morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2007-05-28
From: The Priest Shelter

To: Tye River (sleep in Waynesboro)
Miles today: 4.8
Weather: broken clouds

This did not start out as a lazy day! But four miles into the day¢s hike, I was sitting by a stream making tea and eating a snack, when I heard someone calling my name from below.Unbelievable! It was Kill Hill Jill followed by Ziploc and Nitro. They had been looking for me, hoping I would stay at Jill¢s house in Waynesboro and slack pack for a few days. I didn¢t need much persuading! So, here I am in Waynesboro with some of my favorite trail people, showered, fed, with a chance to make some easy miles for the next day or two.Ahhh, the rain feels good! (photo taken by Jill Byrd ~ Kill Hill Jill)Ziploc & Nitro (photo by Boo Boo)The Priest Shelter
Date: 2007-05-29
From: Reeds Gap

To: Tye River (Sleep Waynesboro)
Miles today: 15.4
Weather: scattered clouds

It¢s amazing how few thru-hikers are still on the trail at this point. Today, Ziploc, Nitro, and I were dropped off on the Blue Ridge Parkway and hiked south to where we left off yesterday. We met, I think, only six thru-hikers all day. There are rumored to be only about 100 thru-hikers left on the trail north of us. The attrition rate in the last couple of weeks must have been very high. Now, too, there¢s more camaraderie; there¢s a common bond in the reality that we¢ve all hiked 800 miles.Fashion Rainskirt from garbage bag! (thanks Jill for the photo!)Tye River Suspension Bridge
Date: 2007-05-30
From: Tye River (Sleep Waynesboro)

To: Waynesboro
Miles today: 14.2
Weather: light rain

The funny thing about slack packing (day-hiking while thru-hiking) is that you go miles and miles and never feel as though you¢ve hiked anywhere because you¢re sleeping in the same place you slept the night before. This sensation is exacerbated by the reality that while slacking, you try to do more miles in less time: you may get to the trail in mid-morning after a sizeable breakfast and then have to be finished with your day by later afternoon, so you can be back in town for dinner. This contrasts with normal trail practice which is get up, pack, hike, set up camp, eat, sleep. You might be hiking 12 or 14 hours by the time your day is done.Anyway, this week I get to have that strange sensation of slack-packing since I am being well-fed and housed in Waynesboro. Thank you, Byrds! {Pictures to follow!)Today, I hiked the last piece of the Blue Ridge Parkway section. It was certainly not my favorite piece of trail ¢ it seemed interminable and repetitive --- so tomorrow I head into the Shenandoahs.
Date: 2007-05-31
From: Waynesboro

To: Turk Gap, Shenandoah National Park
Miles today: 11.4

Since today wasn¢t a very exciting hiking day ¢ except for the fact that I¢m now in Shenandoah National Park ¢ I thought I¢d make some comments about food.The most common ingredients found in food consumed by thru-hikers on the trail are: corn syrup, trans fats, highly process flour, salt, MSG, and aspartame. Any establishment described in our guides as appropriate for short-term re-supply has a redundancy of these ingredients. They are also very expensive and are most commonly on the menus of thru-hikers who are re-supplying as they go. They include such delicacies as pre-fabricated crackers with peanut butter, ¢cereal¢ bars, Pop tarts, ramen noodles, Lipton Sides, and Snickers.Evidently, this kind of re-supply correlates with lowered chance of a satisfying thru-hike, since the further north the trail, the more likely you are to find hikers who are much more thoughtful about re-supply and have taken time to plan. They also eat more ¢real¢ food.Personally, I have tried both kinds of re-supply, but vastly prefer mail drops supplemented with fresh grocery items from a large supermarket. Most of the people I know who do this get a lot of variety in their menus; they are able to incorporate nutrition and tasty ingredients (like vegetables and spices) and are not getting so run down. They are also spending substantially less. Typical hiker mail drop
Date: 2007-06-01
From: Turk Gap

To: Browns Gap, Shenandoahs
Miles today: 11.7

This is a second day of slacking in Shenandoah National Park. Like yesterday, it is overbearingly, stiflingly hot! Even though we have no large climbs, sweat pours over our faces. The heat makes us sluggish and whiny, wishing the day¢s allotted miles were over. There is very little water on this stretch of trail; of course, we want more than we can get.Ziploc and Nitro are staying with another Waynesboro family for the weekend, so this will be our last day of hiking together, at least for a while. They are both so interesting and accomplished: I enjoy having them around on the trail. I hope to see them again soon.Cow Parsnip (by Catchup)
Date: 2007-06-02
From: Browns Gap

