morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2020-10-07
From: Crampton Gap Shelter

To: David Lesser Memorial Shelter 
Miles today: 19.7

Section Hike 4, Day 3 - 10/07/20 - 19.7 (50.2 total miles for this section hike, 578.8 grand total AT miles)4:30 AM to 2:00 PMCrampton Gap Shelter 1,156.1 to David Lesser Memorial Shelter 1,175.8I slept a lot better last night but still found myself waking up at 3:30 AM, wide awake. So what do I do? I pack up and hit the trail with my headlamp or course! I kinda like getting such an early start so that I can get some decent miles in and then set up camp early and have plenty of time to relax and enjoy the rest of the day at camp. It was yet another picture perfect day for hiking today. Not too many other hikers but I did get to meet and talk to a few. Reaching the WV/VA just south of Harpers Ferry was real satisfying. I have now completed 4 of the 15 states that the AT runs through. Maine, Pennsylvania, Maryland and West Virginia. Whoopee!Water is particularly hard to find so far with many of the sources dried up. When I do locate water I not only fill up my two water bottles, a 1 liter and a 700 ml, but I also fill up my 1.5 liter bladder. I then have a total of 3.2 liters. That certainly puts more weight on my back but it more than pays for itself in peace-of-mind. I gave myself a special treat today. The AT crosses a road, WV Route 9, three miles before the shelter I planned to stop at. My Guthook app told me that there was a Liberty gasoline/convenience store just .3 miles up that road. So I walked there and got myself a chicken salad sub and two bottles of sugary soda. I chugged the Cherry Pepsi on the spot and stuffed the Mountain Dew and the sub in my pack for future indulgence. Real near future!The trail up until WV Route 9 was still strewn with millions of rocks so my feet did not get much of a break today. I have been trying to manage the blisters but they definitely take some of the enjoyment out of my hike.The last three miles to the shelter were much smoother so hopefully it will stay that way.Good night to all!
Date: 2020-10-08
From: David Lesser Memorial Shelter 

To: Rod Hollow Shelter
Miles today: 21.2
Weather: few clouds

Section Hike 4, Day 4 - 10/08/20 - 21.1 (71.3 total miles for this section hike, 599.9 grand total AT miles)4:30 AM to 4:00 PMDavid Lesser Memorial Shelter 1,175.8 to Rod Hollow Shelter 1,196.9With each passing night I sleep better but again found myself waking up around 3:30 AM. So why would I want to deviate from my ritual, especially since I knew I had a big day on tap. My 20+ mile day was to include the infamous ¢Roller Coaster¢. The Roller Coaster is a 13.4 mile ROCKY section of the AT that includes about a dozen significant climbs, and descents. Oh boy, I¢m not sorry that is behind me!It was yet another beautiful autumn day. It seemed that I had the AT all to myself except for an occasional day hiker near the roads. Water continued to be a rare commodity today. I always load up with extra when I find some.My blister management techniques are not working at all. The relentless rocky terrain in the roller coaster section just magnified the situation to the point that I just cannot continue. It is just no fun hiking with two painful feet. So, my Section Hike 4 will be coming to an end much earlier than I had hoped. The love of my life will be picking me up tomorrow at the first road to the south of the shelter that I am staying at tonight. My guide says that it is 3.6 miles away. I¢ve got to figure out what I am doing wrong with my footwear selection. Good night to all!
Date: 2020-10-09
From: Rod Hollow Shelter

To: Ashby Gap, US 50/17
Miles today: 3.6

Section Hike 4, Day 5 - 10/09/20 - 3.6  (74.9 total miles for this section hike, 603.6 grand total AT miles)6:30 AM to 8:30 AMRod Hollow Shelter 1,196.9 to Ashby Gap, US 50/17 1,200.5I would have given just about anything last night for a miracle overnight blister cure. The reality is that they were still there waiting for me this morning when I woke up. It would have been a little easier to accept if I had been hiking in the rain for days and my feet had been more susceptible to blistering but I had the most beautiful five day stretch of picture perfect autumn days a person could ask for. Why do I have such blister prone feet? Why? Why?So, it was a bittersweet day today. My Section Hike 4 was coming to an end but I was very excited about getting to see my wife. I had sent her a ¢Marked Location¢ tag that I had created with the Maps app on my iPhone which directed her to the exact spot that I would be exiting the woods onto US 50/17. Turns out we timed it perfectly. She had arrived there just a couple of minutes before me. The weather forecasters have forecasted significant rainfall for a couple of days beginning on Sunday. The rain is remnants of hurricane Delta which came ashore in Louisiana this morning. I can say that I don¢t think that would have been much fun hiking in anyway.So how does a person suppress disappointment in oneself? By gulping down a Denny¢s Gram Slam breakfast meal of course. Till next time!
Date: 2020-10-19
From: Ashby Gap, US 50/17

