morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2019-06-10
From: Stealth Camp near Sawmill Run

To: Stealth Camp at Ivy Creek
Miles today: 20.0

Day 70 Shenandoah National Park I am now in Shenandoah National Park and its very popular Blue Skyline Drive. It is kind of like a national park attraction for those folks who want the National Park experience without getting out of their car. Originally the Appalachian Trail stakes claim to the ridgeway which cuts a very long thin ribbon between the broad  Shenandoah River Valley on the west side, and the rolling hills of the Virginia Piedmont on the east. This makes for spectacular views on either side (when it¢s not misty, rainy or inclement) In the 1930¢s the automobile took over . A scenic highway was built over the top of the Appalachian Trail (meaning us hikers had to detour to one side or the other) with lots of wayside stops so drivers could pull over admire the view then drive on. Along with that came restaurants, facilities and so on. Trucks were banned and the speed limit on the highway was set much lower than normal to ensure that drivers took their time to fully take in the National Park experience. Some folks were a bit upset by this, particularly farmers whose land the park bisected because as trucks were banned they had no reasonable way to get their produce to market. I guess you can¢t please everybody. Turns out this national park highway was a great success with the American driving public and the park remains one of the most popular of all American Parks. The good thing for me was that there were now easily accessible wayside restaurants and convenience stores every 20 miles or so making resupply and gluttony so much easier. My day included one such stop at Loft Mountain Store. It gave me a chance to get out of the rain for a while and dry off. Later the sun tried to come out to the point my shirt dried out. But nothing else ! I really was a sodden mess. At night I found a perfect stealth camp on a thick bed of leaves. They were comfy and when it did rain it all strained away. Another bonus too was that I finally managed to drain the cesspool in my tent floor. I slept well.
Date: 2019-06-11
From: Stealth Camp at Ivy Creek

To: Baldface Mountain Stealth Camp
Miles today: 19.3

Day 71 Trail AngelWhen the term Trail Angel is used around hikers it generally is taken to mean someone who provides trail magic ie food! Always a sure bet of delight to a hiker. Today I met a different kind of Trail Angel and one for whom I have the highest respect. He was one of the ones who looks after the trail. This work can take many forms, whether it¢s repairing or building new steps and cut aways, digging out drainage lines, taking care of the privy ( surely one of the most unappealing yet necessary tasks), weed management..... The list goes on and on. There are about 20 different trail clubs who look after the path; each one assigned a section and then those sections may be divided into 2 or so miles and allotted to individual members or groups of members. Usually the work seems to get magically done and the ones who do it remain anonymous. But today though I did get to meet up with one worker. He was a criminal lawyer. Then 8 years ago he gave up this pursuit to take up two of his great loves: his motorcycle and the Appalachian Trail! It¢s been the best 8 years of his life he told me. His task on the AT is to clear any fallen trees. The way it works is that he is a member of the Potomac AT Club which looks after the trail as it goes through the Shenandoah National Park. They have  Trail Runners who regularly walk(and sometimes run) the trail and report back any issues be they errant hikers, problem signage, fallen trees or whatever. In this case when there is a fallen tree the word goes out to the Tree Trail Angel. He then loads up his motorbike with whatever tools he thinks he needs, rides to the nearest trailhead, then hikes in with all his tools strapped to a backpack and takes care of whatever needs to be done. In the photo above you can see all his saws and axes strapped to his BMW bike. One complication is that much of the trail is designated ¢wilderness ¢. This federal nomenclature rules that mechanised equipment is prohibited. That is: no cars, no chainsaws or brushcutters, no generators and so on. Everything has to be done by hand. The saws that the Tree man had were very impressive and some were over one hundred years old. One was a two handled beast that with another trail worker could saw through logs over three feet in diameter. The teeth on it were super sharp and very long. The Tree man hated chainsaws with a passion ¢Too smelly and noisy¢, he said. I spent a very informative half hour in conversation and learnt so much. I left in awe. For the rest of the day I kept on looking at his and the other Trail workers handiwork. I was so impressed. I ended up doing 19 miles for the day finding a secluded stealth camp to set up my tent.! I¢m sure I¢d have done so many less miles if it had not been for the maintenance angels efforts.
Date: 2019-06-12
From: Baldface Mountain Stealth Camp

