morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2004-05-20
From: Bobblets Gap

To: Cornelius Creek
Miles today: 18.3
Weather: broken clouds

A good start to the morning, a little down and a little up. Then in the afternoon a 4.5 mile steep up. I was walking about 30 yards behind Wicomico this morning and I looked up just in time to see him fly through the air and disappear. When I got there he was laying off the trail. A dead tree stopped him from going any further down the mountain. He said he tripped on a rock. He has a skinned shin and a few more bruises. This is his second bad fall in two days. Wicomico is like a Timex watch commercial. He takes a licking but keeps on ticking. I hiked a lot of today with Bear Behind. He is a nice guy with some interesting opinions. We talked as the miles and time seemed to fly by. We had an unusual thing happen today. We hiked down to Bearwallow Gap about midmorning and a trail angel, Larry Auston was there with drinks and snacks. This is always a big threat for hikers. I thanked him and went on my way. Now this is the unusual part. I got to Cornelius Creek Shelter about 4:30, washed my clothes and body in the creek, and fixed mac and cheese for supper about 5:30. Around 7:30, Larry Auston walks up to the shelter from a rear road and has a cooler full of baked chicken, baked beans, potato salad, biscuits, peach cobbler, and drinks. There were Wicomico, Snowman, Mellow Yellow, and myself at the shelter. We all had already eaten, but we managed to eat a little more. Now we are all very full and happy. Larry also helps maintain part of the trail in the area. Thanks Larry, you are a real trail angel. There's another big climb tomorrow and I'm looking forward to it.Happy Trails
Date: 2004-05-21
From: Cornelius Creek

To: Matts Creek Shelter
Miles today: 17.7
Weather: overcast clouds

A beautiful morning started another day. I was hiking by 7AM and most of the climbing today was in the morning. I noticed a lot of Mountain Laurel and Rhododendrons blooming throughout the forest. There are also these blue, red, purple, and white flowers sprinkled on the ridges. I'm camped next to a fast moving creek. It is a very pleasant place. We will cross the James River tomorrow morning. Virginia seems to be going by fast. I will enter the Shenandoah's in about 8 days and there will not be many miles left in Virginia after that. A lot of hikers have seen rattle snakes lately, but so far I have only seen a big black snake. Rattle snakes like to sun themselves on the warm rocks. Wicomico didn't fall today. I barely made it to the shelter before a big thunderstorm hit. It got very dark and thunder was booming and lightening flashing everywhere. I was glad to be in a safe place. What will tomorrow bring? I look forward to finding out.Happy Trails
Date: 2004-05-22
From: Matts Creek Shelter

To: Brown Mountain Creek
Miles today: 21.5
Weather: few clouds

It was a bright, sunny morning. Had several big climbs in the morning and then climbed Bluff and Punchbowl mountains in the early afternoon. The rest of the day was mostly down. The temps were in the 90's today and the humidity was very high, so I stayed wet all day. I have started to develop a chaffing problem. That is definitely not a good thing. I saw a lot of day hikers on the trail today. They usually have questions about thru-hiking. Questions like where did you start, how many miles do you do in a day, what do you eat, and how much does your pack weigh? The shelter is right next to a creek. I had a chance to bath and rinse my clothes in the creek. My gear stays wet most of the day, so it smells pretty bad. Not much I can do about that. All of the hikers have similar problems with their gear being grimy. We try to clean everything when we get to a town. Well what will be around the next bend or over the next mountain, maybe I'll find out tomorrow.Happy Trails
Date: 2004-05-23
From: Brown Mountain Creek

To: Seeley-Woodworth Shelter
Miles today: 15.8
Weather: few clouds

I started in the morning with a big climb over Bald Knob and gained over 2000 ft in elevation in less than 2 miles. Then a little while later I climbed Cold Mountain and the view from the top was fabulous. I saw a lot of pretty pink wild azaleas today. The humidity was not too bad in the morning and there was a cool breeze blowing. There was talk on the trial before we got to Virginia that Virginia was almost flat and that you could easily do 25-30 mile days, well that's a myth. Virginia may be a little kinder but not much. It also has been one of the rockiest states to hike. I know that everyday will be a challenge. Everyday there will be another big mountain to climb. I seldom look at my maps anymore. I know that whatever's there I am going to do it. Tomorrow Wicomico, Mellow Yellow, and I will hike into Montebello. We are only about 4 miles away, so we'll be there early tomorrow. The plan is to stay the night at a bed and breakfast that only costs $25 a night. For that you get a room, breakfast, and lunch. You can also do laundry and get a hot shower. It almost sounds too good to be true. So we will hike in early tomorrow morning, spend the night, get up early Tuesday morning and head back to the trail. Sounds like a good plan!Happy Trails
Date: 2004-05-24
From: Seeley-Woodworth Shelter

