morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2013-05-11
From: Bryant Ridge Shelter

To: Thunder Hill
Miles today: 10.2
Weather: light rain

Last night in my beautiful dream house shelter I was visited by a little four legged beady eyed long tailed mouse. I wouldn't have minded so much except the mouse fell on me as I was sleeping around midnight and ran over my head. I actually felt its little wet feet run across my head. As you can imagine I YELPED in the lowest possible voice I could, I screamed "A mouse just ran over my head". Oh not fun. It took me awhile to fall back to sleep. I just kept on thinking about the Disney movie Cinderella; she actually made friends with these little creatures. In real life they are not so cute. I woke up early and inspected all of my gear and luckily there wasn't any mouse caused damage. I was able to get out of the shelter by eight O'clock. Today's hike included two pretty good climbs up Floyd Mountain and Apple Orchard Mountain taking me from 1300 feet to 3934 feet in elevation. No wonder I was done when I got to Thunder Hill shelter. I also took a blue blaze trail to see the Apple Orchard waterfall. The waterfall is 200 feet high, one of the highest in Virginia. The trail to the waterfall was 1.1 miles off the AT, all downhill and then back up. I hid my pack and slacked pack down but I still probably was harder on my foot than I needed to be. But I really wanted to see the falls and any side sites.
Date: 2003-10-03
From: Horseshoe Canyon Lean-to

To: Monson, ME
Miles today: 9.0
Weather: few clouds

10/3 Horseshoe Canyon Lean-to to Monson, ME - 9 milesbrrrrrrrrrrr It was so cold this morning. In the 30's. I sat up a couple of times during the night to look for snow, but we never got any. I had a hard time getting out of my sleeping bag. I tried to everything possible in my bag.Once I finally got up and the cold wasn't too bad. The skies were totally clear, not a single cloud and nice and sunny. Within the first 2 miles was a second ford across the Piscataquis River. It was about 50 ft wide and up to my knees, and very cold as the sun hadn't hit the river yet. From the river to town I hiked with last minute. When we hit the highway we got a hitch within 5 minutes from Ray. We were very happy as it was quite cold and town was 4 miles away.I'm staying at Shaw's Boarding House. There are 3 choices and I've heard all the good and bad about all 3 but decided to go with tradition and Willow had stayed here years ago when she tried a southbond hike.There are about 20 of us here spread out between bunk rooms, a barn and private rooms. I signed up for the AYCE homestyle dinner and breakfast. Dinner was awesome. Ham, carrots, broccoli, potatos, apple pie. It was incredibly delicious. And most people say that Old Man Shaw complains about the Pie Lady. We only heard one comment and it was actually funny, and it only came out because Happy Feet joked and asked if the pies were from the Pie Lady. Of course they weren't. I was expecting a whole lot more fued like comments. After dinner I just took the time to organize my gear and food. My pack is soooo heavy.Apparently some spots in Maine got snow. Scabs showed me pictures of her and Ben of Riff Raff on top of Moxie Bald this morning with snow. I had just hiked that yesterday. And Mala was about 30 miles north of here yesterday and said they got snow too. And that Katahdin was covered. YIKES!I'm amazed that I am at Monson. 114.5 miles to go through the 100 mile Wilderness and a climb up a big mountain. It is crazy to think that this trip is almost over. I have so many memories that seem like they happened just yesterday - like trying to hike with Switchback and his 20 lb pack, going through the Smokies in the snow, hiking with Woods Dragon in the lightning storms especially over Dragon's Tooth, hiking with the Presi Crew. I'm ready for this to be over as I am starting to get a little uncomfortably cold and am feeling very tired and worn down on some days. But I am going to miss the excitement of each new day and the views and the forests and mountains and wildlife.
Date: 2013-05-14
From: Punchbowl Shelter

