morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2013-05-03
From: Lamberts Meadow Shelter

To: Daleville
Miles today: 10.0

I wake up slightly early, though my body wakes me up early on a regular basis anymore. No longer can i sleep in, even when all i have is time. The 10 miles to get into town seem slow, but they actually go fast; im in town just after 10 am. So that reminds me of the relativity of time out here. When someone says "oh thats just like an hour away"..i dont pay full attention, because those two miles in that one hour may be the longest hour of the day. Every mile is different, even though most of them look the same.So im in town before Pizza Hut opens, so i browse the Goodwill and find a nice pair of blue nylon shorts to add to my attire. They even have pockets! Next is the outfitter to pick up my package courteous of my folks, then the food spot to get some beverages. I fill up at the Hut, get a room, and thats about my day.
Date: 2013-05-05
From: Daleville

To: Cove Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 25.0
Weather: clear sky

I take a zero day in Daleville after being offered to split a room with a few others. I dont regret my decision to stay, because if anything, sitting around all day made me very motivated to hike. Plenty of sunshine in the morning but clouds roll in and show us what the next few days will look like. The weather is said to be rainy and wet, with some moments being very rainy and wet. No time for being a fair weather hiker.As i start down the trail i feel a pain in my left shin; i describe it as the muscle to the right of the shin bone- thats about as anotomically i can make it. So i slow down, stretch it out, and after i get warmed up the pain subsides but is not gone. But i can walk so thats ok. I come across a group of hikers that planned ahead. They got a shuttle a few stone-throws up the trail and are hiking south to get into town and avoid the rain. Hats off to their forward thinking. The terrain is not much trouble; incline, declines, flat, rocks, rocks. Id say the hardest parts anymore are stretches where the trail is just rock; big rocks, small rocks either way all jagged rocks. Rocks where if you step on one you can feel it poke into the sole of your weary foot. A few spots are like that today, and maybe that is contributing to my overall weariness. My knees have begun to be/get sore. Im surprised it took this long for that to happen. So i come about the shelter i originally planned to stop at, but decide to continue on and take advantage of the fair weather day. 25 miles out of town to the shelter, im beat. I cook, eat, take care of a few other things and lie down. Its just Northern and i as none others were willing to make this trek from town. I fall asleep around 7:40.
Date: 2013-05-06
From: Cove Mountain Shelter

To: Bryant Ridge Shelter
Miles today: 7.0
Weather: light rain

Awoke to some light fog but otherwise a pleasent spring morning. I begin my hike i end it for the day briefly thereafter. I wouldnt say it was a lack of motivation, but a short 7 mile hike would conclude my exercise. During the hike, wind knocked water droplets off the trees to give the illusion of rain, heavy at times. Periodically there was no wind, and no rain and the forest was still. My landing at the large, well built, 20 person shelter was rather timely- it begins to pour on my last few steps in. I cook some hot food and pass the time. A few other hikers get a late start and head out into the rain. I think that there kinda confirmed my decision stay. I enjoy the entire top loft of the shelter to myself for a bit and for a moment i think it would stay that way. Soon after, another wet hiker shows up, and another then another. The shelter is soon full of wet hikers, two with dogs. I realize wet hikers dont smell much better than wet
Date: 2013-05-07
From: Bryant Ridge Shelter

To: Thunder Ridge Shelter/Daleville
Miles today: 10.2
Weather: clear sky

The rain stops overnight, but picks up to a steady rain by the time i have my things packed to leave. A light rain can be enjoyable to hike in. Hell even a brief downpour has its perks. But this rain is nothing of the sort. I laugh aloud by myself as the rain picks up even more. I guess im laughing at my miserable condition, and my complete lack of control in the situation. You only fight being wet for so long, then you come to accept it, then you come to despise it. The trail is flooded. stepping around puddles is pointless. The trail is up at 4,000 feet at this point, and i come to a clearing where the rain and the wind picks up. I feel my breath get taken away like jumping into a cold lake. I essentially run across the clearing to keep my body warm. There is a highlight of the trail, the guillotine, a boulder wedged twenty feet high between two ledges. I waste no time at this photo op and run right on by. I am soaking wet and miserable by the time i get to the shelter. The floor is wet as well from the rain blowing through the front opening. I quickly get out of my wet clothes and realize the loss of dexterity in my pruney hands. Fortunately another hiker was calling for a shuttle to get out of the muck. I figure il jump in on this strategic retreat and head back into town. I will get dropped off at the same location on the 9th, when the worste of the weather is past
Date: 2013-05-09
From: Nowhere

