morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2006-07-12
From: War Spur Shelter

To: Sarver Hollow Shelter
Miles today: 12.2
Weather: scattered clouds

Weather - Clear and hot.I was up at 5:00 a.m. and on the trail at 6:10 a.m. Trying for a 16 mile day. The morning wasn't bad. I ran into Frond and Azaria a couple of times. But the heat came in the afternoon. We stopped and checked out an old abandoned house beside the trail. Spooky looking. It had no electricity or plumbing and looked like it might have been built in the early 1900's. Coming into Sinking Creek Valley was beautiful with the old farm houses, barns, mules, bails of hay and wild flowers in the fields. But boy it was hot, it sucked the energy right out of you. When we crossed a creek we took our shirts off and soaked them in the creek just to cool off. I had plenty of water but the heat was too much. Had to stop a couple of times coming up the mountain to cool off some. Saw a Keffer Oak that was over 300 years old. I was moving slow when I reached the shelter and knew I could not go any further, only 12.2 miles. Frond and Azaria ate their supper and were moving on, they needed to get to Coverdale by Saturday to pick up their mail drop. I have enjoyed being around them, they are very much in love and it is wonderful to see. Hope to see them up the trail. Out here you never know when you will run into someone again.Two 17-year-old boys, Sal and CT Slim, came in a little later. They were out for a section hike. CT Slim's soles on his shoes were starting to come off so I let him use some of my super glue to glue them back together.I want to mention the strange thing I saw on the ridge today as I was hiking up to the long, long, long drop down to the shelter. For about a mile it seemed like there were these huge piles of rock about 4 foot wide and 6 feet wide scattered along the ridge and they were not natural formations. They had been piled up by someone. But the question is by whom, when were they piled up but most important whey were they there. That brings up the next strange thing. There were all these entries in the shelter journal about 666 and the devil. Then I figured it out - this shelter is 666 miles from Springer Mountain, GA. The entertainment for the night was reading the shelter journals. You can find out how people in front of you are doing or how strange they are. There is even artwork in them.The last couple of nights have been warm and difficult to sleep. I have been unzipping my sleeping bag and laying it over me like a blanket.
Date: 2006-07-13
From: Sarver Hollow Shelter

To: Pickle Branch Shelter
Miles today: 15.9
Weather: overcast clouds

Weather - Cloudy, rain and more rainIt was long hike up the blue blaze trail from Sarver Hollow Shelter. The sigh says it is .25 miles but it feels like .5 miles. Oops! I turned and headed south by accident. This is only the second time I have done this since starting my hike. But luck was with me because I had not gone far before I ran into Netman headed north and he told me I was going the wrong way. He is close to my age and gets his trail name because he sets up a mosquito net in the shelters.   We hiked together to Niday Shelter where we had lunch. There was a different colored butterfly or big moth that was orange and black that I had not seen before. It kept flying and landing all around the shelter, it even landed on Netman's toe.Yes, it was the afternoon and the rains came. You can hear it coming. The thunder rumbles through these mountains. It stopped when I got to the Audie Murphy Memorial on top of the mountain. His plane crashed into this mountain and he and everyone onboard died. That is why the memorial is here. He was the most decorated hero from World War II. The rain had picked back up again as I crossed Trout Creek and continued to rain lightly until I reached Pickle Branch Shelter. By the time I cooked supper, it was getting dark so I had to eat using my headlamp to see. Getting out of wet clothes and into dry ones always feels good. The privy here is a dark and scary place with spider webs and all, I kept the door open. CT Slim and Sal are here and Netman came in right behind me. He fell on the trail and hurt his knee so he was going to hike shorter miles tomorrow. It was 9:45 p.m. before I covered up and turned off my headlamp.
Date: 2006-07-15
From: VA 311

