morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2015-05-18
From: Mile 618.4 (Stealth campsite)

To: Lane Street, Pearisburg, VA
Miles today: 16.5
Weather: overcast clouds

No real rain last night but it was humid. No condensation on inside of tent and outside was only a little wet. My hiking clothes were still wet. It was not bad putting them on.While I was down the hill to take care of morning business, before taking my tent down, a large deer decided to visit my campsite. He glanced down the hill at me and walked on a bit. As I headed up the hill he gave a loud whistle of a snort and moved on a bit quicker. Nice start to the day.My clothes were dry in about 30 minutes.The days hike was nice, mostly easy trail, very few other hikers and some great views. I even sat at a nice viewpoint above Pearisburg for about five minutes. I usually just take a look and a picture and hike on.There are two different road intersections to get into town. I decided to take the second one. Once on Main Street, still in a rural setting, I found a wallet that ended up belonging to another hiker. I went to great lengths trying to find John C. No luck. I called the numbers on the bank cards. They are limited in the amount ad assistance they can provide with the legal rules they have protecting the customer. They said they would leave him a message with my ph number. I ended up leaving it at the PO. They will send it to his DL address in a few days if no contact.He had already canceled his bank card. But he does not have any ID or credit cards. Hope he gets the message. Gee it would be a good idea to put a contact ph# with your wallet.Not much in Pearisburg. Thought about taking a zero but I will do that Friday in Daleville, VA.
Date: 2015-05-19
From: Lane Street, Pearisburg, VA

To: Stealth Campsite mile 661.6
Miles today: 26.7
Weather: scattered clouds

Ate breakfast in my room. Had a coffee from gas station. It was ok.On the trail by 7:00am. Grass and shrubs overhang trail so shoes got wet. Price to pay for hiking early.Saw plenty of hikers today. Those that attended trail days in Damascus are back on the trail. Lots of pot smoking at the shelters by the twenty-something crowd.Good trail conditions today.
Date: 2015-05-20
From: Stealth Campsite mile 661.6

To: Niday Shelter
Miles today: 23.7
Weather: few clouds

Saw two young hikers that I met yesterday. They were just breaking camp and enjoying some pot for breakfast. Wow!Got to Niday shelter at about 8:30pm. John Cate, the guy that lost his wallet, was there. He got the phone msg I left him. He left notes in the shelter journals all day about his lost wallet and his ph #. He knew my trail name from the msg I left. He was thankful that I found it even if I did leave it at the PO in Pearisburg.He was surprised that I left Pearisburg a day after him and hiked in 2 days what took him 3 days. Then he wants to know why I hike so fast. We'll, hike your own hike (HYOH). The slower hikers seem offended that others want to hike faster. I am not offended that they want to take six months what I can do in four months.Put my tent up as it got dark. There were people up at all hours of the night for bathroom breaks. About a dozen tents there. It is better to camp alone if possible. Still rested pretty good.
Date: 2015-05-21
From: Niday Shelter

To: Johns Spring Shelter
Miles today: 23.7
Weather: overcast clouds

During these four days from Pearisburg to Daleville there were some big things to see on the trail. I just don't remember what day they happened.One day it rained on the morning. I was soaked. Stopped at the Audie Murphy memorial. Since it was raining it took about five minutes for me to get my iPhone to take pictures. Worth the effort. There is a website for the Audie Murphy memorial if you want to know more or see better pics. He died in a plane crash near the memorial.Other significant sites were the Keefer Oak, Dragon's Tooth, MaCafee Knob and the cliff walk. I have made notes with pics so click on pics for more info.It was some hard hiking. This was my longest section between zeros. 258 miles and 12 days.
Date: 2015-05-23
From: Daleville

To: Daleville
Miles today: 0.0

Zero days go too fast. Lots of things to get done. Pick up food box at outfitters. Elk one way to PO to mail stuff home again. Walk a mile the other direction to get to store for Velcro to repair gaiter fastener on shoe. Extremely important for me.Living true to my trail name I am finishing this journal again after 9:00pm, while I still have not sorted my three days of food yet. I am Last Minute. At least I don't have to go to the store to buy food.57 miles to my next food drop, Glasgow. That will require a shuttle to town and back to the trail. Then it is another 77 miles to Rockfish Gap, Waynesboro. I hiked that section last year so it will help some.Plan to be at Rockfish Gap next Saturday where Barb will meet me and take another zero or two. Might tot have many updates until then.
Date: 2015-05-24
From: Daleville