To: Fish Hatchery Road
Miles today: 2.3

We got up early and hiked the short distance to Fish Hatchery Road. Earl Arnold was there to shuttle me, Wicomico, and Mellow Yellow to the Dutch House Bed and Breakfast. The B&B is owned by Lois and Earl Arnold. You would have to see this place to believe it. This log cabin styled house is located in the small Virgina town of Montebello. It caters mainly to hikers during the hiking season for $25 a night. You get a nice room with a phone and TV, plus breakfast and lunch. Supper is extra. The house is set back against a hillside facing the mountains. The Arnolds seem to be very nice people. Earl will slack pack Wicomico and I tomorrow, we will do close to 20 miles and then Earl will pick us up and take us back to the B&B to eat and sleep. Looking forward to some time off from my pack.Happy Trails
Date: 2004-05-25
From: Fish Hatchery Road

To: Reeds Gap
Miles today: 19.9

Earl dropped Wicomico and me off at Fish Hatchery Road. We then had a 1.5 mile hike to the trail head. The first part of the day was uphill, but wasn't bad since we didn't have full packs. The trail was very rocky but had some great views. Slack packing is great, it lets you continue to hike but without a full pack. This is good for the body. It doesn't happen often, but when the opportunity presents itself, I think it's a good thing. I saw a big black snake swallowing a chipmunk whole, it was really something to see. Today a cool breeze blew most of the morning. It was all very pleasant. At the end of the day, Earl was waiting to shuttle us back to the B&B. We had a great supper of baked chicken, vegetable casserole, and cake for dessert. A good ending to a good day.Happy Trails
Date: 2004-05-26
From: Reeds Gap

To: Rockfish Gap (Waynesboro)
Miles today: 19.4
Weather: overcast clouds

Lately the mornings have been cool and breezey, well this morning started the same way. Hiking is much more pleasant when it is cool and less humid. Wicomico and I decided to hike all the way to Waynesboro. We had earlier planned to stop short and hike in the next day. The hike went well today and we covered 19.5 miles in 7.5 hours. We arrived at the Rockfish Gap Visitors Center at 3PM and got a shuttle from there to the Quality Inn in Waynesboro. After cleaning up we went to a Chinese all-you-can-eat restaurant. We met Mellow Yellow, PA Mule, Just Do It, and Law and Order. We ate a lot and then ate some more. We walked in the rain to get back to the motel. Tomorrow I'm going to the outfitters. I hope to find something to bug proof my tarp. I also need a new hose for my water bladder, the one I have it turning black on the inside. This is the water bladder I keep in my pack to drink from. Until tomorrow.Happy Trails
Date: 2004-05-27
From: Rockfish Gap (Waynesboro)

To: Rockfish Gap (Waynesboro)
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

I am taking a 0-day in Waynesboro. This town is really spread out, so I'm having to do a lot of walking. Wicomico and I are going to split up for a while. His son is going to hike with him through the Shenandoah Park. Wicomico will not leave Waynesboro until Sunday and I plan to be back on the trail Friday morning. Wicomico thinks he can catch up later. We have been hiking together for over 700 miles. He has been a good hiking partner. We found that we have a lot in common. There's a chance that we will meet again somewhere down the trail. However, if we don't, I wish him happy trails the rest of the way. A part of my hike through the Shenandoahs will be during Memorial Day weekend, so it will be crowded. I'm ready to get back on the trail. I almost forgot, that critter I took a picture of a while back that I thought was a ground hog, turns out it was probably a baby bear. I wonder where mama bear was.Happy Trails
Date: 2004-05-28
From: Rockfish Gap (Waynesboro)

To: Calf Mtn Shelter
Miles today: 7.0
Weather: overcast clouds

I left town at 9:30, and left Wicomico at the motel. His son will arrive Saturday and they plan to start hiking Sunday. It appears that I will be about 4 days ahead of Wicomico by the time I reach Harper's Ferry. However, I talked to my wife and she's thinking about visiting me at Harpers Ferry. This is great news! I look forward to seeing Ethel and spending time with her. Since she will be coming such a great distance, I will take at least three days off. This would give us time to check out Harpers Ferry and surronding areas. When I hike out of Harpers Ferry, Wicomico may not be far behind. I only planned to hike seven miles today. I got to the shelter way too early, but the next shelter is 13 miles away and there is no water in between. So I'm kind of stuck here. I plan to have a big day tomorrow. The Shenandoahs will be very crowded for the next 3 days because of Memorial Day Weekend. This is a beautiful park, it has an abundance of wildlife and flowers. I'm looking forward to a good hike through the park.Happy Trails
Date: 2004-05-29
From: Calf Mtn Shelter

