morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2015-04-19
From: ATC Headquaters, WV

To: Crampton Gap, MD
Miles today: 10.6
Weather: moderate rain

Today is the day. kATchup and I went by the ATC headquarters so that I could sign in and get my photo taken. I am flip-flop hiker #33 for 2015. Amazingly, 6 NOBO thru hikers have already passed through the ATC office and four of them yesterday.My plan for the next week is to take things slow and try get off on the right foot (no pun intended). kATchup is going to stay in the area for the week and we will meet up later in the week and take a zero day and go visit Gettysburg.In the spirit of starting slow, the plan for today was for me to hike from Harpers Ferry to Crampton Gap where I would meet kATchup and then head back to our hotel room. I carried a full pack, water, and food for the day. Overall, the day was fairly easy but once leaving the canal path the trail was far more rockier than I was expecting. It clearly wasn't PA rocky but bad enough that you had to concentrate on foot placements constantly. Lots of day and section hikers out enjoying the weather before the incoming storm arrives.The plan for tomorrow is to be dropped back off at Crampton Gap with the goal of Pine Grove State Park by Friday.
Date: 2015-04-20
From: Crampton Gap, MD

To: Pine Knob Shelter
Miles today: 12.9
Weather: scattered clouds

kATchup dropped me off at Crampton Gap at 9am. It was apparent that I made right decision to spend one more night in town. It was very wet and foggy and I started out in the clouds. The trail treadway today was much improved over yesterday ... Lots of relatively flat dirt trail. The rocks that did appear were not too bad and easy to negotiate.Lots to see today. Stopped at Rocky Run Shelter and got some water and chatted with a couple of hikers trying to dry out their clothes. Not too far past that was a Civil War exhibit at Fox Gap which details the battle that took place during Lee's 1862 campaign at South Mountain. Not too far past that was Dahlgren Backpackers Camp. Stopped and spent a half hour eating lunch and one of their picnic tables and trying to dry out my sweat soaked shirt. By now the clouds had burned off and it was in the mid-70s and very warm without any leaf cover on the trees. And then about a mile and half past that was Maryland's Monument to George Washington.Lots of birds out ... Mainly Pileated Woodpeckers and Cardinals. The number of Pileated Woodpeckers was amazing. There is even one not too far from my tent that has been flying quite a bit.Weather forecast has been calling for severe thunderstorms this afternoon. So far its been clear but it is just now starting to cloud up as I write this (7pm). I'm battening down the hatches in case it gets bad.Physically I feel well but do gave a bit of an on again / off again heal pain that seems like its a case of plantar fasciitis that started back in January. Stretches do seem to help and I them frequently throughout the day.
Date: 2015-04-21
From: Pine Knob Shelter

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

Last night thunderstorms rolled through about 10pm and lasted for about an hour. Lots of lightning and thunder. Stayed dry in tent.Woke up early and was on the trail by 7:30am. Unlike yesterday there were no historical exhibits or other nice places to stop for a good break. Trail was very good in some places and very rocky in others. The climb up to the shelter was a bit tiring after almost 13 miles of hiking but felt good most of the day for the most part. Left heel is still bothering me. Its stiff and painful in the morning but feels better after a bit of hiking only to become painful later in the day when I hit the 10 mark.Weather has turned pretty chilly and forecast is for lows about 40 or a bit lower. The plan for tomorrow is to hike to Tumbling Run Shelter with pizza delivery at PenMar Park for lunch. Since the park is only 4.5 miles from here and the pizza delivery place doesn't open until 11am there is no need for an early start which is good give how chilly it will be.
Date: 2015-04-22
From: Raven Rock Shelter