To: Cove Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 25.0
Weather: broken clouds

Started hiking at 9:00am. That gave me 43 hours off of the trail. Feel like I had a good recover from hiking 12 days straight.Not a lot of people on the trail today. Had some good climbs in the morning. The trail was mostly clear of rocks and roots but I tripped over most of the ones that got in my way.This afternoon the trail ran parallel to, and crossed many times, the Blue Ridge Parkway. It was jus a beautiful Sunday for hiking.Got some trail magic in the late afternoon. Hot dog, chips, chocolate chip/ oatmeal cookie and two cold diet Pepsis.Tenting near the shelter. Apparently a bear likes to visit the shelter at night so I hung all my food and smelly stuff. Hope he leaves me alone. Others hikers are in the shelter. Good night.
Date: 2015-05-25
From: Cove Mountain Shelter

To: U S 501 James River Bridge
Miles today: 31.8
Weather: clear sky

Lots of BIG hills on this long day. Did not plan on hiking this far, it just happened. Felt good and kept hiking. I thought I might make a ride into town because of all the kayakers that would be around the bridge area finishing up for the day, Memorial Day weekend. Lots of people there all headed in the other direction. I ended up camping back on the other side of the river right behind a No Camping here sign. It was the only place to camp. I will never think poorly of other hikers for breaking the rules. It happens.
Date: 2015-05-26
From: U S 501 James River Bridge

To: Brown Mountain Creek Shelter
Miles today: 20.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Started trying to get a ride at 6:30am. About 45 minutes later the interim City manger picked me up. Turns out the population of Glasgow in about 100. He dropped me off at the hikers pavilion. Good thing I did not get a ride to town last night because the pavilion in Glasgow, that is for hikers, was full of drunk hikers that night. It was a sad situation when I got there, hung-over young hikers. I think only one hiker made it out of there. I got a hot shower, picked up my mail drops, sorted my food, charged my phone and batteries and paid $5 for a ride back to the trail to start hiking at 10:00. It was already hot and I sweated all day long. Stated out with a long steep climb. Got a nice creek side campsite. Rinsed my sweaty clothes out in the creek, hung them up and went to bed.
Date: 2015-05-27
From: Brown Mountain Creek Shelter

To: The Priest
Miles today: 22.4
Weather: scattered clouds

Started the day with another long steep climb. More sweat, lots of sweat. Probably not drinking enough water either. I took lots of breaks today. It is getting hotter making the hiking harder and pack seem heavier.I have seen three other hikers for the past few days. Usually it is new faces all the time. They are hiking about the same daily distance as me. It is nice to see familiar faces.
Date: 2015-05-28
From: The Priest

To: Campsite
Miles today: 22.3
Weather: light rain

I camped up the hill from the priest shelter last night but there were no other campers nearby. When I woke at 0430 I decided to just stay up and start my day. It always takes me an hour to get on the trail and today I did not get started until 0600. Still an early start.I heard two bears at different locations crashing thru the woods this morning. The sound of a bear plowing thru the brush is unmistakable. They just knock down anything in there way, deer jump over it.It was a good thing I had an early start because although the day started with a long steep descent, it was followed by a 3,000 foot climb. The good thing is it is the last climb of that much elevation for weeks to come.Another hot day with lots of sweating. I took a lunch break at Maupin Field Shelter with a hiker named Fire Ball. It started to rain and she hiked on. I was the only one there so I stayed and took a short nap. It would have been longer if it were not for the two section hikers that showed up. Still it was nice to rest and not get wet.Flash, another shaving hiker, showed up about twenty minutes later. We all chatted for a bit. It stopped raining so I got back to hiking. The rest of the day was hard. I was tired. The rocks were wet and slippery. Still not drinking enough water.I stopped just short of camp for the night and ate my chili and corn chip supper on a rock with a great view. Die Hard showed up as I was cleaning my jar out. He camped the same place I did last night but further up the hill. He showed up at camp the same time I did only he left camp at 9:00, three hours after me. I did have a 1.5 hour lunch though. Still he hiked 1.5 hours faster than me. Those young hikers. He did say he regretted starting late because it was so hot climbing that 3,000 feet in the heat of the day.Very nice campsite near an excellent view spot. There were two section hikers there, a couple, and three of us thru hikers.
Date: 2015-05-29
From: Campsite