To: Pinefield Hut
Miles today: 26.2
Weather: few clouds

I got up early and was on the trial by 6:30. Mellow Yellow and I did not actually hike together today but we were in the same neighborhood. The trail in the park was good. I don't think there were any climbs over 500 ft. I saw two big deer and a mama turkey with baby chicks scattered near the trail. The mama turkey was in a panic trying to round them up and she didn't want me in the area. Mellow Yellow and I stopped at the Loft Mtn Camp Store and I had a Gator Aid and a snack cake. We then walked down the road to a wayside (restaurant) and had a steak and cheese sub. This is one of the good things about the park. There are eating places near the trail. We eneded up doing over 26 miles today. Tomorrow should be another good day.Happy Trails
Date: 2004-05-30
From: Pinefield Hut

To: Lewis Mtn Campground
Miles today: 19.9
Weather: overcast clouds

I was up early as usual and hiking before 7. Today was pretty tough, it seemed like I climbed most of the day. I had two 1000 ft climbs and the trail didn't level out much today. I saw two big deer and several rabbits near the trail. Hawks were soaring above gracefully riding the air currents. Mellow Yellow and I hiked in the same area again today. We stopped at Lewis Mtn Camp Store to eat and I had two chili dogs, one moon pie, two chocolate milks, orange juice, and a slice of carrot cake. We decided to rent a tent cabin, a cabin with bunk beds, a light and woodburning stove. We were also able to take a hot shower and wash clothes. It has been very cool at night and tonight we will have a warm place to sleep. Wicomico and his son Robert were going to start hiking today. I hope they had a good day. I plan to have a shorter day tomorrow. My body needs a little recovery time. It should be a good trail tomorrow.Happy Trails
Date: 2004-05-31
From: Lewis Mtn Campground

To: Rock Spring Hut
Miles today: 12.2
Weather: moderate rain

I planned to have a shorter day, so I slept a little later than usual. I started hiking at 7:30. Light rain fell most of the morning. It was a good trail and I made good time. The plan was to stop at Big Meadows Lodge for lunch. Mellow Yellow and I got there at 11:00. Lunch did not start until 12:00, so we hung around at the lodge for an hour. I had a chance to call Ethel, read the paper, and relax. Lunch was chicken pot pie and salad. I had blackberry cobbler with ice cream for dessert and started back hiking at 1:00. Only three miles to the shelter. Strong storms are supposed to roll through this afternoon and continue through the night. The shelter is a good place to stay dry. I saw a lot of deer today, they seem to know that the park is a protected area. They almost have an arrogant attitude. Tomorrow I hope to have breakfast at a restaurant 3 miles off the trail. Life is hard! Expecting a good day tomorrow.Happy Trails
Date: 2004-06-01
From: Rock Spring Hut

To: Pass Mtn Hut
Miles today: 15.3
Weather: scattered clouds

Thunderstorms swept through during the night. I was glad to be in a dry shelter. The morning dawned brilliantly with no hint of the bad weather from the night before. Mellow Yellow and I hiked the 5 miles to the Skyland North Restaurant for breakfast. I had a big breakfast and then resumed the hike. Great views and good trails today. I climbed up Mary's Rock which afforded some beautiful views. Saw many more deer and also watched turkey vultures soar on the wind currents. It was another good day in the park. Ethel is going to meet me at Harpers Ferry on Sunday, it sure will be good to see her. I plan to take several days off so that we can see the sights around the area. I may try to do a big day tomorrow and hike out of the park. We will see how the day goes, life is good.Happy Trails
Date: 2004-06-02
From: Pass Mtn Hut

To: Tom Floyd Wayside
Miles today: 23.6
Weather: scattered clouds

I started hiking around 6:30. Elk Wallow Restaurant was 7 miles away and Mellow Yellow and I hoped to be there for breakfast. We got there at 9:30. I wanted an egg and bacon biscuit, but they were out of eggs. So I had a cheese burger and fries with a blackberry milkshake. I called Ethel and everything is set for Harpers Ferry. I plan to be there on Sunday. Had a good hike out of the park today and saw more deer but no bear. The park was nice but I'm glad to be out. I should be in Harpers Ferry in 4 days. Looking forward to taking some time off. Tomorrow will be a good day.Happy Trails
Date: 2004-06-03
From: Tom Floyd Wayside

