morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2018-06-08
From: Fishersville VA

To: Luray VA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

We did breakfast once more down in the lobby and finished off the berries from the day before. My folks had plans to hit harpers ferry this afternoon so we made a quick exit from the hotel and headed off to Luray where they would drop us. Zach was heading there to meet up with ibex later in the afternoon. We made the hour plus drive and admired the views of the Shenandoah ridge before ascending to the town. It¢s a quaint little place with a Main Street that has most hiker needs covered including eateries, motels and an outfitter. We stopped there because I wanted to get a bag liner that I would use for a summer blanket and then I could send my 20 degree down quilt back with my folks. They had the one I had been eyeing in other shops along the way so I picked it up. I also found some trail runners in the hiker box that were if the exact same make and size as my own except with less holes on the toe box. I decided to grab them and see if they¢d feel alright if I put my insoles from my pair in them and hopefully get them to last til the halfway point around harpers ferry. We also found out from the shop manager elyse that we would be welcome to tent at her house while we were in Luray. Score! This saves chef and I from having to pay for a motel and ensures we will be out of ibex and Zach¢s hair for his visit. After we left the outfitter, we said goodbye to my parents and they drove off to head back toward ray and Tess¢s near DC. Their visit seemed to fly by but really enjoyed having them here. Hopefully they will make it out once more in late August before I finish. Chef ran over to get a haircut and ibex and I posted up in the coffee shop/deli for a while and had sandwiches and beer before chef joined us again. They both opted to grab a cat nap whereas I decided to just go straight to the local brewery. Hawksbill was just around the corner off the railroad tracks and i ponied up to the taproom bar where I tried the local fare. It wasn¢t the most impressive beer I¢ve had out here but it was definitely beer and when the hell have I been that picky anyway? After a couple hours of solo flying through pints, chef arrived and then ibex and Zach. We all enjoyed a few more rounds and agreed we would need to eat soon. The easiest option seemed to be gennaros, a little Italian joint next to the budget inn. It was no frills but totally acceptable grub and our immediate needs were gratified. I reached out to elyse from the outfitter and confirmed her address before hitching a ride with Zach and ibex over there. Elyse was kind enough to put me up on a couch in the basement so I didn¢t have to set up outside in the dark. Chef showed a few minutes later and decided to tent for his own reasons. That¢s another story altogether. The plan is to cruise up to Shenandoah for another day of slackpacking courtesy of zach and his vehicle but we will go easy on miles since he is hiking with us tomorrow.
Date: 2018-06-09
From: Luray

To: Luray
Miles today: 13.1
Weather: clear sky

I waaaaay overslept on the couch in the very dark basement and apparently also did not hear my phone going off with text messages from ibex and a call from chef. It was nearly 9 when I realized my gaffe and I scrambled to get my things together and get out of there. Ibex and zach were just finishing breakfast and chef was just walking around the front of the house so apparently I didn¢t wreck our timetable to badly. Chef and I got a lift back into town to meet ibex and Zach at the coffee shop and grabbed a breakfast sandwich of my own. We loaded up Zach¢s car and headed back up to Shenandoah park, this time we would leave his car parked at the days endpoint and hitch out to the picnic area where we had left off yesterday. A couple college kids soon scooped us up and we got on the trail around eleven. The terrain continues to be pretty easy and it was sunny with a few clouds. I churned out the mileage and around the midway point, spooked another bear. He heard me coming around the corner and went bombing down the hillside into the forest. It¢s cool that we are getting to see some wild bears finally but I¢m content to have them hauling ass away from me. We finished up at Big Meadows Wayside and I had some terribly disappointing chili cheese fries and an above average milkshake. Chef had missed the turnoff and overhiked by about a mile and a half so he was late doubling back. Ibex and zach rolled in a bit after and we all took our time snacking in the sun outside at a picnic table. We piled back into Zach¢s car and headed back into Luray. Obviously hungry, we stopped at uncle bucks on the main drag and grabbed dinner. Average ribs and worse service but basically acceptable. When we finished, I texted elyse to see if we were cool to crash at her place once again and she said that we were. It had been too rainy since we got in town to ever take advantage of her pool so that was borderline tragedy. When we arrived, she asked if we wanted to go down to her friends propety on the Shenandoah river. We didn¢t have much pep but agreed to go since she had been so accommodating. We drove about 15 minutes across the river and on to a county road where we had to park up top and walk down to the water. It was boggy from the rain and buggy as hell and we were not really feeling it. I¢m sure it¢s a lovely place when the sun is out and a bit drier but we kind of huddled uncomfortably around the dying campfire and drank a few beers and made small talk with her friends. After maybe an hour we asked if maybe we should head back and she agreed so we slopped through the mud back up to the cars. We thanked her friends for having us and drove back across town to her house. I posted up on the couch again tonight and vowed to set an alarm so that I didn¢t go radio dark again. Tomorrow Zach will drive us back up to the trail at Big Meadows before he heads back to New York.
Date: 2018-06-10
From: Luray

