morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2018-05-18
From: Dickey's Gap

To: Damascus Virginia
Miles today: 0.0

I slept pretty well last night in a real bed. I woke up around 8:30. Everyone was up already. Dakota and Poncho were already making a breakfast of sausage, bacon, eggs, biscuits, banana bread muffins, pancakes, and coffee. Poncho loves cooking and baking. The banana bread muffins were amazing. We all sat down at the table like a real family and enjoyed our breakfast. It was so good! We lounged around the house into until 11:30 then headed into town.Surprisingly it wasn't too crowded in town. I thought 20,000 people coming in would be a lot. The crew stopped at the thrift store to pickup clothes for the hiker parade tomorrow. The idea is to pick the most ridiculous outfit to wear. I found a romper that was a little too small but it will do for the parade! Poncho and Bandito found some early 90s clothes. White washed jeans and short shirts. I headed over to the post office to send my winter gear home. I'll be getting it back before the whites.  We walked over the the vendor area. There were vendors for all major hiking brands. Big Agnes, Hyperlight, Gossomer Gear, Z packs, and all companies in between. They all had free give aways at certain times. The raffles included expensive backpacks and tents. They were really crowded and it was hard to win anything with so many people. It seemed that waiting for the raffles you missed out on other events going on. We walked the whole way to tent city. I only saw the entrance but apparently it went deep into the woods. Since it had been raining it was all muddy. Apparently there was a huge party in tent city last night with drum circles, fires, and tramilies coming together. I was still happy with sleeping in a real bed to let my body rest.I saw hikers that I hadn't seen in weeks. I met up with Strider, Rayrock, Fuiji Pump, FiveO, Reggie, and Sparrow.  Some were behind us some were ahead of us.  We hung out in town until about 8 pm then headed back to our Airbnb. We ate a large dinner of salad, white chicken chili, and grilled steak. With our bellies stuffed we sat down and watched Fellowship of the Ring until 1 am. Bandito, Chuckles, and I made it to the end of the movie. Everyone else fell asleep early on.  Tonight is another night in a cozy warm clean bed. Yay.
Date: 2018-05-22
From: Davis Hallow Campsite

To: Lynn Camp Mountain
Miles today: 15.1

Last night I didn't hear anymore sounds from the field. It was really quiet sleeping by myself and I didn't have to deal with people snoring. I ate a poptart for breakfast and watched as hikers climbed over the barbed wire fence. Most of them struggled to get over it since it was an angled ladder over the barbed wire. I talked to a few as they hiked by.I packed up my stuff and headed out. My ankle had been killing me this morning. After walking for a little bit though the pain subsided into a dull ache. The trail was still mud but more manageable than yesterday. I met Bombadil and After party. They had been hiking huge days and had started mid April. We arrived at the quarter way mark on the trail.  We still have over 1500 miles to go.  I believe the next few months will be our fast months though. We pushed on another 3.3 miles to the quarter way inn. We came to a large field then a road. The quarter way in was only .3 miles away. It was a hostel you could easily get stuck at. They had resupply items and food to buy.  I got a frozen protein pack, chocolate milk, and a fudge sickle.  We lazily hung around for awhile. I washed my really smelly socks in the sink. They were awful from the last day of rain. Eventually I moved on and escaped the cozy clutches of the quarter way inn.  It was just another 4 miles to the next shelter. My legs started chaffing from all the humidity. I applied some more body powder and headed on. The shelter and camping spots were full again. I hung out for 15 min for a snack then headed down the trail to find a stealth site. I called Theresa again to make any last minute requests before she flies to Charlotte tomorrow. I also texted Scissors and Kamikaze and found out that I'm only 8 miles behind them! They were also with Booger Bear, Spineli, and Wizard! I might see them all tomorrow! If they don't do a 22 mile day.I found a site that was about 2 miles from the shelter. It was on the ridgeline and had a view of the sunset. I ate a dinner of rice and chili. It took me awhile to find a suitable bear hang tree. I pulled a few branches off trees with my line. Eventually I found one.  Tonight it's quiet with only the day's rain dripping from the leaves above me.
Date: 2018-06-01
From: Bailey Gap Shelter