To: Lamberts Meadow Shelter
Miles today: 10.4
Weather: broken clouds

Weather - Partly cloudy, windy and coolerGot up and washed out my water bottles and wrote in my journal. Frank came and picked me up from the motel at about 8:30 a.m. We dropped Jess and her mom off at the truck stop so they could do laundry and Frank and Dale took me back to the parking lot at VA-311. With luck, I will run into Frank again.Just a short way up the trail I met a trail maintainer named Frank. He is in his early 70's and is the father of the young man that John Spring Shelter is named after. He was a thru-hiker and died at a young age. Also met a woman hiker named DC Turtle. Got water at the spring before Catawba Mountain Shelter. There were three young guys, Bowls, Jeb and Tony, with their dogs there. They are doing a section hike. On the way up the mountain, there are these bridges that cross these real flat slanted rocks. One of the bridges was built by a Boy Scout for his Eagle Scout project. Also on the way up, I saw a box turtle, a strange lizard and a doe and a fawn.I was lucky it was clear when I reached McAfee Knob. There were three young women in their twenties out for a day hike there. Also the three young guys with their dogs showed up. Yep! An audience for the gee-haw whimsy diddle stick. Ate my lunch up there. It is one of the most beautiful views I have seen on the trail.At about 2:30 p.m., I moved on and a couple of hours later ran into Frond and Azaria coming the other way. We traded information and move on again. When I reached Tinker Cliff, I could hear a live band playing in the valley as I walked along the edge of the cliffs. Another great view. Been picking and eating blueberries and blackberries along the edge of the trail. It was 6:45 p.m. when I reached Lamberts Meadow Shelter. After getting water, a young doe came wandering thru the camp and came back two other times but I could not get a picture of her. Pulled two ticks off of me today. It is 9:00 p.m. and I am the only one at the shelter. I don't think anyone will be coming in later. The wind is blowing so it might get cooler tonight.
Date: 2006-07-16
From: Lamberts Meadow Shelter

To: US 220
Miles today: 10.4

Weather - Clear and windy but hotIt was warm last night and hard to get up and get going. I wasn't on the trail until 8:30 a.m. I had hiked this area before with my twin brother Steve but had forgotten how difficult some sections were with steep downhill and a lot of loose rocks. After about four miles, I finally saw my first bear. It was on a flat section with large trees that provided a lot of shade and no underbrush. I was moving fairly quietly when I looked up and saw the bear about 75 feet in front of me. He was coming up the hill and was almost at the trail. When he saw me he put his head up with his ears up then turned and took off down the hill. I wasn't afraid, but really, really excited that I had seen my first bear. He was a young bear about 150 to 200 lbs.Along the ridge there were several good overlooks with a couple great views of Carin Cove Reservoir. With about three miles to go, I met a day hiker coming towards me. He told me that he had seen my friend Rick Shoemaker (his trail name is Shoe) about 20 minutes before and that he was going back down the mountain to pick blackberries. At the bottom of Tinker Mountain I felt a pain in my calf and looked down to see a bee stinging me. It hurt really bad for about 30 minutes. When I reached US-220, I heard someone blowing their horn at me. It was Shoe. We loaded my gear into the back of his truck and went and checked into the Econo Lodge at Daleville. As we were taking our stuff up to the room, Azaria called and said that she and Frond were at the Catawba Grocery store on VA-311. After taking quick showers, Shoe and I drove to pick them up and then we all went to the Homeplace Restaurant in Catawba to have supper. It was the first time for Shoe, Frond and Azaria. We drove back to the Econo Lodge where I did laundry and took a quick dip in the swimming pool. It was great to see Shoe again. He has come to do some trail magic for me and my friends. He is going to slack pack us for several days. With the heat that is expected for the next few days, he is a real life saver.
Date: 2006-07-17
From: VA 652

To: US 220
Miles today: 2.1

Weather - Clear and hotWe woke up early and had a continental breakfast. Then Shoe drove Frond, Azaria and me up to VA-652 and dropped us off without our heavy packs. We hiked back to US-220 and the Econo Lodge before the weather got hot. Then Shoe drove us to Wal-Mart, the library, the bank, Outdoor Trail Outfitters and Kroger Supermarket. Having someone shuttle us around was a real treat. I don't know who enjoyed it the most, us or Shoe. Today was a rest day, but on rest days you are always busy. Back at the room I put my tarp, sleeping bag, ground cloth and pack out on the balcony of the Econo Lodge to let them dry out. Went thru my gear again to see what else I could send home. Nadine, my wife, had sent some of my regular clothes with Shoe. It was strange to wear cotton clothes again and it was nice that they were loose on me. Shoe and I went to an Italian restaurant just down the street for a salad and pizza. Back at the room I packed my gear up and Shoe and I took a short break to go jump in the swimming pool for about a half hour. That is something you don't get a chance to do very often out here.
Date: 2006-07-18
From: VA 652