To: Tumbling Run Shelter
Miles today: 13.2
Weather: overcast clouds

Goodbye Maryland; Hello Pennsylvania ! One state down, thirteen more states to go. Pennsylvania (aka Rocksylvania) is the second longest state with something like 260 or 280 miles of trail. It's also the place where hiking shoes go to die. The day started with with a leisurely camp morning and on the trail by 8:30. A casual pace, but some interesting sections of talus, led to PenMar Park. Arriving right at 11am I called a local pizza place and and ordered a cheese pizza for lunch and a sub sandwich that I was going to carry for dinner. Twenty minutes later the pizza arrived and it was lunch time. Lunch was rushed as thunderstorms were moving in fast. I quickly packed and 5 minutes later I crossed the Mason Dixon line and into Pennsylvania. The next hour was a steep and rocky uphill and downhill in a heavy thunderstorm. The rain ended and cleared for a bit. Another storm was moving in just as I arrived at Deer Lick Shelter. I sat out that short storm in the shelter. I was on the trail again as soon as it passed. As if right on queue, I got to Antietam Shelter when the next storm came through and waited it out for fifteen minutes or so. A short 1.2 miles I finally arrived at Tumbling Run Shelter. So far I have been impressed with most of the shelters I've seen in both Maryland and Pennsylvania. They are much different than the older horrid rat boxes at some locations in NC and TN. Tumbling Run has two shelters ... a snoring and non-snoring shelter (seriously), a covered picnic area, and groomed tent sites with a pea gravel surface. Comfy! Lows tonight are projected around 37. Brrr, colder than I was expecting. My left heel and ankle did better today. The plan for tomorrow is to meet kATchup at a road crossing near Caledonia State Park. Originally I planned to do an additional day to Pine Grove State Park. But I would like the opportunity to take an extra zero (rest) day for my heel and ankle before kATchup heads back to NC.
Date: 2015-04-23
From: Tumbling Run Shelter

To: Caledonia State Park
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: few clouds

Last night was cold. Probably around 30 degrees and spitting snow. Given the conditions and the fact that kATchup was going to pick me up a relatively short 10 miles away, I quickly packed and was on the trail by 7am. The initial climb out of the shelter was dispatched quickly and most of the rest of the way to Caledonia State Park followed a rocky ridge line with some nice flat sections off the ridge. The ridges were rocky in places and required boulder and talus hopping. The ridges were also extremely cold due to a constant stiff wind. I'm glad to be a tourist and in a hotel room for next few days. Hopefully it will warm up and the days off will help my heel and ankle. If the forecast does not improve then I'm going to start carrying more warm clothing. Hopefully conditions will return to their seasonal normal.
Date: 2015-04-25
From: Chambersburg, PA

To: Chambersburg, PA
Miles today: 0.0

kATchup and I visited the AT Museum at Pine Grove Furnace State Park today. It is only open on weekends this time of year so I feel fortunate that it we got to visit it It is still cool so the two NOBOs that we saw were doing their half gallon challenge from the warmth of the inside of the General Store. I'm feeling good ... Heel and ankle definitely benefited from the time off. Looking forward to getting on the trail tomorrow.
Date: 2015-04-26
From: Caledonia State Park

To: Tom's Run Shelter
Miles today: 15.8
Weather: overcast clouds

kATchup dropped me off at Caledonia State Park and I was on the trail at 8:15am. It was s cool morning and the 2.2 mile climb to Quarry Gap Shelter was a nice warm up. I think that shelter has to be one of nicest on the trail. The caretaker has just brought up potted Petunias that were hanging from the eaves of the shelter roof. There were some section hikers there and they offered me some oatmeal for breakfast and some granola bars they were not going to eat. I declined on both accounts as I had more than enough food with me. Once the uphill section after Quarry Gap Shelter was done it was an extremely easy trail. Some minor uphills and downhills but most flat easy trail with a minimum of rocks. The day was perfect for hiking ... cool, clear, blue sky, sun, and a minor breeze at times. I arrived at Birch Run Shelter right in time for lunch ... 12:05. I had a snack, refilled water, and readjusted shoes and socks. I was accompanied by a pair of tufted titmouse's that were having lunch along with me and demonstrating their insect catching prowess. I think my cheese sandwich lunch was better than their lunch though. After lunch I ran into a nice local couple who were out doing trail maintenance on their section of trail. I briefly chatted with them and thanked them for their work. This section of the trail is near the midway point of the trail between Georgia and Maine. There is a sign that marks this point and it is relocated every year to adjust for relocations that cause the trail to get longer or shorter. I was on the lookout for the sign as I wanted to take a picture of it for todays journal entry. At one point a very small hawk or similar bird of prey flew directly across the trail in front of me and perched in a small tree off to the side of the trail. As I adjusted my position to try to get a better view of the bird to try to identify it, there it was ... the midpoint sign. If it had not been for that hawk I would have walked right by the sign !!! The sign was about 3 or 4 feet off the trail and much smaller than I would have expected. How fortunate that I saw it. Arrived at tonight's shelter after several more easy miles. Today was my highest mileage day yet and I felt great. No real heel or ankle problems to speak of. Of course, we will have to see how everything feels tomorrow.
Date: 2015-04-27
From: Tom's Run Shelter