To: Jim and Molly Denton Shelter
Miles today: 14.8

Section Hike 5, Day 1 - 10/19/20 - 14.8 (14.8 total miles for this section hike, 618.4 grand total AT miles)7:10 AM to 1:15 PMAshby Gap, US 50/17 1,200.5 to Jim and Molly Denton Shelter 1,215.3Let me start off by saying that I feel very lucky to have such a wonderful and understanding wife that not only accepts the fact that I like to spend time on the trail but also supports me in every way possible!Today was a picture perfect autumn day in the mountains and the leaves are turning color and are beautiful. There were a few climbs that tested my legs out a bit today but not too bad. The terrain is much smoother and less rocky than what I left behind in PA and MD. I am trying out a new brand of trail shoe on this section hike with the hopes that I do not have a repeat of the blister problems I¢ve had in the past. Unfortunately only a couple of hours into today¢s hike I started to feel a repeat of the blister on the ball of the left foot that took me off the trail on the previous section hike. Tomorrow morning I am going to try a petroleum based cream called Trail Toes to see if that helps. Fingers crossed. I want to close by thanking my beautiful wife for getting me to the trail at daylight this morning! I love you babe!Good night to all!
Date: 2020-10-20
From: Jim and Molly Denton Shelter

To: Gravel Springs Hut
Miles today: 18.6
Weather: clear sky

Section Hike 5, Day 2 - 10/20/20 - 18.6 (33.4 total miles for this section hike, 637.0 grand total AT miles)5:00 AM to 2:15 PMJim and Molly Denton Shelter 1,215.3 to Gravel Springs Hut 1,233.9Today was another picture perfect autumn day in the mountains.The ATC recently published a newsletter where, amongst other topics, they had a paragraph dedicated around increasing awareness and trying to get more diversity on the AT. In that same paragraph the author suggested multiple times that those of us that have the time, can afford the gas to get to and from the trail and can afford the gear are privileged! This threw me for a loop and upset me quite a bit when I first read it. I have my reasons for the way I felt but as I sit out here on the AT on this beautiful autumn evening I suppose that I do feel a bit privileged.My legs were tested again today with multiple significant climbs. What do I expect, I am on the AT after all. The terrain continues to be much smoother and less rocky than what I left behind in PA and MD though. The blister on the ball of my left foot continues to aggravate me but it does not seem to be a whole lot worse than yesterday. The Trail Toes may have helped some so I will apply it again tomorrow morning. I now have a blister on the heel of the same foot.I saw several whitetail up close today but they seemed camera shy as they all spooked off the trail as I got my phone out. There are quite a few section and day hikers on the AT. It¢s the perfect time to get out and enjoy. Oh, and I am now in the Shenandoah National Park.Another big day tomorrow so I¢m going to get some well needed rest. Good night to all!
Date: 2020-10-21
From: Gravel Springs Hut

To: ByrdÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs Nest #3 Hut
Miles today: 17.5
Weather: mist

Section Hike 5, Day 3 - 10/21/20 - 17.5 (50.9 total miles for this section hike, 654.5 grand total AT miles)5:00 AM to 1:15 PMGravel Springs Hut 1,233.9 to Byrd¢s Nest #3 Hut 1,251.4Yet another picture perfect autumn day in the mountains. Just a little bit on the warm side though. For the first 13 miles I had the trail all to myself. I only started seeing other hikers once I got to the Skyline Drive parking lot near Thornton Gap. There were lots of folks parking there to climb to the Mary¢s Rock overlook. It was only about an 1,100 foot climb but it seemed higher since I already had 14 miles on my legs. Took me an hour to climb that booger. The blisters did not bother me as much today. I rubbed some more Trail Toes cream on the ball of my left foot and put some Leukotape on the blister on my heel this morning so it seems to have helped.I received some trail magic today. I was talking to a family of four day hikers that stopped at the Byrd¢s Nest Shelter for a break and they gave me a spare bottle of water. That little gesture will save me from having to walk to the spring which is about three tenths of a mile downhill from the shelter. I was so appreciative! And then a little later in the day another day hiker handed me another bottle, along with a mile a minute conversation and a confession that he was born again during an Amway convention. Whew...I don¢t mean to be judgmental but why do people buy those noisy air mattresses that wake up the entire neighborhood when you shift around on them. A guy pitched his tent about 20 feet from mine last night and I don¢t know what he was doing in there but that loud crackling noise went on for 2 hours, almost non-stop! Then he finished up by playing Amazing Grace and Silent Night on his harmonica! Actually that was sort of neat but it was getting late. Oh boy!Good night to all!
Date: 2020-10-22
From: ByrdÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs Nest #3 Hut

