morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2006-06-02
From: Paul C. Wolfe Shelter

To: Rockfish Gap/Waynesboro
Miles today: 5.0
Weather: moderate rain

I think the only reason we are able to continue hiking this trail after 800 miles is that we occasionally take time to stop hiking it. After a quick five-mile jaunt that included four orange salamanders and six box turtles right on the trail, we reached Waynesboro around 9AM. Since my arrival, I've been working hard to keep the local restaurant economy viable. Today I ate:2 packets of oatmeal2 granola bars2 fried eggs4 link sausages2 pieces of toast1 large pancake1 awesome roast beef and brie sandwich1 out-of-this-world slice of white chocolate cheesecake1 8-oz cut of prime rib1 house salad1 big ol' heep of garlic mashed potatoesAlso bought a lighter summer sleeping bag (my 20-degree bag has turned into an oven recently), got my hair cut, and soaked my feet in an attempt to gain some feeling back in them.Scott arrived around 8PM. John is also here--he has skipped ahead to hike Shenandoah with us. And Richard arrives tomorrow. So, the gang's (almost) all here and will start hiking north again on Sunday. Tomorrow will be a zero day, and at some point we'll all need to sit down together to strategize the slack-packing opportunities that access to two rental cars presents.
Date: 2006-06-04
From: Rockfish Gap/Waynesboro

To: Blackrock Gap
Miles today: 19.3

Picture perfect hiking day. Never got out of the 70's, a beautiful cool breeze, mostly sunny, and lighter daypacks on our backs. We set up the cars so that we could start at one and hike back to the other. John and Richard, however, are hiking as real men and departed this morning with full packs and plans to camp out for three nights and hike about 45 miles. I want to send a big thank you to trail angel Christine, who left us a fabulous and uniquely specific bit of trail magic a couple days ago. Bama, Oly, and I rounded a curve over a rocky bit of trail, and found perched on a boulder three pairs of brand new still-in-the-package hiking socks (one large pair and two mediums). I am wearing my socks today and they feel great. Super timing, too, as I'd planned to buy a new pair of socks in Waynesboro. Thanks, Christine!Since we hiked south today (technical term is 'back-slacking') and John and Richard were hiking north, we were able to meet in the middle and have lunch together, which was fun. Spotted a deer or two today, both with nearly no fear of humans--they walked right beside us and seemed only mildly interested in our presence. Also saw a couple jack rabbits. We keep hearing tales of rattlesnake and copperheard sightings from other hikers, yet we continue to see only cute fluffy animals. Still no bears.
Date: 2006-06-05
From: Blackrock Gap

To: Simmons Gap
Miles today: 16.0

Deer, deer, and more deer. The trail was lousy with them today and they were as tame as basset hounds (well, as Mo...not Maggie). We could have scratched them behind the ears. We had to coax one young buck off the trail to let us by. Another picture perfect hiking day. Cooler than yesterday--in the 60's. Even wore my long-sleeved fleece half the day to keep warm, which I haven't had to do for weeks. It was heaven! We also came upon a 'wayside' around noon, which is Shenandoah speak for 'a place that will serve you bacon cheeseburgers and blackberry milkshakes at Disney World prices.' We happily obliged.I am a little disappointed and concerned that the mail drop box that Scott sent a couple weeks ago to Waynesboro has still not arrived. While the food and other odds and ends he sends are handy, this particular box also contained a $180 NEW PAIR OF VASQUE HIKING BOOTS. Figures that the only truly valuable box he sends is the one that gets lost. My current boots have taken a beating and will probably not last more than another 100 miles or so.Speaking of mail drops, a HUGE thank you to Ann and Aparna and all my UPO friends for your box of goodies--it DID manage to get here. What a beautiful card (and picture!)--it made me cry. (I'm turning into an absolute sap out here. It's ridiculous.) When the going gets tough, all of your encouraging words will come back to me. If people as wonderful as you believe I can make it to Maine, there might just be a chance that I can. Once again, the freeze dried meals and drink mixes are great...and mounds of MOUNDS! My favorite! Often I will eyeball the elevation chart before a big climb and decide whether it's a one-Mounds or a two-Mounds mountain (or three or four...). The box of smores fixins was adorable and the Mon/Tue-only Alligator crossword puzzles will make me feel brilliant when we all know the real truth. Crossword puzzles provide a much needed diversion at laundromats. And what's up with the huge alligator crossing 34th Street??? What's up with alligators in general in Florida right now? Every time I turn on the news in a hotel room up here it looks like the state is either burning down or being overtaken by gators. Oh--and I have shared the little book you photocopied with all the animals in it with anyone who will look at it. It's priceless. (...except that nothing is ever out of reach for a mouse.)   It was also a wonderful surprise to receive a billboard-sized card from all of my FACC friends! I missed seeing you all in Daytona this May, but will hopefully get to catch up with you again at the statewide conference in November. Thank you also to Emily, who I'm sure was the instigation behind this big card.      So many people out here have either quit their jobs to come hike or are lamenting having to return to jobs they hate when their AT journey is over. I am grateful every day that this couldn't be further from my situation. I am so lucky to work with the best colleagues (UF and community college) and students in the world. I miss you all so much.
Date: 2006-06-06
From: Simmons Gap

