morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2007-10-06
From: Rocky Mountain Shelters

To: Devils Racecourse Shelter
Miles today: 19.8

Maryland!!!10/6/2007 7:49pm We had snack break at Old Forge Park and then made it to Pen Mar County Park for lunch break and a wedding. Right before the park we crossed the Mason-Dixon line and by doing so we made it into Maryland and out of Pennsylvania. So I guess we are officially in the south. Pennsylvania was not a fun state to walk through and the rocks actually did live up to their reputation better than I had thought they would. But the weather was absolutely amazing for this time of year and it wasn't unbearable like some people had been making it out to be. Pennsylvania was mostly: Peaceful Except Nasty Nuisance Stones Yet Lying Visibly Across Near Intimidating Area.   So far Maryland isn't treating us any better. We had a tough climb and then a steep descent on the side trail to get to Devils Racecourse Shelter. Hot showers hopefully tomorrow. OK, bye
Date: 2007-10-07
From: Devils Racecourse Shelter

To: Dahlgren Campground
Miles today: 18.8
Weather: clear sky

Washington Monument!!!10/7/2007 7:29pm So I guess my book is right, it's not a mirage. There really are hot showers and flush toilets at this campsite. In fact, I just got done taking a hot shower. It is amazing to me that millions of people take hot showers for granted everyday and don't think a thing of it. But out here it is the biggest deal. Before getting to Dahlgren Campground we got to see the Washington Monument. So it might not quite have been as big as the one in D.C., but still it was kinda cool. It feels so good to be clean, even if only for a little while. OK, bye
Date: 2007-10-08
From: Dahlgren Campground

To: Towpath
Miles today: 17.0

Not Too Far!!!10/8/2007 8:32pm Today consisted of a little hiking and a lot of sitting by the trail resting and talking on the phone trying to decide where we could spend the night. (Our goal was to not make it to Harper's Ferry). This was actually a lot harder than it sounds. There is a hostel about a mile from the town that offers tenting but check in is after 6pm. So we waited around till then before crossing through an old canal and over railroad tracks to this place. It turned out better than expected. It came with showers, kitchen privleges, and internet access (it's been over a month). So just because Columbus sailed an ocean, we had to hold up from going into town. But tomorrow we should be on to West Virginia and go for our tri-state challenge. OK, bye
Date: 2007-10-09
From: Towpath- Harpers Ferry Hostel

To: Bear's Den Hostel
Miles today: 20.8
Weather: few clouds

West Virginia, Virginia!!!10/10/2007 7:22pm Last night we stayed in Bears Den hostile after a very long day. So to start from the beginning: Woke up at the Harpers Ferry Hostel and packed up most our stuff before the manager unlocks the door at 7am. Then we cooked some pancakes using some leftover pancake mix, jelly, and maple syrup. At 8am we left there. Found our way back to the C & O Canal Towpath and walked on that before walking on a railroad bridge over the Potomac and into West Virginia, leaving Maryland behind. Maryland was a short state that was at first a little difficult but then got easy. It had a whole lot of Civil War history and some neat landmarks. Weather was great. As far as terrain, I would have to say that: Mason-Dixon Afterward Realizing Yonder Landscape Almost None Different. We wandered around the historic ghost-town of Harpers Ferry for a good while before finding the ATC Headquarters building. There we got our picture taken and found that we were the 61st and 62nd Soboers to come through this year. After Keisha walked a mile to get our mail, we were able to continue on. This was about 10:30am. A little while later we crossed over the Shenandoah River, across some roads and we were in Virginia. This completed our tri-state challenge; hitting 3 states in one day. Not quite as impressive as the quad-state, but it works for us. West Virginia made me think: Were Every State This Vast-less, Intelligent Reasoning Grants I'm Now In Accomplishment. Continuing on, due to lack of water, we had to stop at Blackburn Center to get water. So I had to climb all the way down the mountain to fill our bottles with water. It was a long way, but we did get 2 grape sodas out of it. It was now 4:30pm and we still had 8 miles. At 6:30 and 3 miles to go we said good-bye to West Virginia for the last time. Walking these 3 miles by way of a headlamp and almost getting run over by a truck at a road crossing, we finally made it to Bears Den just shy of 8 o'clock pm. We got the special which included showers, laundry, and a frozen pizza and the long awaited pint of Ben and Jerry's ice cream. After eating our food and taking our showers we went to bed. We did 22 miles and were sore afterwards. I didn't get very much sleep that night because my body was in so much pain. OK, bye
Date: 2007-10-10
From: Bear's Den Hostel

