morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2016-07-09
From: Dripping Rock / Tree Streets Inn in Waynesboro

To: Rockfish Gap / Stanimal's in Waynesboro
Miles today: 14.3
Weather: broken clouds

So I stayed the night at Tree Streets and Yellow Truck was coming to take me back to the spot where I left (Dripping Rock). And when he got me, who was in the cab?! STRAW AND ATLAS!We made a "hiker sandwich" in the front seat and excitedly filled each other in on what had happened since we last saw each other (they also were at the Pumchbowl Shelter the night of the Government Bear incident.) I was so happy to see them!They were going back to Rockfish and on to the first shelter in the Shenandoahs that night...20 miles ahead of where I'd be starting, at nearly 11:00 am, at Slippery Rock. I was hoping to catch them, but it was too hard / far / late. (I saw Bear #7! And another rattler on the trail!). My bee stings (wasp? Hornet?) were bothering me. And my foot arches hurt, probably from the stupidity of the rock scrambling race yesterday. So I got to Rockfish, shuttled to Stanimal's in Waynesboro, took a bunch of Benadryl, and was out like a light.
Date: 2016-07-10
From: Rockfish Gap / Stanimal's in Waynesboro

To: Blackrock Hut
Miles today: 23.1
Weather: broken clouds

11:40 am - tractor-seat Stonehenge in the Shenandoahs. Today I'm taking it slow and enjoying the hike. A stupid mistake this morning made me re-do miles to get my SNP permit, so I learned my lesson about rushing. I'm stopping to get berries for tomorrow's oatmeal! I also saw this incredible pink grasshopper (clarification from the interwebs: katydid). 8:30 pm - Today was a mileage best for me on the AT. And it wasn't on purpose! The first shelter was only 8 miles in, I couldn't stop there. I talked to Little Bear / Sibley and Bruiser. The next shelter was 13.2, and I knew I had that in me, so off I went.I played Hamilton for some extra gas, and yes, started crying when Eliza is singing the counting song at Philip's deathbed. The terrain here is PERFECT for me - well-groomed trails with almost no rocks! Mild inclines, meadow crossings. When it's flat, I can walk forever. I got here by 8 pm, with sunlight, and had my tent up and food bag hung by 8:30.And guess who I caught up with here?! Straw and Atlas!!!Walkmoore signed the log! He yellowblazed after Rice Field shelter. But what happened to Juju?
Date: 2016-07-11
From: Blackrock Hut

To: High Top Hut
Miles today: 22.4

12:30 pm - Loft Mountain Wayside (reminds me of that kids' book -Sideways Stories From Wayside School) - Blackberry milkshake! To be honest, not as good as MY berry milkshakes with real berries I picked on the trail, but good. And a pulled pork sandwich. Mmm....totally worth the side trip! And you can charge your phone!SO awesome that I reconnected with Atlas and Straw last night. Had breakfast with them (real berry oatmeal!). Then Straw and I hiked together while Atlas the wildebeest bounded ahead. Made an awful wrong turn up at Black Rock (how many Black Rocks are there on this trail?) where a pale blue blazed trail intersects. In the morning light, it looked like a white blaze.Pan, who was hiking ahead of us, made the same mistake. AND it was a steep incline. Easily added a mile to our day.Saw a bear cub! Bear tally: 8.And now I'm having a hot pretzel and coffee. When you can feed it, hiker hunger is awesome. Turns out, the shelter I skipped was a real sh*tshow. I've dodged two bad shelters so far!9:15 pm - Second night in a row of me coming into camp after 8 pm, singing Hamilton, meeting Straw and Atlas after an over-20 mile day! (and both with morning snafus / backtracking...can we NOT do that tomorrow?)
Date: 2016-07-12
From: High Top Hut

To: Bearfence Mountain Hut
Miles today: 12.4
Weather: broken clouds

7:15 pm - My heels started hurting almost immediately today. I had hoped to do another 20, but it quickly became apparent that I couldn't. Luckily Straw and Atlas were also interested in doing a shorter day - and it just started pouring, so a good day to be in a shelter early. We played Yu-Gi-Oh!, made Jello by "refrigerating" it in the spring....I soaked my feet for two 20-minute sessions in icy water. 9:15 pm - A lightning bug has made camp on my backpack, looking like a signal beacon. I'm falling asleep watching it.
Date: 2016-07-13
From: Bearfence Mountain Hut

