morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2008-06-07
From: Buena Vista

To: Porters Field
Miles today: 15.1

The shuttle came to pick me up at 8:00 and I was at the trail head by 8:30. After talking to some other hikers there I set off just before 9:00. I had to climb back on the ridge I had left earlier. This time the climb was only 2,000' to get back to the 4,000' ridge. The day was sunny and starting to warm up quickly, so I was glad for the shade. The first mountain was called Bald Knob, although not bald. I went down to Cow Camp Gap and then up Cold Mountain(of movie/book fame?), finally reaching Hog Camp Gap on the side. There, as the rumor was confirmed, was the mother of all trail magic. There were about 20 supporters who had brought in food, drinks, lawn chairs and canopies. They had arrived on Friday afternoon and were to be there until Sunday. Many hikers had stopped and put up tents in anticipation of staying the weekend to maximize their food intake. I stopped for about two hours, having two grilled brats, 2 cold drinks, 2 beers, and picked out a grilled chicken leg. Needless to say the rest of the day went slowly. I had already began with a large town breakfast, so I was stuffed when I left. One more beer and I would have set up my tent also. But I hiked on, bypassing the shelter and opting to camp in a grassy field just beyond. Hoping for a cooler day tomorrow for a descent back to 1,000' and then up to 3,800'.
Date: 2008-06-08
From: Porters Field

To: Maupin Field
Miles today: 19.4
Weather: overcast clouds

The day started out well - more trail magic about two miles from the campsite. They were cooking pancakes, so I had three with strawberries, and then I had three more. I had eaten breakfast, but was apparently still hungry. I drank two sodas, and when I started to leave, they gave me four Clift bars and two Gatorades to go. What generosity! The weather was hot and humid, so the Gatorade would prove very important later. I started up on a ridge about 3,500'. After six miles, there was a big descent from 4,000' back to 1,000', where I started yesterday. But then the trail climbed back to 3,800' over some of the rockiest terrain I've been on. The going was slow. There were very few views today - only the path in front of me and the swarm of flies hovering around my face and getting in my eyes. The one unusual siting was a big black snake stretched across the trail. I tried to scare him with my poles, but he was quite satisfied to lay where he was. So I stepped over him and went on my way. It was a long day today, beginning at 6:00 and ending at 7:00 - probably 11 to 12 hours of hiking. No problems except sore feet.
Date: 2008-06-09
From: Maupin Field

To: Rockfish Gap
Miles today: 20.8
Weather: few clouds

The big event today was Humpback Mountain. The climb was not so bad - 2,600' to 3,600', but the trail was mostly massive rocks, which require thousands of big steps up and big steps down. Some rocks were stable, some shifted when stepped on. One scene would have been comical, had it not risked broken bones. As I was approaching a steep climb, I looked up and saw a pile of huge boulders at least 30' high. There was an obvious trail around the rocks, but there staring at me was a succession of blazes leading directly up and over the pile. I took that as a little trail designer humor. Also of note; I came upon a rattle snake on the trail. I didn't see him as I approached, but the vibrations of my poles must have gotten the snake excited. He quickly coiled and began to fiercly rattle. I jumped back and looked for awhile. After taking photos, I bush-whacked around him and moved on. The weather is still awfully hot and humid, although not as bad as yesterday. Hope tomorrow is better still.
Date: 2008-06-10
From: Rockfish Gap

To: Blackrock
Miles today: 20.0
Weather: clear sky

My first day in Shenandoah National Park (SAP) was hot and humid. Not a cloud in the sky. The trail follows the ridge line almost exclusively, so the shade is ofen pretty sparse and the sun heats up all the vegetation, increasing the humidity even more. The climbs and descents are only a couple of hundred feet at most, but they occur regularly. As soon as a climb is completed, a descent starts and vice versa. The trail descends to gaps through which the Skyline Parkway runs. The trail crosses the parkway about every two miles or so. The only views available today were overlooks along the parkway. Wildlife seen today were several deer and a tom turkey.
Date: 2008-06-11
From: Blackrock

