morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2007-03-14
From: Tri-Corner Knob Shelter

To: Standing Bear Farm Hostel
Miles today: 18.1
Weather: broken clouds

It rained in the night, but let up before we got out of the shelter in the morning. We ran like hell once again to get out of the Smokies and to the Standing Bear (it looked like it would rain, but strangely held off).We found Otto, Pilgrim, Jennifer (Tau), and Toesocks at the Standing Bear. What a great place! Curtis is one of the funniest guys I've found on the trail, and I would definitely recommend stopping there for a day just for the show. Not to mention the great atmosphere at the hostel.I think I'm going to slow down my schedule so I can continue to hang out with Kentucky Blue and Cough Drop. They've been amazing hiking partners, and it's been amazing to hike with them so far. Damn good times!
Date: 2007-03-15
From: Standing Bear Farm Hostel

To: Roaring Fork Shelter
Miles today: 15.4
Weather: scattered clouds

Soooo humid today. My sweat line went from my neck to my knees, and I started to smell like cat pee from all the perspiration. Or at least I hope it was that.We left Standing Bear and walked a while. Passed Toe-Socks early on, then Grizzly right on the side of Max Patch. What a cool place! We ran over it, though, because it looked like it would rain. That held off until the evening, though.
Date: 2007-03-16
From: Roaring Fork Shelter

To: Sunnybank Inn, Hot Springs
Miles today: 18.0
Weather: light rain

It started raining at about 7 last night, and it sounded like a downpour because of the tin roof on the shelter. Sleeping through that was a bit exciting. It was foggy and drizzly all day, so Kentucky Blue and Cough Drop and I hightailed it into Hot Springs like the devil was at our heels. Made it the 18 miles by about 3 PM, then checked into the Sunnybank. Oh what a wonderful town!Kentucky and I had dinner at Elmer's, but most of the rest of the day we spent resting our feet and drying out.We met Backyard Boogie, Sticker, Pilgrim and Jennifer/Tau, and Comer & Jean that night. Between Backyard Boogie, Comer and Jean, the stories never stopped rolling, and I was in stitches the whole night. I really can't get enough of Backyard's rambling. Funny funny man!
Date: 2007-03-17
From: Sunnybank Inn, Hot Springs

To: Sunnybank Inn, Hot Springs
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

Kentucky Blue and Cough Drop and I spent a good zero day in Hot Springs. I ate like a champ, plowing through breakfast at the Duckett House, and about two dinners at the Bridge Street Cafe... man, such good food.One of the best parts of the day, aside from sitting around and resting in the beautiful sunny weather, was running into all sorts of folks who had caught up with us from behind. Fed-Ex and Tuna Mac came in from Standing Bear (Tmac had hiked the whole way in one day), and we heard plenty of news from the others behind us. Justin/Turbo got into town, too, and added another goofy personality to our little hiking group.There was a nice little bluegrass band playing at the Paddler's Pub after dinner, but we were too used to going to bed at 8 to stay very long. Good night!
Date: 2007-03-18
From: Sunnybank Inn, Hot Springs

To: Spring Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: clear sky

After getting stalled on my way out of Hot Springs (Hatchet Jack and Chip, The Dude, Otto, and a few others showed up in the morning), I took it nice and easy with a very full food-bag up to Spring Mountain.Not much to say today. The shelter was a bit.... rustic. But the company was fine.
Date: 2007-03-19
From: Spring Mountain Shelter

To: Flint Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 21.3
Weather: scattered clouds

Big day! I didn't sleep all that well because it was mighty cold and there was some big snoring going on in the shelter. I was planning on making huge miles today, but when Tuna Mac and I got to the first road crossing we saw a sign for some trail magic down the road. We couldn't resist (it said belgian waffles... you can't turn down belgian waffles), so we hoofed it down the road where we found Kentucky Blue, Pilgrim, Fed-Ex, and Jennifer already sitting at the table with Hercules and Fal. Those two are an amazing couple... they just kept throwing food at me, and I couldn't resist. I hope they continue to share their love of hiking and food with everyone. I gorged myself until I could barely move, but I still had to hike another 17 miles. urgh.I managed to make it to Flint Mountain, where we finally met up with AlleyCat and Backyard Boogie, and before the rain started coming down. It was a good crowd at the shelter that night-- Justin and Jennifer couldn't stop gossiping and whatnot, but it was great entertainment for the rest of us.Somehow, for my first 20+ mile day, I didn't feel all that bad at the end of the day.
Date: 2007-03-20
From: Flint Mountain Shelter