To: Hog Camp Gap
Miles today: 17.6
Weather: clear sky

Today I hiked the longest mileage since I hurt my leg, 17.6 miles. I made sure I took many breaks and tried to elevate my leg as much as I could along the way. I was able to hike without much pain but I was sure glad to be done at the end of the day. I had quite a few deer sightings today as they were running thru the forest. One stopped to look at me and then pranced off. Today¢s climbs included Cold Mountain. I wonder if this is the same mountain that was the setting place for the book and the movie, ¢Cold Mountain¢. I enjoyed thinking about the story as a distraction from the tough climb. There were some very nice views once I got to the top. The mountains in Virginia just seem like rolling hills of green when looking from the high viewpoints. When I reached the campground I had passed the eight hundred mile mark today. I think back at how the first hundred miles felt like such a long distance and now the miles are just ticking away.
Date: 2013-05-15
From: Hog Camp Gap

To: Spy Rock Road
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: clear sky

Last night was very cold. I miss my down jacket. I get into my sleeping bag to warm up intending to get up and eat a little more and get organized for the next day. But I fell asleep and did not wake up till morning. I decided to join "Hop along" and "Hoosier" at the Dutch House Bed & Breakfast tonight. I can charge my phone and take a shower and the price is right, only $32 and that includes a ride from and back to the trail and breakfast. This was a great decision; this place is awesome! It is a quaint little log house and the owners are really nice. Lois and Earl made a dinner of chicken and potatoes and asparagus and a really fresh salad that had avocadoes on it. The dinner was delicious; we even had seconds then cake for dessert.   We all sat around the table and chatted, it was very relaxing. The only downside is I have to walk back up a 1.1 mile hike back to the trail. But I have to say it was definitely worth it.
Date: 2013-05-19
From: Calf Mountain Shelter

To: Loft Mountain Campsite
Miles today: 19.1
Weather: light rain

Today's hike was a walk in the clouds - literally. All those beautiful view were well hidden from me. Instead I enjoyed a rolling path and appreciated the fact that there was no rain although the trees dripped on me all day. I saw many weekend campers but few AT hikers. I believe this is the weekend were many of them went to Damascus for Trail Days. Sadly I heard from my husband about the car incident that injured many hikers who were walking in the Trail Day parade. I hope none of the injuries are very serious.   I ran into a former 2010 thru hiker as he was running up the path while I was taking a break. He stopped and talked to me for a while. It is amazing when you talk to former hikers. Their eyes seem to light up as they remember their hike and they are so excited for you to finish. When I started back up the hill after he left I had quite the critter encounter. A deer was nibbling at some bushes and even when I walked closer and talked right to her; she did not run away. I was standing about five feet from her before she finally decided to move on. Soon I reached the Loft Mountain campground which I discovered is not open yet and the time is close to 7:00PM and I have already hiked nineteen miles. I am wet and my feet are soaked and I really want to stop. Not sure what to do I walk around aimlessly for a few minutes and then decided to camp there anyways. If someone comes and tells me I shouldn't be here I will plead ignorance and hope for sympathy. I go straight to sleep without dinner, just not hungry and worried about being alone.
Date: 2003-04-25
From: Amicalola Falls, Georgia

To: Stover Creek Shelter
Miles today: 2.5
Weather: moderate rain

The day has finally arrived. Myself, my friend Brian, and my father will be tackling the approach trail and then on to the AT. Not really sure what to expect. It is going to be a long journey but one that I think will be very worthwhile. My daily miles will not be accurate since I will not have a daily log, but trip miles are accurate.
Date: 2013-05-20
From: Loft Mountain Campsite

To: Hightop Hut
Miles today: 15.3
Weather: moderate rain

It rained all night last night and thankfully the sun was shining the next day. This was the first sunshine in three days. I was hoping for some great views today but did not see any. I hiked most of the day with "Marathon Dave". The day went by pretty fast with the company. The trail had lots of ups and downs. The Shenandoah¢s are easy in one respects; the trail is pretty smooth. Difficult in other respects; the hills are generally straight up and second the mileage between each shelter is either very long or too short. This is why you can see my mileage fluctuated a lot in the park. I have not seen a bear yet but many of the other hikers have. "Marathon Dave" said he saw three little cubs. One was climbing a tree which caused him to worry that mama bear would soon be there. To his relief the little cub got down from the tree and ran into the woods. We did see two very big scat piles today that were very fresh, so I know they are there. While I was in Waynesboro for my short visit I was able to make a few gear purchases. I sent back my air mattress which was leaking air during the night. For a replacement I bought a Therm-A-Rest Z pad. Basically it is a fold up pad that is lightweight and helps keep the heat in and the cold ground out. Not much cushion but so far I am sleeping okay on it. One plus is I don't have to inflate or deflate a mattress every night.   All through the Z pad is light it is kind of bulking and I have to attach it to the outside of my pack. I also got a new fleece to replace my shrunken one and a pair of sock liners. My feet are much happier now.
Date: 2013-05-21
From: Hightop Hut

