morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2008-01-01
From: trail mantenence

To: tyringham cobble
Miles today: 0.0

Happy new year.helen and i and the girls are heading out for our annual new years day hike. This year we are heading out over the cobble snowshoeing.Its a perfect day with about 12-16 inches of snow.Our dog layla is with us as we take off up the a.t.We trudge through the deep powder and soon come to the cobble loop trail,this year the a.t will be rerouted over this trail to the summit of the cobble with nice views of the valley below.Im very familar with the cobble as i grew up right at its base and spent many hours of my childhood playing here.Layla is having a ball in the snow running in circles she soon knocks anita down and jumps on her.We reach the top then head off across the face back to our car.We stop at grandma's for hot chocolate on our way home it was a nice way to spend new years day.
Date: 2008-03-26
To: trail mantenence
Miles today: 0.0

Today i head out to check on my section of the a.t that i mantain.Its that time of year to check for winter damage and blowdowns.Idrive up to tyne road and head up the trail there is still a good foot of snow and ice on the trail.Other than a few branches down things look good i climb up to the top of becket mt. and check the trail register,only a few hikers have been out since new years day.After i leave becket mt. i come across a decent size tree down too big for me to handle i'll have to call in a chainsaw crew(im not chainsaw certified yet).After this i come down to the junction with the finerty pond trail, its a snowmobile trail,here is a sign that has been causing some confusion for sobo hikers as to wich way to go.The trail commitee has decided i should remove this sign and do some reblazing to clear up any problems, so i take down the sign and continue on around the pond then back track out to my car.Boy it sure feels good to get out after a long winter
Date: 2008-04-14
From: trail mantenence

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Hey all just 2 weeks to go until jaybird and i hit the trail in virginia.We'll be picking up at turk gap in shenandoah park and heading up to harpers ferry w.v.I cant believe it less than 2 weeks to go i just finished up my maildrop to send out to luray where we'll resupply and shower up.Just getting the last of my gear together and i'll finish up this journal when i get back
Date: 2008-04-26
From: turk gap

To: blackrock hut
Miles today: 8.6
Weather: scattered clouds

Today's the day,i get up at 2:30 a.m and my mom and dad pick me up for the ride to hartford to catch my plane to charlottesville.I get there at 9 and have to wait for jaybird's plane to come in at 12.Let me tell you if you hang around the airport for three hours carrying a backpack you get alot of is he a terrorist looks.Jaybird gets there and we meet our shuttle guy lyle,a real good ol boy.We get to turk gap where we left off last year and we're off.Its very hot today around 80 degrees.We no sooner get going when we spot our first deer of the trip.The trail is very easy hiking here and we move right along.Boy it feels good to be back hiking,its been a long winter.Around 4 it starts to sprinkle a bit,quickly followed by thunder and lightning we put on our rain gear and start up towards the cavarly rock overlook.Now it starts pellting us with marble size hail,this only lasts a few minutes then stops.As we get close to blackrockgap we read that they plan to do a controlled burn of some 240 acres here,there is fire hose stretched out for a long ways all up the trail.The hut and trail will be closed when they do this and they plan to shuttle hikers around it.Here at the hut tonight are two thru hikers trill and roundhouse and four section hikers vista jim,old grand daddy longlegs and 2 others.We settle in for our first night as it starts to rain again a nice first day maybe the trail will continue to be this easy.
Date: 2008-04-27
From: blackrock hut

To: pine field hut
Miles today: 13.2
Weather: overcast clouds

The rain had stopped during the night,but the fog stayed behind.When i got to the top of black rock mt. i called home and let helen know i made it and i was on track.Jaybird pushed on down the mountain,as i came down i saw 3 more deer.As is the case everyday here in shenandoah you come down the mountain to the gap and cross skyline drive.I think i'll cross it some 30 times through out the park.The fog is pea soup thick as we get to loft mt.campground.The trail guide says there is water here we walk up the road and come to a fork in the road.We debate wich way to go,we go left.Hey jaybird i say i think i see a building up ahead ahh no it just a dumpster.Finaly out of the fog we see the ranger station and get water out of a drinking fountain.We stop at one of the campsites and have lunch on a picnic table.As we climb up to ivy creek overlook the fog lifts and we get our first view,real nice.We get to pinefield hut and are joined by vista jim and daddy longlegs.We have some great conversation.Old daddy long legs only has a section left in maine and he will have completed the trail.Its taken him 51 years to do it,boy and i thought 20 was a long time.Later a thru named cowboy killer comes in.As we settle in jaybird is sleeping in two minutes flat and snoring in three,speaking of jaybird today is his 54th birthday happy birthday jay.
Date: 2008-04-28
From: pine field hut

