morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2003-05-06
From: Elk Garden

To: Wise Shelter
Miles today: 9.3
Weather: overcast clouds

I started the day with cereal at The Place. The outfitter's STILL didn't have my package so I waited around there and exchanged some broken gear. I sent my sleeping back top extension back to Go-Lite for zipper repair, got a new piece to my pot (the old one had melted), got a new pot holder at half price, got a free pair of smartwool socks, turned in the fuel bottle I bought in Franklin for $7.50 that leaked for $9.50 worth of nalgene products including a splash guard and a smaller nalgene, and traded in my broken pump for the new version (which is not as good as the old one). I love Mt. Roger's Outfitters! I finally decided to go to the PO to check for my box there. IT WAS AT THE POST OFFICE BUT IT WAS ADDRESSSED TO THE OUTFITTERS!! The lady at the PO said very casually, "Yeah, we miss one every once in a while." I could have gotten mad, but I was in a good mood and I had my package so I just smiled and left. I packed everything and got a ride with the Mt. Roger's shuttle back to Elk Garden. It is a Beautiful spot just north of there--definitely another place I plan to return to. I got up to Thomas Knob shelter and was getting disgruntled at my lack of cow and pony sightings. As soon as I headed out--no more than 5 minutes later, I came upon LOTS of ponies, including several mare/foal pairs. I made my way through the heard and headed for wise Shelter down a beautiful mountain. When I got there, I met the AT boonies and Sean-O and delivered the lemon that Healer told me to take to truckin' to him. The ponies visited us that night and skywalker had a great time feeding them cookies. I didn't feed them but I DID pet them since they let me. I'm a big fan of the ponies. I hope my petting them didn't help condition them any more to starve next winter.
Date: 2003-05-07
From: Wise Shelter

To: Partnership Shelter
Miles today: 30.6
Weather: moderate rain

Today marks the beginning of OPERATION: CATCH TEAM! They are 4 days ahead. I have hope. It'll be hard, but I CAN CATCH THEM!!! Since I got that food from those day hikers yesterday, I won't have to go into town as much as TEAM. This may be KEY.   The AT Boonies, Sean-O, and the Petes sure do get up early! I was on the trail at a quarter after 8, trotting through Grayson Highlands St. Pk. where pastures are everywhere. There was a place called "The Scales" which used to have big scales where farmers would weigh their cattle, set em out to eat during the warm season and weigh them again when they rounded them up for winter. I like the ponies a whole lot better than I do the cows. It's SO awesome to watch a pony gallop across an opposite rigde/meadow, giving a bellowing, "NEIGH!!!" It was like something out of a movie. It rained a bit but that just kept it cool. The Petes and I saw a sandy colored snake in the trail...I wonder what it was. Jabber no doubt. I also saw a buzzard up close before he took off. I also ran across a May Apple that had apparantly grown up through a dead oak leaf so that its leaves were kept from opening up like an umbrella like all of the other May Apples did. I thought it was pretty crazy so I took a picture.   Everyone that I was with stopped in troutdale...I kept truckin'. As I walked, I kept hearing good things about this Partnership shelter. "Yeah...you can order pizza there!" and "Did you know that there's a hot shower there?" That kind of thing energized me and I ended up making it the full 30.7 miles to the shelter. I immediately went to the telephone and ordered my X-large pizza. I chilled out that night at the visitor's center with Bag, Dragonfly, and Spielburg. I took some pizza to Red who thoroughly enjoyed it I know. Healer and Blue Sky were also at the shelter there. While I was at the visitor's center under a shelter in the pouring rain, my stuff, including my data book was out in the rain at the shelter. bah!!
Date: 2003-05-08
From: Partnership Shelter

