morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2008-05-18
From: Rocky Gap, 601 road

To: Campsite/spring at 4,000'
Miles today: 6.5

Note to self: Store a microfleece top and tights, hat and gloves in bottom of pack. Leave it there.   Back Story: Of all the days to take Tom with us on a hike,this one decided to produce rain, hail and winds that penetrated our various forms of rain gear very effectively.    Of course, when we started out we knew there was a 30% chance of showers, but it had stopped raining when Brenda from the Rendezvous graciously shuttled us up to the 601, Rocky Gap trail crossing. All systems were "Go".    We certainly felt prepared. We had spent hours sorting pack contents and   lightening up our loads. V8 moved her stuff into her Catalyst pack, and I put my reduced load into my Vapor Ki. I even brought a nice little rig called the Packa, a pack cover - rain parka combo that allowed me to ditch my rain jacket and pack cover. I was ready.   Off we went after three great days off the trail, happy to be hiking again and excited to have Tom along. He was back on the AT for the first time since summiting Katahdin last Sept.    First, it sprinkled. Nah, just a few drops, don't put rain gear on yet. Then the winds came. Then rain. Then hail. It wasn't really a drenching downpour, which is what lead me to being a bit cavalier with my staying dry. None of us were soaked, just really damp all over and with freezing cold hands. We walked a fast 6 miles from 1pm, stopping at Warspur shelter around 3. Not much precipitation then, so we moved on.    It was around then that I felt the build up of pressure on my shoulders. This "new" pack, only 2#, was carrying like a gorilla hanging off my shoulders. I had less weight than ever in it, probably 24 pounds, but it rode like a monster. I got cranky. I got wet. I got tired.    When we got to the spring and campsite, it had stopped raining, but had cooled down, so it was time to change into dry, warm togs. Only I really didn't have any. I did the best I could: doffed the Packa, hung it up to try to dry, pulled on my light insulated jacket, and some wind pants over my damp tights. I was saving one dry shirt for bedtime. I had to wear my damp sox and boots because I left my Crocs and brought flip flops. Big mistake. If its cold, flip flops can't be worn comfortably with sox, so boots it is. I had no extra outer layer, like a wind jacket or rain coat, so that left me with a soaked layer that would not have kept me warm.    As of right now, I want my old Mountainsmith pack back, my Crocs, my extra jacket and warm layers. Later we were treated to multiple rounds of thunder and lightening storms, starting with a doozy of a bolt and clap that just about levitated us off the sleeping mats. Suffice it to say, we did not sleep much, with a 40 degree bag, insufficient clothes and the over all stress of fitting the two of us into the tent I had been used to inhabiting solo. So, this was to be one of those times when walking the AT became a struggle, and putting up with a certain degree of misery was called for. Marcia JamrogAuntie Mame
Date: 2008-05-19
From: Campsite/spring at 4,000'

To: Symms Gap woods road site
Miles today: 17.6

Today's adventures in snapshots:* Groggily coming to at daybreak, surfacing from one of those deep, "I've been awake all night" dreams, and it's Smoky Mountains cold out, and the sleeping bag and tent are permeated with dampness.* Laboring up the Trail with the recently changed over pack, cursing the fit and the construction, wishing like heck that I hadn't gotten seduced by the lure of Ultralight. * Sitting in the sun dappled green trailside area at break, Tom against a big old fallen log, legs out, smiling and relaxing.* Expressing gratitude that the rain held off til we set up camp, and that much of the day was sunny and brisk.* A road embankment scattered with clusters of yellow lady slippers. * Eight new faces and names of NOBO's coming up the Trail, as we hiked south.* A delicate, utterly beautiful wild flower called Shooting Star.* Jan coming back from a brief reconnaisance mission, saying, "Yes, that old woods road has flat spots downhill from here." We were pretty cooked after 16 miles, and needed a campsite off the ridge top, as thunderstorms were predicted for tonight.* Being night 2, finding everything about camping with Uncle Tom, easier, even dealing with wet woods and rain in the night.* No thunder, no lightening, just rain in the night.* Knowing I only had one more day with the too small pack, ahhhhhh. Marcia JamrogAuntie Mame
Date: 2008-05-20
From: Symms Gap woods road site

