morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2010-06-27
From: Blackrock Gap

To: Pinefield Hut
Miles today: 13.9
Weather: few clouds

The trail goes right to the campsite we camped at last night, so we decided it would be easier to hike southbound back to Blackrock Gap rather than drive back and hike north to where we already were. We got up and made a great breakfast- eggs, bacon, toast, fruit, OJ, and coffee...slackpacking is amazing. I felt great when I started out this morning and finished the eight miles back to the gap in under two and a half hours. When everyone got there, Wingin It pulled up with the car and the plan was to drive back up to the campsite and eat lunch at a wayside there, then continue hiking 13 miles. We set out after lunch and it immediately started raining. The rain didn't last long but it drove the humidity up substantially. I was so incredibly tired and just dragged for the next five miles. I swear they put something in the food at the wayside so we'd be sluggish and tired and just stay there and spend more money. I got to Pinefield Hut and stopped for a break by the road where Wingin It was and didn't know how I was going to hike eight more miles. I think I was dehydrated and the sun sapped what little energy I had left. When Herro and Yum Yum got there they were equally as tired so we decided to call it a day and make up the miles in the next couple of days. Again, I am experiencing guilt for not completing the miles we had planned today, but I'm trying to let it go. Plans change quickly out here and I'm trying really hard to roll with it. Tomorrow we have big miles planned to try to start getting back on track.
Date: 2010-06-28
From: Pinefield Hut

To: Big Meadows
Miles today: 28.6
Weather: light rain

In honor of my three month anniversary on the trail on the 28th, I hiked 28 miles. Not really, but it did happen to be the 28th and I did in fact hike 28 miles. True, I slackpacked them, but it was still big miles nonetheless. We got up early and were hiking by 7:15, which is a record for me. I finished the first ten miles by 11 am- also a first. When we planned our mileage yesterday we thought it was going to be just 25 miles, but it ended up being 28. I felt good so I still wanted to go for it. I hiked by myself all day and took few breaks. I listened to my iPod the entire time, save for only a mile or so, which helped a ton. Music is such a driving force for me; especially out here. I took my last break at Lewis Campground with nearly nine miles left and started the last leg by 3:45. I hadn't seen the rest of the group in awhile and assumed they were all still behind me but when I got to the campsite everyone was already there. They all made it to Lewis and called it quits- Herro's feet were bothering him and Sideways' knee pain is back with a vengeance so they hitched a ride with Wingin It. I was tired but felt good despite such a long day. Wingin It was a true trail angel and had a dinner of champions cooking- barbeque chicken, potato salad, baked beans, corn on the cob, and chocolate cake. I took a shower at the campground facility while dinner was cooking then we all sat down and ate. Why Not joined us and gave me a bottled white russian, which was a great compliment to the evening. We're all tenting tonight at the campground; tomorrow we move forward toward Harper's Ferry and out of Virginia.
Date: 2010-06-29
From: Big Meadows

To: Skyland
Miles today: 8.1

We have taken slacking to new levels. I am a bit ashamed to admit it, but I yellow blazed to Front Royal today. We got to the Skyland wayside with intentions of just eating lunch and hiking 11 more miles but once again, the wayside ruined us. We started talking about aqua blazing (canoeing on the Shenandoah River) instead of hiking the last 40 miles and decided to do it so we could do something different and have a little fun, but it ended up being too expensive and would have taken too many days to complete. By the time we put all of this together it was very late in the day and we made the decision to just jump forward to Front Royal, stay the night then hike the three days from there to Harper's Ferry. My family is coming to see me this weekend, as are some friends of Yum Yum's, so this would put us on track to get to Harper's on time. I'll come back after I finish the trail and hike the 40 miles I missed. Sideways isn't hiking anymore because of his knee and is getting off of the trail to go back to PA for awhile to rest and take a break from the trail, but he'll probably get back on when we get to New Jersey and hike PA by himself after finishing the trail. Detour is set to come back out to finish the trail with me mid July so I may be on my own for a couple of weeks, but hopefully I can stay close to Yum Yum and Herro and catch back up with Ripple and some of the other Goonies. We're all jammed into a hotel room tonight and it looks kind of like a clown car in here, but I'm excited about sleeping in a bed.
Date: 2010-06-30
From: Front Royal