To: Big Meadows Wayside and Campground
Miles today: 20.8
Weather: broken clouds

Today¢s long hike was planned because I wanted to have a shorter day tomorrow to set myself up with a ride into a town called Del Ray, Virginia. Timing is very difficult in the Shenandoah¢s because the huts and the campgrounds are spread apart kind of funning; either very long or way too short.   Today "Marathon Dave" and I decided to make it to Big Meadows campground even though it was a nineteen plus mile day. We did have an incentive of a shower and dinner at the lodge restaurant to keep us going. The hike was uneventful except for meeting some very nice bird watchers. I had a chance to ask about a certain bird call that I heard all thru the Appalachians. The man knew the call right away when I did the whistle for him. The bird was the Eastern Towhee. That made me happy to learn something about the wonderful place that I'm immersed in every day. When we finally made it to the wayside, which is a convenience store type place, I ran into "Twix" and "Paraguay". That night we end up camping right next to them. After dinner, which was a delicious turkey dinner with all the fixins, we chatted for a while and talk about how the trail seemed empty these days and wonder where all the people are that we have met might be tonight.
Date: 2003-05-12
From: Icewater Spring Shelter

To: Tri Corner Knob Shelter
Miles today: 131.7
Weather: clear sky

Day 18 -----This was my last day hiking through the Smokies and as it turned out, it was the only day I got any views of the mountains. I'm grateful though, cause it seems like several people have ventured through this National Park seeing nothing but a cloud.
Date: 2013-05-22
From: Big Meadows Wayside and Campground

To: Byrds Nest #3 Hut
Miles today: 14.0
Weather: clear sky

After yesterday¢s long hike I was a little slow getting started today. "Marathon Dave" and I eat breakfast at the lodge and hung around the campground till about 10:30. We only planned 14 miles today so we knew that a late start would be okay. As we started off we weren't yet out of the campground and was greeted by some campers and asked if we would like some donuts. They were a group of people who come down each year to give trail magic to hikers. I chose to have an apple over the donuts. You would be surprised how fresh fruit is so appealing when you rarely get to eat any fresh food. Most trail food is processed and packaged. We finally get moving and continue north. The trail is rocky and continues it¢s up and down routine. As we approach our planned lunch stop at the Skyland Resort and Restaurant, we are greeted by a lady who was taking pictures for the park service. I think she said she was making a brochure or something and would we mind having our picture taken. We said okay and she had us stand on the trail as she took our picture. After we filled out the permission forms she asked us if we would like to have lunch at the restaurant. Of course we said yes. She gave us a business card that said, "Complimentary Lunch".   Now that was trail magic. Talk about being in the right place at the right time. We both ordered Angus beef cheeseburgers and sweet potatoes fries. Well this day turned out to be much better than I ever expected. I also got a great picture at the Little Stony Man Cliffs. The Skyland Drive is in the background as I am standing on the cliff edge. This crazy day ended with a thunderstorm with lots of wind, thunder, and lightning. How quickly things happen on the AT.
Date: 2003-05-15
From: Hot Springs, North Carolina

To: Spring Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 62.5
Weather: overcast clouds

Day 21 -----Well, so far so good. Right now I'm in Hot Springs, 270 miles into the hike, and getting ready to take off again this morning. Had a great meal last night as well as my second shower of the hike. It's been tough but I think we're starting to get into a routine. Putting in about 12 to 13 miles a day. Hopefully I'll have more opportunities to get online and post more entries but my access has been limited thus far. Hope everyone is doing well wherever you are. Till next time. The A.T. Hikers are: Mickey, Blue Stool, Minnie, Half Way, Spock, and Wolverine.
Date: 2013-05-23
From: Byrds Nest #3 Hut

