morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2019-03-30
From: Pigs Farm Campsite 

To:  Daleville Virginia
Miles today: 15.5

Day 42 3/3015.5 miles to  Daleville VirginiaLast night I stayed at The Pig Farm Campsite is just before the Cambell Shelter. I could see at least 10 tents down by the shelter so I stopped at the Pig Farm which is the official tenting area. There were only 2 others camped here and there is a picnic table. I got there late so I had to rush down to the water source before it got too late. I enjoyed the company of the 2 backpackers while I ate dinner in the dark.I was packed up and ready to go before the sun came out enough to light the trail. There was a light rain falling so I rigged up my umbrella. I used my headlamp to find the shelter¢s privy. As soon as it got light enough to see the birds started singing. I had 15.5 miles to hike to Daleville and a hotel room, shower, laundry and town food. I noticed that there was a Cracker Barrel in Daleville.  I¢ve been wanting some good pancakes for weeks. All the way to Daleville I was dreaming of Cracker Barrel¢s pancake breakfast. I usually average 2.5 miles per hour which includes periodic breaks. I calculated that it should take about 6 hours to get to Daleville. It started out as a cool morning and figured that I could make it there with 2 water bottles. I was wrong and by the time I needed water I was on the last long waterless ridge that seemed endless. The trail comes out right on the main highway. There are 2 motels less than a half mile to the right. I checked into the Super 8 and asked how I could get to the Cracker Barrel. It was only 1 mile away but the roads weren¢t amenable to walking. Oh well I can get pancakes another time. I went to the outfitter to buy a BeFree water filter and a pair of Darn Tough socks. My Sawyer Micro filter takes too long. At the end of the day I filter 2.5 liters of water for dinner and breakfast and it seems to take forever. The last thing that I want to do as it¢s getting cold because the sun is going down is filter water. My socks have big holes in them. My experiment with trail mix and M&Ms failed. I went back to my nutrition bar routine. I did buy some Gatorade powder for the sugar and electrolytes. I also am keeping the tortillas and cheese as a supplement to my dinner.
Date: 2019-03-31
From: Daleville Virginia 

To: Daleville 
Miles today: 0.0

Day 43  3/31I didn¢t get a good night's sleep last night. I needed time to recover from what I consider a difficult section. So in consultation with my wife I decided to spend another day.I have 134 miles to hike to Waynesboro. My plan is to do it in 5 days and a wake up. I will need to average around 24 miles per day. At my typical pace of 2.5 miles per hour (including breaks) I will need to hike 9 to 10 hours per day. I¢ve done these miles for quite some time so I¢m confident that I can make it in my goal time. It matters because I¢m hiking out with just enough food to make it. I can always stop and resupply at various places on the trail but I¢d rather not.
Date: 2019-04-01
From: Daleville Virginia 

To: Jennings Creek Campsite 
Miles today: 28.2

Day 44 4/128.2 miles to Jennings Creek Campsite The only way today could have been better would be if the Cracker Barrel restaurant was within safe walking distance. The Super 8 was a nice place to stay but their complimentary breakfast is sparse.Hiking was great today. The trail was well maintained and didn¢t have any of the long boulder fields that I despise. The trail crosses the Blue Ridge Parkway many times. There were 2 places that people had left trail magic. The weather was nice and cool and the air smelled fresh. I chose the Jennings Creek campsite because it had a nice stream near it and it was located at the base of the next climb. I got there around 50 minutes before dark so I had time to filter water, cook dinner and setup camp. The only bad thing about the campsite was that it¢s located near a parking area. I tried to setup my tent out of sight but I know that passing cars could see my light at night. I¢m more concerned about crazy people visiting in the night then wild creatures.
Date: 2019-04-02
From: Jennings Creek Campsite 

