morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2012-05-25
From: Waynesboro, VA

To: Waynesboro, VA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Today we woke up and went to Weasies Family Dinner for breakfast. I got the hungry boy platter which came with three eggs, three pancakes, home fries and finally I am close enough to Pennsylvania to get scrapple...I have been craving scrapple since day one of my hike. We then headed back to the hotel to finish packing up and Catfish showed up at around 10:00am. We closed out the room at 11:00am and Alpo and Weather Man got a ride back to the trail but Big Sky had to go to the outfitters to get a new pair of boots. Big Sky, Catfish and I headed down the road to the outfitters. We decided to first go to the Tasty Freeze that was on the way to get some ice cream. While we were there we started talking about taking another zero because there were some bad storms coming our way and it was already getting late in the day and we still had to get new boots for Big Sky. Catfish decided to flip a coin on it, heads we stay and tails we hike...it was heads. Since we were now taking a zero we stayed at the Tasty Freeze a little longer than our welcome... we were there for about 45 mins and the one lady started cleaning our table so we got the hint. We started to head towards the outfitters and a car pulled up and the driver started yelling my name. Here it was one of the section hikers that I stayed the night with at The Priest Shelter and he offered to take us the rest of the way to the outfitters. We got dropped off at the outfitters and we ended up staying there for around two hours and Big Sky got her new boots. We headed out to the road and tried to hitch for five mins or so but had no luck. I saw two guys across the street talking around their trucks so I crossed the street and asked them if they could take us back to town and the one guy said he would. We piled into his truck and got dropped off back at the Quality Inn and we got the same room we had before. We decided to once again go back to the Chinese Buffet...that¢s three days in a row for me and each time my fortune told me to keep hiking. We went back to the motel and called it a night...night all.
Date: 2012-05-26
From: Big Meadows Campground

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

This morning we woke up at around 9:00am and we had set up for a shuttle to take us back to the trail at 11:15am. We were back on the trail at around 11:45am and we filled out the permit to hike through the Shenandoahs. We were only going to go to the first shelter and it was in the low 90s so we just took our time. We got to a road crossing and took an hour break under one of the shade trees then finished out the last 1.5 miles to the shelter. We got there and there were already 10 weekend hikers tenting, two in the shelter and one other thru hiker Houdini along with us three in the shelter...sorry for the short entry, today was slow, hot and nothing exciting really happened...night all!
Date: 2012-05-27
From: Waynesboro, VA

To: near Browns Gap
Miles today: 16.3

This morning we were up and on the trail by 8:00am and heading north. Today was to be a hot day; last I saw it was to be in the low 90s...grrrrrr. The trail today went up slowly all day but it was not bad at all. For the first few miles i would get ahead of Big Sky and Catfish and then when I would get to a road crossing and I would wait for them. It got to the point where I was waiting half an hour so I decided to just go on to the shelter and wait for them there.I saw a lot of wildlife throughout the day today. I saw three deer, two squirrels, one rabbit, one black snake, one rattlesnake and one dung beetle. I also saw a lot of day hikers because it is Memorial Day weekend and there are people everywhere here in the Shenandoah¢s. The trail crossed over Skyline Drive eight times today and each time there were cars and all the parking lots were full. Most of the people just passed by and a few of them flagged me down and asked me all kinds of questions about my hike.As the day went on it just kept getting hotter and hotter and I hate the heat so I was very happy to get some trail magic at the Rip Rap Parking lot. I stopped there for a break before I started up and over the next mountain. While I was there a family was coming down off the mountain. They stopped to talk to me and asked all of the usual question then offered me some cold water and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I gladly took them up on their offer and talked with them for a little while longer. I continued on up and over the next three hills and got to my last climb before the shelter. I only had a quarter liter of water left over from the shelter this morning and there was not any water for 13 miles between the shelters so I had to ration my water all day. I started up the trail and it turned out to be on an old road with no shade so it was really hot. I finally got to the trail to the shelter at around 1:15pm and I guzzled down what water I had left. Once at the shelter, I went straight to the spring and drank a whole liter of water. I then got out my sleeping pad and took a nap until Big Sky and Catfish showed up at around 2:45pm.We all stayed there until around 4:00pm when we decided to move on three miles to a picnic area to eat supper and get more water. The trail continued up the mountain up to Blackrocks which is a big pile of boulders you can climb on and at top there is a spectacular 180 degree view. We continued on and got to the picnic area at around 5:30pm and ate our lunch. It started to get dark and we had to find somewhere to spend the night yet. We finally found a spot a half mile up the trail and pitched our tents. We hung our food in a tree and called it a night. Tomorrow we have four miles to do until we get to one of the waysides on the Skyline Drive and we are planning on eating breakfast there...night all.
Date: 2012-05-29
From: Hightop Shelter

