morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2013-06-09
From: 4 Pines Hostel

To: Pig Farm Campsite
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: scattered clouds

6/9End at Pig Farm Campsite10 miles Went to sleep at 3am and got up at 7am. Roosters were crowing at 6 and the heat was unbearable in my tent as I was in an unshaded field on a very sunny morning. Packed up in time to make the first shuttle of the day. Zach G left on his own and started walking the .4 to the trailhead. Survivor and I got dropped off closer to the trailhead and had a gas station breakfast. The rest of the truckload continued onto a different road further north to slack pack 6 miles south back to the hostel. At 10am Survivor leaves the gas station, a hiker named Quite Man walks up, and I leave a few minutes after a quick friendly chat. About an hour into my hike I see a huge Survivor frantically hiking towards me shaking his head and staring at the ground. Ten feet from me be looks up and asks me if I'm hiking southbound or north. We check our books and conclude that Survivor had gotten turned around somehow. We hike together for a few miles and start the ascent up to McAfee's Knob. I didn't camel up this morning and get pretty thirsty early. Water sources are a little scattered in parts of VA and since I forgot to fill up at the creek during mile 2 now I have to wait another 4 miles for water. I check the first shelter but the water source is dried up. I push on but Survivor stays. This climb is pretty lengthy and tiresome. I see more day hikers today than I have on any other day ever. The view is worth it though. I get to the summit, but only after multiple snack and water breaks. Zach G, Rip Tide, and Block Aid Runner are already at the top and talking to a ridge runner. I snap off a few photos and greet my fellow hikers before heading off .5 miles north to camp out at the first available campsite. My plan is to wait 4 hours and hike back to the summit for a sunset. I set up camp early in the day but only a few hikers ever pass by. Survivor eventually shows up and tells me he took a 2 hour nap at the first shelter. He looks at his book and says he is pushing forward 6 miles. The sunset never happens. I climb back the .5 but dark clouds have moved in and the sun is no longer visible 90 mins before its expected sunset time. I wait it out for an hour until the thunder becomes too violent sounding. I run back to my tent and beat the rain. While I was gone a couple have tented in the same campsite as me. The guy introduces himself as Machete and tells me that Survivor was just here a moment ago calling my name into the tent. Apparently he changed his mind and is staying at the shelter .1 mile from my camp site. Lightning and thunder crescendo for a while and then stop. They soon return and with them bring what feels like a tropical storm of wind and rain upon my tent. I'm going to try to sleep without my sleeping bag tonight. This weather will be a good test for a few things. (Phone on battery is almost to zero percent. I probably won't be able to update or check in until tomorrow night)
Date: 2013-06-10
From: Pig Farm Campsite

To: Daleville, VA
Miles today: 15.5

Storm was bad last night but no damage done. Tent didn't break. I stayed outside the sleeping bag for maybe 2 hours before crawling in. Might keep it longer due to stormy weather. Sitting in my tent now at 7am with some rain all around. It's hard to get motivated to pack up but I'm getting low on food and need to get 16 miles in before tomorrow afternoon for a timely resupply. ----------------------Made it to Daleville, VA after a lot of rain. Pitched my tent in a bad spot last night and woke up in a puddle. There was so much rain over night it had nowhere to go but in my tent. Sleeping in a motel tonight.
Date: 2013-06-11
From: Daleville, VA

