morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2011-06-04
From: Paul C. Wolfe Shelter

To: Waynesboro, VA.
Miles today: 5.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Well, it's been 8 days since making a town stop. Everything is stinky. I'm stinky. So it's off to town for a shower, laundry and of course resupply. As always, milkshakes are in the cards. Got up and going by 7. It was important to get to the road crossing early because we had to get a ride into town since it's 3.7 miles from the road crossing to town. Once there at the road crossing, we ran into a cycling touring company that was dropping off several riders. The driver was more than happy to give us a ride into town. What a score! We got to town so quickly that the hotel owner had scramble to get us our rooms for early check in. After showing, we walked to the downtown area to do laundry and to go to the Ming Garden Restaurant. We started the wash on the way down to the restaurant to save time. It was then off to the restaurant. It was the most incredible oriental buffet I've seen. Of course it's even more incredible after 8 days on the trail. They're was sushi, chinese dishes, make your own wok based options plus much more. A friend of mine, Jason H. met us there and had lunch with us. He got to see first hand how trail life affects appetite. It wasn't pretty. After consuming our fill, I said goodbye to Jason as he also had to get back to get to work on time. We then headed back to move the laundry to the dryer. While waiting on the laundry, we planned our hike through Shenandoah. We decided that an easy day out of Waynesboro of around 7 miles would both provide extra recovery and more time to do resupply in the morning. That gave us the evening to go to the movies which is always a great treat. It's the second time I've gone to the movies while on the trail. We got back to the hotel, dropped off the laundry and started waking to the theater. We decided to watch the new Pirates of the Caribbean movie, got our popcorn and drinks then headed to the specific theater for that movie. The movie was great. It was a nice diversion also. Afterwards, we went and got a late dinner just to be sure we didn't awake up hungry in the middle of the night. I got a steak since it had been such a long time since I had one. Afterwards, it was back to the hotel as we all were getting tired. Town stops are always a lot of fun and should be. This is really part of the trail life that must people don't really think about. Sure there's lots to do to support the hiking itself. Beside supporting the physical aspect of hiking, it's important to make sure that there's a chance to give oneself a mental boost through whatever activities are available in town. There should be some amount of money set aside in the budget for this. The building of relationships is also done through activities while in town. There is a real opportunity to build life long friendships that should not be past up because there isn't money in the budget.
Date: 2011-06-05
From: Waynesboro, VA.

To: Calf Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 7.0
Weather: broken clouds

We got up and ran downstairs to get breakfast then headed to Walmart for resupply. On the way back, we stopped at Starbucks for coffee then it was back to our rooms to pack up and check out. We decided to get lunch then try to call one of the trail angels to get a ride back to the trail. Waynesboro has a list of folks who are willing to shuttle hikers from the trail to town. There is a list of phone numbers maintained that are made available to anyone who is hiking. This makes it easy to go to and from town. They are certainly a huge blessing. As we were walking to the restaurant, a guy in a pickup stopped to ask if we needed a ride. As it turned out, he was on the trail angel list. We hadn't had lunch yet but it was just as easy to eat lunch later since we had the food on our packs. So we took the ride. When we got to the trail, we met up with "Shadow", "Country Mouse" and their friend "Flute Walker". I hadn't seen "Shadow" and "Country Mouse" since the night we camped during the tornados several weeks ago. It was good to see them again. We chatted while eating lunch then packed up and headed into the Shenandoah National Park. The park requires hikers to register before stating overnight in the park. It is a self registration process but must be done. Just fill out a form, keep one copy on you and put the others in the box. I'm sure that we will be check somewhere along the way. They want everyone to keep their copy attached to the pack but I just kept my copy in with my camara. I just feel like a tagged animal with that copy hanging on the pack. We climbed up out of the gap to the top of Bears Den Mountain where we enjoyed a snack in with the communication towers. It was disappointing to think that those who were driving their cars down Skyline Drive were enjoying better views than the hiking community who were actually having to work at it. It really didn't seem fair especially when one realizes that the trail was moved so that Skyline Drive could be built. We continued after our snack time and made it to the shelter earlier than we had been making it before. There were a lot of section hikers who were already there making tenting spots difficult to come by. "Half Man" and I were so close to each other that I could have used one of her tent stakes for my rain fly. We made dinner and sat around the table and socialized. "Shadow", "Country Mouse" and "Flute Walker" came strolling in later. They had gotten a ride to Waynesboro to eat at Ming's. They were very impressed with the restaurant. A thunderstorm rolled in later which sent everyone to their tents. This gave me the chance to get all my journal entries at least done even though uploading them was going to be a problem.
Date: 2011-06-07
From: Pinefield Hut