To: Pasture campsite
Miles today: 17.9

Last night my feet kept hitting the bottom of the tent because I was on a slant. It was hard to fall asleep since my body kept sliding. I got up around 7:30 am and packed up. I made oatmeal and drank instant coffee for breakfast. Kamikaze hadn't got up yet she rolled out of her tent around 8:30 am. She said she was having a rough day with grief and didn't want to get out of her tent. I understood what she was going through as an outsider to grief and decided to hang out at the shelter until she was ready to hike. We rolled out around 9:30.  The first part of the day was a small climb from the shelter to flat part of the trail. After 4 miles we came to wind rock where the rest of the crew camped the night before. The tent pads were much nicer than the last shelter but we didn't want to setup in the dark the night before. We pushed on to War Spur shelter and ate lunch. I had wrap of summer sausage, cheddar cheese, and peanut butter. My body has been craving more calories as I do larger miles each day. I also ate a few Receeses pieces. Kazi ate in the grass because of all the flies at the picnic table. The bugs have been getting worse as the weather warms up. I have my bug net ready in case there is a day with several black flies in my face. We pushed onto the next shelter for the next break. My right ankle hasn't been doing too well in the chacos. I'm going to try a different pair in Daleville but will have my boots sent back as backup. The chacos really help in Virginia because it has been raining everyday for the last two weeks. My feet dry out faster than if they were in shoes. However if my ankle goes then I'll need to stop hiking the AT.  We stopped at the next shelter and took a break and planned on stopping short of Sarver Hallow shelter because it would be dark before we got there. Kazi found a campsite about 3 miles away that didn't have any water. We loaded up on 3 liters of water each. About 1.5 miles in we came to a large pasture will tall grass. Kazi was in front. After about a quarter mile she checked her legs and found 4 ticks crawling up. I didn't find any on my legs. I think she got all of them because she was in front. Luckily Theo takes medicine for ticks and they die when they bite him. After the pasture we arrived at the campsite. It had one large flat pad for both of our tents. I setup my tent then built a fire to keep all the mosquitos away. The wood in the area was pretty dry and burned well. I made a dinner of dehydrated enchiladas with rice. It made a lot of food but I had already been eating more. After eating I let Theo clean the pot. He cleaned it out really well. Night fell and the lightning bugs came out. The entire pasture was lit up with little twinkles in the distance. They never twinkled in unison but in a more spattered way.  Tonight I'm thankful for flat ground.
Date: 2018-06-02
From: Pasture campsite

To: Ned's farmhouse
Miles today: 18.0

This morning it started raining at 6 am. It was a downpour. I forgot to put leaves near my fly to stop the mud splash back. By 8 am mud covered my fly and the side of my tent. We woke up and I ate smores poptarts for breakfast. Theo got pretty muddy from the campsite but that was normal.We hiked about a half mile and came to the largest oak tree on the Appalachian trail.  It was 18 feet around and had massive branches. I looked like a toothpick next to its trunk. There was another climb to a ridgeline with slated slate. It was damp from this morning's rain. It was difficult to keep my footing as I hiked across. One minute I was stepping across the next minute my foot was up in the air and I was sliding sideways down the slate.  A bush of briars stopped my fall. I got a few briars in my hand and scrapes on my arms. I stopped for 10 minutes to collect my thoughts. Stopping at the next shelter I ate lunch. It was another summer sausage, cheese, and peanut butter wrap. From there it was another climb up to up Brush mountain. We stopped at the Audie Murphy monument.  He was the most decorated soldier of world war ll. He died in a plane crash in 1974. We hiked down from Brush mountain. At the gap we found out the rest of our crew had gotten a ride to a farmhouse 3 miles down the road. The farmhouse was ran by a guy named Ned. He had opened his house to hikers a few weeks ago. At first he didn't have many people stay there. Only a couple people here and there. Over the last week he had more hikers arrive. The farmhouse had been in his family for over 80 years. It looked like a 2 story log cabin. Ned offered us a place to camp in the lawn. I was excited to have a soft piece of grass to put my tent on. He offered us beer and his partner was making us all dinner. We saw that our tramily crew was there with Pumpkin Spice, Poncho, Bandito, and Chill. Theo was especially happy to see everyone. Chill built a fire while Pumpkin Spice and I tried to discern objects in the sky as it set. The clouds were a dark orange color and it looked like the sky was on fire. They served us a spaghetti casserole dinner. It really hit the spot after an 18 mile day. Kamikaze and I hung out in the common area with another guy who had been in the military. He started talking about being in the moment and living with mother nature. He resonated with Kamikaze and what she was searching for through her grief. I left the conversation to take a shower. It felt great to get several days sweat off me. I hung out by the fire until midnight and started falling asleep in the chair. I knew it was time.  Tonight the grass is cozy and I hear the crackling of fire in the distance.
Date: 2018-06-11
From: Punchbowl shelter

