morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2007-05-23
From: Marble Spring Campsite

To: Punch Bowl Shelter
Miles today: 18.2
Weather: broken clouds

Forced myself to get up at 6 a.m. and on the trail by 7 a.m. Tough going and slow going this morning! Let E-Z Duzit go ahead of me. He¢s getting off the trail for 17 days! I had a tough time after 4 days off! He knows it will be tough, but I know he¢ll make it to Maine. I exceeded my goal today. Was shooting for 9.4, ended up an 18.2! Almost all of me felt good except my (L) Achilles tendon. I did some extra stretches when I got to the shelter. Took my boots off right away. I¢ve been doing better mentally lately as well. E-Z Duzit¢s got the right philosophy and that¢s what I have been trying to achieve and it¢s starting to work. I get up at dawn, take a couple breaks throughout the day and I stay consistent. Ended up getting to the shelter at 5 p.m. that still gives me time to unwind ¢ stretch ¢ do chores, etc. Those six elevation changes coming from 771.1 ft to ¢Little Rocky Row¢ 2472 ft. then up to Big Rocky Row ¢ 2992 ft. ¢ down to 2600 ft. up to Bluff Mt. 3372 ft. ¢ then down to Punch Bowl Shelter 2500 ft. ¢ Well you get the point. One climb had 14 switch backs! Crossed the James River Foot Bridge, reminded me of the mighty Merrimack River. Same banks, same width for the most part. Saw a big ¢ol¢ snapper resting on a rock. At first I thought Bono was going down to it! So I called him back. Then he tried it again (to go off trail), so I called him back again. (I¢m paranoid about snakes since 3 Timber Rattlers have been spotted). Finally after the last time, he said forget it! And took a poop (his first poop) in the middle of the trail! The look on his face was priceless! As if to say, ¢Well I tried buy out wouldn¢t let me go where I wanted.¢ I had to laugh. He had a great hike today with plenty of creeks to swim in. He seems less stiff in the morning since I¢ve given 2 Aspirin with his food. Not sure what it is with his nose, but he¢s walking by things that I see after he strolls on by them. Today he walked by a pheasant and looked like 15 chickadees! As I walked up it scared the Bajesus out of me! I almost stepped on the thing and all the chicks scattered like pinballs! Then Bono tries to pick a fight with the mom hen! Great, frogs are out tonight!
Date: 2007-05-24
From: Punch Bowl Shelter

To: Cow Camp Gap Shelter
Miles today: 15.1
Weather: broken clouds

Not much in my stomach when I left Punch Bowl Shelter. A cup of Jiff on the Go and 1 Power Gel. Luckily, about 2 hours in to my hike I came upon Trail Magic #1 ¢ Hard boiled eggs and apples! Many sights to see today as I walked towards US 60 for re-supply. First was this sign indicating this 300 year old Chestnut Tree the US forest is studying, MASSIVE! with a circumference of maybe 12 ft. or more! The trail went along this creek for most of the morning, so Bono got to go swimming every hour or so. Met an 04¢ thru-hiker ¢Double Nickels¢ and Kenny. They were hiking (day hiking) south and she told me help myself to sodas and snacks up by the picnic table, Trail Magic #2! I had a Mello Yellow, Root Beer, 2 Crispy Creams and 2 candy bars ¢ 1 banana. Now that I think of it, that¢s why I didn¢t feel good!Started to hitch for a ride to Buena Vista to re-supply. Kenny ended up giving me a ride ¢ trail magic #3! Once at the Food Lion I plugged in my camcorder battery to charge by the outside Coke machine and went inside to re-supply ¢ once again I bought too much food. 9.5 miles back to the trail and 90 degrees out. I needed to hitch back, Bono would never make it, nor would I for that matter! We waited by the stop sign next to the Food Lion hoping for a pick-up truck. A cop stopped and asked if the dog had enough water? I assured him he was plenty hydrated. He said he would give me a ride if he could, nice guy. Finally, this guy pulled up with a pick-up. He said he could drop me off. Turned out it was beyond where he lived, so I slipped him$5 for stopping to allow me to get fuel and going out of his way. His name was Mark, trail magic #4!Once back, we took a break and then decided to hike the 4.4 miles to the next shelter. I should have looked at the elevation. It went from 2,065 to 4,022 over Bald Knob! Very steep in a short distance. I ended up carrying Bono¢s pack half the way up! I felt bad since I forgot the water and it was hot! Once we got to where we thought was the top, we took a break with a nice breeze to reward us!Bono got a lot of attention at the grocery store today, people wanting to pet him. He never ceases to amaze me with his intelligence. He comes and lies beside me in the sun, I tell him ¢Bono, go lay down in the shade¢ ¢ what does he do? Gets up and moves to the shade ¢ amazing how much he can understand Finally make it to the sign for the shelter, then it¢s another .6 miles to get to it! The opposite way! UGH!!!!! Oh well, not much can do and at least it¢s a nice spring so I can soak my feet.
Date: 2007-05-25
From: Cow Camp Gap Shelter

