morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2010-05-28
From: Campsite on James River

To: Stealth Camping past VA607
Miles today: 13.1

This was the night of the bear¢¦ Last night was very interesting. I decided not to put up a bear line because the ground in the area was peppered with poison ivy. Instead I put my food bag in my tent. I had finished writing my journal for yesterday and was sitting on a log about 20 feet in front of my tent, annotating the photos I had taken. It was starting to get dark and I heard twigs snapping on the trail behind the tent. I heard it again and decided to investigate. I took out my camera, turned it on and slowly moved where the noise was originating. That¢s when I saw the bear. It was in the woods, about 20 feet behind the tent. I raised the camera to take a picture but the bear turned and ran up the hill like a bat out of Hades. I have read that bears can run faster than the fastest human sprinter ¢ now I believe it. After the bear sighting, I put up a bear line, almost in the dark and over the poison ivy, and hung my food bag. Then I went to sleep. My food bag was there this morning. I was up at 6 am and got a ride into Glasgow for supplies and enjoyed a hiker¢s breakfast: 2 eggs with bacon, hash browns, 4 slices of toast, 2 glasses of orange juice, and 4 cups of coffee ¢ all for $6.66 plus tip. I supplemented breakfast with 2 16-oz Cokes and a pint of Ben & Jerry¢s ice cream and was back on the Trail by 11:00. I cooked my dinner in a shelter during a thunderstorm then hiked on another mile plus and pitched a tent. It is now 9:20 pm, 69 °F, and raining¢¦ again¢¦ - Just Trogging Along
Date: 2010-05-29
From: Stealth Camping past VA607

To: Salt Log Gap
Miles today: 18.6

It rained last night but had stopped by the time I got up at 6 am. The campsite was enshrouded in heavy fog. I ate breakfast, packed up my wet tent, and was on my way at 7:15 am. There was a ridge walk, a downhill, a river walk, a 3000 ft uphill, and another ridge walk. I stopped at 11:30 at the Brown Mountain Creek Shelter, cooked my dinner, and tanked up with 2.5 L of water, which took about 1.5 h. My intent was not to stop at the next shelter in order to avoid the additional 0.6 mi (one-way) to get there from the AT. I also did not want to cook in the rain. I also chatted with Leaf for a bit. The skies threatened, but it did not rain. I ended up hiking late in the day to get in a few extra miles, finally starting to look for a tent spot at 7 pm. I ended up finding one at 7:30 pm just past Salt Log Gap. Yahtzee ate dinner there and then hiked on. It is 9:25 pm, 65 °F in the tent, and quiet except for a high-flying jet. ¢ Just Trogging Along
Date: 2010-05-30
From: Salt Log Gap

To: VA56 Tye River
Miles today: 17.2
Weather: scattered clouds

Last night was quiet but hot. Everything in the tent was clammy. I was up at 6 am and hiking by 7:15 am in 64 °F temperatures and fog. The fog cleared and the temperature only got up to 78 °F but it was very humid. I stopped for about 30 min for water and a snack at 10 am, a 30 min lunch at 12:30, and 1.5 h for a cooked dinner at 2:30 pm. I started hiking down the 3500 ft descent from the summit of Priest at 4 pm and reached a campsite on the Tye River at 7 pm. Once there, I set up the tent, ate a candy bar snack, and rinsed off in the river ¢ it felt great in this very humid weather. On the descent from Priest I saw a Turk¢s Cap Lily (it was pointed out by a ridge runner). These are quite rare. Check out the photo (I took several). It is 9:15 pm with a tent temperature of 75 °F. After I annotate today¢s photos I will power down the headlamp and listen to the rushing waters of the Tye River as I drift off to sleep. ¢ Just Trogging Along
Date: 2010-05-31
From: VA56 Tye River

