morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2018-04-27
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Last Saturday night, awake in my tent at 3am after a trip outside to admire the moonlight and starry night, I has a few moments of sadness, thinking about Brian back home. We've never been apart for more than a week. How would this feel for us both. Those moments seemed to set the scene for my entire week. It seems to me I should be filled with joy and happiness, anticipation of this wonderful journey, and I am. Sometimes. But this week felt more like my emotions were controlled by a slot machine. You know, the 1 armed bandit with the three rows that spin. It was as if my emotions were those three rows and several times a day someone would pull the arm down and let me spin out of control until I landed on different feelings such as fear, guilt, doubt. And it would spin again and I'd find excitement, anticipation, happiness. I'm exhausted! At 6:30 last night when I locked up the office I was unexpectedly overcome and couldn't hold back my tears. Brian held me, chuckled and encouraged me that this will pass and I'm doing the right thing. This evening I feel that way. But it was a long day on the road to get to Harper's Ferry and the day didn't start right. In his final check of my credit card before departing Brian noticed a charge from a motorsport company. Strange that I would make a large purchase without consulting him he asked me to come look. Of course it wasn't mine, and unless I can be in 2 places at once neither was dinner and the movie also on my bill. A lot of my time in the car was spent on the phone with the business owner, sheriff and bank. All is well, thanks to Brian's quick thinking, the sheriff and business owner. There's at least one criminal with new bracelets tonight!In the midst of that, my black SUV which we had freshly painted just last year is going to have a return trip to the shop while I'm away. Thank you Mr truck driver for the new red paint we now sport half way down the driver's side. I love NY!Just when I asked if this was a sign that I shouldn't be doing this I glanced to my right and written above the driver's door of another truck was "God really exists". Just last night I prayed that he would guide me and continue to keep myself and my Loved ones safe and healthy. I asked for comfort that I was doing the right thing. Thank you for the sign God. I'm doing the right thing and I'm looking forward to it!!
Date: 2018-04-28
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

It was an interesting night in Harper's Ferry. We checked into our B&B, a lovely old building with wonderful hosts Chris and Liesel. We were tired, hungry and as it was already 8:30 most shops and restaurants were already closed. We ventured a mile up the street by car, because we hadn't had enough of that yet, so we could make it to the last known open restaurant nearby. We enjoyed a steak (should have shared one!) and ventured back to the room to turn in for the night. I saw the small ornamental dish on the night stand and it had 2 packages of ear plugs. I recalled how I'd read that many hikers sleep with with ear plugs in shelters and hostels because some hikers snore, the sleeping pads make noise, etc. I was impressed thinking how these wonderful and kind innkeeper thought of everything hiker related. I was kind of wrong. I'll explain this in one short word. TRAIN. In case you haven't been to Harper's Ferry, like us, you may not know about the train(s). Several of them, which run day AND NIGHT. The train station happens to be, yes you guessed it, right across the street from the balcony of our room. Brian utilized said ear plugs. I can't say enough positive things about this town and it's people however, and I think the train will grow on me too. Never have I felt so comfortable, welcomed and included in a place where I'm a total stranger. I'm in awe of how different this environment is and how genuine and generous everyone here is. The staff and volunteers at the ATC as well as local merchants have all been warm and genuinely engaging. We enjoyed the workshops and the celebration which was held at The Barn. But as the festivities settled down I asked Brian if we could depart. I was craving quiet alone time with him to enjoy a bit of each other and this town. I walked back from pizza at 10pm by myself as Brian drove the truck back. I wanted to get the exercise and feel the evening. It was peaceful and the town is sleepy in the evening. Most of the house lights are off and shops and restaurants are all closed. The temperature was in the mid 50's with a breeze, very comfortable. I love these old civil war era buildings. There's so much history here. This town has a big story. I already know I can't wait to come back and learn it. But I also know my return will have to be by way of Katahdin.
Date: 2018-04-30
From: Harper's Ferry Appalachian Trail Conservancy