To: Tentsite, mile 1113.2
Miles today: 14.8
Weather: scattered clouds

Another cold night and morning. On the trail early and quickly down to Pine Grove Furnace State Park. Along the way I passed the original historical AT midpoint sign. This time of year the General Store is not open during the week but took advantage of one of their electrical charging stations to partially charge my phone. The trail the rest of the day was pretty nondescript with long sections of easy but loose rocks. I did 11.5 miles by 12pm (almost joining the 12 by 12 club). So I decided to relax the pace. I took a short break near the Tagg Run Shelter to get some water and have a quick snack. I walked another 1.2 miles to Green Mountain General Store for a soda and another snack and a pickup a few resupply items for tonights dinner. (Hikers: they do stock iso-butane stove canisters.) And then another short section of nondescript trail deposited me at my intended tentsite for the evening. Skies are dark but not sure if we are actually going to get rain or not. Saw a number of Pileated Woodpeckers again today. Between them, cardinals, and a few songbirds that was all the wildlife that I saw today. Tomorrow is a relatively short 8 miles to Boiling Springs where I have reservations at a local B&B. Looking forward to a pizza and a shower.
Date: 2015-04-28
From: Tentsite, mile 1113.2

To: Boiling Springs
Miles today: 8.0

A pretty casual day into Boiling Springs. Hiked through some interesting rock mazes and experienced a few ups and downs that were a bit more work than I was expecting. Met some section hikers from Alabama that took my picture at Center Point Knob, the original AT point location. For those that are keeping score at home, that is 3 midpoint markers in the last fews days. Go figure. Visited the ATC Mid-Atlantic office and while there met a couple of hikers from TN that invited me to lunch with them. One of them attempted a thru hike last year and was knocked off the trail in this area. He is section hiking with a friend to fill in a few sections before setting off for ME. It sounds like I'll have a chance of running into him again further north. Boiling Springs sure is a pretty town.
Date: 2015-04-29
From: Boiling Springs

To: Darlington Shelter
Miles today: 14.8
Weather: broken clouds

Got a late start out of Boiling Springs. Had a wonderful breakfast at Gelina's Manor B&B and then went by the Post Office to mail back some extra warm clothes that I had taken from kATchup earlier. Was on the trail by 9:30. The trail in this area crosses the Cumberland Valley in a narrow corridor. There is no legal camping in this area and the entire distance needs to be covered. The good news is that all of it except for the last couple of miles is through perfectly flat farm land and goes quickly. Camping at the shelter are some section hikers from MA and another flip flop thru hiker that left Harpers Ferry a few days after me. Tomorrow is Duncannon and I'll be picking up a mail drop of food.
Date: 2015-04-30
From: Darlington Shelter

To: Duncannon
Miles today: 11.4

I spent an enjoyable evening at Darlington Shelter with 4 section hikers from MA and another flip-flop thru hiker that started at Harpers Ferry right after me. The section into Duncannon was very pretty at first as the trail passed through some rolling pastures between mountain ridges. However, the last five miles was fairly rocky and is supposedly the first exposure to the PA rocks that north bound hikers encounter.
Date: 2015-05-01
From: Duncannon

To: Duncannon
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

During the last few days the pain has returned to my left ankle and heel and it has become very painful to hike ... especially over the rocks that I encountered on my way into Duncannon. I have made arrangements for kATchup to come and get me and I will go back to NC to rest up and see if I can find some shoe inserts and some rehab exercises that might help my situation. Depending on how that I'll make a decision on when/if I will return to finish my hike.
Date: 2014-12-19
To: Practice Hike to Muskrat Creek Shelter
Miles today: 0.0

