morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2015-05-07
From: Blackrock Hut

To: Pinefield Hut
Miles today: 13.2
Weather: clear sky

Storm clouds rolled in late yesterday evening and it rained heavily for a few hours.The clouds had dissipated in the morning though a thick, muggy blanket still clung to the air and weighed on our skin. The heat was definitely noticable today.We had another shortish day planned. The terrain was quite easy which was very encouraging because I felt that I walked with much more ease today. We made good time all while taking frequent breaks. We saw a *super cute* cottontail rabbit and many different birds, including a yellow one. We also spotted a small pile of bear scat, which is the first evidence we have had of any bear presence. We managed to get to the Loft Mountain Wayside in time for lunch. The wayside was 0.5 mile from the Trail but totally worth it as it had a small cafeteria as well as other snacks available for purchase. While we were waiting for our grilled cheese sandwiches to be ready we saw Fresh Ground hiking up the road! I ran outside to greet him and we all ate lunch together. Fresh Ground has, for a while, closed down the Leap Frog Caf© in order to allow for some hiking time. He drove up to Harpers Ferry and is currently hiking southbound through the Shenandoahs. I think it's really great that he is taking a bit of time off to enjoy himself; running the Caf© is extremely demanding. Fresh Ground had heard, through other hikers, about my injury and had some very encouraging words to say when I told him that it was difficult to adjust to a slower pace and to be without our friends. It was great to see Fresh Ground again! He hopes to jump back up to PA when he is done hiking to meet with his hiker bubble one last time.Shrugs and I parted ways with Fresh Ground and we both felt quite good. We charged through the final climb and arrived at the shelter around 3:30 PM. I am getting progressively faster. The shelter was empty so we claimed a corner of the floor space. We laid out our old, dirty socks to dry out a bit. The socks attracted the attention of a giant bumblebee who hovered intensely around the odorous garments. The bee took a few minutes to examine each fiber of the socks. Who knew our socks smelled so good to bees?- Axon
Date: 2015-05-08
From: Pinefield Hut

To: Hightop Hut
Miles today: 8.2
Weather: light rain

Last night we had another adventure with a mouse! I woke up from time to time to a rustling sound not made by a sleeping human. The first time, I noticed that the little packet of facial tissue that was beside my head had been slighly displaced. The second time it was opened and a tissue was sticking out. The next time I saw a little dark shape running away and the tissue was beside Axon's head. The tissue went down the shelter floor a moment later and I could hear the mouse trying make it fit through a hole in the wall. I'm glad we could contribute some material to that mouse's nest.In the morning, the two section hikers that were in the shelter with us, Bill and George, gave us one of their Mountain House freeze-dried meals (thank you!). We'll finally get the chance to taste it! Everyone says they are really good, but they are expensive.Today was a very short day. Axon set a vigorous pace and got to the shelter at 10:50. There is no one there but we are still tenting since we expect a lot of people doing a week-end trip (and I've had my fill of shelter experience for the next few days).- Shrugs
Date: 2015-05-09
From: Hightop Hut

