morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2012-05-14
From: Rock Spring Hut

To: Byrds Nest #3 Hut
Miles today: 10.9
Weather: moderate rain

Last night we decided to get up early and hike 4 miles to Skyland Resort for breakfast so it was early to bed. It started raining about 10 p.m. That plus an uneven tent spot, apparently no one in the PATC owns a level, made for a long night. Some of my gear got wet due to my pad sliding to one side of the tent and forcing some gear into the netting of my tarptent. I woke up at 5:00 and started packing up inside the tent. It was raining fairly hard when I took my tent down. It was soaked and dirty by the time I got it rolled and into its stuff sack. We hit the trail at 6:50 and walked the 4 mi. to Skyland in the rain. Pocahontas said I must have been hungry because I flat left her in the dust, er mud. She later admitted she rolled her ankle and had knee pain the rest of the day. At Skyland service was slow and we did not get our omelets as we ordered them but when you are hungry you eat what is set before you and don¢t look back. I hope the folks at the table next to us enjoyed our omelets which had more ingredients than theirs that we ate. The coffee was excellent, 4 cups told me so. After eating and getting dried out and warmed up it was back into the rain with 10.9 miles to Pass Mtn. Hut. As we were walking in the clouds with no views, had wet gear, Pocahontas¢ sore knee, and wanted to score a spot in a hut we decided to stop at Byrds Nest #3 Hut. We arrived at 3:30 and hung some clothes to try and dry. Some hikers that passed by the hut said they saw 4 bears along the trail right after we came through. Bummer. We have been told that a bear shows up at this hut every afternoon about 5 p.m. but it hasn¢t shown up today. Maybe it¢s the rain. It¢s too bad that it was cloudy today because we passed many overlooks. I¢ve had supper and ready for bed and it¢s only 7:12. I have my tent hanging out behind the shelter. It¢s certainly not drying but it is getting a good washing. Tomorrow we are going to try to make up todays lost miles. That will be a 17 mile day. Fire Pants is also in the hut tonight.
Date: 2012-05-15
From: Byrds Nest #3 Hut

To: Gravel Springs Hut
Miles today: 17.5
Weather: light rain

I did not sleep well since I was in the hut but Pocahontas said I did a good job snoring. I was awake before daybreak and as soon as it got light I started packing some things. After my customary breakfast of oats, raisins, bacon bits, and coffee we were on the trail at 6:50. Pocahontas had a rough start to the day. Her knee and ankle were hurting, she had developed a blister or 2 from her wet socks, and she had to get up and pee in the rain last night and did not properly position her clothes. Oh well they were getting wet anyway. There was also a snorer in the hut, so I was told. But her day got better. It was still cloudy this morning but this afternoon we had some nice views. We have been seeing many wildflowers. The Mtn. Laurel is starting to bloom and we saw a Pink Ladies Slipper today. Pocahontas saw a Ring Neck Snake but it hid itself before I got to see it. We stopped at Elkwallow Wayside for a cheeseburger, fries, and blackberry shake. On the blue blaze trail to Gravel Springs Hut we saw a Mama bear and 3 cubs. It was a long day of hiking. 17.5 miles is big for hikers just starting the trail. We are staying in the hut again because we have been unable to dry our gear due to the high humidity and it is lightning in the distance.
Date: 2012-05-16
From: Gravel Springs Hut

To: VA 522 (Sharon's Hostel)
Miles today: 13.4

I slept fairly well last night considering I was in the hut. The tent spots thru this section have been very poor. They are not level and are too small for my tarptent. After eating we were first out of camp again today. We had a 14 mile day to get to VA 522. We have decided to go to Sharon¢s house instead of Tom Floyd Wayside to shower, dry things out, do laundry, and resupply. We had a couple of excellent overlooks today. One, I think it was South Marshall Mtn., had a spring nearby and room to tent offering a wonderful place to camp and watch the sunset. We saw Zig Zag again today. She was with Greenstone and Thimbleberry near Tom Floyd Wayside. Tom Floyd is a nice shelter but the trip to the spring sucks. We had a couple of climbs today but more downhill than up. I saw 4 squirrels today, something we hadn¢t been seeing. We encountered trail magic as we neared VA 522. Someone had left cold water and sweet tea beside the trail. I called Sharon and she had just returned from picking up a hiker at Dulles Airport and was nearby. She picked us up and took us to Walmart to resupply then we stopped at Jalisco Mexican for supper, yummie. Tom and Sharon Johnson have the area over their garage fixed up into a hikers hostel. It is very nice and is free to overnight hikers. We did 13.4 miles today and will do about 15 tomorrow. The remaining days will be shorter, but not necessarily easier. I told Pocahontas that we have been working too hard and not having enough fun.
Date: 2012-05-17
From: VA 522 (Sharon's Hostel)