To: Rock Spring Hut
Miles today: 4.4
Weather: broken clouds

Got up at a reasonable hour and reached out to ibex to see if they might be able to pick chef and I up from elyse¢s house, she said they would head over shortly. Elyse then told us that her mom was making pancakes and that we were invited to stay for breakfast. She assured us there was plenty for all and invited ibex and Zach to come over as well. We gladly convened upstairs and filled our plates up and then chatted in the living room with Elyse¢s dad while we ate. We thanked our gracious hosts and headed out of Luray. After a stop at Subway in Elkins, we returned to the big meadows wayside and plopped all of our gear around the same picnic table we had ended at yesterday. I decided to house the sandwich I¢d bought and washed it down with a coke from the wayside. I also decided to grab a couple tall boy beers from inside because...beer. We took our sweet time getting ready to head out and we ultimately decided that we would only be shooting for the first shelter past the wayside at a measly 4.4 miles out. The weather was threatening to barf rain again and we hoped for mercy at least until we made camp. Goodbyes were said to zach and we took to the trail again.The early going was smooth and things stayed dry for the first mile and a half. It was not meant to last when the sky darkened severely and my afternoon walk in the forest turned dark like the sun had already set. The heavy rain began soon after and I was fully drenched moments later. The remaining hike into camp was not long but it was miserable. I found the side trail down to the shelter and stomped through puddles with ibex following after me. We picked our respective tent sites and used a break in the weather to get set up. Chef rolled in a bit later having hidden from the rain under a rock outcropping, perfectly dry of course. After we all set up, we found a nice patio with a picnic table in front of a locked cabin just below the shelter. The three of us had dinner and drank the rest of the rum that ibex had bought at devils backbone. I basically just rummaged for snacks in my bag and drank my tall boys. The weather had cleared for sunset but more rain is in the cards for tonight and lower temps to boot.
Date: 2018-06-11
From: Rock Springs Hut

To: Skyland Resort
Miles today: 4.4
Weather: light rain

The rain kept up all night and was still coming down steadily when I started to get packed up in the morning. Ibex was down by the cabin patio table finishing breakfast when I strolled down and we looked at each other with a mix of dread and annoyance over the early weather. We knew that the Skyland Resort Hotel was not far up the trail and decided to get up there and stop in for a coffee and possibly hide from the rain for a bit. I left in pouring rain and it continued until I had made the meager mileage up to the resort grounds. Ibex had beat me there and was warming up in the check-in lobby. The rooms were fairly pricy but the rain was forecast to keep on until the next morning and all of our gear was soaked. I was also contemplating the overnight temps I¢d have to endure with just my bag liner and light clothing. After a coffee in the resort cafe and a few minutes of warming up, I decided I was content to stay for the night. When chef arrived, we announced our intention to lay up and he decided he would join us. I checked in and walked down the steep path to our hotel building and got out of wet clothes and into the hot shower. I also used the tub to rinse out gear that had been covered in forest bits from days and days of rain. My tent, pack cover, and rain jacket were rinsed and hung to dry along with some of the clothes I¢d been wearing the past few days. We spent the rest of the afternoon lounging around watching cable movies and the rain and fog outside. We all cooked dinner from our own food bags on the porch outside but after a while ibex and I decided we had to go back up to the lodge for a beer and dessert. Of course that turned in to me having full blown second dinner along with dessert and a couple beers. If you¢re gonna take a nearo, you might as well go all in, ya know? The weather promises to clear in the morning and we should be able to push some bigger miles to make up for the days laziness.
Date: 2018-06-12
From: Skyland Resort

