morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2012-05-26
From: Big Wilson Creek

To: Partnership Shelter
Miles today: 30.3
Weather: broken clouds

I hiked my first 30 mile day! I wasn't planning to but around one-thirty I found out there was a hiker feed until four, eight and a half miles away from where I was. I didn¢t think I could get there in time but after hiking three miles in the first hour I noticed the rest of the way was downhill and I incorporated some trail running in my hike, knowing that I probably needed to get there by a quarter to four to make sure they hadn¢t already packed up and left if no one else was there. I arrived at 3:37, correct in thinking they would be packing up early with no one there. I managed to consume three hot dogs, chips a coke, slice of German chocolate cake and donuts before they left. I also took two cookie desserts, two cokes and refilled my Gatorade bottles for the road. Ah, the benefits of getting to a hiker feed late when they are trying to give away as much of the remaining food as possible. By five after four everyone was gone and I had a dilemma. The next shelter was seven miles away, I had already done twenty four and I was tired and feeling bloated. I knew I wasn't going to hike three miles back to the last shelter so I slowly proceeded towards Partnership, trying to walk off lunch number two with an eye out for a campsite. I got a little silly after twenty-eight miles, in a good way, and began singing to myself.Tenting at Partnership was tight because so drunk idiot had pissed all over the shelter and two hikers from the top level the previous night. I found a place to set up my tent and sat around the fire pit. I got a free cheese dog from one hiker and a bottle of iodine pills from another who wasn't using them, or anything, to purify his water. I hope to hitch into and out of Marion to resupply tomorrow.
Date: 2012-05-27
From: Partnership Shelter

To:  I-81 US11
Miles today: 11.6

I got in and out of Marion by noon thanks to a hitch from James into town and an unsolicited ride out from Tony. Since resupply didn't take all day I decided to hike to the next shelter but continued on to I-81 in part to avoid certain partying hikers and in part because there was town food there.I wound up cowboy camping with the two guys who told me why not to stay in the shelter last night, Slopes and Love Machine, and Custom Design?, who joined us after I had walked the hundred yards to the gas station for a six pack.
Date: 2012-05-28
From: US11

To: Chestnut Knob Shelter
Miles today: 23.0
Weather: scattered clouds

I only got an hour or two of sleep last night because it was too cold for me to camp without using my sleeping bag once the fire went out. As a result I was up and out early before the nearby restaurant opened for breakfast.I hiked twenty-three miles in a very slow eleven and a half hours while questioning why I was out here today. Eventually I realized my foul mood was due to a lack of sleep which made me feel a little better once I understood why. I met Sanchez and thanked him for having his parents visit him at Trail Days as they drove my little group to the grocery store for a beer run and waited for us to give us a ride back. I thought it was funny when he said his parents had told him a story of some grateful hikers who they drove to the grocery store during Trail Days for beer.I managed to jump over a group of partying hikers today which will make the effort worth it. I was also rewarded with some great views from Chestnut Knob for my trouble. It occurred to me that I need to take more rest days if I'm going to do high mileage days. I also need to pay attention to prevent blisters if I'm going to hike all day.
Date: 2012-05-29
From: Chestnut Knob Shelter

To: Helveys Mill Shelter
Miles today: 24.0
Weather: few clouds

Some night hikers opened the shelter door around midnight last night with their white headlamps on full power. After six hundred miles, you would think they would know better.I had some bad luck today as a lightning storm hit just as I came out of woods and had to road walk a couple of miles before the shelter. I wound up running one to two miles, including across the I-77 overpass to try and beat the rain and not get struck. It would have been nice to get a picture of the view.I made good time today and am only forty miles out of Pearisburg. There is a hiker feed near there on Saturday so I'll need to find out where it is. I also chased a bear off the trail today when I came around a turn to find it was in the middle of the trail. I said 'hey, bear' before reaching for my phone to take a picture but it was gone.Around five or six two four-wheelers showed up at the shelter. After seeing there were hikers in the shelter, they went back to where ever it was they came. The price for running with a pack is my back is chafed and my knees are sore. Hopefully, they'll feel better tomorrow. Because it was raining on and off ,and was supposed to continue throughout the night, I'm lazily staying in the shelter.
Date: 2012-05-30
From: Helveys Mill Shelter