To: Simmons Gap
Miles today: 15.3

The big news is: it finally rained - last night but not very much. But the rain did bring some cooler, dryer air with it. I heard it thundering so I put the rain fly on my tent. It must have rained for an hour off and on, but this morning the fly was dry. That's good, no extra weight. The trail was the usual for SNP - up from a gap, over a peak, and down to another gap. The air was cool this morning, but the sun was bright and quickly warmed things up. The trail goes around and near Loft Mountain campground. I took the time to walk the blue braze trail to the camp store, where I resupplied as best I could with the limited selection. I bought and drank three bottles of Gatorade and layed on a picnic table. I spent about two hours there, so my miles are short today. Today I saw many deer. One was grazing near the shelter table where I had lunch. One is grazing very nearby as I write this. I also saw a bear near the trail up ahead as I walked. As soon as I saw him, he heard me and took off - not photo.
Date: 2008-06-12
From: Simmons Gap

To: Bear Fence Mountain
Miles today: 18.5
Weather: clear sky

The trail oscillated between 2,300¢ and 3,600¢ today. The extremes seem to be widening as I move north. The weather was cooler today than yesterday. Not much to report today ¢ no unusual animal sightings. There were several good views, but essentially of the same scenes viewed earlier. I saw very few people on the trail today. There were a few day hikers, but only one group with full packs. I think a lot of the group I was in the middle of went to Waynesboro for a few days rest. I didn¢t go in because I had resupplied in Buena Vista. I went to another camp store today just to get some ice cream. I¢m using one of their picnic tables now to write this. The shelter is only about 0.9 miles up the trail from here, so I¢ll head there soon to get a camp site. No rain expected, not a cloud in the sky.
Date: 2008-06-13
From: Bear Fence Mountain

To: Skyland Lodge
Miles today: 16.1

Today I felt tired all day, so I took the opportunity for an early stop, restaurant dinner and a night in a real bed. The trail was fairly mild today, at least the first part. Then it became the rocky avalanche path, where every step is uncertain. The air was thick with haze, so no inspiring views. The news of last night and today was ¢ bears. As a camp mate and I were setting up our tents last night, he spotted a mother bear and a cub about 50¢ up the hill, grazing on something. He tried unsuccessfully to scare them away while I made photos. After awhile, the bears ambled off, seemingly uninterested in we humans, but totally unafraid of us. The second encounter was this afternoon as I was walking down the trail with my hat pulled close to my eyes to keep out the flies. I could only see a few feet in front of me on the trail unless I looked up to see what was coming. Once, when I looked up, I was practically face to face with a male bear about 20¢ in front of me and 10¢ off the trail. The bear was examining something around a tree, or scratching himself on the tree bark. We looked at each other for a moment, and I started walking faster to get by him before he decided to come out on the trail. Once by, I stopped and took photos for a minute and then moved on, not wanting the bear to think I was stopping in his territory. As I walked, I looked back several times to see if the bear was in pursuit, but he didn¢t react to my presence at all, as far as I could tell. I planned to stop by the Skyway Lodge for dinner before resuming my trek. However, once I had two glasses of wine, I decided to stay the night. I¢ve done my laundry in the bathroom sink and, since there¢s no TV, it¢s bedtime.
Date: 2008-06-14
From: Skyland Lodge

To: Pass Mountain
Miles today: 10.7
Weather: scattered clouds

I was slowly getting back on the trail this morning. I had a nice breakfast at the restaurant and waited for the clothes I had washed in the bathroom last night to dry some more outside. When I did get going, I noticed that the sky was overcast. Soon after starting I encountered a mama bear and her cub fading on the undergrowth not far off the trail. Bears are apparently very plentiful around here. The hike today can be described as rocky. There were rocks everywhere on the trail at all elevations. The trail reached its high point in Virginia at 3,800¢. The low point today was 2,300¢. The terrain was predominately descending ¢ not pleasant for my knees. I missed too heavy down pours of rain, the first started just as I arrived at a picnic area with a covered pavilion, the second, just as I approached a decommissioned shelter which was a stone structure with a good, leak-proof roof. The next time it started raining, it was not a downpour, but a steady rain. I hiked the final four miles in the rain and reached the campsite about 7:30. The rain let up a bit, so I quickly put up my tent. Looks like rain tomorrow morning, then just scattered showers. As usual, it will take several days of weather to dry out my gear. Earlier on today I encountered a trail maintenance trimming the weeds along the trail. He said this was to reduce tick problems for hikers. Deer ticks (carriers of Lyme Disease) have been found here lately, as have the ticks that carry Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. I thanked him for his service. Ticks are the main reason I wear long sleeves and long pants.
Date: 2008-06-15
From: Pass Mountain

