning are the hardest. I slip my feet into my camp shoes and stand gingerly, as the there is always a ¢zing¢ to the feet, like pins and needles.The first few days I simply put my shoes on, got up and tried to walk, usually coming to a complete standstill, due to the discomfort. I've learned to ease into the first steps. It takes a few minutes for my feet to feel somewhat normal, as the blood circulates through them. I took a shower, finding the only thing I had to dry off with was a half of a Trader Joe absorb-able towel, and a salty bandana. It seemed to work pretty well, and I finished drying off under the electric hand dryer. It¢s funny the things that you remember when you¢re not in a position to retrieve them. As I was in the shower I was thinking that I should¢ve grabbed my rain kilt to put on after I got out of the shower to cover up. I wear it when I when I do laundry, but I never considered it for going to shower. I ate breakfast and as I packed up, John, a camper from New York stop by to chat. We talked about my hike. When he found out I was going to Maine, he recommended Oak Pond Brewery. I'm not sure where that is in relation to the trail, but I thanked him for the information. I walked the mile back to the main part of the state park where several groups of elementary children were on a field trip. Everything looked so different in daylight! I went back to where I ended hiking the night before. I ran into Nicole, who was looking for water. I had met her yesterday at Tumbling Run. She is hiking until Saturday, trying to get as far as she can. I enjoyed a well groomed trail, until the park ended, and I was met with my morning climb, a half mile elevation of rocks. I'm still trying to get my trail legs so it was challenging. I stopped at Quarry Gap Shelter for lunch. Nicole stopped also. It was warm so the break was nice, with cold spring water at our disposal. The rest of the 10 mile day was a nice hike to Birch Run Shelter.
Date: 2018-05-15
From: Carlisle

To: Darlington Shelter
Miles today: 6.3
Weather: overcast clouds

Today I¢m heading back out on the trail with my pack. I¢ve stayed at the Days Inn long enough and it¢s time to move on. I rearranged things in my pack, and moved a small bag I had been attaching to the back of the pack to the front for easier access to snacks. I hiked for two hours and stopped at a stream to soak my feet and eat lunch.  The hike took me through grassy fields, a functional cow pasture, and wooded areas with fragrant blooms from Russian Olive trees. It was quite an interesting range of fragrance from the cow pasture to the blooms! It was sunny and 87 degrees, and although it¢s hard, I feel stronger than I have in previous days. I didn't want to push it too hard and force myself into heat exhaustion, as I don't do well in the heat. When I sat down to lunch, the chance of thunderstorms was 40%. My friend Jodi sent me a text warning me about storms coming in. After lunch, the chance of thunderstorms was 90%, and I could hear thunder in the distance. I quickly packed up my belongings and headed toward a nearby road about half a mile away. The forecast called for up to dime size hail, and 60-75 mph straight line winds. I knew I couldn't get to the shelter before the storm hit, so I figured I would get to the road, and catch a ride if I could. When I got there I was delighted to find a tunnel under the road in which I could take cover. The storm hadn¢t come in yet so I dragged a log into the tunnel and made myself comfortable. I waited it out as several hikers came through. I was getting sprayed with rain as it was being blown into the tunnel, despite me being so far inside of it. A day hiker came through and stopped in the tunnel for a bit. He seemed very agitated at getting caught in the storm. When everything cleared, I hiked up to Darlington Shelter, passing several downed trees and limbs, as well as large puddles in the trail. The shelter was packed. T-Bird and RX were there, along with 60'ish Sisters, who are also doing a flip-flop hike. There were also several other young hikers who were thru hiking from Georgia. I also found out later that Puddles had to sprint in to the shelter during the storm, the second time on her hike that she got caught in a thunderstorm. I pitched my tent, ate dinner and fell asleep almost immediately.
Date: 2018-07-01
To: Home
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

I will be home for a few days, then returning to the trail on July 6.  These days off were pre-planned by Puddles before she started hiking and I decided to take the same days off. The airport near her house had direct flights and the logistics worked out well. My knees need the break as they are inflamed and I have limited mobility. I'm hoping my body will get a lot of recovery during this time with rest and body work appointments. This is the hardest thing I have ever done in my life, physically and mentally, but I know in the end, it will be the most rewarding journey I have taken.
Date: 2018-07-05
To: New Hampshire 
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

I headed back to New Hampshire today. I wasn¢t home sick until I went home, but it¢s easier leaving to go back to the trail than it was to leave when I started the trail. When I left home on April 27th, I didn¢t know what to expect. Now I have almost 600 miles behind me, and have a better idea of what I¢m doing. The nervousness and anxiety I had in the beginning are gone. Now I¢m focused on finishing what I started. There¢s a part of me that has some guilt about not being at home to help with household chores and caring for pets, but I also know this is temporary, and a once in a lifetime experience It¢s an excellent transition for me into retirement, to free myself of cynicism, and restore my faith in humanity. I enjoyed spending time with friends, Tressa, and the cat menagerie. There were a lot of things I wanted to get done at home, but there just wasn¢t enough time. One of my cats did his best to try and convince me to stay at home by spooning with me in the morning, but I wiggled out from behind him and tucked him in, with his head on my pillow. Tressa dropped me off at the airport and I flew to Manchester where Puddles and Brian picked me up. We had a nice dinner with their niece Laura and boyfriend, Aaron, then headed home to Puddle¢s house, where I organized and packed my gear and food box I had shipped to myself. Other than my aching knee not being fully recovered from hiking before the days off, I was ready to return to the trail.