To: Big Meadows Campground 
Miles today: 14.0

Section Hike 5, Day 4 - 10/22/20 - 14.0 (64.9 total miles for this section hike, 668.5 grand total AT miles)5:46 AM to 1:00 PMByrd¢s Nest #3 Hut 1,251.4 to Big Meadows Campground 1,265.4Yet another picture perfect autumn day in the mountains. How did I get so lucky!My left foot was pretty much the same today! I did a fairly light day today so as not to push my luck. Weird that my right foot has given me no problems at all. I passed by Skyland Resort today and it was a hustling mass of humanity. Apparently I am not the only one to think that this is the perfect time to be in the Shenandoah¢s. There was an AT detour in that area which was quite confusing. I spent a bit of time trying to figure that one out. I was fortunate to get a campsite at Big Meadows and I¢m glad the office was able to wrangle me one up. This place is packed also and they were turning people away that did not have reservations. I explained to them that all I needed was a tiny site because all I had was a tiny tent. I think they felt sorry for me. It did cost me $20 though. Plus I spent an additional $3.75 for a 5 minute shower and a good cold Pepsi. I¢m not sure which felt better. The only unfortunate part is that my site is at the farthest part of the campground from the AT. About 1/2 mile. Good night to all!
Date: 2020-10-23
From: Big Meadows Campground 

To: Swift Run Gap, US 33
Miles today: 17.4
Weather: scattered clouds

Section Hike 5, Day 5 - 10/23/20 - 17.4  (82.3 total miles for this section hike, 685.9 grand total AT miles)4:15 AM to 12:00 PMBig Meadows Campground 1,265.4 to Swift Run Gap, US 33 1,282.8A 5th and final picture perfect autumn day in the mountains. I could not have asked for a more perfect week to be out there! Aside from a few day hikers that I saw near popular campsites there weren¢t many hikers out today. I saw only one other section hiker. It¢s pretty easy to tell a section hiker or thru-hiker from a day hiker. I was the only hiker of any kind to hike the last few mile section of today¢s hike. I could tell by the frequency of spider webs across my face that I encountered. My wonderful wife and my mother graciously drove the 2 3/4 hours to Swift Run Gap to pick me up. I¢m not sure how I would go about doing these hikes if it weren¢t for their support. Thank you!Till next time!
Date: 2020-02-16
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

