morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2016-05-25
From: Loft Mountain

To: Hightop Hut
Miles today: 15.3
Weather: clear sky

It is so so so HOT. We got a late start today which doomed us to a slogging hike in the worst heat of the day. Just so sunny and sweaty! I nearly had a meltdown on the first climb of the day because I was so frustrated by the heat and prospect of ascents all day. However, the hike must go on, and after a short break with a view we soldiered on.Break time view:I did get to see some of the burned area from the forest fires that raged here a few weeks ago, which was very interesting.Burned area:The high point of the day was PASSING 900 MILES! YES! It's starting to feel real. The "miles to Katahdin" number that I write in my journal each night is shrinking further and further down to something that almost seems reasonable. I mean, if I've already done 900, what's another 1,285?900 mile 'sign':
Date: 2016-05-26
From: elle

To: Big Meadows
Miles today: 20.8
Weather: few clouds

Today was a long day even though the terrain wasn't "difficult". 20 miles is 20 miles no matter how nice the trail is! I saw 2 bears and 6 deer today (bear count: 5!).There's a bear in that photo. Or maybe a deer. I can't exactly remember which one I was taking a picture of...Sometimes I get really negative and exhausted during the day. Most of the time I just try to suck it up or distract myself by singing awful songs, but today I tried meditating. I focused on my breathing and hiking pace and putting one foot in front of the other. It seemed to make the mountains go by faster. The heat is still incredibly oppressive (so hard to stay calm and carefree when I'm dripping sweat) and my feet have been hurting more and more. I probably need new insoles soon...On a great note, my knee pain has stopped surfacing!! It must be the magic of having only 96 Virginia miles left!
Date: 2016-05-27
From: elle

To: Pass Mountain Hut
Miles today: 18.4
Weather: overcast clouds

Woke with the sun this morning, as usual, and thought I heard Chrome moving around outside. I poked my head out of my tent to say good morning and realized that it was actually the noise of a big deer walking mere feet from my tent! What a fun morning surprise but my phone wasn't turned on so I couldn't grab a photo. Dang it.The weather is still hot and exhausting but holy cow the views are so much better than during Rain-a-thon.Pass Mountain Hut (shelters are called 'huts' in SNP. I do not know why) is very crowded tonight and we snatched some of the last possible tent spaces. Memorial Day weekend is CRAZY in a national park. evidently. So many weekenders and day hikers... I can't believe I didn't realize that it was a holiday weekend. I'm pretty glad that I'm almost out! Thru hikers sure do have a different vibe than weekenders. (For instance, we go to bed at 8:30!) Only 78 miles until state #5!
Date: 2016-05-28
From: elle

To: Compton Spring
Miles today: 19.7
Weather: mist

Today was hard and I'm exhausted! Looking for a stealth campsite at the end of a long day makes me crazy and I get anxious that one will never appear. Thankfully there is a beautiful unmapped campsite near the summit of Compton Peak that I snagged a spot in, slightly before dusk started. Whew.Shenandoah National Park is a unique experience on the AT. Since a road runs straight through it - Skyline Drive - there are lots of places for the car campers to pull over and enjoy views. I won't go on about how jealous that makes me. In addtion to great, easy-to-access views, folks in cars are also able to pull into "waysides". These grill-campstore combos are famous for their blackberry milkshakes and grill menus. Of course, we had to stop at one!And I ate all the food.The end of the day gave great views from the top of Mt Marshall!Tomorrow is the end of Shenandoah National Park for me, but I'm glad to keep moving. It's also a nearo day!
Date: 2016-05-29
From: elle

To: Compton Gap Trail
Miles today: 3.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Three mile nearo to the Front Royal Terrapin Station hostel, which is nice and features a shower and laundry, both very highly valued things for stinky sweaty hikers.Then I had a WONDERFUL AMAZING INCREDIBLY AWESOME afternoon with two friends from high school who live in Virginia now. We ate huge cheeseburgers, then did this!!And we met new friends!The Trail has been teaching me so many things (like that bears aren't scary and there's always one person who snores in every shelter) but one very serious thing that I'm learning is that life is all about the people you know. I'm lucky enough to have friends that I've known forever and ever, so I was aware that there were some good people in the world. However, this crazy journey on this crazy trail is constantly showing me that the world is chock freakin' FULL of great people and all I have to do is go out and meet them. I've never had my faith in humanity so strongly reaffirmed as in these last 78 days.I'm so happy.
Date: 2016-05-30
From: elle