To: Byrd's Nest #3 Hut
Miles today: 22.4

7:00 am - Bearfence Shelter - That was the best sleep I've had in a while. I stuffed clothes into the sleeping bag stuff sack to use as a pillow. No mice, no bears, just the 3 of us, I had a top bunk. 9:35 pm - Looking out of my tent, I can see the moon through the trees. Today we all met up at the wayside (tourist pit stops along the road with restaurants). Me, Straw, Atlas, Nightingale, and Cheshire. (Chili cheese fries! BBQ Pork! Bottomless coffee!). We started breaking into ridiculous laughter....the same case of the giggles that Pilgrim and I experienced last year with BBDA.I played Hamilton again to bust out the end miles and when I passed two hiking groups of school kids, two girls recognized it and one shouted out, "Hamilton rocks!"Tonight marks my 30th night on the trail for this trip. I'm already feeling sad about it ending.
Date: 2016-07-14
From: Byrd's Nest #3 Hut

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

2:15 - Wayside root beer float is orgasmic. 6 am this morning, awoke to some loud noise- folks yelling a bit. I assumed it was the Doobie Brothers being overly enthusiastic about their morning bowl and went back to bed. Turns out, they were yelling because there was a bear in camp! Bear tally: 9 and 10.Atlas and I played the food fantasy game for a while today...chocolate chip cookie dough was winning.Bear poop is *everywhere* on trail. Lots of wildlife in the Shenandoahs!Aaaand I just found my first attached tick. Eww! I think I just picked it up - it wasn't full of blood yet. I was easily able to remove it with tweezers. Circled and dated the bite. (should be fine - needs much longer attachment for Lyme disease).8:25 pm - Me and Atlas up in the bunks, Straw, a couple, and a German guy down below. It's raining, but not too hard. Please no mice tonight!
Date: 2016-07-15
From: Gravel Springs Hut

To: US 522 / Mountain Home Cabbin
Miles today: 13.7
Weather: broken clouds

10:30 pm - I sang "O Shenandoah...I'm going to leave you..." as I exited Shenandoah State Park today. There was such lovely flat hiking today! Atlas and I got oodles of "fuzzy berries" (wine berries) for breakfast tomorrow, I laundered, did a bunch of trail journal entries, toured the pre-Civil-War main house they're working on. Wow. Ate at Apple House, BBQ, apple donuts. Mmm.Learned the reason behind the extra B in Cabbin - they found the diary of a teenaged girl who lived here during the Civil War. She sometimes spelled it "cabbin." The history in this place is amazing - and it's one of the nicest hostels I've seen. We kept telling the owner it's too nice for hikers!
Date: 2016-07-16
From: US 522 / Mountain Home Cabbin

To: Manassas Gap Shelter 
Miles today: 9.9
Weather: scattered clouds

We came into this shelter for a brief food stop but then the sky exploded and it rained for hours, so in we stayed. Atlas and I were eager to try out our berry stash in the Jello....and boy, was that a culinary triumph. A day hiker / former thru-hiker named Sprocket came in from the rain as well, and regaled us with many stories and tips - including tips for me when I take on the PCT!Also a lot of really funny banter that just isn't fit for sharing on the Internet. ;-)
Date: 2016-07-17
From: Manassas Gap Shelter 

To: Sam Moore shelter
Miles today: 19.8
Weather: clear sky

8:50 pm - Lying in the tent is awesome! Oh tent, how I missed you. And finally to get a reprieve from the damn bugs. And I can hear the birds...and the burbling stream. Tonight it was my turn to make the Jello. I made strawberry Jello with dehydrated strawberries from Trader Joe's. I also learned that the blue bowl floats, which is handy. It chilled for 1 1/2 hours and was perfect. Atlas and I gobbled it down.A lot to write, but I'm just exhausted. Sprocket was here with trail magic breakfast: cans of V8, chocolate coconut water, raw honey, veggie bits, maple syrup, craisins, mushrooms (which Straw took - third time she's received mushrooms as trail magic!)We had a solid breakfast, which was great for a 20-mile day taking us into the roller coaster - 13.5 miles of "tightly packed ascents and descents" (thanks AWOL!). It's like 13 peaks, one after the other. Of course, the whole darn AT is like that, but here it's more compressed.Side Note: Beware cutely named bits of trail! They're just window dressing for the fact that that bit of trail is going to suck. Jacob's Ladder. Dragon's Tooth. The Roller Coaster.At lunch Atlas and I stopped at a shelter and hung out with PBS (remember him? I met him waaaay back before Damascus!), Xena, Rusty, and The Counsellor. PBS was so kind...he was going to go get water and offered to get mine too. He gave Atlas a bagel and us both peanut M&Ms and cheese. He said he'd gone grocery shopping drunk and bought too much food. :-)The climb today was ROUGH. At one point the "trail" was a path of loose rocks. It was so ridiculous I took a picture of it. I knew I'd need music to take my mind off the heat and strain, so I played the beginning of REM: The Complete Rarities 1982-1987. "Moon River" came on unexpectedly and made me swoon, but the best was actually "Tighten Up," which turns out is fantastic to dance-hike downhill to. Who knew?And then, of course, back to Hamilton."Hamilton faces an endless uphill climb..."
Date: 2016-07-18
From: Sam Moore shelter

