morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2009-05-16
From: Harper's Creek Shelter

To: Paul C. Wolfe Shelter
Miles today: 22.0
Weather: overcast clouds

It sure is humid and, obviously, a nice weekend near summer because the day-hikers and boy scouts are everywhere! Don't mind seeing folks on the trail, of course, but it is strange after going so long only seeing one another or one or two other hikers a day.Started the day with another big climb for VA -- over 2000 feet in 4 miles of sheer uphill climbing. Heard a bird that sounded like an arcade game ... that was new.Got to the shelter by 7:15 only to find it packed with boy scout troops and weekenders. The scouts were kind enough to clear their stuff out, though, and give us space in the shelter. We didn't protest knowing that rain was, once again, predicted to come. And with all of the humidity in the air, we knew it would dump any minute. Sure enough, by 8:30, it was pouring down. I'm just glad the rain likes to fall at night while I'm sleeping and not while I'm hiking.Looking forward to a "nero" into Waynesboro tomorrow, especially after such a long push today.
Date: 2009-05-17
From: Paul C. Wolfe Shelter

To: Rockfish Gap, Waynesboro, VA
Miles today: 5.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Got to Rockfish Gap by 10am and immediately had a trail angel by the name of Marguerite offer to take us into town (which is about 3.5 miles away from the trail). Checked in at the Quality Inn, got a shower, did our laundry, had lunch and then holed up in the room watching TV for the rest of the day! I don't think I've watched that much TV in years. It was wonderful and brain-numbing all at the same time.It was nice to not walk all over town on our day off. Since we have to wait for the post office to open tomorrow before doing any other chores, it worked out well to just veg.Considering a zero here tomorrow, even though it wasn't planned, due to the forecasted COLD weather.Waynesboro is certainly as hiker-friendly as everyone says.
Date: 2009-05-18
From: Rockfish Gap, Waynesboro, VA

To: Waynesboro, VA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

Couldn't resist W-Boro and stayed for another night. Actually, the weather forecast helped us in our decision as it was to be record lows tonight, somewhere in the low 30s in town, which means high 20s in the mountains.Enjoyed a lot of goodies sent to us in maildrops today. Also, had the best AYCE Chinese buffet we've had at Ming Garden. A MUST for any thru-hiker. At $7 for lunch and an amazing selection of fresh fish and fruit plus all the sushi you can eat, definitely worth the stop.
Date: 2009-05-19
From: Rockfish Gap, Waynesboro, VA

To: Calf Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 7.3
Weather: clear sky

Got a late start out of town after a few hours at the library catching up on emails and what-not. Our trail angel, Marguerite, toted us around again. Gotta love trail angels!Ran into a group of college students taking a class about the AT and a former thru-hiker by the name of Habitual Hiker who has authored a couple of books about his hiking adventures.Dealing with a bit of an intestinal issue -- hoping it's not the big G!
Date: 2009-05-20
From: Calf Mountain Shelter

To: Pinefield Hut
Miles today: 26.9
Weather: clear sky

Well, went twice as far today as planned ... Got to our original destination early enough and decided we would go camp at Loft Mountain Campground (the first in Shenandoah National Park). Also heard there were some good blackberry shakes at the wayside.Unfortunately, got to the campground too late and decided best to push on to the next shelter. Made it just before dark. Of course, I practically was jogging down the trail to get there in time and may have given myself the beginnings of shin splints. Uh-oh, gotta watch out for those!Good news, though. We finally saw our first (and second!) bear today. The first one was running away from us in the woods but the second was standing right on the trail looking me straight in the eye. He (or she) stayed there long enough for us to get a good picture. I guess we didn't have to wait until New Jersey to see our first bear.
Date: 2009-05-21
From: Pinefield Hut

To: Bearfence Mountain Hut
Miles today: 20.6
Weather: clear sky

Another big day and another day of practically jogging down the trail when I got my eye set on the Lewis Mountain Campground campstore (to purchase ice cream). My book said it was open until 7pm and I was determined to make it. After speed-walking for over 5 miles, I pulled up to the campground at 6:30 to find out that it had closed at 6. Bummer. Not too sad but definitely pushed myself too hard and feeling that shin splint a little more.Tented with the new Henry Shires tent for the first time after arriving at the shelter to find a large group of "Fit Packers" out for about 2 weeks. Getting used to a tarp tent after having spent so much time in a self-standing Bibler.
Date: 2009-05-22
From: Bearfence Mountain Hut