To: Wapiti Shelter
Miles today: 24.0
Weather: clear sky

I still haven't learned. A couple of section hikers snored like chainsaws in the shelter last night and I was very tired today. It made for a rough day when combined with the raspberries on my back.On the plus side, I stopped at Trent's for a bacon Swiss burger, milk shake, a bag of Doritos and a Butterfingers which was a pleasant break from rice sides. I also detoured to Dismal Falls before pressing on to the Wapiti Shelter so I can hike into Pearisburg tomorrow. Hopefully some rest will let the raspberries on my back heal.
Date: 2012-05-31
From: Wapiti Shelter

To: Pearisburg VA
Miles today: 16.6
Weather: few clouds

I hiked into Pearisburg with Yoda who got us a hitch to the post office. My mail drop was there. Thanks mom. My final right contact popped out during last night so it was rather timely.I'm staying at the church hostel tonight and am planning to take a zero tomorrow. I finally finished an entire large pizza for lunch before running into Tank and his mom in the parking lot.
Date: 2012-06-01
From: Pearisburg VA

To: Campsite outside Pearisburg
Miles today: 4.2

This morning I walked back to the post ice to mail home some maps and my winter gear. I forgot my phone charger so I didn¢t stop at library to download the pictures from phone to the memory stick I purchased yesterday. Instead, I went to McDonald's and had two orders of pancakes for breakfast while I tried to avoid the rain. Afterwards, I finished resupplying before returning to the shelter to hand wash my clothes and shave. I can't grow a beard and the random long hairs look ridiculous. I also read the book I¢ve carried for nearly two weeks and played chess and checkers with a guy I met and Trail Days and a homeless dude hiking the trail.I had planned to take a zero day but left after six with Oliver Twist and Ginger Snaps, two hikers I met a few days ago, who had just arrived. The homeless dude's disability check had hit his account this morning and he proceeded to get drunk and throw up outside the hostel. I didn't tell the other two this but I could tell they didn't want to be around him either. Twist checked his phone to see the rain had passed but didn't know the way out of town, or at least to the Post Office, since they had hitched from there. I was a strange coincidence that I had walked to the Post Office but didn't know how to get out of town from there so we agreed to leave together.The drunk guy thought we were going to dinner so he followed us to a sandwich shop, waited for us and then began following us out of town. He picked up the pace to either ditch him or put him in pain for making us uncomfortable but he trailed us until we got to the strip mall with the Chinese restaurant in it.We reached the first campsite, four miles out of town, about thirty minutes after it got dark. At least we got the climb out of town out of the way and are that much closer to the hiker feed tomorrow.
Date: 2012-06-02
From: Campsite outside Pearisburg

To: The Captain's
Miles today: 15.7

Wow! Today was a great day! The Captain fed us all day and there was beer and soda. I hiked from six forty-five to twelve-forty-five to reach the feed. As I walked in, I saw Banjo, Meltdown, Cyborg and 2/3rds playing cornhole. I just missed the guys hiking into town last night as I was leaving. But they shuttled to the feed so they will still be a day behind me when we leave.The guys won a jar of moonshine in the aluminum foil challenge which they shared with everyone who wanted to sample it. I was surprised at the number of hikers here and the number of familiar faces. I wound up staying the night and camping near the parking lot with the other four guys.
Date: 2012-06-03
From: The Captain's

To: Laurel Creek Shelter
Miles today: 17.9
Weather: broken clouds

I woke up at nine and went toward the house to get water to cook oatmeal for breakfast when I found the Captain cooking pancakes for the hikers! After eating and standing for the group picture, I promised Meltdown I'd stay under twenty miles today in order for them to catch up since they were talking about night hiking with the full moon. Hopefully, they will hike past me. With a short day today I had some time to think about things. I¢m convinced a lot more than twenty five percent of people on trail smoke weed. The interesting thing about hiking through Damascus four days after Trail Days ends is that you spend the next week or two hiking through the party crowd. Maybe my opinion will change as I get farther away from Damascus but right now they are as common as deer sightings.HYOH.
Date: 2012-06-04
From: Laurel Creek Shelter

