morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2017-06-21
From: Tumbling Run shelter

To: Birch Run shelter
Miles today: 19.6
Weather: overcast clouds

19.6 Camped at Birch Run shelter. Good day hiking. Ups and rocks didn't seem to bad today. Trail magic was provided  by an Army buddy of G2's who met us at Caldonia State Park with sandwiches and bananas. Today (summer solstice )is Hike Naked day- but we didn't.
Date: 2017-06-22
From: Birch Run shelter

To: Tagg Run campsite
Miles today: 17.1
Weather: overcast clouds

17.1 miles- passed the halfway sign today! stopped at Pine Grove Furnace state park after 10 miles for burger, fries, 2 cokes, double dip ice cream cone then did the rest. Temp was high 80's. In my tent now waiting on thunderstorm to hit. It's been coming our way for the last 30 minutes.
Date: 2017-06-23
From: Tagg Run campsite

To: Boiling Springs
Miles today: 12.2
Weather: light rain

12.2 miles to Boiling Springs-tired of being wet & dirty so checked in to Allenberry Resort for the night. Big thunderstorm last night. Rain finally stopped around 8:30 this morning. We started hiking around 9. Hike today was rocky with 2 "rock maze"s and since it was wet the going was slow. Another thunderstorm is predicted for tonight so we decided to stay inside. Tomorrow we cross Cumberland Valley which looks very flat which will be a nice change.
Date: 2017-06-24
From: Boiling Springs

To: Cove Mt shelter
Miles today: 21.5

21.5 camped at Cove Mt shelter. Longest day to date. 1st 11miles crossed the Cumberland valley and was fairly flat but last night's rain made it slippery in spots. The final 10 miles was a little more difficult with steep but short inclines and rocks. Good thing we hadn't planned on staying in the shelter. Weekenders were there with 2 dogs and their tent in the shelter.
Date: 2017-06-27
From: Duncannon-Juniata River bridge

To: PA 325 trail head
Miles today: 16.7

16.7 miles- camped at PA 325 trailhead-  hiked started over bridges for Juniata and Susquehanna rivers. Then went up to ridge and stayed there. Ridge was very rocky with mild ups and downs. Cool temp starting out but warmed up to pleasant hiking temp
Date: 2017-06-29
From: Just south of PA 443

To: 501 Campsite
Miles today: 14.3
Weather: broken clouds

14.3 miles-at 501 Campsite- we are definitely in Rocksylvennia now! About 1/2 of today was on difficult to very difficult rocks. Very tiring as I have to concentrate and plan every step. Weather was nice in the 80s and not too humid.
Date: 2017-06-30
From: 501 Campsite

To: Eagles Nest shelter
Miles today: 14.6
Weather: overcast clouds

14.6 very rocky miles . Very tiring day. Got tents up just before thunderstorm started. Short 8 miles tomorrow into Port Clinton where's G2's cousin will pick us up and take us to his house. We'll rest with them for 4-5 days and see some more of his family. Looking forward to a break for relaxing, eating and enjoying family.
Date: 2017-07-01
From: Eagles Nest shelter

To: Port Clinton
Miles today: 9.0
Weather: few clouds

9 miles-to Port Clinton- rained hard last night so mostly rocky was also slippery. Hike down into town was very steep with lots of loose rocks adding to the rocky fun. We waitEd for G2'S cousin outside the peanut store that was mostly a candy store, bad place for hungry hikers to wait:). We'll be taking several days off for rest and visiting.
Date: 2017-07-07
From: Echville shelter

To: Allentown Hiking Club shelter 
Miles today: 7.6
Weather: scattered clouds

Short, hard 7.6 miles to Allentown Hiking Club shelter-rained hard all night and until 9a. We didn't get back to trail until after 10. Then it was very wet, very rocky making me very slow. Got to Campsite and mostly dryed out. G2 started dinner-ie added water to the pouch -and we got hit with a cloud burst, thankfully it didn't last long so we quickly ate and finished out side for the night. Hopefully all will dry by morning.
Date: 2017-07-08
From: Allentown Hiking Club shelter 

To: George W Outerbridge shelter
Miles today: 16.8
Weather: scattered clouds

16.8 to George W Outerbridge shelter. May have been the worst rock day yet. Thank goodness it was dry for the worst of the rocks. Lots of big / long rock/ boulder areas. The knife's edge was horrible! Rain shower at end of day. And to make it even better we are in the shelter since there aren't any campsites. Trail magic twice today!
Date: 2017-07-09
From: George W Outerbridge shelter

