morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2010-06-07
From: John's Hollow Shelter

To: Brown Mountain Creek Shelter
Miles today: 18.3
Weather: scattered clouds

I was up and out of camp by 7:30am in order to tackle Bluff Mountain before lunchtime. It was good to walk alone for a bit. I walked as fast as I wanted, stopped when I wanted, ate when I was hungry, stopped to take a million pictures and got some decent mileage in before lunch. I think I could get used to this whole getting up early thing; especially with the warm summer weather heading my way.        I kept pace with a gentleman named Chief Walt most of the day. He is a section hiker that is out for 30 days in order to get in shape for a marathon. He¢s in his 60¢s and in incredible shape! I really want to strive to be in that good of shape when I am that age.        The Motley Thru caught up with me by the end of my lunch break, but I took off to keep my pace up. When I got to the road crossing right before the Brown¢s Mountain Creek Shelter, I came across an older couple making slow progress back to their car. I politely said ¢Hello¢ and intended to keep moving on. Then they said, ¢Would you like a glass of iced sweet tea?¢ Would I!?! Jeebus! OF COARSE! I walked with them back to their car and they asked me questions about the hiker (Island Boy) who was found dead in Cornelius Creek Shelter last week. I guess it had just made the newspapers this morning.        When we got to their car, they made me a sandwich served with chips, tea and cake. HOLY COW! Today was turning out to be a fantastic day on trail! Soon the Motley Thru showed up along with Fresh and Achilles the Red. We all chatted a bit and enjoyed the time spent off of our feet without backpacks on. As it turns out, this couple was actually Flash and Hot Flash from the AT thru hiker class of 1987! Back when there were no cell phones or trail magic. I think the true trail magic today was getting to meet these two. What an inspiration! I was sad when we left. It¢s so hard to meet such great, warm and caring people and then just have to hike on. It¢s a good and bad thing about being on trail.        Once we got to the shelter, we found a sweet camp spot right on the creek. I am listening to the sound of rushing water right now and looking forward to falling asleep this wonderful sound. JWeather: Beautiful! Sunny and 70 degrees. Great day!
Date: 2010-06-08
From: Brown Mountain Creek Shelter

To: Seely Woodworth Shelter
Miles today: 15.8
Weather: clear sky

I woke up and headed out of camp before the group again today. It¢s been nice to hike alone for the first part of the day, but by midday I miss having the company of my wonderful companions.        I started the day with some big climbs again today. I just powered through them with the help of the Red Hot Chilli Peppers. The Motley Thru all met up for lunch around midday where we chatted with Jafar and Lawdawg. I hadn¢t seen Lawdawg since Woody Gap, my second day. It was a big surprise. The Professor also seemed to catch up with us today. He is a guy that Bear Blaze was hiking with for awhile.        We all got into camp by 5pm. It was nice to get into camp early for a change. A little bit later Soul Patch, of all people, comes walking into camp. I thought that he was way behind us. He had been hiking his arse off since Trail Days in mid May and had finally caught up with us. It was a day full of old faces. Pretty nice.        We all sat around a good sized fire and unwound from the day of hiking. There were a lot of thru-hikers at the shelter tonight and it almost felt like family. It¢s a good feeling.Weather: Warm, turning cool in the evening.
Date: 2010-06-13
From: Waynesboro, VA

To: Spring at Mile 861.3
Miles today: 8.2

Gonzo and I both woke up around 8am this morning and caught the second half of the World Cup game; Slovenia vs. Algeria. I¢ll tell you what, watching the World Cup over this weekend may have just made an international soccer fan out of me. We get to watch Slovenia vs. USA this coming Friday. I can¢t wait for that.        Gonzo, Funky Monkey, Cosmic and I all grabbed some breakfast around 10am and then headed back to the motel to pack up. Gonzo, Funky Monkey and I all bid farewell to Cosmic once again and hit the trail just after 1pm. We hiked 4 miles before taking a break at McCormick Gap. While sitting there I spotted two large ticks climbing up my leg. I freaked out and quickly brushed them off. I am so freaked out by ticks and the chance of ending my thru-hike bid by getting Lyme disease. I do nightly tick checks and I try to avoid walking through thick, high plants when I can. Gonzo and Funky Monkey suggested that I needed to just get over it. I guess they are right. I¢m just not as used to them as they are, not being from the east coast and all.        When we got to camp, we all did nightly chores, i.e. hanging bear lines, setting up tents, cleaning up, cooking dinner, treating water, ect. After dinner, I went to find a tree to hang my food bag in and as I was walking, I started to feel light headed and my vision began to narrow. I quickly hung my food bag hoping the whole time that I wouldn¢t pass out before I finished and quickly walked back to camp to be near Gonzo and Funky Monkey. I told Funky how I was feeling so that she could keep an eye on me. I think it might be dehydration coupled with PMS. I¢ve never had a reaction like this, but Funky seems to think that that is what is going on. Hopefully, some water and rest will do the trick.Weather: Hot, with some passing clouds.
Date: 2010-06-14
From: Spring at Mile 861.3

