morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2011-05-07
From: US 250, Rockfish Gap, Waynesboro

To: 2.2 miles S. of Black Rock Gap
Miles today: 17.0

Slept in until 7:15am. Went to eat breakfast in the hotel lobby. They had a waffle machine, so I made one and had biscuits and gravy and coffee. Back to the room and I emailed 3 journals to my son Eric to post. Then packed my gear and headed out to the road to hitch a ride. After walking with my thumb out for about 20 minutes I got a ride. He was a carpenter in town visiting his girlfriend. She likes garage sales so he was here early in the am and was now heading home. He dropped me off near the trail and off I went. It was a late start...11:38am. The first 5 miles of the Shenandoah Park was no picnic! No switchbacks at all for the first two climbs. It was straight up, I could almost stick my tongue out and taste the dirt. I thought the park was supposed to have well graded trails! Well turns out I wasn't officially in the park yet. Once I was the trail was well graded. You still huff and puff up the hills but they are doable without resting every 50 yards. I saw a few day hikers but not too many backpackers. I did get some trail magic. At the first road crossing I came to a person had left about a case of bottle water. Came at a good time. I slugged one down and moved on. The day started sunny but soon became cloudy with temps in the 60's-70's. Light rain started as I set up camp about 6:30pm. A good start to the Shenandoah National Park!
Date: 2011-05-09
From: Little Roundtop Mtn.

To: Big Meadow Campground
Miles today: 22.8
Weather: clear sky

Woke to a bright sunny day. I don't think it got out of the 60's today...a great day to hike! Early on I met SCAVENGER and AMISH. They have been hiking together for a while now. He is in his twenties and is from Germany. He and AMISH plan to do 33 miles today! My first goal of the day was to get to the Lewis Campground area. They have a camp store there. I got there around 3:00PM and quickly scouted out the store to see what I could eat for lunch. I ended up getting a pint of potato salad, ham and cheese sandwich, Gatorade and a ice cream drumstick. The person running the store thru-hiked about 40 years ago...it was a lot harder then he said. They didn't have freeze dried foods and other lightweight foods. He can't eat baked beans any more. It was his staple while on the trail. Also had a cup of coffee to top off the meal. As I was eating SCAVENGER showed up minus AMISH. She decided not to stop here and moved on the the next shelter for lunch. I also met a young man who recently got out of the army. He was last stationed over in Afghanistan and had hiked much taller mountains carrying a lot more gear. He started a few days ago and was going to hike as long as his money lasted. I got back on the trail energized. I ended up hiking almost 23 miles. Got to Big Meadows Campground around 7:30pm. I hit the soda machine first and got an Orange Crush. Then I went and picked out a campsite and paid my camp fee. Then it is a quick dinner of mac & cheese. Next on the agenda was a shower. One dollar got you 5 minutes of water...it felt great. I used the handicapped shower since they also had bathroom facilities in the shower area. There I had a paper towel machine that I could use to dry off with and a hand soap to shower with. Once out of the shower I go over to do laundry. I do not get in my sleeping bag until 10:30pm way past my bedtime. It has been a tiring 3 days since leaving Waynesboro. I plan to hike a little over 17 miles to the next town of Luray, VA tomorrow. I need some civilization to get revitalized. The climbs are starting to get to me! I did see more deer today! No bears which is fine with me. I try to make a lot of noise as I am hiking so I don't surprise one on the trail!
Date: 2011-05-10
From: Big Meadow Campground