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

We had a great stay at Tom and Sharon Johnsons place. Pocahontas talked food with the hiker Sharon picked up at the airport. He is from Dallas, TX and seemed to have a great deal of knowledge about cooking Tex-Mex on the grill. He is starting SOBO from VA 522 going to Pearisburg. The large common area had TV, couches, air conditioned, plenty of room to organize gear, and a nice bathroom. At bed time we pulled out foam mattresses, pillows, had clean sheets and pillowcases, and cozy blankets. In the morning Sharon had ham and eggs, homemade cookies, orange smoothies, and of course coffeeeeee. Armed with a good nights sleep, food, clean clothes, and full bellies Sharon took us back to the trail at 8:45. We had a lot of good trail today mixed with a few rocky places. Not a lot to see today. Did see one milk snake and a pileated woodpecker. We found a nice bench under a tree in a hay field which made a nice break. We crossed under I-66 and found more trail magic in the form of Gatorade. We are staying in Dick¢s Dome Shelter tonight with Hawkeye and two recent college grads which we named Thelma and Louise. The unique octagon shape of the hut limits the number of occupants to a listed 4, but we managed to get 5 inside by putting 3 around the wall and 2 in the middle. Achy Breaky came in later and is tenting. Another thru hiker that is just getting back on the trail after an injury came in and brought a bunch of Dove Chocolate Bars. Mmmmmm. I controlled myself because of the caffeine and only ate one.
Date: 2012-05-18
From: Dick's Dome Hut

To: Rod Hollow Shelter
Miles today: 8.4
Weather: few clouds

We got started from Dick¢s Dome Shelter at 8:30. Hawkeye, Thelma, and Louise left at 6:30. We had good trail today especially through Sky Meadows State Park. Not a lot of views today mostly the Virginia green tunnel. We crossed U.S. 50 and arrived at Rod Hollow Shelter at 12:30, only 8.4 mi. today. That¢s what I call a fun day. This shelter is a shelter with good tent sites, so having a lot of time I strung a line to air everything out a bit. As I was putting up my line between two trees I happened to look down and a 2 12 foot Copperhead was crawling by me about 6 ft. away. Not a close call but close enough for me. It proceeded on its way and crawled on into the rocks and bushes. This is a nice shelter with a good piped spring near the shelter. You don¢t even need to go downhill to get to it. I washed some of the smell off and put on a clean shirt ready to do a little socializing tonight. Pocahontas and I gathered a good pile of firewood and Pocahontas soon had a nice fire going which we kept until bedtime. More hikers came in as the afternoon progressed into sundown. Achy Breaky stopped in about 2 for a rest stop and water but moved on about 3. 2 SOBO hikers came in after putting in a 20 mi. day. We ended up with about 11 hikers at the shelter. Did not get all the names but some were Willie Boy, Professor Oak, Day Pack, and Mo Town. Needless to say it was a good night with lots of conversation.
Date: 2012-05-19
From: Rod Hollow Shelter