To: Campsite on Humpback Mountain
Miles today: 16.6

Last night, all the usual night noises were drowned out by the rushing water of the Tye River. I was up at 6 am, ate in the tent because the no-see-ems were out, and started hiking at 7:05 am. Today¢s hike included a long 3000 ft uphill climb, a 1000 ft descent, and ended with another 1000 ft uphill to Humpback Mountain where I am now camped just below the summit. The trail was at times rocky, sometimes smooth, and the climbs were long and tedious. The wind is high but the campsite is in a grove of trees. My tent is set up on a flat grassy patch of ground. I met two female nurses finishing up a section hike. They turned out to be Trail Angels since they gave me a soda and several power bars. These helped me make it up the end-of-day 1000 ft climb. Thank you Doris and Cathy. Now I am set up to hike into Waynesboro for resupply tomorrow. There were rumbles of thunder but the storms missed us. There could still be one tonight. The air remains humid and I am clammy in the tent. Even the journal paper feels damp. It is 68 °F and will be cooler tonight. Yahtzee saw a rattlesnake today and I jumped a deer coming up Humpback Mountain. Tonight the sounds of rushing wind will lull me to sleep. ¢ Just Trogging Along
Date: 2010-06-01
From: Campsite on Humpback Mountain

To: Rockfish Gap / Waynesboro, VA
Miles today: 13.1
Weather: scattered clouds

The wind blew all last night, flapping the tent occasionally but I eventually got to sleep. I was up at 5:40 am, packed as quickly as I could, ate breakfast, and was hiking at 6:25 am just as the sun was rising. The wind was still blowing moderately which felt good in the 64 °F humid air. The trail was good and was mostly ups and downs after an initial 2000 ft descent. I arrived at Rockfish Gap and found that the Waynesboro Visitor Center had moved. There was a note on the old building with a phone number that did not work. I saw on the sign that the new location was at the ¢top of the mountain¢. Right, that¢s all I needed was to hike to the top of another mountain¢¦ but I started out and it wasn¢t so bad, only a 200 ft climb. I went in and talked with the person there. He said they had just moved and their phone was not yet connected. He called the Trail Angel shuttle service but could not get me a ride (10 miles into town). He kindly offered to give me a ride a soon as his relief arrived which occurred about 10 min later. I made it into Waynesboro around 1:15 pm ¢ not bad at all, considering. I got a motel room, had lunch at Burger King (it wasn¢t very good), picked up my mail drop at the post office (thanks, Mrs. Trog), repacked, mailed some things back to further lighten my pack weight, and am now doing laundry at a Laundromat 3 blocks down the street. It is 5:10 pm and my laundry will be dry in a few minutes. I plan on having dinner with Limestone around 6 pm, then will need to get supplies at the local Krogers. Hopefully a quiet night of sleep will follow and off to the Trail in the morning. ¢ Just Trogging Along
Date: 2010-06-02
From: Rockfish Gap / Waynesboro, VA

To: Black Rock Hut
Miles today: 20.0
Weather: clear sky

I watched Hoosiers and the first half of Rocky last night. Great movies but I should have gone to bed earlier. I was up at 6:15 am, had breakfast at the motel (it came with the room), walked to Krogers to get one lunch that I forgot during my shopping expedition last night, and enjoyed a second breakfast at the motel. The shuttle driver van picked Limestone and I up at 8 am and dropped us off at Rockfish Gap where we registered for hiking through Shenandoah National Park. We were off hiking at about 8:45 am. The elevation today ranged between 1900 and 3000 ft but there were many ups and downs. I saw a wild turkey by the trail. The trails were in good shape and I arrived at the Blackrock Hut at 7:30 pm (that included a 30 min lunch), set up my tent, cooked dinner and am now in the tent writing my journal at 10 pm. It was another long day but no movies to keep me up late tonight. ¢ Just Trogging Along
Date: 2010-06-03
From: Black Rock Hut