To: Leroy A Smith shelter
Miles today: 16.7
Weather: clear sky

16.7 to Leroy A Smith shelter. No this may have been the worst rock day. Steep & rocky out of Leigh Gap from Palmerton - then it got ugly, put the sticks away and climb ugly! And we were carrying 3 liters of water each since we were crossing the Palmerton Zinc Pile Superfund site and wouldn't be able to get water for 16 miles. After the climb we also crossed several boulder fields and continuous rocky trail.Loads of fun-filled hiking --NOT! We did get Trail Magic x2- water & food and drinks.
Date: 2017-07-10
From: Leroy A Smith shelter

To: Day 125
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: few clouds

20.1 miles to Delaware Water Gap - decided to do a long day and finish Rocksylvennia and try to get out of the rocks. Once again it was all day rocks and boulders. Saw the biggest black snake this trip, well over 5 ft long, zipped across the path ahead of me. Snake number 24.5 for the hike. Saw the biggest bear of the hike on descent into DWG. Also saw 3 deer and 1 snake skin. Got in at 8:30, checked in and had shower while G2 went for pizza. Will zero here tomorrow so a- we can rest and recover and b- G2 can get a new phone since he fell and broke his today. Less than 900 miles to Katahdin!!
Date: 2017-07-12
From: Delaware Water Gap

To: South of Blue Mt Lakes Rd
Miles today: 16.4

16.4 miles-camped 1.2 miles south of Blue Mt Lakes Rd. New Jersey has rocks too! But the rocks in NJ seem a little kinder. Instead of piled on top of each other and tippy these are more planted in the ground and stay put.  7 states completed! Rain started just as we put up tents but stopped long enough for supper.
Date: 2017-07-15
From: High Point Shelter

To: Stealth campsite
Miles today: 21.6
Weather: overcast clouds

21.6 miles-stealth camp at stream mile 1359.2. This morning most of the rocks were from gaps in stone walls that we passed through. We also had several areas of swamp in the Wallkill River Wildlife Refuge that we crossed on planks. Of course these were slippery from the rain yesterday. Also crossed Pochuck Swamp on a wider boardwalk. G2 had near miss on the boardwalk with a pitbull type dog that took offense to our using the trail. First issue of this type we've had. Coming out of the swamp we had a steep climb up Wawayanda Mt via the "stairway to heaven". By the time we stopped for the night it was getting dark so quickly set up camp and had dinner.
Date: 2017-07-16
From: Stealth campsite

To: Wildcat shelter
Miles today: 15.0
Weather: clear sky

15 miles-camped at Wildcat Shelter. Finished ROCKY New Jersey and started ROCKY New York. Vicious big boulders in New York! Good thing it was dry or I would still be out there. The guide booked we use was correct in saying "Despite the unimposing profile, rocks and abrupt ups and downs make this section challenging." The challenges included several hand over hand climbs, huge boulders and rock faces. Stopped for ice cream 3 miles from Campsite. Ate a whole banana split and had a root beer as my reward for making it today without incident. Then there was more climbing to get to the shelter. Plan is for a short day tomorrow and then zero in Harriman NY.
Date: 2017-07-18
To: Next Adventure
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

Finished - I've have decided that 1350 miles is enough. I've had enough rocks, boulders and climbs over the past 10 days. Luckily the worst of them were in dry weather but I doubt that would last.  We have seen some amazing things, met all types of people, and had an incredible journey.We got off the trail at East Mombasa Rd near Harriman NY and will spend a couple of days here resting and planning the next steps. Thanks to everyone that has helped and supported us on our AT adventure. This has been quite an adventure and now we will move on to another.
Date: 2017-08-22
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