To: Marshall Gap
Miles today: 15.9

The expected rain didn¢t materialize this morning, but my tent was wet from the steady rain last night. I didn¢t sleep well last night and so didn¢t wake up until 6:30 this morning. I packed up quickly and was hiking by 7:00. The attraction for the day was the grill at Elkwallow Gap. They serve the famous Blackberry milkshake, which I had missed up to this point. I got there at about 11:00 and ordered their standard ¢ hamburger, fries and milkshake. I also got an apple and orange to supplement by fruit intake. The hamburger was pretty good, the fries were good, and the milkshake was excellent. As I was finishing, a van load of people drove up and began unloading food and ice chest ¢ it was trail magic happening again. I was invited to get a plate and dig in. They had barbeque, beans, potato salad, and a veggie tray. I got some of everything and a beer to drink. When I finished I could hardly move. I thanked everyone and packed up. I staggered out and the weight of the food in my stomach as well as additional water and food bag items. Of course, the only way out of a gap is up. The sun was blazing and it was a struggle until I finished the climb. After that, the day went pretty normal, except for a couple of long stops to digest some of the food. When I got to the shelter where I was planning to stay, it was full of short-term hikers heading south, so I moved on. I stopped at a spot a couple of miles further up the trail near at Skyline Drive crossing. I¢m not supposed to be this close to the highway, but I got tired of looking for a spot. So until someone tells me to leave, this is it for the night. No unusual arrival sightings today, unless you count a guinea hen that flew out in front of me, scaring me pretty bad.
Date: 2008-06-16
From: Marshall Gap

To: Front Royal
Miles today: 19.6
Weather: few clouds

Today I finished the trail through the Shenandoah National Park and made it into Front Royal, VA. I hitched into town, got a room at a motel, did laundry and went to the outfitters to replace my worn-boots. The outfitters, as well as everything else in downtown Front Royal, was closed on Mondays, so I had to revise my plans to get back on the trail early Tuesday and, instead, shop for shoes Tuesday morning.
Date: 2008-06-17
From: Front Royal

To: Campsite
Miles today: 7.0
Weather: clear sky

I finally got to the outfitters and picked out new hiking shoes. I had my old boots mailed back home. I was lucky enough to meet a gentleman at the outfitters who offered a ride back to the trail. It was after noon by the time I started hiking, so I didn¢t make it very far. I camped on a meadow at the top of a mountain. The sunset and moon rise were impressive from my tent.
Date: 2008-06-18
From: Campsite

To: Rock Hollow
Miles today: 17.5

June 18Campsite to Rock Hollow17.5Today I entered what is called the ¢Roller Coaster¢; so called because of the many ups and downs coming in quick succession. The Roller Coaster goes for about 13 miles. The first part, at least, was not all that tough ¢ the climbs and descents were short, although steep. About 4:00 the rain started. By the time I reached the shelter, I was pretty wet, but dried off quickly.
Date: 2008-06-19
From: Rock Hollow

To: Bears Den
Miles today: 9.9
Weather: light rain

The precursor to the Roller Coaster I discussed yesterday was not the real thing. Today was real ¢ and quite a lot more strenuous. I got a late start out of the shelter and rain in the afternoon made the Bears Den Hostel a good stopping point, but not very many miles. The Roller Coaster consists of about 12 peaks with altitude variations from 1,000¢ to 1,300¢ in a relentless succession of climbs and descents. The climbs are not long, but much longer than yesterday, and I thought this was going to be fairly easy. Today, we have another 4-5 miles of the same, and then things smooth out into Harpers Ferry, WV. The main attraction at the hostel was pizza and ice cream.
Date: 2008-06-20
From: Bears Den

