morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2017-04-09
To: 11 days until blast off
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

I carried ye olde pack around the park this weekend. It's pretty much packed, barring a little extra water, maybe some scotch. Couple things like that. It wasn't horrible but I'll be happy to eat a couple days food so it carries lighter. Looks like the final weight will be just under 28 pounds, which to me is very very heavy. Stupid food. Stupid water. Stupid necessities of life.Spring is pretty much underwear as well. I swear that the leaves had unfurled a little more at the end of today's walk compared to yesterday's. Luckily no gnats were out today, but they will be soon, and I will once again be hiking wearing the biggest cafeteria lady hair net ever. I love and hate that mesh head net. Gnats zero in on my eyes. Other people are walking along not bothered, but if I lift the edge of my mesh for a few seconds, a gnat will go right into my eye. Maybe they like blue eyes? So I wear the netting, and I sweat more. Sometimes I like getting into my tent just so I can be in a protected area where I can remove my dang head net.Five more days of work to go. My desk is mostly cleaned out, barring the files I'll need to leave for my replacement. 23 years of office stuff is a lot.
Date: 2017-04-13
To: Yesteryear is always ludicrous
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Do you spend a lot of time thinking about how ridiculously old fashioned everything today will seem in the future?No? Just me?I just imagine my great-niece looking at my pictures and thinking how funny it was that we had clothing made out of plants and animals. Like SERIOUSLY you KILLED another LIVING BEING and then you WORE ITS SKIN? Fine, serial killer.And then you try to explain that we didn¢t actually kill the sheep, we just gave them annual haircuts, and they kind of liked it because they got really hot with all that hair, but yes we did kind of kill the cows and wear their skins. And gave their bones to our dogs, until it got fashionable to drink bone soup. But we ate their meat so it was fine! No waste! And my great-niece is just giving me that look that you give old ladies who will just say anything they feel like and there¢s nothing you can do about it.I promise that this is hiking related.I started hiking as a kid with my folks when we went places where hiking was the thing. National parks, state parks, local parks. It wasn¢t a hobby, it was just the thing you did when you went there. My first backpacking trip was as a teenager after my mom invited her friend Betty Manning over to tell my Campfire group about backpacking, because Betty was a backpacker. It all seemed surreal and a little futuristic. You packed everything up really tiny. I specifically remember us marveling that you could fold underwear up to the size of a cigarette pack. Why a cigarette pack? I don¢t know. It¢s not like any of us Campfire girls smoked. But that was our measurement.The backpacks were not waterproof. They didn¢t necessarily have any zippers. They were basically heavy duty nylon bags, with pockets sewn on (not very many pockets) that were hung from tube of metal. It was exactly as much fun to carry as it sounded. Not much fit in them, but what was in them was heavy. I don¢t think we weighed our packs before our initial hiking trip. But I¢m pretty sure they were heavier than what I carry now. In the picture, my little teenage self was bent forward under the load.I *did* measure the weight for a trip in college (similar gear, but now the sleeping bag was a little smaller) and I recall for one trip it was 51 pounds. 51! I don¢t even like to carry 25 pounds now. And that pack still wasn¢t waterproof. It did have zippers, which tore my hands to shreds when I reached past their teeth into my pack. It still hung on sizable metal tubes. My gear today seems pretty far removed from those early adventures. My sleeping bag weighs under a pound and fits in a summer sausage sized stuff sack, almost. My pack weighs a pound, and it¢s waterproof, and it has many wondrous pockets which don¢t rip the flesh off my hands when I reach into them. In 30 years, when I hope to still be able to totter out to the trails sometimes, I wonder what my gear will look like?In 60 years, when I will most likely be dead, I wonder what their gear will look like?
Date: 2017-04-16
To: Farewell, NASA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