I will be getting back on the trail at Harpers Ferry on Thursday and hiking south with Trail Snail (TS). TS is a hiker from Germany that I hiked with for a while in April. She made it to Maine and has spent the week with us getting some rest and relaxation before heading south to Georgia. My primary goal is to complete the section through Shenandoah National Park, a little over 160 miles. If everything feels good and I am enjoying it, I'll keep going! Like last time, I will try to update the journal whenever my phone has data. Photos will be uploaded when I get wi-fi. So if you see a photo in a recent entry, you may want to look at earlier entries or click the photo link. There may be more photos on Instagram since that is a little easier. Just search for "alstoffa". I do enjoy your comments and will try to respond. Wish me luck!
Date: 2017-08-23
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Getting excited about heading out on the trail tomorrow. The weather looks to be a little cooler with a drop in humidity. I will probably spend today packing and repacking. Tomorrow morning, Dolora will drop Trail Snail and me off in Harpers Ferry. I'll be heading south this time and starting off with a section of the trail I haven't hiked before. Dolora will be meeting us in Front Royal on Monday for a late lunch/early dinner and some resupply. Then it is into Shenandoah National Park (SNP) where we can eat at a wayside, sort of a camp/park store, and resupply almost everyday. About eight days later, Dolora will again meet us as we leave SNP. It will be nice to start off with a pack that is not too heavy and reasonable mileage. Hope my feet hold up better than April!
Date: 2017-08-24
From: Harper's Ferry Appalachian Trail Conservancy

To: David Lesser Shelter
Miles today: 8.7

Drove to the Appalachian Trail Conference Headquarters in Harpers Ferry. There was some discussion about a new trail name with Dolora and Trail Snail (TS) since "You Can Call Me Al" gets shortened to Al and that's not a real trail name. I said Happy Feet would be good if my feet were okay this time. Dolora and TS liked that trail name.  While walking, TS and I decided that Happy Feet would also work if I had foot problems as an ironic trail name. I still need to think about it for a day or two. Trail Snail had another photo taken and met another hiker from Germany at the AT HQ. We took the side trail to the AT and headed south this time. Dolora hiked with us across the 340 bridge. Said our goodbyes, until Monday, and headed from West Virginia to Virginia. Beautiful hiking weather for Virginia in August, less than 80 degrees and low humidity. About 9 miles today to David Lesser shelter. Beautiful shelter with a deck and swing in the cooking shelter. Level tent sites have benches and a picnic table. The spring is a little far away down a steep trail but running well with nice cold water. A bunch of hikers stopped by for water and some ate but it looks like we may be the only two here tonight. The forecast is for no rain. If that holds, I'll already have as many days with no rain as my April hike! Feet are happy so far.
Date: 2017-08-25
From: David Lesser Shelter

To: 1002.7 mile Campsite
Miles today: 11.7
Weather: clear sky

There were a few raindrops last night but the tent was dry in the morning. I'll count that as no rain. Already as many rain free days as the last hike! One more hiker came in last night. There was another food bag hanging on the bear pole when we left. Maybe in the shelter. After about seven miles, we hit the "Rollercoaster". It lasts for thirteen miles and is mostly up and down with few views. Ran into quite a few section hikers there. My pack is only 26.5 pounds since I've dropped a few items and we plan frequent resupply stops. Since we were replying at Bears Den Hostel and it didn't open until five, there was a short side trip to the Horseshoe Curve Restaurant for a late lunch, early dinner of a cheeseburger and fries. There are some advantages of the AT crossing so many roads. From there it was a short trip to Bears Den and off to our campsite. One other hiker here tonight and another dry night forecast. My feet are still happy today. If they are happy tomorrow evening, perhaps a new trail name. 11.7 miles today plus one mile of side trails.
Date: 2017-08-26
To: 991.7 mile Campsite
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: broken clouds

Saw three deer, or at least tails in the first half hour of hiking today. After 2.7 miles this morning, Trail Snail (TS) celebrated having only 1,000 more miles to complete the Appalachian Trail. She's counting down miles now instead of up. Lots of section and day hikers out for the weekend. It's easy to tell by looking at backpacks. Day hikers have small packs like the kids use for school. Section hikers have big, heavy packs. Thru and long distance hikers have the packs in the middle and everything looks more used. "Wizard", who summited in Maine with TS passed by today. The "Roller Coaster" consisted of eight climbs without a view. Checked out Rod Hollow Shelter where we planned to stay but it was early so we headed down the trail to camp besides a stream and avoid the crowds at the shelters on weekends. Probably only room for one more tent but no-one else here yet. Another dry day, twice as many as last trip! Next week doesn't look as dry. Let's hope the forecast is wrong. Did eleven miles and finished the "Roller Coaster" today, plus about 0.2 miles of side trails. Feet are fine today. I think the change in trail names is good to go. I will be changing to Happy Feet as soon as I figure out how...
Date: 2017-08-27
From: 991.7 mile Campsite

