morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2010-04-20
From: Spring Mtn. Shelter

To: Jerry's Cabin Shelter
Miles today: 15.4
Weather: overcast clouds

I wasn't entirely sure that I was at Spring Mtn. Shelter. It was dark so I could have been at a different one. I wasn't sure who were in the shelter or how they'd feel about me showing up so late and possibly waking them up in the middle of the night. I didn't want them to be angry at me. Turns out it was 6 Course, Ratman, Tumbler, Sid and Trooper! I knew them all. They weren't alarmed and they were forgiving of my trespass against the hiker code of quiet after dark. I apologized and explained the fugitive thing back at Hot Springs.Atlas, Snickers, Thunder, and Fun Dip were there. I was glad to see McKinley running around in the morning. Fun Dip didn't know I'd made it to the shelter so he left without me. I didn't see him until Laurel Shelter. I hiked with Snickers, Atlas and Thunder for a while. I've tried to break the habit of staying with one hiking partner. Friendships and hiking partners are good but it's really better to hike alone sometimes. To have your own quiet thoughts. Feelings and thoughts are different when you're alone. Besides, I'm not on any schedule that says, I have to be finished by ___ date.Atlas fell off a huge blow down. We all clapped and laughed. Then Snickers and Thunder both fell. The pressure was on. They turned around to see how I was going to do it. I wrapped my arm around the tree and swung underneath it like butter. My backpack's small so I whizzed on by it. They were impressed. I guess they're easily...impressed. That's why they call me the "Mad Scientist!"Started raining just as I caught up with 6 Course. We talked about Old Crow Medicine Show and The Dead Weather. He saw Jack White in DC. 6 Course is a slower hiker. He's quick and goes long distances, just takes his time.Had lunch at Little Laurel shelter with Ratman, Tumbler, Sid, 6 Course, Super Max, Wizard, Redhawk, and G-Hippy. I left and it started raining. Got pretty cold. I had eaten a Peanut Butter Powerbar sent from my sweety Lish! Ummmm. Right on time! The hike went across and awesome exposed ridgeline. Hard in this rain and slippery conditions. McKinley had difficulty navigating the bolders. We had to carry her at one point. Nice section to Big Firescald knob. The exposed ridgeline has some really big views, but it was covered with clouds today. Anxious to get to the shelter at Jerrys Cabin. Tired! Shinsplint pain today in my left leg. Pinkey toe is feeling better. Luna and Tick are there already with Tequilla Jack and Hillbilly. They already had a fire going in the fireplace. Wow! Talk about timing on that fire! Great feeling coming into a warm shelter with the smell of campfire buring in the cold wet air! I dried off and climed into a spot. Lots of people drying out and cooking under the shelter before bed. Had a tangerine from a section hiker! Ummummm UMM! Ranch dip and French fries shared by Boss! Thanks! I couldn't finish my dinner. Even though I still felt hungry.
Date: 2010-04-25
From: Uncle Johnnys hostel

To: Apple Orchard
Miles today: 22.9

Spring Kat woke me up stirring around. Got packed and talked to Confucius and Minnie. They're slack-packing today. Dry Clean is also. The lady who works here was looking for him. She was calling out, "Where's...Drag Queen?" Everyone died laughing! She meant to say, "Where's Dry Clean?" She gave him a pink little girls backpack to carry! Haha!Spring Kat and me left and said goodbye to Uncle Johnny and the Nolichucky¢s! Hiking was a breeze on a full stomach! We took a break at "Beauty Spot" and saw Grapevine going south. Pretty decent view here. Got water and noticed the baby crickets at the vehicle entrance gate there. Every step caused them to jump. They could feel the thump of our boots and they'd leap in the air. It sounded like rain falling on the leaves. There were a billion of them. Tiny little buggers.Unaka Mtn. was covered in Red Spruce! Someone said, "I kept expecting a knight to come riding out of the forest and throw a spear at me!" Very cool and dark. The ground was spongy and soft with needles.Ate dinner early and got water at Cherry Gap Shelter in anticipation of camping in a field somewhere. Needed to have water for breakfast and knew the water supplies were limited. Loved my country gravy, summer sausage, cheese stick and potatoes!! Met Tomato from Charlotte, NC. Hoped there'd still be trail magic at Iron Mtn. Gap. Knew there wouldn't be any left. Sure enough, no magic! Only two gallons of fresh water!Weird seeing this street where me and Lish first began our section hike in August of 2009. Came all the way here from GA this time! Excited to test my trail legs against my speed back then. It's been fun telling people about what to look forward to in the upcoming section. It's going to be wonderful! So pretty out here!Got to the Apple Orchard and Daytripper yelled out "MAD SCIENTIST!!!" I couldn't believe it was him! I thought I'd never see him again. So good to see him back on the trail. He's such a character! He's always positive and happy. Stretcher, Brooklyn, Thunder, Spring Kat, and Daytripper hanging out here for the oncoming storm. Daytripper has new boots and he's trying the "No-cook" method. I'm tenting out in the rain in my tarp-tent for the first time. Hope my bag doesn't get wet!
Date: 2010-04-27
From: Overmountain Shelter

