morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2007-04-10
From: Rockfish Gap - Waynesboro

To: Blackrock Hut
Miles today: 20.0
Weather: clear sky

Today I started into the Shenadoah National Park. Bill picked me up at 8:15 and I was on the trail at 9. Beautiful day! Sunny with temps in the high 30's to low 40's. The ttrail in the Shennies is awesome, smooth with moderate ups and downs. Easy traveling. At around 3 pm I came upon a group of three hikers, two boys and a man, who seemed to be having some difficulty. They were doing a 13 mile hike and with 3 miles to go were hurting. One of the boys was only 8. I gave them my extra water and offered to carry the younger one's sleeping bag as we were headed to the same shelter. I wished them luck and was on my way. I passed the other two members of there party as I moved along. Just before I reached the shelter I came upon Sweet Sixteen. She's from Michigan and is out doing a section of the trail, I think. Oh, and she's NOT sixteen, but she IS very SWEET... So we ended up having an overload at the shelter therfore I opted to tent. The slower group of hikers got to the shelter around 7.   It took them 4 hours to do the last 3 miles.... Three other hikers also showed up and ttented as well. I jumped into my tent at 8:30. Aother 20 mile day, but easy trail.
Date: 2007-04-11
From: Blackrock Hut

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

Last night I got paranoid about the rain we were supposed to get today so I packed up my tent at 3 am and crawled into the shelter. Sweet sixteen and I got up at 6 am to get an early start. She was out at 7 choosing to eat breakfast later on the trail. I was out at 8. The morning was cloudy and cool with temps right at the freezing mark. I caught up with Sweet Sixteen after 5 miles and then she caught me back when I was taking a break. We said our goodbyes then as she was going to stop at Pinefield Hut. Soon after it started snowing. Better than rain. The wind picked up and it became pretty intense at times. I enjoyed walking in this weather. It stopped for an hour or so and then picked up again as fog and light rain. The forests here have been devastated by an ice storm last November. It looks like a war seen. The tops of the trees are cut off. Branchs litter the forest floor. It must have taken a ton of work to clear the trail. I startled a couple of deer or, I should say. they startled me.....I arrived at the shelter at 4:15. I set up my tent inside the shelter and changed into some dry clothes. I was feeling a little hypothermic. After some beef stew, a snickers and hot chocolate I felt much better. My next move was into my tent and into my sleeping bag. It was only 6 pm but I wanted to stay warm. I turned on my cell phone and got a message from Groovasaurus! He had been a day ahead of me. He was in a motel down in Elkton and told me I'd be welcome to stay. Darn! If I would have turned on my phone earlier I would have walked the extra three miles in a flash. I called him and thanked him but I was already settled in. The wind was howling as I fell asleep.
Date: 2007-04-12
From: Hightop Hut

To: Big Meadows Lodge
Miles today: 20.4

It howled all ast night. The inside of my tent was wet with condensation and my sleeping bag was damp on the outside when I woke at 6 am. The wind had died down however. I needed water but wasn't sure where the spring was but I knew from myGuide book that there was a spring a half mile up the trail so I ate a power bar and went about packing up. It was a bit warmer this morning but still a shock to get back into my damp hiking clothes. It didn't take long to warm up once I was on the trail at 7:30. Just up the trail to Hightop there was a beautiful veiw of the clouds in the valleys below. Great photos! At the spring I stopped, got water and made some oatmeal and coffee. I've decided to purify my water with chemicals instead of a water filter. So far so good. My goal today was to try and and meet up with Groov at Hwy. 33 at 9 am. That didn't work out so I hiked on. The day was a mixture of sun and clouds. at one point I took a break and aired my tent and sleeping bag out. I thought about my grandson, Alex, and what a neat kid he is. The night before I left he brought out this huge seashell and asked if I wanted to take it with me. I negotiated for a thumbnail size shell. I still have it with me and it's a source of strength. He also drew me an awsome picture of me and my tent on top of a mountain which I will also treasure. Thanks Alex! You are the BEST!I came across two trail maintainers today. What great people they are! If I lived closer, that would be something I would do.Just before Hazeltop I ran into a group of men who were on an outing with their sons and as I passed one of the leaders asked: "Are you Tom Brown?" That threw me for a loop! It turns out he and another gentleman in the group have been reading this journal. So they call another man, who was standing nearby, over and they introduce him to me. He is the Govenor of Virginia! What a hoot! Great group of guys! I arrived at the Lodge just after 4:30 and got a room with a veiw of the valley. The only problem was they don't accept dogs so the Groov couldn't stay. He showed up a little later, stayed for a cup of coffee and was off to the next shelter 3 miles up the trail. I felt bad that he couldn't stay. I'll have to play catchup tomorrow. So it's supposed to rain for the next cople of days.... Hope the lightning stays away.
Date: 2007-04-13
From: Big Meadows Lodge

