morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2018-04-15
From: Thornton Gap (Luray, VA) (Mile 943.1) 

To: Thornton Gap (Luray, VA) (Mile 943.1)
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Slept soundly until 4 am then dozing until 6. After a shave and shower took the short walk to the Shell station for breakfast items and coffee. Updated journal until 11 then headed out for chores. Nice walk along Main Street. (All these towns have a Main St!). First laundromat (always interesting experiencing that phenom - don¢t do it much) , lunch, then further into the heritage part of town. Nicely maintained. Outfitter is on main intersection where I waited until they opened. Very well stocked and staffed by a very friendly young lady. She offered to get me to the Trail in the morning when I asked about shuttle service. Great backpacker food selection including vac packed cheese bites. We¢ll see! Then a stop at local supermarket to finish resupply. Very interesting to see the local population - lots of tattoos and piercings. After an afternoon of relaxation and packing,  I enjoyed a Mexican dinner. A bit of a walk but the meal was very tasty and satisfying and, better yet, the rain held off until I was back in hotel. A great zero day in a nice throwback drive up hotel. Rested and ready to return to the trail!
Date: 2018-04-16
From: Thornton Gap (Luray, VA) (Mile 943.1)

To: Gravel Springs Hut ( Mile 957.4)
Miles today: 14.3
Weather: broken clouds

Restless night. Maybe a little concerned about being on the trail again with the weight of a full resupply. Likely it was last evening¢s Mexican food and big beer! Do ya think? :-) My Trail Angel for the day, Elyse, who I had met previous day at the outfitters, picked me up on time and I was on the trail by 8:20am. Thanked her and she reluctantly took some gas money.  Was prepped for rain and variable weather with phone case, pack cover and lots of warmie¢s. Was blustery and cool and nice for climbing hills. Met Five Star (likes to cook fancy meals). He recommended the ¢Wayside¢, a park facility which, he said, had the best cheeseburger. Also met Bullftog (others say his legs are overproportiioned to his body) who also recommended the eatery. The Wayside was now on my list. Seemed to take forever to get there but it worked out to have lunchtime there. Yup, cheeseburger and onion rings and a choc milk shake. Cool and drizzly outside so they let me sit insude on floor (no tables) to eat. Yum!! Best burger ever! Eventually made it into shelter area at 5pm. Had the place to myself. Set up tent and , after dinner, moved quickly inside as I was being pelted by snow pellets! Overall great day with lots of weather changes, incl patches of sun. Pleased with the hiking. Body did well. Tired but no hot spots. Here comes a cold night!
Date: 2018-04-17
From: Gravel Springs Hut ( Mile 957.4)

To: Mountain Home Cabbin ( Mile 971.1)
Miles today: 13.7
Weather: light rain

A cold night indeed! Grabbed bear bag and ate breakfast in tent. Brrr!! Putting in contacts noticed one didn¢t make it to eyeball. Oh Boy! When pulling out backup pair I happened to notice lost one in the dirt! Wow! Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers. Bailed me out again! Despite all that, I was on way by 8am and, yes, snow in the ground (see photo). Had favorable grades all day except a late afternoon up. Ugh! Did come across Trail maintainer, Grey Ghost. Older gent from Vienna, VA  who loves to do trail work. Hats off to those! Got to Mountain Home Cabbin, a historic hostel, about 4:30. No proprietor so called him and got details to get in. Was a great AT experience!  Built in the mid 1880¢s and clad with brick in the 1920¢s - had real charm. Two dbl beds downstairs along with kitchen. Four single beds up with bath. Proprietor eventually came by to tell property history and his personal story. Amazing!  Only two people in the place overnight. I took upstairs and had it to myself. Was near bath so turned out perfect. Freezer had pizzas for sale so cooked one up and was in heaven. Other guest was from Netherlands, Gustar, in area overseeing a light show. So on time off was hiking the mountains. Very interesting conversations. Nice to be out of cold and wind. The Cabbin (guess different spelling for marketing appeal) provided  a cool, quiet and dark sleeping area. Fantastic find for $30 per night. Going to sleep well tonight!
Date: 2018-04-18
From: Mountain Home Cabbin ( Mile 971.1)