To: Thornton Gap, US 211, Luray, VA
Miles today: 17.6

It was a cold night again. I have a 15 degree sleeping bag but I had to put on my wind jacket in the middle of the night to stay warm. The degree a sleeping bag is not what you are comfortable in but what temperature you could survive in. I packed up and left camp at about 8:30AM. While I was eating breakfast I could see deer walking through the campground. The day was partly cloudy, high again in the 60's- low 70's. A nice day for a hike. I pasted LLAMA LEGS at about 11:30am. He is hiking with the young guys AVATAR, FIN, COLOGNE & NOCELLO.   He is 18 years old and graduated HS a semester early. I guess hiking the trail was his graduation gift. He said the guys were meeting for lunch at the Skyline dinning room. It is just off the AT and is next to the Skyline Lodge. This is one of the benefits of hiking in a national park! I wasn't planning to stop but why not. Had a cheeseburger and fries with unlimited amount of Pepsi. They seated us away from the regular customers...we didn't smell like spring flowers. After lunch I headed out first. The hike today had both ups and downs but it was very rocky. My right foot has been bothering me since Waynesboro. The rocks made it worst. Even after having 12 ibuprofen (Vitamin I) during the day the pain persisted. I decided I would get off at the next trail town for some rest. Over the last 4 days I have hiked 79 miles and have now gone over the 300 mile mark for my hike this year. Only 81 miles to go. I am confident I can do this in 5 days and complete my goal of getting to Harper's Ferry, West Virginia. Arrived at Thornton Gap...US 220 at a little after 5:00pm. The town of Luray was 8 miles away after 10 minutes I got a ride. Jesse picked me up. He is 45, married with 3 kids, all out of the household. He works for the State of Virginia as a building inspector. Jesse said he would take me into town but wanted to go by his house to get his pickup. He has a beautiful place. He did a lot of the work himself along with his wife. Two neighbor kids about 11 came over to ride his 4 wheelers. He told them to hop in his truck first to take me into town. Off we go. As we were driving I mentioned staying at the Budget Inn. One of the kids piped up and said they call it the "roach motel" Jesse instead took me to the Cardinal Inn. I good choice. Jesse is truly a trail angel. He has picked up other hikers in the past. After checking in and showering I went up town for dinner. Had Mexican food...pretty good. Plan to zero tomorrow to rest my foot and get ready for the final push.
Date: 2011-05-11
From: Thornton Gap, US 211, Luray, VA

To: Thornton Gap, US 221, Luray
Miles today: 0.0

Woke up about at 6:15am and went to the gas station next door for a large cup of coffee. A group of old timers were gathered having their morning coffee together. Luray has a nice small town atmosphere. Kids playing in their yards and people sitting on porches in the evening. It was founded in 1825 so it has a lot of history.I drank my coffee watching Morning Joe, my favorite show. Great political discussion with both conservative and liberal viewpoints. While watching the show I made my to do list. 1). Library to send my journal updates to Eric. 2) Check on travel options to get from Harper's Ferry to Washington D C Dulles Airport. I am still working on this. 3) Get supplies for my last 5 days of hiking.Next I went next door to a little cafe for breakfast, pancakes, eggs and sausage. Then down to the library through town including the quaint historic district. A lot of nice cafes and shops. Past the train station, Amtrack runs through town. Got back to the room around 2:00pm. Took a nap the watched some TV. I went back to the cafe for diner then back to the room to break down my supplies and reading my pack for a 7:30am departure.My foot feels better today even though it is still swollen. Hope it holds up for the last 80 miles. I have plenty of Vitamin I to deal with my foot! Weather should be interesting. Thursday is supposed to be nice then the next 4 days has rain and thunder showers in the forcast.
Date: 2011-05-13
From: Tom Floyd Wayside

To: Dick's Dome Shelter
Miles today: 18.2
Weather: overcast clouds

Woke up around 3:00AM to the sound of rain on my tent. It rained on and off until I got up at 7:30AM. Luckily the rain had stopped while I packed up my gear. As soon as I left the shelter it began to rain hard with thunder rolling through the mountains. I remembered a saying an ex-coworker Stevie P. would say in this situation, "man up". So I did. It rained hard for about 3 hours straight. My journey is close to an end so the incentive was there to just do miles. I reached a shelter around 12:30PM and the rain had finally let up. I changed shirts and tried to dry out my winidshirt. I ate some lunch as two section hikers going southbound showed up. One had section hiked the whole trail. The other had done quite a few sections. The one who had done the entire trail had just recently had a hip replacement. This was a real test for it and it was holding up well. Got to Dick's Dome Shelter and was hoping I would be alone or that it was not crowded. It is a small shelter holding only 4. I normally do not like sleeping in a shelter but I really didn't want to set my tent up in the rain. Turns out two retired guys like me were already there. Their trail names are DUCKY and DANCES WITH ROCKS. They are next door neighbors out doing a 30 day section hike. Nice guys, both were HR executives so we had a lot in common. Then about 7:30PM just as I was airing up my mattress 3 more hikers arrived. Since it was only a 4 person shelter I volunteered to tent. I would prefer that to being packed like a sardine in the shelter. I need my space so I opt for my damp tent. It continues to rain likely into the evening. But I am much happier in my tent. I plan to do about 20 miles tomorrow and spend the night at the Bears Den Hostel.
Date: 2011-05-15
From: Bears Den Rocks, Bears Den Hostel 

