morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2004-12-02
From: Rock Spring Hut

To: Hightop Hut
Miles today: 23.9
Weather: broken clouds

0.3 off-trail milesForced myself to eat a giant pan of oatmeal this morning -- even though it tasted like laundry detergent -- because I've been feeling so hungry on the trail during the day. I feel as though I'm eating constantly, though. The Hiker Hunger has returned with a vengeance.The mice danced around my head all last night and left a little halo of poop to show their indignation at not being fed properly. I had to move my food bag within minutes of zipping into my sleeping bag after hearing the plastic rustle. My headlamp lit up one of the varmints clinging to the back wall of the shelter, trying to chew a hole through the plastic. They also left their caraway seed-sized droppings inside my boots and pack. Little bastards!Serenaded a bewildered doe this morning singing Stevie Ray Vaughn's "Sweet Little Thing." Saw narry a soul today on the trail , except when I crossed Skyline Drive and a couple drove by in their Suburban ("Look, dear -- wildlife!") Did see a set of footprints on part of the trail. They led to Pocosin Cabin (of the Potomac ATC), from whose chimney an inviting stream of woodsmoke wafted. A trail maintainer, I reckon, since there were several newly sawn blow-downs up the trail. I was tempted to walk down, knock on the door, and ask to sit by the fire a while.As it was, though, by 3 p.m., after eight hours of hiking -- after which I usually start to get a little punchy anyway -- I realized I still had threemore mountains to climb before retiring for the day. (There's a reason why I don't habitually hike 20-mile days -- it takes me ALL day to do it!) I felt like running up to the next road crossing, flagging down a car (there is about one every half hour or so on the drive), and screaming "Stop! Take me wherever you're going!" I envisioned a hot bath, a warm bed, a glass of red wine, and a good book... but managed to keep going, and within an hour after sunset, I was singing aloud to myself -- "Climb Every Mountain" followed by the entire "Sound of Music" soundtrack -- frightening the deer as I went. Now that I've finished my last audio book, I'm back to entertaining myself while I walk.Beautiful starry night after a clear, still, blue-sky day. Night hiking was quite pleasant with new batteries in my headlamp -- I can see! Got to the shelter before 8, too tire to cook, asleep not long after 9.
Date: 2004-12-03
From: Hightop Hut

To: Black Rock Hut
Miles today: 21.4
Weather: clear sky

0.3 off-trail milesMorning: Cold, cold night. The wind got up again overnight. Still, it's a clear sky. Two more 20-mile days and the Shenandoahs -- beautiful, but lonely as they've been -- will be behind me. The trails have been nicely graded, as promised, but there's still a lot of climbing to do every day. I think I expected more of a ridge walk, but I guess that's still ahead of me in the Blue Ridge Mountains (she writes, ever hopeful).On my way up High Top Mountain last night (1000-foot climb under the stars), I saw a police car's lights down below on Skyline Drive. The rangers close the parkway at night to keep illicit hunters out -- maybe they caught a Bambi-killer. (I certainly could have eaten Bambi last night. Mmm...meat.)Night hiking always reminds me of the Scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz. I stumble around with my jelly knees and ankles, flopping from side to side on the trail.Meanwhile, I forced down another vat of soapy oatmeal. Have just enough stove fuel left for a hot dinner tonight. Cold breakfast tomorrow, then tomorrow night I should be eating a hot dinner in Waynesboro.The mice in this shelter were less aggressive, a little stealthier, than at Rock Spring Hut. They left less evidence of their invasion -- just a few droppings around my cook pot. A kinder, gentler invasion...
Date: 2004-12-04
From: Black Rock Hut