To: Rock Spring Hut
Miles today: 15.5
Weather: clear sky

Day 72 Architecture Today I had two highlights. First was an unashamedly simple porridge breakfast in my drinking mug at Pocasin Hut. I came across this shelter deep in the woods far from any development. It had a timber table on its stone porch that was crying out for someone to sit at and enjoy its service. The other was a far more elaborate luncheon in the dining rooms of the Big Meadows Lodge. My gastronomic fare included the fabled ¢Mile High Blackberry Icecream Pie¢ Those who know me will not be surprised... I do love my food especially the deserts! One feature of my walks through the Shenandoahs has been the rustic architecture. President Roosevelt dedicated the Park in 1936 and the buildings all date back to that time. They have such a romantic rural theme. Somehow the lonely cabin that I¢ve drawn above is my favourite. It tells me of a time when folks escaped the busy-ness of urban life to find solitude, simplicity and peace in the wilderness and make reconnections which their inner soul. Today¢s walk was a more sedate 15 miles, slowed down perhaps by the weight of that fabulous frozen treat. I was also conscious of the weather. Heavy rains were forecast for the evening and I didn¢t want another swamp to develop in my tent. So I opted to join  12 others in the Rock Spring Hut, so named because there is indeed a spring nearby that emerges under a huge rock. We were all warm, cosy and dry - lucky thing because it poured down from 10 pm onwards.
Date: 2019-06-14
From: Stealth Camp near Thornton River Trail 

To: Tom Floyd Shelter
Miles today: 19.0
Weather: clear sky

Day 74 Out of Shenandoah Today I left the Shenandoah National Park. The stand out feature for my time here has been the quality of the walking trails. Initially a project during the 1030¢s depression to provide work for many underemployed men, their handicraft and skilled stonemasonry is still very evident from the many retaining walls, foundations and stone steps to be found often many miles into the wilderness. That they have survived the flooding and icing from severe winters shows just how well the work was planned out. All made for generally easy strolling. Another hallmark were the eateries with their trademark blackberry deserts . Oh yum. But then came the park boundary and it was like literally walking off a cliff! I asked myself, ¢Where did the trail go? ... Surely not down there?¢ But inexorably it did, down a twisted jumble of boulders. Gone were the graceful measured and graded steps. Oh boy did I have to be careful. It was such a rude shock. I made my way to the Tom Floyd Shelter perched on a steep slope with its skimpy campsites barely with enough room for a tent and precipitously sloped away. And oh dear the spring was just the location for those who enjoy vertiginous activities. Not to my liking at all especially at the end of a long day. That¢s the AT ... just when I get used to a favourable trail condition along comes the opposite! Cunningly, I had brought with me a small cardboard container of wine purchased at the last wayside grocery store to go with my supper. Ahhh ... now that made up for the pain of all this acclivitous exercise. I did sleep well!
Date: 2019-06-16
From: The Cabbin at Mountain Home

To: Rod Hollow Shelter 
Miles today: 23.3

Day 76 Long DayIn the morning, breakfast of locally sourced produce was provided in the elegant dining room of Mountain Home and it powered me through a big mileage day. Given I¢d had some shorter days I was anxious to do some longer distances. I walked alone and saw few other hikers. The day warmed up and it threatened to rain but never really did. It was extremely humid and my clothes were soaked. Just before sunset I made it to Rod Hollow Shelter where there were about 10 hikers some of whom stayed in the shelter. I was in my tent. It is a great setup there ... the shelter is double storey, there are lots of tent pads and sites, and there is even a covered picnic pavilion so that cooking is separate from the sleeping quarters. Best part is that there is a gushing spring very close by and the water is cold, fresh and sweet. Just what I needed to replenish after a very humid and sweating day!
Date: 2019-06-17
From: Rod Hollow Shelter 

