morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2012-05-03
From: Charlottesville, VA

To: Charlottesville, VA
Miles today: 0.0

Went to the doctor which led to an interesting conversation."So what's happening""Well, I've been in the woods for 9 weeks ranging in territory from Georgia to VA. I've been drinking from streams, have had constant exposure to ticks, bugs, and other disease carrying critters, and here are all the gory details of every symptom and when it hit me.""....Okay, so have you felt achey?""Yes, but I have been hiking a lot of miles too""Have you been sweating?""Yes, because I've been hiking""Have you been cold and hot?""Yes, because I've been hiking""....let me confer with one of the other doctors"Apparently there are a lot of mitigating factors to this diagnostic process. He popped back in to tell me that yep I could have Lymes or the common flu. And testing for the first will probably not produce an accurate result one way or another so here are some drugs. Okay whatever you think is best, please make me feel better."Oh and just be careful because the drugs are going to make you nauseous, extremely sensitive to damaging effects of the sun, and it's going to be more difficult to stay hydrated.""Oh good, none of those things should affect me on the trail."So there you have it, they've got me taking the drugs and I've got instructions to rest at least 5 days before heading out again. Well let's see what modern medicine and bed rest can do.
Date: 2012-05-11
From: Three Ridges Overlook

To: Charlottesville, VA
Miles today: 0.0

So this entry is not about the trail. It's about all the things that go on in the background. For most of the hikers I've talked to, there is always something going on in, for lack of a better term, real life. Things that as much as you may not want them to, creep into your thoughts while on trail. They remind you that freeing as the trail is, their are still some things that bind you to a life more ordinary. In Damascus I got the great news that i had been accepted to graduate school at my top choice school. From that point on I had a cemented deadline, I new I had to finish by. But I accepted that with ease, finding comfort in the fact that i knew what was coming next, and had a place to go when this all ends.A place to go, oh yeah hey as in a physical location where I pay someone to let me keep my stuff. Right.... I should get on that. What better use of my time off trail than to get some things squared away and hopefully carve out more trail walking time in August. I won't bore you with the details of apartment searching but suffice to say i now have a potential roommate, a potential apartment, in an area I potentially am less likely to be stabbed in. What I found interesting about this whole experience is that normally, this kind of thing would be so much fun for me. I love imagining new room layouts, picturing what it would be like to live somewhere. But instead I found myself being, well, resentful. Resentful of the intrusion real life was making on my trail journey. It made me realize how precious this thru hike is to me now. How much I care about finishing it and more than that, experiencing the most I can out of it. I want to hold onto that knowledge and keep it forefront in my mind when I head back to the trail. To remind myself always that this time is special and things will never quite be this way again. As certain and I discussed later on, the trail kind of ruins you for real life. Perhaps because it's more real than the constructions we've created for ourselves elsewhere. oh oh oh PS. I also went ahead and ordered a backpacking hammock from Warbonnet last week the first night I was home. Can't wait for it to get here and then I'll be back on the trail with a new style of hanging. oh hah ha, I kill me. no seriously, I might not hang it right and kill myself somehow.
Date: 2012-05-12
From: Rockfish Gap

To: Turk Gap
Miles today: 11.4

I had a great opportunity to hike with my aunt and mom today. We decided to head north into SNP so that I could kill some miles that way and because the terrain would be easier. Well there are still hills and some steep climbs, but they are short and the rock piles are smaller, fewer, and farther between as well. What a great day to be out. We started out around midday and made great time (my mother acting as herd driver from the back, "keep it moving, keep it moving") she wanted to hike at a pace of 4 miles of an hour. Given her mind over, well everything, view of the world, she could totally do. But I put my foot down as I knew that I didn't want to hike at that pace and I'd be wheeling around crippled family members tomorrow if we did. As it was we had great scenery and all the mountain laurel was in bloom for us. I'm feeling much better as well, my strength returned and am eager to be back on trail full time.
Date: 2012-05-16
From: Turk Gap

