morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2014-04-22
From: Apple Orchard Campsite 

To: Overmountain Shelter
Miles today: 19.7
Weather: few clouds

Today was very difficult. I got hiking by 8:20 knowing that rain was on the way. The rain didn't start when it was supposed to, so I got excited thinking it would never happen. The hiking was hard - climbing all day. 2000 ft up in just a couple of miles at one point to summit Roan Mtn. It seemed like the climbing was never going to end. It also started raining halfway up my climb. My body temperature kept fluctuating between hot and cold as the wind blew and the cold rain hit, yet I was hiking uphill sweating in a rain jacket. Hiking under the spruces, however, was very pretty with the fog seeping through the mountain. I also saw a large owl of some sort fly away into a tree. I tried so hard to walk closer to film it, but I couldn't find it in the trees once I moved!When I got to the top, there was nothing. Just foggy. I sat outside the locked bathrooms and made a quick lunch under the overhang to avoid the rain. Reptar was getting cold, and I still had 8 miles to go (it was about 2pm), so I got hiking again. It was a pleasant downhill for a while, and then more uphill to a bald. The views were... non-existent. It was just dense fog and drops of rain. The day just seemed so long and tiring.When I finally got to the shelter, I was pleased to see that it was an old converted barn, and it had the capacity to hold probably 25 people. Luckily, there are only about 13 of us, so Reptar and I have plenty of space inside and will stay warm out of the wind and what's left of the rain. Oh my god - just now, as I was writing, somebody downstairs in the barn came in and yelled "Pizza's here"! A hiker named "Jennayyyy" (Forrest Gump) brought 6 boxes of pizza, a whole pack of Oreos, and a bunch of bananas to share! Here I was in my sleeping bag, about to end this journal and go to bed, and then some awesome trail magic comes out of nowhere! What a pick up to the day! I haven't had Oreos since I left and I sure do miss them. I'm full and content now, and will sleep happy! Night!
Date: 2014-04-23
From: Overmountain Shelter

To: Mountaineer Shelter
Miles today: 18.0
Weather: overcast clouds

This morning was so good. I woke up and was able to make breakfast inside of the barn, and also got to eat a banana I saved from the night before. I got hiking around 8 and immediately started climbing. I knew there was going to be climbing at first, but in didn't know what I would be climbing, and I knew the day was going to flatten out later. I climbed in intense wind and arrived at the top of a small bald a bit later. After hiking through some small trees, another LARGE bald mountain, "Hump Mountain", stood in front of me. I could see the trail the whole way up, but had no idea what I was looking at. When I saw somebody hiking at the bottom, I really gained perspective. It was amazing how big this thing was. This tiny person had barely started the hike up, and they were so far away from me! When I first saw the mountain, it looked like I had about 200 yards to get to where that person was hiking. It was actually so much further. After taking this whole thing in, I looked further up, and saw two very tiny little dots that were barely moving. I couldn't even see the colors of the clothes, just two dots. It was Jake and Lando, who were (according to the guidebook) about 1.2 miles away from me. For some reason, with the wind blowing hard and seeing this giant mountain in front of me, I felt extremely excited to climb. It was so insane. The wind was pushing me off my path, but I didn't mind at all. The views were incredible. When I finally got to the top, I could again see Jake and Lando as tiny dots off in the distance about to re-enter the woods. I could see 360 degrees around me, and couldn't help but just laugh and be happy at the sight. It was gorgeous. Later, the day warmed up and the hiking became flatter. The sun was shining, and it made for some really nice hiking. I did, however, become much more tired earlier in the day due to the strenuous climb before. Reptar seemed to feel the same way, so I let him jump in a stream and swim around a bit to cool off and relax. I eventually caught up with Lando, who had previously been having some knee problems, so I asked if he was doing alright. His response was a bit alarming. We did some research of his symptoms on my phone and realized that it's very likely that what is happening to him is due to over-exercising, and should luckily go away in 1-2 days. He's okay right now, and we made it to the shelter, but we are going to get him to an urgent care tomorrow just to be safe. Jake's cousin lives about 40 miles out of Hampton, TN, which is where we will be tomorrow, so she is coming to pick Lando and Jake up to take a couple of zero days. I'm not quite up for zeroing out again after a taking a couple in the last 2 weeks. I figure it would be nice to get ahead as well, as I have friends planning coming down to hike with me in early May and we will probably not be doing as big of miles. Lando and Jake will catch up soon enough!Staying in the shelter again tonight! Not too many people are here. Night!
Date: 2014-04-24
From: Mountaineer Shelter