To: Big Meadows Campground
Miles today: 8.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Even with minor shin splints, I am loving the Shenandoahs. Unlike her little sister, the Smokies, we've had great views and weather so far and "easy" terrain.Took it easy today as the leg really started to hurt. Got to the wayside in time for lunch: burgers and fries and a blackberry milkshake - everything a hiker could want. Resupplied at the campstore and then ran into some amazing trail magic. A couple of hikers (20,000+ miles between the two of them) by the names of Jojo and Nomad98 stopped by the picnic area to chat and offered us a spot at their campsite for our tent. Mind you, this is Memorial Day Weekend and the place is packed and fairly expensive for a site. Not only did they allow us to set up camp, but let us watch TV in their RV and cook our dinner on their stove. These two are truly amazing people with some amazing stories from all of their adventures. Jojo is also the president of ALDHA (Appalachian Long Distance Hikers Association).Enjoyed a lazy evening around the RV after our shower and laundry.
Date: 2009-05-23
From: Skyland Lodge

To: Big Meadows Campground
Miles today: 8.1
Weather: overcast clouds

The trail magic continues as Jojo and Nomad offer to take us to town for McDonald's and even to the outfitter for new shoes. It seemed about time to say goodbye to the old boots and hello to the new trailrunners. Nervous about wearing shoes instead of boots but excited to know what they're all about.Not only did they shuttle us to town but dropped us off to slack-pack back to the campground in order to break in the shoes and get a few easy miles done while still babying my shin splint. They even offered to let us slack-pack more tomorrow. Truly the best trail angels!Spent another night in the tent. Isn't the Bibler but getting more used to it.
Date: 2009-05-24
From: Big Meadows Campground

To: Pass Mountain Hut
Miles today: 9.5
Weather: overcast clouds

Jojo and Nomad dropped us off at Skyland Lodge, where we began our slack-pack yesterday and met us at Thornton Gap with our packs, giving us another 8 miles without packs.My leg is feeling so much better thanks to all of the pampering it received. It was definitely a smart move to take it slow, which we'll continue to do just to be safe over the next few days.Daniel said goodbye to his boots this morning as I tossed them into a dumpster -- a sad moment. Enjoying the new shoes, though, as they are noticeably lighter, like everyone says.Had some more trail magic at the shelter when former thru-hiker, 30-30, showed up at 5pm to cook us all dinner. Burgers, hot dogs, chips, salad, cookies and ice cream for dessert were all prepared for us. What a treat! It sure is true that you don't need more than 2 days worth of food at any point while going through SNP.
Date: 2009-05-25
From: Pass Mountain Hut

To: Gravel Spring Hut
Miles today: 13.1
Weather: light rain

Looking like rain in the morning but it held off until after dinner. But sure is humid and getting hotter. Enjoying easy terrain and a nice long break half-way through our day at the last wayside in the Shenandoahs.Stopped at Elkwallow Gap for lunch and cold drinks. Sat outside for over 3 hours just relaxing and catching up with our friends, Hot Sauce and Loon. We haven't seen Hot Sauce since Pearisburg and was happy to see her again. Grabbed a couple of beers for the trail and finished out our easy day.Going to take it slow to get to Harpers Ferry by Sunday since that's the first available night we could reserve at Town's Inn.
Date: 2009-05-26
From: Gravel Spring Hut

To: Tom Floyd Wayside
Miles today: 10.5
Weather: moderate rain

Woke up to rain and waited in the shelter until 9:45am hoping it would pass. Alas, it kept falling and we decided to just start walking. It drizzled all day and kept any views we may have had at bay. Oh well. One day of rain in SNP isn't so bad.Got to the shelter pretty early with such a short day. Enjoyed an afternoon cat-nap and some cards. Saw some old friends who showed up later in the day. I guess when you move this slowly, people are bound to catch up with you.Looking forward to stopping into Front Royal tomorrow for a resupply and some hot food. Already sick of the rain, even after one day!
Date: 2009-05-27
From: Tom Floyd Wayside

To: Molly Denton Shelter
Miles today: 8.1
Weather: overcast clouds

Spent the day in Front Royal, VA, eating pancakes, drinking coffee, reading the newspaper and buying books.Then, back into the woods only to find ourselves at one of the nicest shelters on the trail ... it even has a solar shower! (Unfortunately, it was a bit too cold and rainy to warrant a cold shower.) Met a few more thru-hikers: Doc, Com, Lulu and Ketchup.
Date: 2009-05-28
From: Molly Denton Shelter