To: campsite after Dick's Dome shelter
Miles today: 16.2

Yum Yum, Herro and I could not get out of bed this morning. We're all just so tired. I think our bodies know we've hiked nearly 1,000 miles and they're starting to boycott. We woke up initially at a decent hour and went to breakfast in the hotel lobby but then just went back to bed. We didn't get on the trail until noon. We ended up putting in a decent day given our start time, but it took me a while to get into hiking once I was on the trail. I'm so tired of Virginia I feel like I'm about to lose it. I just kept reminding myself that in three days I'll be out of this state and in Harper's Ferry. We are stealth camping tonight in a parking lot of sorts and all of our tents are closely lined up and hidden behind Wingin It's car. Wingin It and Sideways went and bought turkey dogs for dinner which was again a refreshing change from trail food. The weather broke today and it's actually chilly tonight so I'm hoping I can stay warm. So far the sleeping bag liner is working out great and I have the extra fire and rescue blanket just in case. Just two more hiking days then I get the heck out of VA and get to see my parents, husband and dog. Things are looking up.
Date: 2010-07-01
From: campsite after DIck's Dome shelter

To: Snicker's Gap
Miles today: 17.9

It was extremely cold last night, but I managed to stay mostly warm in my tent. We got up and made blueberry pancakes this morning before setting out for the day. There really isn't anything to say about today's hiking- we're still in Virginia and everything still looks the same. I have been listening to music a lot lately just to keep things somewhat interesting. We've also been experimenting with dance hiking simply for something to do, as the days are long and I just feel like I'm hiking miles for the sake of hiking miles. The original plan was to stop at Bears' Den hostel tonight but when I got to the turn off there was a note from Wingin It telling us to keep going to the road. I got there and waited for a while until Wingin It and Sideways got there with the car. Apparently the hostel was a bit expensive so we had to develop a plan B. Once Yum Yum and Herro got there we decided to drive to the Blackburn Center and camp. There are a bunch of people here tonight and we're all tenting. Tomorrow morning we'll drive back to the gap and continue north.
Date: 2010-07-02
From: Snicker's Gap

To: Harper's Ferry, WV
Miles today: 19.7

I am out of Virginia!! I am so psyched! It felt amazing to see the sign for West Virginia this morning. The hike was pretty easy and I made it to Harpers Ferry before 5 pm. I met Sideways and Wingin It at the train station after walking through the historic district and stopping by the outfitter to pick up some awesome care packages (thank you Persistent, Kim and Tavi!). I was stoked to see Wookie with Sideways when I walked up. I hadn't seen him since trail days and though he's over 100 miles ahead, he'd jumped back for the fourth of July. It was great to see him. Once Yum Yum and Herro got there we ate some dinner, drank a few beers and found a cheap hotel in Maryland to crash in for the night. This place is a bit sketchy but the price was right. Sideways leaves tomorrow to go home. Hopefully he'll be back.
Date: 2010-07-03
From: Harper's Ferry, WV

To: Harper's Ferry, WV
Miles today: 0.0

We woke up relatively early this morning and went to the ATC office to get our pictures taken and register. I am officially thru hiker number 621 to make it to Harper's this year. After registering we took Sideways to the train station and I had to say goodbye to him, which was sad. I've hiked on and off with him, mostly on, for the entire trip thus far so it will be a big change for me. My parents weren't getting in town until evening and I had nowhere to go and nothing to do so I went tubing with Yum Yum, Herro, Wingin It and some of Yum Yum's friends. Being around a crowd at the tubing office and on the bus was incredibly overwhelming, but once we got into the river the day turned out to be really fun. We took our time and drank beer while floating down the river, stopping frequently on the rocks to extend the trip. The timing was perfect- as soon as we got back to town my parents were there and I spent the night with them at the Quality Hotel. I'm exhausted so I'm going to pass out now. Tomorrow Kent and my dog are coming and a friend of mine from DC may also come hang out.
Date: 2010-07-05
From: Harper's Ferry, WV