To: Ed Garvey shelter
Miles today: 7.6
Weather: clear sky

The day has finally arrived! After a 1/2 mile walk up the hill we met the remaining flip floppers who were attending the send off at the Conservancy around 9am. Appalachian Trail Conservancy staff and volunteers were all so genuinely excited for each of us. Hansel and Gretel, Brian and I, Reed and a few other hikers were present, even River who wasn't leaving until the next day was there to support the group. I had the first stamps in my AT passport completed, a flip flop stamp and ATC. I also received a pin from the maker of the passport which Laurie Pottigier pinned on my pack along with my thru hiker tag. I felt very special and very ready. It was then photo opp time, which made me anxious because I just wanted to get to the party ( much like when your wedding photos are being done and you just want to get to the reception!) Brian and I and Reed opted for the scenic historic route, past Storer College, the cemetery and Jefferson Rock. The view over Harper's Ferry and the Patomic was stunning and now etched in my brain. The day began easy, with a walk along the canal and river on a wide section of trail until it crossed the railroad tracks and headed uphill to Weaverton Cliffs. Our first real taste of the AT. The day was warm, in the 70's after a very cool start. It was no joke climbing up Weaverton Cliffs. We we're passed by nobo thru hikers Fireman, Research and a couple of others who stopped for a moment to chat and were wonderfully encouraging. By this time Reed who was much younger had gone ahead. Our plan was to hike 7.6 miles and stay at Ed Garvey shelter. We made it to camp around 2:30 and were tired but not spent. I suggested we push on 4 miles to the next shelter but Brian made me promise to keep my word on going slow in the start. So we set up camp on a nice site and enjoyed dinner together. We were in our tent by 7:30pm and it was lights out. So much excitement for the day and Brian hadn't slept well the night before. Tomorrow we plan for a 10 mile day.
Date: 2018-05-05
From: Waynesboro

To: Waynesboro
Miles today: 0.0

My feet were so tired from a 10 mile slack pack over rocks and my pinkie toes are very painful. I spent the day mostly in the hotel room with Brian just hanging out and doing town chores. A few resupply items, more Epsom salt and laundry. The hotel laundry room is a great meeting spot for thru hikers, so it seems. I met Bite Me who came in to find the washing machine full and me waiting to be next. We chatted a few. Since it would be a while he ran off to do other chores first. Then when I went to move the clothes from washer to dryer Rambling Ambassador was there. ( I previously mistakenly referred to her as Traveling Ambassador). We seem to be pretty much at the same pace and schedule. Ambassador needed to bounce some things up the trail and since the post office was closed she might have to spend another day in town. We happened to have a priority box in the SUV we could spare and Brian offered to mail it for her on Monday when he mailed my supply to me. It worked out perfectly. We ran into Bite Me out in the parking lot while we were heading out to a late lunch and Walmart. He was just returning on foot and forgot a couple of things so we gladly brought them back for him.  When we returned I saw River in the lobby. It was great to see her and know she's doing well. She started a day after me. I've never wanted to just spend the day in the room. It was quite nice actually. We tried to nap, I caught up on journaling and I repacked my bag so that I could send some things home with Brian and shave some weight. I sent home my puffy, fleece mittens and neck warmer, wool beanie and brain. The one on my pack, I still need the one in my head. Brian was able to enjoy full control of the TV remote and catch up on his favorite sports. We had dinner and communicated with Ambassador so she could ride with us to the trail head in the morning. River and Bite Me we're taking a zero and returning to the trail on Tuesday. It was early to bed for an early rise so we could leave by 9 am. A productive day with no real excitement and it was lovely.
Date: 2018-05-30
From: Smith Gap

