morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2012-03-22
From: Hwy 19E Elk Park, NC/Roan Mtn., TN

To: Moreland Gap Shelter
Miles today: 18.4
Weather: clear sky

Day 34Loved the Mountain Harbor Hostle, it was a nice place over a barn and I shared it with Daniel and Coyote Tim last night, two cool dudes from Nebraska. The breakfast was fantastic, it may even rival Liegh's breakfast from The Hiker Hostle in GA. The hike out today was great, it really felt like spring all day today. Nice, open areas with nice views. I had a chance to stop for lunch next to the Elk River and got to soak my feet for a few minutes. Then it was off for the rest of the day. The rest of the day was just as nice as the beginning and I got to the shelter with out much trouble. I am planning on putting in a couple of 20+ mile days this section. I hope I haven't been too agressive with my planning. I do have some leway though, I will be passing within a mile of Hampton, TN and can pop in there for a quick resupply to pick up an extra day of food if I need to tomorrow.
Date: 2012-03-23
From: Moreland Gap Shelter

To: Watauga Lake Shelter
Miles today: 16.5
Weather: light rain

Day 35So, today's plan got messed up a bit. I had planned to do a 20+ mile day but when I got close to Hampton I decided that I needed to get in to try and have a cheeseburger for lunch. That meant that I did 4 off trail miles and thus shorted my day on the trail. That said the hike was very challanging today. It began ok and wasn't too tough until I got to the Laural Falls area. Then it slowed down and was a big rock scramble to get through the falls area. Probably the neatest thing that I ran into was a section of trail that looked like it wasn't there until you were almost on top of it. I got down to the falls and then continued on and soon the trail came to a big rock wall in front and big rock wall to the right and a very cold and fast flowing river to the left. I wondered if I had missed a turn somewhere and actually went back and looked to see if I had missed it and didn't find anything. I had seen were the trail looks like it ends only to continue on once you are closer to the spot in the past so I kept walking toward the rock wall in front of me. Once I got there I looked to the left and there was a narrow rock ledge that ran along the river that had a white blaze on it. So I continued around the rock ledge, hoping that it would hold up, and then was faced with a nice climb up almost hand over hand up out of the valley that contained the river. Pretty cool stuff. If you ever want to do just one section of the AT I would recommend the section around Hampton, TN south of lake Watauga, very scenic and would be great in the middle of the summer. That river would be nice on a hot day.A couple miles after the falls I came to the side trail to Hampton and went in to get my cheese burger and also grabed a couple extra snacks just in case I needed them. I was sure that my plan for a 23 mile day on the trail was going to be cut short. Then it was up and over Pond Flats Mountain (or maybe the name is Pool Mountain, not sure). Once I was over that and got to the lake it started to rain a bit so I decided to cut the day's hiking short and just go to the Watauga Lake shelter, good thing too because it rained all night almost.
Date: 2012-03-24
From: Watauga Lake Shelter

To: Double Springs Shelter
Miles today: 21.6
Weather: moderate rain

Day 36Rain, rain, rain. It rained all morning, but did clear off in the afternoon. The hiking was good today despite the rain though. I had a nice climb up after the Watauga Lake Dam then once up on the ridge we followed the mountains next to the lake for most of the day. So, I could hear boats on the lake all day. Once I passed the Vanderventer Shelter the trail smoothed out some and with more gradual climbs and decents and that made for some faster hiking. Toward the end of the day I came to a section of the trail that was handicap accessable. So, that meant that the trail was smooth and graveled with no more than a 5% grade and was plenty wide, boy wouldn't it be nice if the whole trail was that way, oh well.... That section actually passed through some pasture land that looked like it was appropreated or donated by a local rancher so there were some old barns and fencing around with nice green grass. Spring is coming. Well, tomorrow I put another state behind me. I will be done with Tennessee and will move into Virginia. Damascus is also a big mile stone on the trail. I think that I read somewhere that the majority of people that don't finnish a thru hike will drop out before or in Damascus, VA. So, here is to hoping that I can get out of town on Monday.
Date: 2012-03-25
From: Double Springs Shelter

