morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2011-06-16
From: Loft Mountain

To: Jarman Gap
Miles today: 19.4

Day 85 6/16: Slackpacking oh yeah!Today was our first day of slackpacking (hiking with just a daypack) and our longest day yet. Depending on whether you believe the data book or the ATC map, our mileage is either 18 1/4 or 19.4. I prefer the latter. We went southbound today, which was a strange change of pace. We passed some of our friends going north who were surprised to see us. I told some of them that they were going the wrong way. Some hikers looked at us strange, others knew we were teasing.The wildlife, especially deer and black bear, in Shenandoah National Park are not very scared of humans. We saw three bears fairly close-up. Well, I only heard two of them. The terrain was pretty easy, not many ups and downs, or rocks to fall upon. This, as well as carrying a 5 lb pack, was a nice treat. We wanted to do a 20 or more mileage day, but we fell short. It was late, steak was on the dinner menu, and I imagine mom was tired of driving around and waiting on us. We were fortunate enough to reconnect with some friends just by chance. While we were eating lunch with mom, DVD and her friend Tina came walking by on the trail. We hollered, they hollered, and we rejoiced! It was good to see DVD, as we hadn't met back up with her since Trail Days in Damascus (a month or so ago). We had her solar charger to return, as well as her homemade white blaze that mysteriously had fallen off her pack. We also ran into Chloe who had been hiking superfast. If we don't hike at similar speeds this week, I am not sure when we will see her again.
Date: 2011-06-17
From: Dripping Rock Parking Area

To: Rockfish Gap
Miles today: 14.3
Weather: few clouds

Day 86 6/17: Can we slackpack the rest of the trail?This morning we had to get up early (not normal for us) to be ready in time for a 7am shuttle with Charles, Mary, Deb and Ian, back to the Dripping Rock Parking Area. Our plan for the day was to slackpack northbound from Dripping Rock to Rockfish Gap. This is the 14 mile section that we skipped to meet mom in time a few days ago.When we arrived at the parking lot, there was a red truck parked perpendicular to the oncoming lane of traffic. At first, I thought the driver was in the truck, but in reality it was empty and someone had pushed it into the road and skaddaddled. A man was there waiting on the police. Charles and Mary decided to wait as well. Craziness!After our very pleasant hike with Deb and Ian, we stopped at Rockfish Outfitters in Waynesboro. Trudge decided to buy a new pack! And a new sleeping pad, and a new sleeping bag! He dropped probably about 6 lbs total in pack weight. I am surpised that he was willing to buy the new gear, but I hope it works out for him. I am slightly jealous of his new gear.My mom was offering to help buy me a new backpack, but I wanted nothing to do with it! Boy, was I grumpy, too tired, hungry, and overwhelemed to even know where to begin in looking for a new pack. Maybe, I'll look later.Trudge treated us to a delicious sushi dinner in town. His sushi craving was only slightly cured.
Date: 2011-06-18
From: Loft Mountain Campground

To: Powell Gap
Miles today: 11.2

Day 87 6/18: The mysterious fake bird Since we normally hike the trail in one continuous stretch going north, it has been strange to stay at one campsite and hike from there in either direction. This morning we started at Loft Mountain Campground and made it to Powell Gap. One of the reasons we only made it 11.2 miles, is everyone wants to talk to us. It is almost like being famous. Because we are in a national park, there are a lot of tourists to speak with. "How far are you going?" "Going all the way?" "When did you start?" "What do you eat?" "Aren't you afraid?" I enjoy sharing our stories, but sometimes I itch to move on. Maybe, this is why Trudge calls me the Hike Nazi. We went to the park ranger's campfire program tonight. Why did it not involve any campfires? We did learn about Fantastic Fungi through a slideshow. Also, we learned that the bird we have been calling "the fake bird" (because it's song sounds like high-altitude anemometer) is a veery. One more bird song down! The veery is a very small brown and white bird, but what it lacks in color, it makes up for in its beautiful flute-like song.
Date: 2011-06-19
From: Powell Gap