To: Mountaineer Shelter
Miles today: 18.0
Weather: light rain

30 people in Overmountain shelter last night. Capacity of 20. Ha! I love my sleeping bag! Boss slept by the blue tarp and got wet. Glad it held up, the wind was blowing directly into the shelter right there. Hot water for breakfast! Shared with Dry Clean because he was shivering. Tried pulling Whippersnappers sleeping bag over because I couldn't find my pillow. Very hazy, really, really cold this morning. The shelter looked like a fall out bunker. Like an infirmary. So many people. No views unfortunately. Spring Kat left and I didn't see him again. Think he was low on food and stopped at Mountain Harbor B&B.Strange hiking up the balds today. Ghostly fog made the horizon look like the end of the globe. Like the end of my field of view was were the land fell off into oblivion. Felt like pinching myself because it felt like a dream being here. I kept expecting to see Lish's green bandanna waving in the wind. It's amazing how far I've come since last August. Definitely see things differently now. I was most concerned then with whether I had the guts to quit my job and go for this journey. Now it's just the feeling of relief! No worries. Not afraid any more. I feel at peace and calm. Lish and I joked then about "Don't Taunt the Mountain!" Just when you think you've got it figured out, it throws another curve-ball. This isn't an ego trip. I'm here to work with nature. Not Brian Vs. the AT. That's how it felt back in August. There were so many frightening unexplainable obstacles then. The thorns, the heat, the climbs, getting lost, and the wasps! I saw the ghost of the "Wilson" character I drew on a white blaze last year by Apple House Shelter. That really made me reminisce about how far I've come. I feel proud, but I still feel very unsure of myself just like I did then. Now the Boogieman isn't as terrifying. I'm unafraid to look him in the eye. I'm glad that I was here and learned early on that if you're going to finish, you're going to have to look those ghosts straight in the face and not be afraid. Today I wondered how I'd feel after this is over. I already see the ghost of Brian Williams left here in the pieces I left behind. The memory of Brian. I can't wait to know how if feels to see the apparition of Skippy, the Thru-Hiker!
Date: 2010-04-28
From: Mountaineer

