morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2007-05-15
From: Partnership shelter

To: Partnership shelter
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Coach and I got up early for no reason other than to get things done today. I hastily packed everything since I knew I would repack it again later after buying food. Coach and I started hiking towards Sugar Grove for breakfast. We walked almost 3/4's of the way before someone stopped and gave us ride to the Sugar Grove Diners. Breakfast was very good. We also met up with a member of the Konnarock crew who gave us a ride to Marion for food shopping. There was also an Ingles grocery store and Walmart there (photo processing). I have taken 1215 photos so far and probably a dozen or so video clips. Wow! Most of the day was spent here taking care of things until it was time to head back to the Shelter. A taxi ride from City Cab was only $8.00 from Walmart to the Mt Rogers Visitors Center. Mat© and Genesis prepared an awesome dinner of vegetables and meat using aluminum foil. Thanks fir a great ending to the day. Tenting: Coach, Handyman, Mat©, Genesis, Kimchi, Director, Glen, Mt Man, Hikernut, Flaxseed, Radar, and Usual Suspect. Wx: cool - am, windy/warm - pm
Date: 2007-05-16
From: Partnership shelter

To: Relax Inn, Atkins, VA
Miles today: 11.6
Weather: broken clouds

Hikernut was up and tending to the shelter cat Scraps. Apparently this cat hangs out here for company and food scraps. He can be pretty aggressive when you have food near him. Got up and packed everything by 0800. As always I like to get out early, especially since it may rain today.  I got on the trail in the middle of the pack today but still early enough to take advantage of the cool weather and wind. The hike into Atkins was a mad dash to beat the rain. I got to the convenience store about 5 minutes before the skies opened up and it started pouring. All I could think of are the others that were still out there getting soaked. Rooming: Coach, Handyman, Mat©, Genesis, Kimchi, Mt Man, Hikernut, Shiver. Wx: cool - am, windy/rain - pm
Date: 2007-05-17
From: Relax Inn, Atkins, VA

To: Damascus, VA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Oh man, am I tired this morning. We stayed up 'til past midnight. I was in the room with the others listening to stories by Mt Man and all. It was a good time. Coach and I went to the diner for breakfast and Kimchi came in a bit later and joined us. We had to be ready to go by 1000 when the shuttle would pick us up. I had some time to catch a short nap. The shuttle arrived at 0935 and we all got in and headed to Damascus and Trail Days. Tenting: Coach, Handyman, Mat©, Genesis, Kimchi, Mt Man, Hikernut, Shiver. Wx: cool - am, windy/rain - pm
Date: 2007-05-20
From: Atkins Shell station

To: Stealth site near creek
Miles today: 6.0

Got up early and packed up. I walked around tent city one more time while waiting for the others to get up. Today's shuttle is at 1300 but there are still some errands to run. Breakfast items and lunch for today. Coach and I were hungry for some breakfast so we started walking to town and were able to get a ride from someone going to the fire department. This is where breakfast has been served the past couple of days. We got there and breakfast was being served. How fortunate can we be. After eating we headed to the vendors since Coach wants to get a hammock to change out the tent. We stopped at the hennessey hammock area and within 20 minutes coach had his hammock. We walked around to the other vendors and picked up a couple of shirts each. On the way back to tent city we were able to catch a ride from a Gregory rep in her van. Coach and I got in and so did someone else. We got to talking and introducing each other and the other rider was Touk, AT '06. Awesome! I told her I had followed her hike with Cuppa Joe last year on Trail Journals and asked if they were still going to hike the Colorado Trail. She said no because of other last minute commitments. It was great to meet someone that I followed hiking through Trail Journals.  Coach and I got back to our area and everyone was up. Kimchi asked if she could paint my toenails red and when Torpedo saw me at Subway she let everyone know that my toenails are red. No secrets on the trail. It was funny. We caught the shuttle back to Atkins. While doing some last minute shopping at the Shell station, the twin girls, Little Bug Shoes and Scuffles, came in and started buying all the snickers. High octane calories from candy must keep them going on. I am hiking with kimchi and met up with skip, pain and suffering, buttercup, orange moon, ?, June Bug and Fire Hazard later on. tenting: Coach, Handyman, Mat©, Genesis, Kimchi. Wx: warm all day, breezy
Date: 2007-05-22
From: Chestnut Ridge shelter