To: Harpers Ferry
Miles today: 20.5
Weather: clear sky

Major accomplishments for today were: passing the one thousand mile mark and passing into another state ¢ West Virginia. I finished out the remainder of the Roller Coaster, which was about 3.5 miles. Then there was a stretch of relatively easy trail, interposed by rock sections. As I approached Harpers Ferry, there was one last mountain to ascend and descend. There was about four miles of some of the rockiest terrain I¢ve been on. The rocks slowed me down considerably, and I reached Harpers Ferry about 7:00. I stayed at a new hostel in town, which is still a work in progress, but okay.
Date: 2008-06-21
From: Harpers Ferry

To: Crampton Gap
Miles today: 10.5
Weather: clear sky

The morning was spent resupplying at Wal-Mart. The hike started about 2:00 and ended about 7:00. The summer solstice is upon us, so there is plenty of daylight for hiking. The first three miles were pancake flat, being on the CSO Canal Towpath, a path that parallels an old canal used before the railroads took over inland shipping. Then the trail climbed up steeply to a ridge, where it stayed all day. The climb was rocky, but the top trail was relatively rock free except for a few stretches. Nothing like yesterday! The elevation is relatively low; 1,000¢ ¢ 1,500¢. Also, just out of Harpers Ferry, I crossed the West Virginia - Maryland state line, so I¢m now in my sixth state. The AT only goes about 40 miles in Maryland, so I¢ll be in Pennsylvania soon.
Date: 2008-06-22
From: Crampton Gap

To: Ensign Cowall
Miles today: 20.7
Weather: few clouds

Last night I went to bed in my tent with the rain-fly off, since it was so warm. About 2:30, however, the rain started and I had to quickly put the fly on. Fortunately the rain stopped before I had to pack up, so I didn¢t get wet, but I had to pack a wet fly. The first part of the trail today was mostly level with few rocks. Just about lunch time, the trail passed near a restaurant with a AYCE Sunday brunch. I invited by friend Rue from Connecticut to have lunch with me to celebrate the approaching passage of the half-way point. She accepted my invitation, and we had a really good lunch. After lunch, the trail took us by the original Washington monument, which offered a great view on its observation deck. A little way further down the trail, the terrain turned to rock, much like yesterday. It was then slow-going into the shelter. Because of the long days, there was still plenty of light to set up my tent.
Date: 2008-06-23
From: Ensign Cowall

To: Tumbling Run
Miles today: 18.1
Weather: clear sky

Today I crossed from Maryland to Pennsylvania about 10 miles into the hike. This boundary is part of the historic Mason-Dixon line that separated the Union and the Confederacy. In the meantime, I went over a second Devil¢s Race Course. I have learned that when selecting hiking options, if one is called Devil¢s Race Course, that option should be excluded. This designation is apparently used for very rocky stretch of trail. The first was rock, but relatively level. Today¢s race course was very rocky and steeply descending. These trails are no fun to hike, at least for me. And the rocks make me slow as molasses. Tonight, I am in my tent, listening to the rain and thunder, seeing flashes of lightening through the fly of my tent. Last night, I heard a giant tree fall. This is an amazing sequence of sounds beginning with a crack so loud, it sounds like a high-powered rifle shot. Then there is a series of less intense cracks as different limbs hit the ground. Finally the main trunk hits the ground with an earth-shaking thud. The pieces of the tree tumble for several seconds until they reach their resting place. Then ¢ silence. It is frightening at first, because you don¢t know if you are in the path of a major section of the tree. It¢s a relief when the motion stops. Tonight I am tenting in a meadow, far from any tree.
Date: 2008-06-24
From: Tumbling Run