To: Johns Hollow Shelter 
Miles today: 30.5

Day 45 4/230.5 miles to Johns Hollow Shelter I felt like I was in a magical place while I hiked this morning. Everything seemed so fresh and alive. One word to describe the rest of the day ¢climbing¢. It seemed like I spent more time climbing then normal. One of the highlights was walking under the Guillotine. You walk through a narrow space formed by 2 massive rocks and look up to see a large wedge shaped boulder stuck in time, just waiting to fall when an evildoer walks by.My goal was to make it over the James River Bridge and hike 30 miles (on purpose) to the Johns Hollow Shelter. I checked to make sure that it had tent sites and water. There was a couple already setup in the shelter. From a distance it looked like they had trail magic spread across the picnic table and I started day dreaming of burgers, chips and sodas. It ended up just being all of their stuff. It was going to be another sub-freezing night so the lady had her tent setup in the shelter. She volunteered to take it down but I told them that I was going to put up my tent on top of some nice soft leaves. I enjoyed their fire and company while I ate dinner. Around 2am I was awoken by howling and carrying on somewhere in the vicinity of the campsite. Beings how I was awake I thought that I¢d go to the bathroom but then thought I better not in case that the night creatures were still out there.
Date: 2019-04-03
From: Johns Hollow Shelter 

To: Hog Camp Gap 
Miles today: 26.5

AT day 46 4/326.5 miles to Hog Camp Gap Another climbing day.   The past few days I¢ve noticed that the last 500 feet of elevation gain are the steepest and rockiest sections. Today was no different. The climb up to Bald Knob involved 3000 feet of elevation gain. I enjoy hiking uphill until the rocky boulders start. To top it off the Bald Knob wasn¢t a Bald and was a poor excuse for a Knob.All of my efforts were rewarded later when I got to Cole Mountain Bald which was a huge beautiful bald with fantastic views. At least two dozen college kids had hiked up from the parking area to enjoy it. I finally made it to the Hog Camp Gap camping area. It¢s right off of the parking area. Several groups of campers were already setup. A nice couple from Nova Scotia gave me 3 bags of delicious trail mix. This wasn¢t that bad of a campsite. The water involves a long walk down to a hidden stream. The grossest thing about the area was the place people leave a dump. Toilet paper everywhere and some people didn¢t even try to bury their poop. The next morning I got up early and went out to dig a cat hole to poop in. When I got back to my tent a hunting type dog was there. I tried to reason with it and told it to go away but the freakin dog went into my tent and sat down. I was concerned that it would get ticks and fleas in my tent. I started yelling at it to leave. I¢m sure that I woke everyone up but no one came to claim the dog. I quickly tossed everything out of my tent and took one of the trekking poles that holds up my tent to gently nudge the dog out. It finally got the message and left. I started up the grassy hill at first light. I was rewarded with a beautiful blood red sunrise. I stopped to take a video and guess who showed up. That dog!  I told him to go home but it followed me for at least one mile. I would stop and throw stuff towards it (being careful not to hit it) and it would turn around with its tail between its legs. Just when I thought I¢d lost it I would turn around and see it following me from a safe distance. I didn¢t have cell service to call the owner. Finally it took off into the woods barking. I guess the owner has a way to recall it.
Date: 2019-04-04
From: Hog Camp Gap 

To: Maupin Shelter 
Miles today: 28.1

AT day 47 4/428.1 miles to Maupin Shelter The day started out so enjoyable. There were climbs but not many rock fields. I spent a long time hiking along a wonderful cascading stream. Even the climb up to the Priest Shelter wasn¢t that bad. It was very hot for someone used to highs in the 40s so I kept up a good hydration plan.I stopped at the Priest Shelter for water and lunch. There was a section hiker from Texas that comes out several times a year to check off different parts of the trail. Everything went downhill shortly after I left the shelter. The descent involved scrambling down boulders and slabs. I broke off both of my trekking pole tips which made the poles slip in places that I needed them to stick. I was slowly picking my way down when I slipped on a granite slab and fell head first. Fortunately I landed in a partial dirt area. My right leg hit a boulder hard and my glasses fell off. I was so glad that they didn¢t break. I slowly got up and was surprised that my leg didn¢t hurt. I had to go down the hill a bit to retrieve my water bottle. Then I noticed blood on my pants and a gash in my shin. The trail was a mess all the way down to the road where I¢d start my last climb. It was getting late when I started the final big climb. I was hoping that the temperature would cool off at higher elevations. I had no idea what the conditions of the trail would be like. My goal was to make it to the Maupin Field Shelter. The first ¢ of the trail was well graded with few rock fields and I made good time. I passed the last possible alternate campsite feeling confident that I could make it to my goal. Gradually the trail conditions got very challenging. Some sections looked like there was a landslide of boulders that covered the trail. ¢This too shall pass¢, I kept reminding myself. I was just hoping that it would not be as bad as yesterday.  I got lucky. Even though there were plenty of rock fields to slow me down I could still find a path and for the most part keep up a reasonable pace. I happened to survive this gamble and got to the shelter with plenty of daylight left to do camp chores. A hiker from New York named Steve was setup in the shelter. He¢s a Flip Flopper. A Flip Flopper is someone that starts somewhere between Maine and Georgia.  In Steve¢s case he started in Pennsylvania and is hiking to Springer Mountain and then he flips back up to Pennsylvania and will hike north to finish on Katahdin. He was also a triathlete so we got along well. I decided to sleep in the shelter because it was supposed to rain tonight. I¢m hiking into Waynesboro in the tomorrow and I didn¢t want to have to deal with drying out a wet tent in a hotel room. My thin Therm-a-Rest z-lite pad works great on soft leaves or dirt but it doesn¢t cut it on boards It wasn¢t the best night¢s sleep but I survived and woke up excited to get into town.
Date: 2019-04-05
From: Maupin Shelter 