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

Today was another long day to say the least. In an effort to pack light, I decided to resupply at camp stores along the Shenandoah National Park (SNP) and to eat at the Waysides along the Skyline Drive. When I went to resupply at the Loft Mountain Campstore, it took over an hour to find and get back on the Trail. All this effort for one dinner, one lunch, and 2 candy bars. Next, the lunch at the Loft Mountain Wayside was a 0.5 mile downhill to get there (and 0.5 mi uphill to get back) ¢ with lunch this took another 1.5 h. This explains why my hike, which started at 7 am, ended at 8:30 pm at the shelter. I then cooked dinner and went to bed without writing in my journal. (I am writing this entry the next night). During the day, I saw a bear by the trail but he saw me first and scampered down the hill. I came to that spot and saw him at the bottom of the hill, clicked my hiking poles together and he ran off in the woods. I enjoyed some nice Trail Magic from Robohiker & Vito who hiked the Trail earlier. Thanks guys. Also I met other 2010 thru-hikers Jibitz, Fynious, Ichabod and Heads Up. ¢ Just Trogging Along
Date: 2010-06-04
From: Hightop Hut

To: Big Meadows Camp
Miles today: 20.0

I passed the 900-mile mark today. It rained last night so I was glad to be in the shelter. The rain stopped by 5:30 am when I got up. I packed, ate, and was off hiking by 6:20 am. I stopped after 12 miles at the Lewis Mountain Campground and had a hiker¢s lunch (2 Rice Krispie squares, a pint of butter pecan ice cream, and a 20 oz Pepsi) then was on my way. The trails today were very smooth and even though the elevation varied only between 2800 and 3600 ft, there were many short ups and downs. I saw a deer by the trail just browsing as I walked on. The threat of thunderstorms materialized and at 5:15 pm ¢ just before I reached my evening destination ¢ the skies opened up. I walked the last 45 min in a downpour. Limestone & I had dinner at the lodge and it is now 10:15 pm and time for bed. No rushing waters or wailing whippoorwills to lull me to sleep tonight. ¢ Just Trogging Along
Date: 2010-06-05
From: Big Meadows Camp

To: Birds Nest #3 Shelter
Miles today: 14.8

It was a restful night in the Big Meadows Lodge. I was up at 6:15 am, took another shower, ate a hiker breakfast, and got supplies while Limestone did laundry for both of us. The camp store was more than a mile downhill so I had >2 miles of ¢warm-up¢ before getting back on the AT. We set off hiking at 9:50 am. The trail was mostly good except for a few rocky sections. We stopped at the Skyland Dining Room for lunch at 1:30 pm. I had a CCC (note from Transcriber ¢ what is this??) sandwich and a Zero Pepsi. Not my choice but the drink machine was all out of regular Pepsi and once you pay your $1.50, you can¢t get it back. Shortly after I got back on the Trail, I saw a black bear in the woods and was able to get some pictures. I hiked on and around 5 pm saw a good-sized buck browsing by the trail and got pictures of him until he meandered back into the woods. I arrived at the shelter at 6:30 pm and there was another deer hanging around just behind it. No rain today. It is 9:15 pm, the temperature is 71 °F and there is an off-and-on gentle breeze. It is just Limestone and me in the shelter ¢ it is quiet. ¢ Just Trogging Along
Date: 2010-06-06
From: Birds Nest #3 Shelter

To: Gravel Spring Hut
Miles today: 17.5
Weather: overcast clouds

It rained last night and the wind really picked up and was blowing very hard by the morning. The rain stopped by the time I got up at 5:30 am, and I was on the trail hiking by 6:10 am, looking forward to lunch at the Elk Wallow Wayside, 12 miles down the Trail. The hike began with a long 1200 ft downhill on a rocky trail. It was tedious and not very friendly to my plantar fascia. The trail the rest of the day was much better and my foot survived another day. I arrived at the Wayside at 11:45 am which worked out perfectly. I had a cheeseburger and freedom fries and a 20 oz Pepsi for lunch and purchased supplies for the next two days. I hiked onward, reaching the Gravel Spring Hut at 4:25 pm where I cooked dinner and am now in the Hut with Limestone and Eddie. Two more thru-hikers are finishing up dinner and getting ready to hike on. I also met Cricket and Skippy today. It is 7:40 pm, 65 °F in the Hut and time to go to bed. Today totaled 17.5 miles with 3440 ft up and 4140 ft down. My hiking time was 8 h 45 min.
Date: 2010-06-07
From: Gravel Spring Hut