To: Seeley - Woodworth Shelter
Miles today: 10.2
Weather: scattered clouds

On today¢s daily drudgery, we will look at the convenience of everyday life compared with trail life ¢ to find a place to sleep last night I had to hike 15.1 miles, then another .6 to the shelter! .6 that doesn¢t count towards my mileage. Today I had to walk .5 to get water at Whisper Spring. That wouldn¢t have been so bad until I found out Whisper Spring was a road and not an actual ¢spring¢ for water! Luckily there was a spring about a half mile down. The spring was actually only 50 yards off the AT! UGH! Doubt I will take for granted being able to hop in my truck to find a nice warm bed or turn 360 degrees around to see a store every where I look! On the trail everything sort of slows down and everything becomes a bit of a chore, but let me tell you folks, that water never tasted soooooo good after hiking for 10+ miles!Met Patrick and Lane on the trail today. I was coming down; they were going up Cold Mt. They had some questions for me and we chatted for a good 12 hour. Patrick was familiar with one of the bridges so I taped his comments on the history of it. We then exchanged pictures. They gave me water and a small bottle of Robert Mondaui Woodbridge Cabernet Sauvignon which I happen to be drinking at this moment! Never really did like wine, but this tastes pretty good. Not much happened on the trail today. Did take a nice break on top Cold Mt., a nice bald with 360 degree views. Took some pictures of me and Bono and shot some video to share with you all. Saw a toad on the road. I felt it was good to go light at 10.2 today. I think I¢m listening to my body and also seeing what Bono can do. Keeping an eye on the temp and water sources up ahead, also elevation. Thanks to all who sent stuff along with Cheryl in the box last time. Gets quite lonely ¢ quite often. Last night was just me and my ¢Dawg¢ in the shelter. Got to the shelter tonight and started work on my latest project ¢ Hike for Hunger. What this will eventually turn out to be is an annual hike on the 21 mile Wapac Trail. Hikers will get sponsors and all proceeds will go to the Nashua Soup Kitchen at Thanksgiving time. Should be good and more to come.
Date: 2007-05-26
From: Seeley - Woodworth Shelter

To: Maupin Field Shelter
Miles today: 20.5
Weather: overcast clouds

Today¢s hike ¢kicked the snot!¢ out of me! Started off good. Feet and legs feeling like their old self before my time off. Bono had a couple of streams to play in throughout the day. Made it to Priest Shelter by 10 a.m. (7 miles) then made it to Harpers Creek Shelter by 1 p.m. (8 miles). Took a 12 hour break climbing Spy Rock as training for Bono and myself climbing rock faces. Pretty nice view up there. I should have stayed at Harpers Creek, but opted to continue on for another 8 miles. This is where I started to fall apart. On the way up I ran into heavy weekend traffic ¢ not use to this at all. Normally I don¢t see anyone the whole day hiking. Met Mike on the way who is a ridge runner. He¢s actually employed by the ATC and is trained in first aid and gives information to people in need. Again, back to the traffic. Half the people I passed as the same questions, ¢how far to the shelter?¢ It was a brutal day and temp was 85 degrees. Most were not prepared. I walked by a young girl crying with an older gentleman. It was clear she was having a tough time. Bono was overheating so I took a break and chatted with Scott, a volunteer trail maintenance guy. He gives his time for free to maintain the AT. He educated me on a lot of things I¢ve been seeing thus far. I video taped him for a bit as well. After continuing on, the trail became incredibly steep and with no water (yes, I messed up the water situation again). It was brutal! After climbing from 1800 ft. to 3190 to 3870 to 3750 and finally making it to the top!) we took a break. After the break I decided it was my penance to carry Bono¢s pack down to the shelter at 2.6 miles away. So I strapped his pack to mine (55 lbs.) and headed downhill. Each step was grueling. Every rock I stepped on I felt right through my shoe. And, of course, the trail had to have the marble size rocks, Rock Fields, and a few more small up hills. Bono kept looking back as cuss words flowed from my mouth like a melody. I could tell he felt somewhat guilty for me having his pack ¢ but he wasn¢t about to ask for it back! When we made it to the shelter there were 3 other dogs and a nice tent site. Going to sleep good tonight! Everyone try the sweet sausage tortellini with pepperoni.
Date: 2007-05-27
From: Maupin Field Shelter