To: ZERO in Waynesboro
Miles today: 0.0

Goodbye Party!~~ Nitro, Ziploc, Tim Byrd, Silver, Jill Byrd I can¢t say enough to thank Jill, Tim, and Logan Byrd for taking such good care of me this week. There really wasn¢t anything they wouldn¢t do to be helpful to me, Ziploc, and Nitro, from feeding us, to driving us to the trail, feeding us some more, getting us to the post office, making us breakfast, arranging a haircut for me. Thank you, Trail Byrds . . .Sporting a new hairdoSilver has a new friend (photo by Jill)I started the week with a very bothersome knee (it kept collapsing), and the combination of lower miles, new shoes, no pack, and high caloric intake, has let it heal. I will be back with full pack, hiking at full strength, tomorrow.
Date: 2007-06-03
From: ZERO in Waynesboro

To: Pinefield Hut
Miles today: 10.1
Weather: light rain

Splish, splash, splish, splash . . . The rain started early. I was soaked through after a tenth of a mile of hiking. It wasn¢t just a drizzle. It was a drencher, fog whizzing past my nose and blanketing every view.The grass was growing by the minute and soaked my legs to the knees. Rain poured down my shins and filled my boots. Squish, squish. My socks had to be wrung out every mile or two.The branches that weren¢t there yesterday are suddenly bent over the trail, slapping wet leaves into your face and the back of your neck.The ¢streams¢ that could barely qualify as ¢water supplies¢ all of a sudden required fording. Water covered my ankles.No, this isn¢t a normal AT rain. It¢s some tropical storm or hurricane leftover. And the big question here in the shelter is, ¢How far is the next Shenandoah National Park Laundromat so we can dry our gear?¢ And, ¢Can we get there tomorrow? And is there a restaurant nearby?¢ Pinefield Hut
Date: 2007-06-04
From: Pinefield Hut

To: Bearfence Mountain Hut
Miles today: 20.6
Weather: overcast clouds

Today was a day for the numbers: over 900 miles total and 20 in one day. I left the shelter late this morning, too (9:30 a.m.), hell bent on proving wrong the wise guy who flatly stated over breakfast that it was too late to make 20 miles.The 900 mark seems quite fantastic. It¢s hard to imagine that many miles, let alone believe one has hiked them.Oh, yes, I also came across a bear today. He was face to face with me, right in the trail. He didn¢t even consider moving, so I had to back off and wait a while until he was finished with his trail business.Please sign guest book with info if you know that name of these beautiful flowers!
Date: 2007-06-05
From: Bearfence Mountain Hut

To: Rock Spring Hut
Miles today: 11.5
Weather: scattered clouds

After my 20 miles yesterday, as is my practice after going a new distance, I cut back today and took a more leisurely pace. That way, my muscles can adapt to the new demand.That doesn¢t mean I got here before dark! I spent the afternoon at Big Meadows Campground, doing laundry, getting a shower, and eating sweet potato fries. If I had kids, I¢d bring them camping in this lovely campground!One of the big attractions here is the wildlife: bears, deer, rabbits, turkeys, EVERYWHERE! What¢s remarkable is that these animals are not afraid of humans since hunting is not allowed. This means they do not move off if they see you. They check you out and just keep on doing whatever they¢re doing. I can think of nowhere else where you can experience wildlife this profuse and relaxed about human company.Find the Turkey????Who's going to blink first, you or me???? Naaawwww. . . . Just kidding, no site of this little guy!
Date: 2007-06-06
From: Rock Spring Hut

To: Pass Mountain Hut
Miles today: 15.3
Weather: broken clouds

Today, the breezes moved in, cleared the smog, and lowered the temperature. It was great hiking weather, and Shenandoah National Park has been a wonderful part of the AT adventure. And that¢s NOT just because of the blackberry milkshakes at the concession stands.The Park and its rangers do an excellent job of integrating the AT into the Park experience for all visitors. Signs tell about the trail and encourage guests to sample portions. And they do! I have seen young and old in the woods, many of them trying it for the first time.Because everyone knows about the trail, thru hikers are treated like minor celebrities. I have racked up hours of ¢interviews¢, being asked questions by tourists. They¢re very friendly questions, too, - and sometimes wistful ¢ from people who wish they had the nerve or the stamina to do something that extreme.Thank you, SNP, for being so FUN!
Date: 2007-06-07
From: Pass Mountain Hut