To: Manassas Gap
Miles today: 21.6
Weather: scattered clouds

I completed the 105-mile Shenandoah National Park today. I successfully ate my way through the Park, stopping for 1 breakfast, 3 lunches, 1 dinner, and resupplying food 3-times from camp stores. Later last night 6 additional hikers (young ones) came in and were unwinding from a day of partying so it was a late night before things quieted down and I got to sleep. Expecting a big day, I was up at 5:30 am and hiking by 6:10 am in 55 °F temperatures and a slight but gusty wind. The weather front had passed and the air was much drier. Between that and the lower temperature, it was much more comfortable hiking. I left the SNP at 10:50 am and reached the Tim Floyd Shelter at the 12-mile point at 11:15 am. I ate a quick lunch and hiked on, reaching the Molly Denton Shelter (18.6-mile point) at3:45 pm. Limestone and I decided to hike on another 3.0 miles to Manassas Gap on VA55 to go into Front Royal for resupply. That is where I am staying tonight. The trails today were mostly smooth and fast and were good to my plantar fascia. But, just to keep me honest, a few stretches were peppered with rocks. It is 11:15 pm and way past hiker midnight (note from Transcriber: I think hiker midnight = 9 pm). Time to turn off the light. ¢ Just Trogging Along
Date: 2010-06-08
From: Manassas Gap

To: Rod Hollow Shelter
Miles today: 15.4
Weather: clear sky

This morning I was up at 6 am, packed up, devoured a hotel breakfast (as is common, it came with the room). The meal was pretty good, considering, and included bacon, eggs, toast, OJ, coffee, muffins, etc. The shuttle back to the Trail was slow this morning so we didn¢t get hiking until 9 am. It was 55 °F to start but felt about right in shorts and a T-shirt. The highest temperature today was 72 °F and the air was dry. Excellent weather for hiking. The trail was mostly smooth with just enough rocks to keep me honest. I am religiously doing the golf ball massage on the bottom of my feet and it seems to be helping the plantar fascia. Nice smooth trails (like today) help, too. I ate a leisurely lunch by a stream near Dick¢s Dame Shelter with Limestone. I passed the Rod Hollow Shelter after 15.4 miles at 5:00 pm; there were about 20 hikers there. Another 6 just left to camp farther down the trail. It is about 8:30 pm and getting dark, approaching hiker midnight. Here¢s hoping for a good nights sleep. Rain is predicted for tomorrow so I would like to get an early start. ¢ Just Trogging Along
Date: 2010-06-09
From: Rod Hollow Shelter

To: David Lesser Memorial Shelter
Miles today: 21.0
Weather: moderate rain

Today was the day of the ¢Roller Coaster¢ section of the AT in northern Virginia, so named because the Trail consists of 10 sets up ups and downs without any flat parts in between. It is just continuous ups and downs, each elevation change of approximately 500-600 ft. By the end of the day, I completed nearly 6000 ft of ascent and >5000 ft of descent. My log said there were 11 laps, a record for this hike. In addition, much of the Trail was rocky; this made the going tedious and slow. The rain made the trail and rocks wet and slippery, an extra challenge. It took me over 13 h to reach the David Lesser Memorial Shelter, arriving there at 7:40 pm. That allowed just enough time to cook dinner and set up my things in the shelter ¢ thus I am writing this entry the following night. Bottom line: it was a long day. The good news is that I crossed the 1000-mile mark, ending the day at 1004.8 miles. The other notable thing today was that my socks got wet as a result of the rain and I ended up with another blister. I started treatment for it. There were 6 people in the shelter and a number of others in tents. I woke up a few times during the night ¢ it had stopped raining. The most remarkable thing, though was the total silence ¢ not a single person snoring or even breathing loud. ¢ Just Trogging Along
Date: 2010-06-10
From: David Lesser Memorial Shelter