To: Quarry Gap
Miles today: 12.2
Weather: few clouds

The story for today was foot pain. The pain began several days ago and has been growing in intensity. It is concentrated in the ball of my right foot. It¢s not a blister, but inside where the plantar ligament fastens to the ball and extends to the heel. It may be plantar fasciitis, which requires rest. I cut the day short at 7 miles before my planned stop. The trail was rocky again, although not any more so then the past several days. I had a long rest at Caledonian State Park, where I had two hamburgers, a large drink and an ice cream for dessert. But the rest didn¢t help the foot pain and after an hour of hiking I gave up at the Quarry Gap Shelter. The shelter is particularly nice and almost looks like a small log house. It¢s well painted and very clean, even potted plants hanging from the front posts. I¢m on a tent pad alongside the shelter, which is a wooden deck, set off the ground and perfectly level. So far everyone has stopped for a rest and moves on. I suspect there will be hikers coming later (its 6:00 now ¢ still plenty of daylight left). I¢m letting my tent and fly dry out from last night¢s rain. Hoping it will stay clear tonight, but the storms blow in suddenly. Also hoping that my foot will recover enough overnight for another short day tomorrow, and finally heal so that I can resume a full day¢s hiking.
Date: 2008-06-25
From: Quarry Gap

To: Tom's Run
Miles today: 13.6

I had to stop short of the midpoint today because of foot pain. The foot felt better this morning, but got worse as the day went on. I take this as an indication that rest is needed. I plan to hike into the Pine Grove Furnace State Park tomorrow (about 4 miles) and stay at the hostel until my foot is better. The next town is Boiling Springs, which is about 23 miles away. I don¢t think I can make it there until some healing takes place. Luckily, the trail was relatively easy today, but I don¢t know how long that will hold. The elevation variation is minimal, but who knows about rocks? Here is an Emily Dickinson poem I put in the shelter register, appropriate for my condition:¢Pain has an element of blank - It cannot recollect When it began or if there were ¢ A day when it was not It has no future but itself - its infinite realms containits past enlightened to perceive ¢ New periods of pain.¢
Date: 2008-06-26
From: Tom's Run

To: Pine Grove Furnace
Miles today: 3.7
Weather: light rain

Took a zero today to nurse my foot. Pain was getting progressively worse ¢ even in the morning, so time to give the foot some rest. I hiked into the State Park and hung around the general store until the hostel opened at 5:00. Had plenty to eat in the meantime from the grill at the store. I met two hikers from Philly out for a week ¢ a couple, the status of I¢m not sure of, but a couple. She was very interesting, an employee of University of Berkeley, who telecommutes from home in PA. She is a national class free-style age group swimmer in the thirties and obviously very intelligent. She¢s on a committee with major manufacturers to figure out how to design the interface for modern home thermostats(apparently the last bastion of resistance to modernization by the general public and the manufacturers). Although, obviously in excellent aerobic fitness, she finds hiking difficult ¢ I can relate to that whole-heartedly. After checking in to the Hostel, I found ice to apply to my foot, makes it feel about normal, at least for awhile. I¢m hoping the ICE cure (Ice, Compression and Elevation) will do the trick, if not permanently, at least until I can get to a doctor to find out what¢s wrong and what the cure it (other than getting off the trail). I¢ve recently been reading some of the writings of Earl Shaffer, the first thru-hiker circa 1948. He did two thrus when he was in his forties, the first south to north and, a couple of years later, north to south. His final one south to north when he was 78. He is a true inspiration. His first hike (the Long Cruise) was the first for anyone, and most experts agreed that it couldn¢t be done. It came at a time when the AT was falling into disrepair and generated new interest in the trail, maybe saved it from encroaching civilization. He definitely set the standard for dealing with hardship, but he knew being out in the mountains all alone. I¢m not sure I can give the same enthusiasm for solitude. I thought I could handle it better than I have. Earl saw practically no one on the trail, I see many people, but few of them I would call friends. But I¢ve found I need human contact more than I suspected. The hardship I can take, if pain is not constantly haunting me. It would be great just to be tired at the end of the day, without the foot pain. Guess I¢ll have to cut back on the mileage each day to get back there if I can. I¢ve got to give up trying to stay in a bubble of hikers and ¢hike my own slow hike¢. On his last hike, Earl made it to Katahdin just before it closed and suffered from the onset of cold weather. That will probably be my fate, also. I¢m dreading the upcoming miles of PA rocks and tree-less vista caused by the zinc mines in the eastern part of the state. Earl didn¢t like it and I¢m sure I won¢t either. But the trail is the trail. We have to adapt and go forward.