To: Damascus, VA
Miles today: 19.6
Weather: light rain

Day 37Rain, Rain, Rain again. It rained all night last night. It started about 2 hours after sunset and didn't stop until well after I got to town today. It was also cooler than it has been in some time so I found myself with more layers on than I am used to having. In a way it was nice. The combination of cool weather, rain, and probably the easiest trail I have had so far meant that I covered the 19 miles today in what for me was record time, 6 hours. I don't think that I want to do 19 miles that fast again anytime soon though. Damascus is a neat little town not more than a mile across from one end to the other. In the middle of town they have a restaurant called Quincy's which has pizza, burgers, and serves beer on Sunday (not common in other places I've been to). So, first thing when I got into town, I walked into Quincy's, set down my pack and ordered a beer and a pizza. Once that was finnished it was of to find a place to stay. I ended up at Hiker's Inn, got cleaned up and they did my laundry (for a fee of course) and I felt like a new man. I got all my resupply done and got to sleep on a bed with sheets again. You just can't imagine how much of a luxury it is to sleep in a bed with sheets. My plan is to get my journal done in the morning then head out of town sometime before noon if possible.
Date: 2012-03-26
From: Damascus, VA

To: Lost Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 14.7
Weather: scattered clouds

Day 38Got out of Damascus today around 12:30. While having coffee this morning I heard that the computers and the Library were without Internet service. So, the guy who owns the Hikers Inn offered to let me borrow his laptop to get my journal entries done. Big thanks! While staying at the hostel there was also staying there a very nice older couple over from New Zealand who were over here to try and finish their thru hike of the AT that was started several years ago. Unfortunately it looks like they will not be able to finish again but they will be able to see lots of the trail and do some section hikes. Hope all is well for them. The 14 miles that I did today weren't too bad. There was a little climb out of Damascus but it wasn't too bad (compared to what I am used to). The weather was nice and the trail was reasonable for most of the day so it was enjoyable. A portion of the trail today followed the Virginia Creeper Trail which is a bike trail that covers some 30 of 40 miles of former rail road bed. It looked like something that would be nice to come back and do some day.
Date: 2012-03-27
From: Lost Mountain Shelter

To: Old Orchard Shelter
Miles today: 23.2
Weather: scattered clouds

Day 39I started the day today thinking that I would only do 17 miles, but when I got to the shelter this afternoon I still felt good so I decided to go on and do 23. The trail was beautiful this morning. With lots of nice vistas to look at. Then this afternoon it turned to rocks with lots of water on the trail. Most of today's hiking was through the Virginia Highlands. This area of Virginia offers terrain that more resembles the western states than anything you would expect to see in Virginia. I also got to see the wild ponies, from a distance, but I got to see them. One of the other guys that have been hiking around me said that they actually went down there and interacted with them. It was pretty cool to see them and the country that we hiked through was beautiful but, the rocks were murder on the feet. I will be glad to see and end to the rocks in Virginia.
Date: 2012-03-28
From: Old Orchard Shelter

To: Partnership Shelter
Miles today: 24.7
Weather: clear sky

Day 40There has been a rather large group of us hiking in close proximity to one another the last couple of days. Moses, Bluegrass, Sharky, Rummy, Goose, Maverick, and Diesel and the Kid along with myself. Over the coming few days I suspect that we will break up some but it has been cool to have so many people around on the trail at the same time. Still though I end up as most of us do hiking alone all day. The hiking today wasn't much to talk about. Most of the views were of the trail in front of me and not much else. Lots of time to think and not many distractions. The trail itself continues to change character with almost amazing frequency. Hiking these 20+ mile days I'll see at least 3 major changes to the foliage, trail condition, and scenery around the trail through out the day. The diversity on the trail is amazing. We are all staying at a large shelter tonight that is located next to a US Forest Service visitor center. This means that we have fresh reliable water and an opportunity to order Pizza from the shelter. What a treat. I actually opted for a large Chef salad and a small pizza. I've been craving veggies. On a good note, I am noticing that the trees are starting to bud out in some places.
Date: 2012-03-29
From: Partnership Shelter