To: Jarman Gap
Miles today: 12.0

0.3 off-trail milesPlanned to start hiking by 6 this morning so that I could get to Rockfish Gap before dark and get a ride into Waynesboro. Ended up starting at 4:30 a.m., but went the wrong direction, did a complete loop on Black Rock Mountain, and ended up at 5:15 just where I'd started! Doh! So much for being the early bird. Had skipped making breakfast (no fuel anyway) so hunger and sleepyheadedness conspired against my sense of direction. By noon I had taken four mid-trail naps -- just lying down flat in the middle of trail and snoozing -- before finally realizing that something other than mere fatigue was wrong with my body. So I got off the trail at Jarman Gap and hitched a ride into Waynesboro with a nice doctor gentleman -- Mitch -- a good Samaritan who drove me all the way to the Quality Inn.Barely moved from my bed there for the next two days, feeling achy, headachy, tired, nauseated, and gastro-intestinally explosive. Felt like the character in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory who turns into a giant blueberry -- I needed a good squeezing. (No such luck!)Figured it might be giardisis, but after checking with a doctor later, determined that is was just a stomach flu. It was a miserable couple of days, not just physically but emotionally. I was 48 miles from finishing the trail!!!Meanwhile, I got helpful advice and concerned phone calls from Riva Queen, Queen Diva, Lois Arnold (from the Dutch Haus) and mum. Their kindness helped create a buffer against the anonymity of three nights alone in a hotel room. Thank you, gals.
Date: 2004-12-17
From: Route 61/Mountain Road (PA)

To: Windsor Furnace (and back)
Miles today: 5.1

5.1 miles back "off" trailWhere is she, now? Well, I went home to Providence to get well, and now I'm back on my way south (by car) to finish the last three segments: First, the section of trail I missed in PA one day when I got lost and ended up walking through Hamberg to Port Clinton. Did the 5.1 miles there and back from close to Port Clinton this morning before 10:30 a.m. (The other two sections are the 1+ miles in NC between Fontana Lake Marina and Fontana Dam, and the 48 miles between Jarman Gap and Montebello, VA.)The hike this morning was so straightforward, even in the pre-dawn light, that I couldn't believe I'd lost my way on it. The white blazes were so big and shiny that I had to stick my thumbnail into them to determine whether or not the paint was new. (Couldn't tell.) The trail wasn't along the ridge the whole way, as I'd expected, but dipped down to two springs -- Pocohontas and Minnehaha. The lights of Hamberg sparkled to the south as I started -- two hours in the dark so that I could finish, get back to the hotel, and shower before check-out. Very cold, breezy.I've brought my cat Tobey with me for company. He sat under my seat for the whole drive down here.
Date: 2004-12-18
From: Fontana Dam

To: Fontana Lake Marina
Miles today: 1.4

1 mile off-trailBeautiful day. Drove from Gatlinberg through the Smokies -- snow on the ground -- to Fontana Lake Marina where (back in March/April) I yellow-blazed to the dam after two zeroes in the Fontana Village Resort. Tobey loved the smell of the fresh mountain air and came out from under the seat to look out the window.Walked the 1.4 miles with a giant grin on my face. At the dam, I met a SOBO hiker, Danger Danger, and had the pleasure of supplying him with a little trail magic for his overnight at the "Fontana Hilton" hiker shelter.Now I have only the section from Jarman Gap to Montebello to do! I'll be slackpacking it with my trail angel Kath in January.The tummy bug I acquired a couple of weeks ago seems to have subsided. The doctor thinks it was more likely viral than parasitic.
Date: 2005-01-04
From: Jarman Gap

To: Rockfish Gap I64/US250
Miles today: 8.0
Weather: broken clouds

At last! Back to the place I left back in December. Great to have Kath's company. I picked her up at Dulles Airport yesterday.Today, she dropped me off at Jarman Gap around 4 p.m. and hiked in with me for a mile or so, leaving enough time to get back to the car before dark. I hiked on to Rockfish Gap in the dark and rain. Only difficulty was the fog, which at one point obscured a road crossing. I wandered around for a while looking for a white blaze, and ended up following a fence along the other side of the road until I found the opening and the white blaze.I finally found my way off the trail and down from the parkway to Rockfish Gap, emerging from the fog, dripping from all parts, to find Kath parked and ready to drive me to a hot bath and clean sheets at the Waynesboro Comfort Inn -- yahoo! This is the way to hike the trail!
Date: 2005-01-05
From: Reed's Gap/VA664

To: Rockfish Gap I64/US250
Miles today: 20.6
Weather: overcast clouds

Beautiful drive along the parkway this morning to the road crossing where the day's slackpacking began. Love that! Am northbounding today to save Kath the after-dark drive.Saw absolutely NO ONE! The weather is unseasonably warm -- no snow on the ground, only a little mud.Met Kath at the same gas station in the evening, then back "home" to another hot bath, a hot dinner I didn't have to cook, and water I didn't have to filter. Boo-yah.
Date: 2005-01-06
From: Montebello