To: Pass Mtn. Hut
Miles today: 18.8

Woke up at 6 and had coffee in my room. The wind was howling outside my room and I was thinking the weather might not cooperate for todays hike. But as I prepared to leave things seemed to be improving. When I left Big Meadows Lodge at 8:15 the skies were clearing although the temps were chilly in the 30's and it was still windy. I got to Rock Spring Hut, where I caught up to Groov. He was just having a cup of pressed coffee, compliments of hi hutmates. Groov was excited to inform me that the trail would pass by Skyland Lodge in the next 5 miles and we could stop for lunch there. Ofcourse I was all over that! We made the lodge in record time and were not disappointed. The dinnig room had floor to ceiling windows overlooking the Shenandoah Valley. We sat for a couple of hours enjoying our food and the view. It was hard to leave the comfort of the lodge for 11 more miles. We were, however, rewarded with the most awesome view in the park at Stony Man Mtn. The rest of the day was spent hiking to the Pinnacles, Marys Rock and on to Pass Mtn. Hut. We arrived at 7:15. Redwing, a former Thru Hiker, was there for the night also. Nice guy with some good insights. Another long day, but a good one..... It's good to be back with the Groov and Hugo.
Date: 2007-04-14
From: Pass Mtn. Hut

To: Tom Floyd Wayside
Miles today: 23.6

Today was my second longest on the trail but it, like the longest day, wasn't planned. We left the shelter little after 8 am with knowledge that it was going to rain most of the day and severe storms late in the evening. Our plan was to hike 13 miles to Gravel Springs Hut today and then 13 miles into Front Royal tomorrow. Once again, we had the opportunity to eat at a wayside restaurant which we would NEVER pass up. As we hiked, the rain started to fall lightly. We arrived at the Elkwallow Wayside just after 11 am and proceded to have lunch. The rain continued as we hiked in the afternoon. We kicked up several deer today as we hiked. We arrived at Gravel Springs Hut at 3 pm and set up camp. A couple, Hal and Wendy, was there also. They are doing a 3 week trip. So we were all settled in and looking forward to resting the rest of the day when Hal got an update on the weather which metioned high winds and heavy rain begining late this evening an continuing into tomorrow. We decided that we didn't want to walk 13 miles out of the park in wind and heavy rain tomorrow so we packed up and headed for Tom Floyd Wayside at 5 pm. We wanted to beat the storm. With that in mind and only a limited amount of daylight we set out at a fast pace. The trail was good and the weather held to just rain and fog. At times we were jogging on the flats and easy downhills. We made the hut at just after 8 pm, 10 miles in 3 hours. The hut already had 4 inhabitants with room for 2 more. I was drenched from rain and sweat. I was not happy with my pack cover as my bag was damp from being in the lower compartment of my pack. But I was high a dry and that's all that counts when the weather in as miserable as today's. Oh, I saw my first mouse scampering around in the rafters as I was getting ready to sleep in the shelter WITHOUT being in my tent. They are actually cute little buggers..... A 23.6 mile day. Not bad. Tomorrow, a short 3 mile walk out and into Front Royal.
Date: 2007-04-15
From: Tom Floyd Wayside