To: Punchbowl Shelter
Miles today: 23.7
Weather: few clouds

Hurricane, Northern, and I catch a shuttle out of town from a nice man named Homer. we go back to the sight where we got picked up; no cheatin here. The weather had cleared up significantly. Of course there are the ups and downs about the trail during the day. Coming down from the ridge where the muddy James River slices through the valley. I am caught off guard when i come across a raccoon standing right in the middle of the trail. I take a step back and Northern and i figure its a rabid raccoon. It is incredibly not-caring of our presence and we use our trekking poles to push it off the trail as we skirt by; trekking poles have multiple uses. As with any decent, there is a climb to follow. We climb up a rocky and dry ridge. The nice day turns pretty dreadful as my water runs low, and warm and bugs kamikaze into my ears. I pull my bandanna over my ears to prevent insanity. I come up to Bluff Mountain and know the shelter is just 1.5 miles away; my only motivation as i am exhausted. The shelter rests .2 miles off of the trail; always the longest part of the day. there is a little pond and clearing and i share the shelter with a few section hikers and the same two as before. When i was thinking about the trail, pre-trail, i hadnt thought i would use the shelters as much as i have, but i enjoy the convenience and the company.
Date: 2013-05-10
From: Punchbowl Shelter

To: Seeley-Woodworth Shelter
Miles today: 25.3
Weather: overcast clouds

The date for my only deadline is within reach; by March 24th i would like to be in Harpers Ferry to get picked up and head off the trail for 5 days for my sisters wedding- a time i am greatly looking forward to. With that, i know i have to put in some good mile days to lessen the pressure of this timeline. Though i may say, i am not a fan of having a deadline. So i push through an eventful 25 mile day.There is an enjoyable section of trail along a reservoir and fresh, cold mountain streams. I take a few gulps of excellent water right from a gushing spring. This bliss is followed by a 3,000 foot climb over a little less than 4 miles. Up and up and up for a few hours. I wish there was something to enjoy about the summit, but it just goes down the other side of the mountain. Shortly after however, i hike up a grassy bald with panoramic views. Views, or rewards of this nature have a way of slowing me down, and lifting me up as if easing the pressure on my aching feet. I also know that Fresh Grounds is just up ahead, and the thought of that nirvana lets me run down the hill. This is the third time i have caught the Leap Frog Cafe since leaving Erwin, Tn. This will also be the last time as he is done with the leaps. Fresh Grounds is a in-depth man; he sees meaning in every incidence, and he feels his support has set a pace and mindset for the hikers who have kept up. I greatly appreciate what the man has done and his positive outlook is inspiring. With still some hours of light, i decide to continue another 8ish miles to the next shelter. The first 4 miles fly by and of course, whenever you are anticipating to see the roof of the shelter, that is when time slows down. I get to the shelter and enjoy some red wine that some section hikers toted in. A brief thunderstorm soaks the outside, but i am dry and content.
Date: 2013-05-11
From: Seeley-Woodworth Shelter

To: Maupin Field Shelter
Miles today: 20.4
Weather: light rain

I struggle with a slight funk in the start of the day. I walk and talk with a fellow hiker for a bit before i outpace him, and am soon on a very long descent to a valley. From 4,000 feet to 900. I get bored. I have little to say to the weekend hikers and just hike in a state of zombie mode until some streams wake me up. i splash some nice cold water on my face and zoom on. After descending, i must climb, up and up to Three Ridges- a steep rocky climb which later offers a great view of the mountains i just hiked. i sit on a cliff until the biting bugs drive me back into the woods and down the hill to the shelter. The shelter is empty when i arrive except for the mice who come out when my headlamp goes out. I realize this is the first time having a shelter to myself and i remember how that would have creeped me out a bit earlier on in the hike. Now however, i enjoy the quiet, and the fresh smell of rain from the brief thunderstorm that rolled through. I read until my eyes get too tired...around 8pm.
Date: 2013-05-12
From: Maupin Field Shelter