To: Gravel Spring Hut
Miles today: 13.1
Weather: overcast clouds

The far ridge is West Virginia . . . .I had really hoped to move on out of the Park today, but with one thing and another it didn¢t happen. I guess I wasn¢t really ready to leave, and the next shelter is too far tonight.One delay was caused when a tourist at an overlook was reading all about hikers and the Appalachian Trail, when I came into view hiking, across his view. He came running down the trail to try and catch me, so he could have a first-hand encounter with a thru-hiker. Then he mentioned that he had left his wife sitting in the car, so I asked him if she needed to meet a thru-hiker too. He said yes, so I went with him to introduce myself. See what I mean about getting too distracted to leave the Park?And by then it was too hot, way too hot, and I have trouble in the heat. It just makes me exhausted. Plus, my ribs were cramping. So, when I got to the shelter, I took off my boots and I¢m done for the day.
Date: 2007-06-08
From: Gravel Spring Hut

To: Tom Floyd Wayside
Miles today: 10.5
Weather: broken clouds

I seem to be getting lazier and lazier ¢ only 10 miles today ¢ but actually, I am just being cheap. I¢m as close as possible to Front Royal, so I can hustle into town and out again for re-supply. I have eaten everything!SNP has been a model for how ¢Leave No Trace¢ principles can be practiced. Every backcountry regulation, even the shelter layout, reinforces the key concepts. For the 95% of thru-hikers ¢ most of whom are novice backpackers ¢ who are looking for a totally flat and clean tent site with campfire and water access, there are developed campgrounds and sites near the shelters set aside exactly for that purpose. They aren¢t given the chance to strip the countryside like locusts, as they are allowed to south of here. True stealth camping is also permitted, but it¢s really only achievable by hikers who are skilled enough to do without amenities. And it has to take place out of sight.No doubt there¢s a corollary between all the wildlife we¢re seeing, all the groundcover for wildlife to hide in, and the camping practices that are enforced in the Park, including the prohibition on fire-building and wood gathering in most places.Mama bear and cub sighted today!
Date: 2007-06-09
From: Tom Floyd Wayside

To: Mosby Camp (re-supply @ Front Royal)
Miles today: 6.2
Weather: few clouds

One of the questions I get asked most often is: ¢Aren¢t you afraid?¢ My answer is generally, ¢No¢, since I assume that I¢m being asked about the more obvious scary things, namely snakes, bears, aggressive human behavior, and weather.Now, I don¢t really want to come face to face with another rattlesnake and I try very hard not to hike in the dark (because I can¢t see a thing), but experience has taught me a lot. A week ago, rounding a corner and meeting a bear was quite high on my fear-o-meter, but having met several, I¢m quite looking forward to my next encounter. There is a lot of bears out here, though. People deal with it by being competitive. Some things I have seen:~ a thru-hiker with 2 tents, in case one fails. This thru-hiker generally sleep in shelters~ a thru-hiker with a bottle of 500 aspirin in case he needs one~ a thru-hiker who wears a poncho over his raingear to guarantee he won¢t get wetNow, I happen to think that a little getting wet, a few bugs, and a small quantity of aspirin are minimum prerequisite, for a grand adventure in the woods.But I would hate to be laid low by water-born parasites or some disease spread by poor hygiene (e.g. not disinfecting after using the privy).Eeek! . . . . no way! Another rattlesnake!
Date: 2007-06-10
From: Mosby Camp (re-supply @ Front Royal)

To: Rod Hollow Shelter
Miles today: 20.8
Weather: broken clouds

This was a long day, and I¢m at the most crowded shelter I¢ve ever seen. (Thru-hikers Signage, Dirty Ernie, Blue Sky, Evil Eye, Pootz, Two Dogs and 5 section hikers) Thankfully, the weather is nice, and I¢ve staked out my mosquito net in a patch of bare forest floor out back, so I can have some quiet time.Late this afternoon, I hiked through some of the most spectacular woodlands of the entire trip: huge trees of every deciduous variety set in sweeping meadows. This land is all part of a state park. I would guess it had been preserved as a wealthy estate before state property.I was so busy looking at trees that I tripped over a rock in the trail and went flying. Luckily, I don¢t seem to have done any serious damage, but it did remind me that the adventure could be over in flash.Overgrown trail near Front Royal
Date: 2007-06-11
From: Rod Hollow Shelter