To: ATC side trail, Harper's Valley WV
Miles today: 19.7

This is it my last day on the trail. I wake up at 6:15AM and go upstairs to make some coffee. PICADOR was already up and was making a pot. PEANUTS was the third to awaken. We three sat in th dinning room eating bagels. After breakfast I packed up and said goodbye to my host HOPEFUL. She and her husband REDWING manage the hostel. REDWING thru-hiked in 1999 then married HOPEFUL. They thru-hiked together in 2005. Now they have two chidren ages 4 and 1 1/2. Great people! I am out the door at 8:30AM. It is partly cloudy and humid. I finish the "roller coaster" around 10:00AM. The terrain from there on was fairly easy except rocky in spots. I stopped at the last shelter before Harper's Ferry for lunch and water. There at the shelter was AMISH and SKIPPY.   SKIPPY is from the Boston area and was born in Brazil. He is in his early twenties. He has taken some time off from his job to thru-hike the AT. After taking a break and getting water I am off to Harper's Ferry. About 2 hours from my destination it begins to look like rain. I pass a father and son day hiking. The dad is looking at his smart phone. It has the local radar on it. He said it is showing a lot of red and yellows...heavy rain! I put my pack down and get out my rain gear and hike on. It begins to pour and thunder rumbled but I did not see any lightening. The trail quickly became a stream but the goal was within reach. About 1.5 miles from the finish PEANUTS comes flying down the trail. She wants to get to the AT Conservatory center before it closes. The center gets your photo and registers you as getting to the half-way point. She plans to head out in the AM before it opens. I get to the AT Conservatory center right at 5:00PM closing time and see PEANUTS there....she made it. I told the representative I would come by tomorrow and make tracks for the Comfort Inn. I change my flight to 5/17 and arrange a shuttle. Tomorrow I will tour th historic Harper's Ferry. A great finish to a terrific adventure. I'll do a post entry when I get home giving my overall thoughts on this years trip. Thanks again for all the support you have given me! The emails and guestbook entries really helped to keep me motivated!
Date: 2011-04-18
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Twenty-six. That is the number of days that remain until I will hop into my parents¢ van and make my way to Georgia so my dream of hiking the Appalachian Trail can begin. When I tell people about my plan to try and walk the entire 2,200 miles from Georgia to Maine, the first thing they ask is, generally, "You're not going by yourself, are you?" The answer to that question is, no. About a year ago after reading Just Passin¢ Through (a wonderful Christmas gift from my sister Molly), I was reminded of my childhood dream of thru-hiking the entire Appalachian Trail. I subsequently recruited my roommate and good friend Travis Pernsteiner, who (he admits it) hadn¢t a clue what he was getting himself into. After committing to starting my hike after graduation from the University of Wisconsin ¢ La Crosse, I began to devour all of the information I could find about the Trail. I read books, journals, and articles and spent hours skimming forums on Whiteblaze.net, a thru-hikers forum. I feverishly researched all of the equipment I would need ¢ backpacks, headlamps, shoes, water purification and drinking systems, trekking poles, clothing, and sleeping systems. When I finally purchased my first piece of gear, a Tarptent Squall 2, the reality of what I would be attempting to do set in. That was in September of 2010. It is now much closer to the date of our departure, and I am getting more and more excited every day. There is still so much to do before I leave ¢ move out of my apartment, college graduation, getting my finances in order, and preparing myself physically and mentally to leave my friends, family and the comforts of home. The success rate for those attempting to walk the entire distance from Springer Mountain in Georgia to Mount Khatadin in Maine is only 15%. So, while I remain optimistic about my abilities, the reality is that most people fail. I have been telling myself that all I can do is try and that no matter what happens, as long as I give it all I have, I will be happy.
Date: 2011-04-22
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Today was a good day. Travis and I woke up early this morning, loaded our packs full of gear, and set off on our first shake-down hike of the year. For those of you unfamiliar with what a "shake-down" is, a shake-down is a trial run using the same set of gear that will be used during a thru-hike. The goal of this particular shake-down was to test the size and capacity of our backpacks, ensure our homemade stove performed well in an outdoor setting (we made organic mac & cheese with salmon and chili powder), and eliminate or adjust any unnecessary gear in our packs. Despite the fact that the weather in La Crosse, Wisconsin is less than optimal (High 40's, rainy, and windy), our test-run was a complete success. In the next few days Travis and I will be further adjusting and refining our gear, with the goal of minimizing the weight we have to carry and still remaining comfortable. Only 22 days left!
Date: 2011-05-04
To: Graduation
Miles today: 0.0