To: Dennis Cove Rd
Miles today: 15.6

So cold leaving Mountaineer Shelter this morning! Had to run to stay warm. Made it to the shelter just in time for the rain to start last night. I had dinner and was in my sleeping bag just as the hail started falling! I prayed for the safety of my Roan Mtn. camping friends. While in my sleeping bag, I rested my head on the wooden studs holding the shelter up. I couldn't have been happier with a feather pillow under my head. So comfortable with so little now. Caught Spirit Walker just before the bench memorial. His son is a former Thru-hiker and they're trying to hike together this year. Looking South we could see that Roan Mtn. was completely covered in snow! I'm thankful it let me pass without the harshness of a winter storm!Stopped for lunch at Moreland Gap Shelter. I couldn't quite remember how it looked so it was a surprise when I saw it. We'd stopped here last year for lunch and water. It's so COLD! Windy! It cuts straight through my thrift-store fleece jacket and thermals! Knelt behind the shelter, out of the wind, and ate the extra dinner with potatoes, gravy and bacon! I'm carrying the "ready to eat" bacon strips. Frito taught me that trick back at Blue Mtn. Shelter. I finished off the rest of my alcohol gas by heating water. Warm water is awesome on a cold day!So excited to see the moss covered rocks as I got closer to Dennis Cove Rd! I remember last year Lish and I sung, "Build me up...Buttercup...just to let me down!" as the rain poured on top of us. It felt great back then. It was horribly hot! I was thinking about how Lish is so good at singing harmony and she was doing the recall/answer part of the song in a different pitch. She's so talented! There was an eagle screeching above me. I couldn't find it in the sky!?I decided to do some trail magic in honor of our 400th mile on the trail! I will cook hot dogs at Kincora tomorrow for everyone! When I got to the hostel, Bob Peoples (nicest human in the whole world) was leaving for a lunch shuttle run. Spring Kat was there already! He was in the shower, he shouted "HEY SKIPPY!" and it took me a second to figure out where it came from! So glad that he made it here! I thought he was behind me. For an older man he's fast as lightening. I bought 99 cent hot dogs! 120 of them! To celebrate our incredible accomplishment!I met Sparky, Yule, Buzz, Funk, Ponytail Dave. I didn't sleep an hour the entire night here. Full moon by the window and the loudest snorer so far! Louder than the Professor. I think it was Spirit Walker or Dave. At some point someone woke up in the middle of the night and pissed in a bottle. Gesh, come on! The bathroom was 10 feet away! I had horrible indigestion from the shrimp alfredo from the Mayflower! Did I mention how awesome Bob Peoples is?!
Date: 2010-05-03
From: Damascus

To: Damascus
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Couldn¢t sleep inside the hostel because it was so hot. Slept outside under the giant oak tree in the grass. Watched the stars in the wet lawn until I fell asleep. Rain began to fall and I moved onto the front porch. Slept there until the rain was blown in by the wind. Blowing sideways! Moved to the bunkroom and slept without my sleeping bag. Woke up with intentions of going to Mojo¢s for coffee and to use the computer. Updated my written journal because I¢d gotten behind. Dry Clean came in and ordered Blueberry pancakes. I knew I¢d be unable to resist it eventually and I¢d have to get my own! We talked and he seemed torn about leaving the trail. He¢s going to Vietnam (his homeland) on a family vacation. He plans to go to Maine and go south bound when he returns. Hopefully we¢ll see him again one day! If we do, we¢ll definitely hear about him from the South-bounders. He¢s a character that¢s hard not to notice.Went to the library because Mojo¢s computer wasn¢t working. Saw 6 Course. Listened to music while updating my journal and pictures! Man, I miss music! So awesome listening to the radio! Wanted to go to the grocery store to get some ¢real¢ food, not the fake crap made out of high fructose corn syrup. Tried using my phone card but it expired 90 days after my first use. What a crock! Started walking to Food City with Seeker. She¢s limping pretty badly. We call it, the ¢Hiker Shuffle¢. I said, ¢You know, you are a woman and you¢ll get a ride if you stick out your thumb.¢ Before she could fully extend her thumb from her fist¢¦she had a ride. Ridiculous! The lady who gave us a ride owns the Dancing Bear Hostel. I bought enough food at the store to make a huge salad. Bought a whole bag of oranges. Apples! Mushrooms! The Dancing Bear owner offered to wait and drive us back to the center of town! Wow, what a nice lady! Ice joined in the ride also. She dropped us off right between where we needed to go. Straightened out my supplies and made a HUGE salad! Bought milk for my powdered ranch dressing mix, but I drank it all before I could finish making the salad. Had to go to the gas station for more! Haha. Got back to the hostel and realized that it requires Mayo. Foiled again! I used the Ranch dressing from the hiker box instead. The locals came by and joked about the size of the pot that I was using for the salad. It probably could hold 2 gallons of water. Anyways, I told them, ¢You should see my winter pot!¢There¢s a guy staying here at ¢The Place¢ who is running across the U.S.! His name is, ¢Beernut¢. He started in Virginia Beach and is stopping in Oregon. He runs/walks 28 miles/day.We¢re meeting up tonight at Quincey¢s to say goodbye to Dry Clean!
Date: 2010-05-04
From: Damascus