To: hightop hut
Miles today: 8.2
Weather: moderate rain

Its been raining all night.At about 1a.m i have to pee but decide to wait out the rain.At 4:30 my bladder says enough so out in the rain i go.I wake up at 6 when vista jim and daddy longlegs are packing up its still pouring so i roll over and pull the bag over my head and go back to sleep.We only have to hike 8 miles today so we can get a late start.At 7:30 i tune in my radio and catch the weather rain all day it says.We finally get going at 9:45 jaybird is still packing up so i tell him i'll see him at the shelter as its raining im not gonna stop.Its the usual hiking here over a mt. and cross skyline drive a couple of times.When i get in there's a section hiker named ed from here in virginia,seems like a nice guy.I get into some dry clothes then make some tea to try and warm up.Jaybird comes in about a half hour later its getting windy and its gonna be a cold night tonight.
Date: 2008-04-29
From: hightop hut

To: bearfence hut
Miles today: 12.4

when i woke up this morning it was raining and COLD!!!! the wind is howling so i roll back over finaly get going at9:45 i leave my long johns and polypro top on to start the day.here at hightop hut its 40 degrees.we hike for a while and i pull out in front as im going along i hear something up in a tree as look up i see a little bear way up there.Having no camera my batteries died day one i wait quietly for jaybird as he comes up the trail i wave him up.By now the bear sees us and comes down the tree and starts walking toward us he goes up a downed tree and lays down,these bears have no fear of humans.We stop for lunch then continue on jaybird stops at south river picnic grounds to water up and i keep going.When i get to skyline drive for the last time today i see a big bear coming across the road he stops right on the trail not 20 yards from me,he just looked at me and kept going.Its a full house here tonight with 5 thrus here quite a funny bunch of guys.its gonna be cold again tonight so im sleeping in everything i have on.
Date: 2008-04-30
From: bearfence hut

To: rock spring 
Miles today: 11.5
Weather: overcast clouds

Cold yes thats what is is 33 degrees.We laughed all night at the one liners of bad hummous he's going to med school this fall but he should be a comedian.We get going around 9 the word of the day is deer as we see at least 30 today.It was a long climb up onto hazel top mt.elv.3812.We are headed to big meadows wayside for lunch.As we get there it starts to spit a little snow.Iorder cream of brocolli soup and a bacon cheesburger but get no blackberry milkshake our very poor waitress says the machine is broke,she was probably to lazy to make it.After lunch as we get back into the woods it warms up nice.We're rewarded with great views from franklin cliffs.I get into the hut at 5 jaybird is a little behind me.The p.a.t.c has a locked cabin here that you can rent,its very nice and the water source is a great pipe spring.Two thru hikers come in spruce from buffalo ny and strides from north andover mass.spruce is just getting over giardia.As strides is getting water i see his feet go flying in the air as he ends up in the spring no damage just a wet butt.
Date: 2008-05-01
From: rock spring 

To: luray virginia
Miles today: 14.1

We get going at 8:30 thats early for us but we have 14 miles planned for today so we want to get into town quick so we can get real food.We climb up hawkbill mt. and over cresent overlook.Its a very scenic day,when we get to skyland they have a stable of horses and a resturaunt but we pass on it.As we get passed it starts to rain i stop and put on my pack cover but it stops shortly after.We head up little stony man mt. as we head up we meet lots of guys wearing the same clothes jaybird tells me they're mennonites out for the day.We cross the pinnacle and go down to the birds nest picnic area,here we call our shuttle guy to tell him we are gonna be on time.I climb up to mary's rock and hang out for a while.I wait for a bit but no jaybird its not like him to not go to a view point but after a while i haed down.Here i meet spruce who tells me jaybird passed him a while ago,oh well i hike on with spruce down the mt.as we get down we catch up to jaybird,he says he started up but diddnt bother going up.We reach thorton gap our pick up point and are soon on our way to the budget inn in luray.When we get there our room isnt ready WOW what a dump this place is if anyone is planning on stopping in luray dont stay here.We joked that maybe we should hang our food bags.Jaybird has a bad blister so we opt for pizza instead of walking into town.The place is bad but it has HOT WATER and soap so it will do for the night.
Date: 2008-05-02
From: luray virginia