To: Jim and Molly Denton Shelter
Miles today: 16.8
Weather: overcast clouds

I forgot to introduce another hiker term yesterday. It's PUDS, Pointless Ups and DownS. The hike thru the Roller Coaster yesterday was full of PUDS. No views all day.The weather today was as good as it gets in Virginia during August. Low humidity with a high around seventy. The lack of continuous ups and downs made it better. The trail goes through Sky Meadows State Park. It was nice to have some open fields for a bit instead of the usual "Green Tunnel". We stopped at Manassas Gap Shelter for lunch but since the weather was great and the trail easier than yesterday, decided to head for Jim and Molly Denton Shelter. This is one of the nicest shelters I've stayed at. The shelter has a nice deck with an Adirondack bench, separate cooking shelter and a solar (cough, cough) shower if you don't mind cold spring water and no door. Still nice to get the grime off. This is our most crowded camping so far, three other people here tonight. Saw one more deer today. Got a better glimpse of this one, probably born this spring. Did 16.8 miles today. I'll see how I feel in the morning!Tomorrow, after a short five miles, we meet Dolora for lunch and resupply in Front Royal. Trail Snail needs to visit an outfitter looking for new insoles , her feet are still bothering her. Then it's in to Shenandoah National Park in search of a bear photo.At the bench in the photo, we met a couple out on a day hike. He had a pretty bad blister on his heel. Using some of our foot aid supplies, we fixed him up hopefully making the trip back to their car a little less painful.
Date: 2017-08-28
From: Jim and Molly Denton Shelter

To: Mountain Home Cabbin - Front Royal
Miles today: 5.2
Weather: overcast clouds

Easy 5.2 miles this morning. To US522 in Front Royal, where Dolora met us with food for the next section. After finding out the barbeque place we wanted to eat at was closed on Mondays, we went to lunch at the Knotty Pine Restaurant. Everyone had an excellent breakfast for lunch. Found the local Wal-Mart and some insoles for Trail Snail. Then off for ice cream. During our travels, we also picked up some dinner for later. Dolora dropped us off at the Mountain House Cabbin (that's how it's spelt). Spending the night here with Trail Snail, O Man and Flower Child. Nice little hostel that was originally a log cabin and slave quarters. Will probably zero tomorrow and stay here another night. Calling for pretty good rain tomorrow and we need to stay in a campground on Sunday night during Labor Day weekend. Adding one day let's us get into the campground.There are some advantages and disadvantages to hiking the next 103 miles through Shenandoah National Park (SNP). The advantages are fairly easy terrain and frequent  "Waysides". Wayside is the park term for a sort of convenience store for visitors. We can resupply every day or two and have a meal at the wayside. This helps keep pack weight down. The disadvantages include crowds and bears. The crowds largely disappear during the week and will pretty much be gone after Labor Day. While it is a highlight to see a bear, since they are not hunted in the park, they are accustomed to people. Most of the shelters on the AT have either bear boxes or bear hooks to keep your food out of their reach. You can hang your food from a tree when you camp but the bear boxes and hooks give you a much better feeling of security. So while hiking SNP, we'll be tenting near shelters. This pretty much sets mileage for each day. We are planning to be out of SNP in 11 days.
Date: 2017-08-29
From: Mountain Home Cabbin - Front Royal

To: Mountain Home Cabbin - Front Royal
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

Well the decision to zero today is looking pretty good. Rain started before it got light. At ten am, it is 57 degrees with a steady rain. Up to 59 degrees at 6 pm. Scott, our host made a wonderful breakfast for Trail Snail, Flower Child, O Man and myself at eight. We all slept in since everyone is staying a second night. Scott filled us in on the history of Mountain Home at breakfast. It's has a historical designation. The main house built in 1847 will open as a bed and breakfast next June. Trail Snail had hiked with O Man in New Jersey and New York so they did some catching up last night. O Man is retired from Corning and lives in Corning, NY. He is a flip flopper like Trail Snail. We had a nice conversation after breakfast about work, retirement and children. His oldest son is in medical school and doing a residency in Charlottesville where Greg went to school. O Man is planning to meet him in Charlottesville. The hostel is filling up tonight with three additional hikers since there was a steady rain all day. Getting a little cozy. I'm ready to get back hiking. Additional hikers are Princess Bubblegum, a maybe 20 something gal, and Hippo, an older German man, both flip floppers. Hippo is chatting it up with Trail Snail in German. Also in is Flash, an 18 year old male south bounder doing 20 mile days.I have had very limited cell service in my previous treks through Shenandoah National Park . So I'm not sure how frequent my updates will be. Going for dry weather tomorrow.
Date: 2017-08-30
From: Mountain Home Cabbin - Front Royal