To: U.S. 522 Front Royal
Miles today: 2.9

A lot of snoring in the shelter last night but no mice attacks. At one point I thought it was Groov, sleeping right next to me, who was snoring so I gave him a sharp nudge. However it was really the guy just on the other side of him! Opps! It rained all night but the high winds never came. Just steady rain. We all got up around 7 am. Groov and I opted out of having breakfast knowing we'd be in town shortly. Two of the guys in the shelter just happened to be retired PE teachers from Maine. During our short conversation I learned that they had started adventure programing at their schools which we have also done at Sheboygan Falls. We may meet up again on Monday evening and I'm looking forward to chatting more with them.We made it to Hwy. 522 at 9:30 (downhill most of the way) and it was pouring. Who was going to pick up two soaking wet, muddy, guys AND a dog? Luck was on our side as Greg drove up in his pickup truck within 5 minutes and gave us a lift into town. Groov and Hugo rode in the back....The rest of the day was spent doing the town things; eating, laundry, calling, eating, catching up on the news, eating......We went to the outfitters here and I purchased a new pack cover. My friend Dennis Ketterman called and we made plans for meeting at Harpers Ferry on Thursday. I'm really looking forward to having come to hike with me.
Date: 2007-04-16
From: U.S. 522 Front Royal

To: Dick's Dome
Miles today: 15.4

The Groov and I took a leisurely morning at the Super 8 in Front Royal. We were very suprised at the intitial news out of Blacksburg about the shooting that took place.... Groov called his brother, who is a student at VT to make sure he was ok.Greg picked us up just before 11 and took me to the post office where I got my bounce box and redid it and sent it on to Harpers Ferry. Then he drow us to the trail on US 522. We were off and hiking by 11:30. The day was very windy gusting up to 45 mph. Very loud in the woods! The trail was fairly easy with some climbs but nothing too horrendous. We saw a fox on the trail. We stopped a couple of times at the shelters on the way for lunch and snacks. We arrive at Dicks Dome at around 5 pm. Dick and Dan from Maine were there. They were the guys we stayed with at Tom Floyd Shelter a couple of nights ago. Groov got a the his cell phone to call home and get an update on the VT situation.... When he came back into the shelter his face was drawn and he announced the news that you all know by now.... I was shocked!! Groov is a graduate of VT and plans on going back there this Fall for graduate school. Patti and I had visited Blackburg earlier this a few weeks ago and fell in love with the it. Very nice town... It's sad that such a thing should take place there. I feel terrible for the victims and their families...We passed the time playing Farkel, a dice game, with Dick and Dan trying to take our minds off of the tragedy. It helped. Went to sleep with heavy hearts....
Date: 2007-04-17
From: Dick's Dome

To: Bears Den Hostel
Miles today: 18.3

We all got up at 6 am. A long day ahead. The skies looked a little friendlier this morning and the winds have finally died down. Dick and Dan got out first and Groov and I followed a short while later at 8:10 am. The first nine miles were easy today. We covered them in less than 3 hours. On the way we saw another fox on the trail but other than that not too many views. We past Dick and Dan about 5 miles out but met up with them again when we broke for lunch at Rod Hollow Shelter. It was great to have met them and spent the night together. Great guys. They both offered their support for us when we reach Maine. I certainly plan on hooking up with them. We have a lot in common being former PE teachers with a love for the outdoors.After lunch we started what is known as the Rollercoaster. For today it was 8 climbs of about 500 feet in 9 miles. I'm happy it was cool because it was a tough go. We were both ready for the hike to end when we reached the Bears Den Hostel at 4:45. What a great place! We got pizza, hot chili, pepsi, a pint of Ben and Jerrys Ice cream for $25!!! And laundry & showers...And then Woodstock came in.... I've been waiting for him to come running by me any day now. What an animal!!! He hiked 34 miles today from Front Royal!!! I'm looking forward to talking with him this evening.Tomorrow is a day the Groov and I have been waiting for. If all goes well, we will hit the 1,000 mile mark!! And on to Harpers Ferry. It will be a 20 mile day and Harpers Ferry is a milestone on the trail, the "psychological" half-way point.I'd really like to say Thanks again to all who have signed my journal and given me so much support. I know I haven't responded to a lot of you but I will try to. Please know how much your words well wishes have meant. A special "Hi" to the students in Mrs. Rileys class in Mena, Ak. I haven't forgotten you!!
Date: 2007-04-18
From: Bears Den Hostel