To: Lewis Campground picnic area
Miles today: 14.5

Day 88 6/19: Why does it take us so long?This morning mom dropped us off at Powell Gap and moved our basecamp to Big Meadows Campground. We had hoped to hike from Powell Gap to our campsite, but stopped short. Sounds typical of us, doesn't it?Apparently several people had told us that we wouldn't walk way more miles slackpacking than we normally do. I guess I didn't internalize this, because I was disappointed that we didn't signficantly increase our mileage. But, slackpacking can take more planning and sometimes more time. The advantage of slackpacking is it is way more comfortable. I am very grateful that my mom came down to help us out! Trudge and I have gotten used to each other and our routines. Granted we still argue, but throwing one more person into the mix was sometimes challenging. We are all still speaking to each other, so that is a plus. Thanks to my mom and Trudge for putting up with my trail-induced grumpiness.This afternoon mom thought something had happed to us, because she hiked in to Pocosin Cabin expecting to meet us there. We were fine; she was about two hours early. She didn't figure in that we would stop as much as we do.
Date: 2011-06-20
From: Luray, VA

To: Luray, VA
Miles today: 0.0

Day 89 6/20: Going underground!Trudge, Mom, and I took a zero/touristy day and headed into Luray. We had a sit-down breakfast at Uncle Buck's and ice cream for lunch. We deserved the royal treatment as last night it downpoured (understatement of the century!) and we woke up to a huge puddle under our tent. A long time was spent at Appalachian Outdoor Adventures outfitters so I could try on new and lighter packs! I was in a much better mood then the other day. They only had two packs (a GoLite and an Osprey Exos 58) that I liked that would help me reduce my pack weight. I almost immediately decided that the GoLite would drive me nuts, because it didn't offer enough organization (i.e. POCKETS). The Osprey seemed like a great pack, but they didn't have my size. In the end, they placed a pack order, which is scheduled to arrive at the end of this week.We finished out the day with a visit to Luray Caverns, which neither Mom nor Trudge had been to. What a beautiful and different experience than above ground on the AT.
Date: 2011-06-21
From: Lewis Campground

To: Rock Spring Hut
Miles today: 12.2
Weather: overcast clouds

Day 90 6/21: Summer Solstice or Naked Hiking Day!Mom left this afternoon after we repacked everything and re-organized the car. We moved to a drive-in (and sunny) campsite to spread all our gear out and sort, sort, sort. We didn't get started until one-ish, so it looked like more night hiking (which I hate) is in store for us. I asked Trudge "why do we always get ourselves into this mess?" His response was "probably because I like it." We stopped at Bearfence Hut in hopes of seeing an infamous bear. Earlier in the day we had run into Bismark (whom we had been hiking with way back in Georgia). He shared with us about another hiker's "mishap" with a bear, hammock, and lavendar soap. Luckily, no one was injured, but this particular bear may need to be relocated, or even ethunasized if the problem continues. Anyway, we were getting ready to leave the shelter and Trudge sat up, made some strange noise, looked up, and there was the bear about 15 feet away. The bear wandered around the shelter, turned over some logs, and rooted for tasty grubs. Trudge started to take pictures, but first turned to me and says "Tell me if the bear gets too close." How do I know what is too close? Is 5 feet away too close? What about licking your shoe? Is that too close?The bear eventually took off and we headed up the trail; only to have the same bear cross the trail in front of us. Trudge clicked his poles together and it ran off in the direction of the road. None of the cars slowed down, but since we didn't hear any screaching tires we assume it crossed safely. I imagine many of the cars didn't even know the bear was right by the road. What else do we miss in this fast-paced life of ours?We slowed down our hiking pace to a halt (or rather a stop) and took advantage of one of the last Shenandoah waysides, Big Meadows. We ate like kings: reuben sandwich, chili, and pulled pork BBQ. A famous tradition on the trail is Naked Hiking Day, which always happens on the summer solstice. Since we were in the park, we didn't think it was wise to take part in this ritual until close to dark. So around 7:30 we donned our birthday-suits for a few miles. Such fun! We didn't cross any roads or see anyone, which I guess is a good thing for them. Other people did crazy things as well. One person was planning on using a crown royal bag, and another person (male) wore a tube top, daisy dukes, and a hard-hat. Ah hikers, such a rare breed.When we got to the shelter in the dark, there was no room for our tent at the established campsites. Boy scouts had filled up the whole place. As we walked through the sites looking for a spot and the bear pole, they shouted out "Who is out there?" When Trudge went back to hang up our food-bags, they were still yelling to him. In retrospect, he decided he should have said "I am a bear with a light. Shut-up and go to sleep, so I can eat your food!"
Date: 2011-06-22
To: Wendy McCormick
Miles today: 0.0

