morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2012-06-05
From: Hightop Hut

To: Bearfence Mountain Hut
Miles today: 12.4
Weather: light rain

This morning I got up and discovered an empty bottle of wine and at least 20 beer cans around the picnic table. I'm glad I had my earbuds in last night, I didn't even notice those guys carrying on. I packed up my stuff and started walking. It looks like those guys that were drinking last night will be sleeping in. I figure you get punished twice for drinking beer on the trail, once for carrying the weight of it out to camp, and then again after you drink it.I was able to get a few bars with my cellphone this morning and receive a voicemail from my Mom. She said I've been selected for jury duty on June 15th. If I don't contact the judge in writing to explain why I can't make it, I'll be in contempt of court. I'm not sure what that means but it doesn't sound good. I hitch hiked into Elkton, (the nearest town). Thanks "Roundabout" for the lift!! I got dropped off near the post office. I went inside and explained what I was trying to do. I was told to go to the newspaper office, they could send a fax for me. I went there, but I was told to go to the library. So, I went to the library but they are closed on Tuesdays. Mildly frustrated I walked to "Ray's Diner" for breakfast. I began to contemplate getting a motel room and staying in town. I am a sucker for comfort, being in town feels good. I like town food and clean sheets. Anyway, I walked over to the Elkton museum/visitor information building. I met a trail angel in there who offered to drive me around. We went to the learning center where I was able to type up a letter to the judge. I also made a copy of my Shenandoah National Park backcountry permit to send with the letter as a "supporting document". He then took me to the pharmacy where I was able to fax the judge. I even got a ride back to the trail! I didn't make many miles because I got sidetracked today, but I'm glad I got that done. The same guys from last night rolled into the shelter late carrying more booze from the market up the trail. I hope they don't get too rowdy.If you missed it I got my first bear picture posted on yesterday's journal entry.
Date: 2012-06-06
From: Bearfence Mountain Hut

To: Byrds Nest #3 Hut
Miles today: 22.4
Weather: overcast clouds

I censor my journal entries sometimes because this is all public and I don't want to be mean. But all I have to write about is how I feel and my perspective on the day's events. I leave out trail names when things are crummy because that way it isn't a permanent record. Anyway, those guys I wrote about yesterday ended up getting pretty smashed last night. Section hikers who were out enjoying Shenandoah National Park decided to camp around the hut. A father that was out backpacking with his daughters came around the front of the hut. It appeared as though they wanted to cook dinner at the picnic table. He was looking around with a pot and a stove in his hands. I'm pretty sure the scene turned him away. As they walked off one guy commented "I'm a thru-hiker....this is no place for children", while puffing on his cigarette and drinking a beer. As the evening progressed I was unable to drown out the noise by listening to my iPod. They were passing around a bottle of whiskey in addition to drinking beer. I sat back and marveled at alcohol's ability to retard brain function. One of them called the other one the "C" word 5 or 6 times in a row. Then another guy threatened to kick the third guys ass if he didn't give him a light for his cigarette. It must not have been too serious though because a few moments later they were professing their love for one another.This must be my karma for the way I acted when I was younger. I really don't want to camp near these guys if they are going to keep drinking like this. This morning two of them got on the trail right away while the other two looked dead to the world. They got split up. I heard one got off the trail because he was sick. One of them rushed on ahead looking for the other two, and the other two showed up at the hut I was at an hour later. We told them that their friend went on ahead looking for them, but they didn't feel like going further.The mice at this hut are very bold. They went after our food in broad daylight as we prepared dinner. We unsuccessfully chased them around the hut with shoes and a broom.
Date: 2012-06-07
From: Byrds Nest #3 Hut

