morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2017-05-15
From: Manassas Gap Shelter

To: Buzzard Hill
Miles today: 18.2
Weather: fog

One of the mice decided that one of the backpacks at the shelter would be a good place to have babies last night. The owner was totally freaking out and said he was so over shelters. I can't say that I blame him. The guide book didn't show any views or anything of interest on the part of trail I'd be hiking today. It did show that we were walking through Sky Meadows State Park for awhile and it had side trails going all over. I decided to take the Ambassador Whitehouse Trail to the Paris View in an attempt to see something of interest today. The view was 0.4 miles off the AT adding 0.8 unofficial miles to my day, but it was worth it. It was a relatively flat walk through a pretty meadow. The wind was blowing pretty hard making it a bit chilly though. When I got to the view, there was a picnic table and a bench. The bench was sunnier and shielded a bit more from the wind. That was where I had my lunch. After I ate I began to explore a bit. There were several rock outcroppings. One of them had a plaque and several nameplates. Another grouping had steps added and a beautiful wrought iron banister made to look like vines crawling up the steps. It was so unexpected and totally made my day. There was also a rock wall that had a couple of seats kind of built in. The seats were a great place to soak up some sunshine while being totally out of the wind. I hung out there for quite some time. I am very happy that I decided to take this little detour for lunch. It was the highlight of my day. The actual trail was fairly easy until I hit the roller coaster. The roller coaster is about 13.5 miles I think and I did 4.5 of those miles today. It wasn't horrible, just up and down and up and down... with not one view or thing of interest going for it. It was pretty rocky in places and really muddy in others. When I would go down into a valley, it would get kind of dark making me think it was later then it was. I will finish it tomorrow morning while I'm fresh. These up and downs are called MUDs (mindless ups and downs) or PUDs (pointless ups and downs).  I did solve a mystery as well. I had been seeing green and orange petals and flowers for several days, but was unable to tell which plant they were coming from. Today I saw a flower still attached to a small branch in the middle of the trail. It is the flower of the tulip tree. And now I know.I made it to the campsite that GutHook talked about, but it was dark and muddy and I didn't want to stay there. I had been seeing lots of campsites along the way and decided to risk finding one a bit ahead that was more pleasing. I had already filled up with water, so was ready for a dry camping site. Just 0.2 miles past the original site, I found a sunnier spot on top of Buzzard Hill. There was supposed to be a view, but everything seems to be blocked by trees and brush; however, I am happy with sunny and not so muddy.
Date: 2017-05-16
From: Buzzard Hill

To: David Lesser Memorial Shelter
Miles today: 15.8
Weather: fog

I usually keep my boots and smelly socks out in my tent vestibule. This morning I woke up with only one sock. Something stole one of my socks. I looked all over the little area I was in and couldn't find it. Now I'm down to 2 1/2 pairs of socks. I hope whatever took it makes good use of the stinky thing. I saw my first cicada today. I only hope they don't get as loud as they did when Mark and I went to Lake Hope State Park in Ohio last year. I had to go inside the camper last year to give my ears a break. I'd have to hike with my ear plugs in if they got that loud. I was moving a bit slow this morning probably because I didn't want to get back on the roller coaster. I had nine miles left and I just didn't want to ride it today. Eventually I got moving up the trail. The trail was extremely rocky making me look at the ground right in front of me constantly and make my feet ache by the end of the day. The roller coaster was tough for me and slowed me down from my normal pace.  There were a couple highlights. One view that was fabulous although I didn't stay long. And I passed the 1,000 mile mark for total AT miles hiked!! Woohoo!! And finally, I passed the first West Virginia/Virginia state line sign. I am now walking with one foot in West Virginia and one foot in Virginia. I will leave Virginia behind permanently tomorrow. After getting off the roller coaster, the last 6.5 miles or so were fairly easy. I am staying at the last shelter in Virginia. Nice place with a cooking pavilion, shelter and established tent sites. The cooking pavilion even has a swing. Very nice. There are a lot of people here tonight. Ate dinner with two gentlemen, Dave and Marty, from Cleveland, Ohio. Also met Dr Peter Cook and two of his friends. Or that's what they said his name was. They were a riot and provided some good laughs.  So a long day of hiking and some good company this evening. All the yakking cut into my journaling time. I'm looking forward to leaving Virginia behind tomorrow as I start my descent into Harper's Ferry, West Virginia.
Date: 2017-05-17
From: David Lesser Memorial Shelter