To: Bears Den Hostel
Miles today: 9.9
Weather: few clouds

I woke up at daybreak and started packing up for an early start this morning. Willie Boy was also up and getting ready to leave. Made some hot water for coffee and ate 4 pop tarts to get my body going. We were on the trail at 6:40 headed for the roller coaster. This is a series of steep climbs and descents lasting for 13.5 miles with rocks, rocks, and more rocks. We are only doing 9.9 mi. today to get to Bears Den Hostel so that will split up the roller coaster. I struggled today not because of the climbs, which were not all that long, but because of the rocks. But rocks are part of the A.T. and you just deal with them the best you can. We came upon a couple day hiking at the fork to Sam Moore Shelter. The lady was bent over peeling a mango and a 6 ft. black snake had slithered up behind her. I told her she might want to look behind her. She handled the situation very well and even gave me a piece of mango. It was very good. The snake continued its journey toward the shelter, no doubt with visions of mice behind its beady eyes. We reached Bears Den Hostel at 1:10. There were a few hikers already at the hostel and I jumped in the shower as soon as it became available. Donned with clean clothes and the shower I felt much better. The hostel is a real cool place, built as a summer home for a D.C. doctor years ago. We chose to tent in the yard in the nice soft grass. Greenstone and Thimbleberry arrived and tented also. Achy Breaky, Willie Boy, AZ Cruiser, and Day Pack are here among others. The office/store opened at 5:00 and we paid our camping fee and for what we had already consumed, bought a pizza to bake, Gatorade, and a pint of Ben and Jerry¢s. One of the staff at the hostel was having a birthday so we all had cake too. After eating we went down to Bears Den Rocks and watched a gorgeous sunset. Later Pocahontas and I went back down to the rocks to view the lights in the valley below. We called it a night about ten and crawled into our tents surrounded by the scent of bush in bloom nearby.
Date: 2012-05-20
From: Bears Den Hostel

To: David Lessor Memorial Shelter
Miles today: 11.1
Weather: clear sky

I did not sleep well at all. I had eaten too much, too late, and woke up several times with regrug in my throat. Each time I had to set up for a while before lying back down. I finally got a little sleep and then at 5:45 Pocahontas came over to my tent and told me Willie Boy had come out and told her he was cooking pancakes in the kitchen, so it was time to eat again. So we got dressed and ate some very delicious pancakes washed down with coffee. Thanks Willie Boy. Afterward we got packed up and on our way to the David Lessor Memorial Shelter. The trail was much better today than yesterday even through the remainder of the roller coaster. We stopped for about an hour at the Blackburn Trail Center and chatted with the caretaker. He brought out a pair of binoculars and we could dimly see the National Cathedral and Washington Monument through the haze. He offered us a soda to drink. I received several itching bug bites while we were there. So far that had not been a problem on this hike. We arrived at the shelter at 3:55 and selected our tent sites from several available. Once again the tent spots were excellent. David Lessor is a very nice shelter with room for several in the shelter, benches around the porch, and a separate covered cooking and eating area. As I was getting ready to crawl into my tent for the night Pocahontas shouted at me to turn on my phone to receive a special phone call. I did and received a call from my wife who was attending a small get together with a group of singers we frequently attend. One of the singers sang one of my often requested songs, ¢Choices¢ by George Jones, to me over the phone. How cool is that? Achy Breaky, Willie Boy, and a couple of others are here tonight. Time for bed.
Date: 2012-05-21
From: David Lessor Memorial Shelter

To: Harpers Ferry
Miles today: 9.5
Weather: light rain

I woke up sometime late into the night and heard the wind pick up for a few minutes then a few pats of rain drops on the tent. When I woke up again at daybreak it still had not rained very much but the ground was becoming wet. I quickly threw my belongings together and carried them up to the covered eating area. I went back and took down my tent and hauled it up to the same. The tent was somewhat wet so I strung a line on the poles of the eating shelter and hung and wiped down my tent as well as I could. By then Pocahontas was up and had her gear under the roof. We fixed some breakfast and packed up our damp tents and other gear. Since this was to be our last day on the trail for this section hike I didn¢t really worry about the tent being damp. I saw Willie Boy leave the shelter just as the rain increased in intensity. After several minutes it slacked off again and we started our walk to Harpers Ferry. We walked in a light rain all the way to Harpers Ferry. The trail surprised me today as we had a few very rocky sections to deal with. I had imagined this section into Harpers Ferry to be smooth and well groomed. I should know better by now. We reached a sign stating we were entering the Harpers Ferry National Historic Park but the surroundings never changed. We began hear train whistles and other noises in the distance and knew we were getting close to town. I never saw the stone wall that George Washington surveyed back when he as young. We dropped down to the Shenandoah River and crossed on the U.S. 340 Bridge. At that point I thought our climbing was over but was surprised to have one last climb up to Jefferson Rock. From that point it was all down hill into the historic old town. As we neared the bridge over the Potomac River a lady who was walking on a solid surface lined with 4 x 4¢s caught her foot and started falling forward. As she fell her feet tried to keep up with her body and she fell a good twenty feet before she plowed into the ground. Luckily she wasn¢t seriously injured, just scratched and shook up. She will probably be sore tomorrow. I mention this because I thought it ironic that we had just walked 117 miles through rock, roots, and mud and never fell, then witnessed a fall in town. About this time the rain really increased and as we walked across the bridge to plant our feet on Maryland soil it turned into a downpour. The pouring rain hid the tears of joy in my eyes that I had finally finished Virginia and West Virginia after starting the trail 3 years ago. Pocahontas and I gave each other a big victory hug and walked back across the bridge into Harpers Ferry as a train entered the tunnel giving a great photo op for Pocahontas¢ waterproof camera. Our walking wasn¢t quite over for the day as we made our way back to the Visitors Center some 2 miles away to retrieve my car that was waiting there and dry clothes.
Date: 2012-06-02
To: Home
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