To: Hog Camp Gap
Miles today: 17.6

Last night was a rough one. Scotto's revenge didn't end until 3 or 4 am. I hardly got sleep. On the good side, I managed to save Kazi's food bag from the trash panda. I heard a thud outside my tent around midnight and thought that the coon was making the rounds to the hanging food bags. With my headlamp I could see his beady eyes in the tree where Kazi's food was hanging. He had ripped a hole in her bag and started eating the contents. Her bag was an easy steal because it was so close to the branch. It looked like he only got into Theo's food. I took the bag down and hung it in the shelter.  Then tried to go back to bed. I went to the privy again around 2 am and noticed the coon in other trees that had food bags. He didn't manage to steal anyone else's food. In the morning I let Kazi know that I moved her bag. She taped up the hole and still had enough food for Theo. I ate more oatmeal for breakfast. It seemed like my stomach was getting better. I headed out from there around 9:30 it was going to be a 17 mile day with a large descent followed by another 3000 foot climb.  First it was a long downhill into valley. In the valley the trail followed a long reservoir. I eventually came to a sign saying that freed slaves had a community along the river in the early 1900s. They grew corn and made cornmeal. You could see old stone walls along river. I eventually came to the Brown Mountain Creek shelter. Scissors was getting water but just about to leave for the big climb of the day. I hung out and ate a bagel with peanut butter. Eventually it was my turn for the 3000 foot climb. It was not as brutal as yesterday. My stomach had felt better since yesterday. I took several breaks though trying to catch my breath. At the top it opened into a large meadow with deer chomping on some plants. It stared at me for a second. I thought it was trying to read my mind. The clouds were blowing over the balds which made it that much wetter. The fog was so dense that I couldn't see 10 feet in front of me. The field rolled back into the woods for a mile then came out to the meadow. Blaze, Growler, Double Stack, Rebel Yell, Scissors, Stealth, and Kazi were already setup. They were all in their tents because the area was cloudy and wet. I pitched my tent near Stealth and Double Stack. The water in the air gathered on leaves then fell. It was only raining if you were under a tree. I made ramen with ham for dinner then curled up in my sleeping bag for the night.Tonight there's an occasional rain that hits the rain fly from the trees. It's wet and damp everywhere. Hoping for some sun tomorrow.
Date: 2018-06-12
From: Hog Camp Gap