To: Bald Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 18.8
Weather: overcast clouds

Another long day. We met Hawk at lunchtime, then kept moving. Tau and Turbo (or Jen and Justin, since they don't go by trail names too often) provided tons of entertainment at the shelter tonight, as always. Wild crew.The only major excitement for the day was from Alleycat trying to get information on Jen's non-trail life, which had me in stitches. Jen was determined not to talk about life off the trail, and Alleycat wanted to know all there is to know about it. Jen managed to stave off even the most determined efforts. "Honey, I'm a hiker." That's all. I love it.
Date: 2007-03-21
From: Bald Mountain Shelter

To: Miss Janet's
Miles today: 16.9

We rushed into Erwin as fast as we could, and made our way to Miss Janet's place for some good ol' relaxation. Hawk, Alleycat, Osprey, and Mousetrap were all there ahead of us (and sticker... he's always at the hostels ahead of us). It was great to see Mousetrap, since the last time I'd seen him was at Josh & Leigh Saint's Hiker Hostel before Springer. Pretty cool.Justin, Jen, Cough Drop, Fed-Ex, Kentucky Blue and I got ourselves some tasty burritos, then spent the evening baking cookies and cinnamon rolls in Miss Janet's kitchen. It was a bit chaotic in the house that evening, but thanks to some new earplugs I was able to get some much needed sleep.
Date: 2007-03-22
From: Iron Mountain Gap

To: Miss Janet's
Miles today: 19.1

My first slackpack! Cough Drop came up with the idea to slack 19 miles from Iron Mountain gap back to Erwin, so Fed-Ex, Kentucky Blue, Justin, Jen and I joined right in. The hike was pretty nice (although there was one point where we went straight up the steepest part of a mountain and then did a perfect U-turn to go right back down... that wasn't the brightest looking section of trail), but mostly uneventful.Another night at Miss Janet's was quite nice. Pizza, Wayne's World, and margaritas!
Date: 2007-03-23
From: Iron Mountain Gap

To: Clyde Smith Shelter
Miles today: 6.1
Weather: clear sky

We were going to get moving from Miss Janet's earlier today, but she was busy shuttling people around, so we hung out on the porch and met a bunch of other hikers. Backyard Boogie showed up and told stories, which was great. I'll never get tired of hearing him go on about all the crazy things he's done. Clem and Hatchet Jack showed up later in the day, along with Garret and Adam and Snakebite, which was great. So nice to see people that we've already left behind.Anyway. We got on the trail at about 4, and hiked into Clyde Smith Shelter, where a troop of boy scouts had already taken over. We set up tents, had ourselves some dinner, then had a good time hanging unnecessary bear bags. Good night for a nap.
Date: 2007-03-24
From: Clyde Smith Shelter

To: Overmountain Shelter
Miles today: 12.9
Weather: broken clouds

Roan Mountain was quite the badass. We set out early and conquered that mountain, but it was a rough start for the day.At Carver's Gap, we were overwhelmed with the weekend day-hiker crowd, so we tried to hightail it out of there. Beautiful day, but I was terrified of the crowds. Kentucky Blue and I got to Overmountain Shelter at about 2:30 in the afternoon, but the crowds were so big that we decided to tent by the AT. It was a very short day, but the rest was nice.Mousetrap and Osprey caught up with us that evening, and I got ambushed by the cutest little puppy I've seen in a long time while I was in my sleeping bag.
Date: 2007-03-25
From: Overmountain Shelter

To: Mountaineer Shelter
Miles today: 17.2
Weather: clear sky

The day started out a little chilly and breezy, which was great. We got to the top of Hump Mountain and had some amazing views, but as soon as we crested the mountain the wind died and it turned into the most sweltering day ever. Apparently it got up to 85 degrees. Disgusting.Kentucky Blue and Jen/Tau and I ended up zombie-walking through most of the afternoon, stopping for water wherever we could find it. Jones Falls couldn't have come at a better time, so we stopped and basked in the ice-water for a while. Jen tried to climb the falls a bit, then slipped down them and probably would have met a nasty end if not for a well placed boulder. Crazy.Mountaineer shelter was very nice, but it would have been nicer with a privy. The Tennessee Eastman Hiking Club really needs to wake up and put some outhouses with their shelters. Holy crap.Zero caught up with us that night, but I was busy feeling sick so I didn't get much chance to say hi. Kincora tomorrow!
Date: 2007-03-26
From: Mountaineer Shelter