To: Rockfish Gap, Waynesboro, VA
Miles today: 12.4
Weather: scattered clouds

Easy hike today. Barb pulled in behind me as I was walking the hill up to the visitors center. I had waited by the popcorn truck for about 15 minutes. What great timing.Changed our motel from one motel to the "sister" motel across the street. Very nice upgrade plus the laundry is on the same floor just down the hall. Had we stayed at the other hotel we would have to come over here to do laundry or go to a Laundromat. Since Barb is here I am taking a double zero. That is two days off. Three nights in a real bed with my wife. Nice. I need the extra day off.Saw some other thru hikers as I was coming off the trail at Rockfish Gap. They were just headed back on the trail at 11:30. The Mad Hatter and two others. They were very friendly and jovial. I hope to see them down the trail.Saw two other thru hikers here at the hotel, a couple, Mark and Connie. Hi M&C.
Date: 2015-06-01
From: Rockfish Gap, Waynesboro, VA

To: Loft Mountain Campground Shenandoah Nat'l Park
Miles today: 26.7
Weather: overcast clouds

Saw numerous rabbits (that didn't move from the trail) and deer today. At one point, I heard a bleating sound and a rustling in the brush, then saw a deer run across the trail. It came back, then saw the same deer being chased by a bear 20-30 yards in front of me. There'd been some sort of confrontation between the two. Talking later with a ranger, she said the bears will eat the fawn, so maybe the mother was trying to lead the bear away from her young.Staying the night at the campground ($15) in order to get a grassy spot for the tent. Expecting lots of rain tonight.
Date: 2015-06-03
From: Swift Run Gap

To: Skyland Resort
Miles today: 24.9
Weather: overcast clouds

Walked in rain most of morning. Saw several deer including one fawn and a bear running away. Foggy all day so there were no views. The trail was muddy, rocky or sometimes smooth and clear. Lots of vegetation hanging over the trail in the am so my shoes were wet all day.Two toenails have fallen off and one big toenail is quite sore and is in the process of falling off. Hope it goes quickly. Staying at the old lodge and the next door guests just got in. Noisier than my tent but way more creature comforts.It was nice to hike in cool weather. Expect more of the same tomorrow.Got some pictures of the deer and fawn but will have to upload in town.
Date: 2015-06-04
From: Skyland Resort

To: Stealth campsite mile 959.4
Miles today: 27.4

It was nice to leave from a dry room with a dry tent. Lighter and more comfy for sleeping in tonight.It rained most of the day. I like hiking in the rain. It is cooler, I don't sweat as much, hike faster, and don't have to drink or carry as much water.There were a lot of hikers on the trail for being such a rainy day. Thru north bound hikers, south bound section hikers and plenty of day hikers. One day hiker informed me that there was an electric hand dryer in the men's room at the parking area just ahead. I could go dry myself off. How thoughtful of her. Then what stop hiking until it quits raining. Some people.Had the best club sandwich at Elk Wallow wayside. There were a lot of hikers hanging out eating and getting out of the rain.CNN was there to interview people from Warrior Hikers. It is an organization that organizes long distance hikes for prior military to hike off their recent combat related issues. Everything is provided. All they have to do is apply for the program and if accepted show up and hike. Oh, and do interviews if asked to do so. It was a good day of hiking in the rain. Found a nice stealth campsite about 7:30 pm. I was all cozy in my tent and a young couple I have seen several times in the past weeks showed up to camp nearby in a rare available clear spot. It rained while they put up their tents.
Date: 2015-06-05
From: Stealth campsite mile 959.4

To: Hwy 522, front Royal
Miles today: 10.0

Woke up to water falling from the trees. Not rain but sounded like it.The ten miles to hwy 522 went quick. The trail was very muddy and slippery. Sometimes it was sliding steps down the hills. Some rocky areas and some large water puddles that I used to rinse the mud off of my shoes near the end of the hike. Only saw a couple hiking northbound, familiar faces. Also saw several Sobo day/section hikers as they called themselves. They wanted to visit but I kept it short.Walked part of the 3.1 miles into Front Royal then got an unsolicited ride the rest of the way.Typical town day of food box sorting, cleaning and drying gear and walking to a restaurant to eat.
Date: 2015-06-06
From: Hwy 522, front Royal