To: AT Conference Office at Harpers Ferry
Miles today: 8.6
Weather: few clouds

It stopped raining last night and I was the first one up in the shelter at 5:15 am. I quietly gathered all my things and moved them to the pavilion. I had to get water from a spring 0.4 miles behind (and 200 ft down) from the shelter. By the time I returned with my water, the other 5 in the shelter were up and 4 were on their way into Harpers Ferry. I ate a leisurely breakfast of 6 marshmallow-filled oatmeal cookies and headed off at 6:40 am. The trail was peppered with rocks for the first 6 miles and the going was slow and tedious. The last two miles the trail mellowed out but there was a 1000 ft downhill. I crossed the bridges over the Shenandoah River and arrived at the ATC office, registered as #288 hiker of the 2010 season (I was #250 on June 7th in 2003). I checked into a motel room, purchased supplies taking a shuttle to WalMart, and washed my shorts, T-shirt, and socks in the motel room sink. (The nearest laundry was a 2+ mile walk and I was not about to hike 5 miles for just a few pieces of laundry. I hope they dry in the room¢¦ I put the A/C on high at the coldest setting ¢ I hope it works.) Now it is time to pack up the food in my pack. In the morning I will be Just Trogging Along.
Date: 2010-06-11
From: AT Conference Office at Harpers Ferry

To: Power line
Miles today: 20.4

Goodbye, West Virginia; hello Maryland! I was up at 6:30 am and ate a hotel breakfast (waffle, OJ, coffee, bagel with cream cheese, hard-boiled egg, and bacon). I packed up and checked out of the motel at 7:50 am. I arrived at the post office just after it opened at 8 am, sent back old shoes and mailed the latest set of journal pages and photos. I was back on the Trail and hiking at 8:35 am. I crossed the Potomac River on the railroad bridge and then walked the old canal towpath for over 2 miles. This has now been converted to a bike path that runs clear to Washington, D.C. Many bikes passed me. Some stopped to chat as I hiked along. Once I was in the woods, the trail moved up in elevation although it never got above 200 ft today. The Trail was mostly easy hiking with a few short sections of bad rocks. I stopped at the Dahlgren Campground, ate a mac & cheese dinner augmented with Parmesan cheese that tasted quite good. There I met Fig and Super Max (a female hiker). Then I hiked on through the Washington Monument State Park and past the Washington Monument while looking for a camping spot. I saw 4 deer on the way. It was starting to get dark but there were still people in the park so I thought it would be better if I did not camp there so I moved on. This area is very rocky but I did find a suitable spot. It is high on the trail just past some power lines. I arrived at 8:40 pm. It is now 10 pm, my bear bag is hung (but not as well as I would have liked) and I am ready to call it a night. ¢ Just Trogging Along!
Date: 2010-06-12
From: Power line

To: MD/PA border
Miles today: 21.2

Goodbye West Virginia and Maryland, hello Pennsylvania. Six states done and only 8 left to go. I picked a good tent location and my bear bag was not molested last night. It also did not rain. I was up at 6 am and hiking by 6:50 am. My goal was to make it to PenMar Park, get soda from the machine, cook dinner, then hike on to the Maryland/PA border. I accomplished this goal and am now camping just over the Pennsylvania line. It is 9:30 pm and Pacer and Kentucky are also tented here. Funk, Brooklyn and Landfill arrived earlier as they completed a 4-State Challenge. They started in Virginia at 12:30 am and hiked through WV and MD, arriving here in PA at 8:30 pm tonight. Their Dad (Spirit Walker) had a celebration for them and they just left. ¢ Just Trogging Along
Date: 2010-06-13
From: MD/PA border