To: Kincora
Miles today: 15.3
Weather: overcast clouds

Most of the folks at the shelter woke up at 3 to get to the Kincora early, but me and Cough Drop and Kentucky Blue waited for a reasonable hour. I ended up passing Zero as he was waking up at the next shelter, so I got a chance to chat with him a bit.Otherwise the day was pretty lazy. We got to Kincora, chilled out, listened to Bob's stories and had a good time.Sticker was there ahead of us again, which makes three hostels that he's been at before we arrived. Yellowblazing like crazy. He's pretty goofy, though.
Date: 2007-03-27
From: Kincora

To: Vandeventer Shelter
Miles today: 17.5
Weather: light rain

The first half of the day was a slackpack from US 321 at Bob's suggestion, so we had an easy morning and stopped at the Skinny-dipping spot for some cold water. It wasn't as hot as the other day, so I just soaked my feet. Damn that felt good.In the afternoon I headed up to Vandeventer Shelter while most everyone else stayed behind. I should have packed more water, but I was stupid and ended up getting to Vandeventer extremely dehydrated. Bah. Fed-Ex and Zero spent the night there as well. Damn good views to the lake from that shelter. But again.... it needed a privy.
Date: 2007-03-28
From: Vandeventer Shelter

To: Abingdon Gap Shelter
Miles today: 22.7
Weather: light rain

The first half of the day was easy sailing. I cruised all the way down to the road for my first real lunch break, then kept moving and moving. Not much eventful happened, although when I got to the Abingdon Gap shelter there had been some thunder in the distance, so I wasn't sure if I wanted to tent out beyond the shelter for an easier hike into Damascus the next day.As soon as I got my water filled up at the shelter, though, the downpour started-- thunder & lightning and all! So I decided to stay. My feet were quite happy with that decision. The broken toe has been acting up, and my ankles were just as sore as could be.Once the rain died down, the mice came out to play. What a night!
Date: 2007-03-29
From: Abingdon Gap Shelter

To: Damascus
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: light rain

I woke up as early as I could and hoofed it into Damascus, where Osprey and Sticker and Fed-Ex were already waiting. I finally met Juniper, Salamander and MoLassus, too.I was so tired that I couldn't make it any farther than Dave's Place, which was fine since that's where everyone seems to meet. Cough Drop found me there after he drove Jen to Boone, and Kentucky Blue showed up not much later. Mousetrap rolled in just before we hit the road for a little trip into Abingdon to get food and go to the movies.
Date: 2007-03-30
From: Elk Park

To: Damascus
Miles today: 23.8
Weather: overcast clouds

Another slackpack day! Cough Drop shuttled Osprey, Molassus, Kentucky Blue, Fed-Ex and me out to Elk Park by 7 AM (we had to wake up at 5:30... ouch) and we started to cruise on back to Damascus. I definitely started the trail all gung-ho about not doing any alternative modes of hiking, but slackpacking is just too good to pass up. Especially to keep me on my schedule.The fog cleared just as we were standing on Buzzard Rock, which was a beautiful effect. The cool temperatures throughout the day were also perfect, and we managed to get into town after just about 8 hours on the trail.With the crowds rolling into Dave's Place, I switched over to the Hiker Inn (damn comfy beds!) and hung out with Ricky The Cat most of the afternoon. A bunch of us ended up getting dinner at the Old Mill later that night, and I was going to stay for the band but I was just too tired. I'm surprised some of the others stuck around, since Lone Wolf brought some moonshine over to the hiker crowd. Whoah now!I wasn't going to stay in town, but since this is my last major town stop until Harper's Ferry, I think I'm taking a zero in Damascus tomorrow. And to think... I was originally only going to stop in Damascus for lunch and then keep moving. Three nights here, now.
Date: 2007-04-15
From: US Rte 60

To: Montebello, Dutch Haus B+B
Miles today: 0.0

I'm chilling out with Fed Ex and Osprey here in the Dutch Haus right now. The last week has been hell on my mind and body, with freezing temperatures and wet conditions. I made it 186 miles from Pearisburg to here in 8 days, and my feet hate me for it. I think I might slow down a touch for the next week or so. We'll see what happens.The Dutch is a lovely place, and I'll be spending my second night here tonight, after slackpacking today. I'm off to soak my feet in epsom salts at the moment. Oh, unhappy feet.Tyvek is here, too, starting back on the trail after getting off last year. Cool guy... hikes barefoot and makes all of his gear out of tyvek. I love it.
Date: 2007-04-24
From: Rod Hollow Shelter

