morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2003-06-19
From: Lost Mountain Shelter

To: AT near I-81
Miles today: 25.0

No entry yesterday, for which I have a good explanation. Had a pleasant night at last shelter with the scouts. The next morning I began walking with the intent of doing about 23 miles. It kind of seemed to me, though, that I was kind of free from camping with Cheeseburger as she's taken to hanging with another hiker, so I figured, "why not catch up to my original schedule?" I was only three days behind it at that point and physically, I'm feeling great. So early in the day I decided to get high-steppin and that I would do 28+ miles. Later in the day, close to dark I decided to make for Raccoon Branch Shelter. I never got there. I was still walking when it got dark and eventually used my flashlight. I traded my cooking dinner for my neighbor-from-home Gerry's Adventure Brownies & some random candy bars to save time. So here it is, 10:40, and I'm still a mile shy of the shelter. I change the flashlight's battery, and walk forty feet. And I just said that's it, I don't have any more, I was out of energy after 34 miles and I had to somehow rest. And also it was raining and had been doing so since midafternoon. So I picked 2 trees for my tarp and while beginning to set it up my flashlight's bulb blows! So somehow I set up the tarp, arrange my plastic and sleeping quilt and other things in the dark as it is still raining! ( Did I mention I perpendicularly blocked the trail as well?) What a night! The next morning was fine, though, and I had pretty comfortable walking for today's 25 miles. About one o'clock I get to Partnership Shelter, the most special one I've seen with a loft and a shower and a sink. It's right next to the Mt. Rogers Ranger Station and two other thru's from Ohio were there at the same time and we all ordered pizza's delivered. One of the thru's was named Q-tip and the other was Butter. Pleasantly amusing fellows. So I already had two tuna sandwiches and I ate my whole pizza by the time theirs were 12 to 34 gone. I took off for the trail as my interest was to make another 11 miles to set up for an early attack on the Post Office in Atkins tomorrow! So I'm on a hill in sight of (and in earshot of ) Interstate 81. The sky was pretty nice for sunset as the rain had stopped before noon today. Q-tip also made it this far and is tenting nearby. I am writing tonight's journal by flashlight as I changed the bulb today. While changing it I noticed that in the darkness last night I had replaced the battery inserting it with the incorrect polarity. Pfbbbt! -applejack-
Date: 2003-06-24
From: pine swamp shelter

To: ?
Miles today: 0.0

25 miles of I¢m not quite sure what. I can walk an ordinary trail through the woods and think about all kinds of things that don¢t represent the situation at hand. But when I come to open country or an open view it¢s different. Later on in the day, about 7pm, I found myself coming out to the farm and pastureland in between the mountains. To me, this is all part of the special experience of the trail. To see not only the views from the tops of the mountains, but also to see those views up close down in the valleys. And with those dreams coming before me, so many emotions I have related to this trip begin to percolate like as in a tea kettle. I wonder to myself things like, why do I deserve to be here? I¢m not quite sure, but I actally believe everyone deserves to be here. Yet so few people actually do experience it all, let alone how small the number is of people that consider it and quit the second week. I don¢t understand why so many people live all of their lives in artificiality, shopping in chain stores/restaraunts, dwelling in cookie-cutter condominiums, driving cookie-cutter Hondas, and ignore so much that¢s out here. Am I really amongst that small a population that realizes how very short and precious life is, that materialistic tangibles in the end really hold no value? How much do the things the things one has owned matter to the person who is in the last years/days of their life on earth, compared to experiences and memories? As I walk through these grassy fields I think about how fortunate I am not only to have the opportunity to do this, but also that I can experience it with all of my senses of smell, sound, and perhaps most important to me, sight. How many people are there that are without one or more of these senses and have to live that way? As I make my way through the far side of the valley, I think a little about something og the future. Not the usual thoughts I have about the near 5 years, but in 15,20+ years. When and if I have a son/daughter in that future, will that child immortalize me and inherit what I think to be an eye for beauty, and a mind to appreciate it? Or will the appreciators of such become a dwindling population? Now climbinbg up higher to another mountain ridge, I look back over my shoulder to appreciate the sunset in the clean Virginia skyline, a fiery shade of orange that means more than a few things to me. Climbing higher, I imagine that the sun¢s setting is delayed from disappearing behind the far ridge¢s landscape by rising up this one to see it off farther. But inevitably it does vanish, along with it another increment of measuring time in this altogether too short lifetime; the day is done. Then it comes to my attention, ¢Gee, how long have I been walking with my fly open?¢            -applejack-
Date: 2003-06-25
From: ?