To: Paul C. Wolfe Shelter
Miles today: 15.8
Weather: overcast clouds

Man was I dragging out of my tent site at 6:30 a.m. I really had no breakfast and was saying a few prayers for some trail magic since I knew I would be coming to a road crossing. I think it¢s that intuition a dog learns early on like ¢I hear this door open, I know it¢s feeding time.¢ Well when you hear cars and come to a road there is always that chance. SCORE! Trail magic just when I needed it. A couple Rob and Ann were here to meet their daughter Paloma who is hiking the trail. They hooked me up with cookies, Cowtails and tootsie pops! Two other ladies gave me some pop tarts, granola bars and a Corona Light. Now normally I wouldn¢t drink a beer with pop tarts, but this isn¢t your normal situation. I hung out by that tree snacking on all my treats for an hour! I talked with Kayla Warren and her mom (my girlfriend) Cheryl for a bit as well. They were excited to do a hike up Mt. Monadnock auto road. Spoke with them after the hike and Kayla did great carrying her pack all the way!Had a few rock scrambles where I had to take Bono¢s pack off and give him the old heave-ho by his handle on his harness. So far nothing stopped us from getting down the trail. Took plenty of breaks today with Bono and plenty of water breaks and we still put in almost 16 miles. Started to thunder and lightning for most of the day, but ended up missing us, heading off NW. I¢m now able to ¢decode¢ my thru-hikers companion pretty well timing the distance and time it would take to get to a spring with minutes to spare.Oh shoot! I came upon my first rattle snake today and I hope it¢s my last! Bono walked by it as he has every snake thus far, but he must have heard the rattle and turned to investigate. All of a sudden I saw him jump back. The snake struck at him, luckily missing him! I quickly put my pack down and fished my camera out. I had just enough battery to get video and some stills. So glad he did not get bit! It must have been the protective charm Catherine Scott gave him for his pack.
Date: 2007-05-31
From: Parking Lot Stealth Camp

To: Hightop Hut
Miles today: 14.0
Weather: scattered clouds

I ended up leaving Loft Mountain Campground at 12 noon and hit the trail to a very humid day of 80 degrees. Took a 40 minute break for a shoe repair. The 3 rubber wedges I wear in my Right boot keep squirting out the side and it get very annoying to say the least! I picked up some super glue and glued all 3 rubber pieces right to my insert and at this time ¢ after 14.5 miles ¢ it has seemed to work! The hike today was very humid and the task of keeping Bono on a leash is wearing the both of us out. This is a nice park, but I have to say I can¢t wait to exit its boundaries so I can lose the leash! Tick picking has become a nightly ritual. I now have graduated to my mini pliers and pull anywhere from 10-20 ticks per night. Fun-Fun-Fun!Saw my first bear or bear cub(s), I should say. They were climbing up a tree and I was lucky to get a still and some video of the cute little buggers. I looked on the other side of the trail just in case mom might be there. Then I think I spotted her right by the trunk of the tree, a big black silhouette. Didn¢t want to over stay our welcome so we moved on. Saw quite the array of wildlife today ¢ saw a jack rabbit, deer, wild turkey and two bear cubs.Not much else happened that¢s exciting to write about. There was a guy with this daughter walking with empty nalgene bottles asking about water. I took out my notes and showed him ¢ 5 miles one way or 6 the other. Wish I could have helped him out because I know what it¢s like to go to bed thirsty.Bono did some of his tricks for all who were at the shelter tonight. There was a young girl who just got a puppy. She had many questions about how to train her dog, so it would listen as well as Bono. I told her consistency is everything ¢ end of story. I forgot his bowl about 200 yards back at the tent. Figured I¢d give it a try, so I told Bono to fetch his bowl ¢ 3 minutes later with bowl in mouth! Guess he was hungry.
Date: 2007-06-01
From: Hightop Hut