To: Pickle Branch Shelter
Miles today: 22.5
Weather: clear sky

Well, so much more staying under twenty miles a day. A couple of thank yous go out to NoHearUm and Tank¢s Mom for the Trail Magic today. Two Mountain Dews at the first cooler and two Fantas at the second were just what a guy running out of iodine pills needed. Between the caffeine rush from the Dews and hiking with Tank for two hours at a quicker pace once he caught me and told me where his mom would be leaving trail magic staying under twenty miles was not an option.
Date: 2012-06-05
From: Pickle Branch Shelter

To: Daleville VA
Miles today: 32.4
Weather: light rain

Today was an awesome day! The descent after Dragon Tooth descent was challenging but it was nice to get a taste of what¢s to come. Unfortunately, I didn¢t go to the Tooth because I wandered off trail a couple times, had to backtrack to the blue blaze junction and then didn't want to have to hike the whole trail. Unfortunately, one of the downsides to hiking alone is sometimes you don¢t get info like, it is only a tenth of a mile down the blue blaze, until after you've gone miles past it. McAfee was great, too! Thanks to Jennie(and Dayve) for taking my picture at the obligatory spot. Another thanks goes to Robo for letting me use his Aquamira drops at the shelter after the Knob when I stopped for a break to finish the snacks I had bought at the Catawba gas station.A few miles after leaving the shelter the thought that I should have stayed there and gone back up for the sunset crossed my mind and bothered me. When I arrived at the next shelter for dinner and saw two people who had set up there sleeping bags sideways in the shelter with their dogs in there too, I was ready to leave. Plus, I found a tick crawling up my shin while I was eating dinner at the picnic table. At five thirty, I went to look for the camping area past the shelter and decided to try to hike to Daleville when I saw a sign that said I was 8.7 miles from town. Stupid sign! I was actually 10.3 miles from town. I texted Yoda to see if he was in town and wanted to split a room. He didn't but he mentioned that someone named Scooby was looking to split a room. I told him that sounded good but wait until I get closer to town. I wound up trail running a lot of the last portion into Daleville in case the falling drizzle turned into a thunder and lightning storm before I got over the last exposed ridge before town. Thankfully, it didn't and I arrived at HoJo's to find that I had met briefly met Scooby at Trail Days. He had a coupon for the room so I got to stay for twenty three dollars instead of spending sixty for a room of my own. After a quick shower, the four of us, including the dude in Yoda's room, went to eat at the Mexican restaurant and had PBRs in the room until twelve-thirty.My mileage for day doesn¢t include the distance covered during the ten minutes it took me to find my way back to the trail this morning, the side trip to the gas station or the wanderings off trail when missing white blazes. But it will be worth it as I'm planning on taking a double zero since I got here a day earlier than planned.
Date: 2012-06-06
From: Daleville VA

To: Daleville VA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Today was a much needed rest day. Thanks to (Tank and) Tank's mom for letting me leave my stuff in their room after checkout while I waited for others to hike into town. Also, thanks for the trip to the Outfitter, for letting me have their key card and access to their laptop so I could copy the pictures from my iPhone to a memory stick, and for picking up the tab at lunch. Thanks to Scooby for showing me where he got the coupon for our room. I may need one tonight or tomorrow. I wound up splitting a room with Sonic, Oliver Twist and Ginger Snaps across the street. I tried to repay some favors by letting Robo use my phone to call his girl and lent Scooby my Kroger card to save him some money. I went back to the Mexican restaurant for dinner where I meet a bunch of new hikers, saw the Dutch boys and Jonah before watching some hockey with Tank and his mom.
Date: 2012-06-07
From: Daleville VA

To: Daleville VA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

I found two guys, Sonic and Leaks, from yesterday to split a room at HoJo's. With my coupon, I'll spend fifty five dollars for three nights in town. That's not bad since breakfast is included. I withdrew two hundred dollars from the ATM in the grocery store, paid Sonic for the room, and bought Tank Mom's unopened Aqua Mira drops since she's not hiking any more and the outfitter is still out of stock.
Date: 2012-06-08
From: Daleville VA

