morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2004-06-18
From: Campsite 1 mile N of Turk's Gap

To: Loft Mt. Campground
Miles today: 15.0

Trail Day 88 - Loft Mt. Campgrounddaily miles 15.0 on ATI timed myself after getting up in doing chores: pack up tent & gear - 30 min.; cook & eat - 30 min.; cleanup - 15 min. That was quick for me as there were no others around to delay me with conversation. The night had been clear & breezy. The day was cool. I met a hiker southbound who reported others seeing bears in the area. So far, I have not seen one. The trail had some climbs but they were easy grades and not many rocks. I stopped at Blackrock shelter to use the privy, read the register, eat lunch and get water. A Pastor from Michigan came in also. I met him and his family at the motel in Waynesboro yesterday. They were test hiking a section to find out how they would do as a family hiking. He wanted to thruhike with his wife and two teens next year. It was a good test apparently, but it did not turn out as he wanted. His daughter was miserable and wanted off the trail. Today he was hiking alone the rest of the way to Loft Campground. We discussed the sacrifices made by wives when the husband hikes alone. I told him my wife was supportive, but sometimes she was stressed by loneliness and additional responsibilities. He really wants to hike the AT, but can't see himself doing it without his family. I told him there are a thousand ways to hike the AT. It poured rain in the afternoon, but I did not mind. I knew it would not last long and I would be dry by the time I reached the campground. It costs $16 for a tent site, the showers are coin operated, and the store is expensive, but there are a telephone and bathrooms available. I had no assurance that I would find a campsite along the trail and the next shelter was too far away.I talked with the camp host, who had hiked the AT in 96 & 97. We discussed places to flip-flop and he suggested Bear Mt. in New York. A lodge is there and bus lines run into NYC, convenient for getting to Maine and getting back home to Florida. I was born not far from Bear Mt., so it has some meaning to me to stop there. More and more I am liking the idea of hiking south toward home to end my hike.
Date: 2004-06-19
From: Loft Mt. Campground

To: Pinefield Hut
Miles today: 5.8
Weather: scattered clouds

Trail Day 89 - Slowed by the Wayside.daily miles 5.8 on ATIt was really windy last night and the stars were bright in a black sky. My tent flapped in the wind. In the morning I took some time to work on my journal before getting out at 10:30. After a mile, I detoured to a Wayside on the Skyline Drive. This is a gift shop and restaurant with fast food. I had a hamburger, fries, lemonade, large soft pretzel and a milkshake. Fueled up, I hiked back up the mountain. By now it was 12:30. There were great scenic vistas and I stopped to take photos. I passed Sunshine and his sister hiking south to Waynesboro where she left her car. I saw 3 deer on the trail. The deer around here act tame.When I reached the shelter at 3:00, rain clouds were threatening. Sarge was in his sleeping bag on the wooden floor. He advised me to stick around instead of going out in the rain and getting wet. I always take Sarge's advice, so it would be a short day today. It was 8 miles to the next shelter. I could get there before dusk but I was just not in the mood to hike on such a dark and damp day. The day stayed dark and cloudy but it did not rain much. My stomach was gaseous from the food at the Wayside, so it is just as well that I did not go on. I'll have to be more careful about how much Wayside food I eat when I'm hiking. There was good company at the shelter: Sarge and his dog, Boy; Scarf and Pimple, a young couple from Brooklyn; C.B. from Massachusetts; and Statler & Hilton from Atlanta. That last name comes from the two balcony puppets on Sesame Street. The person who named him could not decide which one he looked like so he carries both names as his trail name.
Date: 2004-06-20
From: Pinefield HUt