To: Jenkins shelter
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Woke up to a foggy morning but that quickly disappeared. I was still feeling the effects from yesterday's long hike day. The mileage was not long but the heat and humidity just beat us down all day long. By the time I got to the first shelter I was tired. Everytime I walked I felt like I was moving in slow motion. It was probably the most difficult day so far in terms of a struggle to get to the stopping point. I spent the last 45 minutes of the day walking with my headlamp on. It is very hard to watch the trail and check for blazes on the trees.  At the first shelter I had problems with cramping in my right calf and thigh muscles. tenting: Coach, Handyman, Mat©, Genesis, Kimchi, Mt Man. Wx: warm all day, humid
Date: 2007-05-23
From: Jenkins shelter

To: Helveys Mill shelter
Miles today: 14.0
Weather: few clouds

   Today I started earlier while still cool. Kimchi was having a rough day, she spilled her water while it was boiling and also broke her spoon when eating. Hopefully the rest of her day does not follow that pattern.   Today's trails were not bad. There were a couple of surprises though. The high water trail is the main trail and was easy to just cruise until reaching the dirt road. I took my lunch break on the bridge crossing the highway, US 52 to Bland. There was a breeze but the sun was out and beating down on me. I stop at the creek before the climb to the shelter to get some water. There were also a couple of climbs not on the profile chart. The last one to this shelter was one of them. I would say it is a mile longer and 800-1000ft higher for the climb   One thing I have noticed over the couple weeks is how much the trees have leafed out and made it shadier. The down side to this too is the breezes don't get down to the trail as much. Met Iceman, Buttercup, and ? at this shelter. I decided to pitch my tent as usual.   We had to walk down a steep incline with 13 switchbacks just to get water but what are you going to do. One thing I remember about this shelter is the exposed Privy was FULL!
Date: 2007-05-24
From: Helveys Mill shelter

To: Trents Grocery
Miles today: 16.0

Saw deer, frog, new flowers, trail good and quick first 9 miles, last 5 miles was rocky and pianful on the feet. Got poison ivy, using poles to part way on trail from foliage growth, shelter water to the left as you look at the shelter. Trents grocery rocks! Camping, shower, and laundry for $6.00. The trail is beautiful as it passes through the forests now with the leaves filling out the trees. Lots of shaded areas but limited breezes.   Tailbone still sore from yesterdays spill going under the blowdown tree on the trail up to the shelter.   Tenting: Coach, Handyman, Mat©, Genesis, Kimchi, Mt Man, Buffalo Bobby, CNN. Wx: warm/hot and humid
Date: 2007-05-26
From: Doc's Knob Shelter

To: Pearisburg, VA
Miles today: 8.2
Weather: broken clouds

Got up early to get to town before the post office closes. Kimchi gave me her ID so I could get her mail drop too. I was feeling good and the miles went by quickly since I carried about a liter of water to keep the weight down. It was a hot, humid day but the views on the ridge were awesome and the cloud cover below was cool to see. Since it was so humid and I was sweating so much I needed water to stay hydrated. I stopped at the trail to the spring and decided to get water than take a chance of running out. The spring was farther than I wanted to go but I needed water. After filtering about 2 liters I drank almost 1 liter. I got back on the trail and continued on until I reached the Angel Rock side trail and the point where the trail begins its decent. I covered the decent really fast and got to the road at 1030, drenched with sweat. I started walking up the road and tried hitching but give up. I stopped at Dairy Queen for a cold shake and met Scholar sitting outside. I had read some of her journal entries from last year and it was nice to finally meet her. As we were talking a truck drove by with Mat© and Genesis in it heading to the post office too. It was about a half mile more and I got there in time to pick up Kimchi¢s and my mail drops. I also set up my tent to dry it out from last night¢s rain. I was going to send it home since my hammock was in this box. After our post office visit we stop at a Mexican food restaurant for lunch and then a Goodwill store while waiting for Coach and Kimchi. The rest of the day was spent do the normal town chores.
Date: 2007-05-27
From: Pearisburg, VA