To: Whiskey Hollow Shelter (Mile 986)
Miles today: 14.9

Rested very well. Started packing and met Proprietor, Scott , downstairs for 7am coffee and a free breakfast he cooked for us. Scott, was a 2012 thruhiker with trail name ¢ Possible¢ (says with right attitude Anything is  Possible). I had eggs, toast, juice and coffee. The grape juice was actually homemade. He grows the Concord grapes and cans them for juice. Beautiful color and a nice balanced taste. What a treat! After goodbyes was on trail by 8:20am. The first mile or so was like heaven. Beautiful sunny, crisp morning. No wind. Birds were singing. Trail had a slight upgrade and was following a stream. There was a faint hint of woodsmoke in the air. Had to pinch myself to make sure I wasn¢t dreaming. Got warmer later so layers off, sunscreen and sunglasses on. Met Slow Leak, says name from problem keeping air in mattress and, well, has prostate problems! Also met AT Squared- his initials are AT and he¢s hiking the AT. Get it? :-) Got into Shelter area after 9 hrs of hiking. Felt pretty good. Feet holding up well. Found a flat area for tenting and dinner. More good miles today!
Date: 2018-04-19
From: Whiskey Hollow Shelter (Mile 986)

To: Tentsite (Mile 999.5)
Miles today: 13.5

Morning routine, including hot breakfast and stretching and still was on way by 7:45am. But not before I met brothers - Green Socks (I guess had a pair of green socks on once and it stuck) accompanying, just for a time, his brother who is section hiking and finishing the AT this year. Brother¢s trail name is Cropduster. Frequent fragrant flatulance fumigating famously, if you know what I mean! :-o . Did finally encounter Trail Magic midday. A utility box with a variety of things. The Pepsi was oh so good. Carbonation, caffeine and liquid. Thank you Trail Angels! Had rest of day planned. Filter water, go another short distance and tent. Was feeling actually cocky about how good my feet felt and then it happened! I lost my balance on a step up and fell backward downhill. Ouch! Had to extract myself from backpack, restore my orientation and assess. New shoulder a little sore, left calf hit a rock so was tender. Gotta hike on. Limped down Trail a short distance to stream, filtered water and limped to tentsite. Oh Boy! Figured I¢d get situated, dinner and into tent, put  down some ibuprofen and figure out how I¢ d feel in the morning. Actually a really great day except for the fall. Will get some rest and assess in the morning.
Date: 2018-04-20
From: Tentsite (Mile 999.5)

To: Blackburn AT Center ( Mule 1012.2)
Miles today: 12.7

Windy but not too cold overnight. Got up to get bear bag down and, oh my gosh, had a big limp in left leg. Hmmmm! Starred doing scenarios of calling 911, limping out to nearest road at 5.3 miles away or ...? Progressed through my morning routine and figured I¢d just start hiking slowly and see what happened. Miraculously the leg loosened up and worked fine. To be sure I put down additional ibuprofen later in morning. Wow! Good thing because I was hiking the ¢Rollercoaster¢, the part of the Trail with lots of ups and downs and rocks on the trail. Quite tough but the weather was pleasant, sunny, breezy and in the upper 60s. Met Hammers along the way. He¢s a Section hiker who, when training for trail, decided to add weight to backpack with hammers, lots of hammers. He added too much weight and sprained his ankle. The unfortunate name stuck.  I finally made it into the AT Center after 10.5 hrs continuous hiking. Pleasant surprises awaited. Lots of nice potable water- no filtering. The hiker cabin was available. No cost, no people (had it to myself). Great way to end day. No tenting (they give you platform beds on which you spread out your mattress and sleeping bag) , nice and quiet inside out of wind and cold. Beautiful facility with main lodge used for trail maintainer training. Going to sleep well tonight. Conquered that Rollercoaster, leg felt fine and I was rewarded!
Date: 2018-04-21
From: Blackburn AT Center ( Mule 1012.2)

To: ATC Headquarters - Harpers Ferry, WV ( Mile 1024.1)
Miles today: 11.9
Weather: overcast clouds