To: Blackburn ATC Center
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Atlas and I originally came down to the Blackburn ATC for the free soda (and scored homemade chocolate chip muffins! Thank you Trailboss and Sandi!) but after we arrived it got really dark and it became obvious that another big thunderstorm was coming. So we decided to hunker down.(Sean! Briita! The coffee shop I'm in just started playing Of Monsters and Men, "Little Talks"! Oh man, I'm suddenly having Iceland flashbacks...in West Virginia. :-). )Sure enough, it POURED. Tons of lightning and thunder. And the trail was on the ridge. It pummeled everyone but us. We watched them all come in: Sudoku (High school Latin teacher!), Straw, Xena, The Counselor, and the short tripper couple from DC.We all decided to stay here tonight. A short day, but whatever we'll still make it into Harper's Ferry tomorrow. And Atlas and I are so lucky to have dry feet!Today we finished Virginia! A fourth of the whole trail is in Virginia. (Virginia Greens and Blues....Winston and the Telescreen)We also finished the godawful roller coaster!And we hit the 1,000 mile mark! Two summers, two sections, two sets of 500 miles. Two Proclaimers.I picked up my last resupply box at Bear's Den, which I didn't really need. Took out the Mountain Houses, left the tuna and cracker packets. Note to self: no tuna next year! Tomorrow we hit the psychological halfway point of the AT. They call it that because everyone celebrates Harper's Ferry as the halfway point, even though technically by miles the halfway point is in Pennsylvania. I should end up close. My goal for this trip was to make the PA border, and right now, I'm on track to make it. Of course, it's totally fine if I don't. But it would be awesome to end in the state where I spent a chunk of my childhood. And to have my college friend from Hopkins, Mr. Brian Gish, triumphantly collect me in the keystone state that is his home and love!
Date: 2016-07-20
From: Apoalachian Trail Conservancy / Teahorse Hostel 

To: Ashburn, VA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

We had waffles then headed to the Guide Shack Cafe, a new coffee shop that opened up 3 months ago and supports veterans. I stayed with the packs and drank a lot of coffee (like it chilled? Try the Chili Dog!). I also got "Magic Beans" - chocolate covered coffee beans! Meanwhile, Straw and Atlas hit the ATC.Straw's amazing brother-in-law then picked us up and took us on errands - REI (finally! I got a headlamp that doesn't suck! With the red light feature!), and the grocery store, where Straw and Atlas resupplied and I bought ingredients for baked mac and cheese (the same dish I made for Pilgrim last year on our zero day, the same dish I make for all my classes at the end of the quarter), as well as ingredients for Tanya's watermelon-mint-feta salad.Atlas made berry pie!We watched Guardians of the Galaxy (the soundtrack of the AT for me and Pilgrim last year!) followed by Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Huzzah! I cheered when the AT-AT Walker appeared. At one point I was sort of absent-mindedly saying the dialogue and Straw asked,"How many times have you seen this?!!"Then Kelly brought home two cooked chickens which we devoured. What a lovely relaxing zero!Everyone, stop being so nice! You're making it even harder to leave!Seriously, Dan and Kelly, you're the hostesses with the mostesses. Thank you.
Date: 2016-07-21
From: Ashburn, VA / ATC