To: Bearfence Mountain Hut
Miles today: 12.4
Weather: overcast clouds

The hour was 0300. The elite Turkey taskforce had been deployed and was en route towards the Highpoint Hut campground. The night raid had been called for suddenly but Commander Turkle Gobble, the most decorated turkey, remained cool and impassive; he was confident in his troops. Years of grueling training had prepared him for this exact moment: he was to vanquish Sleep.The Turkeys had planned to invade the campground by separating the troops into two units and having them swoop through the territory in a pincher mouvement. Classic military tactics, but the sleeping, unsuspecing hikers should be unprepared. With the element of surprise on his side, Commander Turkle Gobble vowed that no hiker would sleep tonight.Unit A approached the Western side while Unit B tackled to opposing side. "GOBBLE GOBBLE GOBBLE", the pumped up foot soldiers cried as they maneuvered into position. The leading Commander ordered the first round of attacks by roaring an impressive war cry that resembled more the howl of a rabid monkey than any sound that could possibly be identified as belonging to any existing species of bird. "Gob gob gob aaaa AAAAA AAAAAAAA GOBBLE GOBLBLBLBLBLLLL" the turkey army shrieked in response. Succeeding waves of high-pitched, delirious cries echoed throughout the valley. Commander Turkle Gobble slowly advanced through the campground. At one time, he saw that side B had lost its battle formation and the turkey soldiers were moving ineffectively, their voices slowly dispersing. His firepower waning, the Commander moved quickly and reassembled his troops. He let out a massive cry which rallied his avian comrades. Together they yelled once more, their voices rising in sequence "GOB GOB AAAA AAAAAAAA GOBBLE GOBLBLBLBLBLLLLLL". It was the final blow, the decisive move. All the hikers were now awake and confused. MISSION SUCCESSFUL.(OK, but seriously though: what is it with these hysterical turkeys?!? Aren't they diurnal anyway? May not have been turkeys and my story may be incorrect - still, it was definitely a group of birds and they SOUNDED like turkeys)Other than the invading turkeys, the day was fine. We hiked another small day. It was sunny and a bit cooler, which was nice. There were TONS of day hikers which was expected as it was Saturday - I sometimes forget what day it is. The forest was alive with the sound of birds and small animals. No turkeys in sight, though I finally saw a woodpecker; I had only heard them before. The terrain had mild uphills today and I hiked through them quite rapidly. I am pleased to be getting back up to speed.We arrived at the shelter in the early afternoon. The shelters are still situated at disparate distances from one another, but the advantage of having been injured is that now we opt for the closest one. We have plenty of time to relax, it's quite nice! In a few days we will be getting back to including a few longer days in order to maintain a minimal average, although I think we plan on keeping this more casual, leisurely attitude.- Axon
Date: 2015-05-10
From: Bearfence Mountain Hut

To: Rock Spring Hut
Miles today: 11.5
Weather: broken clouds

Another interesting night. We woke up around 10 PM to the sound of small twigs cracking and dead leaves rustling: foot steps. The absence of an accompanying light source indicated that it was not a human who was approaching the tent, but an animal. Shrugs and I waited for a few minutes while the unknown visitor retreated, then came back, which prompted us to open the tent and flash our headlamps in the dark night. A pair of phosphorescent spheres greeted us - oh, it was only a couple of deer. We watched the deer while they continued grazing, absolutely oblivious to us. It was foggy and drizzling when we got up this morning. We had a short day planned which included a stop at the Big Meadows wayside. After a couple of hours, the sun finally pierced through the fog and clouds, evaporating them and revealing a brilliant blue sky. At one point, a couple of deer sprang across the Trail - maybe the same intruding pair we had met that same night?We needed to stop at the Big Meadows wayside campstore to resupply. Sadly, they did not hold many items and what they did have was overpriced. Normally, we don't buy the freeze dried meals as they are much more expensive than Ramen noodles, but, out of lack of options, we bought those fancy meals today. Poor us, we were forced to buy the tastier, healthier meals!We bought lunch at the wayside (all food prices were decidely inflated at the wayside, though a good milkshake IS priceless) and met Slow Going, a hiker who has completed the AT numerous times by hiking different sections over the years. We discussed all things AT and, when on the subject of New Hampshire he said "In the Whites, the are two crowds (other than thru-hikers), people fron Boston and people from Montr©al, or, as my buddy calls 'em, people from the province of Qu©becistan." That cracked me up! It's true though: I have heard many similar comments from NH residents and I myself know many Qu©b©cois who have vacationed in the Whites. Those same NHers also say that, when driving, they avoid any car marked with a Qu©bec license plate as we supposedly "drive crazy". Seems about right to me!We finished our meal and hiked the final 4ish miles to the shelter. Not a bad day. I later received an e-mail from our friend Not Yet. He anticipates arriving at Harpers Ferry tomorrow or the day after, which is quite exciting. We are maybe a week away from that milestone so we have a lot of catching up to do.- Axon
Date: 2015-05-12
From: Pass Mountain Shelter