To: Loft Mountain Campground
Miles today: 19.3
Weather: broken clouds

I woke up this morning feeling much better than I did last night. I still had a headache, but my dizzy spells and fatigue were gone.        True to her word, Funky Monkey got up and out of bed early this morning and hiked out at 8am with me. Gonzo was right behind us. We made it 11miles before 1pm and met back up with Bear Blaze who had taken a long weekend to see her husband and was now back on trail. The Motley Thru is now reunited.        We then hiked the one more mile to Blackrock Hut and took a lunch break. The one bummer about Shenandoah National Park is that there are nearly no campsites other than around the shelters, so you either hike a 12-mile day or a 24-mile day. There is nothing in between due to the thick brush littered with poison ivy, ticks and snakes. Luckily, there was a campground 7 miles from Blackrock Shelter where they mow out the brush and charge for sites. Lame, but nice since they had showers as well.        Just a few miles before the campground, Bear Blaze and I took a break. Right when we were about to leave, I noticed a big eastern rattlesnake slithering straight for us. We slowly stepped out of the way and had the great fortune of seeing this snake up close and personal as it went past us. Pretty cool!        I am now showered and fed and ready for some shuteye.Weather: Hot with quick passing rain showers.
Date: 2010-06-15
From: Loft Mountain Campground

To: Hightop Mountain
Miles today: 14.6

I slept in this morning and finally rolled out of bed at 8am. Gonzo had to actually wake me up for a change. I think I was pretty tired from the twenty-mile day we put in yesterday.        We were all geared up and ready to go by 9am when Bear Blaze suggested we hit the wayside for breakfast. You can¢t mention food to a thru-hiker; we won¢t turn down the possibility. The breakfast was good but waaay over-priced. I¢ve really got to stop eating out if I¢m going to be able to afford to finish this trail. My money source is dwindling and I¢m not even half way. L        We finally got moving at noon and pulled a 14-mile day by 6pm. It is very cloudy and misty on top of Hightop Mountain and it gives everything an eerie feeling up here. It is very beautiful though and quiet. J        Looking forward to another shower at the campground tomorrow.Weather: Cool and over-cast. Damp.
Date: 2010-06-16
From: Hightop Mountain

To: Bearfence Mountain Hut
Miles today: 11.7
Weather: overcast clouds

I woke up to the sound of thunder and wind, and the guy camped up the mountains from us howling. Don¢t ask me, some of the guys out here I think are letting their inner animal reign. I just rolled over and went back to sleep to the sound of rain. I finally got up and out of camp at 9:30am and Funky Monkey and I walked and chatted for a while. Gonzo and Bear Blaze were somewhere behind us since they decided to stay at the shelter instead of camping on the mountaintop with Funky Monkey and me. It was probably a wise decision since we had to pack up wet gear today.        We walked for six miles and then stopped at a parking lot near Skyline Drive that had a restroom. I¢ll tell you: nothing is better to a thru-hiker than flushed toilets and running water (¢¦well, maybe food and showers first, then flushed toilets and running water . We also had a chance to lay all of our wet gear out on the pavement while we lounged around and chatted with the day visitors driving through Shenandoah National Park. I actually saw a guy get out of his car to use the bathroom, then wave his wife to drive over so he wouldn¢t have to walk the five yards back to the car. It was comical to watch, especially since this parking lot marked 900 miles hiked for me.        After about 30 minutes, Gonzo and Bear Blaze rolled up and completed our crew. Gonzo only took a short break and then hiked off on his own, which seems to be what he does these days. I think he needs space every once in a while from hiking with 3 girls.         So, off went Funky Monkey, Bear Blaze, and I to hike the 5 miles to the Lewis Mountain Campground. We got detoured on the road though by 2004 thru-hiker Slick, who was doing a little trail magic of Gatorade and candy bars. It was an awesome pick-me-up since we were all suffering a bit from hot, humid weather, wet gear, and body chaffing from being wet all day.        We were practically chased the rest of the way to Lewis Mountain Campground by a large and boisterous thunderstorm. It¢s the longest I¢ve ever run with a large backpack.        At the camp store we found reprieve from the pelting rain and reunited with Gonzo. There we got showers and snacks and I got cervezas J.         After the big rain had stopped, we geared up to walk the 1 mile to Bearfence Mountain Shelter, our home for the night. Before I left though, I got to see two giant moths. 1 was a big, bright green Luna moth, and the other was a darkish brown with two yellow circles on its bottom wings. Pretty freakin¢ cool!        Whelp, ¢nite all.                Weather: Thunderstorm; hot: humid; more thunderstorms, then blue sky and sun. Weird weather today.
Date: 2010-06-17
From: Bearfence Mountain Hut