To: Big Meadows Campsite
Miles today: 19.5

Off and hiking at 6:15 a.m. I wanted to be the first one out for a bear sighting and as luck would have it, I saw 3 this day. The first one I saw was one that a SOBO (Southbound) hiker said he saw. I had my camera ready and sure enough, just as I crested the hill, a black bear foraging in the vegetation. I sat Bono down and proceeded to record its actions. What a cool thing to see! What was even cooler is the bear couldn¢t see Bono because it was down a hill and Bono couldn¢t see the bear due to the tall plants that lined the trail. As I watched, I could see both their noses sniffing because they knew each was there, but couldn¢t see one another. Tried for a 20 today. It¢s been a while and I want to do it to get my confidence back up. Looking to get a tent site at Big Meadows and some real food in my gut! I was thinking so much about the burger I was going to order. I memorized it the last 19.5 miles! Medium rare, x-tra Swiss cheese, x-tra bacon, pickles, lettuce, tomato, onion, ketchup, mayo on a sesame seed bun. AHH! It would have been so good if the lodge had burgers. I ended up settling for chili, turkey club and Bono got a hot dog. Had some good laughs with Crazy Bear, Carpenter and Ghetto Blaster in the restaurant. Heckling the musician that night. Called my girlfriend to finalize the mail drop. As I entered the campsite Bono spotted a little doe with its mom and ended up pretty much tackling the poor thing! When I discovered he didn¢t have the fragile thing in his jowls, a breathed a sigh of relief! Time to hit the mattress, 11 p.m. and I¢m beat from the day of hiking.
Date: 2007-06-03
From: Thorton Gap Parking Lot Stealth Camp

To: Gravel Springs Hut
Miles today: 14.3
Weather: light rain

Hung out at the abandoned info center to see what the weather was going to do. I was actually up at 5 a.m. and wrote in my journal until 8:45 a.m. Finally I could wait no longer and headed out into the mist. The rain came down steadily, but not much hit me because of the cover the trees provided. It wasn¢t cold, so I had my shirt on (no rain gear) and my pack cover. Through the mist I saw many deer, but my camera was in my pack! No worries, I¢ve seen many deer and I¢m sure more to come. Made it to Elk Wallow Wayside around 1 p.m. Decided to take a break, dry off and get some food. The rain really started coming down right when I got there. I ordered up a burger, chicken fingers, French fries, Mountain Dew and 2 hot dogs for Bono. The store is a gift shop, restaurant and gas station. The gas attendant, Lou, let me and Bono inside his hut where we could warm up and eat. I ended up going back in the restaurant a second time for a blackberry shake and a vanilla moon pie ¢ man was that good! A bunch of other hikers showed up soaking wet from the rain and ready for some food. We hung out and chewed the fat for a bit until 3 p.m. Rolled around and it was time to head out into the down poor. Full on rain gear was in order and as we left, everyone got a kick out of Bono walking off in his booties. A short time up the trail we had another bear encounter. Bono actually zoned in on it and then I saw the trees moving, so we pretty much spooked the bear. Luckily, it wasn¢t a female with cubs! As the bear ran off across the path not more than 15 ft. away, I settled Bono down. The bear stopped and straddled a tree waiting to see what we were going to do, then ran off. Soaked to the bone, we were offered a place in the shelter that we gladly accepted. Out of these wet clothes and AHHH! Nice dry clothes ¢ dry sleeping bag ¢ so nice! Someone left some sodas as trail magic ¢ that was nice! Celebrated ¢Ghetto Blaster¢s¢ B-day and lights went out at 9 p.m.
Date: 2007-06-04
From: Gravel Springs Hut