To: Big Meadows Campground
Miles today: 20.8
Weather: broken clouds

This morning we woke up good and early! We were the first ones out of the shelter and on the trail by 7:00am. We started so early because we wanted to get to Big Meadows Campground which is 20.8 miles up the trail. We had a little more to go up Higtop Mountain before we got to the top and got there in no time. I was out ahead of Big Sky and Catfish again and half way down the mountain I saw a mama bear and two cubs close to the trail. Big Sky and Catfish soon caught up but by then they had moved on...Big Sky has yet to see any yet. We got down off of Hightop Mountain and got to US 33 which is the first road crossing other than Skyline drive we crossed since we have been in the Shenandoah¢s. Catfish had to go into Elkton VA to resupply so he went into town and Big Sky and I continued on. Catfish was planning on getting in and out of town as quick as he could then get a ride up Skyline Drive to catch up to us. The rest of the day was nothing but ups and down, trees, rocks, dirt and a lot of green...I now understand why they call this trail the green tunnel. We caught up with Catfish at the first shelter. He got a ride back up to Skyline drive and was dropped off out ahead of us....now some of you reading this might be getting all worked up over Catfish Yellow Blazing but he can do that all he wants¢¦he completed his thru hike in 2009 and hiked every part of the trail! This time he is out here just to re-hike his favorite sections and to just have fun hanging out with us hikers once again. We took a break at the shelter and continued on. Today the trail and Skyline Drive is pretty much empty - now that the holiday weekend in over its just us thru hikers out here it seems. Since we were the first once out this morning we did not really see any other hikers but three section hikers. We did not see hardly any wildlife today either...they must have gone back to work too. We were making good time because there were no major climbs since the first two earlier this morning and soon we were at the trail that leads to the Big Meadows Wayside which has a restaurant and good snacks. We decided to go there first and all got cold drinks and ice cream. After we finished our snacks, we walked to the Big Meadows Campground and got a camp site.Once we got to our site big dark clouds started rolling in and about fifteen minutes after we set up our tents it started to poor. The temperature dropped and the storm was on us; it poured, the wind was blowing and there was lots of lighting. This went on for about half an hour but right after that storm left and started to stop raining another one came through...this happed 4 times and finally after two hours it let up enough so we could finish up what we had to do before bed. But that did not last long, it started to rain again so we called it a night and it is still raining now, luckily it is not storming like it was before. I hope it clears up by tomorrow morning but we will have to wait and see...night all!
Date: 2012-05-31
From: Front Royal Terrapin Station Hostel 

To: Front Royal Terrapin Statin Hostel
Miles today: 20.0
Weather: few clouds

This morning we are going to Slackpack 23.9 miles north back to the hostel but because we got in so late last night we were last on the list for shuttles back to the trail. We finally got to the trail at 12:30pm and we are going to really going to need to push it to get back before dark. The trail was mostly down hill because we are heading out of the Shennandohas but it is still going to be hard. We were keeping a good pace but still not enough to get there before dark so we decided to cut our hike short and ended up getting a ride from a day hiker back to Front Royal. While we were in town, we did our resupply to get to Harpers Ferry then the owner of the hostel Mike picked us up and took us back to the hostel. Tomorrow Mike is going to drop us off where we got off the trail today and slackpack back to the hostel then continue on north from there. Tommorrow they are also calling for some really nasty storms all day so hopefully we can get an earlier start and get to a shelter before it hits us...night all.
Date: 2012-06-02
From: The Loft Hostel