To: Stanimal's Hostel
Miles today: 21.0

Sun to the left of me, darkness to my right. A large dark cloud positions itself just overhead. I am on a ridgeline above, or below, the Blueridge Parkway. I put my pack cover on and prepare myself for a deluge of cold rain and wind. Then, much to my benefit, the cloud moves on and reveals a patchwork of gentle, white giants moving quickly across the sky. I could not have been happier about the unexpected turn in the weather.A little less than halfway into my hike i come up to some very nice overlooks; a rock ridge looking back towards the land i just walked and a very expensive looking resort thing. I sit for a bit and enjoy some trailfood; summer sausege and sharp cheddar cheese on a wrap, or bagel= fantastic. So i'm getting ready to leave when another hiker walks up, then another, and another. I am excited because they are the first thru-hikers i have seen in the last day and a half, and also because this fun group is comprised of some good people who i thought were a day ahead. They (Lady Grey, Fix, Foxie, Tommyhawk, and Goat) fill me in on their whatsabouts and tell me about the hostel they are staying at in Waynesboro. So i hike on, and on, and come to Rockfish Gap where we wait for Stanimal to pick us up.The hostel is a few mattresses and couches in his basement with a nice sunroom with computer and chairs, and a very nice back yard. Overall a great setup with stores just down the way. Taco Bell was not enough, but the large pizza from Dominos did me in (ate half on the walk back). This day was a delightful surprise.
Date: 2013-05-13
From: Stanimal's Hostel

To: Blackrock Hut
Miles today: 21.5
Weather: light rain

After a pancake and egg breakfast, the Shenandoah await the trudging of my boots. I am almost immediately experiencing much of what the national park has in store- fairly easy terrain, a nice trail, and plenty of people; day hikers, and more section hikers than other places so far. And plenty of road crossings as the AT zigzags over Skyline Drive countless times. My pace separates me from the group i started with, and i wonder of their whereabouts but continue on nonetheless. Blackrock Hut is mine for a few hours. I set up my tent for the first time since before Pearisburg. It feels nice.
Date: 2013-05-14
From: Blackrock Hut

To: Hightop Hut
Miles today: 21.4
Weather: scattered clouds

The ridgeline in the park is beautiful. Even the rocks aren't so bad, and i am encountered by some of the park's un-wild wildlife. I see a momma deer and a very young baby deer just off the trail to my left. She walks towards me. I figure it's because i'm downwind and she cant see good cuz she's a deer, but no. She is just really that dumb. Another deer was right in the trail and started to walk towards me. I say "whatta ya doin you stupid deer?" and it looks at me like i should be doing something else. It walks so close to me i could have smacked it right across the face if i felt so inclined. I didnt. I make a .5 mile pit stop, i know half a mile!...but it was well worth it. Loft Mtn Wayside...everything except beer. A burger and sweet potato fries suffice though. I make conversation with a SOBO section hiker and a nice older woman who offers to buy me lunch. I decline the offer, i just ate and although i could have ate again i was ok. So she offers a can of Coke..who could decline that? As i'm throwing away my trash she hands me a $10 bill to get some hot food later. She insisted harder than I, so i appreciatively take the money. I hope i didnt look like a homeless wreck. I come across two hikers sitting in the grass at another Skyline Dr crossing. A mom and her 7 year old son. I ask this talkative fella what he likes about backpacking. His response, a giggley "seeing all the beautiful things"...how simple. After reach the hut, i trick the kid into eating potatos that he said he said were no good, i said their fine...and all of a sudden they were good.I am covering ground and seeing new faces.
Date: 2013-05-15
From: Hightop Hut

