morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2007-06-06
From: Blackrock Hut 

To: Hightop Hut
Miles today: 21.4
Weather: broken clouds

The alarm clock theory worked as planned but I chose to hit the snooze button a few to many times. There were people getting up early including one guy who took about an hour-I've been told but some of thee people sleeping in the shelter. I got up with the rest of the crew (General Lee, Queso, Denny Dog, Birddawg, Captain, and Cornelius) at about 8:00 and made our way up to Blackrock Mountain which was a rocky summit with cool views. Then we hiked 7 nice undalating miles to Loft Mountain campstore and then a Skyline Wayside. Now, the wayside was about a mile away so we walked there to get an overpriced meal, then ended up taking hours to motivate ourselves back up to the store and then the trail to continue on our way. Now all I'm going to say about the wayside, or the Macdonald's impersinator, is that the Blackberry shake was good and I'm never going to go to one of those again. We finally got going again around 2 something and still had to do about 14 more miles to reach our goal, ouch. The terrain here has been flat and groomed, but we still have been going up and down a lot. Never the less we plugged along at a good clip stoping here and there for some nice views. It seems the cooler weather and that tropical storm really cleared things up a lot. We have been able to see for hundreds of miles the past few days. It has been quite nice. Looks like we'll try for a 24 miler tommorrow. Hopefuly we'll catch Uncle Tom soon. We're slowly gaining on him. The wild animal count today was smaller: 3 deer, a bear, and the elusive John Deere lawn mower. Actually I only heard it so I guess that doesn't count. Well it's late and I'm tired. Goon P.S. I appreciate the comments I have received from Lipstick, Marcia, Clark, and Cathy and Jamie. I hope I'm half as entertaining a Tom is .
Date: 2007-06-07
From: Hightop Hut

To: Big Meadows Ampitheater
Miles today: 20.4

We did not meet our goal of 24 miles today, but we did a 20 and that feels pretty satisfying to me. We did not get up exceptionally early today, but most of us got going around 9:00 A.M. with the exception of the really early risers who usually get going around 7:00 A.M. We boogied about 11.7 miles of nice hiking to a campground store in about 3 and a half hours which is pretty good. Along the way General Lee, Cornelius, and I saw a Mama bear and one cub. It was so small and the mother bear was small as well-probably about the size of a lab. The store offered some essentials like soda, chips, and snacks that we were craving. Then we hiked 8.7 fast miles to the next campground, Big Meadows, which offered much of the same stuff but more. It truly is mind boggling how this park is run, but I guess it works. It's almost like a scenic drive with campgrounds and restaurants placed around it and somehow the A.T. goes right through it. All well. We're rogue camping in the park ampitheater tonight. It cost more than I wish to pay to stay here. The wildlife has been pretty crazy too. Today the wild life count was: 8 deer, 6 bear, 6 turkeys, 4 grouse, and a frog. No sign of the elusive lawnmower today, but I did see the greenback weedwacker! I do appreciate the trimming of the trails though. The ticks don't seem so thick with the grass shorter. Well we're closing out the shenandoah's really fast. They have been really beautiful and still pretty challenging if you do big days like we have been. We watched the sunset from a cool rock cliff this evening. It was one of the cooler sunsets I think I've seen yet. I think we are going to slow it down a tad after tommorrow. It's good to put up big miles but the days really run into each other and everything seems to go by really fast. I'm still unsure about the quad state challenge partially for that reason. If I do it I run the risk of losing the company of some good people as well, but it would be nice to cruise into Pennsylvania. We'll have to wait and see I guess. Well it! 's way past my bedtime, night all.
Date: 2007-06-08
From: Big Meadows Ampitheater