I spent the past week with the hikers in Shenandoah National Park, camping, shuttling, hiking, and enjoying their company. They look great and their attitudes are amazing. Heat, rain, mud, bugs...all in a days' journey, without complaint (well, almost!) Throughout the week I had the opportunity to meet some of the hikers that Ali has written about in her journal entries. It is a very unique tapestry of lives as they weave in and out of each other's paths. Seldom are the encounters planned, but they are always met with excitement and shared enthusiasm for the adventure. The sense of "hiker community" is immediately obvious to an observer. Eureka and Trudge are fairly close to their original timetable, and should reach the halfway point at Harper's Ferry by the end of next week. Trudge has a new pack, sleeping bag and pad, thus reducing his gear weight by another 5 or more pounds. Eureka hopes to find a pack which fits well so that she can drop a bit of extra weight too. With food and water they are now carrying about 30-34 pounds of gear...a great improvement from their initial starting weights! Ali is once again "behind" in her journaling, but it is nearly impossible for her to keep up with daily entries. As they explained, there are only 3 things a thru-hiker does....walks, eats and sleeps. There is no time or energy for anything else!Until she has the chance to update, know that they are well and determined to keep on going!
Date: 2011-06-23
From: Byrd's Nest shelter #3

To: Pass Mountain Hut
Miles today: 4.4
Weather: moderate rain

Day 92 6/23: It's a small world after all!The logistics of hiking this trail can sometimes be more difficult then they need to be. When my mother was visiting, we dropped a food and map box off at the outfitters in Luray, VA. We expected to take longer than today to get there, so we don't need all of our food.   Should we have someone else pick it up? If we didn't need our maps, we could just skip going into town and have the outfitters place the food in the hiker box. (usually a cardboard box or plastic tub full of unuseful items that hikers seem to think other hikers might want. One person's trash is another person's treasure. I have found a few good things in these boxes). We told our friend Whisper who was closer to town to take whatever food he wanted from the our box if the outfitter would let him. Except for MY skittles. This morning we met, Koi (sp?) and Kaboose, thruhikers from Indiana who started on Springer Mt in Georgia on May 1st. They are really fast, averaging roughly 25-30 miles per day. They hope to finish in 4 months, so they can return home and get an organic farm up and running. They were also hitching into Luray.We got a hitch into town with a couple from Warren, PA who were visiting the area. Their daughter had also gone to penn state and had recently worked as an au pair in Switzerland. On our way to town, we passed Koi and Kaboose. Oh no, we thought they had gotten a ride already. Errcch, we have room. They hopped in the bed of the truck and away we went. We arrived at the outfitters a day too early. The packs they ordered were not in yet. I guess I was not destinated to buy a new one today. My plan is to continue the pack search in Harpers Ferry. It is usually not hard to give away food to hikers. While Whisper did not take any food from our box like we thought he would, we were able to share the wealth of tang and fontana dinner (rice,veggies,and country ham) with Kaboose and Koi. Her response "I've been wanting something orange."As we were leaving a mexican restaurant after lunch, Trudge dared me to make weird faces and hold up my poles like antennae at some innocent lunch-eating bystanders. I did a half hearted attempt, but heard them laughing as we were walking by. Turns out, one of them had seen the hiking poles, thought I was blind, and "she does alright for being blind." There has been at least one blind person to thru-hike the trail in years past, but it was not me. Unlike last night, the shelter was packed tonight! We met some new people: Levi, Lemon, Worn Heel, and Moonshine. Dude and Baby Ruth were also there. This is just a small sample, since I am struggling to remember everyone's names. Plus, I'm not sure if I actually met all the new people. We made a chocolate cake to share. Anyone up for some gooey chocolately goodness?
Date: 2011-06-24
From: Pass Mountain Hut

