morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2007-05-29
From: Campsite near Catawba

To: Daleville, VA
Miles today: 20.8
Weather: clear sky

Got up early to see the sun coming up over the foothills. We packed up and were on the trail by 7:00 A.M. We took Va. 311 a mile down into Catawba, where we had an emergency mail drop waiting for us. We grabbed a couple of biscuits for breakfast at the general store across the street, and a Trail Maintainer named Frank offered to give us a ride back up to the trail. He was an older, very likable gentleman who obviously took pride in helping hikers out and making sure the trail was always in tip-top form. As we parted ways, we remembered him saying, "If you stop at the first shelter, you'll know why I come up here." It turns out that his family built the John's Creek Shelter in 2004 in honor of his son, John, who committed suicide...It was a beautiful place.We then climbed up to McAfee Knob, one of the most famous lookout's on the AT, for a snack. We then continued on to the Tinker Cliffs, which was an awesome section of the trail on a cliff side with a several hundred foot drop-off a few feet away. On our way up we passed a day hiker, with what appeared to be a 80 lb. pack, who had run out of water. With it being 85 degrees out, we decided to give him a couple of liters to help him out. He went on to babble about being on multiple types of medication that has a dehydrating side effect. We knew he wasn't all there. He was so grateful, that in his attempt to give us money for giving him water, he was searching for his wallet in his pack when we spotted a handgun. At that point, we looked at each other and decided to politely but hastily leave him in the dust! We marched on into Daleville and decided to stay at the Econolodge after taking down 92 miles in 5 days.
Date: 2007-05-30
From: Daleville, VA

To: Daleville, VA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: haze

Bad news is I have an eye infection and no glasses. Good news is the eye infection happened as we were passing through a town that actually has an eye doctor! We were able to catch a ride with a nice couple from Tenn. to the eye doctor and a few $$ later I have glasses and some meds. Sherrie from the Optical center was kind enough to drive us back to the hotel and drop my glasses off later in the day! We had all our chores done by 1:00 and were able to drink a few beers by the outdoor pool too. We hit up the dollar menu at Hardee's for lunch and followed it up with a pizza for dinner. Unfortunately Supersize Me was on cable that night. We have never felt so gross in our lives. We are going to lay off the fast food for awhile. :P
Date: 2007-05-31
From: Daleville, VA

To: Bobblets Gap Shelter
Miles today: 18.5
Weather: overcast clouds

We have passed the 1/3 marker! And we left town without over suppling this time. I was not about to relive the horrible memories of leaving Pearisburg. The trail has been pretty quiet lately. Not too many thru-hikers around us, just section hikers. The trail has started to run parallel with the Blue Ridge Parkway but views have been limited since there is so much humidity in the air. In a way we kind of hope for some rain, as many of the little creeks are starting to dry up and refilling on water is getting harder. We are staying in the shelter tonight cause there are no tent pads and we were to tired to keep on hiking to look for one.
Date: 2007-06-01
From: Bobblets Gap Shelter

To: Bryant Ridge Shelter
Miles today: 13.3
Weather: few clouds

We both felt really sluggish hiking today. The sun seemed to get to us today moreso than other days. In chatting with fellow hikers Jungle Jim and Wrong Way, it came out that it was Wrong Way's B-Day and they were planning on having a few brewskis in Buchannan, a town 5 miles down the road from the trail crossing. We put our heads together and decided to hitch in from a swimming hole in a creek about 10 miles down the trail from where we started today. We had a grand old time spending the afternoon enjoying a few cold ones and floating in Jennings Creek. We then proceeded to wobble down the trail at dusk to Bryant Ridge Shelter, only 4 miles. It included a 1000-foot climb that was particularly tricky especially after drinking beer!
Date: 2007-06-02
From: Bryant Ridge Shelter

To: Campsite past Matts Creek Shelter
Miles today: 23.5
Weather: overcast clouds

In case you are interested we are doing a count for the number of men's and women's underwear we find laying on the side of the trail. We don't touch them or smell them, just tally up the numbers. To date we have seen 5 pairs of men's and 3 pairs of women's. We had a nice climb up Apple Orchard Mountain this morning. There was a big Guillotine at the top that we got to hike under, the excitement for the day! Just another day at the office...
Date: 2007-06-03
From: Campsite past Matts Creek Shelter