I¢ve had my last day of work. I was surprised at the depth of my sadness. All my reasons for leaving still apply (and they aren¢t just this thruhike). I still think they¢re good reasons. But I felt the sort of loss one feels after a death or a breakup. So much of my life (a full half of my years) has been focused on my job at NASA. Keeping an eye and an ear out for relevant details that might affect us. Planning my schedule around the spacecraft contacts. Planning my vacations so that we always have coverage. Checking my mail constantly. Thinking of it as ¢us¢ and ¢we¢. Taking for granted the brilliant minds I was surrounded by. Fixing problems and helping people. I knew I would be sad to leave, but damn. That was hard. I thought maybe I would feel some of the giddiness of taking off on a long vacation. Knowing you have no responsibilities for a month. No checking of email, no going to meetings, no handling of problems. Somehow, I still have all that freedom but none of the accompanying joy I¢m accustomed to. I think this is a much larger version of the phenomenon where it¢s not fun to play hooky unless you have something to play hooky from. A Saturday afternoon with nothing going on is super boring. A Tuesday afternoon where you are unexpectedly released from work? Kick up your heels! Like that.A couple of days have passed and I¢m starting to get my balance back. I hope that by Thursday I¢ll feel something of my accustomed gaiety at getting on the trail. I get a bubble of feeling in my chest that presses me tightly, keeping me in the now with my pulse racing and a grin tugging at my lips. Maybe my bubble will come visit before I leave.If not, that¢s all right too. A hike can be exciting, or a hike can be soothing. A soothing hike would be just fine by me. In fact, it¢d be great.
Date: 2017-04-20
From: Harpers Ferry

To: Crampton Gap
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: broken clouds

4/20/17Crampton Gap Shelter11.0This morning I opened my pack before we left the house. Rain was predicted and I wanted to reconfigure things so the pack cover would fit better. I reached inside and felt wetness. My scotch had exploded inside my pack. RIP, flask. You were a good flask, mostly. The scotch permeated the pack. My new food bag turned out not to be scotch resistant. Fortunately I was still in proximity to my gear supply so I swapped it out for another. My pack liner protected my bag and clothes, thank goodness. But I'm not sure how long my pack, water bladder, and stove will smell of scotch. The scotch somehow migrated into the bladder, so my water had an aftertaste of scotch all day. I like scotch as much as the next girl, and more than most, but I didn't find my scotch flavored water to be very refreshing. Hereafter April 20 shall be commemorated by me as the Great Scotch Pack Explosion Day. Also my butt kind of exploded. It felt hinky coming home from yoga last night. This morning it gave warning twinges. But it wasn't until we got to the ATC that it really went wrong. I was grateful for their bathroom. And the bathroom I luckily remembered in lower town. And the privy at Ed Garvey shelter. Explosions aside, it was a lovely day. The rain went away and the turtles came out to sun themselves. I didn't get started until 10 thanks to explosions, but I made good time on the canal. I got to my destination a little before 5. A family is staying here in the shelter with me. It's supposed to rain so I chose the shelter. We'll see. My pad feels like maybe it isn't doing a fantastic job holding air. But at least I should be dry. They offered me a hamburger- still hot! Best day ever! I had been eating some theoretically orange ginger beef jerky, which tasted exactly like regular beef jerky. The burger was freaking delicious. The family is super cute. I'm not sure if the kids are prodigies or just short for their age, but they are both well behaved and funny. I could do worse for shelter mates. I met Nicole today, who also started her flip flop today. She stayed at Ed Garvey, very intelligently deciding to start slow on the trail. I'm less bright, so I moved on. At two pm I couldn't see stopping for the day. I stumbled a few times but basically I had a good hiking day. The pack felt all right after I got used to the extra weight. I needed to carry enough water for the whole day. Which reminds me. No fewer than five people told me that the spring here was dry. I checked for myself. It's running strong. Trust but verify, folks. Or just verify.
Date: 2017-04-21
From: Crampton Gap