To: Dick's Dome Shelter
Miles today: 15.2
Weather: broken clouds

This morning we were up for breakfast at 6:30am; we had eggs, ham, toast, fruit and coffee. We then got dropped off at the trail at 8:ooam and headed north. Today was not going to be bad now that we are out of the Shennys. The huge climbs are now all behind us. The shelters are also spaced out nicely at about 5 miles apart and we took a break at the first two and got to the third one at 4:00pm. The Dick's Dome Shelter is an odd one...it has five sides and only holds four hikers, luckily Stingray, Dakota Dan and Match Stick wanted to tent so it is the three of us plus one section hiker in the shelter tonight. Later on in he evening, a day hiker showed up and said he had trail magic with him - he had sodas and brownies! He thru hiked south bound last year and this was the first time he did any trail magic. He stayed for two hours then offered to take out all our trash with him...thanks Captain. Tonight I am going to sleep well with the creek running 15 feet in front of the shelter...night all!
Date: 2012-06-03
From: Dick's Dome Shelter

To: Sam Moore Shelter
Miles today: 15.3
Weather: few clouds

This morning we slept in a little until 8:30am. We were all pretty tired for some reason but we made it to the trail by 9:30am. The first half of the day was pretty easy but the second half we are going to start the roller coaster. The roller coaster is a 13.5 mile section of the trail where there is 12 climbs right after the other with no flat sections in between...yippee, I can't wait. Today the trail went through a state park with a lot of day hikers. I got stopped a few times and was asked the usual questions. I made it to the first shelter by 12:45pm and met Jaws and Mad Hat there. Soon after Strollin', Hundini, Big Sky and Catfish showed up and also took a break. The shelter was right before the start of the roller coster so we all took an extra long break to get ready for it.After my nap, I started up the first climb of the roller coaster and about half way up the dark clowds rolled in and it started to drizzle. I was happy that it passed by quickly and soon the skyies were blue again. I got to the top of the first mountain, went right back down then started right back up the second one. Once at the top of that mountain, the trail slowly went down to a creek where I took a short break. Once on my way from my little break, I had three smaller ups and downs before the shelter. I went through them in no time. I got to the shelter at 4:45pm and found that there were only three section hikers there and they were using their tents so the shelter was empty. I was expecting to see Stingray, Dakota Dan, Sparrow and Match Stick there but I guess they did three more miles to the Standing Bear Hiker Hostel.Later on Mad Hat, Big Sky, Catfish and a section hiker showed up and the shelter was full. I guess Hudini and Jaws decided to tent or passed the shelter to the hostel. This evening I have a little bit of a headache so I am going to bed early...night all.
Date: 2012-06-05
From: Harpers Ferry, WV