To: Crescent Rock Overlook
Miles today: 13.3

The forest looked straight out of a Disney movie last night. There were soft raindrops spilling from the overhanging branches as light drained from in between the trees. Lightening bugs started to fill the dark spaces and deer picked their way through camp. It was beautiful.         Hiking this morning was very easy in the cool morning hours on very flat terrain. We all made it to Big Meadows Wayside by lunchtime and dried out our tents on the lawn while we napped after lunch. A woman walked by and asked how long I had been out, expecting me to say a few days, and I answered ¢2 and a half months.¢ It¢s fun to surprise people who do not know much about the trail. It actually surprises me how long I have been out here. In my mind: I get up and hike every day and it has happened to add up to over 2 months.         The Motley Thru hiked 6 more miles after lunch to Crescent Rock Overlook to meet Gonzo¢s sister Sarah. Sarah was gracious enough to rescue The Motley Thru from the trail for 2 nights and put us up in a nice hotel with a pool. It is so very generous. Thank you so very much, Sarah.         Once we got to the hotel, we all showered and settled in with T.V. and internet to unwind and relax while Sarah and Gonzo went to pick up Lowrod who was 100 miles north on the trail. The second U.S. World Cup soccer game is on tomorrow and we are all anxious to see it.                Weather: Hot and sunny.
Date: 2010-06-18
From: Crescent Rock Overlook

To: Woodstock, VA
Miles today: 0.0

The bed at this hotel is blissful. I sprawled out on a queen-sized bed with four pillows on soft sheets. I thought I might not ever leave.        Breakfast was free in the lobby and we all met down there to eat and watch the World Cup.         Later, Sarah drove me out to Front Royal to pick up my mail drop there since I ran out of my medication again. I had a great opportunity to get to know her a bit better and she is just a wonderful person. She is so kind by nature and it is a very rare quality.         We all went out to dinner later and did our re-supply. All in all, a good zero.Weather: Hot and sunny.
Date: 2010-06-19
From: Woodstock, VA

To: Pass Mountain Hut
Miles today: 13.4
Weather: broken clouds

It was another lazy morning at the hotel before we actually got on the road to head back to the trail at 10am. It took and hour and a half to get back on the trail where we left off and we were hiking by noon.        After just 30 minutes of hiking, when I rounded a corner of trail, I came eye to eye with a sizable black bear. We starred at each other for a minute before I called back ¢Bear!¢ to Bear Blaze who turned and called ¢Bear!¢ to Funky Monkey who also turned and called ¢Bear!¢ to Gonzo. By that time this large black bear had started lumbering uphill from the trail in no particular hurry. We all had a chance to take pictures and get a good luck at the bear. It was so cool! It¢s the first bear I have seen on-trail.         In 2 miles we arrived at the Skyline Resort Wayside and enjoyed one last meal in the park. It was a scorcher today and after hiking a couple of hours after lunch, Bear Blaze, Gonzo, and I had to take a long break at a picnic area near Skyline Road. At the picnic area, there was a large Afghani cookout going on. We must have looked pretty miserable because after a little while they brought us over cold water and some meat skewers with home cooked bread. It was amazing.        It took another 4 hours to get to camp and we arrived after dark. Walking up and over Mary¢s Rocks near sunset was beautiful. Walking through the woods in the evening in the summer is one of my favorite things right now.        I was tired when I got into camp tonight and having to figure out how to pitch the Contrail Tarptent that Opus had so kindly sent me in the dark was pretty frustrating.         Time for bed¢¦ finally.Weather: Hot and sunny.
Date: 2010-06-20
From: Pass Mountain Hut