To: Pass Mountain Hut
Miles today: 18.8
Weather: broken clouds

I got up around 7:30 A.M. today and watch a posum stroll under my bench I had slept on in the ampitheater. I went and got coffee at the lodge and sat down with some other hikers who were eating breakfast. We hung out for a while then Birddawg, General Lee, Cornelius, and I got going around 9:00 A.M. I must of saw at least a dozen deer this morning. They are all over the place and are pretty tame or dumb I guess because they just stand there and are expecting a handout or something. This whole park is sort of like a zoo. There is just so much wildlife in this small park it's crazy. We hiked about 9 miles and then stopped at a campground for a quick bite to eat. The fact that there are so many campgrounds in this park is amazing too. It seems like every 10 to 15 miles or aso there is a campground. This morning I was walking the trail while people were eating breakfast at their campsites. I just had to chuckle a little. After lunch we walked by many overlooks and outcroppings while trying to dodge isolated thunderstorms. We did pretty well until we were about 2 miles from the hut and it started to rain. All well. When we got to the hut Uncle Tom and Captain were waiting for us in the shelter. It was nice to see Tom again. We had seen him briefly the night before but I didn't really talk to him. Apparently there were some black snakes in th hut earlier. Hopefully they have all left by now. It looks like tommorrow is going to be an easy day it looks like. Probably only going to do around 13 miles. Uncle Tom has set up a place for us to stay in Front Royal! Two guys we met at Trail Days are renting a house and are going to let 6 of us stay there. What a great gesture. Well I'm trying to stay awake but it's just not happening. Final wildlife count: Dozen or more deer, turkeys, a bear, and a possum. Unbelievable!
Date: 2007-06-09
From: Pass Mountain Hut

To: Gravel Spring Hut
Miles today: 13.1
Weather: few clouds

Nice and easy was the pace today. I got up with everybody this morning and got out of camp around 7:30 A.M. Yes that's I got up early this morning. It was a nice pleasant hike today. It did not get very hot today. It was probably about 70 degrees maybe hotter, but the humidty was more than bearable. Of course there was a wayside store 7.4 miles into the trail so we just had to stop. I got a breakfast sandwich and coffee. It really hit the spot. Then the gang, General Lee, Uncle Tom, The Texas Boys, and I hung out for a while and just chilled out. It was Saturday today so naturally it was busy and there were tons of people coming in. I wonder what they thought of us and what we're doing here on the trail. We got going again and I saw a bear. So that makes it 9 bears in this park. Maybe more. It has been pretty cool to see bears on a regular basis. It was a nice hike this afternoon. There were so many ferns everywhere it made it pretty cool looking on the trail. It was a short hike to the hut and we enjoyed its brevity. This was the first afternoon in a longtime where I got to enjoy the afternoon and not worry about hiking more. I lounged about the hut and took a nap, then ate, then napped, then ate some more. It was great. There was a nice breeze. I took a shower using my water bladder and it felt great. Then I washed my socks in a freezer bag and Uncle Tom took a picture of the disgusting looking water in the bag. It definately made my socks cleaner. If you wear those socks for to long without washing them the salt build up will sometimes chew your feet up from it rubbing on your skin. Then we played rumy forever and built a huge fire for our last night in the Shenandoah's. I have mixed emotions about this place, but I'm glad I got to experience them. Well we got a sweet set up for tommorrow night and I've got to get up early to get to Front Royal. So goodnight. Critter count: multiple deer, a bear, a couple rabbits, and a winabego with the biggest antena I have ever sen on a vehicle.
Date: 2007-06-10
From: Gravel Spring Hut

To: Chester Gap and PATC Glass cabin
Miles today: 13.4

What a day, what a day. We got up early looking forward to getting to Chester Gap around 3:00 because two guys that Tom met through his Trail Journal, Patrick and Sam, rented a PATC cabin and 6 of us were invited to come. I met Sam and Patrick at Trail Days and Pat gave me a ride back to Pearisburg so I knew him a little already. Anyway there is much to say about our last day in the Shenandoah's except it was probably the nicest day weather wise. It had to be about 80 and a nice breeze was blowing an the humidity was very low. I saw at least 8 deer but that was all. I was one of the luckier people in our group because I saw about 10 bears while I was in the park. Pretty darn cool! We left the park getting ready to enter a new phase of our journey. It's hard to believe I am almost 1,000 miles into the trail. It seems like only yesterday I was on Springer Mountain. Time flys when all you do is walk everyday. When we got to the gap we only waited about 20 minutes before they showed up. Then we pigged out at Burger King and resupplied and bought dinner for the night. Then we went to the cabin. Oh man what a perfect spot! It is a small cabin on the side of a mountain looking out at the Massanutten mountain Range. If I had a house this is what Iwould want. Not very large but still adequate enough. You should check it out on the net. Just look up the Glass House under PATC rental cabins and take agander at the crown jewel of all the cabins they own. The rest of the evening was spent cooking steaks and talking about music, the trail, and whatever else we could think of. It was a really great time. Probably one of the best I have had. Thanks again Sam and Pat!
Date: 2007-06-11
From: Chester Gap and PATC Glass cabin