So¢¦I guess you could say I¢ve been hiking since before I could walk, if that makes any sense.My Dad and Mom were passionate lovers of the outdoors dating back to their courtship and marriage in the ¢40s. When I came along in 1952, well, there was no reason not to bring me along.   (Yup, that¢s me in the ¢ultralight¢ pack-basket.)We did most of our hiking and camping in the Adirondacks. Dad was one of the early 46ers (#303) and I followed a couple of years later completing mine in 1967 (#439). Not unlike many who hike the AT, it was my Father who introduced me to the trail. In fact, we covered the 20 miles needed for my Boy Scout Hiking Merit Badge on the AT in Vermont.But life became busy and I stepped away from anything but day hikes for several decades.I had the good fortune to be appointed to West Point and was commissioned into the Infantry in 1974. I had a wonderful, happy, lucky 30-year career serving mostly in Ranger, Light and Parachute Infantry outfits and traveling the world to places as varied as England, Panama, Hawaii, Mongolia and Iraq. It was in The Islands that I picked up my trail name, then my surfing nickname, of ¢Wingnut.¢  (See ¢Endless Summer 2¢ for explanation; I am the antithesis of the hero¢¦) When I retired in 2004, I joined the world of Information Technology and spent 5 years at Oracle with a terrific set of teammates. I returned to Government Service in the Intelligence Community for several years before joining NetApp, a company and colleagues that I truly love and admire. I¢ve been there since 2011.In 2014, the absolutely awesome Dr. Liz Cross (Trail Name ¢FoxGirl¢) and I married after a 4-year courtship during which we began to hike regularly. Indeed, our wedding took place at Skyland on the Skyline Drive just off the AT. Our long hikes began soon after.We hiked over 100 mi on The Long Trail in 2015, did a 500 mi AT section in 2016, took a steam train to access a remote section of the Colorado Trail in 2017, did the Tour de Mont Blanc  in 2018 (ok¢¦there we ¢glamped¢ in hotels every night¢¦), and, finally, in 2019 we hiked the fabulous Wonderland Trail around Mount Rainier. Despite all those experiences, Liz and I know this summer¢s 6 month AT thru-hike attempt will be significantly more challenging both physically and mentally. Accordingly, we have chosen to share the journey in a way that will enable us to remain in close touch and optimize our chances for success. Details in next post
Date: 2020-02-24
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Clearly, Liz and I have thought about this quite a bit; for years, actually. We are well aware that the thru-hike completion rate is about 25%, probably somewhat less amongst older hikers. Additionally, we both harbor some nagging ailments and our long section hike in ¢16 ended with me in hospital for a week or so with stomach ulcers from those diabolical h. pylori bacteria. As a result, this time we want to slow down, think this through, and do it right.Liz is a writer and a poet who savors solitude and loves to hike but does not have a particular passion to thru-hike 2200 miles. We are both most comfortable in the woods and very much look forward to simplifying our lives. But we did not want to spend the many months apart a classic full AT hike would entail. Fortunately, being, um, ¢seniors,¢ we had options.So, we decided to conduct parallel but joined AT adventures; Liz and our delightful 3-yr old pup Lola, operating from our Jeep and towing the modest 13¢ Scamp trailer we acquired, will write, take daily walks, and generally keep pace with my hike. This will allow us to have our own experiences but also to talk often, see one another frequently, share friends and trail comrades, host visitors, and take ¢zero¢ days together to resupply, reflect, and plan in towns along the trail.  (Those who grew up in the Army or Marine Corps, will recognize that the Jeep and Trailer serve as our combination TOC (Tactical Operations Center) and Combat Trains.)Okay, so given that strategy and the fact that this hike will actually be more challenging mentally and emotionally than physically, why do I want to do this? I¢ve worked it down to these 5 reasons:1. To grow my relationship with Liz through the shared stress of collaboratively planning and executing a very difficult adventure (¢¦Liz is laughing as she reads this over my shoulder!)2. To learn self-reliance and live simply and deliberately3. To learn to value solitude as the key to fully engaging nature4. To become wiser, healthier, happier, and kinder5. To become one with my pack That¢s it for this entry. Next, our low-tech method for planning a complex endeavor.
Date: 2020-02-24
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

To be honest, planning the actual execution of a long hike is not really all that hard; there are guiding resources aplenty to help one prepare. But combine that with the admin and logistics needed to break away for 6 months from the encumbrances of ¢real life,¢ including bills, taxes, mortgage/rent, home security, family issues, vehicle issues, and so on, and things get quite complex very quickly.Liz and I chose to deal with this by laying a sheet of ¢butcher paper¢ across our dining room table 6 months before beginning our hike and writing down everything we could think of that needed to be done. A pencil rested constantly beside the paper, and we added anything that came to mind.  About 3 months out, we start addressing items one by one. Then, 3 weeks out we plugged items into our respective calendars to ensure we didn¢t miss anything.  As I write this a week from our late February departure, we have several more to go but we have checked off most items; importantly, taxes are filed, autopay is in effect for our bills, and mail, cars, and home security are all looked after.We are getting there¢¦
Date: 2020-03-01
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Hello, everyone!Today was the day we checked in, climbed Springer Mountain to the southern terminus of the Appalachian Trail and signed the logbook. A strenuous 1 mile each way...Tomorrow we drive back to the parking lot at the base of Springer Mountain and start hiking north. And, of course, tomorrow the rain starts! Life is good!Enjoy the photos,FoxWing
Date: 2020-03-02
From: Springer Mtn Parking Lot

To: Hawk Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 8.1
Weather: overcast clouds