To: Gravel Springs Hut
Miles today: 13.1
Weather: light rain

Today started OK. Axon's ankle wasn't acting up too much and we made good speed. But we were both kind of depressed and discussing the possibility of leaving the Trail and going home. We reached a wayside around 10:30 and as we were taking our packs off we saw Brightside coming up (and Mozart too, a German thru-hiker we hadn't met yet). The last time we saw her was in Damascus! She sprained her foot 300 miles ago and had to take a few days off and start over really slowly. She's not going slowly anymore; she did 35 miles yesterday.Later on, Axon showed off her bird-watching skills by yelling "OHH LOOK! A BIRD!!!" at the top of her lungs. It was apparently a beautiful bird but it went away before I could see it clearly.There were many people at the shelter tonight. There was Hendo, an army sergeant, who had many fun stories to share. She is hiking the AT in 3 large sections with her mother (named Hendo's Mom) and they went through a lot of hard moments. They told us a few encouraging stories, and a few less encouraging ones. Apparently the hardest part of the trail is southern Maine rather than the White Mountains as everyone seems to think. It's in a while in any case. We first have to get out of the Shenandoahs, which should hopefully be tomorrow if we manage to do the ten miles.- Shrugs
Date: 2015-05-14
From: Jim and Molly Denton Shelter

To: Dicks Dome Shelter
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: broken clouds

Last night was quite cold and we didn't sleep well. We got up late and progressed slowly. We are still having trouble deciding what to do for the rest of the trip. For now, we will see whether the Pennsylvania rocks are too much for Axon's ankle and stop after that if they are.Today's hike went without incident. We only met two people (southbound) in the entire day. Other than that we saw a pair of deer walking in a field and a 3 foot long snake sitting on a rock, looking at us. Someone placed a cooler full of sodas on the side of the trail; thank you anonymous benefactor!The shelter is hexagonal. I'm not sure how to fit hikers in it for sleeping...- Shrugs
Date: 2015-05-15
From: Dicks Dome Shelter

To: Sam Moore Shelter
Miles today: 15.3
Weather: clear sky

We had the shelter to ourselves last night, again. While we ate dinner, Shrugs spotted a small animal scurrying through the leaves, rustling them gently. We thought it was a mouse, though its overall shape seemed strange to me. Upon closer inspection, I noticed it had no tail: it wasn't a mouse, it was a small mole! I threw a bit of trail mix in its direction (I KNOW, I shouldn't feed the wildlife!) which it accepted. A few minutes later, we saw it waddle past us a second time, either clueless of our presence or having shed its initial shyness. (The picture is the mole's tiny nose poking through). It was a nice evening, though the night was chilly and I slept lightly.The morning's hike was without great interest. The terrain was very easy, unencumbered by any rocks or roots and flat; a welcome treat. The Trail crossed the Sky Meadows State Park, which was basically a long stretch of grassy fields.Of course, the smooth Trail was only temporary as 7 miles into the day we hit the Roller Coaster, a 13.5 mile segment with ten sharp ascents and descents. Here is what the "Thru-hikers' Companion" writes about the Roller Coaster: "The Virginia corridor is narrow here, leaving the Trail crew very little choice other than to route the path up and over each of these viewless and rocky ridges." Had no choice, you say? I am SURE you could have figured SOMETHING out.Indeed, the Roller Coaster is at times very rocky. Since my injury, I have been preferring the uphills; my footing is more solid, there is no pain and, more importantly, the risk of re-injury is lessened. I can now go fast during the climbs. The descents, on the other hand, are a different story. I inch extremely slowly and, when the terrain is particularly rocky, I pause momentarily to calculate which path is the safest (the brief stop also includes time to sigh heavily and maybe swear a lot too). This afternoon, we had four hikers pass us during the steep climb downs. These guys were hopping from rock to rock, seemingly free-falling while skillfully maneuvering through the rocky obstacles. I am always impressed by these guys, and always wonder: how do they do it? Long, lean legs? Extra light packs? I think many of them are simply uninhibited, fully self-assured that each step will be perfectly executed. I wish I had their confidence.We managed to complete the 15.3 miles and make it to the Sam Moore Shelter. The surrounding tenting area was full of section hikers (it is Friday after all) but the shelter was empty so we claimed it. Shelter to ourselves. Where are all the thru-hikers?We have only done half of the Roller Coaster, so that is still waiting for us. However, the shelter is exactly at 999.9 miles, so tomorrow, after a few minutes of hiking, we should hit the 1000 mile marker. 1000 miles! - Axon
Date: 2015-05-16
From: Sam Moore Shelter