To: Lost Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 15.8
Weather: clear sky

Slept under the stars again. Moved to the porch and saw two guys who were upset. Couldn't make out who they were. It looked like Double Dribble and his brother. One was crying. Flapping his arms around and holding his head. Moved into the bunkhouse again as it got colder. Slept okay. Woke to the sound of water trickling onto the floor! Looked up and the shadow of someone peeing at the corner of my bunk bed startled me! Some of the urine was getting on the top of my bunk so I said, "Hey, What the heck are you doing?" No answer. I couldn't tell who it was because it was bitch black in the room. I started moving my stuff and said, "You know, you're going to have to clean this!" Again, no answer or response. I go to move my oatmeal that I'd laid out the night before. It's soggy! RAWR!!! Gerrrrr! I guess now I can say someone has actually pissed in my cereal! This guys bladder must be gigantic because it goes on forever. I moved all my stuff to the living room and slept on the couch. When I lay down, the shadow of the "Cereal Pisser" passes me by and goes out the front door with a slam! Pow! Everyone stops snoring. I giggle a little and fall asleep pretty soon.I wake to the lights coming on in the living room. It's Studmuffin. He's not wearing any pants. He asks, "Where the hell are my pants, and why was I asleep 2 miles down the road, in the back of an abandoned truck?""You got me", I said. But now I know who pissed on my oatmeal!Packed up and got a biscuit from the gas station. Called Dad on the free long distance telephone that Larry provides to hikers. Free of charge! Wow!Drank some coffee and talked with Gumby, Lonewolf, Pirate and Yahtzee while updating my journal a little more. I could feel the day passing by. Getting hotter and hotter outside! Late start today. Hot hiking in the midday sun. Passed Licious. Stopped at the Sanders Shelter for a break. Conan, Backwards, Thunder, Daytripper, and Alkaline (worked for a battery company) are here. Wondered about not carrying a sleeping bag for the summer? Feeling like I have a sinus problem. Runny nose and lethargic. Backwards and Conan are sick also.Daytripper got into the river by the Creeper Trail. I'd like come back and do the downhill bike trail. That looks like FUN! I was worn out and feeling crappy by the time I got to the shelter today. The heat drained my energy. My sinus problem getting worse. Hard blowing your nose with a beard. Nasty! Feeling under the weather for sure. 6 toes (huge bunion), Conan, Backwards, Jerry from Kentucky, Daytripper, Thunder, Alkaline, and Licious here. Au ju sauce with potatoes, beef sausage, parmesan couscous! Mmmmm!Daytripper told us that Pirate was sitting outside of the outfitters in town calling hikers, "Gold Freezers". Pirate said, "You nuts pay a lot of money to freeze your tails off!" Pirate is entering the Trail Days hiker talent contest. His talent, "Jumping on a trampoline, with goats, while holla-hooping"!
Date: 2010-05-13
From: Pearisburg