To: Gravel Springs Hut
Miles today: 17.5
Weather: scattered clouds

I walked to the next shelter this morning and told the hiker that went on last night that his friends were on their way. He figured that he had passed them and was waiting there.I keep seeing "Cheese It" at the huts. I like hanging out with him, he's always laughing and smiling. He doesn't do that many miles. I tell him he should do more and he says I should do less. Cheese It started a month before me. He's totally capable of doing longer days but he's says it's more fun getting to camp early. We stopped at the last "Wayside" grocery store in the Shenandoahs. In addition to an overpriced philly cheese steak sandwich, I bought two days worth of food. It will be enough to get to the Bears Den hostel. While walking to the hut I met a woman named "Medic". She got her name because she carries an extensive first aid kit. We walked and talked for several miles. I was in the lead as we talked and of course I wasn't paying enough attention. We walked up to the top of a hill. When we got to the top we discovered a clearing with a radio tower. Both of us looked around but neither could find a white blaze. Oops, wrong turn....We walked all the way back down to the bottom of the hill where the clearly marked trail had just crossed the one we took. Medic laughed and called it "extra credit". That was a positive spin on getting lost. She kept calling me "Extra Credit" the rest of the night. I might actually start going by that for the second half of the hike. I've certainly put in some extra credit miles the few times I've gotten lost so far. That's funny : D
Date: 2012-06-08
From: Gravel Springs Hut

To: Dick's Dome Shelter
Miles today: 28.6
Weather: scattered clouds

This morning Cheese it and I made a plan to go to the shelter 28.6 miles out. That will give us a short day to get to the Bear's Den tomorrow. For breakfast I ate a chocolate chip muffin from the wayside. That thing had 720 calories and 36 grams of fat! I probably should have eaten two of them. For the first part of the day Cheese It and I walked together. We were moving pretty good until I noticed a big rattlesnake on the edge of the trail. I cursed and jumped off to the side. It was partially hidden in the grass. Our ankles were only inches away from it by the time we noticed. Cheese It wanted to get a video of it rattling. He started poking at it with his trekking pole. The snake snapped at the pole and started rattling loudly. Cheese It bothered it enough that it slithered away from the trail. That's probably a good thing for the next hiker passing through.We took a lunch break at one of the shelters and got separated. I left before Cheese It did and he didn't make it Dick's Dome tonight where we had planned to meet. He probably stopped at the shelter 4.5 miles back. Dick's Dome is a cool little geodesic dome shelter. I dream about hiking while I'm asleep sometimes. It's weird when I wake up. It's always sunny out while I'm hiking in my dreams. But when I wake up in a shelter everything is dark. The first time it happened to me I was walking along the rocks on the side of a mountain, all the sudden everything was black. Somewhat alarmed, I said "hello" and voice from the darkness answered back "hello". I asked "where am I?" the voice answered back "your in a shelter, you've been here all night".It happened to me again tonight. One minute I was out hiking, then all the sudden I was in a dark unfamiliar room. Still in a daze I asked "where am I?" the woman sleeping next to me said "your in a shelter".  I asked "how did I get here?" she said "you walked". My brain started working again after she said that and I chuckled before going back to sleep.
Date: 2012-06-09
From: Dick's Dome Shelter

To: Bears Den Hostel
Miles today: 18.3
Weather: overcast clouds

I walked through a section of trail today called the "Roller Coaster" on my way to the Bears Den. It's about ten miles of going up and down hills no more than 500 feet high. The trail has been relatively flat for the last 150 miles. So I guess a spot like this deserves a name. There was a sign nailed to a tree at the beginning that said something like "see you on the other side, if you survive". I suppose if you were out of shape it would be tough. For me it was just another day at the office. I wouldn't have even mentioned it if it weren't for all the hype.I met Mr. Fabulous at the Bears Den. He informed me that they didn't open till 5:00pm and he was going on to the next hostel. I had already decided to stay because I was hoping to meet Cheese It here. The Bears Den is a small stone castle converted into a hostel, it's very cool. On the front door there was a sign that said thru-hikers use the back entrance. Nobody was around yet but I figured I'd check it out. The hiker room in back is open 24hrs., but the keypad lock required you to figure out a combination that only a hiker would know.I was pretty excited once I got  inside. There was a mini fridge full of sodas, TV with a rack of DVD's, computer, bunks, a shower, and loaner clothes! I grabbed a Dr. Pepper, took a shower, and piled my laundry on the floor. They also had a scale.......the good news is my pack only weighs 18 lbs. The bad news is I only weigh 140 lbs. I've lost 23 pounds so far. In the mirror I appear healthy but skinny. I'm comfortable at 140 lbs., but if I loose much more weight I am going to start drinking olive oil and maple syrup.At 5:00pm the folks who run the hostel came down to greet me. I purchased the "hikers special" which included the bunk, laundry, pint of Ben & Jerry's ice cream, large frozen pizza, and a soda.In the interest of science I added up all the calories from tonight's dinner. Ben & Jerry's ice cream 1,040 calories and 46 grams of fat. Frozen pizza 1,560 calories and 80 grams of fat. Two cans of Dr. Pepper 300 calories. Grand total 2,900 calories and a 126 grams of fat. A perfect dinner for a hiker.
Date: 2012-06-10
From: Bears Den Hostel