To: Catawba Hostel
Miles today: 22.0

I¢m doing the morning-after thing for the first time. Last night I just all of the sudden hit the wall and had to get some z¢s. It¢s certainly getting hotter during the days, also passing through terrain that seems like its hot a lot here. During the past week, though, I¢ve hit three instances of ¢trail magic¢ which helps in the heat. The first one was gallon jugs of water left in memory of a fellow ¢Soleman¢ who died just before he was to begin a thruhike this year. Tuesday I walked around a corner just as a fellow ¢Super Dave¢ was replenishing a ¢magic¢ deposit after he got out of work in a shirt and tie. Seems I should see him this summer as he will finish what he began last summer and go from Franconia to Katahdin when I¢m to be passing through. And then Wednesday (yesterday) there was another cache of sodas and drinks by peoples named Josh & Bob, all 3 of which were right nearby road crossings. Hit a spot called Dragon¢s Tooth today, about the most panoramic views this far into Virginia. On top of a ridge, ledge rises 20+ feet higher on which one can climb. I made sure to check this out as it was mentioned by a past thru named Graybeard I¢ve met and the AT doesn¢t actually hit it. Stayed at a hostel last night, no apparent name but it is on Rt. 624 in Catawba, VA. It¢s neat, a large garage-turned-hostel place on residential property. Buttercup, Aussie Crawl, Pilgrim, and Joe Hiker also stayed. I ate a pizza for din, and later moved a half gallon of ice cream and having a beer afterward I just died and crashed. 22 miles yesterday, today will hold whatever it has.      ¢applejack-
Date: 2003-06-26
From: Catawba Hostel(four Pines)

To: Hay Rock Ridge
Miles today: 0.0

I remembered the hostel name just after writing the last journal entry. Four Pines. Left there and breezed through the 6 miles to Catawba, went there and did the mail drop resupply thing,and went to the store for a pizza and some ice cream. Joe Hiker and Aussie Crawl from the hostel were there, but they planned to stick around for an AYCE dinner. I endt up walking 16 more miles, which was loaded with treats like McAfee Knob and Tinker cliffs and I'm sleeping tonight on a ridge near Hay Rock, looking foreward to a sunrise. Right now it is hazy and not many stars are visible. I can see right down on some town, though, and it's a little odd not having seen or heard the city for so long. I feel a little like an observer who lives in another world. -applejack-
Date: 2003-06-27
From: Hay Rock Ridge

To: Bobblet Shelter
Miles today: 22.5

It was a hazy start to the day, no change from the afternoon before. I didn¢t notice the sunrise but shortly after looked up to an orange sun blazing through the haze. Then it was time to pack up and hike 6 miles to Trowtville to visit a Shoney¢s restaurant for the first time in 39 days. Three plates of food came close to but didn¢t quite fill me like it used to. I went across the highway to a Winn-Dixie Supermarket and unfortunately came out with 2 quarts of OJ and drank about half. Shortly down the road I had to rest in the gutter for about a half hour because of which! Those sodas n stuff people leave on the trail that are referred to as ¢Trail Magic¢ doesn¢t really seem like magic to me. I mean it¢s real cool and all, but today I had my first trail magic. I came out to Rt. 11 and over at the AT parking lot there was a fellow with his dog. He traveled by bicycle and had slept right there last night in his tent. I could tell by conversing with him that he didn¢t have a lot of dough to his name. He was concerned for a lady who¢d walked into the woods shortly ago whom I¢d seen, and I assured him she¢s fine. This fellow looked a bit like someone I¢d not even make eye contact with back home; kind of appeared like a biker (motorcycle). He offered me a Pepsi and I took it but asked if I could just get it when I came back out of town. So he hid it there for me. Then later when I¢m sitting in the gutter recuperating he rides past and stops. He says he thought about it and realized I probably got no use for a warm Pepsi and he tried to give me a buck for something! I of course didn¢t accept it, and just how giving he was in that manner amazed me when he had so little. Walked another 17 miles to Bobblet Shelter this afternoon for a total of 22.5 miles, 10 of which from Rt. 11 I walked with a pleasant thru named Little Bear, who just made it here after having dinner at the last shelter. Another thru named Koop is here, and they both planned to skip ahead soon but return later this year to finish sections. My feet were pretty sore the last 7 miles so I think I¢ll ease up on my hiking schedule for the next week; I¢ll see how they feel come morning. ¢applejack-
Date: 2003-06-28
From: Bobblet Shelter