To: Wilson Creek Shelter
Miles today: 11.2
Weather: broken clouds

Slow start today. Missed the free motel breakfast by 15 minutes so next best option is the leftover pizza from the night before. Check out at noon, spend some time doing laundry, buying groceries, and hanging out in the lobby. Hit the trail sluggishly at 3:30pm and take the first few miles slowly. Snack at the first shelter then camp at the next shelter. Instant surprise as I see a lot of people all staying at this shelter site, sort of reminds me of a month ago before so many people left the trail. The oddest part is that every single person is tenting or using a hammock and nobody is actually sleeping in the shelter. The log book said there is a black widow spider living in the shelter and a rat snack living under the privy. At the shelter campsite is Delorean, Pee Wee German, Greenlight, 1st Gear, Flat Feet, Squid, Zeus, Gilgamesh, Limey, and a couple more. After setting up my tent and getting water I have a dinner. During my meal I get an urge to use the restroom but I fight it and hold off because I'm only halfway done eating. Eventually I finish eating, wait around by the fire, and then decide hey maybe I should go poop now since its getting late. Nope!! I open the privy door and with my headlamp inspect the floors, corner, and ceiling for the rat snack. Instead I see the biggest freaking spider of my life. My guess is that it was a wolf spider about 5-6 inches in length, furry, and thick almost like a skinny tarantula. I quickly close the door and give up on making poo before bed. I get back to the picnic area and Greenlight is pulling tiny ticks off of his legs. The night has turned all buggy so I reside to my tent to do my own tick check. I was going to mail home my sleeping bag today but it would have cost too much so I put it in the hiker box at the motel. It was a generic bag and I can but it again further north when it gets colder again. So tonight I sleep without a sleeping bag (or motel/hostel blanket) for the first time.
Date: 2013-06-12
To: Bryant Ridge Shelter
Miles today: 20.8
Weather: scattered clouds

6/1220.8 MilesLong hot day if hiking. Temperature stays in the high 80s all day and hits the 90 degree mark for the high. Water sources are scarce through the day and I have to camel up at each spot. Most of the hike is spent leap frogging Delorean and Pee Wee German. I eat a lunch with them at one shelter and head out first. A few miles later I grab water from my pack and realize I only have one flip-flop. I forgot to clasp one of my belts together when I left the lunch shelter. This section of trail frequently crosses the Blue Ridge Parkway. I stop at one of the scenic overlooks to dump off my hiker trash. I contemplate throwing away my left flip-flop since I no longer have its mate but there is a chance that maybe one of the other guys will find it and bring it to me. This is accurate, as Delorean approaches me I hold up one flip-flop and he holds up the other. The three of us stop leap-frogging and fall into a line and hike the next several miles together. After 17 miles of hot heat we arrive at a large creek that is listed in our books as a "popular swimming hole". The three of us plus a handful of other hikers all get into the cold water and clean ourselves off a little bit. Most everybody is staying here tonight. The creek runs under a road and the camping spots are not the greatest so I'm hesitant to stay. Then there is talks about hitching to town for a movie and food and drinks. Hearing that made me realize I need to keep pushing forward and camp somewhere deeper into the woods. It's around 6pm. This is around the time of day that I usually start to wish I were off the trail. There is no camping or water for the next 4 miles and the terrain include a rather large climb. Whatever clean the creek got me had faded away as I sweat twice as hard during those last 4 miles before arriving at a 3-level shelter, the largest on the trail. Lighthouse, Simba, Oz, Zeus, and Bobsled are here. I find a tick on me at the creek and another one at the final campsite. The bugs are in full effect now and ticks are hiker enemy #1.
Date: 2013-06-13
To: Glasgow, VA
Miles today: 24.8
Weather: overcast clouds

Hail , thunder , and lightning strike in the middle part of my hike today. First time that the weather has made me drop my trekking poles and cover up on the ground. The worst last for 15 long scary minutes. The next 3 hours are scattered lighter rain showers. Passed Open and Flare under a small roofed map billboard at a road crossing. They said they don't know what American storms are like and are nervous about hiking. I don't stay long. I'm already soaked and feel confident that the worst is already over. Made a stop at the 2nd shelter of the day around 6:30 and was planning on camping here but the ground was full of muddy puddles. Bobsled, Lighthouse, and Simba are already camped on the opposite side of the shelter by a decent sized creek. Paddiwan is in the shelter with all his wet gear hanging up to dry. I pull out my guide book and notice there is a hostel in a town nearby but I am not confident about getting a hitch since it will be after 7:30pm by the time I get to the road. I talk to Paddiwan about it for 20 minutes. He is thinking over pushing 4 miles to the next shelter. Nothing beats sleeping in a dry building after a rainy day of hiking so I take my chances, get off my butt, and rush through the next 2 miles to get to a road crossing. Traffic is pretty slow on the road. It takes me 23 minutes to get a ride. A friendly guy and girl in a pickup truck pass me up and then turn back around to offer me the 6 mile ride to Glasgow. That's typically how my hitches workout; truck will pass me up while I have my thumb out, I look them in the eyes when they pass, give a smile, they pass me but feel guilty and end up turning back around to help. I'm lucky that I look young, innocent, and helpless. Justin drops me off at the edge of town and I walk .2 miles to the hostel. Never sure what to expect when going to hostel on the trail. Sometimes you end up in a barn, a garage, a tiny living room, a cabin, a bunk bed filled building, etc. I turn the corner and realize this hostel is just a fancy shelter similar to something out on the trail but with a cement floor, trash bins, firewood, and a shower. There is a note on the shelter floor written in crayon that says to go to the church down the street. I follow the orders and end up sleeping at the church between some pews. In all about 13 hikers are here, some have been here since the night before just trying to wait out the storms. In this group are Mudslide, Y Knot 2K, Groundhog, Dr. Evil, Jungle Jim and Tortuous.
Date: 2013-06-14
From: Glasgow, VA