To: Hampton, TN
Miles today: 18.6

Just some more hiking today. It was hot out, so I had to stop a lot to let Reptar cool off. Jake and Lando got picked up by Jake's cousin so they could zero for two days and relax. As they drove off, I started to regret not going. As the day went on, I realized that I made the right move and didn't need two zero days, and they'll catch up to me soon enough. There is rain and possible thunder storms in the forecast for tomorrow morning, so I contemplated hiking over one last 6 mile mountain called "Pond Flats", then going into Hampton, TN to stay in a hostel. The other plan was to stay in the shelter before the mountain, wake up early and try to beat the storms and then resupply on the other side of the mountain. Unfortunately, some sketchy local was at the shelter that had a barking dog that didn't seem to get along with Reptar, so I decided not to stay there. When I got to the start of the mountain, I looked down at Reptar, and then realized that he probably couldn't handle another 6 strenuous miles after doing 18 already, so I headed off on a 1 mike long side trail to Hampton TN. I hitched hiked into town and got to Hiker Haven hostel.This hostel was not your average hostel, and was more like a shed with a bunch of bunks in a bathroom. The owner, Jeff, was extremely friendly, though, and nobody else ended up staying there, so I actually really enjoyed my stay for only 10 dollars. Jeff took me down to mcdonalds where I had an awesome dinner of cheeseburgers,Snack wraps, and a smoothie. I'm now back at the hostel and just enjoyed a nice long hot shower, and am about to catch up on Game of Thrones all night. The storms are supposed to start in the morning and end by noon, so I'm hoping to get a late start to avoid getting hit on the mountain.
Date: 2014-04-25
From: Hampton, TN

To: Vandeventer Shelter
Miles today: 14.8
Weather: moderate rain

My plan did not work. I woke up to it raining, but it stopped by 9am. The sun was out, so I figured I would get moving. I resupplied food for 3 days into Damascus at the grocery store next door, packed up and then walked about a mike back to the trail by 10:30. I also had the one more mile on the side trail to get back to the AT, so I really did 2 extra miles today. When I finally got back to the AT, I was excited to get moving up the Pond Flats mountain. After about an hour, it started raining again. I didn't really mind, as I was hot from climbing, but I thought it was kind of funny that I got hit anyways. Then, when I was near the top with about a quarter of a mike to go, the storm grew. Loud thunder was nearby, and I was on top of a mountain with hardly any tree cover. I started running, but quickly realized I was still gaining elevation, so I looked for cover. There were no rocks, boulders, rhododendron, or anything at all to hide under. I decided to just sit down and hold my pack over my head and bring Reptar close, hoping to not get struck by lightning. Luckily, the storm ended quickly, and I was able to hike down the mountain safely. Unfortunately, rain kept popping up the rest of the day, and the wind was very strong. It was a cold, wet, long day. I was never really in great spirits while hiking unfortunately. However, when I got to the shelter, the rain stopped, and there were plenty of people here to keep me company. When the fog cleared and the clouds lifted, there was the most amazing view behind the shelter. I set up my tent right by it. You can see the lake that I hiked next to for a while today, and a small town next to it. The sunset casted amazing shadows on the mountains. I made my dinner and sat on a large boulder to take in the view along with a few other hikers who are staying here. Tomorrow is supposed to be nice weather, and the rest of the way to Damascus is supposed to be very nice hiking with not too many elevation differences. One hiker said it was going to be "a piece of cake", and so now I really want cake. I've been thinking about it since he said that phrase.
Date: 2014-04-26
From: Vandeventer Shelter