To: Bears Den Hostel
Miles today: 9.9
Weather: scattered clouds

I got going very easily this morning, but was soon worn out by the rockiness of the ¢roller coaster¢, so called because it goes up and down repeatedly for 17 miles.I got hot, I got wet with sweat, I got cranky, I thought I was dying, I knew I¢d never make it to Maine. So, feeling hugely sorry for myself, I staggered into the Bear¢s Den and ordered ice cream. I told Queen Diva (the caretaker) that I had to eat the whole carton before deciding whether to stay the night. I stayed the night; there simply wasn¢t another choice in the end. This place is fantastic! The Bears Den is a 1930¢s rock castle hideaway in the woods. It has turrets and crenellations and a massive gate. The floors are polished wood, and overhead fans keep it nice and cool on a hot day. The place was spotless!There are VERY few women thru-hikers on the trail but Signage, Calamity Jane, Snack Break, Buttercup and I happened to be all there the same night, so we all got gossiping with Queen Diva! And it was especially wonderful to see Snack Break again: I hadn¢t seen her since the Smokies ¢ 3 months ago. Other hikers included Owl, Little Cubit, and Owl's Mom. Bears Den gateSitting Room (photo by Upload & Stitches -2006)Snack BreakSignage, Calamity Jane @ Hobo on Max Patch (Photo by Flint)
Date: 2007-06-12
From: Bears Den

To: David Lesser Memorial Shelter
Miles today: 11.1
Weather: clear sky

My decision to stay at Bear¢s Den last night meant I had a short day today as well, because I have to go down into Harper¢s Ferry and not without staying there (for budgeting reasons) and without doing too many miles.So, today, I got to dawdle. Eleven miles used to seem like a major accomplishment! I even managed to read some old newspapers that were lying around the Bear¢s Den and catch up on current events, really important things, like Paris Hilton¢s jail sentence, track scores, and the latest revelations in pre-Iraq intelligence. In the meantime, we seem to be under the flight path to Dulles airport, so civilization seems very near.
Date: 2007-06-13
From: David Lesser Memorial Shelter, WV

To: Illegal Campsite, near Harpers Ferry
Miles today: 10.3
Weather: few clouds

(Welcome to Maryland!!) This is a bit more adventure than I had intended when I woke up this morning. After hiking all those months and miles, I finally made it to the ATC in Harper¢s Ferry, and - to my surprise and dismay ¢ met the most "no can do" folks of the entire trail. The staff was unfriendly, snooty, and unhelpful. I was certainly not going to be enthusiastic about membership after that experience. And other thru hikers reported the same treatment.As I hiked through town and surveyed the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers, a massive thunderstorm moved in. After I heard the rangers talking about a tornado, I retreated to a deserted restroom until the worst was over.But it would soon be dark, so I had to get moving or be stuck in Harper¢s Ferry. There was thunder and lightening and RAIN while I crossed the Potomac.That put me, in a very wet state along the towpath between the busy train tracks and the river and the canal with no overnighting options. Sooo . . . I am camped beside the river, probably illegally, hoping the river doesn¢t rise in the night There is a busy auto bridge over my head and busy train tracks to one side.Stay tuned . . . .
Date: 2007-06-14
From: Illegal Campsite

To: Dahlgren Backpack Campground
Miles today: 16.4
Weather: light rain

Well, I made it through the night without getting drowned in the Potomac or rousted by Park Rangers. I do, however, have sand and crayfish in every corner of my pack.I got going as soon as I could for fear of being spotted. It was still raining hard. I had no water and had eaten very little. Plus, I had a splitting headache. I grit my teeth and trudged 5 miles to the nearest shelter, where I could get water, make dinner and relax a bit. Actually, I was chilled so I hopped into bed! Two other thru-hikers were doing the same thing. They had tried to spend the night in town unobtrusively on the porch of what looked like a deserted building. It turned out to be the Park Ranger Headquarters! They were rousted and sent on their way.I am light years away from last night¢s adventure now, camped unbelievably, at a special campground designed for backpackers. It has running water, hot showers, toilets, and garbage cans. Weehee!
Date: 2007-06-15
From: Dahlgren Backpack Campground