To: Rod Hollow Shelter
Miles today: 18.3
Weather: broken clouds

Starting to smell the delicious fragrance of honeysuckle mixing with all of the other glorious smells that come with summer. Of course, it's also like an obstacle course out here: watching out for slick rocks, deer and wood ticks, poison ivy and stinging nettles!Caught back up to a couple of friends who had gotten ahead of us, Racheopod and Triple C. They even let us cram into the very full shelter next to them for the night. It was kind of like a slumber party ...Looking forward to a shower and some ice cream at Bear's Den tomorrow.
Date: 2009-05-29
From: Rod Hollow Shelter

To: Bear's Den Hostel
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: overcast clouds

A short day into the hostel that is located in an old castle! It was everything we could hope for and more.Almost beat the rain but not quite. About 30 minutes from our destination, the bottom fell out and we got drenched. Of course, I didn't mind too much since we were about to have a shower and do some laundry while eating a pint of Ben & Jerry's and a whole pizza.The place was great -- they even had "comfy clothes" hikers can wear while lounging around. Hopeful and Redwing were wonderful caretakers and helped us feel at home.
Date: 2009-05-30
From: Bear's Den Hostel

To: Blackburn Center
Miles today: 7.9
Weather: few clouds

Continuing our hostel-crawl, another short day to the ATC Blackburn Center. Enjoyed an amazing spaghetti dinner cooked up by the caretaker, Brian, for a dozen or so hikers. It was truly wonderful! Then, spent the night on the large, wrap-around, screened-in porch. Glad to have the cover as the rain fell in the middle of the night.Enjoying our slow pace as we head to our psychological half-way point, Harper's Ferry.
Date: 2009-05-31
From: Blackburn Center

To: Town's Inn (Harper's Ferry, WV)
Miles today: 12.6

Arrived at the long-awaited mental half-way point today and what a feeling! We've been talking about Harper's Ferry since we started. I sensed such a thrill as I crossed the bridge over the Shenandoah River.The town is adorable and full of history. We enjoyed a room in the Town's Inn (built in the 1800's) for 2 nights. Felt it only appropriate to zero at this juncture.Celebrated at the Secret Six Tavern with some of our friends: Loon, Hot Sauce, Red Bear, Wendy, Doc and Pole Cat. Got our picture taken at the ATC and entered into the catalogue of 2009 thru-hikers as numbers 160 and 161. Plus, got to put a face to many other hikers whom we've never met, only read about in registers.
Date: 2009-06-02
From: Town's Inn (Harper's Ferry, WV)

To: Rocky Run Shelter
Miles today: 15.5
Weather: few clouds

Hiked some pretty easy terrain today as we entered Maryland. Nice day to hike with some nice views of the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers.Stayed in a brand-new shelter and endured an amazing thunderstorm during the night (a real light show!). Met thru-hiker, Western, from San Diego.
Date: 2009-06-03
From: Rocky Run Shelter

To: Ensign Cowall Shelter
Miles today: 17.0
Weather: few clouds

Walked through a ton of historical markers and monuments today, including the first George Washington monument. Had another distraction at Dog Patch Tavern today having lunch and drinking beers with thru-hiker, Cricket.Hiked over some more "easy" terrain -- I'd put Maryland up against Virginia in terms of terrain anyday -- but MD sure does have some killer rocks!Felt a bit of a bug today: headaches, nausea, unable to eat. Luckily, it passed within 12 hours.Met Tax Dollar from Ohio and caught up to our friend, Hot Sauce.
Date: 2009-06-04
From: Ensign Cowall Shelter

To: Antietam Shelter
Miles today: 16.9
Weather: light rain

Pretty cool today. Starting out hiking in my fleece, which is strange for June. Crossed into Pennsylvania (our 7th state) and over the Mason Dixon line -- goodbye Dixie, hello Yankees!Enjoyed lunch at PenMar County Park while trying to stay out of the rain and keep warm under the pavilion.Met Black Kat and Lost Acadian from New Brunswick, Canada.
Date: 2009-06-05
From: Antietam Shelter

To: Quarry Gap Shelter
Miles today: 13.4
Weather: moderate rain

Still raining and still unseasonably cold. But had a nice break in the day when we hiked seven-tenths of a mile into Fayetteville for some pizza at the local Italian restaurant. And, man, was it delicious!Ended up at another beautiful shelter that has its very own caretaker. And he really takes good care of it. By far the cleanest shelter on the trail so far. It even has flower pots!Enjoyed some cards and goodies with Hot Sauce and her friend, Aaron.
Date: 2009-06-06
From: Quarry Gap Shelter