To: Harpers Ferry
Miles today: 20.4
Weather: clear sky

This morning Cheese It cooked pancakes in the hostel's communal kitchen. I ate 16 pancakes, (but they weren't that big.) Cheese It is going to stay another night here and meet up with his cousin. I'm heading out to Harpers Ferry.My right knee started to hurt during my walk today. The "Roller Coaster" may have beat me up a little bit after all. I took a detour at Keys Gap and walked to Torlone's Pizza. I ordered a large supreme pizza and 3 Dr. Pepper's. The pizza was hand tossed and really tasty. I crossed the 1,000 mile mark today. The trail is beginning to feel familiar to me, sorta like an old friend. After I finished my pizza I had a nice six mile walk into town.Harpers Ferry is very cool. It's a lot smaller then I thought it would be, but the whole town is like a museum. The old stone buildings are really neat. I stayed the night at the "Tea Horse" hostel, I met Mr. Fabulous there. We talked about waiting for Cheese It to catch up and doing the quad state challenge together. I don't feel like doing a 42 mile day on a sore knee though. I want to stay at least an extra day, maybe two.
Date: 2012-06-11
From: Harpers Ferry

To: rural organic farm!? : )
Miles today: 0.0

We were served waffles and fresh fruit for breakfast this morning. I called Cheese It and told him to call me when he got in town, I think I woke him up :D I limped down to the post office and mailed almost two pounds of stuff home. My knee is bothering me even more today. I walked to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy and got my picture taken. I'm the 422nd thru-hiker to come through this year. I would have had a lower number but the conservancy was closed when I got in last night. Several hikers came through before I got back down here this morning.I met Mr. Fabulous there and we decided to walk to the outfitter together. I purchased a titanium spork and some shoe goo. The super comfortable shoes I got in Charlottesville have not held up well. Outside the outfitter we met a couple more hikers and had lunch together. I called the company that makes the shoes I got and they agreed to send me another pair. They are sending them to a hotel 125 miles up the trail.I decided to take the shuttle bus to Charles Town, they have a Walmart. While I was in there Cheese It called. He's thinking about doing a work for stay at a nearby organic farm. He hasn't made it to Harpers Ferry yet. I remember reading the sign about the farm at Keys Gap. I told him if he was able to get a ride to come and pick me up also. The road through Keys Gap goes to Charles Town. Cheese it called me 15 minutes later and said he was on his way.Cheese It showed up with a young man in a farm truck. I tossed my stuff in back and took a seat in the extended cab. I asked the young man about the farm. From what he said it sounded like they are share croppers or something.I will soon find out....
Date: 2012-06-12
From: rural organic farm!? : )