Nice night in cabin. Quiet! Up at usual 6am and warmed up water for oatmeal and coffee. Nice being able to use a table. Packed up and headed out by 8am. Big vertical in blue blaze (side) trail back up to AT. Finally on AT and underway by 8:20am. Saw a group of trail runners out enjoying a beautiful Saturday morning. A beautiful day. Met hiker, Smoky, a National Fire Ranger. Met Slow Goin¢, who claims to have, at various times, hiked 7,000 miles of the AT. Later met two guys who practice the opposite of lightweight packing. Said, Why leave comfort at home? Have given themselves the names of Heavy D and Biggy Smalls. Said the Makers Mark tasted great last night! Cheers! Passed lots of day hikers and weekend backpackers. Passed two groups of Scouts training for Philmont Scout Ranch hiking in NM. Ended day with a challenging entry into Harpers Ferry. Long incline down to adjacent river, then long half mile walk along vehicular bridge on separated walkway. Then steep incline up into town. Finally made it to Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) headquarters. They take all hikers pictures. Traded stories with other hikers and the manager. Was also the pickup point as agreed with my brother, who lives in area, to pick me up for a few nights and a zero day in their nearby home. He was there shortly after my text and he and my wonderful sister-in-law treated me to cold beer and a steak dinner. And a soft bed. Really spoiled this week after two nights indoors. What a week of AT hiking. On schedule despite a fall and lots of ups and downs! Onward!
Date: 2018-04-22
From: ATC Headquarters - Harpers Ferry, WV ( Mile 1024.1)

To: ATC Headquarters- Harpers Ferry, WV ( Lovettsville, VA)
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Ah, a Zero Day at my brother¢s home in VA. Slept in to 6am then down for coffee.  Spent a lot of morning cleaning and  sorting gear. Later some socializing, breakfast and shower before heading out to church. A quaint little Catholic country church. It¢s in the throes of finding a new priest and bldg maint fund raising but I felt very welcomed. It was a beautiful day to be driving through the VA countryside. We stopped at Walmart for my resupply then back home for the family¢s traditional Sunday brunch. I was in charge of the toast. That was to go with eggs, bacon, potatoes and lots of jams and juices. Delightful conversations and enjoying each others company. Two of the kids (girls) still at home (three siblings off to college). Very smart, poised young ladies. It was then an afternoon of journaling. My sister-in-law was kind enough to do bag liner and pants repair. Very handy on sewing machine. I treated to a fantastic BBQ dinner out in the evening. Again,  all shared laughs snd stories. Wrapped up and turned in at 11. Really a fun day. Got more time to talk with my sister-in-law on this visit. Very enjoyable. Lights out at 11 in prep for getting back on trail in morning. A very restorative zero day due to the generosity of my brother and his great family!
Date: 2018-04-23
From: ATC Headquarters- Harpers Ferry, WV ( Lovettsville, VA)

To: Crampton Gap Shelter (Mile 1035.2)
Miles today: 11.1
Weather: light rain

My fantastic visit with my brother and his family came to a close. What great support! They fixed my sleeping liner, my gaiter straps, fed me, gave me beer and shared what they¢ve been up to. Refreshed,  my favorite sister-in-law (only :-) ) gave me a ride to Harpers and I was on my way by 8:15. I had the town to myself on a Monday morning. Devoid of tourists, I could enjoy the cobblestone streets on a cool, sunny morning. Felt the history of the place wash over me. Three miles of the AT coincide with the C&O Canal Tow Path. Had ridden the Path on a bike before so felt different to be walking. Nice and flat. Met hiker, Zesty (has a zest for life). Made great time all day on favorable grades and was in shelter area at 3:30pm. Decided to stay in shelter since rain predicted. Ended up sharing shelter with Satch (short for Sasquatch). I think his name came from his snoring prowess! Thank goodness for ear plugs! He went to sleep at 6:30pm and was still sleeping/snoring at 7:30am next norning when I left. Again remembering why I tent instead of staying in shelters! Turns out also it didn¢t rain. Oh well, part of the experience. I did listen to my audible book (In Harms Way- Sinking of USS Indianapolis) in the evening to drown out the snores. Beautiful day for hiking. Body did well.
Date: 2018-04-24
From: Crampton Gap Shelter (Mile 1035.2)