To: Harper's Ferry, WV
Miles today: 0.0

I was worthless today- it was great. I napped and just hung around the hotel with Kent and our dog. My parents left this morning. Yum Yum and Herro left today but hopefully I can catch them soon. I'm a little nervous about setting out by myself but it will be good for me.
Date: 2010-07-06
From: Harper's Ferry, WV

To: Dahlgren back pack campground
Miles today: 17.3
Weather: scattered clouds

I was ready to get back on the trail today, though it felt a bit reminiscent of the very first day because I was saying goodbye to my family and leaving on my own. I feel re-committed to the trail now that I'm out of Virginia and aside from New York, every state I'm walking to I've never been to before...and I'm walking there. My pack felt so very heavy today since I've been slack packing for a while and have six days of food and full water. It was hot as all get out today- the Weather Channel warned everyone to stay inside, but I plugged on. I still made decent time and decided to stop at this campground because there are bathrooms, showers and water and I was getting tired, despite that it was only 5 pm. I was prepared to be on my own for awhile, but I walked into the campground and Yum Yum and Herro were here! I was hoping to catch them but I thought it might take me a few days. They were going to hike on but they decided to stay and we're going to try to push decent mile days and get to Duncannon next Monday. Even though I took a shower yesterday the heat made me feel disgusting so I took a shower here, which felt great. It was nice to get to camp early and have time to unwind and rest; all too often we pull into camp close to dark and just have enough time to set up, cook and go to bed. It looks like I'll have some hiking company after all, which is nice because I really enjoy Yum Yum and Herro, but I'm prepared to be on my own if our plans don't coincide.
Date: 2010-07-07
From: Dahlgren back pack campground

To: Ensign Cowall shelter
Miles today: 13.9
Weather: haze

Sweet mother it is hot. The heat index was 108 today. We had good intentions of getting up early and hiking 19 miles today. We succeeded in getting up early but the mileage dropped due to not one but two town visits. First thing this morning I passed the Washington Monument which was interesting and right after exploring it a bit I ran into Yum Yum and Herro taking a break. We decided to hike a few more miles then go off trail to Greenbrier State Park because there was a camp store there. Though it was a longer walk than expected, we were pleasantly surprised to find a lake to swim in. We bought drinks and all took a swim. There was a tavern across the street from the entrance to the park so our next plan was to have lunch and beers there before hiking on but the tavern ended up being closed so we just hiked to the next shelter for lunch. My pack is so heavy that I needed to eat food out of my food bag anyway. This afternoon was absolutely sweltering but we plugged on, albiet slowly. I hiked with the two of them for most of the day, which is unusual for me, but we were all slowed down by the heat and it helped keep me sane. We took an afternoon break and we were so hot we started looking at our guidebooks to see if there was anywhere else we could go to get out of the heat and realized that five miles further there was a road where we could hitch into another town; Smithsburg. The trail was extremely rocky and we got a little taste of what's coming up in PA. We got a hitch from a very nice man named Eric into town and went to dinner at a pizza place. Right when we were finishing he showed back up and offered to take us back to the trail. He even stopped at a gas station for us to pick up water as the water here at the shelter is stagnant. We made it to the shelter right as it was getting dark and set up our tents. There are a ton of people at the shelter tonight but we're tented a bit up the trail. I have no plan for tomorrow yet which is actually kind of nice. It's supposed to be hot again so we'll see what happens. Regardless, we'll cross into PA tomorrow and will have officially finished six states! Bring it.
Date: 2010-07-08
From: Ensign Cowall shelter