To: The Priest Shelter
Miles today: 14.3
Weather: overcast clouds

It was cold last night. My sleeping bag hasn't been providing enough warmth for the chilly nights in the mountains. I've been wearing all my layers and stuffing extra things in my sleeping bag for heat.  I can't wait to get to Waynesboro for my new sleeping bag. We all got up pretty late since it was wet outside. I got up at 9 am then made 3 packets of oatmeal. My spoon had broken the day before and I used the spoon end to eat. Last night I used it to eat ramen and burned my fingers as I ate. However it felt good because it was so cold out. Everyone was having a late day today. Stealth made me a cup of coffee that was fresh ground. It was excellent compared to all instant coffee I'd been drinking. My ankle was really hurting me today. One day it's completely fine the other day I'm hobbling. I don't know what sets it off. I'll still hike 14 miles today.  The beginning of the trail was a narrow path through the bald. It wasn't great on my ankle because of the awkward direction. I was basically hobbling for the first 2 miles until it worked itself out. It usually slows me down and I can't keep up with everyone. When my feet are doing fine I can go a lot faster. While hiking I started feeling the Virginia Blues. The promise that Virginia was flat was a lie. The current section had three 3000 foot climbs. I had Scotto's revenge, broke my phone camera, broke my spork, and my chacos are destroying socks. I have missed home and my lady Theresa. I look forward to getting off the trail for a few days to make my way up to Ohio. I'll be hanging out with family and seeing my new niece for the first time. It's bittersweet though since taking those days off will mean I'll need to make up those miles to catch up with my tramily. I hope they don't go to far ahead. However, I've always met new people when not trying to stay at the same pace. It will be a whole other adventure.  I eventually made it to the priest shelter on priest mountain. The shelter location was in a bowl on the mountain. A small stream flowed next to the shelter. This shelter was special because hikers wrote their confessions in the journal. Most were about surface poops or blue blazing. Rotten Ronnie had a huge rant trying to prove himself to everyone. He left a mean message to Scissors in the book. She left a witty message for him even though he would never see it. The campsite was majestic like thunder hill. There were small quartz crystals embedded in the ground. The whole area was misty and there was green lush grassy areas throughout the area. I made some knor risotto with ham but couldn't finish it all. I packed out the food I couldn't eat. It got late and I called it a night.Tonight the clouds have rolled into the area creating a mist. I hear the little stream nearby. It's soothing to fall asleep to.
Date: 2018-06-17
From: Bears Den Mountain Stealth Site

To: Blackrock hut
Miles today: 15.7
Weather: clear sky

I woke up early but then snoozed in until 8 am. I ate some poptarts and cheese crackers for breakfast. As I was packing up a hiker named Tree Hugger stopped by. It was starting to rain and he wanted to put on his pack cover. The weather forecast said it wasn't supposed to rain until Thursday though. He had started on April 16th and had been doing some big miles. As he was leaving Lost and Found showed up as well. She had just gotten on the trail a few hours ago and was going to the same shelter as I. She mentioned that Halfway was on the trail as well. I quickly packed up because of the rain and then headed out.  The terrain was going to be easy today except I had a lot of food weight. There was also a stretch without water for 11 miles. It was mostly rolling hills and there wasn't much elevation gain like the stretch between Glasgow and Waynesboro. Around 12:30 I took a break to eat lunch. I made a bagel, turkey, cheese, and avocado sandwich. I'm going to keep making these sandwiches until I get sick of them. I gave my Dad a call for Father's day and we caught up on the events going on at the end of the month. They were getting their house ready to have lots of family over when my sister brings Sofia over for the first time. I headed back into the woods. My pack still felt super heavy with all the food and water weight. I'll have to keep eating until it feels normal again. I met Spot who has hiked the AT 5 times. He said he didn't bring much food through the Shenandoahs since there's waysides and camp stores. He asked me about my chacos since he might consider hiking in a pair. He had hiked in a pair of Keen sandels through the whites.  I arrived at the Blackrock hut around 6 pm. The shelter was already pretty crowded. There were a few section hikers staying at the shelter as well. Spot told me about flat spots down the hill. I was happy to hear that since most of the tenting pads were taken right near the shelter. As I was setting up, I talked to Spot about how technology has changed on the trail. He didn't like that people were now on their phones all the time on the trail. Most of the time they're checking Guthooks to see exactly where they are. Other times they are talking to people and don't converse at the shelters. I said most of the world is going that way though. At least there are a lot of sections on the trail where you don't get reception. People are forced to interact. I made Mac n cheese with spam for dinner. It was difficult to finish the whole thing but I managed somehow. I hung up my food on a bear pole and called it a night.Tonight a whipper will just started making noise directly in camp. Sometimes I wish I had Rebel Yell slingshot for times like these.
Date: 2018-06-19
From: Powell Gap Viewsite