To: Lewis Mountain Campground
Miles today: 19.8
Weather: overcast clouds

Decided to take our time today since yesterday was such a big day both in terms of distance and time awake. Most everyone was already up when "Half Man" and I got going. We grabbed breakfast, packed up and filled up on water them hit the trail. We were treated to some great views like what's show in the picture. Of course these views require us to climb mountains. On this part of the trail, the climbs are not that steep. They're just long. Today's terrain had us stair stepping up to 3500 feet. So it can be tiring, especially after such a long day the day before. We stopped at Powell Gap (that's where the picture was taken) for a snack then proceeded to the next shelter to get water for next segment. We had lunch at one of the overlooks then continued to our destination. On the way, "Half Man" got so tired that we decided to stop at a picnic area that was just off the trail. She managed to find a soda that really helped rejuvenate her. While we were resting, we were approached by a family from Australia. Their 12 year old twins were curious about life on the Appalachian Trail. We spent the next hour answering questions and explaining what is what like to hike the trail. Jack was fascinated by what we told them. I think he really had a desire to thru-hike one day. We both encouraged him to pursue the dream of hiking the trail no matter what. I told them about my trail journal said our goodby's and we headed for put destination once again. Normally, we would have stopped at the next shelter but it was closed due to a problem bear. The park officials were hunting the bear so it could be removed. Because of this, we were allowed to stay at the Lewis Mountain Campground for free. "Half Man" and I were the first to get there followed very closely by "Hoop" and "Socks" then by "Brazil Nut". When "Half Man" and I got there, we met an older couple, "A Squared" and "High Maintenance", who was already setup at one of the camp spots. They offered to feed us but we declined since we had the food we needed even if the store wasn't open. They had a screen setup that also offered to us to keep us away from the bugs. That was very nice. We headed to the camp store to get groceries for dinner and breakfast. We came back, cooked and ate dinner then say around the fire and chatted. As night fell, we all headed for our tents which were setup around this couple's camp spot. It was a great finish to a great day.
Date: 2011-06-08
From: Lewis Mountain Campground

To: Camping near Skyland Resort
Miles today: 16.8

Today's journey happened to include 2 restaurant stops. One was a store/restaurant and the other a lodge. I got up and had the breakfast that I bought the night before. Included was a vanilla flavor frappicino which I should have poured over the cereal that I ate. I packed up and took off with "Half Man". Along the way we were treated to great views from rock outcroppings as well as enchanting forest scenes like what's shown in the picture. We arrived at the Big Meadows Wayside store and restaurant a little early for lunch for most people but it was fine since we were both hungry. We were soon joined by "Brazil Nut" then "Socks" and "Hoop". Lunch was great as usual especially since it was topped off with a blackberry milkshake. "Half Man" had a blackberry cobbler which must have been good since she didn't share any of it with anybody. We then decided to hang out in the camping area behind the store until the heat died down a bit. Also, "Half Man" wanted to call home since there was a public telephone there. While she did that, I just napped on to of a picnic table. I noticed a kid sitting at table nearby but really didn't pay attention to who it was. When I got up from my nap, I realized it was Jack, the young boy we talked to yesterday about hiking the AT. He had more questions to ask and just wanted to hang out. We talked for quite a while and "Half Man" joined in after she was done with her phone call. Jack's dad soon came by and talked with us a little before telling Jack that he needed to eat some lunch. Jack took off for his camping spot, had lunch and quickly joined us again. We then headed toward the trail with Jack showing us how to get to the trail head. After saying our goodby's once again, we were heading down the trail. I really hope gets to live his dream of hiking the trail. I feel blessed to have been a small part of him pursuing his dream. Along the way, I got to see my first near while on the trip. What made it special was that the bear was down a steep hill and wasn't terrified of us because we were out of sight somewhat. We just stood there and watched until it wandered into the thick brush. Well, we wanted to make it to the lodge, have dinner then find a camping spot before it got too late. So we hiked a little faster than we normally would have even though the temperature was still high. By the time we got there, my shirt was completely soaked with sweat. I'm sure that we were the most popular folks in the restaurant. We got or food as carry out and day outside to give others a break from the hiker funk. After eating we only had to go down the trail a little before finding a camping spot. Unfortunately, I didn't do a good job on site selection and ended up on a fairly poor surface. All night, I kept sliding off the sleeping pad. I'll have to be more careful next time.
Date: 2011-06-10
From: Camping near Elkwallow