To: Pine Knob Shelter
Miles today: 12.5
Weather: scattered clouds

4/21/17Camped at Pine Knob shelter12.5 milesI woke up at 5:30 and started packing in the dark. I apologized for my noisy sleeping pad after two other hikers gently complained about it. Sorry, sorry, I know it's loud. But I don't hurt after sleeping on it so it stays. I was on the trail at 7 and found myself going faster than expected. At 10 I stopped in at Rocky Run and met Merry and Leif, Wisconsin, and Meandering Snail. After an hour or so I found myself at Dahlgren, almost two hours before I was to meet Nat - my incognito dentist. I texted him to meet me farther down the trail and headed for Mt Washington State Park. Good thing I checked my phone, because I plopped down at the first shady spot, and he was farther on. He had asked to wear my pack, so I got it on him and we took off walking. As usual we had a great conversation. I enjoyed walking without the pack. Nat soldiered on, carrying my heavy-ass pack, for two miles. Then I took it back from him and quickly realized how tired I was. I dropped him off at a parking lot and slowly walked the remaining distance to the shelter. It was too hot to do much but sit, which is what I did. Eventually I set up my tent and fished out something to eat. It's far too hot to want cooked food so I had a Greenbelly bar and some fried green beans. Two climbers with a Cane Corso showed up while I ate. The dog is both handsome and obsessed with a frisbee. For some reason no other AT hikers are here, or at least they weren't when I got in my tent. I'm worn out. I think I'll sleep pretty well. It's supposed to cool down which should help. PS everything still smells like scotch.
Date: 2017-04-22
From: Pine Knob Shelter

To: Ensign Cowall Shelter
Miles today: 8.2
Weather: overcast clouds

4/22Tenting at Ensign Cowall8.2 milesI woke to the sound of rain at 5 am,smiled, and went back to sleep. I love being dry and warm and comfortable when it's raining. At 6:30 I woke up and got my food so I could have breakfast in bed. For the first time, cooked food sounded good. I heated up water for a mocha- a packet of Swiss miss and two instant coffees. I got packed up and underway by 8. It was pleasant enough despite the rain. For the first hour I was too hot to wear my rain gear, other than my boonie hat. I stopped at Pogo Campsite to use the privy, and it started raining harder. I zipped things up and walked on, listening to the beginning of "Earth Abides". It's a great novel, though very serious. This is my fourth or fifth listen over the years. After six or seven miles my hands started going numb, so I dug out the pole caps I had made. My hands warmed up, but I wasn't keeping up with the chill. When I got to the next shelter I made a hot lunch but it didn't do much to warm me up. I decided to make camp and climb in my bag. The shelter itself was filthy - recently occupied by muddy scouts. I couldn't see setting up in there. Also there was a half of a pizza thrown in the fire pit. Gross. I knew, as well, that I would be warmer in my tent. I had never visited the tenting area here. It's all right. There's gravel in the tent pads and my tent doesn't want to stay up very well, but it will do for a night. And afternoon. I'm revising my plans for the next few days. I was originally going to Raven Rock today. Instead I'll pass it tomorrow and likely tent past Penmar. Or maybe bail into Waynesboro for a motel room and a resupply. I don't have enough to make it to Fayetteville given my delay. I'll have to tell Neon once I figure it out so we can figure out how we're meeting up.
Date: 2017-04-23
From: Ensign Cowall Shelter

To: Deer Lick Shelters
Miles today: 14.5
Weather: light rain

4/23Deer Lick shelters14.5 milesI have to get this off my chest. You are welcome to use the shelter system, but you are expected to share. In bad weather, the rule is that there is always room for one more. I went down to the shelter to hang my food on the bear pole and see who was about. There were a bunch of grown-ass adults, with each having claimed four to five feet of space. There was a large empty space that they wouldn't let anybody take because they were holding it for a friend. I was extremely disappointed in them. I pointed out that there was plenty of room left but not one would budge. Another cold, wet hiker showed up and they wouldn't make room. He was rightfully disgruntled and stomped off to set up his tent. A) You don't own the shelter and you DO have to share. B) For god's sake, if you MUST save a spot for your buddy (who presumably could set up his own tent) at least put your sleeping bag down on the floor so it looks taken. Denying an obviously empty space to a wet hiker is both a jerk move and cruel. ********That judgemental rant aside, today was beautiful. The miles came easily, the last mile to Raven Rock shelter excepted. I sat for a bit at Penmar where another hiker told me the miles to this shelter were rocky and difficult, but I didn't find it so. I ate dinner with Hand and Mouth and also Uncle and Nephew. It was one of my best conversations in ages. Now I need to go read up on the Fibonacci sequence and the Golden Ratio. Nephew interrupted to point out the amazing sunset happening behind us. I turned to look. Peak life moment. I'm excited to see Neon tomorrow, and also to maybe sleep indoors after a rainy day. There appear to be a lot of rainy days in my immediate future. PS my pack liner still smells like scotch but my water only tastes peaty. It's an improvement over scotchy.
Date: 2017-04-25
From: Fayetteville