Wow. The countdown is at 10 days. Ten days until I graduate and depart on the trip of a lifetime. There are so many emotions going on in my head that I sometimes don't know what to do. I'm excited and scared to test my physical and mental limits, I am sad to leave the friends and family that have been such a large part of my life, and I am nervous because I don't know if I'll be able to finish the rest of my papers and get everything ready in time for the trip. Will my gear hold up? Will I get sick of Travis? Will I miss the comforts of home too much? I don't really know the answer but I cant wait to find out. Dreams only stay dreams if you let them.
Date: 2011-05-14
From: La Crosse

To: Springer
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

In a few hours Travis and I will load up my parent's van and begin the long haul towards the trailhead in Georgia. Many months of preparation and hours of training are all coming together. Some photos of our gear and food preparations can be seen on my hiking companions blog: http://travisap13.blogspot.com/2011/05/appalachian-trail-preparation.html Weather and driving conditions permitting, we will begin the long trek north on Monday May, 16th. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we take off on our adventure.
Date: 2011-05-15
From: Amicalola Falls State Park

To: Springer
Miles today: 8.8
Weather: overcast clouds

Woke up on the van after driving all night. We got to Amicalola around 2, packed up and said goodbyes. The first mile of trail was beautiful, right next to a creek and waterfall but it consisted of more than 500 steps. We walked up to the Southern Terminus at Springer Mtn. and bedded down at Springer shelter. Travis and I played Cribbage and chatted with a portly Georgian by the name John, who had a dip in his mouth and complained about how much he had overpacked. Nice guy, but im glad I didn't lug 50lbs up those mtns
Date: 2011-05-16
From: Springer

To: Gooch Gap
Miles today: 15.1
Weather: light rain

Tough day today, lots of climbs but it felt really great to finish. My heels were starting to bother me a bit and I may have the beginnings of a blister. The shelter is full tonight, with people and mice poo (that last bit is for my mother ) The weather has been a cold and misty for the last two days but we have managed to stay dry. Time to tuck in for the night, tomorrow is another 15 miles.
Date: 2011-05-17
From: Gooch Gap

To: Neels Gap
Miles today: 15.6
Weather: scattered clouds

The sun came out this afternoon and instantly recharged our batteries. Before heading up Blood Mountain (the highest point on the trail in GA) we sat by a small creek and enjoyed a lunch of pita pockets, hummus, salami and cheese. Due to the amount of cloud cover and our high elevation, the view at the summit of Blood Mtn was non-existent. Our tired feet did not care so we carried on to Neels Gap, the location of the famous Mountain Crossing store and hostel. The store was great but the hostel was an absolute dump. The hot shower was about the only good part of that hostel.
Date: 2011-05-18
From: Neels Gap

To: Blue Mountain
Miles today: 18.0
Weather: overcast clouds

We managed a little over 18 miles today and felt quite sluggish in the afternoon. While sitting on a log and enjoying the sun, Travis whipped out his jar of peanut butter and his container of honey and combined the two on the end of a spoon. While this may seem trivial to many of you, as a hiker who had run out of energy this was exactly the caloric boost we needed (about 600 of them ). At the shelter tonight are an older section hiker and his dog, a thru-hiker by the name of Chow-bear, and two college guys carrying a sac of potatoes, carrots, and loads of canned food. My back hurts just thinking about carrying that much. After dinner we took out the cribbage board (thank you Laura) and grabbed the little flask of whiskey we had been saving and enjoyed a quiet evening on the top of Blue Mtn.
Date: 2011-05-19
From: Blue Mountain

