morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2013-06-09
From: Seeley-Woodworth Shelter

To: Maupin Field Shelter
Miles today: 20.4
Weather: broken clouds

Yesterday and today were awesome days! Yesterday I left Buena Vista, VA after staying the night at the Budget Motel. Occupy's friend Chris brought his wife and kids to meet up with us there. They were originally planning on camping, but due to the rain they stayed at the motel too. We didn't get started until 11:30 that morning. We only had like 14 miles to the shelter. The sun was out, but it wasn't too hot. We ate lunch at the top of Cold Mountain. It was beautiful! Then, there was a campsite with a swing! I've decided I should start an organization that puts swings at various points along the trail. I played on the swing while Occupy got us water. About 2 miles later we hit the mother load of trail magic! It was two coolers filled with cold drinks and snacks! SCORE! Occupy kept saying it was my lucky day since everything kept working out in my favor. We finally got to Seeley-Woodworth shelter. There were tents set up everywhere! Apparently a meet-up group was out for a weekend backpacking trip. They had a fire going and were playing a game called 'Sherpa'. The game requires you to put a quarter between your butt cheeks (with your clothes on), then you try to drop it into a cup on the ground. I made it in the cup the second try lol!After the fun we went to sleep. A few more hikers showed up after dark that night. Today I was planning on doing 20 miles. But after about 14 miles the muscle in my thigh started hurting really bad. I don't know what I did to it. I took a blue blazed trail to get to Maupin Shelter. It was so pretty! There were tons of waterfalls and even a swimming hole! I'm in the shelter now. It's raining hard. It rained a little bit earlier today. But then the sun came out. I'm hoping my leg feels better tomorrow. I'd like to do 21 miles into Waynesboro. But it's suppose to rain more tomorrow. If it does, then I'll probably just do 16 to the next shelter. I'm looking forward to aqua-blazing out of Waynesboro. Should be a fun time!
Date: 2013-06-10
From: Maupin Field Shelter

To: Paul C. Wolfe Shelter
Miles today: 15.8
Weather: moderate rain

Hiked 16 miles to Paul C. Wolfe Shelter. It's really nice. There is a waterfall and swimming hole. It's been raining all day, so I don't really feel like going for a swim. Bc of the incredible amount of rain we've had lately, I had to cross a river to get to the shelter. I'm sure it's normally not this swollen. But I swear there were class 2 rapids at least!I just woke up because I wanted to get my bug net out of my pack. When I looked up, there was a mouse on my pack! It was really cute. I scared it off. I'm kinda hoping he'll come back so I can take its pic. I had occupy move my pack down to the first floor. I'm sleeping on the second level. Going into Waynesboro tomorrow!
Date: 2013-06-11
From: Paul C. Wolfe Shelter

To: Waynesboro, VA
Miles today: 5.2

I just enjoyed a free shower at the YMCA in Waynesboro, VA. A lady asked if I was a hiker in the locker room. I asked what gave it away. Then, I realized I was standing in my underwear washing muddy socks in the sink with hand soap. Duh! They had this thing called a "Suitmate" that was used to dry wet swimsuits. I discovered it also dried laundry :-) SCORE! So, I washed as much stuff as I could before leaving the Y. Occupy and I are at the library now. We are getting ready to hit up the all you can eat Chinese buffet. There is a free hostel at a church nearby. We will stay there tonight. Tomorrow, we are hoping to start our aqua-blazing trip. For those of you who don't know what aqua-blazing means, it is where you take a canoe/kayak down the Shenandoah River instead of hiking. The trip takes about 1 week and covers 168 miles. I will get off the river near Harpers Ferry. I am really psyched about canoeing! We are a little concerned about all of the rain we've had lately. I saw Beyonce at the outfitters when we got here and he told me about some hikers who sunk their canoe. Since the rain was so heavy, they are still trying to recover the boat. Hopefully, everything will work out for us. That reminds me, I should check the weather while I'm online.I had to stop at the outfitters here. My new shoes are starting to de-laminate around the toe guard. It is a warranty issue. I am hoping to get a new pair sent to Harpers Ferry. OK, that's all for now. I'm starting to get weird looks from people sitting around me. I think my gear stinks...Sometimes, I feel like the dirty kid from the Peanuts cartoon. The one with the flies swarming around him and dirt lines wafting off of him. Haha!
Date: 2013-06-13
From: Waynesboro, VA