To: Tye River/VA56
Miles today: 9.4
Weather: overcast clouds

Couldn't find today's intended road crossing this morning, so ended up driving into Montebello to start there. Stopped in at the Dutch Haus to see Lois and Earl Arnold and to thank them for their support over the last month. Was hoping to finish at Montebello and do it up right, but won't have the time after all. Lois looked disappointed that the opportunity for a proper celebration had been lost. I intend to return to the Dutch Haus for that sometime in the future!When Kath and I showed them which road we had intended to drive up (VA826/Crabtree Farm Road), they assured us that it was impassable without a very high-set four-wheel-drive vehicle; many cars and trucks had gone up in one piece and come down with oil leaking from underneath.I'd forgotten what a long trek it was up to the trail from Fish Hatchery Road, about a mile uphill, but it was great to get to the trail crossing at last and see once again the sign where I had left the trail back in May. It brought back good memories of the Zippy/Pokey/Switchback/RivaQueen crew. Love them!
Date: 2005-01-07
From: Reed's Gap

To: Tye River/VA56
Miles today: 10.5
Weather: overcast clouds

I'M DONE!!!Had a great last day of hiking -- the rain held off, once again. Passed the entrance to Rusty's Hard Time Hollow, which, sadly, is now closed. Hope Rusty finds joy and lots of fun in his new life. Many thanks to him for his hospitality to so many hikers over the years.Kath met me up the trail from the Tye River footbridge and walked down with me. We got a couple of pictures in on the bridge -- YAY! -- while a young couple waited politely on the other side of the narrow bridge. When we finally reached the other side, I saw a beautiful little picnic under a tree and assumed it was theirs. No, it was a congratulatory picnic for me from Kath! Flowers, wine, cheese, crackers, coils of golden stars and festive "Clap for the Lord!" party clappers for applause. She is the best, no doubt about it. It was a great way to finish the day. I had quite a few quaffs of vino before wobbling up to the car.It's over folks. I'm done. Thanks to all of the nice people who supported me along the way, both on and off the trail. You are in my thoughts and will always be in my heart.
Date: 2004-01-29
To: We're Back!
Miles today: 0.0

Hello! We¢re Sally (Scamp) and Dave (Greylock) Campbell from Pittsfield, Massachusetts. In 2003 we hiked 790 miles of the Appalachian Trail, from Springer Mt. up to central Virginia when we were unexpectedly called home. We hope you already know that, from following along in our 2003 Trail Journal and if you haven¢t visited lately, we concluded with a family update so check it out! If we¢re meeting for the first time, please follow the link to read about our adventures up to this point.
Date: 2004-01-29
To: Here's the Plan!
Miles today: 0.0

   Last year we had intended to hike the southern half of the trail and finish the northern half this year. Plans change as they often do and that¢s OK. We¢re flexible. Since we had completed roughly 1/3 of the trail when we stopped and left for home, we decided we¢ll hike the second ¢third¢ this year and finish up the final ¢third¢ in 2005. Our rational was that since we¢re not fast hikers ¢ just slow and steady - we would probably complete the next section in 3 months also. That would give us the summer to enjoy at home. Also, coincidentally, the second ¢third¢ would bring us to the top of Mt. Greylock which is only about 10 miles from our house. We would in effect be hiking home. Now that¢s incentive!
Date: 2004-01-29
To: Experience is a Good Teacher!
Miles today: 0.0

   Preparations!   Here we go again! It¢s the same as before but with some differences.    What is the same? Our backpacks, Aqua Mira for purifying our water, Canon digital camera, Pocketmail with daughter Kristy continuing to transcribe our Journal entries (Thanks Kris!) , Half Dome plus 2 tent, Lowe boots, and the use of food drops. These all worked exceptionally well for us last year.    What is different? 1. Fewer items initially in our backpacks than our 2003 start. We learned the hard way that we were carrying way too much! 2. We found that in cold weather our alcohol stove tended to be hard to regulate and inefficient so we bought an MSR Simmerlite Stove, the lightest white gas stove on the market. 3. We¢ve added lightweight snowshoes since we¢re starting farther north and could run into snow. 4. We have a new support team. Kristy and Todd have moved to Washington state so the job has been graciously taken over by Dave¢s son Jeff and his wife Joan and they will be sending out our food drops.   Aside from all these practical and very essential elements of the hike, I know that my anticipation is different this year ¢ less excited with the intoxicating ¢kick¢ of unknown adventure and more confident and secure in having experienced what it¢s really like. For me, that¢s important. There are so many fewer unknowns this time around and that¢s nice¢¦ We know that we really enjoy instant oatmeal for breakfast each day. We know that our favorite gorp is M&M¢s and walnuts. (Thanks Virginia Creeper for introducing us to that treat!) We know the feel of the ground under a thermorest and we know we prefer to sleep in our tent rather than a shelter. We know that we can survive in the woods with animals, privys or the lack of one , rain, snow, wind, hot sun, and sore muscles. We know our wind-block fleece jackets really work. Yes, with God¢s help, we can do this again!
Date: 2004-02-11
To: One Month To Go!
Miles today: 0.0