To: Atkins, VA
Miles today: 11.6
Weather: clear sky

Day 41Short day today, into an interstate off ramp really to sleep in the no tell motel get a shower do some laundry and get some light resupply along with some restaurant food. The hike today was short but spectacular. We hiked through a lot of green farm land. It is nice to see all the fields with new green grass. The highlight of the short hike was the one room school house that was on the trail with a small museum. There wasn't anyone working the museum but I was able to get some pictures of the small school house and signed the register. On a more personal note, I am doing great. I have lost about 20lbs (only 20 more to go) and feel great. I still can't climb the hills like the guys 10 and 20 years younger than me but I can do the same mileage every day that they are doing, and that is good for the 40 year old ego (ok 41).
Date: 2012-03-30
From: Atkins, VA

To: Walker Gap (Burkes Garden)
Miles today: 24.3
Weather: overcast clouds

Day 42What a treat I've had today.... So it was another typically beautiful day of hiking on the AT today. The sun was shinning, birds singing, the grass is green in the fields and leaves starting to come out on the trees. I got a funny surprise today one of the guys I'm hiking with, Moses (who is 24), came running down the trail at top speed yelling at the top of his lungs. It was quite comical to see a 6'4" skinny Texan loping down the trail at top speed yelling like a mad man. It was a little infectious in fact and I tried running for a bit, without the yelling. Unfortunately, I am not 24 and it ended up making my 24 mile day that much more difficult to complete. Now for the best part of the day. We, got to the shelter today and found that it was full. No room at the inn tonight. We found a note though that said if you call and need help we will come get you, feed you, and provide a shower, laundry, and clean bed. What a deal. The note was left by the local Lutheran Church, and we thought that it would just be a room in their community center. Nope, they cam and got us and took us to their home. It was fantastic. Ron and Naomi are members of the church who have extra room in their home. So, they allowed us to come in, take a shower, and gave each of us a nice warm, dry bed to sleep in. Once we were all cleaned up they took us down to the vicar's house, and his wife, June, fixed us a wonderful home cooked dinner. Then it was back to Ron and Naomi's home for some conversation and then bed. The sent us off only after feeding us a wonderful breakfast.I can't say thank you enough to the congregation of the Lutheran Church in Burkes Garden, VA. Especially thank you to Ron and Naomi who opened their home to 3 stinky hikers and to the Vicar and his wife June who feed us and plied us with such wonderful dinner conversation. Bluegrass, Moses and I are very grateful.
Date: 2012-03-31
From: Walker Gap (Burkes Garden)

To: Helveys Mill Shelter
Miles today: 22.7
Weather: light rain

Day 43Today's hike was once again beautiful, though I did have trouble digesting all the wonderful food from last night and this morning. Today's hike once again was mostly through the woods so there weren't a lot of views to be had. We did have some good views of Burkes Garden through the trees all day but nothing clear enough to get a good picture. I decided today that when I get to Pearisburg that my body needs a 0 day. I really didn't want to take another 0 day before I got to Harper's Ferry but the reality is that I am 41 and I have been walking 22 to 25 miles a day for too many days in a row not to take a day off. We have left Sharky and Rummy behind I think but we have caught up with Zoso and Daddy-O today. We are still hiking in a big group, very spread out during the day but staying together at night.
Date: 2012-04-01
From: Helveys Mill Shelter

To: Wapiti Shelter
Miles today: 24.0
Weather: clear sky

Day 44The hiking today was mostly flat, and I've discovered that 24 miles on your feet is 24 miles on your feet regardless of the terrain, my feet still hurt at the end of the day. Today's hike was cool we picked up Mule and Turtle to our growing gaggle of hikers. I did take a side trip to Trent's Grocery today. All I had were a couple of all natural sodas but they were good. It was nice to just get off the trail in the middle of the day and take a break. I think that there are more of these opportunities coming up and I am going to make a point of taking advantage of them. Well, it is into Pearisburg in the morning early so I am off to sleep now.
Date: 2012-04-02
From: Wapiti Shelter