To: Harper's Ferry, WV
Miles today: 8.7

The tenting area around the shelter was like a regular campground last night. With so many people just out for an overnight or really short trip, people were up late, dogs were barking and some guy kept yelling out Beth in his sleep. Definitely not like a shelter with a bunch of thru-hikers or long section hikers.  I woke up early even with the restless night and was on the trail by 6 AM. I was very excited to be leaving Virginia for good!! It was a 8.7 mile hike into Harper's Ferry. I was a little disappointed that there wasn't a sign showing the actual place I crossed out of Virginia for good because I wanted to celebrate. Haha. I have the picture from yesterday where I started following the WV - VA state line and that will have to do. I had to cross a busy street and when I looked one way I saw the welcome to Virginia sign and the welcome to West Virginia sign when I looked the other way. That was cool.  For some reason, when I head to town the day's hike becomes like a horse to the barn mentality. I had to do almost 9 miles plus numerous town miles, so I made myself slow down a bit. It was really hot and humid today. I was a soggy mess, but I still prefer it to cold weather.I reached the Potomac River and thought I was at Harper's Ferry. Nope. Had to cross the river and take a trail parallel to town and then follow blue blazes to the ATC headquarters. It was over a mile further then where I thought town would be. They took my picture and added me to their book. I'm the 176 section hiker of the year that had their picture taken. I think that was my number anyway. Nice place and the people working we're extremely nice and accommodating.  I got a room and started my town routine; however, I didn't find any place to get lunches for the next section. I bought some bars for my snacks, but not sure what I will do for lunch. More bars perhaps.  I met up with KJ for dinner. He arrived in town yesterday finishing his long section and leaves for home tomorrow. I will miss him. We had very similar paces and I enjoyed our short time hiking together. I'm not as hungry as I have been upon arriving in town. Maybe upping the amount of food while out hiking is working. My legs are feeling very fatigued today. This town isn't very big, but I feel like I've walked all over getting things done. Maybe I will feel rested tomorrow.
Date: 2017-05-20
From: Rocky Run Shelter, MD

To: Raven Rock Shelter, MD
Miles today: 20.5

The highlight of the day was visiting the original Washington Monument. It was very close to the trail and definitely worth a visit. I was there kind of early and there was only one other visitor. I was able to climb to the top and had a great view of the surrounding area. It was a wonderful way to start the day.  Being a Saturday, I saw many day hikers. I saw a trail maintainer and he told me the AT to Annapolis Rocks is the section most hiked in Maryland. It was the section I saw the most hikers. There was a view point called Black Rock Cliffs that was a mile further then Annapolis Rocks and I chose to go there instead. I climbed up to take in the views and to have lunch. There were a few other people there who told me the Annapolis viewpoint was super crowded with a much more limited view.  It was much cooler today then yesterday and no sun. I don't think I will be seeing the sun for a few more days, but hopefully it warms up a bit more. Rain is coming tomorrow evening as well. Bummer. I met a thru-hiker today named Energizer who fits this name very well. We hiked together for awhile and I heard lots of stories. It is nice to have someone to talk to while I walk once in awhile.  I arrived at the shelter and there are a ton of people here. A boy scout troop, several thru-hikers including some new flip-flopers that started out of Harper's Ferry and many weekenders. I enjoyed getting to talk to so many different people. The shelter almost had a party feel to it. It will probably be a loud night. The boy scouts are doing something ceremonial with speeches being made loudly and the group next to me are chatting around the fire. I don't think either group has heard of hiker's midnight. Lol. Short entry today after a 20 mile day followed by quite of bit of social interaction. It was fun to talk to the hikers just starting out. They are filled with excitement still. A good vibe to be around.
Date: 2017-05-21
From: Raven Rock Shelter, MD