To: Compton Peak
Miles today: 20.2

We got into camp late last night and I had to figure out how to put up the Contrail Tarptent that Opus had sent to me in the dark. That was fun. Once I got things nearly right on this very confusing tent, I cooked dinner by the headlamp and hung my food bag right before a huge thunderstorm hit. It didn¢t rain through the thin fabric but I got a lot of misting from the low netting on the floor of the tent. It was a little discouraging but I¢m not ready to give up on this supper lightweight tent just yet.        By the time I woke up this morning at 8 am, Gonzo was already leaving out of camp. Us girls (Funky Monkey, Bear Blaze, and I) finally left out at 9:30am. A little late for my tastes but we did hit camp late last night.        We hiked the seven miles to Elkwallow Wayside pretty quickly and got there just in time to see Gonzo hiking out. He was on a mission to hike 26 miles for town food, a hot shower, and a soft bed. I can¢t say I blame him.        After Bear Blaze, Funky Monkey, and I had lunch and dried out our tents, we hiked up to Hogsback Mountain to make some calls for Father¢s Day. I got to speak briefly with my Dad and my Step-Dad. It was a nice treat.        We were planning on staying by the water source at Hogwallow Flat with Logos and Earthling but we could not locate this water source for the life of us. Future hikers beware. So our 17-mile day turned into a 20-mile day and we rolled into camp near dark again.        Weather: Hot! Drank a lot of water today.
Date: 2010-06-21
From: Compton Peak

To: Wanassas Gap Shelter
Miles today: 17.1
Weather: broken clouds

I couldn¢t believe that at 5am when I woke up this morning, it was already getting light out. I fell back asleep until 6:45am and then finally made it out of camp at 8:20am. Bear Blaze and I made it to the first shelter four miles away by 10am. We also got to bid farewell to Shenandoah National Park. Everyone in our crew was not to partial to the SNP. It was brushy, tick-ridden, there weren¢t many campsites, you crossed the road a million times, there were tourists EVERYWHERE!, and there weren¢t many views along the trail. Not to mention it overpriced the food in the park. Thru-hiking has made me even less tolerant of consumer ploys.        Yes, Bear Blaze and I hiked happily past the SNP and even heard a few bear rumbling through the forest as we did.        We made it to the Denton Shelter for a late lunch and found Hedgehog and Pig Pen at the shelter! I thought that they were way ahead but here they were. We all chatted and caught up on trail happenings. I then ate lunch and took a ¢shower¢ at the solar shower at the shelter; which was really just a hose from a water barrel. Whatever, I wasn¢t complaining. I stink! Gonzo also caught up with us after a late stay in town. Hedgehog, Pig Pen, Bear Blaze, Gonzo, and I all trekked the last 5 miles to the shelter that I am at now. Bear Blaze, Pig Pen, and I decided to stay while Gonzo, Hedgehog, and later Funky Monkey moved on. We¢ll catch them tomorrow.        Weather: Hot and sweaty.
Date: 2010-06-22
From: Wanassas Gap Shelter

To: Bear's Den Hostel
Miles today: 22.8
Weather: broken clouds

Bear Blaze and I woke up bright and early today with the goal of making it to Bear¢s Den Hostel before 8pm. My pack rashes have gotten so bad that I needed to get to someplace I could shower and let them heal overnight so that I can make it two more days ¢til town.        The day proved that it was not messing around right away and the temp climbed exponentially it seemed. Bear Blaze and I were pouring sweat as we hiked through open fields and up pointless up and downs or P.U.D.¢s as we call them. We hiked strong for most of the day until we hit the last six miles of the day. This is where we hit a 10 mile section of trail called The Roller Coaster. It is a section of trail with 13 P.U.D.¢s tightly packed together. I have dubbed it ¢The P.U.D. Coaster¢.         I had a hard time going up and down these things with the near 100 degree temperatures at the end of a 23 mile day with terrible pack rash. I felt faint near the end. We finally pulled into the Bear Den Hostel just after 8pm and joined back up with Funky Monkey and Gonzo.         After a shower and dosing myself with Gold Bond powder and went to settle up for my bunk. I splurged on the ¢hiker special¢ which came with a pint of Ben & Jerry¢s ice cream, a large pizza, and a soda. After a day like today, I needed a little spoiling. So I popped the pizza in and downed the ice cream as my appetizer. I then passed out to recover.Weather: Dang hot! Dang!
Date: 2010-06-23
From: Bear's Den Hostel