To: Aqua-Blazing
Miles today: 22.0

AqUa-BlAzInG!!!Today was my first day on the river. So yesterday evening I got a call from the guy who runs the business Aqua blaze solutions. He said he'd pick us up along the trail. At 10am he got us and dropped us off at Port Republic around 1:00. We prayed over the boat and our gear before departing. We were out no more than 15 minutes when I saw what looked like a dog swimming across the river in front of us. Then we realized it wasn't a dog. It was a flipping BEAR! It was so cool!!!We stopped at the Shenandoah Dam to portage to the other side. There were two red necks sitting by the water. I knew there was a McD's a mile down the road (according to the guidebook). I asked if they'd give me a ride. Of course they didn't mind ;-) Occupy stayed with our stuff while I got dinner. It was getting late, and we needed to fine a place to "stealth" camp. I prayed to God to help us find a nice place. It wasn't looking too promising. Most places were too rugged to get out. And the nice spots were private property. After praying I saw a nice grassy area with a porch and two covered bays. There was a house, but it didn't appear to be part of the same property. I walked to the end if the grassy area to the house to ask if we could camp out for the night. There was a piece of paper that said the property was vacant and abandoned. SCORE! We didn't have to worry about them calling the police on us. We set up our tents under the covered bays in case it rained. There were even folding chairs to sit on! We sat on the deck over the water and drank some wine we packed out. It was such a beautiful sunset! Totally awesome first day! It's gonna be hard to top. I'm hoping for some sun tomorrow. My mom sent me my bikini. I want to get rid of this horrible farmers tan from the trail. Time to sleep. The frogs are croaking and the water is flowing. Should make for a peaceful sleep. Thank you, Jesus for this amazing campsite :-)Don't forget to sign my guestbook!
Date: 2013-06-15
From: Almost died on the river

To: Somebody's backyard
Miles today: 0.0

We had a great day on the river! We paddled something like 32 miles. This morning the Shenandoah River Outfitter brought us another paddle. They usually drop off people at Bixlers Bridge (where we almost died) to paddle. Since they were heading in our direction anyways we just had them charge us over the phone and deliver the paddle. It worked out perfectly!We only flooded the canoe once. There were some really rough rapids called Comptons Rapids. We would've been fine if Helga hadn't started moving around mid rapid. We just pulled the boat to the shore and dumped the water. Our gear stayed dry and all was accounted for. I lost my hat though. It blew off my head in the rapids. I never found my missing shoe. It's a good thing I already have a new pair waiting for me at the Harpers Ferry Outfitter. I'm praying they will allow me to just send the one back since I don't have the other one anymore. I don't see why it would be a problem. We saw some people at the edge of the water. We asked if they knew of any places to camp along the river. The guy said we could stay in their yard. There are like 4 families here. They are so nice! They shared their delicious food with us too. They even shared their moonshine! Hey, you know you're in Virginia when they pass around a mason jar of some homemade moonshine lol! We played corn hole and listened to country music until the sun went down. It's been such a nice evening. I want to get their info so I can send them a post card from Mt. Katahdin. We only have like 60 more miles left to Harpers Ferry. Should take us 2 more days. I can't believe how quickly we're moving down the river. It's awesome!I got a lot of sun today. It was beautiful outside! I wore my bikini to work on getting rid of my farmers tan from hiking. PLEASE SIGN MY GUESTBOOK
Date: 2013-06-16
From: Somebody's backyard