To: Dicks Dome
Miles today: 18.0
Weather: scattered clouds

A big thunderstorm hit about 4AM with loud thunder and lots of lightning. I was safe and dry in the shelter. Lots of high grass and weeds covered the trail for the first few miles. Everything was wet from the rain and it wasn't long before my boots and socks were soaked. I did not have a lot of energy today, however, I did feel sme better in the afternoon. Today hiking was pretty much just trudging. There were not any pretty views and I didn't see any wildlife or many flowers. There have been other days like this but not many. I'm sleeping under my tarp tonight. I couldn't find a good place to set up, so I am at an angle slanted downward. If a thunderstorm comes through tonight, I'm in big trouble. I am not expecting any problems. Tomorrow I plan to hike to Bears Den Hostel. I also will be going over the infamous roller coaster, which is 13 ups and downs in a row. I have hiked a lot of tough sections and this will just be one more. Here's to a dry night and a great hike tomorrow.Happy Trails
Date: 2004-06-04
From: Dicks Dome

To: Bears Den Hostel
Miles today: 18.9
Weather: overcast clouds

It didn't rain last night, so it was a good night. I was up at 5:15 and hiking by 6:00. My plan was to hike to Bears Den Hostel, about 19 miles away. I hiked through the roller coaster. This covered the last 10 miles of the hike. The roller coaster was not easy but it wasn't that bad either. It rained most of the day, so the trail was very wet. It was really kind of pleasant thinking in the rain. Maybe I've been out here too long! I saw many deer and two big turkeys. I made it to the hostel by 3PM, took a hot shower and then did laundry and had pizza and ice cream for suppper. I will probably have a short day tomorrow. I don't want to be in Harpers Ferry until Sunday, this is when I will meet Ethel. Harpers Ferry is 20 miles from Bears Den. I will probably hike 8 miles down the trail. The Blackburn AT center has a hiker hostel and I will stay there for the night. Then on Sunday I will have a short 12 mile hike into Harpers Ferry. Looking forward to some R&R.Happy Trails
Date: 2004-06-05
From: Bears Den Hostel

To: Blackburn Hostel
Miles today: 7.9

I slept in until about 8:00 because I've got a short day today. It rained all night and is supposed to rain all day today. The trail was like a river, lots of water. The temps were in the low 50s, which is not bad hiking as long as you keep moving, but it was windy and cold on the ridges. I crossed into West Virginia, finally out of Virginia! Virginia's 500 miles seemed to fly by. I will meet Ethel in Harpers Ferry tomorrow and I will also go over the 1000 mile mark. Everything is good. My body is holding together and I am mentally working hard to stay positive. I still look forward to hiking most days, but some I have to work a little harder. The flow is still good, so overall I'm okay. Tomorrow I get to see my wife. Life is good.Happy Trails
Date: 2004-06-06
From: Blackburn Hostel

To: Harpers Ferry
Miles today: 12.6
Weather: overcast clouds

I stopped at the Blackburn Hostel last night. They have one cabin with 4 double wide bunk beds. So eight people could sleep in the cabin. Mellow Yellow and I got there first, then Bean and Stretch with their fathers. Stretch's brother with 2 dogs were also there. It was a full cabin. It didn't have electricity, but did have a wood burning heater. The rain stopped during the night and the morning was cool and very foggy. It was a 13 mile hike to Harpers Ferry. My body warmed up after about 20 minutes. The hike was really not bad. A few ups and some downs and a lot of fairly level terrain. I got to Harpers Ferry late morning and stopped at the AT Headquarters. I had my picture made wich goes in a register. I found out that I was hiker 217 to register. Only about 12% of the hikers leaving Harpers Ferry will finish the trail. Mellow Yellow came in close behind me. We were just about to leave when Wicomico Walker arrived. He had been slack packing for the last 5 days, so he caught up with us! I thought he was several days behind. I met my wife and her cousin Donna at the Hilltop House Hotel. I am going to take a couple of days off. I will start hiking again on Wednesday. Wicomico is going to take some time off so we can hike out together. Mellow Yellow is planning on leaving Thursday. It will be great having a couple of days rest with my wife. We will spend one day in Fredricksburg and the other in Harpers Ferry. Everything is good.Happy Trails
Date: 2004-06-09
From: Harpers Ferry