To: Crawfish Valley
Miles today: 17.4

This days journal is written on a Settlers Museum Brochure. "Today I woke up at Partnership shelter and took a LONG, WARM shower. Then I ate breakfast and set things out to dry that were sitting right outside the shelter when it was raining and I was at the visitor's center eating pizza. I halfway packed up and then went to call home. I also called the PO to have my maildrop forwarded to Pearisburg--if it's sent priority or express, having it forwarded an infinite number of times is free. Then I started Walking.   After I took a lunch break at Chatfield shelter, I moved on and came to an old school. There was a hiker register in this historical one-room schoolhouse, "The 1894 Lindamond School." There were books on desks and a list of rules with corresponding # of lashings that were a consequence for breaking the rule. It was interesting. 8 lashings for swearing, 2 lashings for coming to school with dirty hands and face, and 8 lashings for drinking spirituous liquers at school were a few of them. After the school, there was a beautiful meadow walk to Atkins (minus the view of I-81 and the surrounding generica). I stopped at the DQ that was about 50 ft off of the trail and got a reeses flavored blizzard. I finished the blizzard and went in to get a refill on Bag's drink--lemonade. It was some of the best lemonade I'd ever had.    While I sat and sipped this lemonade, a small yellow bird (possibly a golden Finch came flying full speed and smashed into the window twice head-on. It fell and stood, stunned, by my feet for a good 15 minutes. I took a picture. Then Bag, who used to work with birds in Aspen for the forest service, went to pick him up to put him in the woods so that he wouldn't hop on to the road but when bag got his hand around the bird, the thing flew up and landed on a guys arm who was pumping gas. The man didn't even notice so we went over and said, "hey man, there's a bird on your arm." You would have thought it was a rattler by the way he reacted but the bird flew off of his jerking body onto the pavement. Bag went to grab it again and it flew up to a 12 ft high windowsill of the DQ/gas station, staring at its own reflection, trying to figure out who this other bird was and how they were separated by an invisible wall. We headed out with the bird still perched there.    Gullion (Little Brushy) Mtn. was a significant climb, or at least it felt that way in the heat. I'm camping at Crawfish Valley in the Tarp. Bag and Blue Skies are both here as well. Operation: CATCH TEAM is starting to seem doable.
Date: 2003-05-09
From: Crawfish Valley

To: Davis Farm CS
Miles today: 23.6

Today was a LONG day it seemed. I noticed today that there must be 2 different sexes of Mayflower: one is a single stalk and a single leaf with 7 lobes. The other is 2 stalks forking from one stalk with a leaf for both stalks that has 4-7 lobes. The latter also has a flower coming from between the fork in the stalk. The flower is white with a yellow middle.    Also, Bag told me about the Grouse mating call...I could have sworn that that sound was coming from my own head (or bones in my neck). I was so surprised that Bag heard it too. It's SO deep. I like it. He's chillin' in the tarp with me tonight...this campsite is sort of a raw deal. =(
Date: 2003-05-10
From: Davis Farm CS

To: Jenny Knob Shelter
Miles today: 26.6
Weather: overcast clouds

Man...Davis Farm CS IS a raw deal. As I drew up my groundcloth, I noticed that the manure on the platform that we'd failed to notice in the dark had gotten on the bottom of my ground cloth. I went down the path to water, stepping over cow plops all the way (about 1/4 mile) and then finished packing and headed back up the blue-blaze trail 1/2 mile back to the white blaze. I decided that the CS after the words, "Davis Farm" didn't stand for campsite...   3 miles later, I had 2nd breakfast with bag and a large group from a wilderness school (alternative high school) at Jenkins Shelter. They were really friendly...you could tell that some of the kids were having a life-changing experience. They were planning on getting to damascus in 25 days. It's a great section to take in a little bit at a time. OPERATION: CATCH TEAM has kept me from doing so; it's taken me 6 days but it'll be worth it.    We moved on and Bag stopped for a lunch break and said that he'd be going into Bland that day. I moved on. When I got to Laurel Creek, I stopped and gorged myself with water and had lunch and moved on. As soon as I crossed the road, I spotted a cooler that said, "Hikers Enjoy!" It had bottles of apple juice and vegetable juice. I had a can of vegetable juice and enjoyed it more than you could imagine. Good trail magic for sure. There were 2 other trail magics that day--both water--one had a 10-day weather forecast as well.    I met Rest Step and Beekeeper at Helvey's Mill Shelter and went down the long trail to get water. They agreed with me about Davis Farm Campsite. I went the 10 more miles to Jenny Knob Shelter --gaining on TEAM the whole way. There, Spielburg, Booble, Spiderman, Sticks, Lemming, Nimble, Just Dan, Leap Year, and Spunky were staying the night.
Date: 2003-05-11
From: Jenny Knob Shelter