To: Dick's Dome Shelter
Miles today: 15.1
Weather: scattered clouds

After a good nights sleep in Glass cabin we hung out and made breakfast this morning. Then we cleaned things up and got a ride to the trail. It was about 12:00 when we got going so we started around the hottest part of the day. But it wasn't bad because it was easy hiking and we were under a huge canopy of trees for the better part of the day. Today was poison ivy day I guess because it was all over the place. I would not be surprised if I get it. It would have been really hard to avoid touching it at all so I guess I'll have to wait and see. I also pulled about 5 ticks off my legs today. I had avoided them for the past 3 days so I guess it was about time for them to pop up again. I guess Birddawg and I missed out on seeing a really cool shelter today. It is caled Ed Garvey shelter and apparently it has a outdoor shower and even Adirondacl chairs on the porch. We didn't stop because we had water and were grooving at the time. I suppose it's good because I might not have made it very far if I sat down in one of those chairs. I got word on the whereabouts of my pal Tso(Steve Kilburn). Aparently he was going into Waynesboro today or something. If that is true then he is about 120 miles behind me . Even with the 4 days I'm taking off to see my girl Jenn in Harpers Ferry he won't catch up. I guess there's not much I can do. I hope he's doing well though. I also heard that four people I know quit. It's never nice to hear that people are leaving. I guess I knew it would happen eventually. I'm still doing well. My body has been holding up really well. I am having a blast out here. Sometimes I get homesick but it usually doesn't last too long. I can't wait to see Jenn. It has been a long time. Anyway it was nice to get back to the woods after being in the park. It just different being there than anywhere else on the trail so far. The tree size for this 15 miles today was interesting. There were many large trees everywhere. Nice 80 foot tall maples everywhere. It was very awe inspiring. It only took us about 6 hours with over an hour of breaktime to do 15 miles. Not bad at all. I'm still not sure if I'm going to try and hike past Harpers Ferry and have Jenn pick me up somewhere or not. I think it would be wise in someways but it would put me ahead of everybody I'm hiking with. Everybody but Uncle Tom is taking more than 3 days off in Harpers and some are taking 5 or 6 days. I plan on cruising once I leave Harpers because I'm anxious to get to New England. Oh well it will all work out. Wow it's way past my bedtime. Time to get some shuteye.
Date: 2007-06-12
From: Dick's Dome Shelter

To: Bear's Den Hostel
Miles today: 18.3
Weather: clear sky

I woke up around 7:00 A.M. today, but hung around and read my National Geographic for a while. It was pretty cool this morning which always makes for enjoyable hiking. I finally got moving around 9:00 and made good time to the first shelter which was about 9 miles away. I hiked through Sky Meadows State Park which was really nice. There are many meadows as you would expect to hike through and also some nice forest with very large trees around especially maple and some very big Beech trees. You really don't see to many to many of those large trees in Maine because they are sought after for firewood and what not.   After the first 9 miles we got into a section called the "rollercoaster" which I've heard about for a while. It wasn't really all that bad to me, but there were some pointless ups and downs throughout the section. I've hiked almost 1,000 miles so nothing really surprises me at this point. Once Cornelius, Captain, and I got to the second shelter we decided to hike 3 more miles to Bear Den Hostel which is run by the ATC. It is a pretty cool stone building that is relatively cheap to stay at and they have showers, laundry, and pretty much all we really need. I weighed myself for the first time in a long time and was astonished to find that I weigh 163 pounds. It concerns me a little because I can't afford to lose anymore weight and I'm just closing in on the halfway mark. I guess I just have to keep eating as much as I can. I really don't know what else to do. Right now I'm watching the NBA finals which is pretty cool. I haven't watched sports at all since I've been on the trail. Tommorrow I will cross the 1,000 mile mark which is a pretty big milestone for thru hikers. It is cool, but it is still a bit overwelhming to think that I have over a 1,000 more to go. All well I just have to take it one day at a time. That's all for now.
Date: 2007-06-13
From: Bear's Den Hostel