To: Bears Den Hostel
Miles today: 3.0
Weather: clear sky

The shelter was empty again and the night was a bit warmer, so we slept well with the exception of a single interruption. Shrugs woke up suddenly because he heard a mouse gnawing away. Afraid for our food bags, he leaped up to check them. The bags were intact; the mouse had gotten into a discarded bag filled with someone's trash (left as a decoy, perhaps?). Shrugs flashed his head lamp and the mouse poked its head out of the bag, then plunged back into its bag of treats.We got up rather late, though the late start was without great incidence as we wanted to head over to the Bears Den Hostel, which is only 3 miles away. The short hike was difficult as we were still continuing the Roller Coaster. More steep uphills and downhills, navigating through numerous rocks. We saw a jogger running down past us. A week or so ago, we briefly met a southbounder who told us about his own experience hiking the Roller Coaster. He too had met a jogger. This crazy runner had an unfortunate fall and ended up, as our southbounder said, with a bloody face and a possibly broken nose. Well, our own jogger, according to another hiker ahead of us, took a fall a few minutes after we crossed paths. He hit his head on a tree root, though he was alright. Moral of the story: DO NOT go running on the Roller Coaster. In fact, we spotted quite a few day hikers as well - avoid yourself any trouble and just don't hike there. One of the day hikers asked us if we were out for the weekend. "No....no....we're out for way longer", we answered. He understood we were impling that we were thru-hikers and, turning to Shrugs added: "She looks good for a thru-hiker!" I guess his olfactory receptors were dysfuctional because I sure don't smell good.We arrived at Bears Den quite early. The hostel has a hiker bunkroom with lounging area, shower and cold sodas. We were hoping for a shower and laundry (last shower was TWELVE days ago!!!). However, the laundry and food store are only available from 5 PM onwards. I guess that means we are staying here for the day! Later on, they offer pizza and a pint of Ben and Jerry's for hikers who stay the night, so that definitely swayed us. Also, there is a 10 week-old puppy that lives here!- Axon
Date: 2015-05-19
From: Ed Garvey Shelter

To: Pine Knob Shelter
Miles today: 16.6
Weather: overcast clouds

It rained *a lot* during the night. It reminded me of the night at Pond Flats a few days before Damascus (refer to Axon's entry for a more evocative description of the rain), but it was definitely worse. The rain formed an opaque curtain of water and the falling raindrops created a mist that went into the shelter. A section hiker we've seen during the past few days even decided to leave her tent in the middle of the night and stay in the shelter instead. At some point (very late) a hiker came in with his dog and started cooking dinner while smoking in the shelter. The dog decided I would be a good sleeping mat. He was really nice, although completely wet.We got up early, finally! We were at the Dahlgren Campground at noon. Unfortunately, the pizzeria nearby only starts delivering after 5 pm. It was a huge disappointment!Today we passed a few historical sites relating episodes of the Civil War. We also saw the Washington Monument, one of the only 3 views in Maryland.Yesterday we forgot to include our WEST VIRGINIA SUMMARY. Here it is in haiku form because WV is so short:Virginia borderView over Harpers FerryCross the bridge. The endOther than that, a lot of people seem to have chosen Harpers Ferry as the starting point of a section hike. Over a dozen of them were at the shelter with us (in tents). We could hear them yelling when it rained really hard.- Shrugs
Date: 2015-05-20
From: Pine Knob Shelter