To: Wapitu Pond
Miles today: 13.7

That crowd wakes up EARLY which was a good thing, I thought, because I could picture TEAM pulling a 22 mile day into Pearisburg to catch flow. That would mean that I would be in for another 3o miler. I was ready though. I got moving...i mean moving. I passed the falls and didn't go look at them becasue I didn't want to get into pearisburg TOO late. I kept moving and, before too long, I passed Rambling Ray. I asked him about TEAM and he said that they were all back at the falls. SHOOT! I PASSED THEM!!. The good thing was that OPERATION: CATCH TEAM was succesful. It was complete. Too complete, perhaps, because now I was ahead. As soon as he told me that, I stopped and waited for them. I read several chapters in Jack Kerouac's Dharma Bums and then Spiderman passed. I decided to hike with him to the shelter and wait for TEAM there. We got to the shelter and I sat there and got out my camera, waiting to get a shot of them coming around the bend. I waited and waited. A butterfly kept me company. I waited some more. Then I decided to hike south back to a pond about 5 minutes back to see if they'd stopped there. Sure enough, when I came around the bend, the whole crew was lounging around. FINALLY!! Leap Year and Spunky decided to go swimming...they gave good reports and, before too long, all of us were in the warm pond. It was a lazy day. Even though TEAM had only done 5 miles, we decided to camp at the pond and save the hike into Pearisburg for the next day. We dried out and lounged around a bit more and then I made a fire as it got dark. After hanging around the fire for a while, we hit the hay. I was glad to have finally caught TEAM.OK...this next part you might not believe but I'm going to put it here anyway. I was awaken by a creature walking through the woods not 20 ft from my tarp. It was a deer headed toward the creek to get some water, or so I thought. This "deer" didn't end up getting any water, I watched as the silhouette paced back and forth across the field. Then I saw its tail. Deers DON'T have a tail that long. I got out my headlamp and tried to get a better glimpse. All the head lamp did was make the creature's eyes glow yellow. It kept pacing. I scrambled around for my camera to no avail. Then I went for my knife. Knife in hand, I put on a jacket and held the sides up like a butterfly to make myself look like a bigger animal. Then I started yelling, "Goat! Mountain lion!!! GOAT!!! MOUNTAIN LION!!" I was bracing myself to get pounced on. The creature stopped pacing and just stared with its glowing yellow eyes. Then it headed back through the woods. All that was visible when goat finally stumbled out of his tent were the two beady, glowing yellow eyes. Goat didn't even see them. CRAZINESS!!!
Date: 2003-05-12
From: Wapitu Pond

To: Pearisburg, VA
Miles today: 16.7
Weather: broken clouds

Everyone else woke up before dawn. Sprite and I got going about 8:00 with Pearisburg on our minds. We made excellent time. We ran the last 2 miles down the hill into town. When we got there, a guy gave us a ride into town to the PO. After there, we headed down the blue blazed sidewalk toward the hostel. It's a pretty long walk--especially when you're carrying a mail drop. We stopped along the way to get a sno-cone. We finally got to the hostel and immediately dropped our packs, grabbed a few dirty clothes, and hopped in the van headed toward the laundromat. Flow and 2 pint had been there for quite a while--3-5 days. We put our laundry in and then headed to Pizza Hut, the complete TEAM. That night, we went to check out Walley world and I made some calls. When I got back, we played a long game of UNO and I discovered that the shutter button had come off of my new camera. ARGGHHH!!! That's pretty frustrating.
Date: 2003-05-13
From: Pearisburg, VA

To: 2mi S of Rice Field Shelter
Miles today: 5.5
Weather: scattered clouds

The picture on this page is actually from the 11th when I was sitting at Wapitu Shelter waiting on TEAM.   I woke up on the porch of the hostel and headed out to the Friends and Family Diner. People said it was cheap so I had 2 breakfasts. Not so cheap. After that, I went to Walley World to see about the tcamera. I got the # to minolta and they said that i'd have to mail it in. Then I went to the library to use the internet. I got back and Melvin (an old local who drives hikers around all day) gave us a ride to the trail. We put in a good 5 miles (including a significant climb) and made camp. We finished the first night on the trail with the full TEAM hangin' out around a cozy fire. Good times.
Date: 2003-05-14
From: 2mi S of Rice Field Shelter