To: Glasgow, VA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: few clouds

Taking a well deserved zero day. It has been 200+ real miles since my last day off and I aggravated my knee hopping over a bundle of fallen limbs yesterday. Glasgow is very friendly but very small and offers very little to do. The weather is great today so sleeping in the church is not offered, which is fine as there is a hiker shelter a couple of blocks away. The shelter has a couple nice features and is much better than anything found in the deep woods. I take an outdoor shower that is hot enough to kill a toddler. I can't even stand under the water for more than 5 seconds at a time before jumping out of the way. I wash my dirty clothes in the shower as well and use them to filter some of the water from directly burning my flesh. Library is closed today. Our shelter site has a fire pit that we don't use. So far the only people here in town out myself, Tortoise, and City Slicka. All leftover hikers from last night. Lost & Found is grabs lunch at the only resturant in town but says she is headed out after resupplying at the Dollar General. I'm sitting on a bench midday waiting for the night to roll in. The city is holding its annual Riverfest Festival tonight which was postponed last week due to storms. A Ferris wheel, scrambler ride, and a handful of food vendor tables have been set up less than 200 yards from our campsite. I'm looking forward to a beer and live music. Also: Beat the Heat. Go Spurs Go. Not a San Antonio fan by any means, I'm just a LeBron hater.
Date: 2013-06-16
To: Buena Vista, VA
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: scattered clouds

The group left before me but I hike fast so catching them didn't take long. Everybody at one shelter was talking about going to town and they invited me to go with them. I had planned on hiking 26 miles but the chance to grow my friendship with people was strong so we all went to town. Split a room with ZG, Limey and Oz. Sad news of the day is that both ZG and myself left our trekking poles at the road we shuttled to town from. An expensive and frustrating loss for both of us indeed
Date: 2013-06-18
From: Priest Shelter

To: Devils Backbone Brewery
Miles today: 15.3
Weather: light rain

Light rain over night and into the morning hike. I slept really well last night. Nobody was at the campsite so I set my tent up in the shelter and stayed a little warmer than usual. The only set back was that I woke up a few times because of some animals (most likely mice) were running around my tent and making a noise that sounded like they were chewing on wood. I made some noise in my tent to scare off the creatures but they returned later. When the noises returned the 2nd time I got out of my tent and retrieved some wet clothes I had hanging. The noises returned a few more times but I paid them no mind. As I left the campsite somebody walked past me and said "at least its not a torrential down pour."- of course less than an hour later the weather worsens and becomes a steady cold down pour. This lasts for a few hours before finally giving away midday to a lighter rain and mist. Between today and yesterday I come across 4 shelters and only see 1 person, one time. I am wondering where all the hikers ran too. Reading the shelter log books shows me that a decent bubble of hikers are a day and a half in front of me. The bubble of hikers that were with me all stayed back in Buena Vista I suppose. I hit my road destination just before 5pm and find a quick hitch to the Devil's Backbone Brewery 6 miles away. I learned about this location back in Trail Days from a vendor. Camping is allowed on site and there is a porta potty. I search the premises and don't see any other hikers, very unfortunate as many had wrote about this place in the shelter journals the past 2 days. Set up my tent and then help myself to a veggie burger and two beers for dinner.90 mins later I go back for dessert and to watch some of Game 6 of the NBA Finals.
Date: 2013-06-19
From: Devils Backbone Brewery