Hey, everyone!(Ok, this is classic; as I lay here in my hammock near Hawk Mountain Shelter, a Ranger School ambush took place less than 100 yards away in the growing dusk & fog. I don¢t envy those folks it¢s about 35 degrees & raining steadily. Comfy in my hammock and quilts...)Yup, as beautiful as it was yesterday, today was just the opposite.Liz, Lola and I left the Springer Mountain parking lot at about noon and we hiked North about 2 miles to first shelter. There, we ate lunch and met two felllow thru hikers, Walrus and Why Not? Liz and Lola departed after that for their adventures. I hiked on about six more miles to Hawk Mountain.The shelter is full of about 12 young people; 20-somethings-it¢s delightful to hear their enthusiastic chatter.Afraid my poor signal strength does not let me send pictures, but I have some and will send them along at first opportunity.Good night, all. More tomorrow. FoxWing
Date: 2020-03-05
From: Springer

To: Springer Parking Lot to Mountain Crossings @ Neel Gap
Miles today: 23.7
Weather: overcast clouds

Hi, all,Quick note to catch up...Apologies for tardiness - almost no cell coverage on the trail so far.Made it into Neel Gap @ mil 31.3 @ 1100, soaked to the bone but pleased with mileage and pace. (BTW - GPS readings may not reflect that distance; i sometimes forget to turn the darned thing on until I'm a ways down the trail...!)FoxGirl and I are using the afternoon to recce Helen, GA where we will take a day of rest (a 'zero' day in trail parlance) this coming Sunday. Am writing from town library.Some observations after 3 days on trail:  1. Not unexpected parallels between starting the AT and beginning HS or College; everyone is new, unsure of themselves, and unaware of the reality of the trail and what it will bring. Classic was the gentle kind fellow atop Springer Mountain who asked which way the trail went.2. First person we met on the trail, trail-name "Why Not?," turned out to be a Special Ops helo pilot; we had many mutual friends and shared experiences - small world.3. Listening to chatter, especially amongst 20-somethings @ shelters, leads to the realization that just about everyone who is thru-hiking the trail, be they youngsters taking time off from HS or College, or older, retired folks, is forgoing 'normal' life for this experience. There appear to be a rare few folks who sort of live on the trail...they add a different perspective to evening conversations.4. Army Ranger School Mountain Phase takes place in the vicinity of the first 15 miles or so of the trail. It's not unusual to hear an ambush kick off a few hundred years from where we are camped. On day 2 a couple of us ran into a Ranger patrol. The Ranger Instructors got a kick out of the fact that I went through the course a couple of decades before they were born. This morning a bunch of fit young fellows with rucksacks running from Woody Gap to Neels Gap - about 15 tough miles - smoked past us. Turns out they are "Best Ranger" candidates from a number of US units and the British Parachute Regiment. See pic with SSG from my old outfit. He thanked me for my service - but he has deployed to combat 6 times. Not even close.5. At this stage of the trail, when we are not hiking long distances, when sunrise is late, and sunset early, and we have no cell coverage in the GA mountains, one of the bigger challenges is keeping oneself engaged from 7:30 at night until 6:30 in the morning, especially when rain coming down in sheets limits opportunities to visit. Even out here, a person can only sleep so much...seriously boring.I will stop there to go prep for tomorrow. See pics.More this weekend.FoxWing
Date: 2020-03-06
From: Neel Gap

To: Low Gap
Miles today: 11.3
Weather: scattered clouds

Short entry¢¦About 30 of us are camped in and around Low Gap Shelter.GPS track is accurate if you are  following.The day was cloudy and blustery but thankfully no rain!This evening the temperatures dropped radically and the wind has really picked up. I am writing from my sleeping bag at about 7:30 PM. Temperatures appear to be in the low 20s and the wind is howling. Getting set up was a challenge but now that we are  tucked in I think we¢ll be fine. Sleeping bag is rated 0° and should be OK.MWill send longer report tomorrow with pictures.FoxWing
Date: 2020-03-07
From: Low Gap Shelter

To: Unicoi Gap
Miles today: 9.7
Weather: light snow

Quick note to follow from last nights comment:It really did get cold last night; reports pretty much confirm the temperature was between 10 and 15°. The wind howled all night, but eased up in the morning.  Sleeping wasn¢t bad, although 12 hours in one position is as boring as I mentioned earlier. Getting up this morning was a challenge. As was breaking camp. But only way to warm up was to get on the trail and start walking.There we found acres and acres of frost pressing up through the dirt, fragile and beautiful.I have posted a couple of pictures.More tomorrow.FoxWing