To: Rocky Mountain Shelter, PA
Miles today: 19.9
Weather: few clouds

I got going early and did another long day. Just past the shelter was a short trail to a great overlook where people launch hang gliders. It was pretty early when I got there and I hung out there for awhile with two young ladies. I stayed until I got chilled and hiked on.The last miles in Maryland were pretty challenging as it was a boulder field going steeply down. It was slow going. I was like geez does every state have to throw something at us at the end. I arrived at the Pen-Mar County Park about 9. The caretaker was there, he gave me some bottled water and talked my ear off for awhile. I enjoyed the last view of Maryland while I was there. Great little park.Right after I left the park, I crossed the Mason-Dixon line and entered Pennsylvania! Six states down. Woohoo!!!I hiked to the next little park for lunch. I am loving having all these parks along the way. I have not had to pump water for a while and my trash bag gets emptied once or twice a day. Frodo and NoPoles was there and Energizer showed up as well. We took an extra long lunch which was very nice. I ate my regular lunch and was still hungry and ate some ramen noodles. A hot lunch hit the spot. I loaded up with water from the spigot there, because the water source for this shelter is down 0.5 miles past the shelter.The trail wasn't very exciting, but I enjoyed the afternoon. I saw a tree wearing a pair of sunglasses. It looked like a happy tree. The ferns growing along the side of the trail are beautiful. Everything is so green and beautiful. I saw a rock wall in the middle of nowhere. I think having all the other hikers around last night makes my hike during the day more enjoyable.  It has been nice having some other hikers around to talk to in the evenings.  All of us at lunch were going to the same location for the night. No one was happy that it was 0.3 down a steep side trail, but it is supposed to rain tonight and we all wanted to be in the shelter. We are here with a section hiker named DragonDaddy. DragonDaddy is from PA and he gave us some insight into the different towns and what they provide. It's been a fun evening.
Date: 2017-05-22
From: Rocky Mountain Shelter, PA

To: Tom Runs Shelter, PA
Miles today: 19.2
Weather: light rain

I hit the halfway point of the trail today. I missed the sign. Bummer. Good news is the rain never showed up and I even saw the sun for a few minutes. The miles were pretty easy today; however, there were no highlights besides the halfway point. The trail crossed numerous roads. It is never very far from civilization that's for sure. I walked thru another park and did the whole get rid of trash, get water and use the facilities routine. I will hit another park tomorrow. It is where the traditional half-gallon ice cream challenge takes place, but it isn't open during the week until after memorial day. I wasn't going to do it, but I feel bad for Frodo and NoPoles because they wanted to. I was hoping to pick up more snacks, but that's a no-go to. No biggie though. I will be in Boiling Springs on Wednesday. I wish more of the trail looked like the picture above, but it is a rare treat to have such a nice trail to walk.Physically the trail was fairly easy today, but mentally it was a tough, tough day for me. I will sleep on it and hopefully feel normal tomorrow. Short entry, but I'm exhausted. Night.
Date: 2017-05-23
From: Tom Runs Shelter, PA

To: Alec Kennedy Shelter, PA
Miles today: 19.0

I felt more normal this morning. I think it was a combination of the hikers I met at this shelter and a good nights sleep. There were three hikers, HodgePodge, Moonshine and Jim, and two ridge runners. They didn't do anything in particular, but they were all super nice and funny. HodgePodge in particular lifted my spirits with his sense of humor.We all arrived at the Pine Grove Furnace General Store, home of the half gallon ice cream challenge, within minutes of one another. The sign said closed as we were told it would be, but we were all wishing it was open so we could get something to eat. We emptied our trash (yes again) and were just hanging out when the owner of the store said she'd open for us in 30 minutes. Woohoo. We occupied our time by visiting the AT museum just down the road. Great little museum. After the 30 minutes we headed back to the store. As it was only 9:30 in the morning and a bit chilly, no one did the ice cream challenge. I got a bacon cheeseburger and fries instead. It was a great second breakfast.  The trail was pretty non-eventful today until I hit the rock maze. They took the trail up, down and around a jumble of rocks. It was actually pretty fun. One spot cracked me up because I could see a blaze and a path directly to the blaze, but an arrow pointed me in a different direction that after going up, down and around some more rocks took me to the blaze I originally saw. Yes, I went thru the complete maze even when there was an easy way to skip ahead. It's just what AT hikers do. When it was over, I decided I deserved a snack. I continued walking slowly while eating my snack when more rock maze appeared. I put my snack away and continued following the white blazes and arrows. I never did finish my snack.I arrived just south of the shelter and found Jim and Moonshine setting up. They said this was a better spot to tent then at the shelter and it had a water source feet away. Worked for me. Jim earned the trail name Rooster today, because he carries a stuffed rooster to pose in his pictures. Two other women were here as well and we had a fire and dinner. Moonshine ran a bear line that we all used.
Date: 2017-05-24
From: Alec Kennedy Shelter, PA