To: Jim and Molly Denton Shelter
Miles today: 9.0
Weather: light rain

Oh beautiful happy sign!! Officially out of the Shenandoahs!The morning went fairly smoothly (though super hot and sticky. Yay Memorial Day). We got sucked into the shelter vortex at Jim and Molly Denton shelter - it's beautiful and has a shower and a porch and a cooking pavilion! One of the major reasons that the shelter comfort vortex was so strong was that we met some badass hiker ladies (from Ohio!) who were section hiking and had incredible stories about other trips they've taken. Chipmunk, Crunch, and Bionic Peanut - thanks for the conversation and Euchre lessons!! (see, it's all about the people you meet.)
Date: 2016-05-31
From: Jim and Molly Denton Shelter

To: Rod Hollow Shelter
Miles today: 18.4
Weather: broken clouds

I spent today focused on the future. On the near future. Okay, on tomorrow. It was a beautiful day and I barely noticed, because tomorrow is the Rollercoaster. See? Sky Meadows is gorgeous:This toad was adorable:I'm so close to West Virginia:But tomorrow I face the Rollercoaster and I'm too anxious to really enjoy any of today. It's 13.5 miles of 500ft mini mountains tightly packed together into a strenuous challenge that I'm starting to imagine as Virginia's exit fee. This state has been... um... "not my favorite", so I'm very thrilled to be so close to getting the heck out. But first, the Rollercoaster!!! Eep!
Date: 2016-06-01
From: Rod Hollow Shelter

To: Blackburn ATC
Miles today: 17.9
Weather: broken clouds

I CONQUERED THE ROLLERCOASTER.I PASSED ONE THOUSAND MILES!I SAW AMAZING VIEWS!I GOT AMAZING TRAIL MAGIC! (thanks Conductor and Mrs. Conductor)Today was amazing. The Rollercoaster is behind me and I'm ready to charge toward West Virginia and MD and PA and halfway!
Date: 2016-06-02
From: elle

To: Harpers Ferry
Miles today: 11.9
Weather: clear sky

Two giant things happened today. One, I finally got out of Virginia. And two, I made it to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy in Harper's Ferry and got my NOBO thru hiker number! I'm #434 this year - wow!!!! I had no idea there were so many ahead (and I know there are SO many behind!).I wrote a poem about Virginia. It's called "500 Miles of Suck""It'll be easy" They said. "Just get to state four""It's a cakewalk, so easy and flat"But They are liars, I found, big liars and meanBecause Virginia is nothing like thatIt's hilly and rocky and wet, humid, and grossThe ridges are terribly steepIt rained for twenty three days all in MayDamp gear makes it hard to get sleepI wanted to leave and call a shuttle for homeI hated my time in VABut it wasn't an option to give up or go backKatahdin is still in my waySo I cursed at the rocks and laughed at the skyI screamed at the trail "I WON'T QUIT"Because when you are faced with 500 miles of SuckYou find your own way to 'embrace' it.This sums up how I feel about being in Virginia:And this is how I feel about being in West Virginia!West Virginia: Best Virginia.
Date: 2016-06-03
From: Harpers Ferry

To: Dahlgren Backpacker Campground
Miles today: 17.8
Weather: overcast clouds

Maryland is fancy. Fancy new double-decker shelters, super nice parks with full facilities, campgrounds with HOT showers and water! Fancy!Also the trail is very smooth, comparatively, and it's fun to move so quickly through one state. Yeah Maryland, you get my vote!Old bridge supports crossing the... Potomac? maybe?Fancy shelter sign:Backpacker campground (would have been perfect except a very very loud group showed up around dusk... I'm so snobbish about camp etiquette now)I've been slowly conquering my remaining fears out here. I can walk around in the dark (a bit) now and today I touched a dead moth. I hate moths AND dead things so that's a double win, right? I also haven't found any ticks on me - yet. I use bug spray loaded with DEET every day to keep the mosquitoes and other bugs at bay so I like to think I'm spraying myself with chemicals for good reason. Another hiker did find a small tick between her toes after using a shelter shower, so they DO exist, but I've been lucky so far. I do recommend gaiters though I do not personally own a pair... I'd like to start using them if I can ever find a waterproof set that fit and won't break the bank.Overcoming fears!
Date: 2016-06-04
From: Dahlgren Backpacker Campground