To: Hightop Hut
Miles today: 8.2
Weather: clear sky

Trail Day 90 - Flip flop takes shape.daily miles 8.2 on ATSet out at 9:30. Sarge had forgotten to take his water bottles from the shelter. Dingle came in from Loft Mt. Campground and offered to hand them off to Sarge as he passes him. He had left Skirt and her mom behind as they were hiking slow. Skirt would catch up when he takes a rest day in Front Royal. Dingle wished me a happy Father's Day. My son is on Dog Island so I could not call him even if I could find a phone. I think that I might flip flop from Harper's Ferry with my son up to Maine. That would allow us to climb Mt. Katahdin and go through the 100 mile wilderness in Maine together. He only has 3 weeks to hike with me and his return plane ticket is already bought for July 15. I think it is a good plan. It will take 5-6 days to reach Harper's Ferry, one day to get to Millinocket, and 7-8 days to climb Katahdin and hike to Monson. He will take the same bus back that we take up so he will be familiar with the route. I think it will be a great adventure for him and I will be glad to have him along. We will just need warmer clothes and sleeping bags than anticipated. After he leaves, I will hike as a southbounder on the northern half of the trail. Mentally that will be better for me as I will feel that every step takes me closer to home. Buzz and Breeze came into the shelter tonight. They had taken 10 days off to go to a wedding in Georgia and to tour D.C. In the shelter tonight were Sarge & Boy, C.B., Skirt, Golgi and Radio. Golgi named himself after a component of the cell, the Golgi apparatus. He is a college student from Appalachian State University in Boone. He is hiking for a week only, but plans to thruhike next year. I got to the shelter really early at 1:15, but I have no reason to hike on as it is only 28 miles to Skyland Resort and have 3 more days to get there to meet my wife and son. I read my book and talked with other hikers about my plan to flip flop. It seems that the bug season will be almost over in Maine by July.
Date: 2004-06-21
From: Hightop Hut

To: Bearfence Mt. Hut
Miles today: 12.4

Trail Day 91 -Two Bearsdaily miles 12.4 on ATI said goodby to Sarge as he was not hiking today to the next shelter, and I would not see him again. I got out on the AT at 9:30. I saw my first bear in the morning 1/2 mile from the South River Picnic Area. A big black bear was walking north on the trail about 50 yards ahead and did not hear me. I took a photo and resumed walking made noise with my pole. It looked around at me and loped down the trail and then into the woods. In the afternoon I saw my second bear! I was close to Lewis Mt. Campground and I heard a branch crack in front of me. At first I did not see anything, but then a large bear emerged from behind a tree. When it saw me it ran off a short distance and watched as I walked by. It was too concealed to get a photo. I walked into the campground excited about the bears and told some tent campers. I took a shower and bought food before going on to the shelter. C.B. and Skirt were there, as well as some section hikers from Westminster, MD. Tinman from Florida lit a fire to drive off the bugs. It was a good day for seeing wildlife.
Date: 2004-06-22
From: Bearfence Mt. Hut

To: Rock Spring Hut
Miles today: 11.5
Weather: light rain

Trail Day 92 - Day at Big Meadowsdaily miles 11.5 on ATAnother clear day. Out at 9 am. I saw nobody on the trail for two hours and I took a break at the sign for Rapidan Camp trail. This is a fishing retreat that Herbert Hoover visited while he was President. A young woman day hiking parked in the lot and I gave her directions to the trailhead. Somehow I missed the side trail to Big Meadows Wayside for a food resupply stop. I took the next side trail to the Big Meadows Lodge, called my wife to discuss travel to Katahdin, and lunched in the dining room. The meal was good but expensive at over $20. I felt taken as I left the Lodge in a rainstorm. My next stop was the campground. I washed clothes in the laundromat and took a shower. I walked back down the road a mile to the Wayside, bought lunch food for tomorrow, and walked back to call my son. He was excited about meeting me tomorrow in Luray and flipping up to Katahdin. I hiked on to Rock Spring Hut and got there at 6 pm. Sunshine was in his bag in the hut. He said he enjoyed hiking with his sister, who left today. C.B. and Tinman were there. Two young men from Alachua, FL hiked in after drinking a few beers at the Taproom at the Lodge. They said a beer cost $4 there. They gave me some bags of grain and grits they did not want. They were lightening their packs for a long 28 mile day tomorrow. One of them had been a Scout with a troop in High Springs. There are a lot of people from Florida on the AT this year.
Date: 2004-06-23
From: Rock Spring Hut