To: Harpers Ferry
Miles today: 19.9
Weather: overcast clouds

Up at 6 am. Made some coffee and pancakes. We wanted to get an early start (8 am) in order to make Harpers Ferry before the ATC Office closed. We (Groovasaurus, Woodstock and I) were all very excited, anticipating hitting the 1,000 mile mark today. The weather was cool and pretty much overcast most of the day. The trail was fairly easy with only a few moderate climbs and some areas that were quite rocky towards the end. Woodstock hung with us all the way and had some great stories. As we ascended some of the longer climbs he would just keep talking, never seeming to be out of breath. He certainly is a lean, mean, hiking machine.. I'm glad we had a chance to hike with him. At about 12:45 we reached the 1,000 mile mark. We had a ball celebrating, taking pictures and even some video. That will be a moment in time I'll never forget. Then it was on to Harpers Ferry 8 miles away. We also passed out of Virginia into West Virginia. I have very mixed feelings about that. Virginia will always hold a special place in my heart and I will definately be back to visit. We arrived here just before 4 pm. Our first stop was at the ATC (Appalachian Trail Conservancy) to sign in as ThruHikers. We were officially the 6th, 7th and 8th ThruHukers to sign in this year. Then it was down the block for pizza! Woodstock's friend, Dennis, came to pick him up and also gave us a lift to get a food resupply and take us to the motel. Thanks Dennis! I more than likely will not see Woodstock again but am really glad to have met him. I think all of us on the trail are kindred spirits. Tomorrow my friend Dennis K. will arrive to hike with us for the next 4 days. I'm looking foreward to that. What a day.......
Date: 2007-04-19
From: Harpers Ferry

To: Crampton Gap Shelter
Miles today: 10.5
Weather: moderate rain

We, the Groov and I, had a leisurely breakfast at the motel! Waffles!! A Hobbit's dream! DK called and Windtalker was already there at Pa. 16 to pick him up at 9am. They rolled in just after 10 and we took a trip to the post office for my bounce box and then to the outfitters to look for a dog pack for Hugo. No luck... Dennis was really anxious to get on the trail and we started out at around 11:30 am from Harpers Ferry. I can't say enough about the hospitality of Windtalker. He spent a good portion of the day catering to our needs and asked for nothing in return. Great guy! Thanks Windtalker!!! As we walked through the east end of town, we noticed a lot of school groups out for a field trip. Very cool. Harpers Ferry is a cute little community loaded with history.We walked for 2.8 miles on the canal, the longest flat stretch on the AT. Then it was a 1,000 foot climb to reach the ridge line. DK did very well. We caught up to Josh, who was doing a short section hike. We all stayed together the rest of the day. At Ed Garvey Shelter we took a lunch break and met No Pain. Very interesting guy.... The Groov went ahead and Dennis and I walked at a slower pace. The trail was fairly easy on as it followed the ridge. Just before we reached the shelter we came to Crampton Gap where there is a War Correspondents Memorial and also a Civil War Battle Field. Most interesting. We got to the shelter just after 6 and met Joe who DK later dubbed "Cup a Joe". Joe is doing a flop, starting just south of Harpers Ferry and going to Mt. Katadin and then flopping back south from Harpers Ferry to Georgia. Josh was getting off trail at that point but came up to the shelter to play Hearts with us. DK was all in after driving 13 hours and then very little sleep before hiking 10.5 miles. We were ALL in by 9 pm!! It's great to have Dennis on the trail with me!
Date: 2007-04-20
From: Crampton Gap Shelter