To: Ivy Creek Overlook
Miles today: 20.2

Well still no hammock. I was hoping it would be in the mail and I would be hitting the trail this weekend. Company said it'd take two weeks so now it just comes down to patience. In the mean time, more slack packing! That and the added bonus that Huff and Puff are coming hrough tomorrow. I'm so excited to see them and am looking forward to playing hostel hostess.I really enjoyed this section of park today. The climb up to Black Rock Cliffs was so gradual I hardly knew I was on it. Once I got to the top I found this large pil. e of huge rocks that the trail wound through on a very flat path. To the left and right you could see where this cliff face had collapsed, the splits and seems of the break lines that had left al these squareis remains. Places like this remind me of just how old these mountains are. They used to be as high and higher than everest but have been worn down by time and weather. What a humbling expierence to think about that and compare it to our short life spans.Right after the rocks was the absolutly flattest section of the trail I haveseen. And no rocks either. I absolutly flew here, loving the expierence. Soon enough back to the rountine and a nice walk down by Ivy Creek with lots of little falls. It was getting late and I slowly made my way up the last hill with the sky taking on an orangey glow of sunset. At one point I could just make out tis darkish masss in between the leaves and thought, hmm someones pack. Got around the corner and came face to face with my first bear. He was making his way southb ound along the trail before I came around and there we were 20 ft apart making eye contac. That part of my brain in charge ofkeeping me unmauled went into control mode and I clicked my poles together. The bear kinda gave me an annoyed look before rolling his eyes and lumbering int the woods. I could still hear him making his way around when I realized I hadn't gotten a picture. Darn. A few more minutes of walkingattentivly listening to my surroundings and I heard another interesting noise. It was my mother calling my n.ame and there she was with our family dg Ella looking for all the world like "thi is awesome, here here smell this, okay now smell this." Turns out the overlook they were picking me up at was cosed so they were buzzing it waiting before deciding to par and look for me. One the drive out of the park we saw 6 more bears including a mama and her cubs. They all aparently come out to the road at dusk. When it rains it pours. Good day today.
Date: 2012-05-20
From: Ivy Creek Overlook

To: Lewis Mountain Campground
Miles today: 21.4
Weather: clear sky

Man, I had a great weekend with Huff and Puff. We chilled out, talked all tings trail and I started sorting and prepping my mail drops for the rest of the trail. I dropped them off this morning and drove into the park to keep slack packing. Unfortunately still no hammock so I'm not hitting the trail again. The good news is this will give Huff and Puff time to do the miles I've covered and we can hike together again when I have all my new goodies. The trail was good today. A little rough on my right arch. For some weird reason it is acting up and slowed me down. Still covered a lot of miles, saw great views, had good weather. Just another day on the trail to sooth my soul and bring a smile to my face. I ended up coming into my pickup point at Lewis Mountain Campground and ran into Far East Coast. Great to catch up again. Then whisked back home by my mom and aunt. Great to say goodbye to her before heading out again. So I've decided I'll give warbonnet until Wednesday to mail my hammock before I'll be forced to head out anyway and try to figure out mailing it to myself further up the trail. There¢s nothing like adding new experiments in gear while on the move. I'll do anything to make the trail even more interesting I guess. Ha. So happy with the prospect of getting back out there soon. Also even better news, my housing came through so I've managed to carve out another 10-15 days in August that I didn't have before. All I need to keep now is an average of 15.5 miles a day. Easy. Ha! (Who would have thought I¢d say that after the first week in GA)
Date: 2012-05-24
From: Lewis Mountain Campground

To: Stealth Camp
Miles today: 19.5

Wow, what a spectacular first day back on the trail. Dad dropped me off at Lewis Mountain Campground and we said our goodbyes. See you in a few months sounds so weird. I was moving along the trail by nine with high spirits, taking in big breaths of fresh air, and simply letting my happiness consume me. Driving into the park today, the sky was overcast and I had prepared myself for a rainy day. But once in the mountains, we were above the cloud line with blue skies over had, puffy white clouds above and a swirling sea of fog and cloud cover wisping its way around the hills below. I actually enjoyed having my full pack on my back again, comforted by the familiar feeling of its weight. (Let's see how long that lasts). The terrain was rolling up and down and I felt fabulous. My body was fully rested, cooperating, and very limited pain today. If they could bottle the good emotions I was oozing today I could make a fortune selling happy pills. some of the really neat things I saw today were very docile rabbits and dear. They wouldn¢t run but just sort of stood there 10 ft. away staring at you as you passed or lazily walking off trail to unblock your path. Interesting cliffs both below and above you as well as one that kicked in my "hey you, clumsy girl. Keep away from the edge there, hug the trees, that's right nice and easy now. Who routed this thing?" instincts. Honestly my brain is such a worry wart. Great views though. I got to refill water at the resort stable and coo at the horses there. While I did my thing at the hose they were being let out to pasture and I was entertained by them all greeting the nearby fenced ponies as they went touching noses and hooves. So cute. For a while I was moving along at such a good pace that I entertained the notion of going 23 miles to the next shelter but that would have put me in around 9pm which was too dark for my taste. So tonight I'm stealth camping on the side of a hill in a little flat section. I took extra precautions with my bear bag hang b/c I've seen so many in the park including a giant still steaming pile of dung only 3 miles from here. I also am nursing my first big blisters of the trail on my heels but they don't hurt. A cloud moved in just as I finished cooking so I'm eating under the tree canopy as it starts to rain. I don't want food smells anywhere near my tent or else I would be in there. Hoping we won't get the big storm tonight like we did last night. Wishing I had my hammock so I could have set up anywhere and picked a better spot. But still if you're lucky enough to be on trail you're lucky enough.
Date: 2012-05-25
From: Stealth Camp