To: Blackburn Center
Miles today: 7.9
Weather: overcast clouds

I slept in blissfully today and woke up to the slight recover of my rashes overnight. One of the care takers at the hostel and past thru-hiker Southern Harp saw my rashes and offered to shuttle me and Bear Blaze¢s packs up the trail so that I could heal a bit more. Bear Blaze carried my water today and I enjoyed a very easy 8-mile hike. It was a very welcomed low-key day after yesterday.        Once we got to the Blackburn Center where there was a free hostel and shower, we set up camp and took showers. I sat on the big screened in porch reading and relaxing as the other hikers trickled in. The caretaker, Brian, cooked up a massive spaghetti dinner with fresh bread and cold soda for the twenty hikers that showed up for free! It was so good and I went to bed fat and happy.        Weather: Hot and sunny.
Date: 2010-06-24
From: Blackburn Center

To: Harper's Ferry
Miles today: 12.4
Weather: few clouds

I woke up early today to try to beat the heat into Harper¢s Ferry. Most hikers were taking their time this morning as I left out and got onto the trail. I made quick time to Key¢s Gap and then made the mistake of taking a break. At this point Gonzo and Bear Blaze caught up with me and said they were going to walk down the road to get sodas and pizza. How on earth could I turn that down? After our little field trip, the heat of the day had crept in and we walked the last part of the day in building heat. I started to hear the road near Harper¢s Ferry and my excitement was building about reaching the ATC headquarters and the halfway point of the trail. I can¢t believe I walked 1000 miles to get here. It is unbelievable to me and I did it!        Gonzo¢s sister met us in downtown Harper¢s Ferry and drove us to the ATC to get our pictures taken and our names put into the official Appalachian Trail Conservancy books.        There was a reporter for NPR there talking with us and taking pictures, so we might get published online! That¢d be cool!        I also weighed myself and I¢ve lost a whopping five pounds. I¢m a little disappointed to have walked 1000 miles and only lost five pounds.        On a brighter note: I had a drop box at the post office and some goodies and letters from back home. Thanks to my Dad and Valerie for the letters. J And my big ¢Thank you¢ goes to Valerie, John, Gina, Mark, Paul, Dorothy, Lauren, Opus, Suzanne, Michael, Annie, and Jared for the very generous gift card and warm word. It really touched my heart y¢all and will fund a few more weeks on the trail for me. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I don¢t know how else to thank you.        Tonight I am in Baltimore at Gonzo¢s family¢s house where showers, beds, and food are the theme. Thank you so much to Rudy, Susan, and Sarah for welcoming The Motley Thru into your home and treating us like family.        Weather: Hot and sunny with a thunderstorm in the afternoon.
Date: 2010-06-25
From: Harper's Ferry

To: Harper's Ferry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Bear Blaze had to wake me up this morning for the first time. I guess I was really tired because I slept ¢til 9:30am. When I came downstairs everyone was at the dining room table and there was a delicious breakfast spread out. Sarah really goes all out for everything she cooks and breakfast was no exception. Being here at Sarah and Rudy¢s house has made me feel at home. It is a nice feeling when all my family is so far away.After breakfast, we all went to the mall. It was so nice to be somewhere normal after being on the trail for so long. Bear Blaze and I splurged on a clearance rack pair of clothes to wear while we were in town. It is so nice to be wearing a pair of jeans and a cotton tank top. We also hit make-up and fragrance counters to make the transition complete. Gonzo and Funky Monkey didn¢t even recognize us when we found them later on.Later in the evening, Sarah had some friends over and we all enjoyed a gourmet dinner with drinks and some good conversation. It is amazing how good doing simple life things can feel after living in the woods for 3 months.Weather: Hot!