To: Pine Knob Shelter
Miles today: 12.5
Weather: clear sky

This morning was a tough one. Groovasauras left early to get some big miles in. He needs to finish by July 4th. We've hiked for the last 350 miles together and have shared a lot. I'll miss him and his great sense of humor. He kept me going through some long days. He's such a great young man. He and Hugo were great companions! I only wish him the best!The day was sunny and warm as we started out at 9:30. Now it was DK, Joe and I. Joe is still getting his "trail legs" as he's only been out for 9 days so he was good with our pace. We stopped for lunch at Reno's Monument Rd., another Civil War battlefield where General Reno was killed in action. There was also a large plaque honoring a regiment from Michigan there. At Dahlgren Back Pack Campground we caught up to Dick and Dan from Maine! They were headed to the same shelter as we were. That meant FARKEL tonight!!! Cool! We then stopped at the original Washington Monument which is decidedly smaller than the present one but the view from the top was great. We could see the Antietam Battlefield from there. 23,000 men lost their lives in that battle, the most american casualties in one battle in any war before or since.We arrived at the shelter around 4 pm and Dick and Dan were already there. We had a great evening of conversation and Farkel. Joe was the big winner. We laughed a lot as Dick made "Golf Commentary" during the game. Fun. A "Nickee Moon" shined above....
Date: 2007-04-21
From: Pine Knob Shelter

To: Devils Racecourse Shelter
Miles today: 13.1

Dick and Dan got up at 5:30 am for an early start as they wanted to do 17 miles to PenMar State Park and a pick up to go home. I got up with them and had a cup of coffee and chatted with them. Dan made a gift of the Farkel Dice to me before they left. Farkel tonight!! They both offered their assistance and a day off the trail when I get to Maine. I'm sure I'll take them up on that. These are guys you want to be around. Very positive and energetic with a love of life. Thanks guys, for being out here! Hope to see you up the road!We got on the trail at 9 am and the day was, once again, gorgeous. We stopped at Annapolis Rocks for the view and were not dissapointed. There were a couple of Scout troops there to do rock climbing. A little later I came across Matt, who was going south and he called me by Hobbit. He said that Groov and Sweet Sixteen had told him about me. Shortly thereafter Sweet Sixteen came down the trail. I never thought I'd see her again. Great lady! She informed me, also, that Matt was her son. She also said she saw a bear down in the Shennies just after we had seen each other. We stopped at Black Rocks for lunch, a nice overlook.The rest of the day included some rocky terrain and not too bad ups and downs. We met up with Charlie and Craig, a father-son pair who were headed to the same shelter. I really like to see that! Devils Racecourse Shelter is one of those that is .3 miles off of the trail and mostly downhill. I hate that but we had no choice but to stay there. We had a nice evening there. Charlie and Craig opted to camp up on top of the hill so no Farkel for them! We did talk some though. DK, Joe and I had a really nice evening. DK won all of the games and we had fun joking around. A mouse was showing himself in the fire pit. Pretty gutsy...I'm having mixed feelings about going home tomorrow.. For sure, I want to go but a large part of me wants to keep the momentum going on the trail.
Date: 2007-04-22
From: Devils Racecourse Shelter

To: Pa. 16 Blue Ridge Summit
Miles today: 7.5

I was up early (6 am) for coffee and the quiet of morning. I had my Ipod on for a while listening to Bocelli (sp?). I was thinking about how far this journey has taken me and how far I had yet to go. One day at a time. I'm excited about going home and seeing family and friends. I'll be very ready, however, to get back out here. Of that I'm sure.We weren't in a huge hurry as we had only 7.5 miles to go and the day was beautiful. We stopped at High Rock, a really great overlook and met up with Charlie and Craig. We took turns taking pictures of one another for posterity.The hike was fairly easy but rocks were there at times to remind us that the trail has it's way. We passed into Pennsylvania around noon. My 7th state! We arrive at Pa. 16 at just after 1 pm and were lucky enough to catch a ride to Waynesboro, Pa. where DK had parked his car at a Walmart. We both hated to leave Joe. I'm sure he'll be fine but it's always tough to part with someone you've spent some time with on the trail. I may very well catch back up to him as he is taking a couple of days off this week to visit his grandfather and I'm going at a fast pace than he is at this point. We'll see.So Dennis and I got the car and headed to a truck stop 20 miles down the road and took a shower, ate and gassed up. The ride back to Sheboygan took about 13 hours and we got home about 2:30 in the morning.... Unreal! My plan is to be back on the trail by next Monday afternoon. What a journey!!For now I'm so looking forward to the birth of Zachary Ryan Brown this coming Friday! His adventure begins then....