To: Dahlgren Backpack Campground
Miles today: 17.3
Weather: moderate rain

Dan made us pancakes this morning, which we are covered in Atlas's leftover pie filling and crumbled hamburger.Atlas slept on the couch and Straw and I took the floor. I was so comfortable...the soft carpeting, the lack of mouse poop and snoring...it was perfect. And a belly FULL of food! Dan dropped us back at the ATC and I heard someone call out, "AT-AT Walker!!" It was Friendly Nate! He'd changed his hair (no more Mohawk) and was all clean. He was coming back on trail with his trail family - Stitch, Dakini, and Delicious.I can't believe it's my penultimate night....-------During the hike today, I saw this lovely little snake, thin as a bracelet, black with an orange belly and a band of orange behind the head. Both Atlas and I held it. Later, we picked apples.Me: Today I held a snake and took a bite from an apple I picked from a tree. Do you think it means anything?Atlas: Avoid naked men.-----Other Fun Quotes----Straw: You're one of the family now. We usually serve guests first.-----Straw: I need a steak, and I need it to BLEED!-----Atlas: What would your Patronus be? Mine would be a hummingbird.Me: I don't know. Something aquatic?Atlas: I see you as an owl.Me: Why?Atlas: Because in kids' books, owls are always reading.(we eventually decided on a weedy sea dragon)
Date: 2016-07-23
From: Warner Gap Hollow

To: Old Forge Picnic Area
Miles today: 13.9
Weather: few clouds

11:40 am - Penmar. I'd love to see what this looked like back in the day when the amusement park was here. Will have to Google when I have time. We hit the first mess of rocks on the way here...preview of what's to come in Pennsylvania? The breeze here feels fantastic...wish we had it on the trail! There's a series of benches here at the overlook, we're all splayed out on our own benches, eating, talking, resting. One hiker ordered a pizza to be delivered here.Later - We crossed the Mason Dixon line and hiked into Pennsylvania! I've made my goal! Afterwards, we waited at a pavillion for a couple of hours. Atlas and I played our last game of Yu-Gi-Oh! He said such sweet things during our last hike together. For example, when we were discussing hikers who fell victim to the Virginia Blues.Me: I wonder how you guys escaped the Virginia Blues.Atlas: There were two of us. And there was you.When my college friend from Hopkins, Brian William Gish, arrived to pick me up from the trail, he drove up with the window down and food displayed, bearing the best that Pennsylvania can offer! Synder's Honey Mustard and Onion pretzel piees! Tastykake crumpets! Appalachian Root Beer!Atlas and Straw had never had any of it before. The three of us polished off the box of Tastykakes pretty much on contact. Then Gish was kind enough to drive us all to a nearby creamery for ice cream before we said goodbye. I hate goodbyes. Atlas used the term "mourning." It felt like that. 11:15 pm - Gish residence. I can't believe its over. I feel sad. Exhausted. Details later from the train!
Date: 2016-04-11
To: Food Prepping
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

I have been working for 3 months dehydrating foods like jerky and fruit rolls ups and preparing trail mixes. I bought tons of groceries. At least $1000 worth so far I think. During the month of April I have finally organized all my random meals into daily portions. So far, I am barely able to reach an estimated 2000 calories for each daily bag. So I'll need to start doubling portions and buying even more food! I have not planned out my stops yet and how much food I will need, so sometime this week I will start mapping that out. Today I completed my first 7 days worth of food. It feels really good and like my first official accomplishment.. Well second, buying all my gear was a big first step! this has all been a really exciting experience and I can't wait to post more! 24 more days till I hit the trail in West VA! I can't wait!! ??
Date: 2016-05-10
From: Mufasa's Workshop