To: Waynesboro Virginia 
Miles today: 20.8

Day 48 4/520.8 miles to Waynesboro Virginia What¢s worse than a seemingly endless boulder field? A series of wet boulder fields, especially when your trekking poles slip on the rocks and the tread on your shoes is worn down.I kept telling myself that at least it wasn¢t raining hard. ¢This too shall pass¢. I started off with my wind jacket on under my rain poncho. During the climbs I started to get hot so I stopped and took off my warm gloves and wind jacket. As luck would have it I soon found myself on an exposed windy ridge. I started to get cold but I figured that once I got off the ridge and started descending I¢d warm back up. I was wrong. I stayed cold for a long time. I stopped at the last shelter for a short break and to put on my rain jacket and warm gloves. I was shivering even though I was hiking hard. I also checked Guthooks and was disappointed that I still had 5 miles to go with much of it uphill. I thought that this was unacceptable and I didn¢t want to walk for another 2 hours. So I charged out of there like a trail runner and only slowed down for trip hazards and the steep uphills. The trail pops out onto some highway that leads to Waynesboro. On the guardrail is a laminated list of trail angles that will pick you up and take you into town. I lucked out and got a ride from Tom in his Corvette. I decided to stay at Days Inn and finally got my Cracker Barrel breakfast for dinner.
Date: 2019-04-06
From: Waynesboro Virginia 

To: Waynesboro 
Miles today: 0.0

I got the last pair of size 12.5 Lone Peaks and got my trekking pole tips replaced. This is set number 3. Rockfish Gap Outfitters are very friendly and professional. They even cleaned up my poles. I also sprayed my tent, shoes, and backpack with permethrin. My clothes are already treated. I¢m off to Shenandoah National Park tomorrow. A trail angel is picking me up before church. Thanks to all trail angels and volunteers that maintain the trail. The trail into Waynesboro must have been a huge mess based on all of the blowdowns and damaged trees that they cleared off the trail. These people are superheroes. I didn¢t see any other section that had this much damage.
Date: 2019-04-08
From: Blackrock Hut

To: Lewis Mountain Campground 
Miles today: 33.0

Day 51 3/833 miles to Lewis Mountain Campground Virginia is still not flat. Post trail note: As you can see the past 2 posts were very short. I made the decision to take some time off writing in depth journals. Looking back I regret this decision. I've been going back over my 2019 journey to prepare for my 2021 return. This campground had plenty of sites. I got there about an hour before sunset and the camp store was closed. I wish that I had brought my Senior National Park pass so that I could have saved some money. The camp hosts took pity on me and gave me a cold coke. The ladies that I camped by gifted me some fresh fruit. That night I woke up and noticed a shadow pass by my tent. I looked out and didn't see anyone. I asked my neighbors in the morning and they hadn't been up walking around in the night. "Ghost"?Happy hiking, Silver Streak
Date: 2019-04-09
From: Lewis Mountain Campground 