To: Fayetteville
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

4/25Motel in Fayetteville 0 milesI slept great on the bed at the hostel. Unfortunately I woke up with my back in knots as I always do when I don't move much in my sleep. It's a catch 22. I got up and made coffee and started my laundry. For some reason the other hikers didn't also get up at the crack of dawn so I made myself busy putting away dishes, folding towels from the laundry, and I made a bowl of oatmeal. Then every else got up. Second breakfast at the restaurant? Don't mind if I do!Ten Steps and I walked back to the hostel, then I packed my gear up and vacated my room. I did a little yoga and wasted time until we made a Walmart run for supplies. As usual I had a lot of leftovers due to having to buy six rolls of toilet paper to get one, and other problems of that nature. I left the hiker box well stocked. I stuck some money in the donation box and then JD showed up to whisk me two minutes down the road to the motel. Our sordid meeting included a phone swap (this one has a slightly dodgy battery but probably doesn't crash regularly), some replacement clothing, and a trip to the Flamingo for coffee and pie. I always miss him when I start these long trips, and it did my heart good to look at his dear face and spend time talking to him. Just as we returned from coffee, a woman honked at us. I thought we had taken her parking space so JD moved his truck. But then came a knock at the door. The woman was Neon! Yay! We got our plans all squared away after JD left. We should have pretty weather for our hike together. I'll be glad for the company.
Date: 2017-04-26
From: Fayetteville

To: Birch Run Shelter
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: clear sky

4/26Tented at Birch Run Shelter10.0 milesI woke up at five fricking thirty but my body went into its morning stretch routine without my permission so I gave in and got up. I fooled around with my phone for a while, then made breakfast, such as it was. My pop tarts were a little too modern. Cookies and cream flavor. I want my old chocolate pop tarts back. I used the inroom coffee maker to heat water for instant coffee but it made pretty terrible coffee. Still, it was coffee. That's what is important. Neon drove us over to the hostel and Robert quick in a jiffy ferried us to Caledonia State Park. Neon right away busted out some strong hill moves and vanished up the hill. I took longer to get combobulated. I straggled behind. It's a pretty walk up to Quarry Gap Shelter, but tough. Probably the reason why it isn't a party spot. Neon had the feel of a restless horse about her. I told her to go on as fast as she wanted and I'd see her later. The next few hours I walked alone. When I finally did sight her again, she was tired and ready to walk a more sedate speed. We walked together the rest of the afternoon. The trail went through an area I love - deep dark forest on one side, open sunlit forest on the other. We got to the shelter at two. It was our planned destination but it was still early. We made a meal and decided to stay. Neon was tired, I was happy to stay, and the shelter area is very very pretty. My tent was still a little wet but fortunately not stinky yet. I set it up on a relatively flat spot but of course it isn't perfectly flat. My foam pad is propping up my air pad. I hope for a good night's sleep. I can't stress enough how very pleasant it is here. Nicole showed up at the shelter, now named Trail Snail. I also met Skeptic, You Can Call Me Al, and Hot Pants. As usual everyone seems nice. I have no cell signal so no evening husband chat. It's the only downside to a pretty great day. We walked in a cloud all morning. Every so often I would think "I'm in a cloud!" And it would make me laugh. It's supposed to be 84 tomorrow so I enjoyed the cool while it lasted.
Date: 2017-04-27
From: Birch Run Shelter