To: Raven Rock Shelter
Miles today: 13.1
Weather: broken clouds

A night without incident, except that it was cold. We got up early, hiked as usual and arrived at our destination early, around 1:15 pm. The rest of the day was spent eating all our snacks and talking with the hikers who progressively filled the shelter area. We saw Hot Pants; we had met him a couple of days before Axon got injured, but he has spent about 10 days off the Trail, so he caught up with us again today. We also saw Cujo, whom we had seen briefly at Fontana Dam, 64 days ago; he remembered us! (We didn't...)It was good to spend a lazy afternoon.- Shrugs
Date: 2015-05-22
From: Tumbling Run Shelters

To: Birch Run Shelter
Miles today: 19.6
Weather: clear sky

The night was cold again and sleep was elusive.We had a big day planned today, just shy of 20 miles. We knew the terrain was relatively tame and, more importantly, we had done that exact same milage back in 2013, during our section hike. It was a symbolic day for us. We felt an almost imperative need to repeat those exact same miles, partly because we wanted to compare our performances and also because that had been the day I knew we would eventually attempt to thru-hike the AT. Crushed by the weight of my ill-fitting pack, slowly drudging along the Trail, melting under the summer's sun, I told Shrugs "you know we are going to have to come back and do the whole thing, right?". He didn't vehemently protest this statement, he only shrugged.We were physically and mentally unprepared for any type of long-distance hiking. I don't even remember why we attempted such a long day when it had been less than a week that we had been on the Trail. Of course, we made it, but that long hike pushed my physical boundaries and I felt an overwhelming tiredness that left me emotionally numb. I don't know why that had been the catalyst to my decision to thru-hike. Maybe we needed to redeem ourselves for our poorly planned and executed section hike, as if we felt the need to prove (to ourselves?) that we could do better. We finished our section hike on an optimistic note and confident that we could one day come back, that this endeavour wasn't too impossible. There were other factors motivating us too. Living and witnessing the daily plight of thru-hikers was inspiring and intriguing - why would someone put themselves through this objectively-not-always-very-enjoyable experience on purpose? We agreed that they were crazy...though, most anyway, seemed content, even proud of this status. Had they uncovered some obscure, secret knowledge? Maybe allowing oneself to be swept away by a whirlwind of madness and chaos could have a therapeutic effect.The day was long and quite dull though we were amused. We even remembered the exact rock we sat on during a break in 2013. The terrain was a bit rocky in the morning as we crossed the Chimney Rocks. I guess with a name like that I should have expected a few rocks. There were a couple of very steep, though extremely short climbs. Admittedly, I was quite tired when we arrived at the shelter as we had not hiked such a lengthy distance since my injury. Still, we did a lot better than the first time around. Progress is always good.-Axon
Date: 2015-05-24
From: Ironmaster Hostel (Pine Grove Furnace State Park)

To: Campsite at Little Dogwood Run
Miles today: 15.3
Weather: broken clouds

One thing that Axon forgot to mention in yesterday's post is that we are really impressed by the number of people regularly reading this journal. We are just two ordinary people among so many other hikers. It makes us feel somewhat special that people choose to read us. I want to express my thanks to the (semi) strangers who encourage us by following our journal, writing to us and giving us food! It is extremely good for the morale. Of course, thanks also to both our families for their support!I got up around 6:00 am, not knowing whether Axon would be in the dining room yet (we had decided to get there for 6:30). It feels strange to not be able to wake up together...We had the waffle + bagel breakfast. It felt good to eat something solid after all the ice cream from yesterday. By the way, I did not experience any problem sleeping after it (at least not because of the ice cream) and was quite hungry this morning.We started late but hiked fast on the relatively easy terrain. The only challenging part was the Rock Maze, a rock formation on a ridge that we have to climb around, above and inside. I think they purposefully chose the most difficult path through it. It was kind of fun in some parts though.We pitched our tent right before arriving to the Alec Kennedy Shelter. It seems to be an excellent idea since the shelter area is now swarming with people, mostly section hikers.- Shrugs