To: Abington Gap Shelter
Miles today: 22.7

Today was beautiful. I woke up to an amazing sunrise view over the mountains. I packed up quickly and was out hiking by 7:50. The hiking was very flat all day, and I was able to move quickly. The sun was out all day so it made for some really nice, but hot hiking. I had to keep Reptar and myself very hydrated, which meant filtering water a lot today. Reptar is definitely pooped. We did almost 23 miles, which is huge for him. My body feels good though, and I'm happy to say that I think I really have my trail legs now!I got to the shelter I'm tenting at by 5. There was some great trail magic left by a church earlier, so I packed out a Dr. pepper to have with dinner! It's a bit funny here - there are about 20 people, but nobody is actually staying inside the shelter! I guess everyone just prefers to tent camp on these nice evenings. Tomorrow I just have 10 miles to go into Damascus, so I hope to get up early and get there by the end of the morning! Should be a nice relaxing day in town.
Date: 2014-04-27
From: Abington Gap Shelter

To: Damascus, VA
Miles today: 10.4
Weather: light rain

I was up and out hiking by 7:20 this morning. I wanted to have as much time in town as possible, so I hiked quickly to get there. During the short hike into Damascus,I passed the TN/VA border! It feels good to be in a new state, though it's going to be a long one! When I got into town, I dropped my stuff off at Woodchuck hostel and headed to Hey Joe's restaurant for lunch. I was there before they opened, but Joe, the owner, let me in and also welcomed Reptar. I ordered 4 tacos, and Joe cooked up one extra for me for free! It was a delicious lunch, and I was able to just relax there. I then got all my errands done (resupply, get cash, get fuel, set up tent, etc). When I went back to Woodchuck's, I took a nice shower and relaxed in the back yard for a bit. There are only a few of us staying here, so Woodchuck, the owner of the hostel, offered to grill us hot dogs and chicken for dinner! The weather was beautiful, so it made for a really nice cookout. There was also ice cream, so that was awesome. The hostel is really nice, and has a great kitchen and common area that has a PACMAN machine. I had already set up my tent in the backyard (cheaper than staying inside), but after hearing the weather report for tonight, I decided to give in and stay inside. I figured I would have spent that much on dinner anyways, so it is probably worth it.The beds are even temperpedic, and breakfast is included in the morning! The guys staying here are pretty cool, and one of them even went to OSU! We've all just been hanging outside and enjoying the nice evening. The weather isn't supposed to be great the next couple of days, but at least I won't be packing up a wet tent tomorrow!
Date: 2014-04-28
From: Damascus, VA

To: Lost Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 15.6
Weather: overcast clouds

Today was some great hiking. It was supposed to storm all morning, but I was prepared. It rained in the night last night for a bit, but it was clear when I left. There were dark clouds as I got about 3 miles into the trail, but the rain held off. I started hearing thunder right as I crossed a road where the AT met with the VA Creeper Trail. Luckily, there was a public restroom with an overhang, so right as the rain started, Reptar and I just hung out and had a snack. It passed quickly, and then we kept hiking. It sounds kind of funny, but today was one of the first days I really felt like I was a thru hiker, and felt really connected to the trail. The sun was out and I was hiking at low elevation, so there was a lot of foliage and scenery. So many different birds were singing, and the trail followed a really nice trout stream, so I really felt involved in the nature. It reminded me of southern Ohio, so I felt close to home. The Creeper Trail was also really cool - it was just a flat bike path along the steam. I'm intrigued to go back one day for a long bike ride and to go camping there.I got to the shelter at 2:30, and stayed totally dry all day! I was the first one here, and the rain started pouring around 3:30. People rolled in throughout the day, but it was really nice to sit inside and just watch the storm. It's calm now, and I'm hoping it's done for the night. It's supposed to rain tomorrow, but I'm getting my hopes up that it won't and will be able to have a nice hike through the Graceland Highlands where there are wild ponies!
Date: 2014-04-30
From: Wise Shelter