To: Damascus
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

So this is Lish, updating our time at TRAIL DAYS! Who ho! I'll start with my trip over. I got out of work as soon as I could and got on the road. Stopped at an Outback to pick up one of Skippy's favorite treats, the kookaburra wings. Also had their seared Ahi tuna appetizer. It was really good! This is not an ad, I promise. But I've been looking forward to getting some great treats for Skippy for a while. So then on with the rest of the drive. Reached Pearisburg really suddenly, just went down a hill and there it was. Saw the motor lodge where Skippy stayed the first night and I got really excited. Then I saw the Dairy Queen where I was going to meet him! Yea! I was so happy! I got out and stood there for a second, not sure where to look first. I peered in the windows and didn't see him, then heard some whistling, and looked back, and there was a hiker, shadowed in the dark of the dusk, walking up. It was Skippy! Yea! I ran over to him, trying not to get hit by cars. It was so good to see him! His eyes were really bright and excited. He seemed so relaxed and happy and healthy! Looked great! And his beard is big and fluffy, we figure about 1" long by now, maybe more! It was amazing to see him again, I couldn't stand it! We walked over to the truck and see Uncle Doyle and Wizard coming out with some ice cream. It was great to meet some of the fellow hikers I've read so much about! Uncle Doyle, a big fluffy black dog, was having lameness problems, so they were taking a day off to rest. Wizard seems like a great guy! All the hikers I meet are so great and friendly! Took us a little while to find the way out of town. Back where I came from. But I got to see where Skippy had hiked in, and see some familiar sites for him. I hardly notice the drive down to Damascus, it's so great to talk to Skippy and catch up with him. Stare at his beard! We talked about places he'd been as we passed them by. Heard about the Exxon Lady. I told him how things have been going in Durham. Adventures with the house. We get to Damascus about 11 or 12. Hard to tell where to go, where people are. There's a main parking area for $20. We bypass that deal and find a spot for free. Both pretty tired, so we wander around "Tent City" looking for a spot to put the tent. My big yellow Eureka, the Sun Dome. See lots of folks here already, sitting by fires and laughing, talking, yelling, howling, yelping. Everyone having a great time and happy to be outside and with great people. We find a spot for the tent, a little ways away from the 2 drum circles going on. But we see some poison ivy, so we move the tent over a little to where we see a little more poison ivy. But we give up at this point and stay there. We huddle in the sun dome, listening to sounds of the drums, the howls, the port-o-john doors and all the comments from their users (Many many users). It's great to hear so much happiness, and we have no trouble falling asleep.
Date: 2010-05-20
From: Laurel Creek Shelter

To: Trout Creek Campsite
Miles today: 21.7

Learning the proper technique for sleeping in a fleece sleeping bag liner. Freezing cold without wearing a jacket. Curling up into a ball like the fetal position, then pull the 5 1/2 ft. long blanket and stretch to 6 ft. and quick-tie the draw chord. Voila'! Warm! Staying in there was hard. I'm claustrophobic. Slept better after covering up. Knee feeling better already! Can already tell a difference in my attitude and spirit. Maybe it's the sunlight, haven't seen it in a while. First time I got vitamin D in 2 1/5 days. Talked with Daily Dozen about hiking speed. He thinks he'll pass everyone again by simply doing 12 miles every day. Doubt it. Smelled bull crap and I knew there would be a pasture near by. Keffer Oak was nice. I took an awesome picture All Good and Turtle. They were hugging it and I knelt down and got the whole tree in the shot at an angle. I disappointed Tomato, Cricket, and Michigan because I told them "I've seen bigger wood." The oaks in Washington, DC are twice this size. Saw a powerline off in the distance on the highest mountain in the horizon. Knew we'd be paying a visit soon. Sure enough! Climbed right to it. Awesome views on a sharp ridgeline the whole way. 45 degree angled rock with a long fall if you slipped. Glad it ain't raining today! The mountains here look like something a kid would make with play-dough. The ridges running down the mountainsides look like they were made with giant fingers. Met several Southbound Flip-Floppers. Passed by Sarvers Shelter because it's .5 miles off the trail. Passed Boo-Boo sitting on a rock talking on his phone. Niday Shelter with Mike, Laura and Cowboy. Cowboy told stories about how treacherous Katahdin is. He said to sign up the day before you summit so you can start early. He believes mountain storms start around 12 pm. Drank lots of water today to prepare for the climb to come. 2 1/2 miles with 3,000 ft elevation change. Pushed to see if my knee was back to normal. Felt great. Stopped at the bench at the Old Road for a break. Wrung out my soaking wet shirt and collapsed on the bench. Changed shirts while hanging out with Marty McFly and Jibbits. leaving was hard because it was so hot. The shade was nice at the next stop! Jibbits caught me as I was eating wintergreen. She thinks she had food poisoning from eating a berry. She wasn't willing to try the winter green. Nice long, slow, steady decline into camp. Threw down my pack. Took off my boots, then waddled to the river. Smiled with a joyful heart as the warm sun shone through the branches of a pine tree. Glinting bug wings soared in the beams of light beside a dead tree barely standing up against gravity. My feet felt cool and clean! I grinned as the pain and heat of the day washed off my grimy toes and down the river. Got that picture of the butterfly with the orange circle on its wings! Lots of people saw snakes today. Glad I trod right over them.