To: Rod Hollow Shelter
Miles today: 9.9
Weather: clear sky

The Roller Coaster!!!10/10/2007 8:18pm We took it easy this morning. Mostly we used the computer and I did laundry (which I wasn't supposed to). We started hiking after noon. There is a 13.5 mile section with a big number of ascents and descents. Now in New England they don't have special names for these sections, but just call them by their normal names like "The 100 mile wilderness" and "Southern Maine". But here it is "The Roller Coaster". So today we hiked 10 miles to finish up the ride (we did 3 miles of it yesterday). At Rod Hollow Shelter we met a guy who is doing this particular section of his yo-yo thru-hike in the shoes and outfit of a confederate soldier. It was neat talking to him. This is our three month anniversary. It's been a long time. And we still have a long way to go. OK, bye
Date: 2007-10-11
From: Rod Hollow Shelter

To: Jim and Molly Denton Shelter
Miles today: 18.3
Weather: broken clouds

Colder!!!10/11/2007 8:05pm The warm spell has ended and I think we have seen the last sign of summer. We left our Confederate soldier and continued on past Sky Meadows State Park, before reaching Manassas Gap Shelter. I hurt my foot real bad, but still managed five and a half more miles to Jim and Molly Denton Shelter before dark. We did over 18 miles today. It's gonna be a cold night. OK, bye
Date: 2007-10-12
From: Jim and Molly Denton Shelter

To: Tom Floyd Wayside
Miles today: 8.1
Weather: overcast clouds

Front Royal!!!10/12/2007 6:50pm I limped from the shelter down to Front Royal. We were able to get a hitch to the Post Office and then another hitch in the back of a pick-up to the Food Lion. After buying groceries we found a place to eat then had a difficult time getting a hitch back. We are at Tom Floyd Wayside with a big group of people. We will hit the Shenandoah's first thing tomorrow. OK, bye
Date: 2007-10-13
From: Tom Floyd Wayside

To: Gravel Springs Hut
Miles today: 10.5
Weather: clear sky

Shenandoahs!!!10/13/2007 10:25pm Took it easier today. Hit the Shenandoahs first thing. Got a pretty good view on top of one of the mountains. Got to the shelter early. We played cards with these other 2 guys, built a fire, then ate. We then stayed up around the glowing fire and talked about everything from prisons, to ghosts, to hiking stories. It is now way past my bedtime. OK, bye
Date: 2007-10-14
From: Gravel Springs Hut

To: Pass Mountain Hut
Miles today: 13.1
Weather: clear sky

19!!!10/14/2007 8:17pm It's our birthdays today. This is why, after 6 miles of hiking, we stopped at Elk Wallow for lunch which included burgers, fries, and the much anticipated blackberry milkshake (which was rather tasty). After relaxing there, we headed 7 more miles to the shelter. We built a fire, cooked mac and cheese plus some baked beans we found, and exchanged presents. We are the only ones here. I turn 19 in one hour, but I don't think I'll stay up that late. OK, bye
Date: 2007-10-15
From: Pass Mountain Hut

To: Rock Spring Hut
Miles today: 15.3
Weather: overcast clouds

Deer!!!10/15/2007 8:17pm Today offered some good views of the Shenandoah Valley. We are seeing all kinds of wildlife. We saw some turkeys and lots of deer. The deer will walk right by the shelter about 10 feet from a group of people. They have no fear. We are at Rock Springs Hut with 6 other people who had a fire going when we got here. The sunset was pretty good today. OK, bye
Date: 2007-10-16
From: Rock Spring Hut

To: Pocosin
Miles today: 14.2

Tomatoes!!!10/16/2007 7:13pm We hiked 14 miles today. We are stealth camping 2 miles past Lewis Mountain Campground by Pocosin Cabin. We got to Lewis Mountain campground and cooked a dinner for lunch and filled up on water before making it to where we are now. As I was settng up the tent, some day hikers walked by and gave us some tomatoes and a huge bag of mushy stuff that I believe is supposed to go in pitas. Those fresh tomatoes tasted so good and the other stuff was not too bad either. We now have less than 900 miles to go. OK, bye
Date: 2007-10-17
From: Pocosin

To: Pinefield Hut
Miles today: 17.9
Weather: broken clouds

Day 100!!!10/17/2007 7:10pm Not much really happened today. We hiked 18 miles and are now at a hut with 3 people who built a fire and now are roasting hotdogs. Tomorrow we are hoping to go as far as we can. I just got offered a hot dog. It sounds so good. I think I'm gonna have to eat it. OK, bye
Date: 2007-10-18
From: Pinefield Hut