To: Athens, Ohio!
Miles today: 7.6
Weather: light rain

Today was full of surprises! Woke up this morning around 6, so I was able to start hiking by 7:30 after a slow pack up of my damp sleeping bag. I had planned only a 7.6 mile hike to Fox Creek Gap for the day.... Because I went home to Athens to (somewhat) surprise Hannah for her graduation! So yes, I am off trail now, and plan to get back on Monday. It's a lot of zero days, but I think it's a much needed break, and I'm far enough in front of all of my friends that I'll be right in the same area again when I return to the trail! Right when I left the shelter, I entered Grayson Highlands one more time for about a 500 yard section. Right as I got into the boundary line, I saw a group of wild ponies! I was so disappointed yesterday that I didn't see any, so I was so happy to get to see some today! Reptar was very interested in them, and they were very approachable. I got to Fox Creek Gap around 10:30, and was planning to get picked up by the best dude in the world for being willing to drive down and get me, Mike Spellacy, around noon. I was able to take my shoes off and hang up my sleeping bag to dry for a while. It was nice to just enjoy the day and not hike anymore. It didn't storm at all in the morning like it was supposed to - another nice bonus to the day. Around 12:30, I became somewhat worried that something might had gone wrong, and I wasn't able to call anyone because I had no cell service. Sure enough, a car rolled up right then and the windows rolled down to reveal not only Mike, but my friends Kent and Megan as well! It was such a nice surprise to see them all, and it was unbelievable they were all willing to drive down so far to pick me up. It was a very nice drive back, and was great catching up with everyone.When I got to Athens, I borrowed some street clothes from mike, and then headed over to Hannah's. I tiptoed upstairs and barged into her room. You see, the plan was to have her convinced that I wasn't coming to her graduation, that way it would have been a total surprise... But unfortunately I CC'd her in an email I was sending to my parents and completely forgot that I mentioned going home to surprise her in the email. It was after a long hike about a week ago, and it just slipped my mind, so she knew the surprise was coming... Regardless, she didn't know when, or how, so she was still somewhat surprised. It was great to see her again, and I'm glad to be back at home and able to relax for a few days! I have a lot of nothing planned!
Date: 2014-05-05
From: Athens, Ohio!

To: Campsite 
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: overcast clouds

May 5thAthens was awesome! I was very happy to see Hannah, and it was nice to have four days off to be with good company and relax. My parents and sister came for a night to have dinner, so that was nice as well! I got a haircut, ate a lot of good food, drank some JackieO's beer, watched Hannah graduate from college, bought a nook (reading for the trail), and had some good coffee! I even got to ride my friend's motorcycle, which was a very much missed feeling (thanks again, Kent). I think I may have had it a little too good at home. I am going to miss everyone very much. Some of you know, but I have decided to leave Reptar back in Ohio. This was a hard decision for me, and I am very sad about it. I won't get into it, but basically it was getting very hard to take care of myself on the trail when I had to take care of somebody else as well. He was a great trail companion, and didn't do anything wrong, I just felt that I wasn't able to focus on the trail. I also think it will be better for his health and safety in the long run. I'm proud to say that Reptar hiked 360 miles total of the Appalachian trail! (Remember, he wasn't in the Smoky's). He is now on a long vacation living in Athens with Hannah for May, then heading to live with my parents for the remainder of the summer. I am already missing him very much, and his spot in the tent is sadly empty. I just think it is what is best for both of us!Today my brother and our friend Steve brought me back down to the trail to hike for a few days. It's very nice to be able to hang with friends from home while on the trail. I think I would have been very homesick today had I just been dropped off. This will be a nice transition back into the woods with these guys! We started hiking at about 3pm, and rolled into our campsite around 7. The boys are fresh to long distance hiking, so there are blisters that needed to be tended to! Tomorrow we have a short day of 12 miles to get to partnership shelter! We are going to take it slow and enjoy the day!
Date: 2014-05-06
From: Campsite 