To: Gravel Springs Hut
Miles today: 17.5
Weather: few clouds

I finally saw a bear today! In fact I saw seven bears. The first group was seen as I walked up to a group of fellow hikers. I was saying hello and then they said, "Have you seen a bear yet?", I said, "No". And then they pointed to the mama and the cubs who were up in a tree. I took a pretty nice picture of these bears. The next encounter came as I was walking up to Elkwallow wayside store. I was coming up and around a curve in the trail. I was actually looking for signs that the wayside was near and I saw the mama bear standing pretty close to the trail, about ten to fifteen feet away. She seemed to signal to the cubs to get up in the tree. The cubs were standing by and then climbed up the tree quickly. "Marathon Dave" said he saw mama bear chomping at the mouth and that we should get going so we quickly walked on by. A very cool day to finally see bears. I also was able to get to Luray Virginia to pick up my REI order and my weather radio that I had ordered from C. Crane Company. It gives NOAA weather reports which will come in handy with planning my mileage for each day. In fact tonight there is another thunderstorm coming in. So far my tent has been really good in the rain but you have to be very careful not touch the tent sides or it will leak. I'm glad it is not cold, just wet. I would like to give a big thank you to "Toofpick" for being a trail angle and taking me to Luray and treating for coffee!
Date: 2013-05-25
From: Front Royal Hostel

To: Dicks Dome Shelter
Miles today: 15.2
Weather: clear sky

Even though I was in the hostel last night I did not sleep well and I felt very tired today. I even missed a white blaze turn warning and I missed a turn causing me at least to walk a half a mile out of my way. The white blazes which are usually on trees are about ten to thirty feet apart. When you don't see a white blaze for a few minutes you are probably off the trail. A double blaze alerts you of a turn on a road crossing. The AT is a very well marked trail so getting lost is almost impossible, but getting slightly off trail does happen. I learned how to identify poison ivy today and I have discovered that it is pretty much everywhere. I sure hope that I do not get any on me. I can remember getting poison ivy before and that would not be fun. The weather forecast for the next few days is very nice, cool but sunny and no rain. So I am enjoying the trail these days leading up to Harper's Ferry.
Date: 2003-05-29
From: The Place, Damascus, Virginia

To: The Place, Damascus, Virginia
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: moderate rain

Well, after a 33 mile day (15 during the day and another 18 at night) I made it into Damascus at a respectable 3:30 Wed. morning. This was the first milestone of the trail so I was very happy to get here. We took both Wed. and Thur. off and will be heading back on the trail tomorrow morning. The night hike was pretty interesting, but I wouldn't recommend it with a halogen headlamp. And although we haven't seen one, I'm fairly sure that we heard our first bear that night crashing through the trees. It's been a nice couple days of relaxation. A bunch of us even got to hit up a happy hour yesterday afternoon. But now, after eating like a king for two days, I think I'll be ready to head back into the woods. I don't want to get too use to these no hike days. I've met many people who've gotten sucked into the vortex of some of these towns. Just got to stay on my aching feet and keep moving.
Date: 2013-05-26
From: Dicks Dome Shelter

To: Bears Den Hostel
Miles today: 17.7
Weather: scattered clouds

Today I can honestly say my motivation to hike was ice cream. I was originally going to hike fifteen miles but at camp last night the other hikers told me about this place called the Bears Den. They have a hikers special; for thirty bucks you get a bunk, shower, laundry, Tomb Stone pizza, and a pint of Ben & Jerry ice cream.   I decided that was a great plan. The only bad part was I had to hike an extra two and half miles which included two extra hills of the "Roller Coaster". The "Roller Coaster" is a series of inclines and declines over thirteen miles of the trail. Not only are the hills steep but the trail is filled with rocks. There is a sign at the start that warns you about the "Roller Coaster" and if you survive to see the trail boss at the AT center at Blackburn. This was one of the toughest climbing days of the trail since Jacobs Ladders. I did have some interesting critter sighting today. I saw a Black snake and a Eastern Box turtle. I found out want kind of turtle it was by a trail maintenance guy who I had met on the trail. I did get a picture of the turtle as it crossed the trail but I had to move the turtle back a couple of times to a get a good shot. Turtles can actually move pretty fast. So my day ended well with my decision to come to the Bears Den. My belly is very full because I did eat a whole Tomb Stone pizza, two ice teas, and a pint of ice cream.
Date: 2013-05-28
From: Blackburn AT Center