To: Farm
Miles today: 34.0

Tonight is my last night on the river. We did about 34 miles today. It was the hardest day so far. There were lots of long stretches of flat water that were really slow going. I'm exhausted. We found a really nice campsite. We're definitely on somebody's property. I think they had a wedding here at some point because there is a wooden sign saying 'appetizers' pointing to our site. Another sign says 'ceremony' pointing further down a path. There are two chairs and some picnic tables. We should make it to harpers ferry tomorrow evening. Occupy has some friends coming to pick us up at the take out location. I'm going to sleep now. It's actually kinda hot tonight. I'm in my tent sweating. Hopefully it'll cool down some. Good night!
Date: 2013-06-20
From: Harpers Ferry, WV

To: Washington, DC
Miles today: 0.0

Yesterday, I parted ways with Occupy. He went back to the beginning of the Shenandoahs to hike them. I am counting the aqua-blazing as my miles. Most thru hikers don't go back and hike after canoeing. He said he was going to hike crazy miles to catch up. I have no idea when I'll see him again. For those of you who were wondering if there was anything romantic going on between us, out friendship was strictly platonic. I don't think we would be very compatible romantically. He's 37, divorced, and although some would say he looks like Hugh Jackman, he's just not my type. I really enjoyed his company, and hope we cross paths again further down the trail.I'm on a train right now heading to Washington, DC. I met a girl named Puppy yesterday. She's from Switzerland and wants to get her visa so she can finish the trail. She is only allowed to stay in the US for 3 months if she doesn't get one. This spontaneous trip came out last night at the shelter. I have no idea where we are going once we get off the train. We need to find the Swiss embassy. I will probably hike around by myself while she takes care of her stuff. It'll be a little strange walking around DC with my pack on. Good thing I had a shower 2 days ago and did laundry 3 days ago. I shouldn't smell too bad. Puppy is pretty cool. She is 21 years old. Her and Looney Lady came over to the US together. Looney Lady has hooked up with a guy named Hand Me Down. I first hiked with him back in 2010 during my first section hike. He's thru hiking it again. They almost came with us, but didn't want to wake up at 3:30am. We left the shelter at 4am this morning to hike 4 miles (in the dark) to a park where we caught a ride to the train station. The last train leaves Harpers Ferry at 6:50. We didn't want to miss it. I have a feeling today is going to be awesome! If she gets her visa, then I may have found a new hiking partner! I should tell you, she's a lesbian. But not the boyish kind. I told her I am a Christian, and don't think homosexuality is right. She was curious what the Bible said about it. She's never really read it before. I explained the story of Sodom and Gomorrah. Also about what the Bible says about marriage. She was really interested in the info. I'll start praying to see what else God wants me to share. I believe God is placing these people in my path for specific reasons. It's really cool how quickly I left one person behind and almost immediately found another. That's what happens when you walk by faith, and not by sight. :-)
Date: 2013-06-20
From: Washington, DC

To: Harpers Ferry, WV
Miles today: 0.0

I had so much fun in DC today! Unfortunately, Puppy was not able to get her visa. We think she might be able to leave the country and come back in for another 2 months. We may rent a car in NY and drive to Canada for a day. We could go eat lunch in Canada, and then return to the trail the same day. I'm not sure if I want to go or not. I'm just gonna play it by ear for now. When Puppy and I returned to Harpers Ferry this evening, a guy I had met that morning at the station was returning too. He and I had chatted about the trail a bit before we left for DC. He asked how our day went. Then he invited us to stay at his home for the night. He said he could drive us to the trail in the morning. It saved us from spending another $15 on a shuttle AND we got to shower and sleep in a bed!His name is Russell and his wife is Lorraine. They cooked us a delicious dinner. Before eating, I asked if they would mind if I said the blessing. They said they are Christians and loved the offer. We sat out on the patio and talked about a lot of things. I don't really know how we got on the subject, but I ended up sharing my testimony with everybody. I felt the Spirit prompting me to tell him in particular about my struggles and how I overcame them. I even shared my story about how God basically told me to hike the trail.I could tell he was really moved by my story. I even saw him wipe a tear away. Later that night, Puppy and I were talking to him outside under the night sky. He shared how he wanted to hike. Puppy invited him to hike a short section with us. He said he was worried that if he started to hike, he probably wouldn't come back. Then, he opened up to us and said how he was at a really scary place in his life and walking away from everything was very appealing. Apparently, he has a doctors appointment tomorrow afternoon to have some tests. He didn't say what was wrong, but he said he didn't think he was going to live much longer. He kept talking about how he didn't know how many more summers he'd get to see. In other words, he may not get to hike next year because he may not be alive. I immediately felt God tell me to pray with him on the patio. And I'm kicking myself for ignoring His prompting. I thought he might think I was weird for asking to pray. But at the same time he essentially asked us to keep him in our thoughts tomorrow. If I have the opportunity to pray with him tomorrow before leaving for the trail then I will do it.
Date: 2013-06-21
From: Delgren State Park