To: Skyline Drive mile 88.9
Miles today: 17.7

Bears!!!10/18/2007 7:16pm It should be illegal for people who snore to wear earplugs. If everyone else is forced to listen to it, then they should have to as well. So sometime at around 9 or 10 last night, I grabbed my bed and found a place on the ground to sleep. It was actually a really nice night and I found sleeping under the stars and trees to be quite peaceful. We hiked about 17 miles before finding a stealth spot on top of a ridge. Keisha saw ten bear today. Because she was ahead of me and they would all scare away before I got there, I didn't see one for the longest time. I ended up seeing 3 of them though. The last was while we were eating dinner, Keisha looked up and saw a huge one in the distance climbing a tree. That was a sight. It got down and then meandered around near our tent site. We hung our food in hopes that the bear won't eat it , or mess with us, or eat us. OK, bye
Date: 2007-10-19
From: Skyline Drive mile 88.9

To: Waynesboro
Miles today: 18.2
Weather: light rain

Waynesboro!!!10/21/2007 6:33pm For Friday October the nineteenth: This day started off with seeing 4 bears early in the hike- a mother and 3 cubs. It was overcast with rain off and on all day. This was the first day we've had rain, I believe, since the day we entered Connecticut. It wasn't that bad except for the last 3 miles. We left the Shanandoah National Park and crossed Skyline Drive for the 28th and final time. We arrived at Rockfish Gap Visitor Center at around 4:15pm. At 4:30, Bud, the guy working at the visitor center, gave us a ride into Waynesboro. We made a quick stop at the Post Office, then CVS, then got dropped off at the "Y". We were able to take showers there and, after getting cleaned up, we headed to the library. After receiving a library card and getting on the internet, our family finally showed up. Our parents and our sister Kaitlyn and her boy friend Danny had driven all the way up to see us. They took us out-to-eat at Weasie's where I had the all-you-can-eat pancakes. We then drove the hour to the conference center where we were spending the night. We went to bed soon afterwards. OK, bye
Date: 2007-10-20
From: Waynesboro Rockfish Gap

To: Reeds Gap
Miles today: 19.4

Slackpacking it!!!10/21/2007 7:00pm For Saturday, October the twentieth: The night before, I got almost no sleep due to a squeaky bed and a throbbing foot. We woke later than we wanted, ate, got ready, and headed to the trail. With only carrying day packs, our parents joined us. After 14 miles, Kaitlyn and Danny met us at a road crossing with lunch. Kaitlyn and Danny then hiked with us the last 5 miles before being picked up at another road crossing. We then stopped to get pizza before driving back to our room. I was beat at the end of this day. I took a long, hot bath and then my mom did reflexology on my feet which ended up making a world of difference. OK, bye
Date: 2007-10-21
From: Reeds Gap

To: Crab tree Farm Road
Miles today: 16.2

The Priest!!!10/21/2007 7:16pm Today we got a much better start. It was Danny and Kaitlyn's turn to hike with us while the parents did some of our much needed laundry. After 10 miles, we met up and had lunch. I was feeling so much better, I even ran some of the trail. After lunch we had to face "The Priest", a 3,000 foot climb. I was down to one pole because while we were eating lunch someone had apparently stolen my other one. I thought The Priest was relatively easy, but Kaitlyn and Danny sure were hurting afterwards. We then met back up with our parents. We said our good-byes and they left while we set up our tent. It is nice to have clean clothes and sleeping bags. Tomorrow we will have to put back on our heavy packs, which I am not looking forward to. OK, bye
Date: 2007-10-22
From: Crab tree Farm Road

To: Cow Camp Gap
Miles today: 16.2
Weather: light rain

Packs Again!!!10/22/2007 6:54pm Fifty-five pounds feels a little heavier that the five I had been carrying for the last two days. It wasn't too bad though. We went 16 miles and are stealth tenting in Cow Camp Gap right before Bald Knob. The tops of Tar Jacket Ridge and Cold Mountain had been mowed and were open which offered good views. We met Tom and Dreamer today - two Soboers who were doing a slack pack north. It was nice to finally meet up with some Soboers again; it had been so long. We should be seeing them again and maybe even be catching up to some more. It's dark, therefore it is bedtime. OK, bye
Date: 2007-10-23
From: Cow Camp Gap

