morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2016-05-01
From: Waynesboro, VA

To: Blackrock Hut
Miles today: 20.7
Weather: light rain

Santa arranged the time with our trail angel to bring us back to Rockfish Gap, so we are leaving later than usual. We were able to sleep in, take showers, Santa returned the cargo van, we packed up and had academicians breakfast. Yellow Truck, the trail angel, overslept and had to get gas and pick up his breakfast and newspapers so we didn't get on the trail until about 9:30.It was pouring rain and we both thought about staying in town one more day but then decided that we just needed to toughen up and start walking. It poured while we were filling out the hiking permit then drizzled for a bit then stopped precipitating and the sun actually came out for a bit. We even had one view! Then we started hiking in the clouds. It was cool and misty; perfect hiking weather we just couldn't see any of the amazing views the Shenandoah's are known for.We are at Blackrock Hut with Babbitt. He used to be a bond trader at Morgan Stanley so he and Santa talked about the business for a bit. Six Legs, his girlfriend and his dog are tenting nearby. This is only the second day that this part of the trail has opened since the wildfire. We haven't seen any evidence of the fire yet- maybe tomorrow. There is a wayside 9 miles into our hike tomorrow. Hoping to get a blackberry milkshake and something for lunch. Going to take advantage of this park's amenities!Our trail angel, Yellow Truck, is a very southern gentleman. He refers to me as "little lady" and had definite opinions about desegregation. He has been giving people rides from the trail into Waynesboro for 14 years but has never stepped foot on the trail. When we stopped so he could get breakfast, he came out with a container of cut up fruit and a Mountain Dew- Santa's kind of man!
Date: 2016-05-02
From: Blackrock Hut

To: Hightop Hut
Miles today: 21.4
Weather: light rain

Got up early and headed out in cool humid air for our hike to the Loft Mountain Wayside for lunch. We got there at 10:30 but the awesome counter person made us lunch anyways- cheeseburger, fries and soda! But the bonus was the blackberry ice cream sundae. We hung out in the gift shop and bought Tyler and Nicolly t-shirts and they are shipping them to Westborough for us.The next part of our hike was hard. Not the terrain, that was definitely doable after 800 plus miles. But it was hot, humid and buggy and we both weren't feeling the hike today. We walked through some of the sections that were involved in the wildfire. They just opened up parts of the trail two days ago. We met three hikers from the Old Dominion hiking club out checking on the condition of trail. The trail itself is fine but both sides have heavily burned forest areas and it smells like smoke. When we aren't having a good day, Santa is stoic; I am teary. This is the first time that we both had the same bad day. But we made it to the hut. It sprinkled the last mile and it felt good but we could hear the thunder so we kicked it into high gear and hustled. We got to the hut just as it started to pour and the thunder got louder and closer and the lightning started to flash. We are safely tucked in our sleeping bags with one other thru hiker, Babbit, and six section hikers and one dog. We are hoping for better attitudes and happier hiking tomorrow.
Date: 2016-05-03
From: Hightop Hut