To: Deer Lick shelter
Miles today: 14.5
Weather: haze

Again, hot as hell today. I didn't sleep well last night due to some strange noises in the woods and some guy that was cussing someone out from somewhere in the woods around 1 am. I have no idea what that was about but it was disturbing. I got on the trail by 8:30 and made decent time given the heat to Pen-Mar Park, which is right before the Pennsylvania border. I stayed there for at least two and a half hours trying to stay relatively cool. After Herro and Yum Yum got there and ate lunch we set out to hike another three miles and hit up yet another town...the body is craving air conditioning...and cold beer. We got a hitch from a guy in a convertible, which has my vote as the best hitch car yet. He dropped us off at a restaurant where we got great food and cheap beer. While we were eating a couple that was familiar with the trail came over and offered to take us back to the trail when they were finished with dinner, which was great incentive to actually get back on the trail (Yum Yum was going to try to get me drunk and convince me to go bowling before a ride was handed to us). We hiked another two miles to the shelter and called it a night as it was still over 90 degrees. The terrain has been extremely easy and we could potentially put in 20 mile days pretty easily but the heat is a strong deterrent. We heard a rumor that a cold front may be moving in within the next few days which should help get us moving. There is another lake and pool tomorrow in 12 miles at Caledonia State Park so big miles may have to wait another day.
Date: 2010-07-09
From: Deer Lick shelter

To: Quarry Gap shelter
Miles today: 15.8
Weather: scattered clouds

We had our first 1,000 ft climb today in a while. It wasn't bad- short and steep. We haven't hit the PA rocks with full force yet, but there were a couple of boulder fields that were difficult to contend with. You look up and see a white blaze in the distance and standing between you and the blaze are a million rocks and it's up to you to figure out your path there. This afternoon we made it to Caledonia State Park, which is right on the trail and there is a swimming pool there- definitely didn't think that was going to be on the menu while hiking the AT. We spent about four hours there swimming and hanging out with other hikers; it was a great day. We only had about two and a half miles to the shelter after the park so we waited until near closing time at the pool and then finished the last stretch, which was beautiful. I walked through some amazing rhododendron tunnels flanked by gigantic boulders. The shelter is one of the nicest shelters I've seen, though I'm tenting. There are potted flowers, a covered picnic table, benches, etc. Tomorrow we head to Pine Grove Furnace State Park for even more swimming. I am really enjoying the near daily bodies of water to swim in throughout this stretch of the trail. With the insane heat, they couldn't have come at a better time.
Date: 2010-07-10
From: Quarry Gap shelter

To: Pine Grove Furnace State Park
Miles today: 17.3
Weather: light rain

We officially hit the midpoint of the trail today! It was an exciting event, though a tad bit daunting to think I have to hike the same number of miles I've already hiked all over again. It's all for the best though- I'm still having a great time.It rained most of the night last night and into the morning, which set our start time back because no one wanted to break down camp until it died down. Herro and I were sharing a tent pad and his tent got extremely wet. He woke up to some flooding and my tent was a little wet but everything stayed dry inside. Herro and I got up early but just drank coffee and talked until Yum Yum and everyone else got up around 8. We didn't get started until around 9:30 but the terrain was easy and we made great time. Thus far, the shelters, terrain and water sources have been great in PA. I'm enjoying it while it lasts because I've heard northern PA is a beast due to the rocks. I hiked by myself for a while but the three of us hiked the last section together so we could take pictures at the midpoint marker. We got to the park store by 5:30, which is the location for the half gallon challenge. The challenge, in honor of making it halfway through the trail, is to try to eat a half gallon of ice cream as fast as possible. I did not participate in this event. I had my own two scoop challenge, which I completed honorably. When we got there, Fresh and Babalu were going for it. Babalu finished his after working on it for over two hours but Fresh gave up about half way through. Fresh and his dog Bella have been hiking the same mileage as our group for the last few days which has been fun. It's nice to have a dog around and Fresh is a good guy. We all got a campsite at the park tonight and grilled out. Here tonight are: me, Herro, Yum, Yum, Fresh, Babalu, and Treadmore. The tentative plan for tomorrow is to hike a near 20 day and make it to Boiling Springs, though I'm not sure I want to pay to stay somewhere there since I plan on staying in Duncannon in a few days. We'll see what happens.
Date: 2010-07-11
From: Pine Grove Furnace State Park