To: gravel springs hut
Miles today: 14.3
Weather: few clouds

Well im solo today jaybird has decided to take a couple days off to let his foot heal up.He will get a shuttle in a few days to catch up with me.I say goodbye and walk up to uncle bucks restaraunt for breakfast.My shuttle will pick me up here at ten,so ive got a few hours to kill.I order bisquits and gravy and eggs with homefries the waitress asks me if im gonna be able to eat all that.HMMM next real food is five days from now yup no problem.After all that i walk around town pick up a newspaper and sit in the park watching some fishermen.I wander back to bucks and sit on the bench out front waiting for my ride,a big guy sits down next to me and we get to talking.Turns out to be uncle buck himself a real nice guy,we shoot the bull for a while then my ride shows up.I tell rodney that jaybird is off for a while and will be in touch with him in a few days.I get dropped off back at thorton gap and head north.WOW it sure feels wierd to be hiking solo again its been 6 years.I no sooner get a half a mile and crash,there goes another bear my third so far.I do the same old thing here up a mt. down into the gap and cross skyline drive a couple more times.About nine miles in i come to elk wallow wayside.This is my last chance to get the infamous blackberry milk shake everyone has been talking about.Well for 12 bucks i got it and a b.l.t and a gatorade,it was pretty good but combined with the huge breakfast the climb up to hogback peak was tough.I called helen and talked with her for a while,im really starting to miss her and the girls.I head down to gravel springs for the night here are strides and a kid named meehk from switzerland.I go down and water up i keep waiting for jaybird to hike in,boy it seems strange to be solo.Hurry up and catch back up jaybird
Date: 2008-05-03
From: gravel springs hut

To: tom floyd 
Miles today: 10.5
Weather: overcast clouds

I got up and going early this morning 8:15,it looks like another nice day.I only have 10 miles today so im just cruising along.Up marshall mt. this looks like the biggest climg today at3368 elv.I stop for water at hogwallow gap.My spirits are high today and im just taking it all in spring is really blooming here with all the apple trees flowered out they smell great.Strides is planning on meeting his family at compton gap for a picnic,when i get there they offer me a slice of pecan pie and a gatorade. AHHH trail magic rules.I talk to strides aunt and uncle for a while then thank them for the magic and head out.As i get to indian run spring i meet midnight he's the ridge runner for the park working for the p.a.t.c. What a job getting paid to hike.He covers the whole 100 plus miles of the park over ten days then gets four off.Hes from baltimore we hike together the rest of the way.At possoms rest i leave shenandoah park and head down to tom floyd wayside.Now why they would call it a wayside is strange because in the park a wayside means food,well there is no food here just a black snake in the corner of the hut,he crawls down into the floor and is still down there great i hate snakes should be quite a night.After a while a dad and his daughter come in she's on her first backpacking trip and her name is helen.I tell her my wifes name is helen and we hit it off pretty good
Date: 2008-05-04
From: tom floyd 