To: Harpers Ferry
Miles today: 11.9
Weather: few clouds

What a great feeling it was today to hike into Harpers Ferry. I hiked twelve miles in four hours. The trail was relatively flat and downhill but still had its rocky challenges. The trail never lets you forget that it decides when thing will be easy. When I get to the conservancy building it seems so familiar because of seeing it in the documentary and other pictures. Getting my picture taken was like a rite of passage as a thru hiker. I registered inside, "Twix" and "Paraguay" were there and so was "Cudo" and "Medicine Man". Soon my Mom came in with a huge smile and a hug. What a great way to meet up. She was so excited to be there and it was a long flight for her coming all the way from California. I plan on staying in West Virginia for three days and returning to the trail on Saturday. I will visit in my Dad's hometown of Davis, West Virginia. I will rest and of course resupply. I received my new boots in the mail today. I can't believe how worn my old boots are. They don't even look like the new boots even though they are the exact same ones. I also got my summer sleeping bag, a forty degree bag. Not sure if I'll switch out just yet. I guess I will check the weather forecast for the next ten days to make a decision.
Date: 2003-06-27
From: Waynesboro, Virginia

To: Calf Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 7.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Day 64 -----Well, here was a moment I had been waiting for. In Waynesboro Brian and I had met up with family and friends to hike through the Shanandoah's. Your all-star cast is as follows (from left to right)Doughboy, Blue Stool, Tedster, 1/2 Way, and Rocketman
Date: 2013-05-31
From: Harpers Ferry

To: Zero Days - West Virginia
Miles today: 0.0

My stay at Falling Waters, West Virginia, could not have been nicer. My cousin Cindy was so gracious to take me to visit other family all weekend and it was wonderful to spend the weekend with my Mom and to be able to share my adventure with here even if only for a few days. I stayed Friday night at Cindy's log cabin house which sits right near the Potomac River. We enjoyed a restful dinner at her home. We sat on the back patio watching all the beautiful birds flying in to eat seeds from Cindy's feeder. Saturday we were off to Davis, West Virginia; my Dad, Walter's hometown. I lived there for one year when I was in the fifth grade. It is always fun to return to see this little West Virginia town. We stayed with my Aunt Betty at her home which sits beside a wildlife preserve. It is a scene from a postcard. She brought out all of her scrapbooks from the family which dates back to 1913 when my Grandfather came to the United States from Poland. I learned quite a bit about my family's history. I also was fed very well with a homemade dinner of chicken, fresh garden broccoli, carrot salad, and of course chocolate cake and ice cream. The next day we visited my cousin David's house and he gave us a tour of the water treatment plant that he runs for the local housing development. It was very interesting to learn about how water is cleaned especially since I have to treat my own water on the trail to make sure it is safe to drink. I learned that even one drop of contaminated water can be dangerous. On Sunday we were on our way back to Cindy's house, we stopped in on my cousin Bobby Smigal's house in Cumberland. The house is ninety nine years old, three stories tall, and is fifty one hundred square feet. What a beautiful house to live in. He is in the midst of renovating it but the beauty of the house shines through. He seems so happy with the project and was giving us a great tour. I love old houses so this was just another treat to add my adventure. Now I am preparing to get back on the trail tomorrow. I have a few things to do in the morning like mailing my bounce box and picking up a few things at the outfitter. But it won't be long before I am heading north once again. I have to thank my cousin Cindy for the wonderful hospitality and hope to see her again next year when I come back for our family reunion.