To: Gravel Springs Hut
Miles today: 12.1
Weather: scattered clouds

Day 93 6/24: Still in Virginia!We are almost out of the national park, but still a ways to go in Virginia! Thankfully, I never really got the "Virginia blues" as so many people do. I imagine we were able to trick the blues monster into thinking we were done with the state by going to the beach for a week! Nothing like sitting on the beach, soaking in the sun, and reading short stories crafted by Jimmy Buffett. We stopped at the last wayside, Elkwallows, along the trail today. As we approached, Moonshine teased "You're late. A few minutes ago the store clerks announced "free beer to all thru-hikers."" Could he really be serious? Nah, just a joker. We did enjoy a cold beer (which we paid for), soda, and a blackberry milkshake. Must take advantage of the last wayside. At our picnic table sat two elderly men who were swapping bike trip stories. I am always amazed at how fit and active some older people are. They are an inspiration to us all!Have you ever seen a bobcat? What about a mountain lion? In the wild, not the zoo? Well, I'm not that lucky, but another thruhiker has a short video of what she believes to be a mountain lion she saw briefly in the park. Trudge and I are pretty sure it is a bobcat (size, bobbed tail, and ruffs of extended hair beneath the ears gave it away). But, how do you convince someone that they are wrong? And for that matter, should we even try since she is super-excited to have seen a mountain lion. I'm not sure how I feel about this.Since Trudge has lost a lot of weight on the trail, his skirt (eh...kilt) no longer fits. Luckily, he bought it from REI so it is an easy switcheroo. We should write a book about the AT; not a memoir but a how-to dieting book!This afternoon Trudge and I stopped at a road crossing and parking lot to look at the map. All of a sudden, we hear someone yelp loudly. Since, we weren't sure where the sound came from we didn't think too much of it. A few minutes later back on the trail, we come across a friend of ours who looks disoriented and confused. Turns out he had tripped over a rock, fell hard, and landed on his arm. We waited with him until he felt like he could carry his pack. He could barely make his arm move, but insisted that carrying the pack was ok. Another thru-hiker walked with him to the shelter. I sincerely hope he heals quickly. I also hope that I can avoid any such incidents of my own.We went to bed early tonight, since we are going to attempt to get up at 5 am and make it to a hostel in time to get to the post office before they close. Damn, those post office saturday hours!   Of course had we done adequate planning/research we would have realized there was a hostel and sent our mail drop there instead of the post office in the first place.
Date: 2011-06-25
From: Gravel Springs Hut