To: Johns Hollow Shelter
Miles today: 3.1
Weather: light rain

We had good intentions of hiking big miles today but things change on a dime out here. We woke up to rain but it let up just long enough to take the tent down. We crossed over the James river (also the longest foot bridge on the A.T.) and started for the hills. We pulled into the Johns Hollow Shelter to fill up on water and have a snack when it started to pour. There were about 5 people hanging out in the shelter that had all decided to wait out the rain for the day right there, staying dry... Their logic made sense to us and after about two hours of our indecisiveness we took our packs off and made ourselves at home. A couple of hikers stopped in during the day and said that the trail looked like a small river. Being that there is only a 20% chance of rain for tomorrow, we decided it wasn't worth getting our feet soaked and hiking 15 miles in the rain today. We can make up the miles in the days to come. We played five games of cribbage ((uff-da 4, sven 2), 4+2 doesn't equal 5 but there was a skunk in there somewhere(:!). It was nice to be lazy on the trail but we got a bit antsy sitting in a little 10x8 box all day with 5 other adults.
Date: 2007-06-04
From: Johns Hollow Shelter

To: Hog Camp Gap
Miles today: 26.4
Weather: broken clouds

Since we took a 'near-o' yesterday, today was a doozy! All of us in the shelter got up early to make up yesterday's lost miles. The good news was that it wasn't raining, but it sure was windy. We hit the trail at 6:55 A.M., and the first thing we did was climb 2,300 feet up Big Rocky Row. We stopped next to the Little Ollie Murphy monument for a snack and to air out our wet tent. Ollie Murphy was a 5-year-old, who in 1890 left his schoolhouse to get wood for the fire and was found at this spot, 7 miles away from the schoolhouse! We then walked the ridge over Punchbowl Mountain and descended the altitude we just climbed. We stopped for lunch, which happened to be the last lunch in our 5-day supply, and carried on to the Brown Mountain Creek Shelter for a late afternoon break. Brown Mountain Creek was an old community of runaway slaves in hiding - many of the old stone structures they created were still there. We were also able to dunk our heads in the creek which was quite refreshing considering we then set out to climb 3,000-feet up Bald Mountain. We finally got to the top, which seemed to take forever only to find out that Bald Mountain wasn't even bald! We went down 800 foot or so only to go right back up again up to Cold Mountain, which had some of the most spectacular views we've seen, especially since we rolled through at dusk. We finally settled down at Hog Camp Gap, after an exhausting 13-1/2 hour hike, at 8:30. We ate our last packages of Ramen, and were down to a couple of granola bars of food. Good news is that tomorrow, we get a maildrop at at place that serves a free hiker lunch!
Date: 2007-06-05
From: Hog Camp Gap

To: Tye River Campsite
Miles today: 19.4
Weather: broken clouds

Not only did we have a mail drop at the Dutch Haus but they also have a free lunch to thru-hikers everyday. We were able to get our package and fill our bellies! We were tempted to stay the night and clean up there since we are in dire need of a shower and laundry but we resisted our urge and heading back up the trail. There was a great lookout on Spy Rock and on up to Priest Mountain, the highest point we will be until New Hampshire. It felt like we descended for ages... We did cross over Cripple Creek so that song was in our heads for hours. We are camping right by the Tye River. We were going to press on to the next shelter but we just didn't have it in us. The marathon day took it out of us yesterday.
Date: 2007-06-06
From: Tye River Campsite

To: Paul C. Wolfe Shelter
Miles today: 24.9
Weather: broken clouds

We had a heck of a climb up Three Ridges this morning, and then a shin splint set in but we were able to put in some miles although maybe not the most comfortable miles. We had a nice dinner on top of Humpback Mountain and hiked until dark to the shelter. We are exhausted and ready for a break tomorrow in Waynesboro. The weather was great once again today though.. We met some more sconies on the trail, an older couple from Milwaukee, Step'n-a-half and Gus.
Date: 2007-06-07
From: Paul C. Wolfe Shelter