To: Raven Rock Shelter
Miles today: 18.8
Weather: mist

It was supposed to storm like crazy so I was anxious to get to a shelter and secure a spot. Luckily I nabbed a space even though I took a long time getting to Raven Rock today. One of the best trail magics that I've gotten yet ended up happening as I was setting up my sleeping kit. A former thru hiker and some friends hiked up to the shelter with a grill and burgers and cold soda for us!! It was amazing!!It was incredible to enjoy their generosity after a long hard day. Early bedtime hit for most of us since we were exhausted and had a long way to hike tomorrow. However, good sleep wasn't in our future... Around 1:30am a group of two guys and a girl rolled in to the shelter and started talking ridiculously loudly with headlamps on full brightness and many beers in tow. Never a good sign... They continued to yell/talk for a while until those of us trying to sleep started to ask that they quiet down a bit... Which made one of them very angry (he was the drunkest). Drunk Jerk decided to talk even louder and insult all of us and brag about his "36 mile day" - I wholeheartedly believe that this man did not hike anywhere close to 36 miles. No way. In any case, they were rude and drunk and loud and just ridiculous for many hours until they finally left. I hope to never see them or anyone like them again.
Date: 2016-06-05
From: Raven Rock Shelter

To: Waynesboro, PA
Miles today: 7.5
Weather: mist

I've heard warnings from many people in the past few days about a massive thunderstorm and possible 2" hail rolling in to ruin our hiking today. In the interest of preserving my tent (and sanity) and because last night was the worst night on the trail yet, I made the executive decision to head into town and be a hotel bum to wait out the storm.Well, I guess having a bum leg is another reason... My leg swelled up alarmingly yesterday and though the swelling has gone down today, I was very worried that I was about to experience shin splints. Blacksmith (of my lovely trail friend pair Mishap + Blacksmith) doctored my leg with KT tape this morning and so far I've had no more swelling or pain! Hooray!!The descent down Raven Rocks was awful and Chrome and I became totally lost and aggravated. Even my GPS didn't help us. Luckily we saw some other hikers across a rock patch and were able to get back to the trail. DO NOT FOLLOW THE ORANGE FLAGS. After that 'adventure' I think we were both ready for something good, so we pushed in to Pen-Mar park and decided to only hike a few more miles and hitch into town for the night. Crossing the Mason-Dixon Line was surprisingly awesome and I'm thrilled to be in 'the north' now.The last miles of the day went fairly quickly and we managed to catch a hitch almost immediately after getting to PA 16. It was the most stereotypical hitch ever - in the back of an old pickup with a bunch of scrap metal, driven by the nicest southern PA man ever. I was so excited.I did resupply at Wal-Mart and spent some time at Applebees enjoying the bar to celebrate being in PA and watching Lord of the Rings ROTK II on the big screen (and staying happily out of the rain!). The 2" hail never did appear, and the rainstorm stopped after an hour or so, but I was still glad to be in town.And!!!!! I AM REUNITED WITH SHOE. The "shoe-elle team" is back together again and it's awesome. He took a few days off trail and I was able to catch him (and pass him for a little bit) but we're in the same place now. Hooray!!! Onward PA!
Date: 2016-06-06
From: Waynesboro, PA

To: Quarry Gap Shelters
Miles today: 17.9
Weather: scattered clouds

I finally made it out of the hotel this morning and back on trail. I'm still angry that the so-called 'massive storm' last night turned out to be nothing. Grr.Today seemed like it dragged, though we did get to see even more Chimney Rocks! At least these ones were clearly marked.Pensive Chrome:Majestic Shoe:Chimney rocks view:This shelter, or rather pair of shelters, is also the cutest thing I've seen on the trail. Quarry Gap Shelters has a caretaker! He goes by 'Innkeeper' and he takes care of the many potted plants and adorable landscaping around the shelter. I didn't get a good photo of it (too dark outside for my half-broken phone camera) but other hikers have some.Onward to halfway tomorrow!!!
Date: 2016-06-07
From: Quarry Gap Shelters

To: Pine Grove Furnace
Miles today: 17.2
Weather: scattered clouds

So... I failed the half gallon challenge.BUT I MADE IT HALFWAY!I really feel like I'm doing it. I feel like I'm really going to be a thru hiker. Now that I've made it halfway, am I a "1000 Miler"? Ha ha.The day started with awesome trail magic from Dennis and Marie, a retired couple who do trail magic for thru hikers just because they LIKE us! They also told a story about how they wake up in the morning and say to each other "Let's go in an adventure today!". HOW ADORABLE IS THAT!?And then!! Halfway!!! It was an amazing feeling to cross that line.And then, the fateful half gallon challenge. I started with such naivete and hope in my eyes.But that quickly turned to apprehension...Which turned to sadness and failure because the sherbet challenge defeated me. Everyone else completed the challenge successfully, though!! I am so proud. I also met Future Dad, a NOBO who started in mid April! He's super fast and also incredibly generous - a lost thru-hiker clothing bag was discovered at Pine Grove Furnace SP and he offered to carry it up the trail to attempt a reunion. So generous!!!
Date: 2016-06-08
From: Pine Grove Furnace