To: Rock Spring Hut
Miles today: 23.9
Weather: light rain

This morning was a little chaotic with section hikers, a dog and three thru hikers getting up and going. I helped the firefighter from NYC organize his pack then Santa and I headed out.We had a really wonderful hike this morning and then at mile 12 I noticed a campground that appeared to have a store. I mentioned that we might be able to get a soda and Santa was very interested in checking it out. We hit the jackpot and got sandwiches, Doritos, and sodas! Then we happily hiked on. About 15 miles into the hike it got dark and ominous. Then the thunder started. We were heading for a wayside but still had 5 miles to go- there was no way we were going to outrun this one. It started to rain, then hail, and it was thundering and lightning. We made the mistake of not putting on our rain jackets. They wouldn't have kept us dry in the deluge but they would have kept us warmer and protected us a bit from the hail. We were very thankful for relatively flat and non-rocky terrain because we moved quickly. Santa slipped and went down but got right back up and hiked on. I gave up trying to keep my feet dry and just waded through the river (I mean trail). As we got to the blue blaze for the wayside, the rain dwindled to a drizzle and the sun came out. We changed into our camp clothes and laid our wet stuff out on the picnic table. Then we went in to eat. We started with an order of cheese fries then we each had fried chicken, mashed potatoes, coleslaw and a biscuit. Santa had Mountain Dew and I had three hot chocolates and a water. Then Santa had peanut butter pie for dessert and I had blackberry cobbler with blackberry ice cream. That was the amazing news. The not amazing news was we had to put our still damp hiking clothes on and hike 4.4 more miles to our destination for the night. Wasn't sure all that food was a good idea! But we made it in record time (storm clouds moving in so we walked quickly).In for the night with a section hiker named Bob listening to the rain fall on the shelter roof. I just had to switch spots with Santa because a mouse ran across the shelter floor. I hope I can sleep tonight!!!Tomorrow we have 14 miles to town to pick up our resupply box and a box from a friend. Super excited to see what's in it. And there is another wayside before we get to town where we can have a second breakfast. The weather in the Shenandoah National Park hasn't been great but being able to stop in and eat has been fabulous!
Date: 2016-05-05
From: Luray, VA

To: Gravel Springs Hut
Miles today: 14.3
Weather: light rain

Great night's sleep and woke up to a hot shower and a tasty breakfast. Looked outside and (surprise) it's raining! Again!Jim, a trail angel, gave us and Dan, a section hiker, a ride back to the trail. The rain let up and it just drizzled on us. We both hiked in our rain jackets today because it's cold- low 50's.After 8.8 miles we stopped at our last wayside for lunch. And their milkshake machine is broken! I did not get a blackberry milkshake. Very disappointing. The only wayside that had milkshakes is The Meadows but that's where we got stuck in the hail and rainstorm and I wanted hot chocolate not a milkshake. We got sandwiches and I got soup while Santa indulged in fries and a hot pretzel. Very strange place- nowhere to sit except outside picnic tables and it was raining. The nice lady let us sit in the fireplace.Then we set out for the last 6 miles of a short day and it started to rain. So a wet last bit for the day.In to a shelter with 4 section hikers and 1 other thru hiker. There is 1 section hiker tenting because he's really unhappy with the rain and is in a bad mood. I get that but he gets to go home tomorrow so I don't know why he's complaining.
Date: 2016-05-06
From: Gravel Springs Hut

To: Fort Royal, VA
Miles today: 13.4
Weather: scattered clouds

Last night after we had all settled in to our sleeping bags in a full shelter, two groups of thru hikers came in. No room so they cooked and set up their tents. No one was too excited about the weather. One group of section hikers was cutting short their hike and another group was in discussion about shortening their hike.I had a great conversation about teaching kindergarten with a retired teacher. He likened it to putting ten puppies on a round table and being asked to keep them all safely on the table. Not how I would describe my job....Woke up this morning to wet cold clothes and a wet cold day. We had planned on hiking 18 miles to the Jim and Molly Denton shelter but as we went along in the 40 degree rainy windy weather, we decided to go into town after 14 miles and get dry. It means a longer day tomorrow or Sunday but we felt it was a good choice for us. As we came into town we noticed that other hikers were making the same choice.We had a great ride in from the Yellow Cab driven by Spike. He chatted with us about local areas and politics and was really informative.Got a hotel room and hot shower then off to eat- Spike wasn't available but the cab company gave us a ride to .....Pizza Hut. It seems to be our town favorite. When it was time to go back to the hotel, Spike gave us a ride.As usual I got a hot bath while Santa did laundry. A hiker friend is going to come into town tomorrow and we want to hang out with him but we need to hike out so we can meet Count and Lavender on Sunday and Kelly's fraternity brothers on Monday. We will zero in Harper's Ferry on Tuesday to celebrate our 30th anniversary.Hoping for non-rainy days in our future.
Date: 2016-05-07
From: Fort Royal, VA