To: Dahlgren Back Pack Campground
Miles today: 18.9
Weather: few clouds

Well after a couple of restful days off, it's back to the AT. Ethel will spend some time with her cousin in Manassas and then fly home Friday. It was great being able to spend time with her. I miss her already. I will probably be in a funk for a couple of days. The hike out of Harpers Ferry wasn't bad. It was, however, very rocky. Wicomico hiked with his son through the Shenandoahs but Robert developed blisters after three days and had to stop hiking. He did slack pack Wicomico for five days. This allowed him to catch up with me. So we hiked out of Harpers Ferry together. We stopped at Dahlgren Backpacker's Campground. This is a nice place, it has bathrooms with showers. I am using my tarp tonight. I went over 1000 miles at Harpers Ferry, but I am not quite at the halfway point. Tomorrow will be a good day.Happy Trails
Date: 2004-06-10
From: Dahlgren Back Pack Campground

To: Devils Racecourse Shelter
Miles today: 18.0

Up and out early as usual with cloudy skies and warm temps. It was a very rocky trail today and I did not see any pretty views. It was just trudging over rocks most of the day. Wicomico is having a reoccurence of his foot problem but he's a real trooper. He will be okay. We're hiking in Maryland today but will be in Pennsylvania tomorrow. The states will go by a little faster now that Virginia is finished. Pennsylvania is famouns for its rocks but couldn't be much worse that what I have been going over for the last month. I saw my first rattlesnake today. It was on the trail and was about 3.5 ft long and 4 ft thick. He was a big fellow! The rains came late evening and it rained very hard into the night. I'm in a very old shelter tonight but I'm dry. PA is only 5 miles away. It will be my 6th state to hike through. Let there be good weather and trails tomorrow.Happy Trails
Date: 2004-06-11
From: Devils Racecourse Shelter

To: US 30
Miles today: 22.8

It started raining about 4AM and continued throughout the day. It was a chilling kind of rain, not warm or cold but very uncomfortable. Since I had already sent my rain gear home, I was at the mercy of the weather gods. We were cold when we stopped hiking, so Wicomico and I didn't stop much today. We hiked about 23 miles on a rocky trail. We also passed the Mason Dixon line and made our way into Pennsylvania. Tomorrow I will pass the halfway point on the trail. There is a lot of trail left to hike, but the end is getting closer. I am really beginning to feel that finishing this quest is possible. The people in the south that I came in contact with were warm and hospitable and I expect people in the north to be the same. My first day in the north was a wet one. I look farward to many sunrises and sunsets in the future. I also look foward to good weather and smooth trails.Happy Trails
Date: 2004-06-12
From: US 30

To: Ironmaster's Mansion
Miles today: 20.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Today was a beautiful day with blue skies and sunshine all day. The temps started in the low 60s and ended in the 70s. Yesterday's rain will ensure that there will be adequate water for a while, so that's a good thing. The trail today was excellent and made for easy hiking. Daisies lined the trail in many places and I saw lots of chipmunks and birds today. It was really a good day to be hiking. Wicomico and I stopped at Pine Grove Furnace State Park. The camp store is famous for the half gallon challenge. This park marks the half-way point on the AT, so thru-hikers are challenged to eat half a gallon of ice cream as fast as they can. I think the record is 7 min. Wicomico and I are kind of wimps. We each ate a pint in probably 15 min. We did enjoy it and we didn't throw it back up. We are staying at the Iron Master's Hostel. I'm sure there's a story here but I don't have a clue. I do know that it's very old and George and Martha Washington once stayed the night. Now it's a hiker hostel. On occasion I get to read my email. I noticed that George Holder sent me an email. George is probably the reason I'm on the trail. Many years ago I read a newspaper article describing George's AT thru hike. I clipped it out and must have read it 100 times. I met George before my 2002 attempt. He lives about 2 miles from my home in Long Beach. He stopped by one evening with all his AT maps, logs, and pictures. We talked for maybe 5 hours about the AT. He gave me a lot of valuable info. I had a thousand questions and he answered them all. I really appreciate the time he spent wiht me. His trail name was Howdy. So Howdy, if you're reading this, thanks a lot. There are two other thru-hikers who have been very supportive and helpful too. John Pearson and Chet Nicholson(Ice Falcon '99). They both live very close to me and I appreciate their advice also. Tomorrow I should hike into the little town of Boiling Springs, PA. The springs do not really boil, they actual temp is 53, but they do bubble. Looking to have another good day tomorrow.Happy Trails