To: Partnership Shelter
Miles today: 13.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Last night was very weird not having Reptar. I woke up multiple times in the night thinking he was right next to me. At one point I even reached to pet him and was surprised to find that it was only my pack. I hope that goes away quickly...Today was a short hike with Nate and Steve from our backcountry campsite. We hiked 12 miles to Partnership shelter, which also happens to be in the backyard of Mt Rodgers headquarters. It's a very nice shelter that has a shower and a sink! We set our stuff in the grass and walked over to the road to hitch into Marion. Nate had to make sure his grades went through, so we only really had to go into town for cell phone service. We figured we had enough time, so we tried to hitch all the way back to the car so we could bring it to an easier location to get to Thursday. We got about halfway, and then waited about an hour and a half before we became tired of standing in the sun and not getting a ride. We were also getting hungry, so we just whipped out a 20 dollar bill and presented it to the oncoming cars. In an instant, a smiling young local pulled right up in his pickup ready to make some easy money. The drive back ended up being much further than we remembered, and would have probably taken a few more hitches, so it was worth the 20 bucks.We drove back to the headquarters, and walked back up to the shelter. I started reading a wild edibles field guide book that I bought on my nook, and went searching for some things to eat. We ended up collecting a bunch of pine needles and following a simple recipe for a pine needle tea! While the tea was brewing, we set up our sleeping bags in the grass. We sat and relaxed to enjoy a cup of delicious natural tea and chatted for a while. We are cowboy camping under the stars tonight - the stars are out and the air is warm, so it's going to be a great night to not be in a tent!
Date: 2014-05-07
From: Partnership Shelter

To: Atkins VA
Miles today: 11.9

Today was a really great day. It was Nathan and Steve's last day of hiking, so I was really happy that it was a nice day. The day started with some tough climbs, but he second half was nice and gradual downhill. It seems that this whole section really started to bloom and turn green within the past couple of days. It made for some really gorgeous hiking! There were small sections of woods, streams, grasslands, railroad tracks, rhododendron, and powerlines! The boys saw it all today. We hiked about 10 miles into Atkins, and got there about 2pm. We decided we had enough time to get the car so we didn't have to get it in the morning, so we hitched back to partnership shelter. We planned to drive back to where we stopped hiking and to camp around the area, but I had got a text from Longhorn, a friend who I hadn't seen since the Smoky's, that he was at partnership shelter tonight. We ended up not driving back to where we stopped on the trail and just camping 100 yards up the trail from partnership! Longhorn, and a new friend named Lotus, came up and camped with us. We sat by the fire all night with some beers and had some good laughs. We teased Nate a bit that his hammock just looked like a big bear bag, and that a bear would be very happy to come across the motherload and start eating away. The stars are out again, yet the moon is still bright! Glad to have my tent fly off tonight!
Date: 2014-05-09
From: Lynn Camp Creek

To: Laurel Creek
Miles today: 22.7

Woke up and was out of camp by 7:15 this morning. I figured the day would get hot, so hiking early morning seemed ideal. Though the morning was full of difficult hiking and climbs, it was really pleasant. Then it became extremely unpleasant. Storm clouds started to roll in, so it naturally made me hike faster, causing my feet to hurt. It didn't rain though - not at least until later. The afternoon terrain was flat according to the guidebook, but was actually full of small ups and downs, and was extremely rocky. I also ran out of water at one point, and felt pretty dehydrated for 3 miles until I came across a stream.When I finally got to the shelter I planned on staying at, nobody else was there. I was bummed about this, because I wanted to be social tonight! I set my stuff down and opened up the shelter register. There were warnings upon warnings about bears entering camp every single night and not being afraid of humans. I was alone, so clearly I wasn't going to stay there.The day did redeem itself though - I hiked another couple of miles and came across posters for a place called "Fort Bastian",a camp owned by a British man named "TruBrit". The poster promised a good time, so I called. TruBrit came and picked me up a couple more miles down the trail and took me and another hiker into town to grab some adult sodas. We headed back to his camp and set up our tents. His land is really nice, and he has a really cool setup. We are under some large pine trees, and he has a whole circus tent over a hangout area with lights, a couple of grills, and a nice fireplace right in the center. It's really a cool place. I ordered a pizza, and enjoyed some free Oreos after. (I have been eating healthy otherwise - I snack on greens all day along the trail that are safe to eat and extremely healthy). It was a really nice relaxing night here, which totally made up for the interestingly difficult day.Tomorrow I am slack packing for the first time, and plan to do a 26 mile southbound hike back to TruBrit's place. I will only have to carry water, so it should be a nice easy long hike! I'll get to stay here tomorrow night as well, and then get dropped off again where I will slack pack from.