To: Deep Gap
Miles today: 15.7
Weather: overcast clouds

We were the first hikers out of camp today, which was our goal and we had a great start. Blue skies and sunshine made the ups and downs a lot easier. My knees and feet have been a little sore but the load is getting lighter and we are hiking smarter. At the shelter we got out trailnames today. Mine is Samwise and Trav's is Frodo. If you have read Lord of The Rings it makes sense. Two friends on a quest to Mt. Katahdin (or Mt. Doom) and travis actually purchased a replica of "the one ring" before we left and has been wearing it around his neck. I got to be Sam because I am the bigger of us and happen to have red hair
Date: 2011-05-20
From: Deep Gap

To: Plum Orchard Shelter
Miles today: 8.0
Weather: scattered clouds

We got up early and knocked out a quick 3.5 miles to Dick's Creek Gap. There we were able to hitch a ride into Hiawassee, Ga where we planned on resupplying for the next few days. Spent the first hour or so at the library, checking e-mails, updating my journal and calling loved ones. Groceries were acquired and it became time to get some lunch. A tasty Rye ale and some fantastic BBQ were on the menu. We got back on the trail via a women in her 70's who kept eating Cheese-its and picking them out of her teeth while driving a jeep that looked like it had seen better days. At the shelter tonight we were joined by Raven and Peach Tree, an guy we have been calling camo cubed, and a kid right out of highschool that we dubbed chopstix.
Date: 2011-05-21
From: Plum Orchard Shelter

To: Beech Gap
Miles today: 16.6
Weather: broken clouds

Man o' man it was hot today! No more cold spell in Georgia. Travis and I generally go to bed when it gets dark and wake up with the sun. It feels very natural to live that way but unfortunately when you are the first hikers on the trail in the morning you run into a large quantity of spider webs. In this case the early bird does not get the worm but does get ravaged in the face with a multitude of arachnid threads. At about 9:30 (about because we don't have a watch) this morning we crossed the GA/NC state line and a feeling of accomplishment crept over both of us. We ended up doing about 17 tough miles and pitched our tent at Beech Gap. I am going to sleep well tonight
Date: 2011-05-22
From: Beech Gap

To: Franklin, NC
Miles today: 19.1
Weather: clear sky

We hit 100 miles today and it felt great! Only 2,178 more to go ha ha. It was also our longest day yet at a little under 20 miles. We stopped for lunch with fellow Thru-hiker Caboose and his father Papa Nuke. The last 9 miles after lunch were hard going and I quickly found myself almost out of water but the trail has a way of providing for hikers and we got to the next spring quickly. There we were fortunate enough to meet two older section-hikers, Pathfinder & hafphast. They found out we were trying to get to Maine and offered us a ride into town, which was a blessing. Once in town we ordered an 18" bacon, spinach, mushroom, and red onion pizza, grabbed some cold brews and a half gallon of moose tracks ice cream. Combine the food with a harry potter marathon and 2 showers and you have yourself some happy hikers
Date: 2011-05-23
From: Franklin, NC

To: Wayah Shelter
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: scattered clouds

For breakfast this morning Travis and I split an entire box of cerial, a carton of OJ, and 1.5 bananas a piece. Spent some time working out the logistics for our next few days and I went to the outfitter for some insoles and a few ounces of fuel. The errands meant we left town a little later than we would have liked but we were able to hitch a ride with a plump women who had the kind of demeanor that just makes you smile. After all of the food we ate I felt a bit sluggish but we did the 11 miles to the shelter and met our friends Papa Nuke and Caboose. Also with us tonight are the overly pierced Longjohn and the strangely names Serin. The entertainment for the night was watching Serin try to hang his food and a game of cribbage, which Travis won (I think he cheated).
Date: 2011-05-24
From: Wayah Shelter

To: Rufus Morgen Shelter
Miles today: 15.5
Weather: scattered clouds

The highlight of the day was easily the peach cobbler muffins that we made for breakfast and second breakfast (first breakfast wasn't enough). My father lent me his Bakepacker, a pot insert for baking in a plastic bag, for the trip. While we were whipping up out Mayberry brand muffins, with a photo of Andie, Opie and Aunt B on the package, I though of my father. We are again with Papa Nuke and Caboose tonight, who have become friends, and we are tenting in a valley next to a stream. Hopefully the sound of the water will help me sleep.