To: Bears Den Hostel
Miles today: 9.1

Day 77 Roller CoasterToday¢s challenge was the roller coaster: a series of very tightly spaced and steep ascents and descents over a 13 and half mile distance. The trouble with this roller coaster was that there was no trolley to jump aboard that with momentum would climb each successive crest. But the name implies fun and I was determined to enjoy myself. Ascents are my Achilles Heal, ( well so are descents too) but with a grin on my face and an early start I can at least give off the appearances that I am having fun. So my plan today was to cut the experience in half. It meant a short day distance wise but I never let pain get in the way of a good time! It was a good plan. Half way through my half way roller coaster I came across the magical number 1,000 (drumroll please) which is a pretty impressive distance to hike by my books. And I was also overtaken by ¢McDouble¢ and ¢Pacecar¢ another lovely couple I¢ve met on the trail who also  started on the same day as me. They also have overtaken me at least 50 times meaning they get to sleep in and take a lot more zeroes than I do. At the bottom of each descent were very rocky screes which I¢m guessing come from glacial debris from the previous ice age. The good part was that beneath the boulders came the sounds of tinkling waters so I always made sure I took to find a spring. There I collected my fill of ice cold, sweet acqua  to replenish my sweat strained aching body! By the time I reached my half way point I was well and truly done! Fortunately at this spot the Appalachian Trail planning committee had very fortuitously purchased a residence and then they had converted it into a hostel. Much on the land that the AT runs through is private property. Over the years this land has been purchased to ensure the trail is a continuous feature. At the roller coaster some land was bought that came with a home called ¢Bears Den¢. It was built by a wealthy Washingtonian as his summer retreat. It was a dilapidated mess when purchased but volunteers over a period of years transformed it into the perfect relaxation spa for those smart hikers who chose to only do half the roller coaster in a day. I got there at 2:30 in the afternoon and after trying numerous combinations to get into the keypad locked hikers dorm I successfully found a bed and had a luxurious sleep. That night the hostel provided deep crust pizza and a pint of creamy blueberry icecream. I was in heaven indeed!
Date: 2019-06-18
From: Bears Den Hostel

To: 4 mile campsite
Miles today: 16.4

Day 78 Roller Coaster Part 2Breakfast of blue berry pancakes and strong black coffee was in the dining room. It was ¢All You Can Eat¢ pancakes. Oh how hikers love that AYCE phrase. There was a large heated plate griddle ready and all I needed to do was mix and beat up as much pancake mix as I wanted from an industrial sized sack, place it on the hot plate, load it up with blueberries from the fridge and then I was in gourmandising heaven. With such nutrition in my belly I absolutely flew through the remaining roller coaster. Those seemingly monster mountains were now mere minute mounds fit for an easy morning stroll. I had fun. With the roller coaster done the trail settled down somewhat and it was then generally downhill. I was heading towards Harpers Ferry but decided to camp just short of the town so that I could ¢Nero¢ the next day and really take in the sights. As I settled in to sleep there was a rumble of thunder overhead then a torrent of rain poured on down. But nothing could disturb my slumber and the rain patters on my tent fly became a lullaby as I drifted into my dreams.
Date: 2019-06-20
From: Harpers Ferry