To: Ensign Cowell Shelter
Miles today: 13.9
Weather: haze

In the quiet of the night, all I can hear right now is a pervasive crackling high up in the trees and what sounds like hail hitting the tin roof at the shelter.Unfortunately, these sounds belong to gypsy moth caterpillars, millions of them. We can hear them eating everything green in sight and pelting earthlings with their poop. All day, I have hiked through the infestations. Acres and acres have been completely stripped of anything green. It might was well be winter. These caterpillars aren¢t even cute and they drape themselves in bunches over trunks and limbs. The sound of chomping is the only animal sound tonight. Other animals just seem to have vanished.Gypsy moth devastation
Date: 2007-06-16
From: Ensign Cowell Shelter, MD

To: Campsite
Miles today: 10.9
Weather: light rain

As I took off my boots last night, I realized I had sprained an ankle when I stepped in a hole earlier in the day. (More dramatically, I tipped over sideways and found myself lying in the grass!) It¢s not a bad sprain, but enough to keep my miles down today and prevent me from re-supplying in Waynesboro, PA.This meant I had to have a strategy for acquiring food, since I don¢t have any left. Someone had mentioned to me that when they thru-hiked they were invited to a wedding reception at Pen Mar Park. Well, I rounded the corner to Pen Mar, and rows of people in chairs were listening raptly to a speaker. I thought, ¢Aha! Wedding¢. But no, the speaker was droning on about a company¢s financials. It turns out, it was a credit union annual meeting. BUT ¢ the good news ¢ they got everyone to come by providing a big ol¢ red, white and blue picnic. And who got themselves invited to this picnic? Moi! Of course, I summoned every other thru-hiker in the park. hot dogs, hamburgers, ice cream, lemonade! Wheehee!I set up camp about a mile away ¢ this time in a legal spot ¢ and promptly fell asleep. Time to get that ankle rested!
Date: 2007-06-17
From: Campsite

To: Tumbling Run Shelter, PA
Miles today: 7.2
Weather: clear sky

Today will be remembered for the quickest hitch of my AT adventure. Five women, fresh to the trail, watched as I stuck my thumb out and had myself a ride in all of 5 seconds. They are now under the mistaken impressions that I can magically get a ride whenever I want.Well, re-supply at Wal-Mart took 3 hours. I did mention that I hate re-supplying at grocery stores. I would much rather have a mail drop. I even had a list in Wal-Mart, but it didn¢t help. Like every other thru-hiker, I am hungry all the time. So, when I go shopping I want everything - EVERYTHING ! I spend as much time taking things out of the cart as putting them in. My eyes are way smaller than my stomach, but way bigger than my pack!
Date: 2007-06-18
From: Tumbling Run Shelter

To: Quarry Gap Shelter
Miles today: 12.2
Weather: scattered clouds

Last night, I slept at a pair of shelters, one designated ¢Snoring¢, the other ¢No Snoring¢. Tonight, after a series of mishaps trying to connect with the women I sheltered with last night, I¢ve ended up at the most adorable, best-kept, shelter on the AT!There are two mini log cabins, joined together with a porch (where sits an extra long picnic table. The logs are chinked with white and are freshly painted brown. There is a long, stoa-like porch on the front of the structure. Baskets of flowers hang from the rafters. You reach the shelter through a tunnel of rhododendrons. The water source is a spring in a grotto just a few feet away. The front has an apron and gravel to keep mud from being tracked into the shelter. A special tarp can be unfurled to protect the picnic table from wind and rain blowing sideways. And if you should get hole up here? Games are provided, each kept in its own special fixture on the wall. I am here with a whole bunch of men thru-hikers I have never seen before. They have almost completely excluded me from the conversation. Very strange!Halfway sign!!
Date: 2007-06-19
From: Quarry Gap Shelter

To: Toms Run Shelter
Miles today: 13.6
Weather: few clouds

I was driven into shelter tonight by a very loud and violent thunderstorm. Luckily, I was already right at the shelter area when the rain began.Unlike last night¢s shelter, these two are an example of what can go wrong in a shelter area. I would not be sleeping here were it not for the rain.It looks like an army has camped in the woods near these shelters. People have stripped the ground and flattened places for their tents. They have built fireplaces with rocks and cut down trees. Lower branches have all been yanked off. The privy is a filthy mess.There is a bird nested in the beam over my head. It won¢t let anyone sleep in that part of the shelter. But it¢s also the only living creature around.Toms Run Shelter