To: Bear's Den Hostel
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

Aaaah, the Bear's Den. And aaaaaah my feet!Fed Ex and I took off from the Dutch Haus amidst heavy winds and snow, but the weather soon turned for the better. In fact, it turned around too much by the time we finished the Shenandoahs, but here's the condensed version of that story. I'll do the daily updates for this journal sometime in the far future, I think.We made it to Waynesboro with no problems, aside from the intense winds that had trees falling down all around us, and took half the day off while Fed Ex got his orthodontic stuff fixed, but the time off turned out to be somewhat wasted, as we walked all around town and didn't give our feet much rest. When we got back on the trail, I found walking to be extremely painful, and I eventually found a strangely placed blister between my big toe and second toe, and despite caring for it as much as possible, it has made walking unpleasant ever since. I realized the other day that my pair of Vasque Velocities have over 1000 miles on them, and that is probably a major reason for my feet being so unhappy, so I'm hoping to replace them in Harper's Ferry.The Shenandoahs were pretty fun... I had my first bear encounter while crossing Thornton Gap, I had plenty of tasty meals at the various restaurants, and Fed Ex and I managed to cover 4.5 miles into Big Meadows in exactly one hour of crazy speedwalking. Good times. And Tito caught up with us just outside of the park, which led to a few days of laughter and good times. He's a damn funny guy. Too bad we won't see him for a while.I've been doing 22-28 miles a day for almost the entire state of VA, and I'm feeling it hard in my feet. Fed Ex and I are probably going to tone it down for PA... I realize it's supposed to be generally easier than Virginia, but I figure a steady 20-25 miles per day will keep me from wearing myself out like I did in the middle of Virginia. I had me some rough days in this state, and I'm looking forward to seeing friends for the rest of the trail. I'll try to keep you updated...Looks like I'll be hitting Delaware Water Gap sometime around May 8 or 9, which puts me only slightly behind my original schedule, which is pretty good. So I'll see you all down the line!
Date: 2007-04-25
From: Bear's Den Hostel

To: Harper's Ferry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

We made it to Harper's!!! After the most horrendous rocky craptrail getting the last few miles here, Fed-Ex and I crossed the bridge and our spirits lifted immensely. Once we got to the side trail to the ATC, we practically sprinted into the visitor's center. As I arrived, I threw my poles aside and burst into the building yelling "WE MADE IT TO HARPER'S!!"The guy at the desk just looked at me and said, "Yeah. So I guess you want to sign the book?" Did somebody die? Compared to our excitement, this guy's morose attitude pretty much killed the mood. When I posed for my picture, he stopped before snapping it and looked somewhat disgusted. "Is that how you want to be remembered for posterity?" Well... yeah. I want to be remembered as being happy and excited. Wouldn't you? So I'm number 17 NOBO for the year, even though I got here before Fed Ex, and Tito should have been listed as a flip-flop... no big deal, though.Long story short, we got ourselves new shoes at the Outfitter, dinner at the Secret Six, and almost immediately passed out at the Hilltop House. After hearing lots of bad things about the Hilltop in the past few days, I was afraid something bad might happen, but it's quite a nice place. I don't know what everybody was whining about.Now it's the 26th, and I want to get out of here. Harper's Ferry was a little bit of a letdown, but at least the ATC visitor's center is friendlier today. I'm going to grab a quick bite to eat, then head out. I already sent my winter gear home, so my pack is nice and sleek right now. Hoorah!
Date: 2007-05-01
From: Boiling Springs

To: Duncannon
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Aaaah, the Doyle. I love it. Good food, good place, comfy beds... Looks like we got here the same day Fruitfly left, so we're still far from catching up to him. Damn.I went to the doctor about my ugly foot, and it looks like this nasty blister is all infected. Hopefully some antibiotics and antifungals will clear it up, and I'll finally be able to walk like normal. That would be nice. It's been a while.Fed-Ex and I are going to take it relatively easy from here to DWG, where it looks like some of the folks from AMC August Camp are offering me a bit of help in the way of slackpacking and a place to stay. I'll tell you, a lot of people on the trail down south seemed to think the AMC sucked, but it's been great for me. I'm very glad to have friends and contacts along the way thanks to my few summers of working for the AMC... and my feet will be even happier.Next stop is Port Clinton, then DWG, and a nice stop in Poughkeepsie to see old friends after that. Yee haw.
Date: 2007-05-09
From: Mohican Outdoor Center