To: Kirkridge shelter
Miles today: 17.2
Weather: scattered clouds

I didn't sleep well at all. I was chilly on the floor near the window AC unit so I got up and went to the entry way and looked in the bins where the sheets and towels are for a blanket. I found nothing so I layed back down and fell back asleep. I didn't feel like dragging out my quilt from the bottom of my pack. I woke at 5 and stayed on the floor until 5:30 then dressed out in the entry way and walked outside and over to the bathroom. I brushed and washed up then walked down to the convenience store and picked up a bag of chips for later and a bottle of Starbucks frappachino which I drank right down. I walked back to Bert's and sat down for a breakfast. It was 7am. Tracy would be there at 7:30 to shuttle us to Smith's Gap. I was eating eggs with ham and home fries when River joined me. Today instead of using the loaner day packs we would take the suggestion of the 60's siblings and use our own packs for the day but without all the things we don't need for the day. I pulled out the trash compactor bag lining my pack, put everything I didn't need into it and put it in Tracy's trunk. She'd be dropping it off at Wolf Gap for me later today. We were at Smith Gap and headed down the trail a little after 8am. It would be a 16.6 mile slack pack and then another .6 to the shelter for 17.2 total. It was a long day today but I carried plenty of water and the weather was not as humid as yesterday. There was one only 1 view and 5 steady miles of rocks. We adopted the phrase the only way through it is through it. We put our heads down and hiked, taking a lunch break and a couple of short breaks. An hour from the road River texted Tracy for our rondevous and the timing was perfect. We emerged from the woods to see Tracy and the 60's siblings who she'd picked up at the end of their slack pack day along the way. She had cold water and Corona beer! This woman is awesome. River and I drank our beer and packed our gear asT-Bird went ahead to the shelter. When we arrived we all took a spot inside the shelter and then made dinner. There were a few other thru hikers there enjoying the fire pit. Tomorrow will be our last day in PA. I'm really excited to cross over into NJ!
Date: 2018-06-03
From: Route 206 Branchville

To: High Point shelter
Miles today: 16.0
Weather: broken clouds

I didn't sleep as well last night because of my restless feet and legs. I woke up at 5:30 and waited for Elliot so I knew I wouldn't be waking Jodi up. Elliot came in and said good morning and nosed my hand for more petting when I stopped. I dressed and brushed and made my way downstairs and out to Jodi's SUV where my gear was so I could pack my bag. Then I went inside and enjoyed scrambled eggs with sausage and coffee. Jodi and River dropped me off at the trail around 8:30 and I was off to meet with Thumper 3 miles in at Gren Anderson shelter. From there we'd hike out together. I had the first 3 miles to myself and it was a cool and pleasant morning. Not far in I saw a parking area and a port-a-potty. It was clean and I made use of it and continued on. When I reached the Gren Anderson shelter there was a group of 4 men at the picnic table and fire pit and Thumper nearby just finished up with her packing. I was starving so we sat at the picnic table and conversed with the guys while I made oatmeal and shared a banana Jodi gave me with Thumper. Thumper made us coffee and it was delicious! The guys had a small fire going in the fire ring and they were peeling the bark of sticks to use for walking. After a trip to the privy, which was a very nice one with a trash can and sanitizer we headed out. It was an easy morning and we stopped at Mashipincog shelter for lunch about 6 miles in. Lucero stopped by but didn't stay long. The shelter was right on the trail and very convenient. The privy was just as nice as the one at Gren Amdeey shelter. As for the trail today, several ups and downs with no big climbs but a ton of boardwalks and mud. I find the boardwalks sometimes challenging because they're 2 boards that are often uneven and sometimes missing sections due to rot and almost always slippery. Going around and thru extensive mud slipping often is tiring as well as the constant ups and downs. These sections are where new trail names such as Mud Butt are founded!The last 2 miles had me dragging and my feet were very sore. Today's target was 16 miles for me to High point shelter. On the last rocky climb Thumper encouraged me with the news that it was less than a mile away. I emerged at the top to find Thumper at a wooden 2 story observation tower in a clearing. We climbed to the top and took a seat on a bench for a few and enjoyed the view and the High Point Monument. When we arrived at the shelter we decided we'd sleep in it since rain was expected. We made dinner and talked with Tyler who was out testing gear for his SOBO start in 2 weeks, his dad Keith who was with him and Maple Tree who arrived a little later. It was 8:30 by the time we brushed and stored our food bags in the bear box. Not long after climbing into our beds the rain started. Good choice being in the shelter!
Date: 2018-06-11
From: Hemlock Springs campsite mile 1406