To: Boiling Springs
Miles today: 19.5
Weather: clear sky

The miles in Pennsylvania just keep racking up. Almost 20 today! It was beautiful easy trail this morning, then a bit of an obstacle course over the Rock Maze, then some fields and road walking to town. Hooray!The Rock Maze (Yeah. Not so difficult. There were arrows!)Pennsylvania is quickly becoming my favorite state. Lots of trail magic and the terrain isn't too hard (yet! I'm bracing for the rocks). Also, the clothing bag got returned to its owner!!! I'm so glad. I can only imagine how frustrating it must be to lose any gear. Yuck!
Date: 2016-06-09
From: Boiling Springs

To: Darlington Shelter
Miles today: 14.1
Weather: clear sky

Today may have been the easiest day on the entire trail! Appalachian Trail: Pastoral EditionWith a bit of trail magic thrown in!And a highway crossing or two.Lots of nature in these here woods:The climb up to Darlington was a bit steep but still fun. I could have pushed for more miles but the AWOL guide contains a warning about a very rocky section coming up and I'm nervous about it. I know PA is famous for awful rocks but so far it's been wonderful!
Date: 2016-06-10
From: Darlington Shelter

To: Duncannon
Miles today: 11.3
Weather: scattered clouds

I participated in a treasured thru hiker tradition today: beers at the Dirty Doyle!But first, some of the dreaded PA rocks showed up and they were fairly annoying, but also fairly short.The most frustrating part of the day was a ridiculous and useless sharp uphill just before Duncannon. Why did we have to climb that!? Whyyyyyy!??Traditional Doyle beers made it better.
Date: 2016-06-12
From: Duncannon

To: Campsite
Miles today: 16.1
Weather: clear sky

The typical thru-hiker mantra is "Hike Your Own Hike". It means, basically, to do the miles you want, camp the way you want, hike the way you want, and don't judge anyone else for doing what they want. I modified it a bit today for myself, to "hike the hike that makes you happy". I am focusing on being happy and enjoying the trail - and if that means that I hike fewer miles than 18 each day, then that's what makes me happy and that's what I'll do. I'll get to Katahdin when I get there. I need to make it to Maine with a smile on my face, or else why do all this? Three months of negative attitude sounds exhausting and I won't do it!The Trail is full of nature and in this beautiful weather it's easy to enjoy.I managed to NOT walk into this big web, for once. And berries are out!!And pretty views in this pretty weather I've been having a tough time lately finding my motivation. Sometimes the trail is kind of... boring... and difficult to get excited about. Sometimes the climbs are exhausting for no reason or I'm sweaty and tired or just not "into" hiking, and it feels like a job. I'm repeating "hike the hike that makes you happy" and honestly I think I'm slowly falling back in love with the trail. I hope this good feeling continues!
Date: 2016-06-13
From: Campsite

To: Campsite
Miles today: 17.6
Weather: overcast clouds

Today was pretty okay! I managed to daydream most of the day away as I hiked and the climbs weren't too exhausting. It was actually surprisingly chilly (for mid-June) and I think that had something to do with it. I like hiking in the cold.About halfway through the day my AWOL guidebook said I'd pass 'The General'. It doesn't explain what The General is, or where, or why it's in the guide. I assumed it was a special rock. It always is.I was unusually curious about this side trail (to a rock, probably) and the guys agreed to follow it and solve the mystery of The General. We walked for 15 minutes, which is half a mile in hiker time, which is FOREVER, and didn't see anything resembling a General. We didn't even see any big rocks!! Eventually we gave up and headed back to the trail to finish the day... defeated by the blue blazes and the mysterious General. It was sad.I'm not sure if I should spoil the mystery of what The General actually is - because I did find out the truth later from two hikers that have the ATC guide and managed to locate it - or if I should keep it a weird AT secret. I'll just tell you that it ISN'T a big rock, for once! And if you go searching for it down the blue blaze trail, take the left fork, not the right one. The day ended with TWO ticks. One on my thigh, possibly attached, and very small. I carefully extracted it with tweezers. The other was chillin' like a villain on my camp shoe and was a 'normal' sized one. These are the first ticks I've seen!!Yuck. I don't mind bugs but I really really don't want to be collecting ticks. Lyme Disease is not fun!!
Date: 2016-06-14
From: Campsite