To: 2 mi S of War Spur Shelter
Miles today: 23.5
Weather: overcast clouds

I hiked with TEAM all day. I knew it'd be the last day that I'd be able to spend with them for a good long while. We had a couple good long breaks. One was in front of Rice Field Shelter--Rice field I suppose. I even got everyone to throw the disc a bit with me. We took another nice long break in Symms Gap Meadow. I stopped with them at Pine Swamp Branch Shelter and had supper. It was the last supper I'll have with TEAM in a while. It was a good supper. I ate a lot. Before I left there, I thought about the big miles I'd done to catch them and the things that i'd skipped. It was worth it for sure. Bag took a couple of TEAM photos for use and I said my goodbyes and headed off for a twilight amble. I wanted to get within a morning's shot of 42 to leave time for hitching the next day. I walked 'till one and got about 10 miles. I crashed on my ground cover about 2 miles shy of War Spur Shelter. I slept like a baby.
Date: 2003-05-15
From: 2 mi S of War Spur Shelter

To: sinking creek gap--hitch to trail days
Miles today: 11.5

   A drizzle is a rude awakening. I woke up and packed quickly to avoid carrying weight of soaked gear. As soon as I set off, the drizzle subsided. When I got to Rocky Gap, there was a cooler with soft drinks, candy bars, and water. Trail magic is awesome. There, I met Splash and Cobra. I caught up with Spielburg ar Laurel Creek Shelter. He had similar plans for hitching to Damascus. We hiked out to 42 at Sinking Creek Gap and stuck out our thumbs with little hope--cars were few and far between. We were delighted in about 1/2 an hour when a huge flatbed pulled over. It might not have been the safest ride, but it was FAR better than walking that 8 miles to the intersection of 460 where there happened to be a small grocery store. We got a bite to eat there and, as soon as we got outside, a man came out of the store and said, "Y'all headed to Pearisburg?" "Yeahp" "Hop in." And we were off.
Date: 2003-06-09
From: sinking creek gap--hitch to trail days

To: Waynesboro
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

   I never did finish that last entry about the lucky hitch and trail days and the Franklin County Prom. I'll get around to it...   After then, I worked with the Konnarock ATC Trail Crew out of Sugar Grove, VA. We worked at Sarver's Hollow Shelter on the blue-blaze shelter trail. We made switchbacks. I'm really glad I did the trail work...it gives me a whole different perspective while I'm walking.    After that, Grant came to hike with me. His in-camp style reminds me a lot of Travy Trav's style. They're both SUPER SLOW eaters, packers, etc. I guess it's good not to ever be in a hurry. Grant got a funny perspective because we happened upon the self-named "hate hike trio". Dragonfly, Steppenwolf, and Buzz, all of whom I like a lot, had a revelation: Maine, shmain. Hike your own hike indeed. Their aqua blaze sounds like a fantastic adventure!    24 days of rain in May...that's craziness. I'm not a big fan of having wet gear but at least it stayed cool and not buggy. We ended up having a beautiful day to summit Mcaffee Knob and Tinker Cliffs. They're both really cool places. I hope Minolta is fixing my NEW CAMERA that BROKE after 2 WEEKS of use so that I can capture some of these places. The Minolta Dimage...watch that shutter button...it'll fall right off.      I write from the Waynesboro library although I'm actually 30 miles S of here on the trail. Mamma Goat went way out of her way to pick me up at VA 56 (btw the priest and 3 ridges) for the TEAM reunion and picnic. She's an awesome lady, that Mamma Goat. I was stoked to get to meet Goat's bro who happens to be named BILLY and his wife, Kate, who we somehow started calling Scapegoat.    At the picnic was my FIRST AT ULTIMATE FRISBEE GAME!!! Kneepad helped to get me stoked about it. It was a lot of fun. Even in the rain.   After the Picnic at Big Meadows, I got a great hitch down to Waynesboro by a young couple who bought me a chocolate milkshake and took me right up to the door of the Waynesboro YMCA! I camped out in the field nearby, courtesy of the Y. We didn't end up sleeping much though because of all of the cards we were playing. It started to get light outside so we went to Kroger's and bought all the fixins for french toast and bacon. What a breakfast! I was soo sleepy after I was full! Then we headed to the Y to play some raquetball but they said that our "innapropriate shoes" were a liability and we couldn't play becuase we might slip and sue them. Ain't that America? Oh well...they DID have a nice bathroom and a free campground.   I waiting for Laura to come pick me up and run a shuttle and go to Rusty's Hard time Hollow for the evening.    That's all I know for now.
Date: 2003-06-19
From: Waynesboro