To: AT I-70 Overpass (Mile 1047.3)
Miles today: 12.1
Weather: overcast clouds

Yup, the ear plugs were a Godsend. Did get some sleep and avoided inflicting bodily harm on shelter mate, Satch! Made hot breakfast and on way by 7:50am. Was in touch by text with Navy Buddy,  Mike, who was in area with wife visiting his son, Ken, and family. They offered to put me up for a couple of days and support slackpacking. Weather lower 50s, overcast and breezy. Actually great weather for hiking. But rain drizzle started in afternoon so was glad to get to meeting point, I-70 AT Overpass and txt them. They were there shortly and back then to their house for amazing hospitality. Felt like part of the family. Son, Ken , and wife, Janelle, have a faith-based family with five kids - Mack, Megan, Michael, Mason and Mark. All unique and beautiful children. Enjoyed an abundant meal family style and then enjoyed oldest son playing the piano with amazing talent. Says he listens to a piece and then plays it. Says he can picture the music in his head. Does U-Tube videos with piano pieces, for fun. Mega-Hurtz Piano. Up to bed by 9:30pm. Blessed to be in this place with these wonderful folks! Great day!
Date: 2018-04-25
From: AT I-70 Overpass (Mile 1047.3)

To: Wolfsville Rd , MD 17 (Mile 1055.7)
Miles today: 8.4
Weather: scattered clouds

Great night¢s sleep but ready to roll at usual 6am. Went down to make coffee then back up to prep for a slackpacking day. My Navy Buddy, Mike, agreed to hike with me. His usual daily is 3 miles so he was extending to our planned 8+. What a fantastic hike. Foggy and cool but we were so lost in stories and conversation the weather didn't matter. Finished by 12:45pm and sent a text to his son/my host, Ken, who picked us up. Mike did well on the hike with only minor aches. We went back to the house for clean up, a beer and help with dinner prep. It was Taco Wednesday. Woo Hoo! Yum! On a brand new custom built 10¢ long table. Perfect for their big family with occasional guests. Had a chance to chat with the younger boys. Michael, 11,  is a sports guy.  Plays three sports, loves to talk sports, a Cavaliers fan. I enjoyed it! The second youngest, Mason, dubbed the family preacher, asked if I was a Christian. I said, well yes. I¢m a Catholic which is a kind of Christian. He said,  ¢I thought so based on some of the things you were saying about being kind and other things¢. They are always watching and listening! I was flattered. The younger boys started addressing me as Mr. Christian since they couldn¢t remember my real last name. :-) Also talked with Megan about a variety of things, one of which was her upcoming mission trip. Her first, she¢s excited. Also discussed her outstanding scratch brownies we had for dessert. A gift she has. Great hiking day with a buddy followed by a great homey evening with a great family! Memories!
Date: 2018-04-26
From: Wolfsville Rd , MD 17 (Mile 1055.7)

To: Pen-Mar Road (Mile 1065.8)
Miles today: 10.1
Weather: clear sky

Up at usual time and made coffee again. After prep for another day of slackpacking I went down for breakfast and helped Mike¢s wife, Dee, celebrate her birthday.  Mike dropped me off at Trail at 8:15am. He had business with son Ken so I was on my own. Favorable grades, other than a few rocky spots, and great weather. Passed a big group of high school boys from Georgetown Prep, a catholic school in DC area, out for a day of reflection. Finished mid afternoon at state line. Another state, Maryland, behind me. The younger boys enjoyed pranking me by setting up a mounted bear¢s head (had found it at the dump) in my dinner seat such that I would see it as I came down for dinner. They thought it was great fun seeing my reaction. Closest I want to come to a bear!  Another great meal - homemade meatballs with spaghetti,  salad, bread all around the big new table with lots of family love. Really enjoyed it but I decided I didn¢t want to overstay my welcome so this is my last night with the host family. I didn¢t want to get the cold shoulder. (Dee said in the old days guests who had stayed too long were given the hint to move on by being served cold pork shoulder thereby being given the ¢cold shoulder¢). Once again I felt very welcomed and embraced by this loving family.
Date: 2018-04-27
From: Pen-Mar Road (Mile 1065.8)

To: Rocky Mountain Shelters (Mile 1080.6)
Miles today: 14.8
Weather: moderate rain