To: manassas gap
Miles today: 13.9
Weather: clear sky

It rained for about 15 minutes last night and then stopped.It was a full house last night as 3 guys from penn. showed up along with a sailor from va. and a husband and wife thru hikers amanda and josh.Everyone started to stir around 7 and go thier own ways,some north some south.Iget out at 8:15 and head downhill towards va522 into front royal.Its a perfect day of sunshine and a gentle breeze.Today i cross alot of fields and once im in the valley the leaves are fully out and the grass is over my knees.I click off 8 miles in 3 hours without even trying,yes the hiking is that easy.I stop at jim&molly denton shelter for lunch wow what a shelter with a deck on the front and a adirondack bench,it even has a solar shower.After a lunch of tuna and jerky i push on to climb up to manassas gap shelter.This 2 miles is the hardest climb ive had in 9 days.But i have my hiking legs now so its not that bad.I get in around 3:30 as im looking through the trail register there is a flyer saying to look out for some copper head snakes that live around the shelter.I have a routine that i do if im the first one at the shelter i always sweep it out.Well as im sweeping i look on the back wall and there is this HUGE BLACK SNAKE he must be at least 4 feet long.No way am i sleeping with snakes two nights in a row,so i opt for my tent.As im laying in my tent listening to my radio i hear hey are you jigsaw i say yes and the woman asks about the snake.She's from california and her name is bear chaser.She sets up her tent in the shelter good luck with that.We have dinner and talk she's a real nice lady and tells me of her trail name.It turns out she thru hiked in 04 when she was in new hampshire a bear sliced into her tent(WITH HER IN IT)and stole her pack.Because she was in a deep sleep she thought is was a racoon so she jumped up and took off down the trail after it.The bear dropped her pack and in the morning she was able to see the claw marks all around.She was lucky the bear didnt turn on her.Hopfuly jaybird is healing up and will catch up tommorow.
Date: 2008-05-05
From: manassas gap

To: rod hollow
Miles today: 12.8
Weather: overcast clouds

I woke up this morning to a squirrel playing peekaboo in my rear beak of my tarptent.He poked his head up and chattered two otr three times,i guess this means its time to get up.I have a nice easy hike down to dicks dome shelter where i water up then continue on to sky meadows state park.The park is gorgeous with nice big old tree's and fields.I stop here for a long break and just soak up the sun.The crickets are buzzing and it really feels like summer.As i hike on i hear something over in the brush,i assume its another bear,but no its an older lady crashing through, hmmm thats wierd i say to myself.Then i hear a crash on the other side of the trail and her husband comes out.I ask him what are you doing, and he tells me they're hunting for morrell mushrooms.He has a huge bag full and says they sell them for big money.Later that day i run into two more groups also mushroom hunters it must be the place to be.I cross ashby gap US50 and start up to rod hollow here the woods are full of may apples blooming on both sides of the trail.Its like walking through a carpet of white flowers,very pretty.As get toward the top i see this deer in the trail,a nice buck with his antlers just starting to poke up.It seems he dosent want to get off the trail and he skips up the trail a few yards ahead of me and stops to look back at me.This goes on for a few minutes and i just keep hikingand he keeps just ahead of me.Finaly he must figure im not getting off the trail so he steps off and lets me by,he's only ten yards off the trail.Its a big wildlife day as i also see 3 pilated woodpeckers,some turkeys and a red fox.As i head down the side trail to the shelter i see a familar face,its jaybird he got back on the trail at ashby gap and hiked 4 miles in.His blister is feeling beter and he says he's ready to go.Its great to see him as i wondered if he would be able to continue after what his foot lokked like a couple days ago.He may have second thoughts after tommorow as we start the roller coaster with ten climbs of 500ft. in 13 miles.
Date: 2008-05-06
From: rod hollow

To: bears den hostel
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: scattered clouds

The shelter was full last night with 7or8 people here.We got going at 8:30 and soon were entering the roller coaster.Jaybird is going slow so we seperate quickly.Up down,up down we go but its not as bad as they make it out to be.I stop at sam moore shelter for lunch and i cook some soup,here is a woman from germany who speaks very little english.Needless to say we have quite a time trying to talk through our lunch.I do get enough to understand that she has been staying at bears den hostel and its very nice.After lunch i climb the last few miles up to bears den. At first i think i must be on the wrong side trail this cant be the hostel,but yes indeed it is.WOW what a place it looks like an old castle.I see scott the caretaker and i get the hiker special,for $25 bucks you get a bunk a shower,laundry a pizza a soda and a pint of ben&jerrys,everything a hiker could want.I pick out my bunk and hit the shower ahhhhhh hot water,now for the laundry.When i was in luray i got a shower but did'nt do laundry so after 11 days wearing the same clothes,lets just say they walked themselves to the washer.So here i sit showered wearing fresh clothes eating ice cream after a pizza dinner,can it get any better than this.My hike is getting close to the end and i can say im getting ready to go home i really miss helen,kara and anita.
Date: 2008-05-07
From: bears den hostel