To: Wind Gap, PA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

It's been a big week. Today, I am finally finished with Pennsylvania. My shoes are oh-so-happy about that, since at only two weeks old and with less than 300 miles they already look twice as shredded as my last pair with 1200+ miles. Sad!Fed-Ex and I are now relaxing in comfort, courtesy of the Daltons, a splendid couple whom I know from the AMC camp I've worked at for the last few years. With us is Irish, who thru-hiked last year. This is one of the wonderful perks of being a seasonal employee of the AMC... while some folks may think of it as the "appalachian money club," I say it's a damn nice group of generous folks. Anyway, it looks like Fed-Ex and I will be slackpacking through all of New Jersey, which is a nice feeling, especially since I realized I haven't had a day off in over a month. This isn't a day off, but I hope to take one soon.Pennsylvania was nice for a while, but I wasn't all that thrilled with the hospitality of Boiling Springs or Port Clinton. DWG and Duncannon were great... but the rocks. I'm glad to be back in an area that I know. New Jersey is much nicer than I remember, and I'm more than ready to get back to New England.
Date: 2007-05-15
From: US 9 near Peekskill NY

To: Taconic State Parkway
Miles today: 0.0

Today was my last day of slackpacking across New Jersey and New York. I've managed to make it from 15 miles south of the NJ border to 26 miles south of the CT border without having slept outside... that's about 150 miles of slackpacking. Pretty cool! Thanks to the hospitality of some friends from the AMC and now some friends from college, I've had a relatively easy week. Soon, though...Fed-Ex took off ahead today, because I will be taking a zero day tomorrow... my first since Pearisburg. It's been a rough trail, but nothing short of utter disaster will stop me now. I'm having some motivational issues at the moment, though. I got a phone call from Kentucky Blue earlier this evening, and it reminded me of how much fun I was having while hiking with her and Cough Drop. I'm still having a good time, but it doesn't compare with how fantastic that first month was. Most of the problem, I think, is that I've only had one hiker to hang out with for the past month, and I miss the excitement of the group. Every time I come across another long-distance hiker, I freak out with glee, but so far I haven't been able to stick with anyone. Tito stayed with us for a few days before Harper's Ferry, but he had to leave the trail for a while. The same with Little Spartan Warrior. I ran into Quinn while slackpacking south one day, and she's still pretty far ahead of me. I caught Fruitfly briefly as well, but I don't think I'll catch him again for another week or two.I'll keep cruising, though. Hanover by May 31, then Katahdin on June 30. Those are two dates that I have set in stone now. And that's what I'll do. I still love it out here. It's always been hard, but I haven't let that stop me.
Date: 2007-05-31
From: Cloudland Farm

To: Hanover, NH
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

I'm sitting here in Hanover right now with a pair of aching feet and a cup of tea, and plans to chill out a little bit. Life is good.The past two weeks have been pretty awesome, in fact they've been the best since I parted ways with Kentucky Blue & Cough Drop so long ago... I've been traveling alone, but between getting back to New England and the beginning of summer it's been a delightful trail since leaving New York. I've met all sorts of great people, including my fellow thru-hikers the Goodfellas, Groovasaurus, and Fruitfly, who I hope to continue to hike alongside from time to time until the end.Here are some other highlights from the last few weeks:-Hanging out at Maria McCabe's in Salisbury with two section hikers from my hometown in Maine.-Enjoying great company and a pancake breakfast at the Upper Goose Pond Cabin in Massachusetts.-Two nights of rockin good times at Tom Levardi's in Dalton, which included screenings of The Big Lebowski and South Park, as well as giving me the opportunity to hang out with Groovasaurus and Hugo, Quinn, the Goodfellas, and Fruitfly. Tom is the MAN!-An all-day sleep marathon at Sutton's Place in Manchester Center, VT.So now I'm trying to figure out what's going on now that I'm in Hanover, but Fed-Ex and Groov just left and I don't know where Fruitfly and the Goodfellas are. Oh well. Now's a good time to rest!