To: Pearisburg, VA
Miles today: 9.0
Weather: light rain

Well, the wind was intense and the clouds that scudded by all day were as gray violet as they get, but we avoided having to deal with rain. Tom started his day boiling up some water for coffee on his little wood burning stove, one he made from one pint and one half pint paint cans. The smoke fanned out and hung in the air awhile, til the wind took it aloft. We were camped along the old woods road below the ridge, on layers of soaked oak and ash leaves. I skipped the hot drink this morning, in favor of getting on the trail faster. V8 was tinkering with her Caldera Cone a few yards up the road from us, as we could just see her in the vestibule with her cooking rig outside.    We had an 11 mile walk, which was fairly benign, with a few rocky areas to traverse, and a few slippery spots to mind.   One treat was finding friends Sunbeam, Kyonite and Sunkissed, Mike and his brother Dan at the Rice Field shelter when we stopped in for a break. Our patterns had gotten all mixed up with Trail Days and then this mini-flip going SoBo for 34 miles. We missed our friends and were afraid we might lose track of them all, when first we spied Barley and Rain's tarp in the field we passed, then found the others at the shelter. Many NoBo hikers passed by, and we look forward to meeting them when we "straighten out" and head north again, ourselves.    We got to Pearisburg around 2, and have done the usual routines of finding a room, getting food, doing wash and having supper. I have just gotten most of my food and gear packed, as tomorrow Tom takes V8 and me back heads for Roanoke and the plane home.    So, its after 10pm and I think I'll go to bed now. There's nothing like a good night's sleep, and this one looks to be particularly good. Marcia JamrogAuntie Mame
Date: 2008-05-21
From: 601 Rocky Gap

To: Sarver Hollow shelter
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

Well, the wind was intense and the clouds that scudded by all day were as gray violet as they get, but we avoided having to deal with rain. Tom started his day boiling up some water for coffee on his little wood burning stove, one he made from a qt. paint can. The smoke fanned out and hung in the air awhile, til the wind took it aloft. We were camped along the old woods road below the ridge, on layers of soaked oak and ash leaves. I skipped the hot drink this morning, in favor of getting on the trail faster. V8 was tinkering with her Caldera Cone a few yards up the road from us, as we could just see her in the vestibule with her cooking rig outside.    We had an 11 mile walk, which was fairly benign, with a few rocky areas to traverse, and a few slippery spots to mind.      One treat was finding friends Sunbeam, Kyonite and Sunkissed, Mike and his brother Dan at the Rice Field shelter when we stopped in for a break. Our patterns had goten all mixed up with Trail Days and then this mini-flip going SoBo for 34 miles. We missed our friends and were afraid we might lose track of them all, when first we spied Barley and Rain's tarp in the field we passed, then found the others at the shelter. Many NoBo hikers passed by, and we look forward to meeting them when we "straighten out" and head north again, ourselves.    We got to Pearisburg around 2, and have done the usual routines of finding a room, getting food, doing wash and having supper. I have just gotten most of my food and gear packed, as tomorrow Tom takes V8 and me to Rocky Gap and he heads for Roanoke and the plane home. So, its after 10pm and I think I'll go to bed now. There's nothing like a good night's sleep, and this one looks to be particularly good. Marcia JamrogAuntie Mame
Date: 2008-05-22
To: Uncle Tom 
Miles today: 0.0

I'm back home, resting for two days before striking out on a 38 mile three day weekend backpack with General Tso and Rangoon, who were my MEGATEX AT trail mates last year. We're doing the new Grafton Loop Trail. We'll do 8 miles on thje AT in western Maine as part of the loop.      The " 'Speedy'Sisters" are the real deal! I am still aching all over. We hiked 34 miles in a a 48 hour period, over three days, and they can move. I have hiked with the twins for all my adult life, but I never ever expected that they were transformed in the way I saw in the beautiful hills of Virginia this week of rain, sleet, lightning, and all.    I expected a leisurely train ride through those hills but got on the Express Train by mistake.    If the twins want the whole deal, all the way up to the top of big K, they can. For sure.       Nothing touches walking , sleeping, and dreaming in the forest with loving family members. I will treasure their gift to me for as long as I keep waking up on this incredible Big Trail.
Date: 2008-05-22
From: Sarver Hollow campsite

To: Pickle Branch shelter
Miles today: 16.1
Weather: few clouds

Today is Mountain Laurel blossom day. Its also rhododendron blossom day! I saw both of these outrageously pretty flowers opened fully on a few trees today. I was working my way uphill on a long climb when the laurel blossoms appeared, which was a delightful reward for my efforts. I was coming down from the area around the Audie Murphy memorial when I saw that florid deep pink rhody blossom deep in the woods. The trees that were blooming were tall and had a crown of greenery up top, with a lot of trunk showing, as if they were trying to join the canopy of taller trees, and get out of the under story.    Since we cut our hike a bit short last night, we went a little further today. I can feel it in my feet, but it was a perfect hiking day otherwise. Bright sun, cool, stiff breezes, and lots of variety in the trail. I should have carried an extra liter of water today, as there were miles between sources, and I found myself rationing it and getting very thirsty towards later afternoon. I usually carry a 20oz water and a 16 oz mix of iced tea and lemonade powder. That combo works well, if I can refill around noon or one.    I have been sneezing and coping with a runny nose today, possibly from tons of dried oak leaves in the trail coupled with a strong wind. Its also possibly a cold, but hopefully a light one. Tomorrow we are slated to do the Dragon's Tooth ascent and descent, ending with, we hope, a meal at the Home Place in Catawba. There is a chance of rain in the afternoon, so we plan to be out and on our way promptly.   The shelter is below us on a side trail, and we went down there when we arrived to fetch water and see if there were flat spots for tenting. Then we hiked back up to this piney area where we found some good spots and set up for the night. Bus Driver, Zack, Duncan and Abo Man were planning to stay there in the shelter: small, dark and musty smelling. Good company, but no thanks.An owl I do not recognize called just now, a resonant, slow, Whoo-ahhh. Not a barred, not a great horned. Maybe a great Grey?    Now a wood thrush is calling and reminding me of Maine. Comforting. Marcia JamrogAuntie Mame
Date: 2008-05-23
From: Pickle Branch shelter