To: Waynesboro, VA
Miles today: 5.0
Weather: overcast clouds

An easy day into town to rest and take a much needed shower. We felt rather homeless walking up to the YMCA to use their facilities but, a shower's a shower and we smelled bad! I don't recommend hiking for eight days in 85 degree weather without deodorant. We did our laundry and are laying low for the rest of the day. The Luthern Church has a free dinner for hikers tonight and they also have beds for us! Tomorrow we will enter the Shannondoah National Park. We here the trail is over maintained and there are little cantinas every few miles. We look forward to some easier hiking and grilling out at night.
Date: 2007-06-08
From: Waynesboro, VA

To: Black Rock Hut
Miles today: 20.0
Weather: clear sky

Today we entered the Shenandoah National Park. We got a late start after running around a little more in town, and started hiking around 11:00. We made pretty good time though, the trail is starting to flatten out a bit--only 1000-2000 foot climbs now. It was hot and humid today, and the rumble of thunder was in the distance but no rain where we were. We were feeling a bit sluggish due to the weather and the consecutive long days we have been putting in. But, we did see our first black bear! It went something like this... Sven starts stretching his legs like he's getting ready to run.Uff-da says, "What are you doing?" Sven responds, "I figure when the bear gets close to us, we'll have to make a run for it." Uff-da says, "Are you crazy? Don't you know you can't outrun a bear? Sven says, "I don't have to outrun the bear... I only have to outrun you!" It was about ten feet off the trail and not scared of us at all. It walked parallel to us for a bit and then mozied off into the woods. It was pretty cool! In the Shenandoahs the shelters are called "Huts," we are unsure why as they are exactly the same as the shelters we have been seeing the last 850 miles. The "hut" is full today, mainly section hikers. We are tenting out for the night.
Date: 2007-06-09
From: Black Rock Hut

To: High Top Hut
Miles today: 21.4
Weather: scattered clouds

We were cruising this morning--8 miles in about two hours! There was a wayside that we stopped at and enjoyed some hot sandwiches and the famous blackberry shakes of the doah's. The trail is in exceptional condition, really wide and level; no rocks or tree roots to trip on. We got into camp early today and are taking advantage of the down time. It's nice to cook dinner and have daylight to read or write in our journal before the stars come out. We are leaving the fly off tonight to enjoy the cool summer breeze!
Date: 2007-06-10
From: Hightop Hut

To: Big Meadows Campground
Miles today: 20.4
Weather: broken clouds

Got an early start today - prime for bear sighting. At about 9:00, after walking for an hour and a half, we saw a sow and her cub a safe distance away. We actually heard them before we saw them, as branches being snapped by the walking sow caught our attention. She had her eye on us the whole time, as the cub followed close behind. The cub was barely bigger than a football! Then maybe 15 minutes later, we must have startled a large boar the size of a Ford Festiva; it took off into the woods perpendicular to the trail barreling over everything in sight! We ended up splitting a campsite with Uno and Dewey Maineiac at Big Meadows campground, which also had a large resort. After cleaning up a bit we capped off a great day with a few Sierra Nevadas on tap up in the 'tap room.'
Date: 2007-06-11
From: Big Meadow Campground

To: Pass Mountain Hut
Miles today: 18.8
Weather: scattered clouds

The highlight of today was Mary's Rock. It was a big rocky clearing/bluff that overlooked one of the entry points (by road) into the park. It was another pretty hot and humid day so the views were a bit hazy. We had a shorter day today today and got into camp around 5:30. Enjoyed the company of fellow thru-hikers and were in bed well before hiker mid-night (9:00pm).Supposedly there are snakes that live in the 'Hut' so we are opting for camping out! This is also home of the Kissing Trees, hopefully we can get some pictures uploaded and you will see why...
Date: 2007-06-12
From: Pass Mountain Hut

To: Tom Floyd Wayside
Miles today: 23.6
Weather: few clouds

We were hiking by 7:00 today, our last day in the Shenandoahs. We got to the last wayside in the 'doahs, Elkwallow, by 9:30 to do a day's worth of resupplying before heading into Front Royal tomorrow, and to get out last blackberry milkshake. We then headed into Gravel Spring Hut for lunch, and it reaked like it had been severely sprayed by a skunk. Good thing we didn't need to stay overnight in that one! The trail was nice and relatively easy today, which helped us get the mileage and also outrun a storm. We got to the shelter, pitched our tent, and just as water boiled for dinner the storm crashed down on us. So we ate in our tent, which is something we usually don't do but what the heck...
Date: 2007-06-13
From: Tom Floyd Wayside