To: Sharp Top Overlook, Blue Ridge Parkway
Miles today: 17.1

Weather - Clear and hotShoe took Frond, Azaria and me to VA-652 and dropped us off with just our day packs. Then he went back and checked us out of the motel. He met us several times that day with cold drinks and ice. Ice is a luxury on the trail, because you never have any. We met Shoe at Black Horse Gap on the parkway for a relaxing lunch. Knowing he was going to meet us a few miles later meant we didn't have to carry us as much water. What a relief!At Harvey's Knob Overlook on the parkway, we had a really nice break, drinking cold sodas and laying in the soft grass. Frond sat up in a tree and looked out into the valley. At Sharp Top Overlook on the parkway, Shoe picked us up and we went to Peaks of Otter Campground where we set up my tarp and all four of us put our sleeping pads and bags under it. There is no way we could have hiked the miles we hiked today in the heat without the trail magic from Shoe. Thanks Shoe! It is even very warm at night. Later that night the bugs would drive Azaria to put up their tent and Shoe to go sleep in his truck.Today was a major milestone, just before Wilson Creek Shelter I had hiked 725 miles. I have hiked 1/3 of the A.T. Now it looks like I am getting somewhere when I look at an A.T. map.
Date: 2006-07-19
From: Sharp Top Overlook, Blue Ridge Parkway

To: Cornelius Creek Shelter
Miles today: 17.6
Weather: light rain

Weather - Clear and hot, then rainAfter breaking camp, Shoe took us back to Sharp Top Overlook and dropped us off again. He hiked in and met us several times with water, cold drinks and ice. He was getting some hiking time in the mountains which I know he likes. Today was the day of the mushrooms. I saw all different colors and shapes and took some good pictures. Another really hot day to be hiking¢¦ Shoe had hiked into Cornelius Creek Shelter and left a note letting us know how to find the trail out to the parkway where he was parked. As soon as we got in his truck and were headed down the parkway back to the Peaks of Otter Campground, it started to rain. At the campground it didn't look like the rain was going to stop for a while so we drove down the mountain to the small town of Bedford and found an Italian restaurant. I got a salad, lasagna and garlic bread and everyone else got something similar. We were having a good time sitting inside eating while it was raining. Driving back up the mountain you could see the ridges that we had been hiking over. It looks awesome when you see it from a distance. I enjoyed the time I had talking to Shoe and relaxing as we went in and out of town. Frond and Azaria were in the back cab of Shoe's truck laying back and relaxing. The rain had stopped by the time we got to the campground. The rain had cooled things down a little. Frond and Azaria set up their tent, Shoe slept in the back of the truck and I slept in the front seats. I just pulled the seats forward and laid them back. For someone short it was fairly good for sleeping.
Date: 2006-07-20
From: Cornelius Creek Shelter

To: Matts Creek Shelter
Miles today: 17.7
Weather: clear sky

Weather - Partly cloudy and warmGot out of Peaks of Otter Campground an hour earlier today and Shoe dropped Frond, Azaria and me off on the parkway where we hiked back to the A.T. Slack-packing is great, you can hike so much faster. Shoe met us again several times.Saw the neat round FAA radar dome on Apple Orchard Mountain. Shoe had hiked in and met us at The Guillotine. The Guillotine is a round boulder suspended in a rock crevis and the trail runs right under it. One section was so short that I slack-packed without a day pack. It was in the section that I found out that groundhogs could climb trees. I scared it out of the brush. It climbed up a tree about five feet high that was only about 6 feet off the trail. I reached for my camera but I had left it in Shoe's truck. The groundhog looked scared so I moved on and left him alone.Shoe met us at Petites Gap where we decided to pick up our packs and fill up on water. This would allow Shoe to get home earlier that night. He had slack-packed us about 10 miles today. It was kind of sad seeing Shoe drive away. It was fun having him around and he had been like a life support system in all this heat. We will be thinking of you Shoe, you have been a great trail angel!The hike to Matts Creek Shelter was difficult because we were carrying a full backpack now. At several spots you could see the James River below. I didn't get to the shelter until 8:45 p.m. It was almost dark. It had been a long day. The good news is that Frank and Dale were there. It was good to see them again. Dale was going home tomorrow. He said his week on the AT had given him a new respect for anyone who hikes any long distance on the AT. Frank is going into Glascow to re-supply tomorrow. Hope he will be able to catch up with us in a couple of days. Frond and Azaria set up their tent near the shelter because of the bugs and Frank and Dale had their tent set up in the shelter for the same reason. I put on some bug repellent. It was another hot and muggy night but it didn't take long to go to sleep because I was so tired.
Date: 2006-07-21
From: Matts Creek Shelter