To: Rod Hollow Shelter
Miles today: 23.6
Weather: few clouds

Did not get on the trail until 9:30am.Had trail magic just before lunch. A young couple that hiked the AT last year had brownies and chocolate chip cookies. They were great, the couple and the treats. They had interesting stories of their adventure on the Trail.Took the wrong trail for about 20 minutes. Frustrating.Camped near a shelter. Too many people for me. I will try hard to stealth camp from now on.
Date: 2015-06-07
From: Rod Hollow Shelter

To: Harper's Ferry
Miles today: 29.8
Weather: overcast clouds

Started hiking at 5:40 am. Hiked for eleven hours as fast as I could to try to make it to the ATC before they closed at 5:00pm. Made it with only 20 minutes to spare. I did not know if I was going to make it until I was five miles out. I was soaked in sweat the whole day.I met more hikers on the trail today than any day so far. Did not engage in any chit chat.This section also contains The Roller Coaster, a 13.5 mile section of constant climbs and descents. When I arrived at the AT Conservancy I had the customary Polaroid pic taken by them for their hiker book. Soaked in sweat with heavy salt stains did not make a very good looking photo. They, like so many before mistook me for a section hiker. Too clean they all say. They were shocked when I told them this was my 54th day since starting in Georgia.Got a romAt the Econo Lodge and had salad and pizza delivered. Had enough walking for today.I am northbound hiker #487 to sign in at the ATC. That is a lot of people ahead of me. Most I will never see but it is still going to be a crowded trail as camping spots become more scarce.
Date: 2015-06-08
From: Harper's Ferry

To: Stealth campsite mile 1041.6
Miles today: 18.8

Did not get on the trail until 10:00.am.Ambled thru town on the trail. It was hard to get moving. The last time I was here was with Barb, Jeremiah , Heather and some of the granddaughters. I wanted to stay for a bit and remember the time we had together in Harper's Ferry. Didn't know I would feel this way. There are more memory spots ahead on the trail.Had trail magic at Gathland state Park. I had a miss understanding of what was said by one of the ladies putting on the great food spread. If you are reading this I sincerely apologize if I offended you.Got rained on pretty hard right as I put up my tent. I stopped hiking early because of the heavy T-storms. I had dry clothes to sleep in so all was good. Got up about 10:30pm and hung my wet hiking clothes up on a line thinking it was done raining. Just after getting back in my tent it started raining hard again. At least my clothes got the salt rinsed out of them. I stayed dry and warm all night.
Date: 2015-06-09
From: Stealth campsite mile 1041.6

To: Pen Mar Road
Miles today: 22.8
Weather: light rain

Got up late. Tent cleaned and dried easily. Hiking at 9:00am. First stop was the Washington Monument. Then it was a visit to Anapolis Rocks for a nice scenic view. Saw lots of day hikers and section hikers headed South on the trail.It was warm to hot today and it was hard to drink enough water.Close to the time I wanted to camp the town of Waynesboro, PA appeared before me pleading with me to infuse money into the local economy. I complied and got another motel room. I don't mind sleeping in my tent but seem to pick comfort every time.
Date: 2015-06-10
From: Pen Mar Road

To: Capsite mile 1088.1
Miles today: 23.7
Weather: broken clouds

Started the day with a 2 mile hike back to the trail whic is not included in the daily miles logged. It was all road but steep up hill. It took 40 minutes. Later on the trail I saw three gentlemen hiking that I saw at breakfast in the motel. I am sure they got a ride to the trail at a road crossing further up the trail. They are section hikers and not in thru hiker shape.I got to highway 30 about 3:00 but had to cross the road to read the sign and that was where the trail continued. Very busy road and my $80 hat fell off as I ran accords the road. I looked back for my hat as I was tearing my pack off my back. It landed right in the middle of the road but here comes a semi!! I knew it was a goner for sure. The truck blew by and my Tilley hat just floated down the yellow center line about five feet. Not any time to waste, no cars on my side of the road. I dashed out, snatched up my Tilley Hat and dashed back to the safety of the side of the road. The computer game frogger was in my mind as I rescued my hat. Road crossing has been the only dangerous part of my journey so far. A speeding car tooted his horn at me as I crossed a double lane divided highway after Front Royal. Cars are extremely more dangerous than bears.Safely on the other side of the road I read the small sign that said US 30. That's my road to my next food drop at Trail of Hope Hostel. It is a new hostel that has not had much business. Very nice people. There was a mother and daughter staying there that tried to talk me into staying. It was just too early in the day, 4:00, for me to stop hiking. On my 0.8 mile hike back to the trail, a hiker named miles can up behind me. He had walked up to the new BBQ place, 0.4 mles off the trail, to get real food. We chated as we hiked to the nearby Calidonia park. It was around 5:00 so I stopped to eat my delicious cold chili as he hiked on with Super Moon who was just coming from the concession stand in the park.I found a nice campsite about 7:45 and nested in alone for the night.
Date: 2015-06-11
From: Capsite mile 1088.1