To: Rod Hollow Shelter
Miles today: 23.6
Weather: light rain

Woke up this morning and heard birds loudly chirping. Not a good sign because the birds seem to be more loud when it's raining. And yes, it was raining.Off to breakfast and we ran into Dan, a section hiker, that we had met when we shared a shuttle out of Luray. He had decided to cut his section short and go home to Orlando. I think it might have rained on him for the three weeks he was out.We took the yellow cab back to the trail and started hiking. It only rained on us for about 45 minutes then it was my perfect hiking weather- cool and overcast. Today was a great day of hiking. The terrain was sweet and the weather cooperated. The only negative was how wet the trail was. We waded through streams, small ponds and very muddy trail.We stopped at the Molly and Jim Denton Shelter for a snack break (I ate the caprese salad that I had packed out) and to check out this very cool shelter. It had a covered picnic table for cooking and eating, a nice privy with toilet paper, a solar shower (we didn't use it) and a horseshoe pit. We met 6 guys out for a section hike and we leap-frogged with them all morning and part of the afternoon. Then off to the next shelter where we had lunch. Santa and I shared one of our dinners and the brownies that we packed out from town. We met a couple who met each other when he was thru hiking and she was section hiking. They are now engaged.Then off to the next shelter for an early dinner. We were warned that it wasn't a great shelter but it was a domed shelter and we wanted to see it. Because of all the rain, it was surrounded by water. There was water running under the picnic table, in front of the shelter and even under the privy. We ate a quick dinner and hiked on.The AT goes through the Sky Meadows State Park. We met a large group of day hikers who were there for an astronomy lecture. They were excited to see us and when we confirmed we were thru hikers they clapped so I bowed. They started giving us stuff out of their packs- we got an apple, an orange, two packs of snacks and they took our garbage. We stayed and chatted for a bit. Then we hiked on and met three young adults out for a hike. The young woman, Zoe, is interested in a thru hike. We chatted a bit about her pack and we are going to communicate via our blog about what I am carrying in my pack. Her pack is way too heavy.Then off we go again, wading through streams that used to be the trail. We finally reached our destination for the night and there are three section hikers in the shelter and two hikers tenting.We start the "roller coaster" tomorrow. A thirteen mile section of steep ups and downs. It's rumored to be rocky and rooty. We shall see if those rumors are true. Thankful for better weather and good company today.
Date: 2016-05-08
From: Rod Hollow Shelter

To: Blackburn AT Center
Miles today: 17.9
Weather: clear sky

Sheltered with section hikers last night. We apologized in advance for getting up early the next morning because we had miles to hike and wanted to see Lavender and Count as early as possible. After the section hikers were asleep and we were almost asleep, another hiker came in with his head lamp blazing. He sheltered in the "top bunk" of the shelter.We were not the first people up! One of the section hikers was up at 5:30. Not excited about waking up but it was good because we wanted to make big miles early. Not a lot of miles but 13 of them were the "roller coaster" type: a series of steep ups and downs with rocks, roots and lots of water thrown in for fun.The first part was easy but as the day went on they got harder.It was Mothers Day and sunny (!) so a lot of families were out hiking in parts of the trail. It was great to see people on the trail but it was hard to find the privacy to pee.We hiked to Bears Den Hostel to pick up our resupply box and get some soda and lunch to power the end of our day. We met a family hiking and they were excited to meet thru hikers. As teachers we are always happy to answer questions and share our experiences. We hope that someone in this family thru hikes one day.We had our usual pepperoni, cheese and crackers for lunch. And a quart size bag of brownies (thanks Kristin!) Yes, I ate 8 brownies on my own after lunch. The girls always send treats in our box and this time they included an amazing card and thoughtful notes. Happy tears moment for this mom! Today is always hard because I miss my mom so much. She was an incredibly strong, supportive and loving person. And I miss her every day.We hiked on and Lavender and Mark hiked up the trail to meet us. It's amazing to be hosted by former thru hikers. They had cold sodas and juice, fruit and brownies in the truck. Then we had showers and dinner (salad, carrots with butter, chicken, loaded baked potatoes, and a toffee cake with caramel sauce). Yum!The Lavender took me to Walgreens and then I had my first Epsom Salts bath. Helped some soreness go away Great night's sleep in a comfy, clean and warm bed after lots of trail talk. It was a perfect night.We hosted Lavender and Count at our house in NH when they thru hiked last year. Lavender got her name because she was promised a lavender Epsom salt bath and talked about it quite a bit. It didn't actually happen, but she got a trail name. Count would count as he climbed difficult mountains to distract himself. So, the name Count fit him. They are back in the US after a long career in England. Count would like to hike the PCT but Lavender doesn't seem as excited. It will be interesting to hear how that all plays out. Great food, awesome bed and fabulous company- perfect night.
Date: 2016-05-09
From: Blackburn AT Center