To: Rocky Run Shelter
Miles today: 15.9
Weather: overcast clouds

This morning we ate at the hotel and then headed into town to resupply and to stop by the Appalachian Trail Conservancy Headquarters. Catfish decided to get off the trail here in town today. He decided to go up to Alaska to visit Stealhead, who went home in Daleville. He is going to stay at Stealheads house until he can get a job and get a place of his own...Catfish you will be missed greatly, good luck and hopfully I can come up and visit you guys sometime. Big Sky, Strollin, Jaws and I got to the ATC Headquarders and got our picture taken on the front porch - they take a picture of every thru or section hiker that visits and puts the photo in a album for each year. We looked through the thru hikers class of 2012 and got to see who all was ahead and there is a bunch of hikers we meet along the way. We stayed there for an hour or so then continued up the road to down town to resupply and eat lunch. We ate at the Cannonball Deli and all got cheese burgers and fries. We then finished up in town, got back on the trail at around 12:45pm and crossed over the Potomac River into Maryland. The trail went across the river on an old railroad bridge that was turned into a pedestrian bridge then followed the river on an old toepath for a few miles. we ran into Pedestrian along the way and he joined us for the rest of the day. The trail then went up 1000 feet back up to the ridge line of South Mountain, thats where the trail stays all through Maryland. I got to the first shelter at around 2:30pm and stopped to take a break while everyone else caught up. Pedestrian and Strollin got to the shelter at around 3:00pm and the three of us headed to the next shelter 4 miles up the trail. The trail passed through a state park that had a lot of old historical buildings and we took a break there to read some of the information about the area. We continued on and got to the shelter at around 4:15pm and saw that it was .25 miles down hill. We were not planning on staying there so we just continued on to the next shelter wich was 5 more miles up the trail. The trail got really rocky from there and stayed rocky almost the whole way to the shelter. I got to the shelter at around 6:20pm and found that Sting Ray and Catnap were the only ones there in the shelter so I claimed half the top level to myself. Strollin and Pedestrian got to the shelter about 25 minutes later but they both tented so its just the three of us in the shelter tonight...I guess Big Sky, Jaws and the other three hikers decided to stay at that last shelter. Tonight is going to be nice and cold...probably the last cold night until fall. It is to go down into the lower 40s so I am sleeping with my socks on tonight...night all...oh and I forgot to mention that there are two cats living at the shelter!
Date: 2012-06-06
From: Rocky Run Shelter

To: Raven Rock Shelter
Miles today: 20.6
Weather: overcast clouds

This morning I slept in a little and did not get on the trail until 7:45am. The water source at the shelter last night was down a steep side trail so I decided to stop at a backpacking campground two miles up the trail and get water there. I got there and found that DW stayed the night there all by himself. It was a nice place with picnic tables, water, flush toilets and showers...wish there was more of these along the trail! While I was there Strollin and Sting Ray showed up and also filled their water bottles then we headed up the trail together.The trail today got real boring past the campground. It followed old moutain roads, it was real brushy so there was nothing to see and the trail was covered in rocks. I got to the first shelter and found that it was .4 miles down the mountain so I took a break at the top of the sidetrail and called home to set up a time and date to do a picnic/trail magic at Pine Grove Furnance in Pa. Strollin and DW passed me while I was taking a break and soon after I continued on. I got to a side trail that went to a rock outcropping with a view and saw that DW had left his pack on the side of the trail and went down to see the view. I passed up the last few views so I decided to go see this one. The trail went down a little and soon I was on the rocks. DW was sitting on the edge of one of the rocks eating his lunch and I took a break there too. After a short break, I went back up to the trail and continued up the trail. The trail continued to be rocky and boring for the next few miles and I finally got to the road crossing where I was planning on going into the town of Smithsburg MD to resupply. I got a hitch fairly quickly and got dropped off at a Food Lion. I got my resupply and started back up the road towards the trail and got a car to stop and he agreed to take me back up to the trail. I stuffed all the food in my pack and was going to deal with it once I got to the shelter. I had five more miles to go and it was only 3:00pm so I took my time for the rest of the day. I got to the shelter at around 4:50pm and found that Sting Ray and DW were there along with three section hikers. I claimed a spot in the shelter, got my water and started to fix my supper. As I was eating Strollin and another section hikers arrived. They were soon followed by six more section hikers...luckily all but one section hiker decided to tent and it just so happens that that one hiker snores very loudly...so loudly that Sting Ray packed up and went outside to tent tonight. Well tomorrow I have 20 miles to do and I will be in PA first thing in the morning so its time for bed...night all.
Date: 2012-06-07
From: Raven Rock Shelter

To: Rocky Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 19.8
Weather: broken clouds