To: Pearisburg, VA
Miles today: 16.6
Weather: clear sky

Day 45Today's hike was a little brutal. I was tired because it rained on my tent for most of the night and it was humid and just warm enough that my sleeping bag was too hot but not warm enough to sleep outside my bag. Also, the hike started out with a 1400 foot climb that was covered in just over a mile, that's steep if you didn't know. It did however clear up a little later in the day and I was able to hike in sunshine and get dried out a little bit before descending the mountain into Pearisburg. I did have some nice views coming into town and got some nice pictures on my camera, to share later. Tonight I am staying in a hotel. Nice place compared to others I've stayed in and they have done my laundry for me (sweet). Resupply is just across the street at the Food Lion and there are mexican, chinese, and fast food near by. I am still not fully committed to a 0 day tomorrow but I am definitely leaning that way. Well, that is all for now. My next journal entries will likely come from Daleville in 5 or 6 days time. Enjoy!
Date: 2012-04-03
From: Pearisburg, VA

To: Pearisburg, VA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: few clouds

Day 46Enjoying a much needed 0 day today (that means I didn't hike; I've been told I need to define some of my terms). Some of the other guys that I've been hiking with the past few days did a 27 mile slack pack (meaning that they carried only enough food and water for the day and left everything else behind) and they invited me to go along. I was tempted but in the end decided that 27 miles with or without all my gear wasn't what my body needed so I decided to stay in Pearisburg today. I finished off my resupply, did some gear maintenance and took a nap (my first since starting the trail). I am feeling much better and will be ready for the trail tomorrow.
Date: 2012-04-04
From: Pearisburg, VA

To: Pine Swamp Shelter
Miles today: 19.3
Weather: overcast clouds

Day 47Well, the 0 day was definitely what I needed. I had decided not to take anymore 0 days because I usually felt sluggish the first day back on the trail. However, this time I took it easy on the town food and I feel good this time on the way out of town.The hiking today was actually fairly tough, lots of rocks in the trail which makes the going slower and the feet hurt more. The cool parts of the hike though made it worth it. On the way out of town I came across an old cemetery that looked like it isn¢t in use anymore and there next to the trail was the grave of Captain Pearis. Captain Pearis served in the Revolutionary war and judging by the other Pearis¢s around I would say that they founded the city. The climb out of Pearisburg was tough with 2000¢ of elevation gain. At the top of the climb though was the Rice Field Shelter and I stopped there to have lunch. The view from the top of the mountain was nice and it was a good place to take a break. After that it was a long ridge walk, fields, views, and rocks. The great part though is that more and more of the trees have leaves on them. Also, all the flowering trees are in full bloom and the trail smells great, at least when I am not down wind of myself. The shelter that I stayed in was nice tonight though. The water was near the shelter and it was very nice.
Date: 2012-04-05
From: Pine Swamp Shelter

To: Laurel Creek Shelter
Miles today: 18.5
Weather: light rain

Day 48Rain, rain, rain. I think it rained all day today, or it seemed to. It started shortly after midnight and didn¢t stop I don¢t think until I was ready to stop for the night. It was also colder than it has been in a while and it took me some time to get used to it again. There wasn¢t much to report from the trail today, just rain, so I had my head down most of the time trying to keep dry, my feet got soaked though. Couple of big climbs today and the rest was a ridge walk, so lots of rocks again. You know all the complaining I do about rocks and that others do about the ups and downs a wise man said¢¦ ¢You know idiot you are hiking the Appalachian Mountains, which part of mountains did you not understand?¢ So, enough complaining about rocks and climbs and stuff. I saw some other hikers today that I haven¢t seen in a while and that I¢ve been hiking around; Sharkey and Rummy, and Daddy-O. Other than that not much to report, no views or anything just rain today.
Date: 2012-04-06
From: Laurel Creek Shelter