Packed up my full backpack. Had done resupply at Walmart the evening before on way back from the Trail. Enjoyed some coffee time with my Navy Buddy, Mike, in addition to having a good breakfast. The young ¢family preacher¢, Mason, was so sweet. He made two slices of buttered, cinnamon sugar-sprinkled toast and offered me one. Made me kinda tear up! Said goodbye to all of the family (at least those who are up) and Mike dropped me off at trailhead into new state, PA (now north of Mason-Dixon line) at 8:30am in a light rain. No worries, I was dressed for it. Rain stopped after a couple of hours. Was surprised by Trail Magic midday. Fresh Ground, as he calls himself - like the coffee he makes, was the Trail Angel. From NC, says he¢s called to serve the underserved leading edge of this year¢s thru-hikers. Calls his setup the Leap Frog Cafe. Sets up for a day then moves up the trail north to do it again. He served warm hot dogs, chips, watermelon, kool aid. What a surprise and how heart warning. Met young hiker, Blackbird, at the Trail Magic.  (Inspired by the Beatles song of same name). Sun came out later and turned out to be a very nice day. Long day and into shelter site at 6pm. Nice site. Even had a picnic table. Had the place to myself. Had to move quickly to filter water and prep dinner before sunset. Did it! In tent at sundown. Long day, a little stiff but good surprises all day.  Covering ground! All good!
Date: 2018-04-28
From: Rocky Mountain Shelters (Mile 1080.6)

To: Birch Run Shelter (Mile 1093.6)
Miles today: 13.0
Weather: few clouds

Up at usual 6am. Feet rested! The beauty of a night's rest to restore. Also enjoyed the beauty of a sunrise over the nearby ridge! Great to be alive! On way by 7:45am. Since it was a Saturday, passed a bunch of day hikers. Started raining at 2:30pm so pack cover on, rain jacket on and onward! Also had several thunder claps roll overhead. All part of the adventure! Just before getting to the shelter area passed a young couple camped along the trail. They had weapons and were doing target practice. Weird! Legal? Doubt it. I said nothing and moved on. Luckily it was more than a mile from shelter area. Heard the shots into the evening. Rolled into the shelter area to encounter a large group of Scouts from Delaware out for their weekend 20-miler. Found a tent site away from all that Scout energy and set up. Good hiking day, after the morning Ibuprofen kicks in and after my usual 2 hour morning warmup as I¢m hiking. Right hip a bit stiff but all else, including left leg bumped in the fall, doing well.
Date: 2018-04-29
From: Birch Run Shelter (Mile 1093.6)

To: Tentsite (Mile 1106.3)
Miles today: 12.7
Weather: scattered clouds

Slept in 2 hour segments but got some sleep. Very chilly. No signal so couldn¢t check actual temps but likely in upper 30s. Decided to have breakfast in tent to stay warm. Also was preserving fuel so had a cold breakfast. Cold oatmeal not bad. All counts for the calories in. Also had Crystal Lite caffeinated. Works as well as coffee :-) Was on way by 7:40am and amazingly the Scouts are already packed up and gone! Wow! Passed a large aftermath of a forest fire. Was feeling bad until I saw a sign that it was a prescribed burn to restore wildlife habitat and the ecosystem. Maybe CA should do the same to avoid their frequent fire disasters! Passed the historic AT halfway point. With trail reroutes that changes annually but the sign will remain. Met Weatherman (self appointed meteorologist) and French Fry (hogged french fries at an in-town visit), Young couple from MN thruhiking this year. Started on Feb 28 and hiked thru a lot of snow so far. Stopped at Pine Grove Furnace General Store and had a Cowboy Burger (cheeseburger with bbq sauce, bacon, onion rings) washed down with a Gatorade. Was right on Trail so.. why not? My tentsite destination had no water availability so I filtered water a mile early at a spring and carried that extra weight uphill for last mile. Was worth it. Nice tentsite by myself. Got into site at 3:30pm so lots of time for setup, cooking and settling down with a bit of audible book and some podcasts.
Date: 2018-04-30
From: Tentsite (Mile 1106.3)

To: Alec Kennedy Shelter (Mile 1118.8)
Miles today: 12.5
Weather: moderate rain

Very windy night so earplugs were a necessity. Full moon was amazing! Ate breakfast in tent again for warmth and no cooking to save fuel. No signal overnight but had some a bit down trail. Checked in with home. Nice mornkng! Sun on starboard beam, cool breeze at stern. Underway and steamin¢.  Rocks on trail reminded me what state I was in. Afternoon was tough through a ¢rock maze¢. Up, over, through rock outcrops along ridges. Met Iceager, older flip-flop hiker from Seattle who started in Harpers Ferry, hiking to Maine then back to HF and south to GA. Got into shelter area at 4:45pm. Met Frito ftom Seattle who was asked her name when she had a mouthfull of Fritos. Prepared dinner and, as luck would have it, had just enough gas to cook main course. Glad I conserved previously. Have signal at this shelter site. Felt good all day despite the rocks. A little tired at end and ready to stop. Indications of a warmer night, good for sleeping.