To: Big Meadows Campground
Miles today: 20.8

A hot one. And i can feel the heat just drain the energy from me. At Lewis Mt Campground i get a microwaved stromboli and soda. I feel slightly better after getting food in me, and shortly after the trail becomes a flat, dirt cushioned pathway through the woods. All that's missing is the conveyer belt to transport us weary hikers north.Hearing gushing water means coolness for my face. Unhesitantly, i drop my pack and spend a minute or two splashing water over myself. Sopping wet, and probably smelling just as bad, i come across a couple walking on the gravel road. We say our "hellos" and get into more conversation. This very nice couple hiked, and met on the AT, then did the Pacific Crest Trail PCT, then half the Continental Devide Trail CDT. They invite me to stay at their campsite at the Big Meadows Campground, 7 miles shy of my destination, but i happlily accept the offer. Todd and his wife Haidee treat to some solid beverages and the three of us share hiking stories, advice, and s'mores while their two year old gets covered in dirt. Another great, unexpected day.
Date: 2013-05-16
From: Big Meadows Campground

To: Harpers Ferry
Miles today: 103.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Sorry for the lack of updates. Considering tbe amount of time that has past, il just do a brief summary of my time up to Harpers Ferry, Wv. The Shenandoah were good to me. On my last night in the park at Gravel Springs Hut, a section hiker and i had a close encounter with a black bear. It started when two German dayhikers come jogging up from the ravine saying (in your best Arnold Shwartzanneger accent), "ders a bear doown deerre". And sure enough the bear was foraging and moving slowly up the hill. We consider it harmless, and call it a day. Multiple times in the night, the bear visited again. However it wanted something tastier than leaves, so it looked on top of the picnic table in front of the shelter and sniffed out burnt trash in the fireplace. We lost some sleep over it but it was all good in the end.There was fog for three straight days. Everything was always damp. I took a zero in a nice shelter because i was ahead of schedule. Bears Den hostel was nice digs. I had two pints of Ben n Jerrys ice cream there. I hull it into Harpers a day early beacuse of impatience..i was getting picked up by Kellys father to go home for my sisters wedding. A nice little break there. Harpers was nice. A former thru hiker let me stay in his house. Funny how when i needed a place to stay it was put right in front of me. I got a blurry picture of me in front of the ATC. Hiker number 167 to pass through.
Date: 2013-05-28
From: Harpers Ferry

To: Ed Garvey Shelter
Miles today: 6.3
Weather: overcast clouds

Ok, so back on the trail after excellent celebrations and time off. Seeing people at home and trying to explain how the trail experience was going was difficult because it made me have to think back, way back. The time off also gave me a chance to look at the turnout of my trip so far with a birdseye view. I could see what i wanted to do differently and what i wanted to do the same. Turns out i am pretty content with how i have hiked thus far, and will continue to cherish this opportunity that i have to do this. Not everybody can just leave and hike for 6 months.So saying goodbye to my homelife, friends, and family was even more difficult the second time around. After all, i knew what i was returning to. And although life on the AT is an overall good experience, great at times, it is also difficult at times. And knowing the comfort i was giving up again overshadowed my knowing of how the trail can be good. This would start my toughest part of the trail. More difficult even than the snow and the cold was walking away from the car and into the woods. I walked on the canal towpath out of Harpers Ferry thinking of my accomplishment making it to this point, and thinking of the fun weekend i just had. It is amazing how quickly that lonely feeling forms in the pit of your stomach. Being away from the trail, i forgot about the trail. As my body remembers how to walk of course, my mind has its difficulty in focusing while hiking. I think iv been hiking longer than i have been, and even though i am still on the trail, i think i missed a turn or something. I know that this feeling would fade eventually. It may be a day or two before i get back into the trail mindstate
Date: 2013-05-29
From: Ed Garvey Shelter

To: Campsite
Miles today: 19.8

Maryland is probably the easiest state (so far at least) on the AT. With the exception of some rocks in the northern secttion, the trail is lightly graded and smooth. This makes for a pretty boring walk unfortunately. The trail feels different almost. I relate theat feeling to the more civilized area that the trail travels through. At one point i walk right along peoples yards and behind their house. Then cross over I-70 on a footbridge that hangs above the interstate. Side trails lead to yards and developements. I see people enjoying the day on short hikes. The culmination of all this civilization makes me feel out of place. It is a feeling that one ought to get used to while going through the state and even more so up north. The whole day is spent trying to combat the crappy feeling i have. It is the first time i question the purpose of the hike. I revisit the checklist of "reasons" why i came out here and all but one is checked...finishing. As well as expounding on the others..there are still many more people to meet, struggles to face, and things to see. I pass through some Civil War history and visit the Washington Monument, and come to the Annapolis Rocks-a highlight of the trail in Maryland. The view of course looks like so many other viees i have already seen. My mood is down so i take a nap. I rest my tent at a campsite, and talk with a maryland ridgerunner. I have one of my best night sleeps ever on the trail.
Date: 2013-05-30
From: Campsite