To: Dennytown Rd mile 1418.3
Miles today: 12.3

I slept well last night and woke up early with the birds but I'm still tired. I thought about stopping at the Graymoor Spiritual center for a shower but it's .4 each way and the shower is cold. I'm not feeling that desperate. It was a smooth gradual downhill from the campsite to the road and then I felt like the rest of the day was an uphill battle emotionally and physically. I have a hard time understanding why it's so much harder now to drag my butt and this pack thru NY and not be able to pull 15-18 miles a day. I'm working super hard and getting to camp late. I feel like I'm not getting anywhere and that I'm just working from sun up to sun down. I'm not practicing good self care. I haven't been getting yoga in. I'm rushing in camp to set up, eat and get to bed. I have no down time. I've been thinking and beating myself up all day not able to get my miles in. I feel like if I could do 18 a week ago I should be able to do that or better now, but I can't. I remember back in Delaware Water Gap at the bakery having coffee with Overdrive and Panther. I remember telling Overdrive I wanted to do 15 miles a day so I could walk into NH July 1. She looked at me and said not to get the miles in my head, because it's not what matters. So all day today while on this never ending climb I thought about those who quit because they are about the miles and end up hating the hike. I don't want to be that person. I can up with a new plan for me and at the end of the day on the last 2 miles I shared it with River. We hike our own hikes but we happen to jive well and are almost always on the same schedule. My plan is that I'm up at 6am and I get my morning yoga. I'm out of camp by 7:30-7:45. I break 45-60 minutes for lunch and take care of my feet massaging and rolling them. And between 4-5pm I find a campsite or a shelter and I stop hiking. It won't matter how many miles. I'm done"working" by 5pm so I can rest, make dinner, practice self care. I shared it with River and she asked if she could join my plan too. Because she's also drained. We fist bumped and pinkie swore. Tomorrow we start our new plan. When I started out today my plan was to hike 16 miles. We got into the campsite on Dennytown Rd ( a 12 mile day) just after 7pm. Once again the 3 boys were here as well as Beatnik and Thumper ( not my friend Thumper, a trail maintainer named Thumper). River and I set up camp in section 2 and had our own picnic table. It was a sweet spot. I already felt relief knowing my new plan is in place and I wouldn't feel this way again. We had dinner and the boys came over to share with us a technique to use and existing bear line to hang another. It was cool. We'll definitely put that to use! I brushed, hung my bear bag, used the nice clean port-a-potty and crawled into my tent with a smile knowing my new plan starts now. I massaged my feet and then rolled over for a good night of sleep.
Date: 2018-06-25
From: Jerusalem Rd mile 1540.1