To: Lewis Mountain Campground
Miles today: 17.8
Weather: scattered clouds

900 miles. This milepost was more fun than 800. Scott was with us to take a picture of Bama and me. And instead of peeling bugs off my eyes in a 90-degree haze, it was 65-70 degrees, breezy, and beautiful, with lighter daypacks on our backs, gentle rolling terrain, and Weasie's fried chicken platter soon to be in our bellies. This is how hiking should be. Deer are still practically falling out of trees into our laps. Scott briefly considered trying to strap his pack and a leash to one of them.Scott leaves tomorrow afternoon, just in time for Bama's husband Bill to arrive. So we'll be moving to another hotel in Waynesboro and conitinuing to slack-pack from there (with probably another zero day in there somewhere). Since entering Shenandoah National Park and hiking over half of it, we have yet to carry more than lunch or sleep outside. Guess we won't be winning the AT Thru-Hiker Purist Award. As long as my feet walk over the whole trail, I'm not going to lose any sleep over it. In fact, I'm gaining sleep...in warm, comfy hotel beds.
Date: 2006-06-07
From: Lewis Mountain Campground

To: Big Meadows
Miles today: 8.7
Weather: scattered clouds

Only hiked a half day this morning since Scott has to fly back to FL this afternoon. That boy brought some amazing weather with him this week. Simply flawless. And get this. After 900 miles, the number of bears I've seen still amounts to approximately zero. After three and a half DAYS of hiking, Scott spots a bear this morning. In fact, it sounds like everyone within a five-mile radius of us EXCEPT us saw bears this morning. One couple had a bear hassle them near a campground for much of last night. Note to bears: I'd like to see you, but please be frolicking playfully along in a general direction AWAY from me when I do instead of stalking me for my food bag.Scott, who before this week hasn't hiked with me since the Smokeys, claims that the past 500 or so miles has quickened my pace. True, I was usually five or ten minutes ahead of him this week, but I attribute that mostly to the friendlier terrain of this segment and the cooler weather. Had he hiked with me during the heat wave and steep climbs of last week, he would have witnessed the Tim Conway walk. I now sit in a Waynesboro Holiday Inn Express that has a computer room, pool, hot tub, sauna, and free breakfast. Tomorrow we take a zero day. This has been a week of guilty pleasures.
Date: 2006-06-09
From: Big Meadows

To: Thornton Gap
Miles today: 17.8

This will be a quickie, as there's a line of people forming in the hotel here who are tapping their feet waiting to use the one computer.Another beautiful day today...65-70 degrees, cool breezes, gently rolling terrain, and light packs on our backs. Ran into some hikers who we hadn't seen in a while today (Windtalker and Mom, Banjoman, Rusch Hour, Transcriber), so it was fun to catch up. Bama and I remain the only hikers on the trail who haven't seen a $#@&* bear. I may resort to Windtalker's strategy and stick a stuffed animal bear in my pack, take it out every now and then, and take a picture of it on a log or cliff or something. But even he saw the real thing today. Sheeesh.Tomorrow we get off the slack-packing bus and finally start hiking north for real with all of our stuff. Party's over.
Date: 2006-06-10
From: Thornton Gap