To: Camp by trail
Miles today: 23.0

No rain last night and it was still warm this morning. The tent temperature at 70 °F when I got up at 5:30 am. It promised to be another hot day. I was hiking at 6:30 am. Both Kentucky (age 59) and Pacer (age 63) had already left. They both hike faster than me. Around noon, I sat on a rock at Chimney Rocks and had lunch ¢ two ham and cheese sandwiches on hamburger buns. That is the end of my lunches and I must resupply. I hiked on and reached US30 at 4:15 pm, hiked 0.4 miles down the road, and had a salad, a medium pizza, freedom fries, and 3 big glasses of Coke. I packed up the leftover fries (for breakfast) and pizza (for lunch tomorrow). At 5:30 pm I was hiking again. Those were my bonus miles for the day. I climbed another 1000 ft and hiked an additional 5 miles to give a total of 23.0 miles today. My hiking time was just over 12 h. I met Earthbound, Barabas, and Royce today. ¢ Just Trogging Along
Date: 2010-06-14
From: Camp by trail

To: Camp by trail
Miles today: 23.7

I crossed the official halfway point and also passed 1100 miles today. It is 9:40 pm, way past hiker midnight, and the tent is hot. I am leaving the vestibule open to get a little air circulation but there is no breeze so it is not much help. The tent temp is 77 °F. Today was a long day because I wanted to get set up to make it to the diner and motel at US11. My 23.7 miles today means I only have 18.3 miles to get to US11 and only 10.3 miles to get to Boiling Springs for lunch tomorrow. I ate dinner early (2:30 pm) and resupplied at the Pine Grove Furnace Camp Store. My dinner was 2 cheeseburgers, 2 20-oz bottles of soda, a big bag of potato chips, and a pint of vanilla ice cream. (They didn¢t have chocolate.) Then I passed the real halfway point (1079.6 miles). Wow, I am more than halfway done. I hiked on at 3:30 pm and when I reached PA34 at 7:30 pm I took a 0.3-mile side trip to a grocery store and had a 20 oz soda, a pint of chocolate ice cream, and a big glass of water. By 8:05 pm I was back on the Trail looking for a tent site. There were none ready made so I had to make my own. It will have to do. ¢ Just Trogging Along
Date: 2010-06-15
From: Camp by trail

To: US11 footbridge
Miles today: 18.3

I am in a motel on US11 just off the AT in their laundry room doing my laundry. It has been quite some time - since the motel in Harpers Ferry did not have laundry facilities (thus I washed my clothes in the sink there). Not really as good as a washer/dryer. In addition, it has been on-and-off rain and hot and humid, so some of my clothes never really got totally dry. And even to me they stink. (Note from Transcriber: wow, that must be really really stinky!!) Hopefully this washing will make them clean again. I was up at 5:30 am, hiking at 6:30 am in 65 °F temperatures. It was still quite humid. The hike of 10+ miles into Boiling Springs was a lot of rocks for about the first 7 miles and then it mellowed out the last 3 miles going in to town. I ate lunch at the 101 Caf© ¢ a bowl of chicken & rice soup, a chicken club sandwich, and two 16-oz bottles of Coke. It tasted quite good. At 1 pm I hiked on. The trails were mostly through fields of corn, wheat, hay, and soybeans and were very flat and smooth. It rained lightly most of the afternoon but by the time I reached US11 footbridge it had stopped and so did I. I am staying at a hotel next to the famous Middlesex Diner where I intend to have dinner and breakfast. This was the Highlander II challenge and I met it. I have been careful to keep the plantar fascia, the blisters and the right knee under control. I am off to Duncannon tomorrow after breakfast. ¢ Just Trogging Along