To: ?
Miles today: 0.0

Sat 28 June 2003         Bobblet Shelter to ?         23.6 miles Quite grateful the precipitation held out; I¢ve been walking in dry shoes for a while now. It rained shortly this morning but stopped before I began walking and remained cloudy/hazy all day. Walked with Little Bear all day today; he¢s pleasant company. For about 5 miles Koop joined us, and he left to go for ice cream and a Laundromat at a road . We went 23.6 miles and other than 3,000 ft. of elevation gain in early afternoon it was smooth walking. Not much to say of the views with the clouds/haze but another fine day nonetheless. Walked under a boulder suspended over the trail by being wedged between two larger boulders; it¢s called the ¢guillotine¢ and we took pictures with Little Bear¢s camera. Planning on doing some extra miles the next 3 days, 25-30-30, and then I¢m looking forward to being right back on my schedule and 20 mile days again. ¢applejack-
Date: 2003-07-02
From: Paul C. Wolfe Shelter

To: ?
Miles today: 12.0

Wed 2 July 2003   Paul C. Wolfe Shelter to ?                  12 miles      I feel a day worth living involves a variety of good things. I woke up after 10 hrs. sleep, the most I¢ve had in a while, and walked to Rockfish Gap. There I stopped at the visitor¢s center where they phoned people (the second one came) to come and give me a voluntary free ride into Waynesboro. The fellow¢s name is John and he toured me around before I was dropped off at Weasie¢s Kitchen. That¢s great; people volunteer to give rides to hikers free! I thought I might try at Weasie¢s pancake eating record but it only took me 6 cakes to see it wasn¢t going to happen. So I ordered some meat & potatoes sides and chatted with a great fellow who¢s name I think was Pete Long, and he owns a golf course by the Trail. He was very friendly and endt up very nicely paying my bill! I was taken aback by this unexpected gesture! So I thanked him a couple times, went to the library for internet, the Y for a shower (noticing further loss of weight there), and stopped by Big Brothers, Big Sisters for cookies and Pam there offered me a ride to the trail at 3pm. So I rushed through any post office stuff after carrying it in the rain (it rained all day) to the Laundromat where I did clothes. At the same time, Rock Steady, another thru, stopped in and introduced. Getting done, I was ten minutes late and Pam left. I went back to the post office where Cruiser and Reason were and met a very nice lady (I don¢t know her name- I got it once but didn¢t get to ask a second time, I really need the second time to remember) who gave me a ride to the trail and we chatted for a while even longer than the ride which was nice. I then went into the convenient store & got snacks and 3-24oz. Coors, and went outside to make phone calls. Once I got walking, I came upon the info board where ya do your backcountry pass for the Shenandoah Park. Well, it kind of peeved me that it was raining and they had no dry overhang to fill out their backcountry pass. If they want it done, why isn¢t there? I also found their trails to be the most lacking in maintenance, under the name of Potomac ATC (not that I¢m ungrateful). There was so much grass- I¢ve never been so soaked the first night out of town and I only went 7 miles! Anyway, I did 12 trail miles today, shared a can with a thru named Ol Dirty Barn Monkey (can¢t beat that name) and ate crackers and ham and chicken and brownies, all food sent to me by loved ones! And I drank the other two cans of beer, as well! -applejack-
Date: 2003-07-04
From: Campsite