To: Gravel Springs Hut
Miles today: 14.3
Weather: overcast clouds

Party's definitely over. We realized how soft we'd gotten over the past week when we slung our full packs on at 7:30AM and began to climb. At 7:45, I stopped and emptied the contents of one quart-sized nalgene bottle on the ground. My pack weight was a little more tolerable after that. We decided to keep our mileage somewhat low today as we break ourselves in again with full packs.Today--June 10--was actually a bit COLD. Only 50-60 degrees with a very blustery wind. Heaven! Poor Bama was dressed from head to toe in rain gear to keep warm, true southern gal that she is. Although I've lived in FL for 30 years, I've apparently retained some Canadian blood. Heat shuts me down way faster than cold. Chilly weather in June is cause for celebration!Saw fewer deer today and still no bears. We're starting to see some pretty red and yellow columbine flowers along the trail now. Speaking of flowers, Lauren--thank you for sending the gorgeous pictures of your flowers. Your backyard must look like a botanical garden! Bama enjoyed seeing your pictures, too, as shee is a talented gardner and owner of a 'Yard of the Month' lawn back in Birmingham. Scott and I, on the other hand, put the 'zero' in xeriscaping.We're in a shelter tonight with several hikers we've met earlier in our journey--they're all starting to catch back up with us (and will soon pass us) from the big Trail Days celebration in Damascus. Among tonight's gang is Banjoman, who carries a small banjo or guitar with him (I think it's a guitar today). Perhaps we'll be treated to a concert later.
Date: 2006-06-11
From: Gravel Springs Hut

To: Jim & Molly Denton Shelter
Miles today: 18.6
Weather: overcast clouds

Enjoyed a wonderful shelter concert last night featuring Banjoman on guitar and lead vocals and the rest of us (badly) singing/humming along. Since I just sent home most of my warmer things and replaced my 20-degree sleeping bag with a lighter summer one, the temps dropped into the 30's last night. Managed to survive a chilly night and the cold temps this morning motivated us to keep moving.Here's the big news flash of the day: At 7:22AM EST, I FINALLY SAW MY FIRST BEAR ON THE A.T.!!! Would have totally missed him (since he didn't make a peep) had I not glanced to my right for no real reason. I initially saw what looked like just another tree trunk in the shadows of the woods, then I slowly realized that this particular tree had a nose...and eyes...and paws. He stood motionless on his back legs, about 20 feet from where I was standing, looked at me with a disinterested expression, and probably thought "...another stupidly grinning hiker. Yawn." Once I realized what I was looking at, my first reaction was to freeze and then slowly unzip my front pouch to retrieve my camera as quietly as possible. I did manage to take a picture of him, but given his distance from me and the dark woods, I don't know how clear it will be. The bear looked to be around adolescent age--larger than a cub, but not huge. And he (or she, I don't know) obviously had read my memo, as after our staring contest s/he lowered down on all fours and slowly ambled away in as non-threatening a manner as possible. My heart was racing, but not from fear--just from the incredible experience of seeing such an awesome animal right in front of me. Talk about bringing ever fiber of your being into the here and now! I will always remember this moment.Today was our final day in Shenandoah, so I'm even more grateful that a bear finally decided to reveal itself to me. Bama and I had convinced ourselves that they've been hiding behind trees giggling at us for days. I feel like I've finally been initiated into a secret society. The Bear People.
Date: 2006-06-12
From: Jim & Molly Denton Shelter