To: Punchbowl Shelter
Miles today: 12.7
Weather: scattered clouds

Weather - Hot, partly cloudy then rainFrank and Dale left the shelter first then Frond, Azaria and me. It was only a couple of miles before we reached the James River. There is a really nice foot bridge that crosses the river. It was only about three more miles to Johns Hollow Shelter and it was hot. We didn't get to the shelter until 11:30 a.m. Took a long lunch break of about three hours because it was so hot. As we started up the mountain, it started to rain, which was good because it cooled things down a little. Several thunderstorms rolled through but we just kept on hiking. While taking a break on the top of Bluff Mountain, I saw a box turtle digging a hole with her hind legs. She would scoop out some dirt with one leg then the other leg. Like a turtle, it was slow. She was digging the hole to bury her eggs.It was almost dark when I reached Punchbowl Shelter. It was just Frond, Azaria and me there. They cooked some ashcakes on some coals and shared some with me. It was good. I cooked my supper by headlamp inside the shelter because it was raining again. By the time supper was over it was time to go to sleep. The frogs down at the pond sung us to sleep.
Date: 2006-07-22
From: Punchbowl Shelter

To: Brown Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 9.5
Weather: scattered clouds

Weather - Partly cloudy, real warm, then rainWe decided to do a short day because of the heat and we didn't want to make a 3,000 foot climb in the afternoon. The trail was fairly easy when we reached Little Irish Creek. There was a neat suspension bridge over the creek. Frond and Azaria went on ahead and I stopped at a small creek at about 11:30 a.m. and at my lunch. I was getting some more water from the creek when I slipped on a rock and landed on my backside. It hurt a little and my clothes, socks and shoes were all wet. This is only the third time I have fallen as far. All wet, I hiked the last couple of miles to Brown Mountain Shelter. Got there about 3 p.m. It was good getting to the shelter early. I had a chance to hang out my clothes to let them dry. Frank showed up later that afternoon, then a southbound section hiker named Long Knife. Of course about 6:30 p.m. it started raining again. Frond built a fire and he and Azaria made some more ashcakes for everyone. I had some sharp cheese and Long Knife had some Velveeta cheese for the ash cakes. It got cooler making for a good night's sleep.
Date: 2006-07-23
From: Brown Mountain Shelter

To: Seeley-Woodworth Shelter
Miles today: 15.8
Weather: scattered clouds

Weather - Partly cloudy and a lot coolerEveryone was up early this morning because of the climb that was coming up. Frank was out first, then Frond and Azaria, then I left at 7:15 a.m. The temperature dropped last night and it was down in the 60's. This made the hiking a lot easier. The trail followed Brown Mountain Creek for a long way, maybe a mile. I got rid of some trash at a picnic area at US 60. The 3,000 ft. climb wasn't too bad and took about 3 hours. I caught up with Frond and Azaria on Cold Mountain. Cold Mountain is a bald mountain with good views. I could see it raining on the mountain beside us. Coming down Cold Mountain there were all sorts of flowers, some were over 6 feet tall. The weather continued to stay cool. At Hog Camp Gap someone had put up a couple of swings on some tree limbs. I was swinging on one of the swings when Frond and Azaria hiked in. We played on the swings for a while then hiked on. All afternoon there were limbs and leaves on the trail. It looks like a bad storm hit here a day or two ago. At the North Fork at Piney River, we stopped to get water. The trees in this area almost look spooky, some growing on top of large rocks. The only hikers at Seeley-Woodworth Shelter tonight are Frank, Frond, Azaria and me. Frank, Frond and Azaria are tenting out, I am the only one in the shelter.
Date: 2006-07-24
From: Seeley-Woodworth Shelter