To: Bearfence Shelter
Miles today: 26.4

Fri 4 July 2003 Campsite to Bearfence Hut 26.4 milesNo entry last night, I conked out pretty suddenly just after 10pm. Yesterday I walked 3mph all day from 8:30 to 3:30, 20 miles so I could eat at the Loft Mtn Wayside which closes at 5. Spent $14 and didn¢t really feel satisfied. Met a thru named L at the campstore and we shared a tentsite. Next to us and we hung out with hikers Sticky Wicket and a fellow from Alabama. We just had some beers and chilled.Walked 26.4 miles today, at a comfortable pace. Thought it was to rain about dinnertime but the thunder threatened and passed and showered only 5 min. I was huddling under a kiosk roof cooking and two fellows, one a past thru, the other a wannabe-thru, came along and chatted and kindly donated trail mix with dried fruit to my cause. Going on to where I am tonight (Bearfence Hut) I at one point around sunset sang to myself what words I know to Star Spangled Banner, and felt a solemn mood come over and my eyes welled a little, in observance. Thinking about how great it is I can do something like this in this country I call home, the land of the free, home of the brave. Got to the shelter and a thru named Muktuk offered me a beer which surprised me. He also had a celebratory sparkler. Weaver is here, too, roughly traveling with Muktuk. ¢applejack-
Date: 2003-07-06
From: Pass Mtn Hut

To: Terrapin Station Hostel
Miles today: 22.5

Sun 6 July 2003      Pass Mtn Hut to Terrapin Station Hostel      22.5 miles Made it out of last night¢s shelter unharmed, by neither the other hikers nor the mice.   Another pleasant day to walk 22.5 miles, with the rich blue sky and beautiful Virginia landscape. And that¢s pretty much my day- walking through the woods and thinking about random topics, mostly the near future. I wonder if the amount of attention I give the future, detracts from where I may be at any given time the attention due there. I kind of wish I were a little more like a child in that mentality, giving all of my attention to the subject at hand, until the subject at hand changes. I¢m sure I am not the only hiker who spends a lot of time walking through the woods with their mind elsewhere, it¢s probably all good and normal. Stopped at Elkwallow wayside for a burger and shake midday. To my total bummout I had lost my $40 cash and my checkcard VISA was denied, despite plenty of funds. So I had to charge ten bucks to my Mastercard, which I did not want to do. Staying at Terrapin Station Hostel tonight, which is the whole downstairs of a split-level house run by a former thru-hiker. I find it quite comfortable and the owner, Mike, is very pleasant and outgoing. Plenty of snacks stocked and in the morning a ride to town for breakfast. Iceberg Slim and Snotty Rocket and another thru were already here, and Thunderbolt who was at last nights hostel are all here. To my dismay, there are no more pints of Ben & Jerry¢s here, though.   ¢applejack-
Date: 2003-07-16
From: Cove Mtn Shelter

To: Story Mtn
Miles today: 24.9

Wed 16 July 2003      Cove Mtn Shelter to Story Mtn         24.9 miles What a nice ending to what seemed like such a working day. These 25 mile days don¢t seem as much fun as they were in Virginia. 24.9 miles today and it¢s a little mean as there are trails littered with stones and they kind of happen to be a nuisance when one has sore feet and it requires extra attention to the ground, leaving less awareness to the surroundings. Add in that yesterday I saw my first rattlesnake, a 4 footer, and shortly after a 4 foot black snake and today¢s 5 foot black snake, all alongside the trail, and that can take up all of one¢s concentration right to the ground in front while trying to do extra miles. I¢ll be able to slow down once I reach Port Clinton¢s Post Office Saturday morning to get my mail. I got to my predecided destination at about sunset on top of Story Mtn. And Jollies, who had hiked ahead, left evidence that he¢d passed through and gone on to the shelter. I¢ve got my tarp set up though it¢s a nice evening and I had a healthy fire going for an hour and now let it die. I¢ve met a number of other thru¢s today; I think I may be approaching the main body of the thruhiker traveling community. I look forward to the change in my schedule in Massachusetts for a few reasons, one of which being that I should be right in the thick of the thru¢s and also the ones I¢ve met and passed should catch up to me once again. That among other aspects should be interesting aspects of the second two months of my trek.   ¢applejack-
Date: 2003-07-21
From: Tripoli Campsite