To: david lesser shelter
Miles today: 11.4
Weather: clear sky

We had a good group here last night with a young guy don juan from tn.a guy named sqire a teacher from worcester.and a couple from new hamshire who are helping out here.We stayed up late talking but are out by 9 this morning.We have 3 more miles till the end of the roller coaster with one more climb.We have to cross the highway at snickers gap,this is quite a task waiting for traffic to slow down enough to run across,but we make it .Afetr a while we cross into west virginia and i cant help myself i start singing john denver take me home country road.I go down to the blackburn trail center for lunch and they give me a soda.Its a long way down there and back to the trail.When im down there the caretaker tells me to watch for rattlesnakes as a snake hunter counted nineteen this past week.Jaybird is eating lunch when i get back up to the trail.We hike together the rest of the way into lesser shelter.Its a nice shelter and even has a swing,but the water is a 1/4 mile downhill and i mean WAY downhill.As i get back from the water rob and reece are here they are from the d.c area and we have been hiking on and off with them for the past few days.They are gonna get a few more miles so they can get into harpers ferry early.I sit on the swing and talk to helen for a while. Its a short day into harpers ferry tommorow THEN ON TO CHARLOTTESVILLE AND HOME.
Date: 2008-05-08
From: david lesser shelter

To: harpers ferry
Miles today: 8.8
Weather: light rain

A father and son came in last night at dark.As we are packing up this morning it dawns on us that we broke tradition,we always have a fire on our last night out.Jaybird leads most of the morning then as we go uphill i take over as he's slower going uphill.When i get to WV32 i stop and wait for him so we can walk into harpers together.It starts to rain a little so i put on my rain cover for the last time.I wait and wait 30 minutes,no jaybird i know he's slow but not on this easy of a trail.After 45 minutes i give up and head into harpers i'll meet up with him at A.T.C headquarters.As i get to the shenandoah river i meet up with bluejay a guy i met in massachusetts some ten years ago, we talk for awhile then i cross the bridge over the river and head into harpers ferry.This is a very nice town with alot of civil war history.All the buildings are done over and the A.T.C is right in the middle of it all.As i talk with the people that work there i meet trail boss who runs the blackburn center,model-t wanted me to say hello,so i do and we talk for awhile.As im looking at the t-shirts i see jaybird walking up,he tells me that he took the wrong side trail and ended up 2 miles off track.He had to walk the road into town, that explains why he did'nt show up at rt 32.Our shuttle guy is early so we get a quick picture taken in front for the A.T.C records then head for charlottesville.
Date: 2008-05-09
From: harpers ferry

To: home
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

After we got to charlottesville we went next door to an italian reasturaunt that the hotel clerk said was'nt very good.She said she liked real italian food well i dont know what she calls real italian but this place was fantastic.After stuffed mushrooms,veal parm and cheesecake washed down with a couple beers im sitting here stuffed to the gills.We turn in early as we have a taxi coming at 3:30 a.m to take us to the airport,wich we find out later dosent even open till 4:30 but im home now and had a great hike.Once again i want to thank jaybird for another great year even though he had to pull out for a couple days he was able to get back on the trail,hopefuly next year will not be as painful for you.And i want to thank my wife helen for letting me take off for two weeks to be able to continue this journey im getting closer to the end as ive now finished 1268 miles only seven or eight more years to go.
Date: 2008-02-02
To: Here we go again!
Miles today: 0.0

"You have to expect things of yourself before you can do them." - Michael JordanThe AT bug bit us in 2003, and we haven't been able to git rid of the itch despite two long sections in 2003 and 2004. We attempted a thru-hike in 2003 that ended after 700 miles due to the death of Jitterbug's father, concerns about her widowed mother, and foot/ankle issues. We went back in 2004 and completed another 500 miles; the 2003 and 2004 hikes took us as far as Pt. Clinton, PA. We went out in 2007 and hiked just a few days before Jitterbug developed tendonitis of the knee (after stupidly doing a 17 mile day on PA rocks the first day out!) So this year the stars aligned themselves perfectly, (albeit very last minute!!!) and we're setting out on March 12th to do it right. We hope that all of you will pull for us to finish this year, and finally do a good job scratching that AT itch!