After reaching my car and changing into dry clothes Pocahontas and I started making our way back to Harrisonburg to spend the night before returning to Indiana. We drove to Front Royal and jumped onto the Sky Line Drive to try to take in some overlooks we had missed because of the clouds. The weather cooperated somewhat giving us some nice views with black and white clouds in the background for some really neat pictures. Of course we had to have another Blackberry Shake at a wayside on the way. We had a nice dinner at Chili¢s before calling it a day. Thinking back I complained about the poor tent sites at most of the shelters thru this section but never mentioned the excellent Jim and Molly Denton Shelter, one of the best I¢ve seen on the trail. With its solar shower, grassy tent spots, convenient water source, and great front porch it would have been a great stay but the mileage just didn¢t work out. This was, as I recall, the rockiest section so far on the trail. I guess it is getting primed for PA. We saw 5 bears, only 4 snakes, and numerous other little critters, 2 scarlet tanagers, several pileated woodpeckers, and numerous wild flowers of different varieties. As usual the people we met on this trip were very interesting and kind. You can learn so much from long distance hikers if you just listen and observe. I can¢t say enough about the kindness of Tom and Sharon Johnson and all the trail magic providers in the area. The majority of the trail was in good condition with just a few areas that needed attention. I have now hiked all of the AT in GA, NC, TN, VA, and WV. some 1017.5 miles. I am looking forward to Maryland and hopefully all of PA this fall. I plan to be back on the trail in early October.
Date: 2012-10-26
To: Getting ready to go again
Miles today: 0.0

Plans are well underway for a late fall/early winter section hike of Maryland and Pa. Target date to begin at Harper's Ferry and continue northward is Nov. 12 with a completion date of approx. Dec. 5. All my gear is laid out in the spare bedroom and it looks to be a heavy pack for winter. Maybe I will find somewhere to cut down some weight. After getting caught in the early snowstorm last Oct. in the Shennies I want to be prepared for whatever comes my way. I will have a hiking partner for part of the trip but will not mention his name at this time as I do not have his permission to do so. A partner will be great this time of the year.
Date: 2012-11-12
From: Harpers Ferry

To: Crampton Gap Shelter
Miles today: 10.4
Weather: overcast clouds

Tagless arrived right on time on the Amtrak last night and we went across the street from the station to eat dinner. Afterward we took him to the Econo Lodge for the night. Diana and I stayed at the Ledge House B&B. They agreed to fix breakfast for Tagless so I picked him up and we shared in a very good breakfast before setting out on the trail. After a stop at the ATC headquarters and the local outfitters we got on the trail 10:30.The first 3 miles were down the old C&O Canal Towpath, a nice flat walk. As soon as we left the towpath and started climbing the 900 foot climb to get on the ridge I realized how out of shape I am, certainly no match for Tagless. He mercifully waited for me at the top. There were a lot of day hikers out today, it being a three day weekend. Not being sure of the water situation at Crampton Gap shelter we carried water from the Gathland State Park. Filling my water bag and Platy I ended up with about 11 lbs. of water to carry up a 300 foot hill in the .4 mile to the shelter. The spring was dripping slowly so bringing water was a good move. We arrived at the shelter at 4 pm, our first 10.4 miles in the book. There were few views today and I saw no wildlife. We are sleeping in the shelter tonight with a 90% chance of rain. I¢m tired but it sure feels goodto be on the trail again.
Date: 2012-11-13
From: Crampton Gap Shelter