To: Campsite mile 1116.2
Miles today: 28.1
Weather: scattered clouds

Made it to the half way point at 9:15 am.Saw a rattle snake sunning on the trail. It coiled and rattled when I took his picture. Took one while he was coiled but I was a bit nervous to get a good pic while it warned me with the whole rattle shaking thing going on. Might more dangerous than certain road crossings.The highlight of my day was getting to the General Store at Pine Grove Furnace State Park. Home of the half gallon challenge. I think the time limit is one hour to eat 1/2 gallon of ice cream to celebrate making it to the 1/2 way point on the AT. It is a gathering and resting place for hikers. Real food, chairs, tables, restrooms and a place to charge phones.Most hikers ordered real food. I ate my tuna and crackers. I was still hungry so I decided to do the challenge. The 1/2gal is only 1.75 quarts so another pint has to be purchased in addition to the almost half gallon. Oliver finished his in 34 minutes. I chose Cookies and cream for my 1.75 qts. It went down easy. For my pint I got a combo of Moose Tracks, chocolate and vanilla. It went down very easy. Took 30 minutes. I could have eaten more and wanted to but I just spent $9.00. Good thing I brought my own lunch. Miles finished his in 24 minutes. Neither of the other two hikers were feeling well afterwords.It was a very hot day so I relaxed for a bit and visited the AT museum. Small but interesting. I also looked at the furnace which is the namesake of the park. Interesting pictures and narrative. People worked harder in those days and did not need to hike ten hours a day to stay fit.Hiked on and saw two of the girl hikers from the Gen Store camping alone about a mile apart. Both asked me if I saw any good bear bag hanging spots. There were no good spots. That is the down side of not camping near a shelter that has a bear pole. A bear pole is a metal pole with large metal hooks to hang your food bag out of the reach of bears.I hiked until 8:20. Went up a steep hill at the end of the day and thru the Rock Mazes at the end of the day. It was the hottest day yet but I took a long break at lunch. It was worth the extra hours and miles.Camped alone again. I passed many occupied sites and some empty ones on the way to mine.
Date: 2015-06-12
From: Campsite mile 1116.2

To: US 11 Carlisle, PA
Miles today: 13.1
Weather: light rain

I was surprised to see a hiker pass my campsite while I was eating breakfast in my tent. He must have got a very early start.On the trail before seven and in In Boiling Springs about 9:00am, when the post office opens. It was only 5.5 miles and easy trail.There were about half a dozen fly fishermen on the stream in Boiling Springs. Next to this stream was another furnace like the one at Pine Grove Furnace SP.I got my one day food from the PO, mailed a small box home and sorted & packed my food accord the street at the Regional Appalachian Trail Conservancy office. They have a porch, picnic table, water, trash cans and a recycle bin. It was warm when I started hiking so I wanted to hike my next 7.5 miles before it got to be the hottest part of the day. The trail was very easy, quite flat and free of rocks and roots. It did have sections passing thru open fields. That made for hot hiking. Tinker Bell came flying by me just outside of Boiling Springs where she had spent the night. I met several other hikers resting alongside the trail obviously overheated. Large packs. One guy had long pants on. Glad I can wear shorts. I made to my destination about 12:30. At least the day in a motel. Maybe a zero too.The guy at the Super 8 Motel let me check in early. I washed my salty clothes and my back pack, which was turning white with salt. Lucky for me they had 2 washing machines and both were open.Hiking in the heat has resulted in some chaffing from where my pack belt and straps ride. The bigger issue is heel blisters on both feet that are not improving but worsening.Having some time to relax in my room I calculated my days and realize that it has been 12 days since my last zero. I need a zero day.