To: Rocky Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 0.0

I did have an opportunity to pray with Russell before parting ways this morning. I'm glad I did. I thought about him a lot today, especially during the time that I knew he was at the doctor's office. I hope things went well for him.Today is the first day of summer. It is also known as 'hike naked' day! I saw 3 people butt naked hiking. A girl named Hugs, and two guys named Hand Me Down and Sergeant. I was surprised at how many Boy Scout and summer camp groups were out on the trail today. It was kind of amusing when they saw a naked hiker. I passed one group heading SOBO, and warned them that there were a couple naked people behind me on the trail. The leader told the kids "there are some more people celebrating the summer solstice ahead of us. Remember what we talked about." There is a Girl Scout troop camping at the shelter I'm at tonight. When HMD rolled into the shelter he said he could hear them all talking about him. They were trying to figure out why he was naked lol!I saw some wild turkeys on the trail today. One of them had babies. The momma was huge! They ran off the trail when they saw me.
Date: 2013-06-23
From: Rocky Mountain Shelter

To: Quarry Gap Shelter
Miles today: 5.6

I was originally planning on doing 20 miles today. But when I woke up this morning I felt really sick. My head hurts, the glands in my neck are swollen and tender, my whole body hurts and I'm extremely lethargic. I stopped at Caledonia park after about 4 miles. There was a concession stand there. I got a cheeseburger, fries, and 2 scoops of birthday cake ice cream (my favorite!). While I was sitting on a bench eating my ice cream, an older couple approached me and asked about my hike.They invited me to join them at their picnic table. They had extra food. That's all the motivation I needed. Their daughter and her husband and kids were meeting them there. It was really nice chatting with them. They had a ton of fresh fruit. That's one of the foods I find myself missing the most on the trail. Most people are fascinated by hikers. I can sit anywhere with my pack and complete strangers (usually old people) will come up and ask me all kinds of questions. Here are some of the most common questions I get asked:Are you by yourself? YESAren't you scared? NODo you carry a gun/weapon? NO, IT'S TOO MUCH WEIGHTWhat about the guys, aren't you worried they might hurt you? I GO SEVERAL DAYS WITHOUT BATHING. EVEN I WOULDN'T WANT TO RAPE ME!How will you get home after you finish? I'M PROBABLY JUST GOING TO WALK BACK. Then I smile because they usually believe me. JUST KIDDING, I'M GOING TO FLY.Where do you go to the bathroom? IN THE PRIVY, OR THE WOODS.Do you carry toilet paper? NO, I JUST DO LIKE MOST ANIMALS DO AND DRAG MY BUTT ON THE GROUND WHEN I FINISH. They usually get a kick out of that answer!After leaving the park, I went another 3 miles to the next shelter. I laid out my sleeping pad and pulled my silk liner over me. It felt so good to sleep. I took some DayQuil that was left over from the last time I was sick. I'm really hoping I feel better tomorrow. Tomorrow, I get to do the half gallon challenge. When hikers reach the halfway point on the AT they celebrate by eating a half gallon of ice cream all at once. This will be my only chance in life to eat that much ice cream, guilt free. I just have to hike 17 miles to get there tomorrow.
Date: 2013-06-24
From: Quarry Gap Shelter