To: Rod Hollow Shelter
Miles today: 18.9
Weather: scattered clouds

Last night's shelter was the nicest one we've stayed in so far...very clean, with a porch, an 'Adirondack sofa', and a separate pavillion with picnic table. Four stars! We slept like babies. We even slept in until 7AM since a heavy rainstorm started around 5AM and lasted a couple hours.After the early rain, this morning's hike can best be described as drippy. Much of today's trail was overgrown with tall weeds and grasses and wild grapevines dangling down into our faces. After the rain stopped, all the foliage continued to drip on us and our packs for hours. Passed (and ate) lots of wild strawberries along the trail. They're not as sweet or large as the strawberries we buy in grocery stores, but they provided a culinary diversion from the (1000's of) Skittles in my pack.This afternoon's hike changed from drippy to cobwebby (sure, that's a word)...again, all at face level. One spider crawled down the back of my shirt, which caused a bit of a dance. (I thought of you, Matt.) I can tolerate the occassional swallowing of a bug, but a spider between me and my shirt is clearly unacceptable.Our last couple 18+ mile days with full packs have permitted us to recover from soft slack-packing shoulders. Tomorrow's hike will also clock in around 18 miles and includes a section called 'The Rollercoaster.' No flat terrain on the map...all ups and downs for about 14 miles. Weeeeeeeee! The shelter we're staying in tonight has a bird's nest tucked in one corner with five baby birds in it. The mom keeps flying in with worm and bug snacks, and every time she lands on the edge of the nest a chorus of baby bird chips fills the air. This is ridiculously cute.
Date: 2006-06-13
From: Rod Hollow Shelter

To: Blackburn Trail Center
Miles today: 17.8
Weather: overcast clouds

Today's big news is not that we hit our fifth state, which we did (West Virginia--wooHOO!) And it's not that we survived The Rollercoaster, which we also (barely) did. Today's big news is the mother lode of food that we scored!Bears Den Hostel is this wonderful old stone building surrounded by lush green lawns, colorful flowers, and a picnic area. We reached the hostel around noon after one of the longest climbs of the day ("Please, carnival man, let us off The Rollercoaster.") We stumbled into the main building of the hostel and into the middle of a luncheon for a group of local mental health counselors. Being warm, fuzzy mental health counselors, they asked "Would you all like some lunch? We have plenty of extra food!" Don't have to ask us twice. The food was UPO-luncheon-level-out-of-this-world! Homemade cookies, brownies, pizzas, fresh fruit that I haven't eaten in three months (pineapple at just the perfect point of ripeness...mmmmmm), all kinds of yummy veggie and pasta salads, brie (BRIE!!!), cheesecake, and....drumroll....tiramisu! Bama, Just Judy (a section hiker from ME whom we met 4-5 days ago who is doing all of VA), and I nearly cried. At one point, Judy looks up with tears in her eyes and says "Look...parsley!" None of this is usually available to hikers who stay at Bears Den. We just completely lucked out in our timing and the generosity of this group. The woman who invited us to lunch, Stacy, actually did a 14-month thru-hike ACROSS the US in the early 80's. That makes our AT hike look like a stroll in the park. Stacey and her colleagues peppered us with questions about our hike, which we happily answered in between shovelling food into our faces. We also enjoyed a chat with David, the caretaker of the hostel, who explained the history of the place to us and described fond memories of working with Melody and Patti--the ladies we stayed with back in Catawba. I'm sure glad we made this a lunch stop today!With bordering-on-painful-full bellies, our eight-mile afternoon trudge through the remainder of The Rollercoaster was challenging to say the least. Temps reached into the 80's and our beautiful breeze of the past couple days disappeared...AND, in addition to the constant ups and downs, most of The Rollercoaster was a rock scramble. We finally reached tonight's hostel around 6PM with pummelled feet. I walked in and was immediately served a heaping plate of spaghetti, salad, and brownies fresh out of the oven. Took a 'refreshing' (read: cold) outdoor shower, and am about to collapse into my sleeping bag on a screened-in porch. This is luxury. Red Wing, the hostel's manager and no relation to Little Wing, has cheerfully met our every need and has happily shared tales with us of his '99 and '05 AT thru-hikes. What a crazy, tough, wonderful day! A big thank you to Stacy, David, and Red Wing for making it possible.
Date: 2006-06-14
From: Blackburn Trail Center