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Hola! I am still at home. I was supposed to start the trail last Friday (4 days ago), and my date keeps getting pushed back. I have been busy, busy, busy! I FINALLY completed all my food prep. In total, I have put together 83 days worth of food. It was SO much work. It took me about 1-2 hours to fill each box of food.. which I am currently putting 7 days to a box - with 12 boxes in all. I am hoping that my hard work pays off out on the trail when it comes to being tempted to splurge in towns, also, I won't need to make grocery store runs - which means less hitchhiking and less time spent on not hiking and relaxing out on the trail.My parents have helped me out tremendously with expenses and caring for my cats, and now they are taking me to Harper's Ferry in the morning so I don't have to take 3 trains to get there. I AM SO EXCITED!The past couple days have been stressful. I've been up late working until 1-2am trying to get everything ready to go. Last night I packed my pack -way easier than expected. And I tried it on for the first time, I still have my water to add to it - which will be super heavy, but for now, it's not too heavy at all. This is VERY good. I thought for sure that I would have too much stuff. I LOVE my Osprey bag. It is adorable and functional, a great fit. Today, I am going through my boxes and reorganizing my food so that there's variety in my weekly meals. I have not eaten ramen or packaged soups since I was in my first year of college. I have a feeling I will get sick of it all REAL quick, so I am thankful to have this extra day to be able to organize my boxes to where I won't eat oatmeal 6 days in a row.I planned out all my drop box stops the other day. I have no clue if there's any accuracy, but I'll find out real soon.Also, I took a 2mi walk with my grandma, up and down my parent's hilly neighborhood. My hiking boots were no trouble to my pinky toes at all in my regular socks. So it must be the Moreno wool socks are too thick and causing them to rub. I will look for a Darn Tough runner socks out on the trail if my toes really bother me.I am still keeping up daily with my *Snog*. If you would like to follow me on Snapchat to take a glimpse into my life, go ahead and add me! Username = Saylind.vettloTomorrow is FINALLY my big big day! D-Day!! May 11th, 2016 - MY LIFE JOURNEY BEGINS. It is also my oldest sister's birthday, so now it is even more special. Wish me luck!!! See you tomorrow at Harper's Ferry my fellow AT hikers!! Eeeeeep! :DAs always:Remember who you are!
Date: 2016-05-11
From: DC, VA

To: Harpers Ferry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Oh my gosh!! We are on the way to Harper's Ferry, no turning back now. I am so excited! My dad and brother are in tow. We even have Geno with us. I hope to keep everyone updated as much as possible. Hopefully my service won't be too terrible.My pack weight at home weighed in at 45lbs.. I'm pretty proud of myself for keeping it way lighter than I thought I could. I also weigh in at 175 lbs :-O !! Hopefully that number will go down real fast out on the trail but I know not to expect it to. I am really looking forward to daily exercise and being surrounded by the beauty of nature. I have never weighed this much for so long (it's been a year now) I hope the trail whips me into shape and that there's no going back to an unhealthy lifestyle from here on out. I have done a great job blocking out worries and calming myself from fears and doubt so far. I've made sure to include plenty of treats in my boxes to make my trip just a tad easier and encouraging for myself. I'll hopefully journal tonight after my first day. Thank you to all the people who came into my life at just the right time. Thank you for all of your love and support. Thank you for your help. Thank you for getting me here and thank you for believing in me.Follow my SNOG on snapchat. Username: saylind.vettloHere's to 3 months in the wilderness!!Don't forget to:"Remember who you are."
Date: 2016-05-11
From: Harpers Ferry

To: Edward Garvey Shelter
Miles today: 13.0
Weather: clear sky

Today was a great day! I pushed myself harder than I planned but I got through it. My dad, my brother, and I started at Harper's Ferry. We took in the beautiful sites and started out on the trail. We got to the split from the trail that goes along the Potomac river, which then turns left over the railroad tracks and goes up the mountain. We read the map at this location incorrectly and saw that we only had 3 miles to get to the next stop. It was getting late and I wanted my brother and dad to make it to my first shelter stop on the AT. We decided we could make it if we hurried. We focused on getting there quickly and hiked through the pain and the pouring rain. We got to the stop 3 miles out and realized we had gone the wrong way! I was just so focused on making it that I didn't think to look for the white blazes. Thankfully, my brother took my 45lb backpack and hiked it back to the split for me. When I finally got there, we parted ways and I continued up the mountain for 3 more miles. The 6 mi detour was a pain, but the beautiful rain falling down all around us was so calming. I've always loved the rain. So my first day I ended up hiking 13 miles. I hiked for almost 7 hours. The last 3 miles of my journey on the trail, the rain stopped. As I entered the woods a giant Woody the Wppdpecker greeted me. Laugh all you want, but I've never seen a woodpecker that big before! Lol I also saw geese, a raccoon, and a turtle. At the shelter, I met Canbot and Hobbs, Virginia Tortoise and Ranger, Lucky Duck and 2 girls, and there was a big group of high schoolers from Ohio. Everyone was so nice and helpful. I was too tired to eat anything my first night. I just read some of my book and tried to pass out. My first night ever camping outdoors was a success! It wasn't easy though. The shelter floor is so hard, I couldn't get comfortable. I tossed and turned all night bc I was so sore. I did get some sleep and I woke up bright and early at 6am and hit the trail at 7am the next day.