To: Hertline Campsite
Miles today: 18.4
Weather: few clouds

The Trail was all over the place today. Some sections were easy and flat and smooth dirt, some were steep, some were rocky, some were steep and rocky! Let's just say it was a very long 18.4.This campsite used to be a shelter location (Hertline) and there is a lot of water and a very pretty swimming hole down a short blue blaze. The tent pads are a bit rocky and there is a group of young people running around making lots of noise, but it's otherwise a beautiful place.Photos! This bridge though. Lots of Pennsylvania views look like these. A partial view of a gorgeous valley through an unexpected opening in the tree cover. Usually it's because of an extra-rocky outcropping or powerlines.Tomorrow is flatter than today, according to the guidebook, but we might be walking on rocks the whole way... You never know in PA! The good news is that there is town, resupply, and a hotel bed tomorrow night!! Talk about motivation
Date: 2016-06-15
From: Hertline Campsite

To: Port Clinton
Miles today: 18.8
Weather: broken clouds

I know, I know. Another hotel. I like showers sometimes!!! And we're splitting the room four ways so it's very financially responsible. Right?I hiked fast today which resulted in no photos. I mean, I have a few, but they're pretty boring. I was very focused on getting to Port Clinton and to Hamburg and the hotel and I didn't see anything too interesting. By the way, the descent into Port Clinton is TERRIBLE. It's so steep and goes on for ages. I have no idea how people hike up it - I could barely make it down. Glad I did and its over, though! Except you know what steep down means.... It means steep up is next!
Date: 2016-06-16
From: Port Clinton

To: Eckville Shelter
Miles today: 14.5
Weather: moderate rain

Whew, today was weird!! Lots of rocks and then a huuuuge multiple-mile dirt road walk to end the day. I was very excited to see the Pinnacle since I've heard it's one of the best views on the trail, but it was so foggy and damp that there were absolutely no views at the top of the ridge. Oh well, I got great photos and beautiful weather at most of the other famous scenic places.The heavy clouds and fog definitely indicated rain but I was hopeful that it would hold out. As Shoe and I hiked across the ridge, we started to hear a low rumble. I asked him, "Is that rain?" and he responded, "No, it's definitely just the wind". At that point I looked up, noticed that none of the trees were moving and yelled, "THAT'S NO WIND!!!"Two seconds later it was pouring. Luckily it only takes us about 6 seconds to put on rain gear and we were both only slightly dampened by the deluge. In the end, the rain did nothing other than make the ground a bit wet for my tenting tonight.I'm at the Eckville shelter, a tiny cabin crammed with six beds and a table, but I'm happily tenting in the lawn across the street. Grass is so comfortable!!! I don't think anything could break my spirit today (even more rain) because I get to see my parents tomorrow!
Date: 2016-06-17
From: Eckville Shelter

To: Bake Oven Knob Rd
Miles today: 16.4
Weather: clear sky

PARENTS!!!!Shoe, Chrome, and I hiked to the Bake Oven Knob parking lot over many many Pennsylvania rocks. I think this is the part people are referring to when they say PA should 've called "Rocksylvania". It's slow going! And hard work!I finally made it over Knife's Edge, the last challenge before the parking lot, and was walking down the dirt road about 0.5mi from the destination when who do I see hiking up the trail!? My mom!!! I was so damn excited, you guys. We joked a bit about how she's now a "section hiker" because she did an AT portion - she should get a half-miler patch! Mom and Dad brought about fifteen thousand homemade cookies, chex mix, bottled water, and assorted canned beverages for trail magic and decided to set a bit up while waiting for us at Bake Oven. Maria came through early and had some (after my Dad chased her down! Go Dad!) and then Gram and Ounce showed up in time for a bit of magic too. It was great!!Then we all headed back to the awesome hotel and showered while my mom went back to the trail to pick up more smelly hikers (Mishap and the Blacksmith). The seven of us the devoured a ridiculous amount of takeout Chinese food and enjoyed a few drinks while telling hiker stories. It was a perfect night and great start to a zero day weekend!! (I'm having some issues with photo upload since my service isn't too great. Will add them when I can, sorry!!)