To: Pine Knob Shelter
Miles today: 12.5
Weather: clear sky

It started raining about 8pm last night and right on cue quit at 7:30 this morning. As per usual I did not sleep well in the shelter. After my oats and coffee I was packed up and on the trail at 8:00 headed for Pine Knob Shelter. Today was a bad day for Tagless having come down with a bad case of Montezuma¢s Revenge. By the end of the day he was weakening and I could almost keep up with him. We stopped for a snack at the new Rocky Run Shelter. It is a beautiful shelter. I stopped and checked out the Washington Monument. We crossed I70 on the footbridge this afternoon. I had a few good views into the valley today. The trail was generally good today with just a few rocky areas. I met 3 SOBO¢s today and 1 day hiker. It is getting to cold to write more tonight.
Date: 2012-11-14
From: Pine Knob Shelter

To: Raven Rock Shelter
Miles today: 13.1
Weather: clear sky

It was cold this morning, about 30 deg. We were on the trail at 7:50 headed for Raven Rock Shelter. I finally saw some wildlife today, 1 deer, 2 chipmunks, 8 squirrels, 1 pileated woodpecker, 1 hawk, 7 ravens, and many other assorted birds. One thing I have noticed is that Maryland must hold the record for the most white blazes per mile. At times today I could see 5 ahead of me. The trail was again very good today with a few rocky spots. Arrived at the shelter at 3:15. Raven Rock is a very nice shelter but the spring is nearly .5 mile downhill. But it is a nice spring.I decided to sleep in my tent tonight to try and get a better nights sleep. Just before dark 2 section hikers came in and started a nice fire which we all enjoyed until 7 pm. These short days and long nights are rough. 12 hrs. on your sleeping pad is a long time. After dark we saw another headlamp coming down the trail. It was a lady from Frankfurt, Germany doing some sections she missed on her attempted thru hike this summer. Unfortunately I did not get any of these 3 hikers¢ names. I'm cold,time to try and get some sleep.
Date: 2012-11-15
From: Raven Rock Shelter

To: Tumbling Rock Shelters
Miles today: 13.2
Weather: overcast clouds

Slept in my tent last night but still didn¢t sleep well. It was a cold 30 deg. again this morning, but after 12 hrs. I was ready to get up as soon as it was light. My tarptent was dry, no condensation. I noticed I felt a little queasy in the stomach as I was packing up. Another day of good trail. We stopped at the Pen Mar County Park for a snack. It appeared to be closed for the season. At 10:30 we were at the Md/Pa border marked by a new Mason-Dixon Line sign. About 2:00 I suddenly became violently sick at my stomach. This slowed me to a crawl in between heaving sessions. I finally made it to Old Forge Park where I sat down for awhile to rest. It was still 1.1 miles to Tumbling Rock Shelters and was getting late in the day so I decided to call Tagless to let him know I was sick and might not make it to the shelter until dark. I hiked on and he came and met me and carried my pack the last 34 mile to the shelter. There was nothing I could do except spread my pad and sleeping bag in the shelter and prepare for a long hard night. I spotted a nice log behind the shelter to use when I got sick. 13.2 miles in 9 hrs. on good trail. Blahh
Date: 2012-11-16
From: Tumbling Rock Shelters

To: Scottish Inn- Fayetteville, PA
Miles today: 4.9

It was a long night and I was awake watching the dawning of a new day. I was sick a few times last night but nothing after 2 am. Tagless finally stirred out of his tent and we discussed what we were going to do today. I felt a little better so I told him I would try to make it to US 30 some 9.6 miles and off we went. Tagless had booked a room at the Scottish Inn in Fayetteville, just 3.5 miles west of the trail crossing. I made it up the 1000 ft. climb from the shelter to the top of the ridge and after that the trail was a walk in the park. After 3.5 hr. and only making 4.9 miles to PA233 and having no luck hitching, Tagless called the motel for a shuttle. My hiking strength was about gone and I needed to rest. I spent this afternoon drinking Gatorade and Alka-Seltzer. Tagless did our laundry and later we went to a restaurant across the street from the motel. I knew I needed to eat so I ordered some fish and baked potato. It was a very large meal so I ate 12 and took the other back to the room for tomorrow. I think I am beginning to feel better.