To: Pine Grove Furnace
Miles today: 17.3
Weather: overcast clouds

Ended up in a hotel room at the Holly Inn & Tavern with Black Kat, Lost Acadian and Tax Dollar. Watched the Penguins game at the bar before the karaoke moved us out.Read 6/13 entry for more fun stories ...
Date: 2009-06-08
From: Boiling Springs, PA

To: Darlington Shelter
Miles today: 14.3
Weather: clear sky

Had a leisurely morning, breakfast at Laura's Restaurant in Mt. Holly Springs and then getting a hitch back to Boiling Springs where we ended our slack-pack. Didn't leave until 1pm but, luckily, almost all of the trail went through farmland today and was incredibly flat. Made it to our destination in under 6 hours. Not bad, since that included a nice, long lunch break.Had a snake in the shelter when we arrived, which Tax Dollar snake-handled out. Saw a huge wolf spider sleeping at my feet in the morning and a black bear walk through the campsites not 15 feet from the shelter!Endured another raging thunderstorm during the night -- the thunder shook me while lying on the shelter's floor.
Date: 2009-06-10
From: Doyle Hotel (Duncannon, PA)

To: Peter's Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 11.3
Weather: overcast clouds

Enjoyed breakfast at Goodie's Restaurant in Duncannon with Loon and Hot Sauce. Got another late start not quite wanting to leave (and waiting for the ice cream shop to open, which never did!).Had a pretty steep climb out of town. We haven't had one of those for awhile but able to maintain a pretty quick pace. Nervous I got another shin splint when I arrived at the shelter with pain in my right shin. Hoping rest will take care of it for me. Although, it has been many days since we hiked less than 11 miles. Maybe my legs just need a break.
Date: 2009-06-11
From: Peter's Mountain Shelter

To: Campsite near Rausch Gap Shelter
Miles today: 17.5
Weather: mist

Leg was feeling much better this morning. Considered trying to get to town from a road today but decided to push on. Glad I did, since I felt fine and was able to put some more miles behind me. We'll be in Pine Grove, PA tomorrow and will zero there in order to rest up a bit.Wasn't quite raining today but foggy and misty. When the wind blew, it felt like it was raining as the trees dropped their moisture on our heads.Arrived at a full shelter so pitched the tent at a nice, little campsite near the creek. We had the place all to ourselves. The tarptent held up pretty well in the rain, except for some condensation on the inside. And when the rain fell hard enough, it would knock off some of the moisture onto my face while I was trying to sleep.Looking forward to our hotel room that awaits us in Pine Grove!
Date: 2009-06-12
From: Campsite near Rausch Gap Shelter

To: Comfort Inn (Pine Grove, PA)
Miles today: 17.3
Weather: light rain

Hiked through a part of the trail that is desperate for trail maintenance! It was all over-grown with grass and thorny weeds. Not to mention the small rocks hidden under the brush to add to our frustration with the trail conditions.Luckily, that didn't last forever and the flat grade along the ridge made up for the ill-maintained portions. Had a few good rock-manuevers today.Got to the road going into Pine Grove and stuck out our thumbs. The first car that drove by (within 15 seconds of putting our thumbs out) pulled over!! That hasn't happened before. Brad, a local and hiking enthusiast, was so nice to give us a ride to our hotel and even drive us by a store beforehand to pick up some treats. He went above and beyond most drivers who pick us up.Lounged in bed eating Chinese take-out and watching the Penguins whoop up on the Redwings in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. What a way to spend an evening.
Date: 2009-06-14
From: Comfort Inn (Pine Grove, PA)

To: The Pavilion (Port Clinton, PA)
Miles today: 23.7
Weather: broken clouds

Blue skies today but the trail sure was wet from the torrential rain last night. After a 12-hour day, we were glad to arrive at the Pavilion (just like what it sounds like, at the end of town) to make dinner and then go to bed.
Date: 2009-06-15
From: The Pavilion (Port Clinton, PA)

To: Eckville Shelter
Miles today: 15.7
Weather: scattered clouds

Still clear, but, man, the rocks are killer! Just as we were told. Saw some great views and two copperheads mating between a couple of rocks. They were harmless.Eckville Shelter is a shelter located in the backyard of a caretaker. Fully enclosed and it even has lights! It also has a solar shower and flushing toilet. Of course, still too cool to put the shower to use.Had a fun hitch to the nearest gas station (8 miles away) with Hermes to get some ice cream. Nice kid, named Dan, drove us there and back. It was quite a treat.
Date: 2009-06-16
From: Eckville Shelter