To: Mimslyn Inn, Luray, VA
Miles today: 14.1

Trail Day 93 - Fear & loathing on the trail.daily miles 14.1 on ATEarly start at 8 am. I hiked with C.B. and Tinman until reaching Skyland resort. They stopped at the Lodge for breakfast but I hiked on and got wet. It rained most of the day. I saw a wet raven sitting in a dead tree on a bald. It was much larger than a crow. I was told by another hiker that this is about as far south as they go. At Pinnacles Picnic Area I found a pavilion which sheltered me from the rain while I lunched. There were some tourists at other picnic tables. A Park Ranger drove up and checked the bathroom. He then parked in front of me and watched me for an hour. I just ignored him while I typed on my computer. No doubt he thought he was protecting the tourists from a vagrant hiker. After the Ranger left I hiked in the rain 5 miles to Thornton Gap. I would hitch into town to the Inn to meet my wife and son who were flying to Baltimore and renting a car. The drive from Baltmore was 3 hours. A woman at the pavilion asked me why I did not just go to the Ranger station and wait for my wife to pick me up. I said I could get to the Inn before she could pick me up by hitching. She thought a minute and said nobody picks up hitchhikers anymore. I agreed that it was sometimes hard to get a ride but I expected it would work out. She said, "You sure are a trusting young man." As it happened, I did not have to wait long before a friendly Ranger in a van picked me up and transported me right to the door of the Inn - several hours before my wife arrived. I think there is too much fear and distrust in the world, and that it is not justified because the great majority of those I meet are good people. Fear is too isolating. I won't have anything to do with it.
Date: 2004-06-24
From: Mimslyn Inn, Luray, VA

To: Mimslyn Inn, Luray, VA 
Miles today: 0.0

Trail Day 94 - Preparing for Mainedaily miles 0.0 on ATThe Mimslyn Inn is a brick mansion with a long columned porch on top of a hill in Luray. It was built in 1931 and had seen better days. There were very few guests in the hotel or diners in the restaurant. Our rooms were small with high ceilings and antique plumbing fixtures. The carpet was worn and stained; the paint was peeling. There was a view of a flat roof outside our windows. The food in the hotel restaurant was not very tasty and was overcooked. There is a large lobby and a wide staircase leading up to the second floor. I asked a local man how they can stay in business with so few customers. He said they do weddings and cater to organized groups. If I had more time to plan an alternative, I would have found a cabin along a stream. But this would have to do. Skyland Resort charged $200 per night for adjoining rooms and I would not pay their high prices. Most of the day was spent making preparations to hike: buying gear, clothing and food. We had lunch with Skyliner, who maintains an AT shelter and has a print shop in town. He does section hikes on the AT.We did all of our shopping in Front Royal, a larger town about 25 miles away. The outfitter, Weasel Creek, was very helpful. I bought clothing for Michael and a warmer sleeping bag for myself. The owner had captained a boat at Florida Sea Base and held administrative positions at other BSA locations in Florida before opening his shop in Front Royal. We enjoyed a delicious country dinner at the Brookside restaurant near Luray. They had a beautifully fanned peacock in a pen outside near their cabins. The day ended with a red sunset over the mountains.
Date: 2004-06-25
From: Thornton Gap, U.S. 211

To: Gravel Spring Hut
Miles today: 14.3
Weather: overcast clouds

Trail Day 95 - First day with Michaeldaily miles 14.3 on ATMy wife dropped my son and me at the Visitor's station and we began our first day of hiking together. Michael was excited and stopped take photos often. He uses black and white film to bring out the essential interplay of form and light in nature. We got a late start at 11 am but we hiked slowly and took lots of breaks anyway.It started raining as we climbed the hill to Elkwallow Wayside. We ordered food from the take-out counter and ate lunch under a pavilion. The rain passed over and we headed out for the shelter. The trail climbed 1000 ft. to the ridge. There were some good views of the valley at first, but then the fog rolled in and surrounded us. Michael loved the fog. I did not see footprints on the way to the shelter, but we found hikers there: C.B., Trail Dog, Spin Cycle and a couple from Michigan. It was good to see Trail Dog again. He had been at home in Sevierville for a wedding. I asked how it went and he said, "Well, I got through it." He explained that someone who attended did not approve of his thruhike and thought his wife should divorce him. I think C.B. was not doing well as I could see pain in her face when she moved. She never complains and she hikes fast but she limps after she sits down awhile. She controls it with ibuprofen. We were all in our bags before dark.
Date: 2004-06-26
From: Gravel Spring Hut