Today I hiked with my friend James up Copper Mountain southbound from Deep Gap towards Whiteoak Stamp and Muskrat Creek Shelter. The temperature was around 45 degrees or so and clear. I am trying new equipment and methods of packing my equipment today. I'm still trying to get a handle on how I'm going to carry all my stuff and still keep the pounds low. I hiked with a full pack with the exception of multiple supplies of food. I also tried tried out a new trail application for the Iphone 5S called GAIA GPS, which I recently purchased on line at the APP Store. I like it very much and have decided to use it to track my hiking adventure. The trail was clear in most places but there were two trees down across the trail as a result of a recent storm. About three miles south from Deep Gap we passed by Chunky Gal Trail, a local hiking adventure leading north from the AT and slightly westbound. We did pass a couple of bear hunters and their dogs on the trip, but saw no bears. We stopped to have a leisurely lunch at Whiteoak Stamp and then traveled on to the shelter. We found it unoccupied. There was good water just aside the shelter across the trail. All in all it was a good day. We hiked approximately 4.5 miles each way. We began at 10:30 am and returned to Deep Gap at 3:30 pm.
Date: 2015-01-10
To: Practice Hike to Wesser Shelter
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Today I hiked solo out of Tellico Gap about 10:30 am. It took me about 45 minutes to reach the top of the mountain where Wesser Fire Tower is located. The views from the top are really beautiful. No smog or clouds to get in the way. No one else was on the trail. After enjoying several minutes absorbing the views I proceeded on down the trail northbound and after hiking a little in the shade and snow, I reached Wesser Shelter where I proceeded to prepare myself a nice hot meal. After a little rest I then returned back southbound to my car. I did encounter three hikers northbound on my way back past the tower. I think they were also enjoying the scenery and views. Temperatures were in the 40's and all was good. I am beginning to get hiking speeds now up past two miles per hour. My goal is to reach 2.5 to 3 mph by the time I leave on March 16.
Date: 2015-01-17
To: Practice Hike to Nantahala Outdoor Center (NOC)
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Today eleven hikers attending the 2015 Southern Ruck at the NOC in Wesser, NC went on a leisurely hike Northbound on the AT from Tellico Gap to the NOC. We began about 8:15 am (temperature 28) completing the 8.75 mile trail around 12:20 pm. The weather was clear and cold, but without wind making the hike most enjoyable. All enjoyed the views from atop or just beneath the Wesser Fire tower. It seemed that we could see forever. As for me, all went well and no injuries were experienced. All but three of us were experienced thru-hikers but I managed not to slow anyone down too much. My hiking speed has been increasing over the last few months. I've been averaging about 2 miles per hour both up and down the mountains, including stops, breaks, and lunches. My overall goal is 3.0 miles per hour, but that probably won't happen for a while. I am the fifth from the left.
Date: 2015-01-30
To: Practice Hike to Cold Springs Shelter
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

Today I am hiking with my friend Paul in 25 degree temps. Good hiking but cold. We left Tellico Gap about 1:00 p.m. and arrived at the Cold Springs shelter at 5:00 p.m. We encountered about 2 inches of snow on the trail until we got to higher elevations when I believe we were hiking in about 3 inches. It was windy too. We climbed up out the Gap to the ridge line, and then continued past Rocky Bald, Black Bald, and Tellico Bald on the way to the shelter. We came across a fresh bear print in the snow. It appeared to have just been made. We looked around but alas he (or she) was gone. Since it was late in the day and no one else was at the shelter, we decided to set up the tent in the shelter because of the winds and temperature. The temperature dropped to 15 during the night, but we were prepared for the cold temperatures and used our stoves to heat up our delicious meals. I am trying out new recipes and my meal consisted of mushrooms, shrimp, seasonings, and noodles. Paul's meal consisted of Red Beans and Rice. He felt like his was a little spicy for his liking. Mine was just right.Since we were going to return the same way we came, we slept in and didn't get out until around 8:00 am when we had breakfast and packed up. We finally left around 10:30 am. and were back at the car about 1:30 pm. We had a great time and since we were close, proceeded to have lunch at the NOC before heading home. I think that we the distance was about 8.3 miles.Only 45 days to go until I begin the adventure. "One foot at a time".
Date: 2015-02-07
To: Practice Hike to Wayah Bald Fire Tower
Miles today: 0.0