To: Harpers Ferry, WV
Miles today: 12.5
Weather: overcast clouds

It's always hard to leave town but Lavender and Count made it easy to get up and get moving because we could smell breakfast cooking! Blueberry muffins, English muffins, scrambled eggs, bacon and juice- life is good. They fed us and took us back to the trail for an easy walk to town. We were excited because Santa's fraternity brothers were going to meet us for dinner. I really wanted to get a shower before we saw them so we were quick this morning. Nice walk into Harper's Ferry and we went to the ATC to get our pictures taken. We were hikers 127 and 128 to register. We saw Cabot and Hobbes there and Quick. Then Brightside came in with his wife so we got to meet her. They told us about the B&B they were staying at and we quickly got ourselves a room there also. Karen loaned me shampoo, conditioner and a blow dryer so I could look presentable. We contacted Santa's friends, Frank and Lance, and they came to get us and we walked around historic Harpers Ferry. I was really glad that Lance's wife came. It was awesome to chat with a female over the age of 24. And she likes funnel cake! The funnel cake place was closed but we were able to find funnel cake fries- very delicious.It was hard to find a place for dinner. A lot of places were closed. We ended up at a somewhat snooty place but everyone enjoyed the company and the food. Mark, another fraternity brother, came by with his daughter on their way from college to home. It was a wonderful evening and Santa was so happy to see these guys. I am amazed that they came so far to see us. Especially Frank- he drove from Mass to WV to see us. He's also one of our most faithful blog followers.Back to the B&B and a very restful nights sleep. We are taking a zero tomorrow to celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary. Life is good!
Date: 2016-05-10
From: Harpers Ferry, WV

To: Harpers Ferry, WV
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

It's our 30th wedding anniversary!We need to move because the B&B we are staying at had already rented the room we are in for today. But I am okay with that- there isn't a tub.We pack up and leave our stuff with Brightside and Little Tree, his wife. Then they drive us to the outfitter to look for new shoes. No luck so they drive us to another place where we both found new shoes. Then they took us to lunch for our anniversary. Really nice couple! We ride back to Harpers Ferry and got our stuff and checked into our hotel. Then Brightside came back to get us and took us to the spa. Our gift to each other was a couple's massage. I hurt my back/leg climbing into Front Royal and we are both hoping the massage will speed the healing.We had an amazing massage experience and felt so relaxed and sleepy. But we were meeting Brightside, Little Tree and Ghost for dinner. We found a friendly Italian place and had good food and great conversation.Then back to our room. It's Tuesday so Fixer Upper was on- my favorite show. Santa texted with his sister Colleen who is coming to meet us on Thursday. We are having so much company and getting to sleep inside out of the rain! Definitely getting spoiled.It's been amazing being married to this man for 30 years. He's not perfect but he's perfect for me. We hope to have at least another 30 years together.
Date: 2016-05-11
From: Harpers Ferry, WV