To: Harpers Ferry WV
Miles today: 12.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Two HUGE goals met today:1) 1000 miles! Now that I've hit the four-digit mark, I feel more comfortable answering in the affirmative when people ask me if I'm a thru-hiker. HELL yes!2) A visit to the headquarters of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy in Harpers Ferry! The folks here took my picture and logged me in as thru-hiker #318 to pass through here this season. I don't know the exact number, but I think a couple thousand or so hikers attempt a thru-hike each year and around 10-15% make it all the way. While it's not the exact halfway mark (that's about 70 miles up the trail), Harper's Ferry is considered to be the 'psychological halfway point.' As such, I am thrilled to report that I FEEL GREAT!!! Haven't considered leaving the trail for a second yet, and only experienced a couple sulky hours one morning a few weeks ago out of Catawba. Lately, when the going gets tough I've been imagining that I'm on a sort of reality show like Fear Factor or something. "If I can hike past this next mile's stretch of boulder field in 85-degree heat and bugs clinging to my eyeballs without cracking, I win a million dollars...OR the opportunity to do this again for another 1100 miles!" Helps keep me focused on small goals and the here and now. Eventually the small daily goals add up and you realize you've hiked 1000 miles, which no one could ever have convinced me I was capable of in a million years. I think an appreciation of the general absurdity of life (on and off the trail) has also helped bolster my spirits out here. The more ridiculous the challenges get out here, the more they tend to make me shake my head and laugh. Now that I see John (a.k.a., Flat Rocks) has entered his final journal, I wanted to give him a special shout out. Thank you for beginning this crazy journey with me. Having you as my hiking partner for the first 400 or so miles helped to take the edge off embarking on this daunting adventure and you helped me get through some emotionally trying times with Frank's passing. I know you and I will bore friends and family with our AT stories for years. I will think of you every time I hang a food bag or eat caramel. A very wise man once said "There are many roads that lead to Erwin." If you and I can figure out how to take the flexibility, spontaneity, and adaptability of that comment back home from the trail, our journeys will have been sucessful regardless of the miles travelled. You will remain, forever, The Dude.
Date: 2006-06-15
From: Harpers Ferry WV

To: Harpers Ferry WV
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Glorious zero day in a charming, historical town. Our hotel sits atop a hill overlooking the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers. I am sitting in West Virginia and can see Maryland to my left and Virginia to my right. Simply gorgeous.   Bama and I were SO pleased to catch Oly right before his son came to pick him up and drive him home to Illinois yesterday. Harpers Ferry was his planned ending point this year, giving him ANOTHER 1000 AT miles hiked (at age 70). When we reached the ATC center yesterday, others here told us we'd missed Oly by about 20 minutes. We were devastated. Then, while talking with Old Drum for a few minutes, I hear 'jingle, jingle, jingle.' Oly's bear bell! He figured we weren't too far behind him and waited around with his son so he could see us before he left. What a reunion! We celebrated at a great pizza place for lunch, which Oly generously paid for. We will miss Oly out here so much. I was always so happy to see him at a shelter I was walking up to at the end of a long day's hike. And he was always there ahead of us because we can't keep up with him! Oly was always a willing volunteer in helping me polish off the last of a Mountain House meal (for 2) that I couldn't quite finish on my own (a rarer occasion these days). I have met so many folks out here who inspire me, and Oly is at the top of that list. In the months ahead, I will think often of his steady persistence, happy and caring nature, and insatiable appetite for adventure AND food...and keep going because I know he'll be rooting me on from home. Thank you for being such a wonderful member of my hiker family, Oly, and please keep in touch.Bama's daughter Robin and her two granddaughters are visiting today, so they're enjoying time together in Harpers Ferry. I hope to find a little time in between the usual town errands of laundry, post office, and groceries to take in some of the historical sights here. We plan to jump back on the trail in the morning.