To: VA 614-Jennings Creek
Miles today: 28.2

After two days off I was ready to start the day early. I took off before seven after eating breakfast at the hotel. I was planning on trying to hike twenty-two miles today but a SOBO told me the shelter I was headed to had a dry spring. Meltdown, who I had caught earlier in the day, looked at his guide, told me he knew where we were headed and to not look at my map. I figured it would be a long day but I was prepared for it and preferred it to stopping early. We wound up camping by a road at Jennings Creeks on a Friday night with drunk locals nearby making a campfire. The area was large enough that they didn't disturb us and we were camped with three other hikers so there was no reason to mess with us.
Date: 2012-06-09
From: VA 614-Jennings Creek

To: Marble Spring
Miles today: 20.9

I tried hiking with Meltdown today but lagged behind. That usually happens when I try hiking with younger guys who resupply every third day instead of fifth like me. I bonked going up last hill of the day hiking in the sun. I was sweating profusely, not from lack of water, but from lack of snacks/energy. It took me a while to figure that out, but once I did I was better.Tonight's campsite is occupied by everyone I saw or met yesterday. I was hoping to make it to Waynesboro without resupplying but it's going to be close. I may have to detour into Glasgow tomorrow or Montebello in a few days to resupply.
Date: 2012-06-10
From: Marble Spring

To: Brown Mountain Creek Shelter
Miles today: 27.7
Weather: overcast clouds

Well, I finally got turned around on the trail and walked (at least) thirty minutes back down the biggest mountain of day. Right in, right out only works if you take the side trail before going past it. Thankfully, All Right and Half Lefts, or was that All Lefts and Half Right, who I met at the shelter past the road into Glasgow and had given me cotton candy weren¢t too far behind or I would have walked the two miles back down to the shelter. When I heard 'Hey, Pacecar. Where are you going?' it definitely threw me. I had to follow behind them until we went over the mountain before I felt comfortable passing them It was a good thing I carry two liters of water because I didn't want to drink the yellow water from the nearby pond at the shelter eighteen miles into the day. I still ran out though I carried a liter of water from a trickle beside the trail that had small frogs in it until I found a large rock dripping water fifteen miles after I last refilled from a shelter. There I treated and drank close to two liters although I failed to clean or rinse out the bottle that I had filled with questionable water. I'll have to remember that for the next time I fill a bottle from a source and empty it before drinking. I also got to take a mini shower as the water dripped down from above. I managed to hike twenty miles, not including my misadventure, today but had been hoping as hoping for a shorter day as I'm still fifty seven miles and three days from Waynesboro. There's only one other hiker at the shelter, an older german fellow I met about a week ago, but I'm camping down by the creek. The weather forecast calls for rain the next two days. Hopefully, there won't be any lightning if I¢m on a ridge. Otherwise, I'm used to being wet from rain or sweat and I might not mind a cool day. I may or may not pass on resupply in Montebello. I¢m eighteen miles out but am not sure how I feel about the two and a half round trip via the side trail. It will depend on how I feel.
Date: 2012-06-11
From: Brown Mountain Creek Shelter

To: Harpers Creek Shelter
Miles today: 30.0
Weather: light rain

I had another big mileage day as cool weather and no views to stop at lead to long hiking days. It actually rained most of the day. I missed a few opportunities to take pictures atop the balds in the mist, but that¢s the price to pay to keep a working phone that is packed away to keep it dry. I took one picture of a partial view coming down from the Priest and that was it. The worst part of the day were the slippery rocks. I could feel my feet sliding inside my trail runners and I know if that continues I'm going to have some blisters. At seven this evening, I was about fifteen minutes from Harpers Creek Shelter when it began to rain again. There was room for one in the shelter but, with the help of others making space for me, I set up my tent inside and carried it to my camp site since I didn't want to risk a sleepless night due to snorers.Have I mentioned I'm not very good at picking spots to tent? The footprint began collecting rain or runoff but I thought I wait until it stopped raining to fix it. Unfortunately, it didn¢t until around nine in the morning so anything not on the Thermarest got damp.
Date: 2012-06-13
From: Rockfish Gap-Waynesboro Church hostel