Isn¢t this a great idea? Introducing the Porta-Privy, which would make our friend-in-the-woods a constant companion. A friend just sent us this pic so we¢re sharing it in the interest of other senior backpackers who fantasize about such things.    Seriously, we¢re thinking 24/7 about our hike now. We¢ve drawn up a tentative hiking schedule and planned our mail drops. Since we¢ll be starting farther north, we¢ve found that many of the facilities usually open to the hikers will be still closed when we come through. We¢ve called our mail drop sites and various hostels along the way to make sure of availability before making up our final list and that proved to be valuable. One hostel that will be closed at our anticipated arrival time is one that was recommended in many journals - the Church of the Mountain Hostel in Delaware Water Gap, PA. Another in Vernon, NJ, was bringing in a large group for a week and wouldn¢t have room for us if we arrived at the same time, so we adjusted our schedule accordingly and we were glad we had called.   Tomorrow we¢re headed up to Saranac Lake, NY, within the Adirondack High Peaks region, for some R&R. It¢s time for the Winter Carnival and our annual week of house sitting at Scamp¢s brother¢s house. This area is always a favorite with us, so we¢ll bring our snowshoes and cross country skiis and plan on getting out and having fun in some good snow. Then it¢s back home for the final preparations and count-down... in just about a month we¢ll be on the trail!
Date: 2004-02-25
To: Serious preparations now!
Miles today: 0.0

We¢ve just returned from a delightful week at Saranac Lake, NY taking in the winter wonderland of the Adirondacks. Scamp¢s brother, a local dentist, takes his wife and staff to a dental conference each year and so while they were in Mexico, we stayed at their beautiful home with their two sons and four dogs. It was Winter Carnival week with all the excitement of the traditional parade and Ice Castle. The temperatures were near zero for most of the time and the snow was deep so we bundled up and did some cross country skiing and snowshoeing, which was great fun. As we left and drove south to Massachusetts, and watched the temperatures rising a bit, we couldn¢t help but wonder what the weather would like in central Virginia when we begin hiking.   My heart jumps when I study the calendar and realize that there are only 4 more days of February left. Our flight date to Norfolk, VA is on March 13 and not only is it advancing quickly, but there are so many notes on the calendar of events on our schedule ¢ appointments, meetings and good-bye visits that are all so necessary, but I¢m getting anxious because I know that there are a multitude of tasks remaining yet for us to work on at home.    Greylock is so capable and full of energy. His positive attitude is inspiring and I feel so blessed to be doing this hike with him. As we work on preparations side by side, I catch his enthusiasm and just smile, as he always seems to provide solutions to problems that I foresee. Okay, relax. Deep breath.   Together I¢m sure that we¢ll get everything done in time.
Date: 2004-03-10
To: Local Trail Magic
Miles today: 0.0

This entry is to again thank our own local Trail Angel and the driving force behind North American Naturals, Carl A. Becker. Last year Carl shared one of his wonderful products with us. It¢s an insect repellent affectionately called Uncle Carl¢s All-Natural ¢Bug-Away¢, and we loved using it on the trail in 2003. It is Deet & chemical free and helps repel ticks, mosquitos, no see ums, black flies, and other disease carriers. It is the ¢real¢ natural bug repellent.   All of Carl¢s products are all-natural, in fact he specializes in all-natural vegetable & glycerin bath & beauty products, and his local store in the Berkshires of MA carries his entire line, many of which are formulated and made by Carl.      In addition to more ¢Bug Away¢ repellent, he also gave us some bars of ¢Bug Away Soap¢ which can be used as soap which leaves a lingering citronella fragrance or even rubbed on the skin as a repellent. How handy for hikers!   His third gift to us, was a bottle of his almost-ready-for-production repellent that is used when washing clothes and put into the final rinse water, again to leave a pleasant smelling insect repellent lingering on the fabric. Great idea! That makes a lot of sense for hikers who aren¢t always able to wash their hands after applying insect repellent and who wants that residue to get on the GORP?    For anyone who is interested to order online or by mail, here¢s the info:North American Naturals, 55 Pittsfield Rd., Lenox, MA 01240 (413) 637-0641   or find online ordering info at: www.nansoap.com.   OK now, end of commercial. Thanks for the chance to pass along this great product information to anyone who is interested in a healthier, more natural way of beating the bugs!
Date: 2004-03-12
To: We're Ready To Go!
Miles today: 0.0