To: rural organic farm!? : )
Miles today: 0.0

This little farming community that we have ended up in is pretty cool. It's definitely a "cult", but it seems like a loving kind of Christian cult. They have a large organic farm with about sixty adults. There is a store along the road where they sell crops. They also have a landscaping business and tree service to make money. The community shares what they earn as a group, the individual doesn't make any money. I've never seen anything like this before. On the back of the property behind the farm they have several houses and outbuildings where they all live. After doing some weeding yesterday we all had dinner in the main house. The kitchen is large and commercial like with a couple of sinks. There must have been 5 or 6 tables in the dining rooms. After dinner we were taken to a small house a little further back on the property where we were shown our bunks for the night.This morning we gathered for song and prayer in the big house before breakfast. Then we spent most of the day planting seedlings and weeding in the greenhouse. Homemade ice tea was brought out to the farm crew before lunch. One of the cult members working with us cracked a joke about cyanide.....hahahaThis is a radical way to live, compared to what I'm used to. I actually agree with their beliefs about selfless love for one another. They really live what the Bible says in regards to giving up your own life and laying it down for your friends. They all support each other like a big family. It's so different. There are a couple pretty girls here, but I'm not getting any funny ideas.We gathered under a large tent in the backyard for song, dancing, and prayer tonight before dinner. One gripe that Cheese It and I have is that the meals aren't heavy enough for us. Fruits and vegetables just don't stay with you when your metabolism is in overdrive. They are surprised to see us eat 3 or 4 plates trying to get full. I had to raid my candy bar stash to sustain myself between meals today. I believe all this fresh produce is really good for us though.These people are awesome and I'm glad I had the opportunity to come here. But we are going to get out of here tomorrow and find an all you can eat buffet.
Date: 2012-06-13
From: rural organic farm!? : )

To: Charles Town
Miles today: 0.0

The cult experience was  interesting. I generally agree with them that selfishness of the human heart is causing the world's problems. When your motives are driven by love for one another everyone benefits. They argue that selfish greed puts monetary profits ahead of people and the environment. Humans live segregated lives apart from one another, striving for individual security and happiness. They claim that their unselfish way of communal living is the only way.However, I believe that rewarding the individual based on performance drives innovation and more efficient ways of production. If all benefit equally where is the incentive for the individual to work harder?I asked those guys that we stayed with what they sacrificed to join the cult. One sold his car and his computer and brought $4,000 to the group. Another guy gave $12,000 of savings to the community when he joined. The larger donation was used to remodel the kitchen in the big house. The smaller donation was used to help pay for commercial refrigerators in their store. Once they became members they swear an oath to the group. The elders tell you what to do and you have to get permission to leave for any reason. Family visits are sometimes chaperoned by other members.The young man who gave us a ride back to town today sounded interested in hiking. He said "I should have done that before I".....then he stopped himself. I asked him if he could go hike the trail if he wanted. He said that would be selfish and by leaving he wouldn't be helping the group. He said that they just do what they're told and trust that the elders are following the will of God.Anyway, Cheese It got dropped off at Keys Gap. He still has to walk 6 miles to get to Harpers Ferry. I got dropped off back at the Walmart in Charles Town. Cheese it is going to ride the bus here once he gets to Harpers Ferry. We split a hotel room when he arrived, then went to the Chinese buffet. My right knee hurts bad today. I got some tiger balm from Walmart to go with my ibuprofen. I don't think I'm going to run downhill anymore while carrying the weight of my pack.....foolish.
Date: 2012-06-14
From: Charles Town

To: Harpers Ferry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: few clouds

I want to get on the trail with Cheese It today but I feel like I should rest my knee some more. We went to Walmart and bought trail food before checkout. Then we went back to the room and packed our bags. The afternoon shuttle bus took us back to Harpers Ferry. I really want to go hiking but with every step my right knee says NO! I told Cheese It I need to stay a couple more days. I also told him he walks so slow he'll be easy to catch up to : PI decided to check into the "Town's Inn" hostel. I had to fill out a form to get a bunk. When Karen saw in my email address that I was a handyman she asked if I wanted to do a work for stay. I said "sure". Karen showed me some furniture that needed to be repaired and some shelves that needed to be hung. This is nice, I've got a place to rest that isn't costing me money and I've got some things to do that will keep me from getting bored.I fixed two chairs and repaired a doorknob tonight. I later met a few hikers in the bunk room that I had not scene in awhile. The parable of the tortes and the hare is so true. What was I rushing for anyway?While I was limping down the sidewalk in Harpers Ferry. A gentleman asked if I had injured myself on the trail. I said "yes, and I mailed my knee brace home". He said "there isn't a CVS around here, would you like mine?" He pulled up his pant leg and showed me a compression support he was wearing on his knee. He said that he had injured his knee two weeks ago and it was starting to feel better. Normally I would be too stubborn to accept such a gracious gift from a stranger. But I'm in enough pain that I said yes. He gave me the knee brace he was wearing and said "God Bless". My knee felt better as soon as I slipped it on.
Date: 2012-06-15
From: Harpers Ferry