To: Upper Goose Pond Cabin
Miles today: 8.0
Weather: light rain

After yesterday it was nice to be able to sleep in a little. River was kind enough to bring me coffee from the lobby and I had some oatmeal in the room, Bob's Red Mill which is my favorite, and I added a package of VT maple syrup to it. When I was packed up and ready I went to the lobby to wait with everyone for Debbie. I scored a banana and ate it right down so I could dispose of the peel and grabbed a hot cocoa package for later. When Debbie arrived we piled into her van and she brought us right back to Jerusalem Rd and the cow pasture. Today that calf was laying down like it's never been mischievous! We walked thru the cow pasture right along side the cows minding where we stepped of course. Today would be a short 8 miles to Upper Goose Pond Cabin. I'm looking forward to staying at the cabin and it's great we'll all get there early. We've made friends with Aligator and Eddyman and Goldilocks and we'll all be staying there. The cabin has bunks with mattresses, caretakers that cook pancakes in the morning and even a beach and canoes. Not your typical shelter! The property was gifted to the ATC in 1982 by a hunting club and is operated by the ATC and the state I believe. It's a special place. After the cow pasture we climbed Baldy Mt and the trail was decent after that. We passed knee deep pond which I didn't check for accuracy and eventually came out onto Goose Pond Rd. I was chatting with Highlander who is from Scotland and hiking a section headed south. I was letting her know about the bears at the next campsite. A pickup truck pulled up along side with 2 ridge runners. Perfect! I reported the incident with them and the man told me that the bear is in the area every year for the past 10 but has never been reported as having come into camp which is aggressive. He seemed to think she's desperate having 2 cubs to feed this year. Maybe so. He reported it to his superior and was going to check out the site, make sure there's no trash in the bear box and post the site. The rest of the group had made it to the road now and we sat in the sun and had lunch. I made mocha. Yum! After lunch we hiked the rest of the way to the pond including the.5 blue blaze trail. We received orientation from Debbie and her daughter Maarit. They've been volunteering a week a year since Maarit was 8. She's probably late 30's now. Apparently it's a coveted position to volunteer for one of the 25 weeks the shelter is open each year. We got bunks and enjoyed swimming and canoeing before dinner. River and I paddled out around a small island and back. The pond is beautiful! The cabin and tent sites all filled up with around 20 hikers. There's a nice wash station there for brushing your teeth and some other nice features. By 9pm we were all in bed with visions of pancakes and freshly brewed coffee dancing in our heads! A nice day and different from the normal grind of the trail. I hiked 8 miles but I feel well rested.
Date: 2018-06-26
From: Upper Goose Pond Cabin

To: Kay Woods shelter
Miles today: 17.6

A few more hikers showed up last night at the cabin and I was surprised to see The Lorax. I haven't seen him since near Unionville when he was still hiking in basketball sneakers. He took 10 days off and went home to surprise his brother for his high school graduation. His parents were surprised too. And while home a pair of size 18 Columbia hiking boots arrived. He did 21 miles in comfort yesterday, his 1st day back on trail. I won't see him again. He left just after 5am today and needs to get to Maine before school starts. Going for his PhD in chemical engineering. We're going to hike 17.6 miles today because the elevation is really flat and we can then summit Greylock on Thursday instead of Friday so we can be in VT Friday. We left just after breakfast which was served at 6:30. I had oatmeal and coffee but the caretakers made pancakes which were certainly a hit. As we'd hoped the terrain was awesome. No big climbs or descents. We stopped for lunch at a shelter and then at the "Cookie Lady's" house where Eddyman and Alligator had a supply box. We met Marilyn the cookie lady and she was so sweet. She came out to great us with a basket of homemade cookies. I bought a Klondike bar and lemonade and 2 hard boiled eggs. Everything was delicious. I filled up my water at the spigot she provides and met her very social cat Dolly. Before we left Showtime and Sour Patch arrived. They are hiking into Dalton today, a 20+ mile day. We just had a few miles left to Kay Woods shelter. We took a short break on the top of Warner Hill also, our only real view today. But we're happy to trade the views for the easy terrain today. We reached the shelter around 5:30. A few other hikers had steamed ahead of us and taken some of the tent spots and there were 2 hikers in the shelter. The shelter was tempting with the loft and 2 upper bunks open but I set up my tent in a somewhat sloping spot near the rest of our group. I just like the privacy of my tent. I walked down to the stream and got water for dinner and took a seat at the picnic table. Moose and Sweat Tea were there along with a couple of guys from the Trailer Park Boys and they made room for the 4 of us as we arrived. I was really hungry and it was difficult to wait for my dinner to fully hydrate so it was a little chewy. After dinner I returned to the stream for more water to wash up and fill my water bladder for tomorrow morning. I brushed and organized my food bag before putting it in the bear box. It's a bit cooler tonight and I'll sleep with my fleece on. It was a mellow day today and I'm tired from the miles.