To: Johns Hollow Shelter
Miles today: 23.9
Weather: overcast clouds

Blah!!!10/23/2007 11:16pm S,o I officially hate night hiking. Last night it rained. We woke this morning to a drizzly fog and packed up our tent in the misty rain. The hike started with a 900 foot climb up Bald Knob and then down, down, down to Brown Mountain Creek Shelter. There we saw Tom and Dreamer again. I hiked with Dreamer for the next little bit. We had to get water at the disgusting pond at Punchbowl Shelter. It was 9 miles to the next shelter and we didn't leave until almost 5:30pm. At 6:45pm our head lamps became a necessity. At 9:30pm, we finally reached Johns Hollow Shelter. We got water, cooked dinner, and shortly after, Dreamer, who had been hiking with us from Punchbowl, continued on 4 miles to the next shelter. We did 23.9 miles today. It is very late. In fact, I think this will be the latest I have gone to bed on the trail. OK, bye
Date: 2007-10-24
From: Johns Hollow Shelter

To: Thunder Hill Shelter
Miles today: 16.3
Weather: overcast clouds

Rain!!!10/24/2007 7:28pm Today it rained. Actually, it poured. Well, for most of the day it poured and then it rained the rest of the time. We didn't exactly get the earliest start cause we were so exhausted from the night before. We started at 1020' elevation, crossed the James River at 680' and are now currently in our shelter at 3960'. We walked 16.3 miles today, the last 12 being in the pouring down rain. It was quite a miserable day. Rain makes you hungry. We got to the shelter starving and cooked dinner. Since there was no possibility of a fire, we cooked s'mores using our stove and some tent stakes. I caught my sleeping bag on fire for a split second in the process. We are at Thunder Hill Shelter listening to the thunder and rain. The humidity is ridiculous. OK, bye
Date: 2007-10-25
From: Thunder Hill Shelter

To: Parkers Gap Road
Miles today: 2.6

Cold, Wet, Waiting!!!10/25/2007 7:51pm We are currently in a shelter debating whether the bright light showing up through the trees in the moon or a fire. I've gotten behind a little so I'll start writing for Thursday, October the twenty-fifth. It started with not much movement. The rain was constant, the sleeping bag warm, and the food was getting eaten as we just sat and waited. Shaggy, who had gotten in the previous night was not getting up as well. The two people we passed the day before ended up taking 3 zeros in a shelter waiting out this miserable weather. Finally, after noon had passed, we managed our way out of the shelter. Went by the Guillotine, and up Apple Orchard Mountain where we were able to get cell phone reception and call Frankie (a friend from Roanoke that works with us at Camp Merriwood) so he could meet us at a road in a mile and a half. After a little difficulty finding the Blue Ridge Parkway, we sat at an overlook adjacent to the road and waited for Frankie. It was cold and windy, and the rain never let up as we sat there waiting. Keisha walked up and down the sidewalk 31 times to stay warm. We blasted the heat in Frankie's truck as soon as he showed. He took us to his Aunt and Uncle's house where he was staying for the week. We ordered pizza and watched Boston College beat Virginia Tech in football, then went to sleep. For some reason I did not sleep well that night. OK, bye
Date: 2007-10-26
From: Parkers Gap Road

To: Frankie's house
Miles today: 0.0

At Frankie's!!!10/27/2007 8:18pm For Friday, October the twenty-sixth: With the rain never letting up and Keisha feeling a little sick, we decided not to hike. We went out for lunch with Frankie's sister, did some shopping, and hung all of our stinky stuff to air out. Josh Poindexter (another friend from our camp working days) came over that night. We went to Taco Bell, and just hung out till bedtime. A very lazy, relaxing day. OK, bye
Date: 2007-10-27
From: Frankie's house

To: Cove Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 14.6
Weather: overcast clouds

Clear Skies!!!10/27/2007 8:25pm We saw the sun today! It had been a while. Had to pack all our stuff this morning and then left Frankie's Uncle's. Josh brought us back to the trail and we were able to start hiking at around 11:00am. We went 14.6 miles today and met Murphy and Emily. Got a pretty good view of the sunset right before making it to the shelter. The mysterious light (which turned out to be the moon) is now up in the sky. It is a cold, clear night tonight. OK, bye
Date: 2007-10-28
From: Cove Mountain Shelter

To: Fullhardt Knob Shelter
Miles today: 19.9
Weather: overcast clouds

Overlooks!!!10/28/2007 7:02pm Keisha is about to freeze. It is another clear and cold night. I'm betting it'll get below 40 degrees tonight. We passed by the Blue Ridge Parkway seven times today, most at overlooks. During snack break we watched people watch birds, which is just about the only thing that happened during our 19.9 mile hike today. OK, bye
Date: 2007-10-29
From: Fullhardt Knob Shelter