To: Waynesboro, VA
Miles today: 20.0

after 20 miles of hiking i get to a road gap and start calling trail angels until i find one that will shuttle me to Waynesboro. during my 15 minute wait for Astros to come pick me up i make a brief conversation with a previous thru-hiker named Yikes who just got off work and is doing a quick overnight in the woods before going back to work tomorrow morning. i tell her about losing my trekking poles and she instantly hands over her poles and tells me that i better take them to Maine. at first i'm hesitant to accept but she convinces me to accept the offer. yay! i have poles again!!! this is much needed as my knees have been starting to hurt again from not having any trekking poles and every branch or stick i try to use keeps snapping on me.made it to the church hostel in Waynesboro. shower and sleeping in doors. really great people working here named Rat Man & Tumbler. they are 2 time thru-hikers and our currently "peakers" who go state to state climbing each state's highest point. some hikers already here are Danger Dave, DeLorean, Pee Wee German, Naners, Saga, Flare, and Open.Dave, DeLorean, Naners, and myself grab 2 drinks each at a local pub before running back to the church to make 10pm curfew.
Date: 2013-06-20
From: Waynesboro, VA

To: Black Rock Gap
Miles today: 21.0
Weather: light rain

Rat Man & Tumbler slack pack me 21 miles into the Shenandoah Nation Park and i hike back south to the church hostel. i hike from 10-5 and make it back to the church just in time for their Thursday night AYCE spaghetti dinner. along my slack pack i do not see any bears or rattlesnakes but everybody around me does and they all show me their awesome video clips and photos. since i am hiking against the typical tradition i see A LOT of hikers and stop many times to talk to some people i haven't seen in a few days. Cat Nap, Ahh Vo, Trig, Rome, Dr. Who, all the hikers from last night's hostel, and so many more. Pretty cool to realize that there is a big bubble of hikers just slightly ahead of me. I was starting to think that all the hikers had disappeared. haven't seen ZG in a few days, expected to run into him again yesterday but it didn't happen. he had been talking about leaving the trail recently so i wonder if he decided to stay out or go home. Greenlite went to the hospital when we all stayed in Buena Vista and i haven't heard an update about him yet. His group of hikers thought it might be Lymes Disease but i am holding out hope that it was just exhaustion or an electrolyte imbalance. resupply at Kroger. laundry was closed but Tumbler helped me out.Rat Man is going to re-shuttle me in the morning back to where i left the trail 20+ miles away. Rat Man & Tumbler (aka the Honeymoon Hikers) are freaking awesome people!! i'm a little sad i don't get to hang out with them anymore.
Date: 2013-06-21
From: Black Rock Gap

To: Hightop Hut
Miles today: 21.0
Weather: scattered clouds

The Honeymoon Hikers shuttle me back to the trail in the morning. Lunch and a few miles of hiking with Pee Wee German. He stays at the Wayside to wait for Delorean and Saga to show up but I hike out after charging my phone. Cell and Internet reception hasn't been too good in the SNP for Verizon customers. At the shelter we have Shepard and Momma with their two labradoodles, Danger Dave, Brain Damage and Big Spoon who are now a trail couple, Ring Master, Piper, and a bunch of section hikers. AHH VO is here but leaves just before dark to get in a few more miles.
Date: 2013-06-22
From: Hightop Hut

To: Fishers Gap
Miles today: 22.0

Got a late start, last to leave camp per usual. Fell behind schedule during the day and began hiking fast trying to get to the Rock Spring Hut before dark. I got about 1.5 miles away from my destination when I came up behind Danger Dave. Instead of blowing past him I slowed down and we chatted for a minute or two before coming across an epic sunset, my first decent view of one this entire trip. We talk about going forward to the shelter and water site but quickly decide to stealth camp near a rocky outcropping so we can catch the full sunset. Great decision. We cook on the cliffs, have a good chat about life, snap a bunch of pics, and then resign to our tents just after dark.
Date: 2013-06-23
From: Fishers Gap