To: Matthews Cabin camp
Miles today: 18.9
Weather: light rain

The immense fog cloud had cleared by this morning and our view down into the valley was somewhat cleared. I imagine on a totally cloudless day, this is really a great view but there were still plenty of low white clouds filling in the void. We gathered our gear up and walked back up to the lodge to drop the room keys and then got back on the trail. It was starting to look like a sunny day and the terrain was favorable as it has been throughout Shenandoah. I stumbled upon another bear on the trail, this one cleared off the path but then stopped on top of a rock and watched me from about 20 feet away. I snapped a pic and tried to start up a convo but he was nonplussed and I thought it better to keep moving. I descended a short ways to the next shelter and stopped to use the privy. There was a posted sign in the shelter about a problem bear that has been in the area and wondered if the brave fellow I just came across was him. The rest of the day was fairly uneventful and I made the final wayside in the park by late afternoon and indulged in a sandwich and milkshake once more. I was worried about the overnight temps for the coming nights and impulse bought a fleece throw blanket from the gift shop. All of my bulk and weight savings from ditching the winter gear has now been replaced by a big fluffy blanket with a vista portrait of Shenandoah on it but at least I can sleep warmly again for the next few nights. After chef and ibex got there and ate we climbed up to a campsite a bit higher on the ridge. We will hopefully finally hike out of Shenandoah tomorrow and hitch into Front royal for resupply and somewhere to crash overnight.
Date: 2018-06-13
From: Range View Cabin camp

To: Front Royal VA
Miles today: 18.5
Weather: light rain

After removing slugs from everything we owned, we got out of camp by 8 and made tracks. Eager to finally leave Shenandoah (2 days longer than anticipated) and to get into Front Royal for food and drink. I pressed myself and stopped only briefly for snacks in order to make good time and to get out of the park at long last. The weather was cloudy but the rain wasn¢t materializing yet so I kept hustling. Just after I left the park, I heard a rustling below me in the woods. A mama bear and her baby cub were doing a tree climbing lesson and when she spotted me, she rested up on her hind legs and locked eye contact with me. I kept staring but started walking down the trail away from her. When her cub slipped off his tree trunk, she let out a screeching sound and they both went crashing downhill away from me. I let out a deep breath and held up a moment to wait for a woman who I had passed not long ago. When she approached I told her what I had seen and we walked together for the next couple miles and chatted about the trail. I made the road crossing for Front Royal and waited for ibex and chef. We were able to quickly hitch into town in the back of a pickup and decided to walk over to Spelunkers for a burger. Maybe the best burger on the trail so far and the chocolate malt was incredible too. We then headed over to Main Street hoping to pop into the outfitters and inquire about tenting somewhere around town. They had closed early today so our next move was an obvious one, next door to the brewery for beers and further contemplation. We asked the bartender about places to stay and she didn¢t know of much but after a while one of the waiters approached and chatted us up about his own thru hike last year. After a while, we were starting to get panicked and debating some door knocking on local churches to see if we could tent there. Thankfully, our friendly waiter returned and kindly offered to let us crash at his place. We gladly accepted and once he had finished his shift, we piled into his car and made our way to his house nearby. His girlfriend heather was there to greet us and we were able to get showers before posting up in the living room to crash for the night. The trail provides! So glad this worked out and was great to talk with them about their Sobo experience before we turned in for the night.
Date: 2018-06-14
From: Front Royal, VA