To: Terrapin Station Hostel
Miles today: 10.5

Day 94 6/25: We did it!We did it! We managed to get on the trail this morning before 6 am. This is not typical behavior for us. Plus, we were packed up in less than an hour (also not the norm) and hiked over 10 miles before we generally even hit the trail in the morning! Woot Woot Wooty Toot Toot! Yesterday, we had spoken with Mike, the owner of Terrapin Station Hostel outside of Front Royal, VA, on the phone. He had said it wouldn't be a problem to run an extra shuttle into town so we could get our mail drop from the post office in time. We got to Terrapin Station around 10 am and got settled in. Mike was out on a different shuttle, and Firebeard, a south bound thruhiker, showed us around. Firebeard wasn't sure that Mike would run us back into town when he got home, but I really hoped he was wrong. Thankfully, Mike is very accomodating and had no problem taking us into town on an extra shuttle. I think he tries to keep regular morning, lunch, and evening shuttle times, but I get the feeling that he typically goes out of his way to make sure his guests are satisfied. I'm not sure if I would be that obliging if I owned a hostel. The hostel was EMPTY! I felt like we had the place to ourselves. I was even able to take a nap, since no one else was around. Quiet and peaceful, but not for long. By the end of the day, the hostel was full with at least 15 people (Turtle Feet, Little Bird, Gail One of the Phew, Hot Drinks, Ass Trumpet, Carebear, Jackie, Redbeard, Firebread, English Chatter, Happy Feet, Yoga Boy, Firbeard and us). I don't have the right words to describe just how frustrated I was with the group while they tried to decide where to go for dinner. Mike said he could take us anywhere and to multiple places. It took about a half an hour to come up with our plan. As soon as one person would suggest a type of food, the whole group's desires would change. On, and On, it went. I had to go outside, because I couldn't handle the chaos. I'm hungry, let's just go eat somewhere!Eventually, eight of us ended up at a Japanese restaurant where sushi and curry did wonders for my empty belly. English Chatter tried to show me how to use my chopsticks correctly. He spent three years in Japan teaching English. After dinner, some of us needed to go to the grocery store and some of us were heading right back to the hostel. There were two cars available, but once again no one could figure out which group should get in which car. ugh! After a few minutes of listening to this mindless deliberation, I got out my teacher-voice and said "Those that need to go to the store, over here. Those that are going straight back, over here!" I was a bit surprised that I spoke up, but it immediately solved our problems! I guess sometimes you have to treat adults like kids to get things done.I ended up sleeping on my thermarest on the hostel's living room floor, because I feared that the mattresses in the bunk room were going to be too noisy. I was right; the next day someone said that it was like everyone was sleeping on balloons.
Date: 2011-06-26
From: Terrapin Station Hostel

To: Tom Sealock Spring
Miles today: 7.1

Day 95 6/26: The worst pecan pie ever.I slept peacefully in the living room at the hostel. We didn't leave and hike back to the trail till about noonish. Trudge was truly debating staying another night so we could go to all-you-can-eat sushi at last night's restaurant.We finally left Shenandoah National Park today. We hadn't gone too far and decided to hitch back to Front Royal for some junk food. We got a quick hitch with a section hiker who was at the trailhead. He is a meditation teacher. Trudge said to me later "I thought you were going to ask him more about meditation." I should have as I want to learn some basic techniques to handle the stresses of trail and life.In town, we walked to a park for lunch. There was a huge group of people there, perhaps a family reunion. My eagle eyes started searching for unwanted food and I spotted a lady with a pie. As they were leaving, I made sure to say hi to everyone and especially the pie lady. That was all it took for her to say "Would you like some pecan pie?" Well, we sure did, until we ate that first bite. This was the grossest, most disgusting, foul-tasting pecan pie I had ever laid upon my taste-buds. I guess I won't be shopping for pie at their grocery store anytime soon. I hate wasting food, but couldn't bring myself to even try another crumb. A donation to the trash can instead.One of the dilemmas on the trail is finding places to charge electronics, specifically Trudge's phone. Apparently, we haven't been charging it to 100% every time (I guess I was supposed to know this), and now the battery has been compromised. Trudge explained that he doesn't always let it charge all the way, because I get antsy and say "We have to start hiking now." I told him I was just living up to my trail nickname of "the hike nazi."I believe Trudge is becoming more aware and considerate of my feelings on night hiking. This may be because he doesn't want to hear me complain. We wanted to get to Jim and Molly Denton shelter (5.2 miles from Front Royal), but stopped instead at Tom Selock Spring Campsite about 3.3 miles out of town. We were visited by a white-tailed rabbit and a toad. Or maybe we visited them, since they probably lived there first.