To: Lewis campground
Miles today: 15.0

This morning I slept in until 8 am. The wind was lightly blowing at the top. The trees were creaking but that didn't worry me so much as before. When I got out of my tent Melody was hanging out near the viewpoint and writing in her journal. She was having a late start today as well. While I was up there Stealth rolled in. He hung out at the viewpoint for awhile and talked to a hiker named Bamboo about collecting bandanas. Rebel Yell then rolled in about 20 minutes later. Both Stealth and Rebel Yell rolled out. Melody hung out in her hammock until 10:30. I headed out around then.I made it a mile up the trail then ran into Stealth and Rebel Yell again. They pointed into the woods and I noticed a momma bear and her two cubs. The cubs were really playful around her. They seemed take delight in just climbing a tree or sniffing around the ground. One cub climbed a tree and just stared at us. The trio slowly walked into the woods. Stealth and Rebel Yell pushed on but I couldn't keep up and lost them. I made it to the high top shelter and filled my water bottles. I hung out there for about 45 minutes eating my snacks. I headed out again for the next shelter about 12 miles away. The terrain was not too difficult but my legs didn't want to move that fast. It seemed that I was going in slow motion today. I pushed another 3 miles then gave Theresa a call. She was having a rough day. I talked to her for awhile and she started to feel better. I pushed on the remaining 9 miles but didn't make it to the shelter but the Lewis campground instead. I didn't want to push to the shelter because it was probably going to be full with no tenting spots left.  Flex and Curly Turtle shared their campsite with me. I was greatful to not have to cram into the shelter. They were an older couple who were thru hiking the AT. We talked about people's paces and the wayside coming up. I can't wait for more food. Flex and Curly Turtle called it a night and went to their tent. I went to the restroom and took a shower from the sink. It felt good to just get that slime off me from today's adventure. Tonight I'm trying to get rid of all the noseems in my tent.
Date: 2018-06-21
From: Big Meadows Lodge

To: Byrd's Nest #3 Hut
Miles today: 14.4

I woke up in the small bed pretty well rested. Stealth was up taking a shower. He had a massive hangover from the night before. Rebel Yell was still passed out. I got up and ate a poptart for breakfast. Stealth grounded some beans and made coffee. It's still the best tasting coffee on the trail. I washed my hiking clothes in the sink and put them on. They would dry in an hour hiking anyways. Stealth went back to bed and Rebel Yell and I headed out. We planned on doing a 20 mile day. It's also naked hiker day for the summer solstice. I didn't want to hike naked with so many kids on the trail though.The trail was rocky today. I followed Rebel Yell for about 8 miles. We had the Skyland restaurant on the brain and were pushing for it. They served lunch from 12:30 to 2:30 and we wanted to make sure we made it. We got stopped a few times on the trail by day hikers who were really interested in what we were doing. A family from Wisconsin was thinking about thru hiking even though some of their kids were not into it. We met another guy who had a German Shepherd that was only 7 months old. She was a really friendly dog. Nature called for Rebel and I hiked on to the Skyland restaurant. I got a table for two and ordered a hamburger with sweet potato fries. It has felt like Disney Land in the Shenandoahs with so many food places to eat at all the time. As well as places to stay. Melody showed up and joined me at my table. She told me she was a special Ed teacher and she loved her job. Most of her students will move on to live independently when they graduate. They just need the support to get there. I saw Rebel just as he was leaving. He was seated on the other side of the dining room. We thought they would want to place the smelliest hikers next to each other. Rebel bought $30 worth of food. He'll need to start to cut back on spending soon so he doesn't run out of money. I hung out at Skyland until 5 pm. I was updating my journal online while enjoying my chai latte. I got back on the trail late and still wanted to go 11 miles.It started to get cloudy and then drizzle as I hiked. Eventually it poured rain and didn't stop. My hiking clothes were soaked but at that point it doesn't matter about being dry anymore. The trail turned into a stream as water rushed down the mountain. The mud wasn't that bad. I eventually saw the first shelter and peered in. Melody, Rebel Yell, and another hiker were already there. Rebel and I were not going to do our 20 miles today with this rain. I was sogging wet and didn't want to push to the next shelter with the chance of it being full. I made ramen for dinner. Melody shared some of her tea with Rebel and I. I was glad to have warm food after being soaked and cold. Melody read us some poetry that I enjoyed and we listened to the rain tap the shelter's roof. I hung up my food bag and changed into dry clothes and got cozy in my sleeping bag.  Tonight the rain is coming down and I'm happily warm.