To: Rice Field shelter
Miles today: 6.2
Weather: overcast clouds

We got out of town pretty late and the sun was already beating down on us. We cross the Senator Shumate Bridge over New River. The trail turns left and goes under the bridge up a side road before going back into the woods again. I stop under the bridge in the shade to make a couple phone calls before continuing on. It¢s already hot out and the trail meanders near the highway and the Celco Plant before going up to the ridge. Everyone is already at the shelter when I get there. I find a place to setup my hammock and then go down the blue blaze to get water. It is downhill about .3 miles. I hate these trips but sometimes you don¢t have a choice. I would rather get my 4 liters of water the night before and have it ready before starting in the morning. Everyone goes to the grassy area to enjoy the view of the valley below and watch the sunset. It is awesome! It¢s good to have a wonderful place to sit and relax at the end of the day. This is one of them. After the sun goes down we go back to the camp area and enjoy some music with Coach and his friends. What a great day! Tenting: Coach, Handyman, Mat©, Genesis, Kimchi, Skip, coach's friends. Wx: warm/hot and humid. Mild breeze
Date: 2007-05-28
From: Rice Field shelter

To: Pine Swamp Branch Shelter 
Miles today: 12.4
Weather: overcast clouds

I slept pretty good in the hammock last night. It was my first night in the hammock on the trail. I will have to work out the kinks to become more efficient at getting ready in the morning.    I was the last on out of the shelter area this morning which is very unusual since I'm usually the first. It was a nice breezy start on the exposed ridge until I got back in the forest area. I made the first mile quickly and caught up to Coach and Kimchi at the first water source. I kept going since I got my water the night before. I caught up to Skip part of the way to the next shelter. We were walking through an area where the gypsy moth caterpillars were destroying the foliage above. You can hear those little suckers munching away and feel the pooplets falling on you as you walk through the area. They are devastating to the forest. Jim had left some trail magic at the shelter for us. He left a garbage bag with beer on ice. Awesome! Thanks Jim. This shelter is damaged from a direct hit from a fallen tree. Part of the roof is caved in but the shelter is still good enough to use. It was a short easy day of hiking but it¢s still hot and humid. With everyone here it will be a good night. Tenting: Coach, Handyman, Mat©, Genesis, Kimchi, The Bag lady and kathy, blue dog, june bug and fire hazard, coach's friends. Wx: warm/hot and humid. Mild breeze
Date: 2007-05-29
From: Pine Swamp Branch shelter

To: Warspur shelter
Miles today: 12.7
Weather: scattered clouds

   I was up and ready by 0800 but hung out until coaches friends were ready to leave too. They had a shuttle pick up scheduled for 0900. It was getting close to there pick up time so I hiked down to the road, .3 miles, to wait for the shuttle so they wouldn't miss it. The Bag Lady and Kathy were at the parking area. The guys got there just as the shuttle driver was going by and stopped to back up. After they left I headed down the trail. Note: the Stoney Creek Bridge is out but you can still ford the creek because it is not that deep (in late May) and there are rocks to get you across most of the way. The hike up to Bailey Gap Shelter was a hot/humid one and I was dripping wet by the time I got to the shelter. The trail had a burned out area on the left side going up most of the way. I hiked with The Bag Lady from this shelter to the Warspur shelter. It was a slow and steady, 2mph, walk for both of us and I enjoyed her company during the walk. She is from Rochester, NY, and had worked for Xerox before starting to hike the AT. She is hiking solo at this time since the people she started with are weeks ahead now after she took some time off the trail. The foliage was in bloom today. The mountain laurels, azaleas, ferns were all blooming. Parts of the trail were so colorful it was like walking through a flower garden. We made it to the Warspur shelter and Tony Tiger and Blu dog were there already. I went to the creek and did some hiker laundry and took a bandana bath before setting up camp. June Bug and Fire Hazard are also here and June Bug had some Bisquick mix that we used to make some biscuits on a stick in the fire. It was pretty funny on how they turned out. The best way is to use thick dough on a stick about and inch in diameter. Long enough to be able to let it rest in position while it bakes over the fire. It wasn't bad at all and butter, jam, jelly, or honey would have added to the fun. The rest of the gang showed up after dinner and setup. It was an easy day of hiking for most of the day. Tomorrow should be a long day. Tenting: Coach, Handyman, Mat©, Genesis, Kimchi, Bag Lady, June bug and fire hazard, Tony Tiger. Wx: warm/hot and humid. Cooler - pm
Date: 2007-05-30
From: Warspur shelter