To: U.S. 522, Chester Gap
Miles today: 13.4

Trail Day 96 - Terrapin Station Hosteldaily miles 13.4 on ATWe started the day with a 900 ft. climb, crossing the Skyline Drive twice. There were no views as the trail was a green tunnel. Michael did see the rump of a bear ahead of him. We would have to get off the trail to go back to the outfitter at Front Royal to retrieve batteries and socks we left there. The trail exited the Shenandoah Park after 10 miles and descended 1300 ft. to Chester Gap. We sprinted across a 4-lane highway to find a hitching spot and stopped the first car that passed! Our success was helped by the hitchhikers best friend: a white bandana with large bold green letters reading "Hiker to Town" on one side and "Hiker to Trail" on the other. We were now stamped with approval as certified hikers with a personal billboard explaining why we were there and that we were probably not serial killers. I don't understand why the backpack alone does not say that, but that's how it is. If you read it, it must be true.Anyway, two ladies stopped and took us to the outfitter. I bought a lighter pack for Michael and we left the old one for the outfitter to loan out to scouts. This pack fit much better than the Kelty he had been carrying, very important when the weight is 35 to 40 lbs. We had dinner at a Chinese restaurant and called Mike Evans (the Grateful Greenpeace Guy) for a shuttle to his hostel, Terrapin Station. Mike has converted the bottom floor of his house into a bunkroom, living room, kitchen and bathroom. It was very comfortable and there were only two hikers there: C.B. and N.T.T. Ranger. NTT stands for Not That Type of Ranger. He is a backcountry ranger for the Grand Tetons in Wyoming in the summer and a Ticket Office Supervisor at a ski resort in the winter. He was laid off by the Park Service this summer as funds were inadvertently not requested for his position. So he was hiking the AT. Ranger told some good stories about encounters with grizzly bears in Alaska where he worked for three months. His imitation of a grizzly is hilarious, but you had to be there - I can't do it justice. He stands up and makes himself big and says (imitating the bear with all of its facial expressions and body language), "Look how big I am. What are you?" I listened to Ranger talk about his work most of the evening and stayed up late to write my journal. A great evening spent with good company.
Date: 2004-06-27
From: U.S. 522, Chester Gap

To: Dick's Dome Shelter
Miles today: 15.1
Weather: overcast clouds

Trail Day 97 - Dick's Domedaily miles 15.1 on ATMike dropped us off at the trail and we climbed 850 ft. through dense vegetation over a muddy path. On the way we met a local Boy Scout troop finishing a training hike for Philmont. They appeared to be in a hurry to get to the road. We got off at Manassas Gap to hitch to a store in Linden and make a phone call to Mike. We had left our cell phone plugged into the wall at the hostel, so we asked him to mail it to us in Harper's Ferry. Our hiker's flag worked like a charm again. We were returned quickly to the trail by a man who talked of leading scouts.After 7 more miles we took a side trail to Dick's Dome shelter, a very small dome with floor space for only four sleepers. It was delightfully located beside a noisy little creek in a cove. Ahhh, but what a relaxing noise from that tumbling water! The humidity was low and there were no bugs or people about. I found a boom box left in the shelter by a hiker, Coca-cola Boy, because it was "too heavy to carry", he noted in the register. I received NPR clearly from a D.C. station broadcasting an Irish music program, The Shamrock and Thistle. I often listen to this program at home on Sunday afternoons while driving to my jogging trail in the woods. I danced a jig to the flute music as Michael soaked his sore feet in the stream. As we cooked dinner, hikers drifted in: Ben from San Francisco, NTT Ranger and Sunshine. Ben was doing a section hike. Michael enjoyed talking with him as he was also artistic and would attend the Rhode Island School of Design in the Fall for a Master's in Architecture degree. Ben advised him to push his professors hard to learn more from them.I slept well beside the stream but awoke at 3:30 am, as is my habit. There were fireflies twinkling on the walls and ceiling of the shelter. I heard the clatter of a Leki pole outside as it fell on the rocks. A few minutes later I heard the clatter of another pole. I had placed them both against the outside wall of the shelter that afternoon. There was no wind. As I wondered about this, my PocketMail computer sounded off the series of tones produced when the transmission button is pressed. The computer was in a plastic bag on the floor leaning against the wall next to me. I had not moved during all this and am sure that I did not press the button, which is recessed and requires significant force to activate. I could find no explanation for this series of events. I think that I was visited by a friendly spirit that night in the dome.
Date: 2004-06-28
From: Dick's Dome Shelter