To: Campsite past Bake Oven Shelter
Miles today: 18.5

Tackled the Knife Edge today and, boy, was it scary! I don't do well with big rocks as it is, and this one was on a precipice (just like the name suggests). As you can imagine, I took it pretty slowly.Got to the shelter ready to call it a day, about to slip into my sleeping bag, when I look up to see a large, black snake slithering out of the back of the shelter! And, apparently, that is where she keeps her nest! To say the least, we packed up our things and continued hiking a couple more miles to a nice little campsite.Enjoyed my sleep much better knowing that I wasn't sharing my bed with a large snake.
Date: 2009-06-17
From: Campsite past Bake Oven Shelter

To: Palmerton Jailhouse Hostel
Miles today: 6.7

Short day into town and stayed dry doing it. Got a hitch into town by a nice couple who understood the danger for hikers walking along the highway to town.Enjoyed a nero and a great day in town. By far, Palmerton is one of the nicest trail towns. And it has everything a hiker could need.We stayed in the free hostel located in the town burough. Sadly, we didn't get to stay in the jailhouse as hoped, but it was still awesome.
Date: 2009-06-18
From: Palmerton Jailhouse Hostel

To: Leroy Smith Shelter
Miles today: 16.0
Weather: moderate rain

Rain came back with a steady vengeance today. And just in time for the biggest rock scramble to date coming out of Palmerton.After getting soaked all day, climbed into our sleeping bags by 6pm to stay warm and try to dry out. My feet definitely don't like all the rain -- it makes my toenails want to fall off!Got some good reading time in, though.
Date: 2009-06-19
From: Leroy Smith Shelter

To: Church of the Mtn. Hostel (Delaware Water Gap, PA)
Miles today: 23.2
Weather: overcast clouds

Pushed for town to dry out. Luckily, the rain stayed away today and made for a nice hike. Stopped off in Wind Gap, PA for some Dunkin' Donuts ("Hikers run on Dunkin'!")Made better time than originally thought and made it all the way to the hostel. Glad to be there and out of the rain that started to fall in the evening.Ate a lot of good food at the diner and hung out with a lot of friends. Grateful for these free hostels that continue to remind me that there are still people in the world who just want to help others. I'm truly grateful for those people.
Date: 2009-06-21
From: Church of the Mtn. Hostel (Delaware Water Gap, PA)

To: Camp Ken-Etiwa-Pec
Miles today: 18.6

Happy Father's Day ... AND Hike Naked Day!No, Mr. Right and I did not partake in the festivities and, boy, were we glad since we came across multiple groups of families all out celebrating Father's Day on the trail. A few of our friends ahead of us did, however, hike naked part of the day ... and got some good photos out of it!Weather was nice for us today and had lunch by a lake. Ended up at an old Boy Scout Camp for the night where there was an SCA (Students Conservation Association) training weekend going on. Thus, lots of people but not a lot of magic (as we had hoped). We camped on the beach by Long Pine Pond with Cricket, Rusticus and Hermes.
Date: 2009-06-22
From: Camp Ken-Etiwa-Pec

To: Gren Anderson Shelter
Miles today: 13.6
Weather: light rain

A beautiful morning for a morning dip in the lake. After breakfast in the mess hall (and cleaning dishes in "payment" for my cup of coffee), we all spent an hour swimming in the lake and leisurely packing up our things.Got a late start which threw off our plans a bit but made things better by stopping off in Culver's Gap at Gyp's Tavern for a beer and to grab some food for the extra day of food now needed. While we were sitting at the bar, a girl came in near tears because she dropped her cell phone in the lake out back behind the bar. Mr. Right, chivalrously, offered to dive into the mirky water to fish it out. After retrieving glasswear and multiple ash trays, he finally had to give up with no sign of the phone. Nonetheless, Mr. Right received a free beer for his efforts.
Date: 2009-06-23
From: Gren Anderson Shelter

To: The Outhouse (Unionville, NY)
Miles today: 20.1

Still having some beautiful weather for hiking. New Jersey continues to receive my "pretty" award.Walked across the heavily monumented High Point today (the highest point in New Jersey) and they sure are proud of it. You should see the monument!Ended up at the Outhouse (formerly known as the Mayor's Place) in Unionville, NY where we were greeted by Butch, Dick and Bill -- some of the nicest men I've met in a long time. Dick (the former Mayor of Unionville) has opened up his home since 2007 to thru-hikers to sleep, eat, shower, do laundry and, most importantly, simply feel at home. Their personalities alone made the stay worth it but to add to it a bunk in the basement and two meals a day, it can't be beat. And, for no charge!Every thru-hiker should stop by to say "hello" and to meet these guys. Not only are they trail angels, they are truly inspirational.