To: Sarver Hollow shelter
Miles today: 12.2
Weather: clear sky

   Up early to get going. I am trying to get out earlier when it is cooler in the morning. The heat and humidity seem to drain my energy level and it makes it harder to hike. I caught up to Bag Lady again this morning and decided to hike with her again. My knees were sore this morning and so was my right ankle. I was thinking about pushing to Niday Shelter but will see how I am feeling after reaching Sarver Hollow Shelter. The morning was already humid and becoming warm. By the first hour of hiking I was already sweating a lot and almost drenched. We took a short rest break on the steep uphill and June bug and fire hazard caught up to us there. This is where we saw a unique plant called the Jack in the pulpit. It is one of the insect eating plants. An insect crawls up into the pocket with the overlapping leaf and then is trapped inside. Cool! In about 10 minutes of starting up we ran into trail magic from Super Dave. Two coolers of soda and candy. Thanks Super Dave! We continued up the hill to the top and walked on the Shale trail as I call it. The trail is covered with shale rock and makes it hard to walk. The walk on the ridge was pretty level and we reached Kelly Knob and enjoyed the view. That is one reason we hike the trail. The views are awesome! We reached Laurel Creek shelter for early lunch and rest since the downhill was pretty steep. While there Flying Turtle and Spock arrived. Spock is retired Navy. We left the shelter and continued on to the water source. I checked mine and still had plenty. The trail led us to an old homestead in the forest. It was cool and makes you wonder who lived here and when. The trail also took us through some meadows with great views and many fence crossings too. Part way through the meadow walk it started to sprinkle and then rained. The Bag Lady and I were enjoying every drop as it cooled us off. We stopped at the Keffer Oak tree and just stood there in awe at how big it was. This tree is huge! On the way I started thinking of different names for what the trail looks like. Some of them are the shale trail, rocky road, cobble wobble, root route, etc. It was a steep climb to the ridge and an eerie feeling as we walked through the forest. There were many mounds of rocks piled up all over the place. We got to the trail that leads to the shelter and it looks like it goes straight down the side of the hill. It was steep and will be hell going back up in the morning. Coach and kimchi made it to the shelter by 2030 tonight. It was a rough day for all. Tenting: Coach, Mat©, Genesis, Kimchi, June bug and fire hazard, Philmont and the vortexShelter: Flying Turtle and Spock, Handyman, The Bag Lady. Wx: warm/hot and humid. Rained a little in afternoon.
Date: 2007-05-31
From: Sarver Hollow shelter

To: Pickle Branch shelter
Miles today: 16.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Up early after a night in the shelter. Last night reconfirmed why I and many of us dislike staying in shelters. The snore fest was on last night and it was roaring. I am glad I have earplugs. Hiked up hill to get back on the ridge where caught up to the bag lady. We saw Trail magic at a road crossing where Genesis and Mat© caught up to us. Went swimming in the river with the bag lady. The water felt great and refreshed us for the next few miles. We got to Niday Shelter at 1030 and a break before hiking up to the 2nd ridge. I was flying up hill and was soaked w/sweat and stopped for a breather at the top where Genesis and Mat© were sitting on a bench. Soon after arriving the skies opened up with rain, thunder and lightning. That was scary since there was nowhere else to go and surrounded by trees. After the rain stopped it was a short hike to the Audie Murphy monument. This was an awesome stop and an honor to stand in the presence of a fallen Medal of Honor recipient. The rest of the hike was cooler after the rain and the last few miles went through mt laurels along trail. We arrived at a tent area near the pickle branch shelter and setup camp for the night. At first, we had to decide to tent on AT or near shelter area. We dropped our packs up the trail and then hiked to the shelter. We saw Tony Tiger just before and near some good tent spots. Tony and I went back to get the packs while the Bag Lady went for water. After we got back we dropped the packs in the tent area and I went to the shelter to help bring the water back. The Bag Lady was cursing that she got the wrong end of the deal. I would have to agree after seeing her trying to carry about 6 liters of water. Genesis/Mat© were already in the shelter. Coach and kimchi made it to the shelter by 2100 tonight. I tried out my large rainfly over the hammock tonight - awesome. Tenting: Handyman, Bag Lady, Kimchi, Coach, June bug and Fire Hazard, Tony Tiger. Shelter: Mat©, Genesis. Wx: warm/hot and humid. Rained in afternoon. Cooler in pm
Date: 2007-06-01
From: Pickle Branch shelter