To: Bear's Den
Miles today: 18.9

Trail Day 98 - The Roller Coasterdaily miles 18.9 on ATToday was one of the most grueling days I have had since starting in Georgia. It is a very close second to the day I climbed Roan Mt. At the end of the day, I just dragged up the slope to Bear's Den, a hostel that appears suddenly like a castle in the clouds. The Roller Coaster was the reason for my pain and exhaustion. The Roller Coaster is a series of steep up and downs, eight of them, one right after the other for the last 10 miles before Bear's Den. I wish I could tell you the combined elevation gain, but I have already mailed that map home. It wasn't so much the elevation, but the steepness of the trail that made it difficult. Wingfoot's Handbook doesn't give a clue about what lies ahead. But the builder of this section of trail, Trail Boss, proudly announces it with a sign on a tree saying something like,"You are now entering the Roller Coaster, which continues until the Blackburn Center - Come and stay with us, if you survive!" I guess it was a good tune up for the Maine steeps, but I would never do it again. It is just pointless punishment as there are no views from the tops of any of these mountains, except the last one at Bear's Den. Michael handled it better than I did and encouraged me onward at the last climb. The Bear's Den rewarded and revived us with a shower, a pizza and a pint of Ben and Jerry's. This is the most spacious, comfortable and accomodating hostel I have stayed in. I would visit it again even if I were not hiking the AT.
Date: 2004-06-29
From: Bear's Den

To: Harper's Ferry
Miles today: 20.5
Weather: few clouds

Trail Day 99 - Harper's Ferry daily miles 20.5 on ATAnother tough day. This time I would be the encourager. Michael drinks more water than I do and he became very parched before reaching Harper's Ferry. There was no water along the trail for the last 9 miles. The woods were dry and the day was warm. Also near the end were several miles of rocky trail with angular, pointy rocks that beat up your feet. During the long downhills, Michael developed some knee pain. A few days rest before hiking in Maine should help him, as the pain comes and goes. We looked at the profile maps for Maine. They look very scary. My wife told me that a dayhiker died in a rock slide on Katahdin just this past weekend. I am considering starting our hike in Monson and going north instead of starting at Katahdin. This will allow time for a gradual conditioning to the steeps.We stayed at the Hilltop House Hotel in Harper's Ferry, an old rambling wood structure at the highest point in town overlooking the Potomac River. After an AYCE buffet dinner, we walked downtown. All the stores were closed, but there were sidewalks to walk on, not just road shoulders. We scouted the train station, which is empty and dilapidated. It will be renovated over the next couple of years. It is primarily used for commuter trains to the D.C. area.We were scheduled to catch the Amtrak train to D.C. at 10:30 am on the 30th, but it was not to be.
Date: 2004-06-30
From: Harper's Ferry

To: Washington, DC
Miles today: 0.0

Trail Day 100 - Train, Train!daily miles 0.0 on ATI walked several blocks to the Post Office and picked up our cell phone while Michael slept. There I met Fly. She stayed with me at the shelter just before Waynesboro. She had developed a hernia from coughing and was leaving the trail to go home to Brevard, N.C. It was not a big deal since she has previously completed the AT with section hikes. She moved to Brevard after relocating to Florida for a job did not turn out well. She works as a Mental Health Counselor and Job Coach. She likes Brevard as it is a small town in the mountains with friendly people. Many Floridians visit during the summer.We waited from 10 am until 1:50 pm at the station for our Amtrak train to arrive. It was scheduled to depart at 10:35 am. We talked with a couple whowere also waiting. She is a nomad from Bosnia and he does landscaping in D.C. Her name translated means goddess. We sat on a second story patio at a restaurant across the street from the station and drank a few beers while watching for the train. They were good company helping to pass the time pleasantly. Being deposited at Union Station in D.C. was like landing on another planet populated with alien beings: a Star Wars setting with Orwellian architecture. We flumed out with the crowds onto the circular plaza in front of the Station. After rebuffing an array of panhandlers, we sat down on a monument base to consider our options. Ponderous massive buildings and statues towered over us, and the homeless lounged on pedestals eyeing the onrushing crowds. It was too late to go to a museum; they close at 5 pm. So we circled the area and reentered the fray to catch the Metro to Dupont Circle, which promised a better neighborhood and a cafe within a bookstore offering relaxation, good food and books. Excellent move! We were served colorful, artistically arranged entrees on large platters. I drank a rum cooler and gobbled down an apple crumb cake a la mode. We browsed books for awhile and promenaded through busy streets lined with stores and embassies. Then it was back to Union Station for a long night stuffed in a train seat en route to Boston.