To: Paris Mountain Hut
Miles today: 27.7

Day 52  4/927.7 miles to Paris Mountain HutNo matter how slow I descend a boulder and rocky slab trail I still stumble. I thought today¢s fall was going to break something. Post trail note: The fall that I had resulted in a deep long gash on my left knee cap area. I stopped at a parking area with running water and scrubbed the dirt out of it with a nail brush and water. I applied antibiotic and tapped a pad to the area. Luckily it didn't get infected but the wound was one reason why I temporarily left the trail in Harpers Ferry. My left lower leg swelled up and I was afraid that I had some type of systemic infection.It was a beautiful trail. I actually found a wayside that opened their camp store for me. No milkshakes though. The shelter had an interesting character that had hiked in a 6 pack of beer.Happy hiking, Silver Streak
Date: 2019-04-11
From: Mountain Home Cabin 

To: Sam Moore Shelter 
Miles today: 30.2

AT day54 4/1130.2 milesto Sam Moore Shelter Virginiawas almost flat and rock free until the dang Roller Coaster section. Not whatyou want for the last 7 miles of a 30 mile day. Post trail note: The roller coaster climbs were not that bad, itwas the rocks that got to me. Thehabitat was very beautiful and worth the rock hopping.Happy hiking, Silver Streak
Date: 2019-04-12
From: Sam Moore Shelter 

To: Harpers Ferry 
Miles today: 23.3

AT day 55  41223.3 miles to Harpers Ferry I checked in with the ATC Headquarters in Harpers Ferry. I was the 14th Northbound hiker to check in. My original starting number was 143. Tomorrow, during my zero day, I will summarize my journey from Waynesboro, through the Shenandoah National Park and my finish in Harpers Ferry. Post trail note: Most of the trail was easy forested terrain with gentle rolling climbs and descents. I left Virginia behind and entered West Virginia. The last several miles before Harpers Ferry is an annoying rock garden. I was trying to get to the AT Headquarters so I could check in before 4pm. Some people start the 4 state challenge at this sigh. The hike touches Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland and ends at the Pennsylvania state line.  Happy hiking, Silver Streak
Date: 2019-04-13
From: Harpers Ferry 

To: Harpers Ferry 
Miles today: 0.0

AT day 56 4/13Zero dayI had a nice relaxing zero day in Harpers Ferry. It¢s a beautiful town with lots of history. I stayed at the Quality Inn which has everything a hiker needs: laundry, breakfast and a manager willing to shuttle hikers to WalmartThe Trek hiker website(based on a thru hiker survey) has listed the Shenandoah region as one of the easiest. With the exception of a few sections the trail maintainers have done a miraculous job of clearing the trail of extensive damage from trees and tree limbs. Most of the climbs were short and well graded. I was looking forward to seeing spring colors and enjoying food from the waysides. Unfortunately for me my timing was off and I went through the park too early. I did have some trouble in the rock covered sections. On a steep descent of a rocky slab I lost my balance and fell face first. Both of my knees hit rocks hard and I tore up my wrists. I actually couldn¢t believe that I hadn¢t broken something. I was being extremely careful but my shoe caught on something and down I went. The real surprise was the Roller Coaster section. I¢m not a student of the AT and had no clue that it was going to encompass the last 7 miles of a planned 30 mile day. The climbs and descents aren¢t necessarily difficult. For me it was dealing with large sections of ¢trail¢ which were nothing more than sharply angled rocks and boulders. For some reason my ankles and feet don¢t appreciate the stress. I made it to the shelter just before dark at 7:30. I was so happy to find a nice spot for my tent. The next day I hiked into Harpers Ferry. The beginning and end of the trail was mostly unrelenting rock fields. The middle was had nice tread which helped me speed up and beat the rain. I made it to the ATC Headquarters by 3:50. I thought that they closed at 4 and wanted to pick up my resupply package. The people that work there are very friendly and helpful. I got my picture taken for their photo album. I head north tomorrow. I¢m so excited to be almost halfway done. It¢s been quite the adventure. As the saying goes ¢No Rain (I had a lot in February and March), No Pain (I¢m gravity challenged and Virginia has dished out a lot of pain), No Maine. So I¢ve checked off all the boxes. To Katahdin!
Date: 2019-04-25
From: Home