To: Gravel Spring Hut
Miles today: 21.4
Weather: few clouds

If yesterday reminded me why I love the trail, today I felt the physical price you pay for it. First let's talk about last night though. It was still light by 8:30 when I passed out. The light rain cleared up by midnight and the bugs came out. well actually they came in through the small opening in my bug netting and crawled across my face. that'll wake you up. Around 1 in the morning I was wide eyed as the sound of something large crashing through the woods and getting closer to my tent sent my mind whirling. Bear, bear bear. okay, maybe a deer. followed by the coyotes yipping. I love being back in the woods. I woke up to find everything where I left it, so all good.In the second mile out of camp I heard more crashing and watched as a mid sized bear ran down a slope toward me coming onto the trail just ahead and running north before heading back into the woods. So now I'm thinking all those well worn, unnamed trails spurring off the trail are not made by humans seeking an interesting view. note to self, do not explore. There were a lot of fantastic views today on the more substantial hills. unfortunately this was all slightly overshadowed by the massive blisters forming on my heels, toes, and arch. That's right, blisters forming on my arch. Who knew that could even happen? My knew shoes that I have been breaking in during all the slack pack days apparently are too small for my much more swollen feet. The weight of my backpack also makes my feet hit differently in them so ow ow ow. I need to get to an REI and exchange them for a bigger size. I tried hiking in my crocs for a mile or so but found it did not give me enough support for my ankles so I duck taped up my feet, switched back to the boots, and walked through the pain. Very long day today I finally got into camp around 8 and had such a wonderful surprise when I saw Rocky and Sunshine there. Their hair has grown out so much!. Huff and Puff were there too so it was worth the long miles trying to catch up with them. While still light enough to eat I decided to risk more bug bites and just sleep in the shelter tonight. we had great group tonight and stayed up late (10pm oh my oh my rebels I say) talking, catching up on trail gossip, listening to music. I was sad to learn some of my hiking buddies have gotten off trail permanently but am so excited to be back out here with everyone else.
Date: 2012-05-26
From: Gravel Spring Hut

To: Front Royal, VA
Miles today: 13.5
Weather: few clouds

Excellent day today, especially since I knew it'd be short and end with getting to see my good friend Vicky. My blisters were still bad today but I just slowed my pace way down and took my time. As i took a small break to refill my water coming up the steepest hill of the day and was excited to run into Frenchy. we hiked together for awhile, catching up. I'm so happy that I keep running into everyone. It was the last day in the park today. Walking out of the park i saw two rattle snakes. One of them was laying across the trail and i had to use a long stick to move him off so I could continue to hike. We'll ignore the girlish shriek I let out when I almost stepped on him. The last two miles of the hike followed along a chain link fence before letting out into a field where I friend and her boyfriend were waiting. Yay! Ha she didn't even recognize me I look so different now. okay a few days hanging with friends and then back out to the trail.
Date: 2012-05-28
From: Bristow, VA