To: Campbell Shelter
Miles today: 20.4
Weather: clear sky

Tinker Cliffs!!!10/29/2007 8:20pm After 5 miles of hiking we hit Troutville and stopped at a Wendy's for our snack break. Then we climbed up a lot, walked along a ridge, went down a little, up alot, down a lot, and then made the 1000 foot climb up Tinker's cliffs. These cliffs were amazing. They offered a tremendous view of the valley and McAfee Knob. Fast Enough, whom had just caught us, decided to stay there and watch the sunset, but we chose to continue on to Campbell Shelter. We got in a little after dark. I think it is supposed to get below 30 degrees tonight. This morning there was frost on the grass. I'm not really enjoying the cold, but guess I better get used to it. OK, bye
Date: 2007-10-30
From: Campbell Shelter

To: Pickle Branch Shelter
Miles today: 17.0
Weather: clear sky

A McAfee Sunrise!!!10/30/2007 7:57pm "Want to see the sunrise, tired of the sunset". It was early and still dark when we started up McAfee Knob. We made it .7 miles up 600 feet to the top of McAfee Knob just after 7am. The view was phenominal. The sun, which rose at 7:33am, was amazing. We could see the city of Roanoke and Tinker Cliffs as well as everywhere we had gone the previous day. We continued on and climbed up Dragon's Tooth which was the first real climbing we've had to do in a long time. From the top we could see Tinker Cliffs and McAfee Knob as well as the neat rock formation on the top of the mountain. The shelter was a lot farther than my book said and, despite the distance from the trail, we still went to it. Tom was here and had built an (illegal) fire. Fast Enough showed up later. They had both made it here by yellow-blazing. It was an early morning so I'm tired right about now. OK, bye
Date: 2007-10-31
From: Pickle Branch Shelter

To: VA 630 Sinking Creek
Miles today: 19.0

Halloween with Candy!!!10/31/2007 8:38pm "It's bitter cold outside". This morning was a cold one. It was a dry, penetrating cold which made getting up hard. So we got a late start. It is amazing how God provides. Due to the cold, our appetites have increased and during snack break we were realizing how low we were getting on snacks. Well, soon after, we found a barrel loaded with goodies. There were apples, oranges, candy, chips, cookies; the best trail magic we've seen on the trail. We had been hoping we could find a place to get candy on Halloween and I guess we did! We went 19 miles and we (and Fast Enough) found a place to tent next to a road after passing the enormous Keffer Oak tree. OK, bye
Date: 2007-11-01
From: VA 630 Sinking Creek

To: Bailey Gap Shelter
Miles today: 17.9
Weather: overcast clouds

November!!!11/1/2007 7:22pm So yet another month has passed. This afternoon found us climbing up 2000 feet. The fog on the top made no views possible. We are in Bailey Gap Shelter with Tom and Fast Enough. OK, bye
Date: 2007-11-02
From: Bailey Gap Shelter

To: Springs
Miles today: 19.0
Weather: clear sky

Bridge Out!!!11/2/2007 7:16pm This morning no one seemed to be able to get up. When we were getting ready, a lady came by and told us the upcoming bridge was out and that the next shelter had no roof. Due to the bridge out, we hiked 1.5 miles on a road before rejoining the AT. We found a failed attempt at trail magic during this walk. A little further and we found that the next shelter did indeed have no roof. We walked on the Virginia-West Virginia state line for a while. Saw a hunter in camo with a bow on the trail that scared Keisha half to death. We went 19 miles today and are only 4 miles from Pearisburg so we can go in in the morning, if we can wake up. OK, bye
Date: 2007-11-03
From: Springs

To: The Claytor Lake Cabin
Miles today: 14.3

The Cabin!!!11/5/2007 6:14pm I am currently sitting on a couch in a cabin (special thanks to Jeremy Jackson's family) looking at pictures on my laptop. I'll start with telling what happened on Saturday November 3rd. We started by walking 4 miles to Pearisburg barely making it with barely enough toilet paper to get by. With no one willing to drive us anywhere and no cell phone reception we had to walk a mile uphill to the post office where Keisha was able to find a lady who took us to the restaurant next to the Wal-Mart where we met up with our mom. We ate at Hardee's and then Keisha and Mom left me to hike south and drove around and parked the car further south on the AT. I hiked south, they hiked north and when I got to the car I drove it back to where I started to pick them up. We ate salad at the pizza place then went to discover our cabin. We arrived at the "A" framed building quite late. We watched "The Terminal" before going to bed at around 11:30pm. OK, bye