To: Harpers Ferry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

This morning I finished making a list of things I needed for projects around the hotel. Karen (the lady who runs the place) let me borrow her car. I took 3 other hikers with me and dropped them off at Walmart. I spent about 45 minutes in the Home Depot getting supplies and a few simple tools. I went back to Walmart and picked up the other guest. This afternoon I repaired 3 tables, a wooden bench, and changed the bulbs in the patio lights out back. I love to work,  this is the kind of stuff I do all the time. But my knee was not happy going up and down the ladder to change the bulbs. There is also a bunch of steps between the hotel and Karen's restaurant next door. This walking back and forth isn't helping my knee any. I finally had to go lay down.Yesterday I took 1,000 mg of ibuprofen, today I only took 800mg. After laying down for a few hours I thought I'd go for a walk and evaluate my condition. I walked up to the ATC and took the blue blaze back to the trail. The AT parallels the main road before cutting across through the historic downtown area. If you've never been to Harpers Ferry I'd say it's worth the trip. All these rock pathways and alleys between these old stone building are really neat. Believe it or not the town of Harpers Ferry is actually a national historic park!Seeing the town from the trail's perspective was great. I again felt an immediate closeness to the trail once I got in the woods. It wasn't a very long walk, maybe 1.5 miles including the road walking. My mind and spirit are ready for the second half of this journey but my body is not. I got a little over confident. Running downhill with the weight of a pack on your shoulders puts incredible stress on your joints. It's weird that the pain didn't get loud until I stopped. I didn't even notice anything was wrong.The situation at the Inn would be great under other circumstances. In addition to my bunk, Karen is offering me meals from her restaurant next door. The problem is it's painful to be on my feet working. This arrangement does not allow my knee any time off. I think I'd be smarter to pay money for a room so I can lay down all day and not have to do anything.If ya'll wouldn't mind saying some prayers for me and my right knee I'd appreciate it. I don't want to stop walking.
Date: 2012-06-16
From: Harpers Ferry

To: Harpers Ferry Hostel
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

I woke up this morning and walked down the stairs to the restaurant next door. There is no way I can keep doing this and expect to heal. I told Karen that I was grateful for the opportunity, but I need to get off my feet. She thanked me for everything I got done and said I was welcomed back  anytime.I got down  to the street with my pack, somewhat unsure of my next move. There are no stairs between the hotel in Charles Town and the Chinese buffet.......what I'd really like to do is get back on the trail and disappear into the woods. I walked a little ways down the sidewalk, still not fully accepting my injury. I didn't get very far. I sat down on a bench near the sidewalk. How could I go from easily walking 20+ miles a day to having trouble walking 2 blocks? I called Laurel at the "Tea Horse" hostel up the road to see if she had a bunk. She said she was booked for the night but took pity on me because of my knee pain. Laurel is an angel, she picked me up and drove me to another hostel (that's less expensive) just across the Potomac FREE OF CHARGE!(Just so you know, Laurel's "Tea Horse" Hostel is clean, roomy, and modern. It's a great place to stay when you're in Harpers Ferry. Just make sure you reserve a space ahead of time because it's popular.)Anyway,  one benefit to having all this town time is that I really look forward to getting back on the trail. It's exciting to think that I'm not even half way yet. I've heard that the prettiest and most challenging parts of the trail are up ahead. Even if I have to wait another week for my knee to feel better it doesn't matter. I have plenty of time to get to Maine. While I've been sitting here, I've been figuring out ways to further reduce my pack weight. When I get back out there I'm gonna go light, slow, and steady.