To: Manassas Gap Shelter
Miles today: 13.6
Weather: light rain

We slept in today and it was much needed. The rain stopped overnight but it there was quite a bit of muddy splash up on the tent. We hiked out the the trail head by Front Royal and hitched a ride into town to resupply. We were able to get ahold of Andrea and have arranged to be picked up in Harpers Ferry on Friday so we have some miles to get in. We managed to spend $50 on two days of resupply. We headed back to the trail, which went right past the national zoo, although we didn't see any animals. We stopped in at the Jim and Molly Denton Shelter where we were able to enjoy a cool solar shower! On our ascent up to the shelter we heard thunder rumbling close by. We picked up the pace a bit to avoid getting dumped on. We were in the middle of dinner when the sky turned black and a faucet of rain came pouring down! There is plently of room in the shelter though, just us and two section hikers that said all of three words.. We were also able to enjoy the aroma of human feces, as some hiker was too lazy to walk the ten steps to the prizy and instead decided to lay some cable right next to the shelter. We are hoping the rain passes during the night cause we have to put at least 20 miles in tomorrow. It is a great sound of pitter patter on the zinc roof though. Makes for great sleeping!
Date: 2007-06-14
From: Manassas Gap Shelter

To: Sam Moore Shelter
Miles today: 19.7
Weather: light rain

Today we woke up to rain. We slept in a little, but there was no sign of it letting up so we got our raingear on and our packs covered and set off. This might sound wierd, but it was a nice change of scenery although we got absolutely drenched. We passed through Big Meadows State Park, but there was so much fog we couldn't see much. By 1:00 the rain stopped, just in time to start a section of the trail called the 'Roller Coaster.' The R.C. is a 13-mile section that goes up and down 1000 foot ridges at the rate of about 1 per mile. A real pain in the a$$, especially for those who said that Virginia was flat! The shelter was located about 1/2-way through, and we suprisingly had the whoe thing to ourselves. We are looking forward to D.C. for a little break - tomorrow our chariot awaits to wisk us away...
Date: 2007-06-15
From: Sam Moore Shelter

To: Washington D.C.
Miles today: 23.5

We made it!! A much anticipated trip into D.C. Not only do we get to hang out with friends from the Peace Corps but my parents are flying in today as well! It was also an exciting hiking day. A few miles past the shelter was the Bear's Den, run by the PATC. It was an old stone house converted into a hiker hostel. We just stopped in to check it out. Nice cozy place.We also crossed the 1000 miles marker! Got a few pictures and patted ourselves on the back.And then came the Virginia, West Virginia border crossing. Four states down. We are finally done with Virginia! Over 500 miles in one state--for those that say VA gets boring, we don't agree. We thought the state had amazing views to offer. We walked through a portion of forest that has been attacked by Gypsy Moths. They eat all the green of trees, leaving the bear. It feels like fall walking through it. You can see all the little catipillars crawling everywhere on the bark. It kind of sounds like rain as the chewed portions of leaves flutter to the ground.Right before Harpers Ferry we crossed the scenic Shenandoah River and then on the Jefferson's Rock. We enjoyed our walk into the quaint town of H.F. I feel like we took a step back in time. The town is nestled inbetween the mountain bluffs and both the Shenandoah and the Potomac Rivers pass by. We enjoyed a few beers at the local pub while we waited for Andrea to arrive. On into the city we go! It will be so nice to take a break from the trail, both mentally and phyically.
Date: 2007-06-21
From: Harpers Ferry, WV