To: Pickle Branch Shelter
Miles today: 22.5
Weather: clear sky

Day 49Woke up this morning and the sun was shining, so nice. I was feeling lazy so I took some extra time getting up and didn¢t get started on the trail until 8:45 or so. It was also cold enough last night that I slept comfortably rather than either freezing or sweating all night in my bag. The hiking today was fantastic. After a few miles I hiked through some pastureland, which I always enjoy. Then it was up on the ridge tops and some great views. Surprise, surprise it was rocky today, but in a good way. There were very large rocks and boulders, which made for some challenging hiking which was nice for a change. I also had to hike in my running shoes today because my boots were so wet, not something I would want to do every day. Finally it was a big climb up Brushy Mountain then back down again on the other side. While up on Brushy Mountain I came across an Audie Murphy memorial, evidently he died in a plane crash not far from the spot where the memorial is located. It was neat to see something like that in the middle of the trail. The countryside is really starting to come alive now where I am. The leaves are on most of the trees and there are flowers everywhere. Soon, I think I will be under the shade of leaves most of the time. Can¢t wait¢¦.
Date: 2012-04-08
From: Tinker Cliffs

To: Daleville, VA
Miles today: 10.5
Weather: broken clouds

Day 51So, today was a short day, which was good after hiking until 10:30 last night. Like I said, it was very cool but not something I think I will do a lot of. Today's hike was, once again, more difficult than expected. Much more technical which made things go more slowly than I was expecting. I got some nice views of a resevoir that was nearby as well as some nice views of Roanoke and Daleville from the ridge tops. The highlight had to be the sunrise and view that I woke up to on top of Tinker Cliffs. So, today is a town day. I'm staying at a very nice Howard Johnson's hotel in Daleville, VA, very hiker friendly. I have had a shower, resupplied, eaten twice (very full now), done laundry, and now have caught up my journal. All that is left is to do now is to organize my pack watch a little TV and pass out for the night. I'm not sure where the next update will come from. Either Buena Vista, VA or Waynesboro, VA. Depends on how my supplies last and how I feel on the trail. Later....
Date: 2012-04-09
From: Daleville, VA

To: Bobblets Gap Shelter
Miles today: 18.5
Weather: clear sky

Day 52I had a nice slow hike today, it was kind of nice to slow down for a day and it took me almost all day to cover the 18.5 miles that I did today. The hiking today started out with promising views highlighted with walks through pasture land. However, that didn¢t last very long. After that it was mostly walking through the woods, and in this area the leaves aren¢t out on the trees yet and there aren¢t a lot of flowers yet either. So, it was a fairly boring day from a scenery point of view. I did intersect with the Blue Ridge Parkway today, and was able to get a couple of views from the waysides on the parkway were I crossed. Other than that though I spent most of the day with my own imagination for company¢¦ I think I wrote probably the worst science fiction novel ever while walking today.
Date: 2012-04-10
From: Bobblets Gap Shelter

To: Thunder Hill Shelter
Miles today: 23.7
Weather: clear sky

Day 53Today was a tough day for me. It got cold again today for the first time in several weeks, just when I was getting used to being warm. That meant that I had to use a lot of extra energy to stay warm that I would have used otherwise. On top of that the trail today was also difficult, and the last 10 miles was a steady climb that kicked my tail fairly severely. The good thing was that there were lots of views today and the trees in this section had leaves and there were lots of flowers out, even in the cold. I also got some company today, Daddy-O caught up with me at lunch and we hiked together for the rest of the day, so I had company for my misery while on the 10 mile climb. Got some cool trail magic today in the form of free Dr Pepper while having lunch (great timing).
Date: 2012-04-11
From: Thunder Hill Shelter

To: Johns Hollow Shelter
Miles today: 16.3
Weather: overcast clouds

Day 54Cold, cold, cold. Today started cold, I didn¢t get out of my tent until after 8 this morning and had a hard time talking my self into moving any faster to get away from my warm tent. The wind blew all day and made it even colder, I will be glad when it warms up. The trail was nice today, even though it was cold. When I got to the Johns Hollow shelter it was early but since I was so tired from fighting the cold as well as hiking today I decided to call it quits for the day. It is supposed to be warmer tomorrow.