To: Priest Shelter
Miles today: 8.9
Weather: scattered clouds

Weather - Cool then warmer, partly cloudyIt was a beautiful hike for most of the two miles to the Fish Hatchery Road. There were green ferns growing on both sides of the trail. I met Frond and Azaria at the road and we hiked down the blue blaze road for 1.9 miles. At the fish hatchery, we stopped to look at all the trout. The Ranger said an otter lives there and gets his fish from the hatchery. He also said the 15 or more turkey vultures sitting in a dead tree nearby wait for him to throw out 5 or 6 fish that die every day.Leaving the fish hatchery, we hiked down to the Montebello General Store and got chili, chocolate cupcakes and soda for lunch. Frond and Azaria went to the Post Office next door to pick up their food mail drop and I re-supplied with what I could find in the general store. We hung around the store relaxing, enjoying cold drinks and eating ice cream. It was around 3:30 p.m. before we started the 1.9 mile climb back to the A.T.On the A.T. we stopped and dropped our packs and climbed Spy Rock. Spy Rock is flat on top and we could see the mountains we had just climbed and the Priest Mountain that we were about to climb.It was an easy hike to Crabtree Farm Road, then the hard part came - a 600 ft. climb up the Priest to the shelter. The shelter was almost full when I got there. There was a group of four - a dad with his son who was in his late twenties, his friend about his age and the young man's future father-in-law. There was a young couple in their early twenties. With me, that made 7 in a shelter that holds 8. I hadn't been in a full shelter in a long time. Not seeing many people out here. Frond and Azaria tented down from the shelter. It was nice having someone new for us to talk to. It started to rain when it got dark, everyone headed for the shelter and their sleeping bags. It wasn't hard to go to sleep with the rain hitting the roof of the shelter.Oh! I got to talk to my wife today from the phone at the general store. She is coming to meet me in Waynesboro on Friday. It has been 3 months since I last saw her and I am real excited about seeing her.
Date: 2006-07-25
From: Priest Shelter

To: Harper's Creek Shelter
Miles today: 7.4
Weather: overcast clouds

Weather - Warm, rain then clear.Frond and Azaria were still eating breakfast when I left the shelter. We are going to meet at the next shelter. The hiking distance was short today but it would not be an easy day. Going down from the top of the Priest Mountain to the Tye River was a 3,000 ft. drop in elevation and it was steep. About 2000 ft. down, it started to rain. At the Tye River, I stopped and ate lunch under trees where I had a little protection from the rain. As I crossed the suspension bridge over the Tye River in the rain, I could see the big flat rock that I had hoped to sit on in the sun and soak my feet in the river and maybe even take a swim. But not in this rain, so I kept on moving. This time it was a 1000 ft. climb up to the Harper's Creek Shelter. About an hour up the mountain, the sun came out. If I had started out an hour later, I could have got my swim.I reached the shelter at about 2:30 p.m. This was the earliest I had ever arrived at a shelter. It felt good. I was able to hang out my clothes to let them dry out. Alpine, a thru-hiker at Neel's Gap had said, "You are either wet from rain, sweat, snow, fog, hail or sleet, so if you don't like being wet then you don't need to be on the A.T." My stuff seems like it is wet all the time. I was able to gather some firewood. When Frond and Azaria got to the shelter about 5:00 p.m., he and I went and gathered some more wood. The sun had come out when they reached the suspension bridge so they got a chance to take a swim. I was glad they did.Frond built a fire and let it die down to coals while Azaria made ash cakes. She makes the ash cakes out of wheat flour, rice flour, several other flours and spices with water. She presses the dough into flat bread then puts cheese and tuna on one half and folds it over and presses the edges. Then Frond places them directly on the ashes to cook them. He turns them over with his bear hands when they are done on each side. They shared some with me and as usual they were delicious. After supper I put some more wood on the fire and got a big fire going as it turned dark. In our sleeping bags we watched the flames, then the glow on the ceiling of the shelter. All of a sudden a couple of lightning bugs flew in and danced around awhile, then flew out. As the coals died down, we drifted off to sleep. It had been a good day in the woods and a restful and peaceful night.