To: Jim and Molly Denton Shelter
Miles today: 18.6
Weather: overcast clouds

¢Finally out of the Shenandoah¢s!¢ No more leash law. For 100 miles I¢ve been literally running after Bono and it wasn¢t easy. It¢s not my pace and it tore me up! Early morning out of the shelter, slugs slimed everything I own! When I went to put my crocs on, two slimed in my shoe and when I put them on yellow slime was on my foot. I tried using mud to scrape it off and still didn¢t get it all. Came across much traffic today! First was a maintenance crew obviously hired by the National Park Service. I quickly put Bono¢s leash back on just in case since I still had a few miles to officially clear the park boundary. I figured not to chance it since I saw the crew first before they spotted me. Next I ran into 2 Korean older gentlemen. We had a conversation about Tae Kwon Do and the AT. They were very nice and their wives, who showed up as I was leaving, were pleased when I greeted them in Korean. I gave them the website and carried on. As I pulled off my pack to take a break, I do perform some personal hygiene. Just as I was trying to take care of business, this scientist guy comes down the hill! Pull up my shorts as quick as I can. Darn! Can¢t get any privacy today! As I finished everything I needed to do, I headed up the hill. As I took a turn I came to a group of about 10 scientists. They were there trying to eradicate this out of control fern that grows 12 a foot a day! I thanked them for their work and carried on. 3 ladies on horseback were next. Complimenting me on my dog, I took a picture with Bono and the horse and continued. A ridge runner crossed my path and gave good information to me. When we came to a creek, a bunch of school kids (about 15) and their teachers were there. They asked about Bono as we passed. A street crossing was met with a reunion from past hikers I knew earlier on in the journey. Considered going to this cap site instead of the 1.9 mile away shelter. Glad I opted for the shelter. It had a nice cooking area with a roof and a table. The shelter itself had a porch, a shower (was broken unfortunately) and a spicket, which I only found out after I treated my water, oh well. Big lot for pitching a tent. As everyone else (maybe 20 hikers) played Frisbee, I was too tired and went to sleep.
Date: 2007-06-05
From: Jim and Molly Denton Shelter

To: Rod Hollow Shelter
Miles today: 18.3
Weather: scattered clouds

Slugs every where! On my pack, on my tent and on Bono¢s bandana! When I went to put my crocs on they squashed on my feet! I could barely get the slime off, so I used some sand to scrub off the jelly-like substance ¢ not something you want to wake up to!   Said my regular ¢see you up the trail¢ to ¢Pastor John and Crazy Bear¢ and we were off at 6:30 a.m. We first hit some real tight trails and then some downs. Bono caught the scent of a mom and cub and it was unfortunate I didn¢t see her first. The bear stood its ground as Bono barked at it, then she turned and ran. The next mile we hiked had tall grass about my head level and poor Bono could not be seen and he started sneezing from all the pollen and was covered in the stuff! I felt bad for him. Took a break at VA 55. The sign on the bridge said ¢trail magic¢ just ahead. When I got there, it was a big let down! A box of matches and an old Sunkist soda, which looked like it had been sitting there for about a month ¢ oh well, got my hopes up. Had breakfast on the picnic table, just me, Bono and the Tupperware container full with matches. Made a phone call to my girlfriend to let her know I was alive and then guess what I did? I hiked on! I also saw my first Humming Bird today!Took a side trail to check out Dicks Dome, a shelter that¢s circular and dome shaped. Took my boots and socks off and passed out for a 12 hour. I must have been very tired from lack of sleep. By the time I was done lunching, I¢d spent 1 hour there. Crossed US 50 today. That was a busy 2 lane road. Once we made it across, there were plenty of creeks to soak Bono down ¢ good mileage from him a 20, 14 and two 18¢s, not bad. Made it to the shelter by 5ish which was very good time. Achilles tendon was flaring up so it was nice to see the spring which is like a foot bath. I soaked my feet for 15 min., cooked dinner, fed Bono, set up my tent, brushed my teeth, washed my pot, saw first Humming Bird, checked Bono for ticks (found some), treated my water and finished up yesterday and today¢s journal. Two more days until Harpers Ferry, the unofficial half-way point.