To: Pine Knob Shelter
Miles today: 22.9
Weather: moderate rain

Always hard to leave town especially when it's really cloudy. We have been walking in this cloud forever.As we walk we say "at least it's not raining." Then it starts to drizzle and we say, "at least it's not raining raining." Then it really starts to rain and we say, "at least it's not cold." Then the wind picks up and we say, "at least the terrain is good." And because not everything can go wrong, we walk in a nice part of trail. It was really interesting because this is part of the Civil War Trail. I was disappointed that the museum wasn't open on Wednesdays, but Santa was happy because this was a big mileage day for us.We got into the shelter and there was a couple with their dog and another couple. Their friend was hammocking because he was accused of snoring so loudly that he shook the other shelter last night. So he very politely slept elsewhere even though it was raining.It's always fun to meet new people and have a chat but we miss our trail family-wish everyone wasn't so spread out.For some reason our dinner didn't rehydrate completely and it was crunchy. Our first dinner failure! So Santa ate trail mix and I ate snacks for dinner.Off to sleep because we want to get up early and do 17 miles to Pen Mar Park where Santa's sister, Colleen was going to meet us for a visit.
Date: 2016-05-12
From: Pine Knob Shelter

To: Pen Mar County Park
Miles today: 17.7
Weather: clear sky

Up and out early this morning so we can get the miles in to see Colleen.We started off in our usual cloud and the forecast was for rain. But we are sleeping in town so even if it pours all day we will be able to get warm and dry.We stopped at the first shelter for a snack and privy break. Met two section hikers that hurriedly stowed their bong. One of the hikers had a pack almost as big as I am- he was planning on sending his saw, hatchet and tourniquet home when he got to Harpers Ferry.We passed Annapolis Ricks but didn't blue blaze to the lookout because we are still in the cloud.As we walked along, the sun came out! We actually got a little warm! And I took some pictures to prove the sun does shine on the Appalachian Trail.We have been walking on the nicest trail since Harpers Ferry- it's pretty tame in elevation loss and gain and not too rocky and rooty. It's really wet from all the rain but still nice. Until late afternoon. Two section hikers warned us but we weren't prepared. It was a steep rocky down and really wet from all the rain. Not anything we haven't seen before but still annoying, especially since we wanted to finish for the day and meet Colleen.We finally got to the park and see Colleen walking towards us and SURPRISE our niece Elizabeth was here too with her friend. And they actually hugged the stinky hikers.Colleen drove us to our hotel, we had dinner, she did our laundry while we went to Walmart then the three of us hung out in the hot tub. Amazing day!Our girls sent our resupply box and they included a surprise. Since they knew we couldn't get each other gifts or cards for our anniversary, they bought a card for Santa from me and a card for me from Santa and included a ring for each of us to wear. They are thoughtful and funny!Busy town afternoon but we are well fed, clean and ready for sleep.
Date: 2016-05-13
From: Pen Mar County Park

To: Quarry Gap Shelter
Miles today: 20.8
Weather: overcast clouds

After our evening of being spoiled by Colleen, we had a great night's sleep and got up early, ready to eat breakfast and get on our way. Colleen hiked part of the trail with us and took pictures as we crossed the Mason-Dixon Line but had to turn back to go help her daughter move out of her dorm room. And off we went.There were a lot of shelters today. The first one was 5 miles in and we stopped for a snack and privy break. The next one was 2.4 and then 1.2 and someone left Kit-Kats under a tree for hikers . We stopped at the third for lunch and met a south bounder that was having a bad day. We gave her a liter of water because there was no water source at the shelter.We were excited to get to Caledonia State Park because Lavender and Count texted us that they left us some trail magic. Yum! It helped power us up a steep climb to the shelter we were staying at for the night.It's a beautiful shelter area. Two small 4 person shelters with a covered cooking pavilion in between, another covered cooking area, flower pots hanging from the shelters, a park bench near the spring and a group tenting area.There is a large group of section hikers here and they are friendly and fun. They also started a fire which is nice because it's chilly tonight.We called to make a reservation at the hostel we were planning on staying at tomorrow and found out they are closed- there's a wedding there. But we made arrangements to get our mail drops.Thunderstorms forecasted for tomorrow so it could be an interesting day!