To: Pass Mountain Hut
Miles today: 16.0
Weather: broken clouds

Short mileage today. I had been planning to do 20+ mile days but plans change. If I'm hiking alone then I crush miles, but if I have the chance to enjoy the social side of the trail then I hike fewer miles and enjoy the extra smiles. The entire day is spent hiking with AHH VO and/or Danger Dave. We have a good laugh at a water fountain with Ring Master, we have a nice lunch at the Skyland Dinning Hall, take a few side trails to see more views, and generally hike at a more relaxed pace throughout the day.
Date: 2013-06-24
From: Pass Mountain Hut

To: Front Royal, VA
Miles today: 27.0
Weather: moderate rain

Woke up early today and hiked with reason. Smirks is meeting me in Harpers Ferry, WV in a couple days and I need to put in some consistent high 20s to get there in time. My plan was for a 30 mile day but after taking an hour breakfast at the final wayside I lose my early start advantage. A little rain hits and my right shoe worsens. I can now see my socks and toes through multiple sections of the shoe and the sole is falling out between the rubber and mesh sections. It's a mess. The shoe problem along with some personal things on my mind are enough to force me into town at mile 27 of the day. There doesn't look to be an outfitter in this town so I might have to keep wearing the torn up shoes until I can replace them at the outfitter in Harpers Ferry. I was able to get a resupply, a hotel room, greasy delicious dinner, talk to my mom, and take a much needed shower so things should be okay.
Date: 2013-06-25
From: Front Royal, VA

To: Dick's Dome Shelter
Miles today: 15.2
Weather: scattered clouds

After leaving my motel room in Front Royal I walked around to a few thrift shops until I was able to find a decent fitting pair of temporary replacement shoes. I ended up with a newish pair of all pink Nikes for $7 and a lady in the store gave me a ride back to the trail. A win-win. As she dropped me off at the trailhead I saw Ring Master and Flaxseed getting into a different car. The driver, a previous thru-hiker, said hello and told me that he was taking the 2 hikers back to his house for a zero day. A few miles into my hike and I come up behind Danger Dave. I decide to slow my speed and hike with him for the rest of the night.
Date: 2013-06-26
From: Dick's Dome Shelter

To: View Entry
Miles today: 20.0

Wooooo!! Hit the 1,000 mile mark tonight. Dave left the campsite about 6:30am. I left around 9am and passed him closer to the end of the day. Some hikers had mentioned staying at the Bears Den Hostel so I stop in to check the place out. It looked super clean and very accommodating so I stay for 2 sodas, mashed potatoes, baked beans, coleslaw, and a full sized frozen cheese pizza. Dave shows up and eats twice as much as I do. Hikers staying tonight are Bobsled, Simba, Clinker, Lighthouse, and Goose. Dave and I hike out at 7:45pm. It was a hard decision and other hikers tried to peer pressure us into staying but we leave anyways. Less than 2 miles in we are hiking in the dark but it is worth it, we pass the 1,000 mark and end up save a few dollars by stealth camping as opposed to staying at the Bears Den Hostel.
Date: 2013-06-28
From: Harpers Ferry, WV

To: View Entry
Miles today: 3.5
Weather: light rain

Leaving town is always tough for me. Our hotel had an early morning power outage and also ran out of food for the complimentary breakfast. This was a let down but at least the staff was nice enough to give us a late checkout. The first mile of today starts behind the ATC and is a bypass that leads to downtown Harpers Ferry. Along this first mile we pass a few landmarks; Jefferson Rock, the ruins of an old church, a hilltop graveyard, the Potomac River and Shenandoah River. Once downtown we grab waters, ice cream, french fries, and a couple of veggie sandwiches before continuing on the trail. Before leaving town we run into fellow thru-hikers Ring Master, Simba, Lighthouse, Bobsled, and Cat Nap. Ring Master pulls a large crowd out of the local outfitter and starts entertaining people with a couple dirty jokes and his classic ring and chain magic trick. Before starting his trick he tells me that he is calling it quits this year and is heading back home to Paducah, KY. He is sad about this but has nothing to be ashamed of. He has down impressive mileage this year at 71 years old and has already completed 2 other thru-hikes. The next 2.5 miles out of Harpers Ferry, WV and into Maryland are on a flat gravel bike path. We set up camp along the river. It's visually beautiful but sleeping through the night is not as great. Smirks gets cold throughout the night and we hear a train screech by every half hour. It's great to have Smirks back out hiking with me. This should be a pretty good moral boost.