To: Harper's Ferry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

   Here I am in Harper's Ferry! The last couple weeks since waynesboro have been swell. Laura came and hiked for 3 days with me from 56 to turks gap. Along the way, we made the crucial stop at RUSTY'S HARD TIME HOLLOW. Librarian put it very well in a register entry, "How's THAT for some character?" It is definitely a must stop for any hike through that section. I even think I'll go back JUST to stay there. For Northbounders, right after Maupin field shelter (20 or so miles south of waynesboro), the trail forks and goes right off of a forest service road. Instead of going right, you would hang a left, staying on the road. in a mile, you'll come to the BRP. take a left and go another mile (uphill a bit) and walk (or hitch) another mile and his drivway is on the left (bar across a dirt rd with at stickers on it).   ok, back to the journal. It was fun hiking with Laura. We even got to sleep out under the stars one night WITHOUT RAIN! Come to think of it, it only rained one night while we were in a shelter. Laura bring good luck to AT. After she left at Turks Gap, a thunder Storm rolled in. It was ok though because it was warm. Nothin' Decent and I took off our shirts and just let it come down. It was the most fun I'd had in rain since the last hurricane passed through NC.    I did big miles through the Shenendoahs. It took me 3 and a half days. I DID enjoy it! I saw 5 bears in all. I donno about the deer though...they don't run from you! In fact, one day, a deer followed me down the trail for at least 15 minutes. REALLY FOLLOWED ME! I'm glad to be back in an area where deer RUN from you. The park was tame...not far from lame-but beautiful. After I got out of the park, I met my parents in Front Royal. It was good to see 'em for sure. The day I left front front Royal was the muddiest day on the trail yet...i'm talking shin deep! The next day, I hiked with Wizard who taught me a lot about wild edibles and mushrooms. It was a rainy day but we both made the most of it and had a great time! Last night, I stayed at the blackburTrail Center. It was a good place. Bill and Sarah are a hip couple.    Last night when I called my dad, he told me about Big Nasty's death and about the broken arrow ceremony that was to be held last night at camp's wednesday night's campfire. I REALLY wish I could have been there for it. I remember my first week on the Appalachian Trail like it was yesterday. The most vivid memory of Big Nasty (which I guess is an AT trail name which carried over into the front country) was him running up a steep hill, mad tired, just to pass out at the very top. Man...   I'm writing from Blue Moon's house. He's a trail angel who is letting me use the computer and stay here (me and F-Stop) for the night. Good people. That's it for now-
Date: 2003-06-26
From: Mason Dixon Line, Pen Mar Rd., PA

To: Duncannon
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: few clouds

Ahhh!! What a great time! I've stayed in 3 houses in the past six days and tonight makes the 4th! I'm in Harrisburg now...I finally caught up with Goat and Sprite and they were getting picked up by a friend from Pearisburg.    When I got back to the trail the 22nd after a nice stay in Reading, PA, I went 7 miles and slept out under the stars at Antietam Shelter. The next morning, I caught up with F-Stop and went to Groovy's house in Fayetteville, PA. His folks are the gurus of Hummels! It's craziness. I did 20 miles out of there and ate my half gallon of ice-cream. Skywalker and I put a 1/2 gallon down but Cakilaki and Starbucks gave up. Then I went swimming in the state park lake. That lake was the place to be for sure.    The day after that, I did a crazy 32 miles to Darlington Shelter. It was REALLY buggy. When I woke up and hiked 3 miles, I ran into Goat and Sprite who'd happened to do 4 miles the previous day. We chilled at the Doyle hotel for a while and ate some french fries and the Jay, Goat and Sprite's home boy, picked us up, washed us up and now we're on a night on the town in Harrisburg, PA. I'm at the Appalachian Brewing Co. and we're right at home. The full size ATC AT map is on the wall and we gained respect from the regulars immediately. There's free internet in the bar so I decided to update this journal.    I guess that's all I know. Young Reunion, here I come!