To: Tom Floyd Shelter
Miles today: 16.3
Weather: broken clouds

We got off to a late start because we waited around for breakfast st the Elkwallow Wayside restaurant. The store doesn't open until 9 so it was around 10 before we hit the trail. "Brazil Nut" took off early while "Catfish Hunter", "Half Man" and I had breakfast. "Half Man" and I then took off down the trail. The bad thing about waiting until 10 was the heat. Normally we would be well into the hike by 10 and would have done a lot of it before it got hot. Today, we were climbing out of the Elkwallow area in the heat. Breakfast at the wayside may not have been the best idea. We stopped at the Gravel Springs Hut for a quick break and snack. While we were there, we talked of folks that we hiked with that we hadn't seen in a while. "A1" and "Knarly" were two that came to mind. Just as the words came out of our mouths, we heard them coming down the trail. They were planning on staying at the shelter then hiking south the next morning to join up with some others before getting off the trail. "Knarly" needed to get to LSU for the next semester for grad school and "A1" decided to get off at the same time. It was good to see both of them. We took pictures and said our goodby's then headed down the trail. We were treated to some great views on top South and North Marshall mountain. Even though, we wanted to just get to the shelter area and get out of the heat. The day was getting late also because of our late start. Just before getting to Hogwallow Gap, we met up with "A Squared" and his wife, "High Maintenance". They told us that Jack had left us a note at Compton Gap. We were curious. As it turned out, it was an invitation to join the family for dinner when we got to northern Maryland. "Half Man" was a little bummed because she was getting off the trail at Harpers Ferry. I was pretty sure I would be there during the time that they would be there so I decided to adjust my trip to do so. From the gap, we made the rest of the journey to the shelter, set up our tents, ate dinner and just called it a day.
Date: 2011-06-11
From: Tom Floyd Shelter

To: Manassas Gap Shelter
Miles today: 13.6
Weather: few clouds

"Half Man" and I got off to a normal start, having breakfast and packing up. We headed down the trail with the plan to stop at Manassas Gap for a quick resupply and lunch. We skipped going to Front Royal because it was 4 miles from the road crossing to town. It would take too much time to hitch a ride to and from town so we opted for the closer but smaller community further down the trail. We stooped for a short time at the next shelter mostly because of the description in my guide book. It was the first shelter I've seen with a porch, chairs and a solar shower. The picnic table was covered and separated from the sleeping area. It was a very nice looking shelter compared to the others we've seen to this point. After a quick snack, it was off to the road crossing for a resupply. We ended up walking a little bit toward town before we were offered a ride by a couple who enjoyed hiking. It seems that most of our rides are from fellow hikers from the thru-hikers to the casual day hiker. It is a wonderful community because they are always willing to help a fellow hiker. This couple even gave us some leftover fried chicken. Once we got to the road crossing, we went into the convenience store and got our resupply items plus something to drink. It was a very hot and humid day. Because of that, I've begun to appreciate the Gatorade drinks because of the electrolyte replacement it offers. I've noticed an improvement in recovery after drinking them. We looked for lunch in the store but found the offering to be lacking. The clerk told us about a barbecue restaurant a couple of miles down the road. So it was back to sticking our thumbs out. A guy in a pickup truck came by fairly quickly and ordered us a ride to the restaurant. We were not disappointed. The barbecue was great and there was lots to eat. While eating, a pretty strong thunderstorm came through the area. We ended up waiting it out for a little while. After all was said and done, we were out of the restaurant and trying to hitch back to the trail. It took a little longer but a kind young man gave us a ride all the way back to the trail. Because we spent so much time at that stop, we couldn't go the shelter that we originally wanted to stop at. I guess we need to be more efficient during the stop if we want hike further. We y got to the shelter, setup camp and yes, I still ate dinner! Gotta love the hiker appetite.
Date: 2011-06-12
From: Manassas Gap Shelter

To: Sam Moore Shelter
Miles today: 19.8
Weather: scattered clouds

"Half Man" and I wanted to make it all the way to Bears Den Hostel but wasting time in restaurants and at other road crossings put us behind on miles to the point where making the Hostel was difficult. So we opted for the shelter just before it. We took off hoping for the best but hiking was just slow. The big issue was the rock fields where one must be careful not to twist an ankle or knee. I stopped at the first shelter to get water. While there, I met a lady who was hiking with her daughters. Their water filter had quit working and they asked if there was any way that it could be fixed. It was the second one of these filters that had failed in the way this lady's filter had failed. Fortunately, they were almost done with their hike. We continued on to the next shelter where we got a snack. Along the way, we saw this massive fungus at the base of a tree. The picture is this fungus. I would like to know what it is so if any of my readers recognize it, please let me know. I'll update this entry with the name of the fungus or whatever it is. At this point, we started the section called the roller coaster. It is a series of hills that are not real long but steep. We had a total of 5 peaks to climb just to get to the shelter. Add the time required to deal with the rocks and we had a very long day. We met a German guy named "Hamburglar" who decided to night hike to the hostel. He had started at a place south on the trail from where we started making his day very long. So we stopped, setup camp and had dinner. With these long days, my journal updates have been lagging a few days.
Date: 2011-06-13
From: Sam Moore Shelter