To: AT campsite
Miles today: 18.0

Mon 21 July 2003   Tripoli Campsite to AT campsite      18 miles It turned out that Monkey and Jay made it to the campsite, but after 11 just after I called the night. They mentioned Widget and Mountain Dew and it sounds like I won¢t see them again with their daily mileage (higher than mine). Did a nice almost 18 miles today. In a somewhat dry section. Mostly plain walking the first 11 miles to Lehigh Gap, and views were pretty hazy. The climb out of Lehigh Gap, though was quite fun and exposed to views. Once to the top of the ascent it was a few miles through particularly dry region where mostly just short shrubs grow, and had much views. Then I realized I¢d forgotten the warnings of no water for another 12 miles and I was out. Ready to walk 1 12 miles to Danielsville at Little Gap, I was extremely thankful to find two other thrus, Baloo & Skids, left at the road crossing jugs of water for other thrus. Thanks much! It became apparent that it would storm and I made a hasty 1 12+ miles and found a random campsite where I¢d had enough time to set up all my camp and get in, and I cooked & ate dinner and now am writing all during this thunder/lightening/rainstorm which is moving through slowly. Perhaps if it stops soon I may have campfire tonight.   ¢applejack-AT
Date: 2003-08-03
From: ? Shelter

To: ?
Miles today: 16.6

Sun 3 August 2003 Well, no Allman Bros. Concert for me tonight. I stopped by a store in Pawling and tried to figure a way to get to it. Called Ticketmaster and they weren¢t selling tickets to it and didn¢t know of it. Called Enterprise Rent a car and they were closed at Pawling and only had airport branches open this Sunday. I asked about their marketing slogan, ¢we¢ll pick you up¢, and she said not today. So I don¢t know where the concert is, how far away it is, or how I¢d get there. Damn. Nothing special to see along the trail today, the weather is cloudy, froggy, with scattered thundershowers and that¢s the forecast through the next week. Yes!   -applejack-
Date: 2003-08-09
From: Beartown State Park

To: Rt. 7
Miles today: 10.4

Sat 9 August 2003   Great Barrington to Beartown State Park   10.4 miles Got a wonderful nights rest at Peter & Gussie¢s place. Slept in and Peter gave me a hitch in his hot rod across town to where I meet my Ma and I waited for her. She came around right on time and we were both happy to see each other. I made yesterday a zero, so we gota campsite on the water at Beartown State Park on Benedict Pond. Had lunch at Joe¢s Dinner in Lee, that was great, and shopped for foods. We cooked a nice meal over charcoal and had some Sam¢s summer and Saranac Ales. It began to sound like a real car camping campground when children cries were heard around bedtime. Today we enjoyed a trail-food breakfast and moved the tent to a site that wasn¢t already reserved for tonight and went off. I originally hadn¢t checked for mail at the South Egremont PO, but asked Ma to drive by just in case- and yes! Lou and Peg sent more cookies! What luck! We went by the market where I chowed a boston cr me pie and a Ben/Jerry¢s, then she dropped me off on Rt. 7 where I slackpacked (walked sans gear) 10.4 miles to benedict Pond right to where we are car camping. Was a nice walk, a few buggy miles, and a short shower on this very overcast day. The last mile I carried back some wood for a campfire. We had dinner at a sub shop, to not bother cooking with charcoal, to wrap up an easy day. Perhaps tomorrow will bring something I haven¢t had for a while¢¦sun? Unusual energy? A sense of guilt for taking so much time off from the workforce? Ahhh, probably none of those. -applejack-
Date: 2003-08-11
From: Upper Goose Pond Cabin

To: Cookie Guy's Garage
Miles today: 11.0

Another day gone by that held unknown beforehand futures on the App. Trail. At the cabin they served pancakes, mostly blueberries (big ones), some plain, as many as you want. That was cool. Today I actually walked exactly the 11 planned miles. Weather still holds to the overcast, scattered thundershower setting. Some hikers going the other way told me of merciless soakings my feet would suffer today, they are wonderfully dry after some nice dancing around and through the wet areas. I made it to the Cookie Lady¢s house at about 3:20 and Hopeful was there, and the skies were dripping water threateningly. So we accepted the offer by the Cookie Guy to hang out in the garage while the storming went on, which was stormin¢! It didn¢t slow until over 2 hours later, by then Cookie Guy had offered us stay in the garage the night, and that was nice. Later Trucker & Bingo arrived, soaking wet and telling tales of the Appalachian Waterway, and they are staying here too. Bingo remarked as I set up how such random things happen to one as they travel this trail, like how I¢m pushing a lawn tractor into a convenient place to hang my bug net off of in some stranger¢s garage.   ¢applejack-