To: Ironmasters Mansion Hostel
Miles today: 17.0

I'm staying at a really cool hostel tonight in Gardners, PA. It's called Ironmasters Mansion. It is an old mansion built in 1829. There is an old basement with a trap door where slaves hid during the Underground Railroad. Yesterday and today I was really sick. I only hiked 5.6 yesterday. As soon as I got to the shelter I put out my sleeping pad and laid down. I thought I was coming down with strep throat. I knew I needed to see a doctor today. So I hiked 17 miles to Pine Grove Furnace State Park. I also passed the halfway marker on the trail WOOHOO! It's a tradition to eat a half gallon of ice cream after completing half the trail. So I got to the park, bought a diet coke and a half gallon of vanilla ice cream, sat down with the other hikers, and started the timer. After 30 minutes I was about halfway done. Then I hit a wall. The last 30 minutes I struggled. I ended up throwing in the spoon after consuming 2/3rds of the container. I was so disappointed in my performance. I've been looking forward to this moment for a long time. It sucked that I couldn't finish. One of the guys ate his in 7.5 minutes!!! That's insane!There was a park ranger nearby watching us. I asked him if there was an urgent care or doctors office nearby. He helped me find one and called one if his buddies to give me a ride. Scott showed up and gave me a ride. He was so nice. He even took me to the pharmacy after to get my meds. Then he offered to drive me to the store to get my resupply food. I tried to pay him but he refused to accept money. So I insisted he let me buy him dinner. So we went to subway. He dropped me off back at the hostel. On my way into the park, I almost stepped on a rattlesnake! It was right on the trail. I didn't see it until my foot was inches away. I jumped about 3 feet in the air and screamed! It coiled up and was rattling away at me. I had to step off the trail to get around it. I threw some sticks at it to see if I could get it to move. But it only pissed him off more. So I just moved on.
Date: 2013-06-25
From: Ironmasters Mansion Hostel

To: Campsite
Miles today: 0.0

I am laying in my tent right now. It is raining tonight. It was a gorgeous weather all day up until now. I'm camping with a guy I met 2 nights ago at a shelter when I was first sick. His name is Homebrew because he makes his own beer at home. I think he's 27 and lives in Fairfax, VA. It looks really cool when a lightning bug lands on your tent. They keep landing on my rainfly. Their light looks kinda blue because my rainfly is blue. It lights up really bright when they first land. Then, almost immediately, it starts fading away. But there always seems to be a little dot of light that lingers for a while after. Anyways, I like hearing the rain pitter-patter on my tent. It lulls me to sleep. So, good night!
Date: 2013-06-26
From: Campsite

To: 1 mile before Darlington Shelter
Miles today: 0.0

I ate my way through the trail today. There were wild blueberries, blackberries, and mulberries everywhere! It was delicious :-)Today was nice until the last little bit when it rained. Rain at the end of your day is the worst because it means your clothes will still be wet in the morning. Oh well...at least I'll be in town tomorrow. I have to stop in Duncannon, PA to get a mail drop. I'm hoping it'll be there tomorrow. I may have to wait until the next day. I sent home my sleeping bag today. It's been pretty warm lately. I still have my silk liner if I get chilly.Homebrew got off the trail today. His step father has been very I'll and they don't think he's gonna make it through the night. I'm not sure when I'll see him again. There are some other people camping at this clearing I'm at. They are in their tent watching a movie on their phone. They said they usually do that the night before heading into town. It doesn't matter if your phone is almost dead if you know you can charge it the next day. It's almost hiker midnight (9pm). Out here you can't help but go to bed and wake up with the sun. Once the sun goes down there's nothing else to do! Nobody really has the energy to make a fire because they spent their whole day hiking. Headlamps only make the bugs fly in your face. So usually people just go to sleep. Which is what I'm going to do now. Good night!