To: Boiling Springs
Miles today: 19.4
Weather: few clouds

I was not motivated to hike today. I have no idea why; perhaps it's because yesterday was so great and it's hard to have two great days in a row. We made the best of it though and all hiked together. We played games, acted silly and took our time. We went off the trail for lunch at a place that had a deli and as we sat in the yard after eating, our lack of motivation sky rocketed and we decided to do some creative hiking and road walk a little just to do something different. We used Yum Yum's maps to figure out a plan and finally left. Herro's feet were in bad shape and road walking didn't help, but we had fun anyway. We made it to Boiling Springs and got a ride into town where we were going to stay for the night. We got a great deal on a room and went to dinner after quick much needed showers. After dinner we sat under a cabana drinking beer- it was a great night. We were sitting there and our waitress from dinner came up and asked if we knew what was going on in the lodge where we were staying because all of the managers were down there. Long story short, the place is haunted and she told us about some paranormal activities that occur on the grounds. Apparently doors were opening and closing on their own and when we got back to the hall we were staying on all of the doors were open to rooms that were vacant, which was creepy. The place looked like the hotel from The Shining, which I'd mentioned before we heard the ghost stories. So we'll see what happens tonight!
Date: 2010-07-12
From: Boiling Springs

To: Darlington shelter
Miles today: 14.3
Weather: overcast clouds

I'm happy to report there were no ghost encounters last night, though Yum Yum swears she saw a strange shadow when she woke up during the night. We went to breakfast and hung out in the game room in the lodge until around 11, then finally tried to mobilize. It was an extremely easy hike today and the scenery was beautiful. I spent most of the day walking through farmlands; it was a nice change of pace from just walking through the woods all the time. There are berries all over the trail now which is really fun; you can stop frequently and eat them. I was having a great time until the skies opened up and it proceeded to pour for the last four miles before the shelter. I was completely soaked when I got here. I'm going to stay in the shelter tonight because I don't feel like dealing with getting all of my gear wet. Tomorrow it's an easy 11 mile hike to Duncannon. The plan is to nearo there and hike out the next day; we'll see if we can stick to the plan this time.
Date: 2010-07-13
From: Darlington shelter

To: Duncannon, PA
Miles today: 11.4
Weather: light rain

The rocks of Pennsylvania have begun to show their ugly faces. The hike into town today was fairly brutal, especially the descent, which was a loose boulder field...not fun. We were all in crappy moods when we met up for a break before the final few miles before Duncannon, but as soon as we got to town all was well. I ended up going the wrong way into town on the old AT because there were still faded blazes, but I made it to the Doyle easily once I was pointed in the right direction by a local. I grabbed a beer and waited for Herro and Yum Yum. The Doyle is an interesting place. It's an old Anheiser Busch hotel and seems to be a thru hiker must place to stay. What it lacks in luxury it makes up for with charm, cheap beer and excellent food. The couple that run the place, Vicky and Pat, are no-nonsense kind of folk but are a lot of fun and take pride in their establishment and they seem to love and take great care of hikers. Once Yum Yum and Herro got there we got another beer, checked into the hotel and hung out with some of the other hikers staying there. I'd talked to Sideways earlier in the week and he'd decided to come hang out with us because he's already over being at home and misses the trail. Once he got there we went and had some dinner and a few more drinks. It was a great night; I'm finally clean, laundry is finally clean and time was spent with good people.
Date: 2010-07-14
From: Duncannon, PA

To: Duncannon, PA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: moderate rain

We had every intention of hiking out today, but surprise -- we didn't. Yum Yum wasn't feeling well this morning, it was raining and we hadn't finished most of our town chores, so we decided to stay. Sideways had his car so we were able to resupply and go to the outfitter easily, which is nice- it's a huge pain to have to rely on shuttles for everything. Once chores were over we spent more time in the bar with hikers then drank wine in the hotel room and played games. Fun times. Tomorrow, however, rain or shine, feeling good or not, we hike. Sideways has decided to get back on the trail when we get to New Jersey, which should be around 10 days from now, so stay tuned for more of his antics.