To: Antietam Shelter
Miles today: 21.9
Weather: clear sky

A rugged n rocky start as the trail pointlessly travels on the top of the ridge when it very well could have just stayed below it. An uneventful, but pleasant hike in the morning. I stop in Pen Mar County Park just before the Md-Pa border. A nice maintenance guy buys me a coke. J enjoy the relaxed feeling of the park. The first steps in the homestate, and the first of many road crossings. At the end of the day i camp at a lovely campsite near the old ntietam shelter. The campsite is on a little strip of between two creeks with footbridges over both. Getging in the water at the end of this long, hot day was worth the hike. The two thru hikers i am with i have never met before, but i only started 3 days after me. It is amazing how separated you can be with only being a few miles apart. My break had put me back in the line of hikers and i am seeing people i havent seen before, or hikers that were just behind me when i got off the trail. It is crazy how that all goes
Date: 2013-05-31
From: Antietam Shelter

To: Birch Run Shelter
Miles today: 20.8
Weather: scattered clouds

And the day begins with yet another great night sleep. The very hot (90 degree) day temperatures give way to cool, beautiful nights. While the trail is nothing spectacular, i enjoy the hike morning hike before the heat kicks in again today. I take a .4 mile detour to a Italian restaurant. I was dreaming of the perfect Itailian hoagie for lunch. Unfortunately the sandwich was not up to par, but the air condition and rasberry ice cream was good. I walk back to the trail, on the side of a busy highway and reach Caledonia State Park where i meet up with some hikers and take a dip in the very nice stream. About 10 miles to go in my day, but i kill some time in the hot part of the day in the water and shade. A few miles up the hill i come to the Quarry Gap shelter and i have to say, Pa has sure supplied on nice shelters so far. Towards the end of the day i walk through level terrain through some very nice pine forests. I come across a group of people who are renting a PATC cabin for the weekend. Instruments, people who know how to play them, and beer...its tough to leave but i do. I come to the clearing with the Birch Run shelter. Not an exceptionally nice shelter, but in a perfect setting. I tent on a nice flat space with the sound of a stream. Another cool night and the stars are something.
Date: 2013-06-01
From: Birch Run Shelter

To: Campsite
Miles today: 21.0
Weather: broken clouds

Another early start to beat the heat. So far Pa has exceeded my expectations. This section has been nothing but refreshing, but i am aware thar there is no shortage of rocks north of here. I got new shoes in Harpers Ferry. A downsize in my ankle high, gore tex boots and i could not be happier with the switch. In a few miles i come to the official half way point which is marked by a nice sign and a mailbox with the red flag up. The mailbox is the register and i flip through to see who i am behind and their reactions to reaching this point. We have all hiked through some pretty narly stuff, and to think we're halfway done...phew..i dunno if thats good or bad. I celebrate with a trail tradition at Pine Grove Furnace State Park by endulging in a half gallon of ice cream. Well, i guess Hershey's downsized their boxes and this was not a full half gallon. But anyway, the ice cream was chocolate and every bite was delicious. Not as difficult as i imagined. I had to stop myself from getting a cheeseburger or something figuring that the 1600+ calories from the ice cream would hold me over for a bit..well..maybe a coke to wash it down. The park is flooded with people. People swimming, cooking, eating, walking. A little overwhelming. I jump in the creek near the park to cool off. And sit in a creek further up the trail. I guess i like to get in creeks. I arrive at the campsite i intended to get to by 5. Two hikers, Meadow Flapjack and Gonzo, who i havent seen in a while show up and move on after catching up on the trail experience so far. The last time i saw Flapjack was before the Smokies.