This morning I only had 5 miles to do in Maryland then I would be in PA so I was up early and on the trail by 7:30am. I was making good time and caught up to Strollin at the Pen Mar County Park. He was taking a break enjoying the view so I joined him for a little break then we continued on together. We crossed over the railroad tracks and I was finally home in PA!! It is great to be in my home state and on my home turf. The trail was went up and down a mountain and crossed over the first of many road crossings. I got to the first shelter but just passed by because there are three shelters in 3.5 miles and decided to take a break at the third shelter, which turned out to be a very nice shelter. It had two separate shelters, one was for snorers and the other one was for non-snorers...wish it was that way last night. The shelter had a nice picnic table with a roof over it along with a clothes line and the privy had toilet paper and scented pine trees that one would hang in a car. Soon after I got there, Strollin arrived and decided to take a break there also...DW did not stop, he just passed by and started up the next climb. Strollin headed out after about an hour and we said our goodbyes because he is going to town this evening then getting off the trail for a while to visit family so I will most likely not see him again...I had a blast hiking with you and I hope the rest of your hike will be as good as the first half. I was at the shelter for about two hours and decided it was time to move on. As I was leaving Day Pack, Five Pair and her son showed up at the shelter and they said they were planning on staying at the next shelter so I will see them there. I had 6.6 miles to go to the next shelter and had a 1000 foot climb between me and the shelter so I just took it slow and before I knew it I was on top of the mountain. The trail followed the ridge line for awhile then started down into the valley. The shelter was on the side of the mountain and I got there at around 4:30pm. It looked like it was going to rain so I quickly went down the half mile trail to the water source and got my water for tonight and tomorrow. About 15 minutes later, it started to drizzle and thunder off in the distance and soon after the storm was on us. Day Pack, Five Pair and her son came running down the trail and jumped into the shelter. It rained for 20 minutes or so then the storm passed by and never really amounted to any thing. Five Pair then suggested that we needed to gather some fire wood because she brought some hotdogs and buns for all of us. We gathered enough dry wood and soon had a fire going and we were all chowing down on hotdogs...this is the first time I had a hot dog since I left home and yes,it was delicious...thanks Five Pair!! Tomorrow I have another 19 miles to hike so its time to rest these tired legs and feet...night all!
Date: 2012-06-08
From: Rocky Mountain Shelter

To: Dauphin, PA
Miles today: 110.4

I hiked to Pine Grove Furnace then headed home for a few days. From my home in Dauphin PA, I slackpacked both north and south on the trail and I did not have time to do a journal entry for each day because I was way too busy hiking and visiting with friends and family. Not much really happened hiking/trail wise so in the last 10 days I hiked 110.4 miles. I will continue my entries starting from Monday the 18th...thank you all for reading my journal and sorry for the big gap in time. I¢ll get back on track now that I¢m back on the trail!
Date: 2012-06-26
From: Dauphin, PA

To: mohican outdoor center
Miles today: 111.9
Weather: overcast clouds

Ok I am back, sorry about not doing an update in awhile the heat and rocks in PA really wore me out each day so doing my journal was the last thing on my mind. Not much happened other than I saw some grey rocks, brown rocks, multi colored rocks, flat rocks, round rocks, sharp rocks, small rocks, big rocks...you get the point. The trail followed the ridge line of the mountains but did not have any views, the shelters were spaced out far, there was very little water and when there was it was half way down the side of the mountain and it was hot...very hot! But all in all I still loved hiking through PA and now that I am in New Jersey, I miss it. The first half of the trip I was hiking home but now I am hiking away from home and it just fells different. Today Big Sky and I hiked out of Delaware Water Gap and finished off PA...our seventh state so we only have seven more to go. Today that weather was perfect. I think today was one of the best hiking days yet. It was in the low 70s, no humdity, a constant breeze all day so there was no bugs. We hiked along side a big pond for awhile and we had a lot of good views from the mountain tops. We only did 10.7 today because we got a late start and we need to slow down a bit because Big Sky's Mom is coming out to hike with us for a month next week. So for the next seven days we will be doing smaller miles and I am looking forward to it after doing a few bigger days in PA and all thenrocks. Well I am going to try and keep doing my journal again now that I am out of PA and getting into some more intersting stuff...night all.