To: Rockfish Gap-Waynesboro Church hostel
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Santa¢s Helper is the man! On the way to dropping off hikers back at the trail, he dropped those of us staying in town at the outfitter, picked us up and then dropped me off at the laundromat, in addition to giving Manfred and I detergent. I bought a fuel canister at the outfitter but passed on a pack cover since they didn't have my size. I must be in the middle of the bubble because they were out of Aqua Mira and Gold Bond too. Once our laundry was done, I walked to Ming¢s for the all you can eat lunch. It was awesome! I was halfway through my fourth plate of food when Robo came in. It was my lucky day! He had found my pack cover on the trail this morning, knew it was mine and told me he had it. After lunch, I got a ride back with him to the YMCA campsite where he stayed and received my pack cover. Since the hostel was closed during the day, I resupplied at the grocery store, surfed the net at the library and dried my tent and gear out in the sun on the church's lawn before it opened again. I decided to stayed at the church for dinner as they were serving spaghetti. There was plenty so I had a second helping before showering again which seems to help my feet recover. The weather looks good for next week. Hopefully, the trail will stay dry and my feet will continue to get better. I also need to remember to get someone to mow my lawn since its been about two months.
Date: 2012-06-14
From: Rockfish Gap-Waynesboro Church hostel

To: Blackrock Hut
Miles today: 20.0
Weather: broken clouds

Santa¢s Helper was great again. He dropped me off at the PO so I could mail home some maps and the memory stick that contains copies of the pictures I took through Daleville. The people of Waynesboro seem real nice as I was offered a ride or two to the trail before Santa came back to drop me off. On the way, he stopped at Kroger to buy ice so I took the opportunity to pick up a pint of Haagen Daas for an early lunch on the trail.At the first shelter, I cut the nail and popped a blood blister on my middle toe. I'll have to wait to see if the purple toenail survives or if it falls off. My feet are feeling better today. I saw two young deer on the trail but no bears like most of the other accounts I hear or read. I managed to finish a box of zingers between yesterday and today. I hope to hit the Wayside tomorrow and would love to get one more dry day. So far the consensus among hikers is that there are probably better views on Skyline Drive than the AT.
Date: 2012-06-15
From: Blackrock Hut

To: Hightop Hut
Miles today: 21.4
Weather: broken clouds

I hiked from seven to five today. I would have liked to continue but the next hut was twelve and a half miles away and I don't know the camping regulations around here. I did stop at the first wayside for pancakes, eggs, bacon and a blackberry shake. I saw seven more deer, including a fawn, but no bears. I met Sicilian Gypsy and told her how I met and was helped out by her husband and daughter.
Date: 2012-06-16
From: Hightop Hut

To: Rock Spring Hut
Miles today: 23.9
Weather: broken clouds

Today was an interesting day. I broke my left trekking pole when I kicked it cracking the joint between the middle and bottom third and severing the blue sheath inside. I'll need to get to an outfitter and contact Black Diamond or REI. Hopefully, I can get a pole replacement since the left pole wouldn¢t collapse. I spent sixteen dollars on a bacon cheeseburger and sundae for lunch at a wayside and seventeen dollars at the lodge on two beers and a sundae to make myself feel better about the pole. Ranger joined me at the lodge for the beers. He also pointed out a bear in the trees in the afternoon that I would have missed. At the shelter tonight, I found out I could have bought the beers for one dollar each at the wayside. Oh well. There's still one more wayside to go. I got an updated weather report that it is supposed to get hot on Tuesday after possible thunderstorms on Monday. I also got free Skittles and some more Zingers from a couple of section hikers staying at the hut tonight.Before going to bed, I washed my pack cover in the spring so it doesn¢t stink or look dirty since it spent a night on the trail in the rain when I lost it. I noticed my feet are getting better but I have a blister on my right pinkie toe and I found a tick on my tent when setting up.