To: Campsite near Ed Garvey Shelter
Miles today: 5.0

Day 80 Washington DC32 years ago I visited Washington DC. At the time I had a brother-in-law who had a very senior position in the White House and actually become Chief of Staff under President Ronald Reagan. So I was lucky enough to have lunch there in the West Wing next to the Situation Room. In true ¢Treetrunk¢ style I indulged exorbitantly on fine Reagan Californium wines served by the smartly uniformed men of the US Navy. Washington is a short train ride away from Harpers Ferry and I figured it was time I paid the US capital another visit. Sadly my Brother-in-law is no longer there so I had to accept that my lunch might be in less extravagant. I was up early and at 5:50am aboard a commuter train to Union Station. Once there it¢s a very short walk to the US Capitol Building. In this time of extremism it was so refreshing to be able to stroll around it¢s grounds without hinderance. Sure there were lots of police around but it felt so good to be able to be so close to what is undoubtedly one of the centres of political power in the world. I think that the views and walks down the mall from the Capitol Building are some of the best in the world and I took all day to savour the experience, meandering to the Lincoln Memorial and then back. Along the way I stopped by Maya Ying Li¢s extraordinary polished granite Vietnam Veterans Memorial. I remember visiting all those years back and being profoundly overwhelmed by the sight of all those names of Americans inscribed on the wall and the human sacrifice they had made. It had the same affect on me today. One of the memorial walls point to the Lincoln Memorial. I took time there to focus on Lincoln¢s First and Second inaugural addresses that are inscribed on the side walls. They are a noble attempt to come to terms with the Civil War. I sat on the Memorials Plinth and drew the sight down the Mall back to the Capitol Building. The Washington Monument sure is tall! There are a couple of interesting trivia points about the It. Firstly, by Government Mandate no building in Washington can be higher than the monument so as I look around, all buildings are scaled so that the important structures really take prominence. The second piece of trivia is that the monument is topped by a 9 inch (25cm) solid aluminium pyramid weighing 100 ounces (2.8kilograms) The reason they chose aluminium was they wanted the most expensive and rare element they could find as it¢s apex. At the time aluminium was by far the most expensive metal and was so rare it was generally only used for jewellery. In fact the small pyramid was considered so exclusive that it was exhibited at Tiffany¢s for the public to admire before it was placed on top. Funny how the exclusive can become quite commonplace over time. Sadly I ran out of time to see all I wanted to see and soon I was back aboard the commuter train to Harpers Ferry. I was anxious to get back to the trail. Even though it was late afternoon I grabbed my backpack and headed off making camp 5 miles away on a ridge overlooking Harpers Ferry.
Date: 2019-06-21
From: Campsite near Ed Garvey Shelter

To: Pogo Memorial Campground 
Miles today: 21.1

Day 81 Washington MonumentToday¢s walk took me along ridge lines that on occasions were interrupted by gaps. At each of these were reminders of the civil war for it was at these openings through the geographical barrier that the opposing sides met to do battle. I took time at each site to read up on what had taken place. It astounds me that the civil war had more Americans killed than WW2. So sad. Later I came across the original Washington Monument built in 1827 at Mt Vernon where the first president lived later in life. There were lots of interesting history facts to read up on. I thought this quote of his was appropriate: In politics as in philosophy, my tenets are few and simple. The leading one of which, and indeed that which embraces most others, is to be honest and just ourselves and to exact it from others, meddling as little as possible in their affairs where our own are not involved. If this maxim was generally adopted, wars would cease and our swords would soon be converted into reap hooks and our harvests be more peaceful, abundant, and happy. My path continued to follow the ridge although the overall height was decreasing. There were stunning views to be had over the adjoining valleys below. That night I made it to a memorial campground for a young man who passed away too soon. It was a lovely spot and a fine place to be remembered by.
Date: 2019-06-22
From: Pogo Memorial Campground 