To: Home Place Restaurant, Catawba
Miles today: 12.6

I was woke up by Junebug and Fire Hazard when they were talking. They tented about 50ft from me but 5 from The Bag Lady. I decided to get up and get moving since I couldn't sleep anymore. The morning was foggy and humid. Hiking was laborious and I was soaked with sweat by 0800. The trail up to the ridge wasn't bad but was long and slow with all the rocky areas. I made it to Dragons Tooth about 1030 and was tired so I took a break until The Bag Lady caught up. It was hot and humid throughout today¢s hike so far and it just drains me. We took a long rest break and checked out the area. As we were starting down the trail we ran into a trail maintainer named Bear Seeker. We talked to him for about 15 minutes and he gave us the scoop on the up coming trail. The trail off the ridge was rocky and very steep and required sitting and hand holds to maneuver. Coach and Kimchi caught up to us at Lost Spectacle Gap and we all hiked to the road and went to the store .4 miles away. Food and drink were the reason to go. After cheeseburgers and drinks we got back on the trail and started for Catawba and the Homeplace restaurant which hikers say has the best food on the AT. The hike was difficult after a big cheeseburger and we struggled to hike at times. The heat was sapping our strength. On the last hill before getting back into the woods The Bag Lady needed to lay down in the meadow for a power nap. Low energy levels make it hard to move. After the nap we proceeded along the last ridge of the day. It was hard at this time of day to stay focused on the trail with the heat/humidity. We managed to keep going and then made it to the parking area and were given a ride by Z-man to the Homeplace restaurant. They let us in as we were and I felt a little embarrassed by not getting cleaned up more than I did. The service, food, and atmosphere were all excellent. They are even letting us camp out overnight in the gazebo. Awesome! Oh yeah, the food was excellent and lots of it too!
Date: 2007-06-02
From: Home Place Restaurant

To: Lamberts Meadow campsite
Miles today: 10.7
Weather: few clouds

   Woke up at 0530 because of a restless night. I set up my hammock rainfly as a tarp on the grass but the condensation was terrible and soaked everything by morning. I was hoping the sun would be up to dry everything off but the morning cloud cover/fog kept it from drying quickly. Sometimes getting up early and being ready pays off as it did today. The Bag Lady and I had our packs ready to go when Z-Man pulls up looking for Further. He gave us a ride to the trail and off we went. The trail to McAfee Knob is well used and cared for too. It has no real steep parts and there are two shelters along the way up and one water source. I got to McAfee Knob first and there were a couple people there already. It offers a beautiful view but today was hazy so you couldn't see very far in the distance. The Bag lady and I took pictures for each other and then we moved on to Tinker Cliffs. The trail there wasn't to bad for most of it but it did have some steep climbs. Once we got there the views were also spectacular. We spent about an hour and a half there enjoying the view and relaxing. I even took a short nap. On the way down to Scorched Earth Gap I must have scared a bear because it took off running. All I saw was a glimpse of something black and heavy as it took off. The Bag Lady said it was a bear. I think the bear smelled me first because I was upwind of it. We moved on to the shelter for a short break before stopping at Lamberts Meadow Campsite area to tent. We had this place all to ourselves. There were also some deer here that were not afraid of us. I started a fire, ate dinner, and we had marshmallows before going to bed. During the night it started to rain.