This is it! The preparations are finished. The packing is done. On Monday, we took a prep hike in to the October Mountain Shelter, not far from our house, to test our gear and recall the routines. It was cold, in the low 20¢s, and snow softly fell all night accumulating a few inches. The shelter was ours alone and so we set up our tent inside, and after a good tuna, mac and cheese dinner we coaxed a campfire from the wet branches we gathered and it was good. Good to be in a shelter again, good to be in the woods, and good to be doing this together.   Tomorrow we leave for Virginia to spend the weekend with Greylock¢s brother and his wife. On Monday, March 15th, they¢ll take us back to Route 60 where we left the trail last year and our 2004 hike will begin. I wish I could look ahead and see what¢s waiting for us down the trail. It¢s so exciting to think about. How will we ever sleep tonight?
Date: 2004-03-15
From: Long Mtn. Wayside-VA 60

To: Cow Camp Gap Shelter
Miles today: 3.8
Weather: clear sky

We're back on the trail! We had a good flight to Norfolk, VA, uneventful except for Greylock being selected for some extra security checks at Albany Airport. He was personally scanned and all our packs were hand searched. We didn't even realize it until we got to Jim's house and saw that everything in our carefully packed backpacks had been gone through - our clothes bags, food bags, everything- and then the contents randomly stuffed back in. Security seemed much tighter this year and we were glad even though it made for some repacking.   Jim met us at the airport and we spent a restful weekend at Jim & Linda's home in Midlothan, VA. This morning Jim drove us across the state to the place where the trail crosses Rt.60 and we began hiking right where we left off last year.   We had seen on our AT map that the trail went from 2065' up to 4059' so we knew that we would be initiated by an uphill climb. The day was absolutely gorgeous - a perfect 10! The sky was blue and the sun was shining. It began to get warm very quickly as our out-of-shape hiker bodies hiked slower and slower and our rest stops became more frequent. When we finally reached the top we dropped our packs for a lunch break and then it was downhill for 1.5 miles to the shelter. It's a beautiful spot by a stream and we're alone here tonight so we put up our tent inside the shelter. Greylock's little radio says we may get freezing rain tonight and tomorrow morning so it'll be nice to be able to pack up dry gear before heading out in the wet woods.   Thank you, Lord, for this hike of 2004, for new beginnings, and for each day you give us. Greylock sits here at the picnic table with me, reading his Bible and I'm reminded that "Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path" (Psalm 119:105). What a great verse for hikers!
Date: 2004-03-16
From: Cow Camp Gap Shelter

To: Seeley-Woodward Shelter
Miles today: 10.2
Weather: snow

A cold rain started falling in the night last night and kept up all day with a 20* drop in temperature. We knew it was 10.2 miles to the next shelter and under these conditions we at least wanted to be under a roof, so that was our goal.   Our first climb was up famous Cold Mountain and it sure earned its name today! It must be a beautiful spot on a hot summer day with the spacious grassy summit, but today we had freezing wind, rain, and sleet pelting us as we hurried across from treeline to treeline. A hiker in a yellow rainsuit aproached us down the trail soon after, and it was Alan, trail name Ponderer, a southbounder headed for Georgia. We had been following his journal with interest since he described trail conditions in the Shenendoahs where we're headed. A quick greeting was all we could stop for in the cold.   The rain continued off and on all day and our fingers especially were cold. The trail was a good one though and by late afternoon the shelter was in view.   Hurriedly, Greylock pitched the tent inside the shelter and after quickly getting out of wet clothes and putting on a dry set (I'm so glad I brought mittens and hand warmers) and enjoying a cup of hot cocoa, we were ready for some soup and a chicken rice dinner.   We're in our sleeping bags now for the warmth and on the inside walls of the shelter our wet things are hanging on every nail.    Thank you, Lord, for seeing us safely to this shelter tonight where we can warm up.