To: Ed Garvey Shelter
Miles today: 6.4
Weather: overcast clouds

It is always a pleasant surprise when we roll up on a unique shelter. Some of them are very austere and others have character. This particular one has a loft with a balcony (A.T. symbol incorporated into the banister)and windows. It feels like a little cabin lost in the woods. We ran a bunch of errands this morning and didn't actually get out of town until after 3:00. We signed in at the ATC Headquarters, got our picture taken so we are now officially 2007 Thru-Hikers #354-Sven and #355-Uff-da. It kind of feels like we are back at the U of M and are nothing more than a number (student ID 1833549). The workers were very friendly and we enjoyed handfuls of chocolate covered popcorn from Step'n a half and Gus! Being that it is the Summer Solstice,thru-hikers traditionally put in their miles naked. We were informed of "undercover" hiker-cops and therefore warned not to participate in this activity (thaa, like we would have anyway!) There were tourist running around town everywhere.. Ironically we kept running into Minnesotan's, only to find out there was a bus load of 150 of them in town. We crossed another state line, West Virginia into Maryland, five states down. The trail crossed a pedestrian/train bridge and then followed the C & O canal for about 2.8 miles. It is claimed to be the flattest stretch of the A.T. We felt a little rusty setting out, our hiking poles were foreign object in our hands and the legs a little unsteady with the weight of our packs. It started to sprinkle a bit right as we were nearing the shelter so we opted for sleeping in it tonight. We loaded up on some good reading in D.C. so we are going to take advantage of the rainy afternoon and nestle into a book!
Date: 2007-06-22
From: Ed Garvey Shelter

To: Pine Knob Shelter
Miles today: 16.6
Weather: few clouds

Got a great night's sleep; best since before D.C. Today was filled with hiking through the the three main gaps where battles of Lee's Maryland campaign were fought during the Civil War in September of 1862 - Crampton Gap, Fox's Gap, & Turner's Gap. The trail was rocky at times, but the elevation gains & losses were extremely tolerable. We even stopped at Dahlgren Campground to take a free hot shower - can't pass those up! Near the end of the day we passed through Washington Monument State Park. We stopped in the museum to see the battlefield artifacts on display, and got a great shakedown of how the Maryland campaing unfolded from the student working there - he really knew his stuff. Then we went up to the Washington Monument itself, which overlooked where the Battle of Antietam took place - the single deadliest day of the civil war with around 22,000 casualties...
Date: 2007-06-23
From: Pine Knob Shelter

To: Mason-Dixon Line campsite
Miles today: 18.0

Another great day at the office. We woke up late and took our time getting places. First we went by the Annapolis Rocks where we watched some rock climbers do the thing rock climbers do. We walked on and made lunch over a fire at the Cowall Shelter. The hike was really easy today and the weather perfect. We came up on a blue blaze out to High Rock Overlook. It was one of those things of being at the right place at the right time...all day long. We get out there and there are three hang gliders set up. It was apparently a perfect day for hang gliding.. who knew?It was nerve racking watching them jump off this platform. Just image what would happen if the wings didn't catch the wind gusts...at least that was all that was running through my mind. We were glad to be on the observing end. They flew up and down the ridge of the mountain a couple of hundred feet above. Afterwards we headed down the hill to the Pen Mar County Park. Back in the late 1800's this place was rocking; over 15,000 picnic tables, it was compared to Conney Island. Mass amounts of people would come every weekend (I want to say 100,000 people but fear that might be an exaggeration. I will have to check the data book on that and get back to you). Anyways, right as we pull up to this park (which is big but not big like in its day... big like Minnehaha Falls maybe) a newly married bride invites us to the leftovers from the days celebration. She even goes as far as to bring us each a piece of her wedding cake. Once again, the right place at the right time. We relax there a bit and then head on to find a campsite right at the Mason-Dixon line. We didn't want to go too far from the park because they had a great observation deck for the sunset. We set up came and walked back, just in time to see the sky dissolve into a million shades of reds/yellow/oranges. There was an old couple from the area out watching the sunset too so we got the history of the area. Camp David is supposedly a few miles from where we were. The lady happened to have lived in Milwaukee of all places, selling shoes on 14th. It was a perfect ending to a perfect day!
Date: 2007-06-24
From: Mason-Dixon Line campsite

To: Campsite near Rocky Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 15.0
Weather: broken clouds

Got a late start. Sven felt a tad ill, and had to visit the privy a few times at the Deer Lick Shelters to take care of a bout of the 'Big D.' Carried on to the Antietam Shelter for a 2-hour lunch in which we had to cook using a wood fire and not our stove since we are running low on fuel. Made the 1000-ft. climb up Chimney Rock and eventually to a campsite near the shelter. We wanted to avoid having to pay $20 or whatever it is for a State Park campsite before heading into Gettysburg tomorrow. Sven finished 'Grizzy,' a B-Grade detective novel while Uff-Da finished 'Kite Runner,' which was so good she read it in about 5 days...