To: David Lesser Memorial Shelter
Miles today: 11.1
Weather: scattered clouds

I slept really well last night and it started to rain so I felt a little better about sleeping inside in the hostel. I ate some blueberry pancakes and then drank to much coffee for my own good. I really don't drink it anymore so I felt a little odd after about two cups.   I got moving around 9:00 A.M. with Them Texas Boys and we took it real easy today. We finished up what was left of the dreaded roller coaster and then found a note left by Uncle Tom describing all the trail magic he received the night before from one of his friends. He was going into Harpers today, but we chose to spend one more day on the trail before we went in today. It was really nice just to rest and enjoy the day. Crescent rock was really nice to chill at. Also we made our way into West Virginia today. Virginia was about 535 miles long so it was really gratifying to finally finish up with it today. Afterwards we stopped at the Blackburn A.T. Center and got a free soda and I took a long nap on one of the benches there. Then we beat the thunderstorm by making it to this awesome shelter with an Adirondack bench and everything. Then the rain and thunder moved in and we enjoyed staying dry in the shelter. Then Queso, General Lee, and Denny Dog showed up with Couch and Ear! thquake showed up as well. Tonight is Denny's last night on the trail and he's spending it trying to hog my sleeping bag and pad from me . Ah, we are really going to miss him. Right now we are at mile 999.7. So we are not quite at 1,000 miles but whats .3 of a mile anyway. Tommorrow will be a short 9.4 into Harpers where I will wait around until Jenn shows up in the afternoon. I decided not to keep hiking ahead tommorrow because it would be too much of a hassle. So I will enjoy a nice relaxing weekend with Jenn and be tourists for a while. Then hopefully I will get back on the trail all refreshed and hopefully I will weigh a little more than I do now. Well I guess that's all, time for sleep.
Date: 2007-06-14
From: David Lesser Memorial Shelter

To: Harper's Ferry, WV
Miles today: 9.4

Slept in this morning while waiting for the rain to dissipate. I really had no reason to rush because it was a short hike to town. It was misty and foggy this morning and I had an extra spring in my step because Jenn was coming in this afternoon. It took me no time at all to get to Harpers. I went to the ATC headquarters first and got my picture taken as is customary for hikers that go there. I am the 284th thru hiker to have made it to Harpers. It is a extraordinary feeling to have made it this far. It feels like yesterday when I started on Springer. Afterwards Uncle Tom, The Texas Boys, Georgia Boys w/ Denny, and I had our picture taken in front of the ATC headquarters by our good friends Forrest and Spaceman who we hadn't seen since Trail Days. Then we went to get some grub and then I went to the hotel to wait for Jenn. It was a good reunion when she got here with lots of hugs and kisses and comments about how skinny I am.   Then we went to the Secret Six with the gang and Tom's wife Marcia. We had a good time talkin about the trail and what is to come. We hung around the downtown which is very cool. Harpers is a huge historical town especialy for the Civil War. It really is a cool plac. We hung out on the bridge over the Potomac River for a while then Jenn and I went to the hotal and got some rest. Tommorrow we will relax and maybe hit a movie. I haven't seen one of those in a while. Maybe I'll catch a Yankees game too. Anyway, I'll keep everyone updated as usual.
Date: 2007-06-15
From: Harper's Ferry, WV