To: Tentsite north of Pole Steeple
Miles today: 14.4
Weather: overcast clouds

4/27Tented after Iron Masters14.4I fell asleep at 7 last night. I woke up at 2:30 to pee and when I got to where I was going to do that, I turned around to see my sleeping bag trailing me like a faithful hound. Dammit. It was attached to my arm by the elastic of the neck cinch. I led it back to the tent and told it to stay. In the morning it was cool and foggy. We wanted to get some miles in before it heated up to a predicted 80's. The walk to Tom's Run shelter was extremely pleasant and foggy. We stopped there for an early lunch break, and chatted with Trail Snail, Call Me Al, Skeptic, and Seadog. The maintainers have put in a *lot* of tent pads, the most I've ever seen in one place. The old shelter that burned down was replaced by a covered eating area. It's a really nice site. Al had already tried to reserve a room at Iron Masters for the night but it was closed for an event. We had already planned on camping past it if that happened. The trail goes right by it though. We planned to use the porch by the not yet open store to eat a snack. When I got there I saw hikers eating burgers! Michelle told us she had opened it early in anticipation of flip floppers and was trying to get the word out. She's opening it daily, 11-3. And she makes a damn fine burger. Afterward my stomach complained about me walking uphill while it was full. Meanwhile Neon turned into the energizer bunny. I trudged and burped and loosened my hip belt. We finally camped a few miles later, having found a campsite a few miles short of the next shelter. Tomorrow we will pass by another store, where I may be more cautious about midday cheeseburgers. Or I might not.
Date: 2017-04-28
From: Tentsite north of Pole Steeple

To: Boiling Springs
Miles today: 14.7
Weather: fog

4/28Red Cardinal B&B outside Boiling Springs14.7That was a doozy of a day. Up at 6ish, on the trail by 7. General store at 9:30, where I got a Nutty Buddy and a sandwich and some snacks. The day was so hot that I didn't want to eat and I was lightheaded most of the day despite the application of electrolytes and copious quantities of water. In the middle were some rock scrambles that required taking off my pack and fully committing to a hold. At the end there was a long walk through freshly turned fields. Oof. Neon texted me from the tavern so I joined her for a delicious and well earned repast. We are ensconced at this B&B for the night. I've showered, I need to treat a blister, and then I plan to be unconscious for a long time. Breakfast is at 7, then we head back to Boiling Springs and walk across the Lehigh Valley, where it is supposed to be even hotter tomorrow. High of 89. Help. If I survive this trek, I'm definitely taking a zero at the next town.
Date: 2017-04-29
From: Boiling Springs

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

4/29Camped at Darlington Shelter14.3 milesWe slept well with a brief intermission for a really spectacular lightning storm. I went down and drank coffee and chatted with Bill before breakfast. Like most people he is really interesting. I made a detour out to the laundry line to get Neon's clothes which had enjoyed a refreshing natural rinse, and Joanne stuck them in the dryer for me. Once they dried I ferried them to Neon so she didn't have to greet the world in jammies. Joanne made a delicious breakfast which I was unable to finish. Fortified with great quantities of coffee, I was ready to go! Bill dropped us off at the ATC office in Boiling Springs. Neon had some pack management to do to incorporate her new Walmart special sleeping pad and she told me to go on ahead. I lit out (to the extent that I am capable). The miles rolled by, occasionally slipping by with me in the mud. I averaged a little over two miles an hour, which for me is like a sprint. Joanne had given me some ice cubes to put in my water, so I had refreshing sips of water all morning. I love that. At eight miles in, I detoured down Route 11 to the Middlesex Diner. I got a milkshake and other things which paled in comparison to milkshakes. Neon joined me and we had a nice time sitting in civilization for a little bit. Shortly after leaving the diner I remembered how much my body doesn't love milkshakes. We fetched up at the Scott farm and I dashed for the portapotty there. It's a nice example of the genre - the structure, not my dash. The last six miles were less fun with a hinky tummy. As usual the last mile of the day was the toughest - uphill with water from a spring. I finally arrived at the shelter and secured a spot for my tent next to Neon. I guess this is our last night together for now. I'll be pretty lonely for a bit until I get used to being solo again. After setting up I noticed smoke rising from an unattended fire. Some jackholes had themselves a fire and left it burning. With no shovel and limited water I was in a bind. I separated the logs, put rocks down on the coals to smother them, and sacrificed a liter of water to trying to put the logs out as well as I could. They were still smoking mildly but I hope are not going to reignite. I hate dying in a fire.