To: Darlington Shelter, PA
Miles today: 18.2
Weather: fog

It was raining when I woke up; but my phone said it would stop in about an hour, so I snuggled back into my sleeping bag. When the rain finally stopped, I was the first one moving and decided to go get all the food bags. However; MoonShine's knot was very elaborate and very tight and I could not get it undone. I went back to let him know he'd have to undo it. It was late by my standards, but I still felt bad asking him to get up before he wanted.  Rooster (Jim) started packing up and is headed back south to end his short section. He asked me to pose with his stuffed rooster and I'm sad I didn't get a picture of it myself. It was a funny picture. The walk into Boiling Springs was very pleasant. It went through farm fields which allowed expansive views of the surrounding area. It was much different and a nice change from being in the green tunnel.  Moonshine entered town just behind me. We dropped our packs at the local ATC office and headed to breakfast. We met Squire, Stretch and Remix, a father and two young boys, who are doing a thru-hike and an incredibly nice and interesting family. I love all the different people I am meeting out here.Boiling Springs is a really quaint and pretty little town. I wished I was spending the night in this town as it had more to offer then many of the small towns I've been to. However, the only options was a campground by the busy railroad tracks or a new hostel that is a bit outside of town defeating the purpose of actually experiencing. Therefore, I did a small resupply and headed out of town.The walk from town took me through more farm fields and over several highways before it finally headed up a mountain. I saw HoneyStick taking a break and ended up hiking to the shelter with her. It was really awesome to have someone to talk to for awhile while hiking. We came to an one of the rare overviews in Pennsylvania and it even had a bench. The bench was deep enough to sit down with our packs providing a wonderful backrest. We hung out there taking in the lovely view. It was still kind of early and we were in no rush.We made the final push to the shelter and found quite a crowd of people there. It was quite a mix of southbounders, north bounders, flip-floppers, section hikers and repeat offenders (people hiking for the second or more time). The mix made for interesting dinner conversation and a fun evening.
Date: 2017-05-25
From: Duncannon, PA

To: Alec Kennedy Shelter, PA
Miles today: 10.9
Weather: mist

It rained most of the night and was supposed to rain all day. Last night the southbounders talked about how rocky the last four miles were going to be and tricky due to the rain making the rocks slippery. Even AWOL's guide said it was difficult. Taking in this advice, I wanted a somewhat early start as I was thinking the day's hike would take longer then normal. I packed up a very wet tent and was on the trail by 7:30.  Although it was raining, the temperature was on the warm side. Warm and rain is way better to hike in then cold and rain. It wasn't a torrential downpour and I was headed to town, so all was good. When it's raining like that, it's a rain jacket hood up, head down kind of hiking day. I was hiking along when I almost ran into a southbounder in the same hiking mode. We laughed and he told me the descent into town wasn't that bad and it wasn't a boulder field, but rock steps.  I reached a couple of overviews that were socked in with fog. Bummer. There were two day hikers there taking pictures of the fog which I've done before. When you work to see something, it is just something you do.  The descent wasn't bad at all. Mostly steps that were fairly easy to negotiate even though they were wet. The rain had stopped earlier and the mosquitoes in this area were annoying. Since I was already soaked, I almost wished the drizzle would start back up to get them to stop buzzing my head.  The trail goes right through town, but lacked white blazes. This is where GutHook really comes in handy. It showed me the path to the Doyle, my destination for the night. I had heard such bad things about the Doyle, but I think it compares pretty well with some of the other hostels I've stayed. I actually had my own room with a lock and could spread all my gear out to dry. Its not someplace I'd normally chose to stay, but I'd say the same thing about all the hostels. I think one of the reasons it gets a bad rap is because there are rules. Some hikers do not like having any restrictions placed on them. There were a couple motels a couple miles away, but I decided staying around all the other hikers was more important. It would make the wait for Mark more enjoyable. I can't wait to see him.
Date: 2017-05-26
From: Duncannon, PA

To: Mechanicsburg, PA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Mark picked me up at the Doyle Hotel on Friday for a weekend away from the trail. We had a great time just being together. I will admit that it was 50-50 whether I'd get back on the trail or go home with him on Monday. I was able to talk through what I was feeling and I decided if any part of me wanted to stay on the trail, I needed to stay and continue my journey north.  He drove me an hour to an REI where I switched out some gear. We went to Chocolate World in Hershey, PA where I ate lots of chocolate. That was awesome. I was always asking when we would eat again although by Sunday afternoon I felt like I'd finally eaten enough. I would eat until I felt full, but the hunger would come back quickly. Hiker hunger is crazy. The fitness room at the hotel had a scale and I'm down 20 pounds. I took a nap every day as well.  It was a great weekend and seriously needed break with Mark. I loved every minute of it. Hope we get to do it again before this journey is over. It will get harder to meet up the further north I get. If we aren't able to meet up, I will see him at Baxter State Park when I get there.