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

June 15, 16, 17 Mini Vacation with JennWell, since I took this weekend off I figured I would take a break from the journal as well and just summarize what happened this weekend in one entry. Basically it was a weekend of rest and relaxation.   Friday was a completely relaxing day. All Jenn and I did was sit around in the air conditioned room for a long time. We did go out to get food and snacks as well as try to find a bookstore which we failed miserably at. We joked that the people in West Virginia don't read but I'm sure that isn't the case . We also checked out Charles Town Races and Slots but the horse races were that night so we didn't stick around. Other than that nothing really exciting happened. We did go to a restaurant called the Rib Room expecting to find barbeque but it was more of a fine dining restaurant. We did stay and the food was delicious. Probably the best restaurant food I have had since...well I don't know when. Then we settled down to some high quality programming like Hogan Knows Best, Ha Ha. Saturday was a bit more exciting. Jenn and I went to Washington D.C. for a sight seeing adventure. We went to Arlington Cemetary and saw the changing of the guards at the tomb of the unknown soldiers and then we saw the mast and anchor of the U.S.S. Maine. That was pretty cool. We were a little annoyed by the tourmobiles riding around the cemetary. I thought that was a little tasteless. Then we went and saw the Washington Monument and walked on the mall and saw the Capitol Building, the Lincoln Memorial, and then we met up with Queso, Captain, Cornelius, and Birdawg for lunch. We went down to the fishmarket for some fresh seafood and to experience the diversity of D.C. Then we hung out for a while at Queso's friends and were on our way. On the way to Harpers Jenn and I took a unplanned detour through the more colorful section of Maryland and then got caught in a traffic jam to finish up the night. It was a pretty interesting day. Sunday was another rest day. We hung around the motel and organized my pictures according to date and then went and watched some horse races. It was pretty cool to see fast track racing. Those horses are just beautiful. They are also very fast. It is one thing to see them on T.V. but totally different to see them right in front of you. Then we continued our quest to find a book store which actually ended in a success. We had to go to Maryland to find one though. I am also happy to say that I actually was able to drive on an interstate without going crazy. It is a little weird driving though. 7 miles takes me about 2 hours on foot with a pack but takes me only 5 minutes by car. The rest of the night we sat back and watched stupid Arnold movies like Commando. Yeah, that's more high quality programming for you.   All in all it was a good weekend and it really didn't matter what I did because I spent it with Jenn. We had a nice relaxing weekend and I am sure I will have a little extra spring in my step once I am on the trail again.
Date: 2007-06-18
From: Harper's Ferry, WV

To: Rocky's Run Shelter, MD
Miles today: 15.4

Well this morning it was time to get a move on and resupply for my journey back onto the trail. Jenn had to leave around 1 P.M. So we hung out until that point. It was hard to say goodbye to her, but it kind of gave me some motivation to start cruising towards home again. The closer I get to Maine the easier it will be for her to visit me. So we said our goodbyes and I headed towards the trail. Once I crossed the Potomac River I was in Maryland. West Virginia is the shortest state trailwise at about 16 miles or something like that. I'll tell you what it was brutally hot out today. The humidity was high and it was over 90 degrees out. Not really Ideal hiking conditions but I really can't be picky about the hiking conditions. Today was also my first day hiking alone since the beginning of the trail. Everyone that I have become accustom to hiking with is either ahead of me or behind me now. Of course I saw some hikers that I have met before but it is a little odd hiking alone.   The hiking in Maryland is not allthat difficult, but water is scarce and that can make even the easiest hiking difficult when it gets really hot. I made it to the fist shelter and realized that the water was another 0.4 of a mile down a hill. I needed it so I had to get it. Fortunately it was a nice piped spring so that was nice. The shelter is really nice. It is called the Ed Garvey shelter in case anyone is interested. It had a nice loft that could be accessed through the back of the shelter so you don't have to bother anyone sleeping below. Unfortunately for me I wasn't fnished for the day. The rest of the afternoon was great hiking. The trail was a little rocky but otherwise a piece of cake. About halfway through my hike I kept on hearing drops like rain, but there wasn't a cloud in the sky. Then I came to realize it was leaf eaters craping from the canopy above. I could not believe that there was so many up there mking it sound like rain. I'm guessing that it is some sort of invasive caterpillar or something but I don't know for sure. I finally decided to stop at Rocky Run Shelter which was under repair so I just set up the ole hammock. I met two Mainers who were thru hiking as well and found out they live in Orono which is about 10 miles from where I live. Wow, what a small world. Their names are Dewey and Uno. Well I guess that is all for now. I plan on doing big miles if the weather cooperates. We'll see.