Today I hiked with a friend from Wayah Crest Parking Lot up to Wayah Bald Fire Tower, a distance of about 9.5 miles on the AT. The trail was uphill to Wine Spring Bald for about 3.1 miles and then remained mostly level as we turned Easterly towards Wayah Bald for another 1.4 miles. The AT and the Bartram Trail shared the same space for about 2 miles. Temperatures were in the 30's and 40's most of the day, but warmed up to the lower sixties about 1:30 pm or so. We set out a few minutes after 9:00 am and arrived at Noon. We set up a wind shelter at the base of the stone tower and had a leisurely lunch until 2:00 pm when we struck our lunch spot and headed back down the trail. We made it back to our car at 3:45 pm. One thing I wanted to do on this hike was to carry a full pack and test out some miscellaneous equipment - my tarp/footprint as a lunch shelter, my navigation application (GAIA GPS) and a new method of packing my pack to hopefully access all my equipment easier. I determined I needed to make some changes for tying down my tarp better and went back to square one for repacking my pack to allow for additional food. So far I have been using an Osprey Kestrel 48 pack. All my equipment weighs in around 25 pounds without food and water. The concern... I cannot seem to get at least five days worth of food in my pack. I need to make another trip to the outfitter to see if they have any suggestions. I really don't want to buy another pack if I don't have to.
Date: 2015-02-21
To: Looking Towards Springer Mountain
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: snow

Holy cow! Only 22 more days and a wake-up. I've determined that time can be your enemy or your friend. That all depends upon your attitude. We have no actual control over the clock but we have to live within its guidelines don't we? How ironic. Sometimes I feel as if I'm way behind in my planning - getting all my gear situated, my food planned, my finances arranged, my affairs taken care of... well you get the picture. And at other times, especially when it's pretty outside, I just want to cease all this planning stuff and just leave and start my adventure. I know we need a plan to hike, but sometimes some of us obsess over much to much trying to get it "just right". And right now that's how I feel. I spent over six hours the other day just packing and unpacking my pack, switching out gear, going over weird things like do I pack loose or do I use stuff sacks; or do i take individual meals or use a meal plan and take a pantry, or do I use a zero degree bag or take a 20 degree bag with an additional liner just in case. I'm tired with all this planning. I began with a smaller pack, an Osprey Kestrel 48, but found I couldn't pack tight enough to carry more than about two days worth of food. REI was so nice and spent over three hours with me to help me determine that I needed a slightly larger pack. So now I have an 60L pack - an Osprey Aether 60. Everything fits nicely now, but I feel that I'm still carrying more weight than I want to carry. Several areas are of concern: my heavy 0 degree sleeping bag (about 4 pounds with stuff sack) my clothes, and my food per day. I really like to sleep warmly so I think I will take my bag until warmer weather prevails, then I may invest in a newer more technologically up to date bag. Have you seen the weather in Northern Georgia and Western North Carolina recently? As to my clothes and food needs, I'm still working on fine tuning my needs. My pack weight is right at 30 pounds without food and water. I plan on carrying a liter at a time and filtering along the way, at least in Georgia and North Carolina. That may change as I progress further. Anyway that adds about 2 pounds. So now I'm up to 32 pounds. You do the math as for food weights at 1.5 to 2.0 pounds per day. I'm carrying three days to start at Springer Mt. So my starting weight will be about 36.5 - 38 pounds. I could probable shave off two pounds off my bag weight, but I'm having a hard time justifying the weight over cost ratios. You see my dilemma? I am in good spirits though, carefully watching the weather and counting down the days. My wife just reported to me that as of right now the GSMNP is closed to traffic with much snow and winds ahead for the next two days. I sure hope it's not a blizzard on the 16th of March. I want to get out and move up the trail. Later....