To: Harpers Ferry 
Miles today: 0.0

4/25 Travel back to Harpers FerryI had to get up at 4 am to make my 6am flight from Charleston, South Carolina to Washington DC. You cant carry your trekking poles onto a plane so I needed to pay checked baggage fees. I went ahead and stuffed my REI duffel bag with my trekking poles, umbrella, 6 days of food and some gear.I flew into Reagan Airport and took the Metro to Union Station. I made several errors on the Metro. First, I got on the blue line instead of the yellow line. I realized my mistake just in time to get off at a different stop and catch the yellow line. I did successfully get off the yellow line at the correct station. I asked a man directions about how to get on the red line.  He told me to follow the crowd upstairs to the red line train. Well I followed the crowd out of the station and up to the street. I found a person without earphones plugging their ears and she told me that i needed to go back downstairs. I went back down and explained my situation to the gate keeper so I wouldn¢t have to pay again. I had about 7 hours to kill in D.C. before my train to Harpers Ferry left so I paid a bag storage fee and followed Google maps to the Air and Space Museum and then the Natural History Museum. I went to the planetarium to hear Neil Degrasse Tyson explain the Dark Universe.  I have no idea how astrophysicists figure this stuff out. I was glad that I didn¢t have to take a quiz at the end.I¢m now on the train heading to Harpers Ferry.  Hopefully it arrives on time so that I can get to the outfitter before it closes.  I need to pick up a fuel canister and a mini-lighter. Hopefully they still have the canister and 2 lighters that I left for the hiker box when I left.The train arrived in time for me to get to the outfitters.  The fuel and lighters that I left were gone so I bought new ones. The salesman told me the flat route to get to the Quality Inn. I¢m pretty tired from my travel so I decided to stay in Harpers Ferry an extra day so I can start refreshed on Saturday.  Happy hiking, Silver Streak
Date: 2019-04-27
From: Harpers Ferry 

To: Dahlgren Backpacker Campground
Miles today: 17.1

AT day 57 (doesn't count my injury recovery days)  17.1 miles to Dahlgren Backpacker CampgroundIt felt great to be back on the AT after a 2 week break.  My goal for the 2nd half of my AT adventure is to dial back on my daily mileage and hiking pace.  I would like to get into camp early enough to relax and enjoy the campsite. If I want to make it to Katahdin I need to take better care of my body. After all, I¢m not 55 anymore.I had planned to leave the Quality Inn and start hiking back to where I left off on the AT around 8 am. However,  after breakfast I discovered that I left my headlamp at home. The outfitter doesn¢t open until 10 am so I had a choice of hiking out without a headlamp or waiting for the store to open.  I have a Luci solar lantern that I hang in my tent for normal nighttime use. I only use my headlamp for nighttime pee runs or to locate something hiding in a darker space inside the tent. I could always use my phone¢s light for my pee breaks so I was leaning towards leaving early.  Then I thought about what I would use if it was windy and I¢d have to adjust my stakes at night. After spending 2 weeks at home recovering from my first 1025 miles I knew that I¢d need to ease back into the trail.  If I waited for the store to open I¢d be forced to do a short day. So I got an iced latte and a chocolate chip cookie to enjoy while i waited for the outfitter to open.  They only had one type of headlamp, Wilcor brand, but it wasn¢t expensive and had all the right functions.I started hiking out of Harpers Ferry around 10:30 am. Today¢s hike seemed custom made for getting back on the trail.  The sun was shining and a cool breeze kept the temperatures perfect.  The topography of the terrain made for easy hiking. The short uphills and downhills were just steep enough to test your muscles and stamina.  If I was going to do a Flip Flop, I¢d go to the Flip Flop Festival and then hike north to KatahdinMaryland has been a great state to hike in.  I passed by several Civil War monuments during the day.  One of these places had restrooms, trash cans, and water.I stopped hiking at 5:15 to set up camp at the Dahlgren Backpacker Campground.  It was packed with Boy Scouts and weekend backpackers but I was able to secure a picnic table and a place to put up my tent.  They even have hot showers. Your spoiling me Maryland. It was odd only hiking 17 miles but I¢m glad I kept it short. Tomorrow I plan on hiking either 19 or 24 miles. My Salomon XA Pro 3D trail runners made a huge difference for me on the rocky sections of the trail.  They protected my feet much better than my Lone Peaks. The toe bumper guard actually works. I never felt pain wherever I stubbed my toe.Happy hiking, Silver Streak