To: Dicks Dome Shelter
Miles today: 15.2
Weather: clear sky

Our gracious hosts were kind enough to cook us breakfast before we left and we swapped more trail stories while we ate. They gave us a lift back out to the Shop n Save and we thanked them again for everything. A quick resupply was done and we then went to find something to eat nearby. KFC was about the only option in the plaza and none of us could get behind that so we decided we would have to walk back over to spelunkers once more. It was 10:30 and they didn¢t open until eleven but it was too good yesterday not to go again. We waited a few minutes outside and then bounced in as soon as they unlocked the doors. Went with a chicken Philly this time and it was just as legit as the rest had been. I also grabbed a cake and brownie batter shake even though I told myself I wasn¢t going to. Worth it. A nice older couple struck up a convo while we were outside and they were familiar with the trail and happened to live up past the trailhead. Hello ride out of town. Once we got out there again, we knew we would be leaving chef behind this afternoon. He has had a goal of doing a 50 mile day at some point on the trail and has decided that he will attempt this beginning at midnight and try to push all the way into Harpers Ferry by late tomorrow. Ibex and I were not trying to join him in this beast mode attempt so we opted to hike on for 15 miles in the afternoon and reconvene with him in 2 days. He wants to take two zeros when he¢s done so we will be able to rendezvous. We hope glow stick might be able to burn miles and meet us in Harpers as well. The rest of the day was decent terrain with some up and down and we stopped briefly at one of the cooler shelters on the trail, complete with solar shower, horseshoe pit, pavilion, and a massive porch with a bench. The sun was slipping behind the hills when we descended to our evening shelter and we set up tents behind the newer of two. The fireflies were going off like crazy in the forest before bed and it was the most impressive display I¢ve seen yet. Chef will cruise by us at some point very early tomorrow morning and we will push 2 days to meet him in town. We also get to experience the roller coaster tomorrow, a stretch of 14 miles of PUDs (pointless ups and downs) that is Virginia¢s last gasp attempt at slowing you down before you get out. What fun.
Date: 2018-06-15
From: Dicks Dome Shelter

To: Bears Den Hostel
Miles today: 18.3
Weather: clear sky

We got on the trail at a decent hour knowing we would have to do some work on the roller coaster today. Virginia really hasn¢t been too punishing with its ascents and descents so I guess we¢ve been spoiled for a while, apparently we will pay for it today. The morning was clear and warm, it¢s getting borderline hot these days. The first 8 miles were smooth and not demanding and we stopped for a brief moment before the start of the roller coaster. Raggedy Crow was there and he snapped a pic of ibex and I at the welcome sign. The first couple climbs weren¢t too wicked and we had circled a creek spot a few miles in where we could stop for lunch. Just before our ascent to that creek, we stumbled across some trail magic at the dirt road gap below. Four gals in their forties were set up with cold drinks, hot dogs and various other munchies. We pulled up a couple chairs and snacked and drank for a few. They did a yearly section hike and trail magic day and a couple of them had aspirations to thru hike some day. We recommended it adamantly as we always do. They also made a strong recommendation for us to stop at Bears Den Hostel a few miles down the trail. It was the second time in as many days that someone had insisted we go, so ibex and I looked at the map and decided a stop there tonight wouldn¢t prevent us from making Harpers Ferry tomorrow. It was less than a mile from our intended camp anyway so we said what the hell. The next major milestone in our journey was a couple miles later when we hit the 1,000 mile marker. Obviously stopped to snap a few pics and let that one sink in. Seems strange to say that I¢ve walked 1,000 miles on this trek. Seems even stranger to think that I¢ll more than double it to finish. We ascended a couple more hills of the roller coaster before finding the side trail to Bears Den and rolled in. Glen, the caretaker welcomed us and rang us up for the nights stay. We opted to camp out on their beautiful lawn to save a few bucks but still took advantage of the amenities (shower, laundry, pizza, ice cream). The property is maintained by the ATC and serves as a kind of education center as well as being a hostel. It¢s a beautiful stone castle built in the 1930s and the surrounding grounds were very stately. So many times I wish I could spend more than just a day at some of these places but I¢d soon be broke or too pudgy to press on. Ibex and I scarfed dinner and ice cream and then went head to head with a game of the AT board game, apparently I haven¢t been paying close enough attention to the plants and birds on the trail because she mopped the floor with me. We turned in soon after dark and will finish the roller coaster early tomorrow and push 20 miles into harpers ferry. Oh, chef texted us at a few minutes to ten saying he had indeed made his mega hike and landed in town. 52.6 miles in just under 22 hours. Freaking animal.
Date: 2018-06-17
From: Harpers Ferry