To: Tumbling Run Shelter 
Miles today: 23.1

Day 82 Mason Dixon LineBack in 1750 there was a bit of a property dispute in the USA. One side said the state boundary went one way. The other side had another view. Depending on which side you took Philadelphia was in either Maryland or Pennsylvania!!! Folks were upset. In the end they resolved that the boundary would be set by taking the line of the latitude from the southern most house in Philadelphia and striking west. Above that was one state, below that the other. Sounded good but in reality the latitude is a curved line and at the time no one in America was actually  confident or skilled enough to do such a thing. So they brought in from England Charles Mason who was a renowned astronomer and knew exactly where North was, and Jeremiah Dixon who was able to use Mason¢s info to exactly survey the boundary. Their line was marked by stones every mile and "crownstones" every 5 miles (8.0 km), using stone shipped from England. Today, while a number of the original stones are missing or buried, many are still visible, resting on public land and protected by iron cages. With their job complete Mason and Dixon sort of slipped out of folks vocabulary. But then along game the civil war and the Mason Dixon Line was often quoted as the separation between Free States to the North and Slave states to the South. It is still used today in that figurative sense, as a line that separates the North and South politically and socially. Fascinating history ..... all the more because today I got to cross over the Mason Dixon Line. It was kind of a sad farewell to say goodbye to the South. The people were so hospitable, courteous and welcoming. But forward I must travel and to the North I went! Just past the line I ran into a group of young people fast asleep in their tents. One of the rituals and challenges of the AT is the ¢four state challenge¢ and these hikers had just completed it and were fast asleep for the next three days recovering from it! The challenge requires the hiker to visit the four states of Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania following the Appalachian Trail and within 24 hours. It¢s a 44mile distance. Well, in my youth I could have done it. Hey I could still do it. But if I did I¢d miss out on getting my number at the ¢psychological ¢ half way point, Harpers Ferry, Washington and so on. But more importantly I¢d need a week to recover! Anyways it¢s the fun of the trail and great to see young people having a crack! The trail after that was sort of flat and I made good time to my campsite at Tumbling Run. Quite a sweet spot. I met back up with the French Canadian couple ¢The Beast¢ & ¢Sweet¢ and we had recollections of our journey. I also met up with a couple of section hikers who had just started at the Mason Dixon Line. ¢Boy the trail was tough today ... very steep¢ I nodded in agreement silently remembering how I thought the trail had flattened out. Funny how my hiking strength has changed!
Date: 2019-06-23
From: Tumbling Run Shelter 

To: Birch Run Shelter
Miles today: 18.1
Weather: clear sky

Day 83 A Quick ResupplyOne of the logistical headaches for me on the trail is the resupply. With luck I¢ll plan it just right and be totally running out of food when I hit the resupply point. That¢s always a test because at resupply time the food can become increasingly heavy and no one wants to carry food they don¢t actually eat. My second concern is the location and quality of the resupply ... usually a large grocery store, but sometimes something smaller with less options at double the price. Then there¢s the procedure of actually getting there. Sometimes it can be miles from the trail and I¢m just not accustomed to hitch hiking. Well today was my resupply and I felt quite smug and pleased with myself because I was totally out of food (which is the way it should be a resupply). But My resupply point was a long way off trail and I would have to hitch. Oh dear. I came to a busy highway heading to Fayetteville Pen. It was on the down side of a hill and the vehicles were picking up momentum as they roared on by. Out of the trees the sun beat down on the tarmac. It was very hot. So I positioned myself, took a deep breath, ... stuck out my thumb ... and prayed! Cars and trucks raced down the hill I was on. I was having no luck at all. I waved and smiled at them all, gritting my teeth and whispering,¢Please, please take pity on the Treetrunk and give him a ride¢ Alas. They were not into telepathy! Just as I was about to start walking the miles and miles to the store a pickup truck with a canoe roared by.  Then salvation! It¢s brake lights came on! I had a ride. I threw my pack in the back and soon we were barrelling down the highway. Not too long later the driver wrinkled his nose and asked if I wanted some fresh air as he powered down the windows. He was a builder and was using his Sunday morning to go kayaking in a nearby lake. As we pulled into the supermarket car park he said he¢d drive me back to the trailhead after I¢d finished shopping. ¢I just love your accent¢, he said. Incredible and so warm with hospitality. I shopped as fast as I could and before I knew it I was back on the trail, carrying 3 plastic bags laden withresupply goodies! Finding a shady bench I sorted everything out, had lunch and even topped that of with some icecream! Sometimes resupply is as easy as that. My day went smoothly from then on and before too long it was late afternoon and I¢d arrived at Birch Run Shelter. There were about 8 through hikers staying there and the talk around the shelter picnic table that evening was the half gallon icecream challenge. Tomorrow we would officially pass the half way mark. Soon after that was the Pine Grove General Store where all through hikers are expected to eat half a gallon of the icecream of their choice in as short a time as possible. We all went to bed that night trying to figure out what flavour to choose! P.S. My picture today is from a couple of days back. It¢s of High St in Harpers Ferry. My hotel/hostel was at the top of this street. Really quaint place and worth a visit.