To: Harper's Ferry
Miles today: 22.5
Weather: clear sky

We got up and took off for Bears Den Hostel. We wanted to see what we missed and I had a resupply package to pick up. When we got there, we both fell in love with the hostel. It was a stone building set on top of a mountain. It was one of the most beautiful settings I have seen in a while. I really regretted not making it to the hostel the night before but knew there wasn't anyway we could have done it. I got my package and both of us got some snacks and took off for Harpers Ferry. I thought briefly about making the day a short one by staying there but realized that I could come by another time and stay there. So I took a picture and we pressed on. We stopped at the side trail to the Blackburn AT Center to have a snack. While there, "Brazil Nut" came down the trail from the hostel. She was hilarious. She was ducking behind trees as of she was at war. I picked up my hiking pole and pretended to shoot back. We both had a great laugh. We talked a while them continued our journey to Harpers Ferry. We finally crossed into West Virginia for the last time thus leaving behind the longest state of the AT. The interesting thing about the this border is that there os a camping area for the folks who do the for state challenge. Basically, they camp here right at the border, get up early in the morning and try to hike all the way to Pennsylvania within 24 hours. The distance is about 43 miles and they cover Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania. Definitely not for me. I want to enjoy my hike. When we got into Harpers Ferry, we were so tired that we stopped at the first hotel we saw. It wasn't the best choice in terms of things like laundry facilities, restaurants and other hiker amenities but it wasn't fast from the trail. We planned to do all of the normal town stuff tomorrow so the extra distance wasn't to big of an issue.
Date: 2011-06-14
From: Harper's Ferry

To: Harpers Ferry - zero
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: few clouds

Took a much needed rest from hiking though we still ended up walking a lot. The first order of business was to get laundry done. After all of the hot weather, we both needed to wash packs in addition to the clothes. In the heat, the pack simply absorbed the sweat off of the back and shoulders. One can imagine how smelly the shoulder straps and back pad got. To get this done required commercial grade washers that we had to walk quite a distance to find. We ended up a laundromat near a KOA campground. While there, I reserved a car to travel to DC with to drop "Half Man" at the airport and to go see my uncle and aunt. After the laundry detail, we walked to the historic downtown area of Harpers Ferry to get some lunch and to get supplies at the outfitter. The town really isn't a trail town but it's more of a tourist town. So lunch was expensive and the outfitter had limited gear. I was able to get a new pair of socks to replace the ones that got worn out but not the brand that I like. "Brazil Nut" was in the store so I was able to get a good recommendation from her. The last thing I need is to pick something that I don't know anything about and end up with blisters. I'm a big believer in proving the gear before embarking on a major journey. As a former AT thru-hiker and a Pacific Coast Trail thru-hiker, her thoughts were valuable. As we wandered back toward the hotel, we stopped at the AT office to have our picture taken and placed into the book for 2011. Harpers Ferry is not the physical halfway point but the mental one. So getting in the book is an important part of the trail tradition. I also spent some time looking at the pictures of my friends that were ahead of me. The other cool thing about being at the AT office was during the poster titled "The End Of The Journey". Instead of the usual fists in the air proclaiming victory at the sign on Katadyn, this poster depicts a hiker who just collapses on it. Of all the pictures of hikers completing the journey, this one shows much more than a victory. It shows the strong desire he has for reaching the end, pushing through whatever adversity he encountered along the way. It is almost as if it was goal that was nearly impossible yet still reached. It was sad to hear that it's no longer in print. I would love to find a copy of this poster. Afterwards, we found a nice restaurant to have our last dinner together. It was a pleasant day even though we didn't rest from hiking. I guess we weren't hauling our gear so maybe we'll just call active rest which still being active but not at the same level as normal.
Date: 2011-06-15
From: Harpers Ferry - zero

To: Harper's Ferry - DC
Miles today: 0.0

We got up, packed up, had breakfast then waited for the guy from Enterprise to pick us up. Their office is located in a town about 10 miles from Harpers Ferry. Once we got the car, we went to Walmart so I could get resupplied and "Half Man" could get some snacks for the trip home. She also bought some blue jeans because they were so much cheaper in the states than Germany. It was then off to DC. I dropped her off at the airport after saying our goodby's. I have enjoyed hiking with her since we met up outside of Damascus. After dripping get off, I headed to my uncle and aunt's house. I was met at the door by her youngest son who I haven't seen in so long that I didn't recognize him. I had a great time visiting with them. Of course, I spent the night at their house.