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

Woke up and Elyse was ready to do a shuttle run out to the Walmart plaza. There was also a badass little bakery down there so we obviously ate our fill before shopping. Once all that was done we made our way back to town and walked over to the ATC where glow stick had arrived and was getting her official halfway credentials. We took her back over to the hostel and then walked down to the historic town center and had a bite to eat and a beer. We walked up the steep sidewalk back to Tumblinas and once there, did some backpack scrubbing and Permethrin treating in the lawn while the sun was out. Tumblina and Wahoo were having a cookout this afternoon so we helped them set up the canopy in the yard and brought the table downstairs. It was a short walk down her street to an incredible view of the convergence of the Potomac and the Shenandoah rivers and we spent a few minutes down there taking it all in. Once we had walked back up the street, the bbq was in full effect and we indulged in food and drink for the remainder of the day. We also had another reunion when Matt strolled in at the end of the day. He had left us all the way back in Hiawassee GA and has been pushing big mileage to catch up to our group. The rest of the evening has turned in to a blur and we will hopefully get back on the trail at some point tomorrow despite the predicted mid-90s heat.
Date: 2018-06-18
From: Harpers Ferry WV

To: Ed Garvey Shelter
Miles today: 6.9
Weather: overcast clouds

We slept in as much as we could in the stuffy and warm basement. We¢d indulged in our fair share of celebratory beers and shots of bourbon last night. Wahoo offered to run us down to the Walmart again this morning and we took the opportunity to hit the Royalicious deli once more and buy some beers for the day. The consensus was that no one wanted to hike out into the mid 90s heat this afternoon and so we would wait until later in the day to get out and hike into the evening. Wahoo works for a local river guide company and he set us up with some flat water tubing for the day. Chef had decided to just chill in town so Ibex, glow stick, show pony and I caught a lift out there and do a few laps on the river to make the most out of a super hot day. If I didn¢t already mention it, show pony us the name matt has now adopted upon the insistence of Ibex. It¢s a pretty funny nickname and he said he¢d adopt a name we gave him if he didn¢t already have one when he arrived at Harpers. The tubing company ran bus shuttles up and down the river and we did three laps before deciding to get back to town and force ourselves to leave the vortex and rejoin life on the trail. The bus took us back to the rafting place and wahoo came and scooped us up again. He dropped us in town in front of the ATC office where chef was waiting and we slowly got our packs mounted up and ready to roll. We walked once more down the historic streets and of course popped in to a sandwich shop to get some town food for camp tonight. Finally, I clipped my hip buckle and started the flat walk out of town. The trail crossed the river near it¢s junction on a steel railroad bridge and then followed a flat gravel bike path between the woods and river for over 2 miles. The heat was still oppressive even this late in the day and I began to dread those summer days ahead where this will be the norm. The 6+ miles up the hill to the first shelter wasn¢t too terrible considering I¢d spent the afternoon drinking cheap light beer on an innertube in the river but it wasn¢t exactly fun either. We had gotten a text from Tumblina and Wahoo who wanted to hike up and meet us and camp for the night. It was nearly dark when we arrived to the shelter and by the time I¢d set up my tent and made the ludicrously long hike down to the spring for water, it was total dark. I didn¢t really much enjoy the gyro I¢d packed out but force fed myself anyway. The heat made me want nothing but water but I know the calories are still very much needed. Tumblina and Wahoo did make it up to camp and we chatted with them for an hour or so before turning in. Pretty exhausted tonight and the heat tells me it¢s not going to be the most comfortable night of sleep.