To: Jim and Molly Denton Shelter
Miles today: 5.1
Weather: scattered clouds

Today had to be one of the hardest goodbyes. The trail is such a wonderful place and I am so grateful for the opportunity to have this time and be able to have this experience. But life goes on beyond the woods and while I am gone over the next few months, my best friend will start her own life adventure by moving south. And I won't be around to help her pack, help plan her move or throw the goodbye parties. I was torn between the desire to spend more time with her and my longing for the trail. Love you Vicky, wish you the best and thank you for your constant support of my hike. All the rest is just for us. Ever the good friend that she is, she drove me back to the trailhead and walked a little bit with me. We both wished she could come with me for a bit but i wasn't sure my gear could cover for her shorts, t-shirt and strapy sandals. We said our goodbyes and I turned back into the woods, feeling for the first time that I wanted to be in two places at once. At least once I started to really hike again, it felt good and helped sooth the turmoil in me. I love this. I love the smells, the sounds of the birds, the trees and the way they filter the light. The trail has me now body, mind, and soul and I'm not sure how I'll ever be able to go back to a life where it is not omnipresent. It was an easy 5 miles to the first shelter which was very nice. Solar shower and chairs! And a birds nest full of babies. Ran into Gunrunner there. With fresh legs and new much better boots, I took my time enjoying the hike, feeling my muscles working, taking in the sights and terrain. Smiles as I head to bed tonight staring at a great moon
Date: 2012-05-29
From: Jim and Molly Denton Shelter

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

The baby birds were in extreme cute mode this morning as I watched their mother feeding them. She'd watch from the front porch area until she thought it was safe and then swoop in and all the babies would cherp in excitement, "feed me FEED ME!" they were about ready to leave the nest and were such fluffy fat things oversized in what remained of their nest.It was so nice to wash my face this morning at the solar shower. more good times as I hit trail magic just at the road two miles later. fresh cold soda just dropped off as i came out of the woods. soda for breakfast you say? only okay on the AT. With the exception of the occaisonal field, we really are in a green tunnel now. You can never see what's coming up ahead or how much hill is left. but it has the neat affect of creating a canopy bubble full of bird noises and focuses you on the immediate surroundings and what you are doing.Also, HEATWAVE! this is our island in the sun, hou hou. Man it is hot. lucky me that i am thriving in this weather. finally not cold, or chilled but warm. i was sweating but nothing like my fellow hikers. bring it on I say. that noise you here is them curseing my name. heat like this slows them down, but not me, yay yay I can feel my fingers.Ran into a ridge runner today who took one whiff of me and asked, "how's your hike from sprigner going" yeah the smells a dead give away. nice guy, had a fun little chat with him. Then it was onto sky meadows for mor field walks and distant views down the powerline open field strips into the surrounding suburbia of the D.C. area. I wanted to take the last two miles slow but a thunder storm rolled in from behind me coming in closer and closer. I was running by the time it's claps were directly overhead. Only got a little bit of rain and was moving so fast I just let the canopy d most of the rain cover rather than stop and pull out my packa. Now I'm relaxing with rain coming hard on the shelter's tin roof. There's lots of poison ivy around coming onto the trail and I got a facefull of it today. I'm trying really hard to not become one giant poison ivy mess and am wiping down my whole body with baby wipes at the end of each day. The veggitatiion was really encroaching all over the trail and a lot of hikers were complaining about it in the logs and saying this section is the worse maintained. all i can say is it must be really hard to do especally after all the rain we have and THANK YOU to all the volunteers who give any of their time to work on these trails. You guys make this possible for all of us and deserve way more respect. so thank you. Mentally preparing to ride the roller coaster tomorrow.
Date: 2012-05-30
From: Rod Hollow Shelter

To: Blackburn AT Center
Miles today: 17.7
Weather: overcast clouds

Today came the roller coaster. 13.5 miles of tightly packed ups and downs. not hills but mountains people. I counted 11 major peaks in all. The day started rainy but quickly cleared up and I was already in high spirits. When you know something like this is coming you can either grumble about it, curse your guidebook and just push through. or you can force yourself into a good mental state and go ahead and make random rollercoater noises as you climb the hills and then go "weeeeeeee" throwing your hands in the air as you start going down again. It didn't make the terrain any easier but it had me laughing at myself all day. All the day hikers with their dogs lifted the mood as well since most all K9s look just so darn happy to be out it infectious.Unfortunatly the hills still had to be climbed and I took 5 extra hours to go less miles than I did yesterday. This meant that when my friend Monica parked at the Blackburn center and hiked out to meet me I was running so lae with no way to contact her that eventually she had to give up and return to her car before dark. I graciously accept your punch in the face, dear. I got into the center around 8:20 having missed her by less than an hour. This place is beautiful and I'll tell you more about it tomorrow. for now, i'm exhausted and it's too dark for much else than a meal with aheadlamp and bedtime. I did make use of the solar shower for my first vertical creek wash on the trail mostly cause I felt disgusting. other highlights of the day include another frog visiting me while I cllected water and almost being killed running across highway 7. slow down people, there are tired hikers limping across the roadways. Oh and just one small thing. WEST VIRGINIA BABY! 5th state. oh yeah.