To: Gravel Springs Hut
Miles today: 13.8
Weather: overcast clouds

After breakfast at Mountain Home Cabbin, Trail Snail and I headed out. The rain had finally stopped. Everyone at the hostel was heading in different directions. Flower Child and Flash are hammocking here tonight plus another tenter. O Man was planning to visit Urgent Care to have an ankle checked out. Princess was planning to hike along Skyline Drive instead of the trail. Hippo was planning on a zero, another day at the hostel. We entered Shenandoah National Park (SNP) after about 4 miles. We'll be in SNP for about 10 days. Hiking is really pretty nice, not a lot of rocky stretches and the climbs aren't too steep. Today's animals included a deer, a hummingbird and a squirrel. We only passed a few day hikers. We're tenting as usual and there are two other hikers in the shelter.Trail Snail (TS) went to the spring to get water. I heard a bunch of shouting and whistles blowing. Since SNP is known for its bears, I figured someone on the trail to the shelter saw a bear. When TS returned, she said she was filling her water bag and turned around to find a bear about ten feet behind her. She yelled to the guys in the shelter and blew her whistle. The bear was not aggressive and ran away. Unfortunately, no photos.While we were eating dinner at the table in front of the shelter, Moving Target came by for water. TS hiked for a couple of weeks with him through New Hampshire and Maine. They summited Kahatdin together but they didn't plan th hiker south together.Looking forward to breakfast and maybe lunch tomorrow at the wayside. That's where I'll resupply with food.
Date: 2017-08-31
From: Gravel Springs Hut

To: Byrds Nest #3 Hut
Miles today: 17.5
Weather: clear sky

Got on the trail about 7:45. When I got to Elkwallow Wayside around eleven, Trail Snail (TS) was chatting with Moving Target. Had an egg, cheese and ham muffin and a cup of coffee. Picked up a couple of items for a short resupply. Ramen and Spam for dinner. While we were packing up, Flower Child and Flash came in. TS and I looked at the weather forecast with heavy rain Friday night and Saturday. We altered our plans a bit to do more miles today so we could resupply and get to a shelter earlier tomorrow. Seemed like a good idea but that added an 1,100 foot climb at the end of the day when we were already tired, making a 17.5 mile day.Got into Byrds Nest #3 Hut after five. There's a group of about a dozen hikers, maybe a college group, loud. About 5 hikers in the shelter. Flash is hammocking here as well. A nice six or eight point buck came into our camp while setting up. Looking forward to another good breakfast or lunch tomorrow. Six miles to the restaurant and result. Feet are still doing well and the weather has been great for August in Virginia.
Date: 2017-09-01
From: Byrds Nest #3 Hut

To: Rock Spring Hut
Miles today: 10.9
Weather: overcast clouds

Left Byrds Nest #3 Hut about 7:30 to head to Skyland Resort and Restaurant for some food and resupply. Since there is a chance heavy rain tomorrow, we needed an extra days food in case we stay in the shelter. Although the resupply options were pretty poor, we ran into some trail magic. Trail Snail (TS) hiked with Aleve in New England. Aleve is a retired air traffic controller. He got off the trail because of knee problems and lives near the trail here. Aleve and TS had been texting so he knew her approximate whereabouts. When we got to the restaurant, the hostess told us that someone was waiting for us at a table. It was Aleve and another hiker, Smokey Bear. We all enjoyed a wonderful breakfast and Aleve treated. He also gave us money for our next cheeseburger. And to top it off, he gave us a half dozen glazed donuts. Flash was also at the restaurant. The trail magic makes up for the poor resupply options. Just as we headed out, it started to rain. The cool temperatures and rain are making it a little chilly but the rain had been light so far.  We got into Rock Spring Hut as the train picked up. A short while later, four hikers from Michigan came in. They're out for a week. Possibly a pair of father and sons. Everyone is in the shelter tonight. Hope there are no mice. Guessing we'll see some more hikers as it gets later. Glad we got here early.If the rain stays hard tomorrow, we will stay here but the plan is to just get up late morning stop at Big Meadows Wayside for lunch and continue to Bearfence Mountain Hut. An easy 11.5 mile day without any really hard climbs.Kind of cool now so nestled in my quilt although I do have to get out to make dinner!