To: Catawba, VA
Miles today: 12.6

Remember the blossoms I saw yesterday? Well, today there were absolute multitudes of them, as I walked the mile or so north of Lost Spectacles Gap. Rhodies in fuschia, pale pink and a kind of wine tone lit up the embankments all along the trail, deep into the woods. Incongruous but beautiful beyond description.      V8 and I were both awake by 6. I had had the unenviable experience of being let down by my air mat last night. Three times. First I just blew a bit more air into it and chalked it up to user error. The second time, I could feel a tiny jet of air escaping near the valve, so brandished my little repair kit and zapped it with a dot of "Mat Fix". This was about 2 a.m. It lasted long enough for me to fall asleep, but I bottomed out by 4, and gave up on re inflating.      I was using a 40 degree bag that Tom brought from home, and found I was just not quite warm enough. I added socks and my insulated jacket at 2, and that was an improvement.   And remember that cold/allergy issue? It is definitely a cold, and I suspended my bandana from my pack strap for quick action with the constant drips.   So, dear readers, the set-up for today was far from ideal. I noodled around getting cereal and packing up, and Jan and I surged up the shelter path to the main trail a little after 7:30 a.m.   My head was doing a sotto voce dialogue about managing an old fear of heights and tight places, knowing that Dragon's Tooth was inevitable. An old jam from childhood came back, unbidden, of being caught in a tree I had climbed, frozen with fear when it was time to jump down. I knew I wanted to deal with the rocky areas with an adult mind, so did what I could to ask the powers that be for protection and guidance. They responded in kind, allowing me a safe journey over the rough spots, for which I am most grateful.   Now it is going on 8 p.m.,as we sit in one of the gazebos on the emerald green lawns at the Home Place restuarant. Both V8 and I are pooped. We walked the long mile down to Catawba from the trailhead, after a very full hiking day with much gain and loss in elevation. Cars whizzed by as we ambled along the gravel heaped just outside the guard rail fencing.   I couldn't get off of that highway fast enough. We came by a gas station and immediately went in to get a cold Pepsi. Really, it tasted SOO good. That shored me up enough to hike the last .3 miles to dinner. Fried chicken, roast beef, all the fixings and cherry cobbler with ice cream. Mmmmmmmm! Plus, a pitcher of the best lemonade and huge glasses of ice. We had the pleasure of our waitress being a hiker herself, and she asked great questions. She had that far away look in her eye when she said, "I always wanted to do that...", s [tranmission truncated- ED]
Date: 2008-05-25
From: Lambert meadows campsite

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

Today I experienced spectacular ridge walking through such diverse and attractive woods, it defies description. The rock formations from Tinker Cliff area seemed to continue, emerging here and there along the trail, with scrub pine and mountain laurel, often in full bloom, accenting the surroundings. I expected an easy ridge walk but found, as has often been the case, that "ridge" is not synonymous with "level". The trail was carpeted with pine needles and often had a powdery piney smell to it. The sun was bright and hot, suggesting summer days ahead.   V8 and I left the campsite before 8, and one at a time, saw most of our fellow hikers pass us on their ways to Daleville. As we put it, we are slow and steady, sometimes just steady, but keeping muscle and joint health in mind, seldom fast.   Its my impression that the VA AT is quite well maintained, as it has a tended-to quality around the popular spots like McAfee's Knob, Dragon's Tooth and Tinker Cliffs. I have enjoyed the park-like feel, just as much as I have the more unrefined wilderness areas.   In the interests of utilizing our limited time in Daleville, we motored right along today, and were emerging from the AT onto a bridge over Tinker Creek, yes, Annie Dillard's Tinker Creek, by 1:30pm. We walked another half mile through the sweetest smelling flowers and bushes, until we came out on Rt 220, just a few hundred yards from the Howard Johnson Express.   I am happy to say that I am sitting on a mattress that will not deflate in an hour or so, that I have had a hot shower, an early supper with Sunkist, Kyonite, Brad and Aggie, Brown Bag and Bus Driver and of course, V8. We have sketched out the next leg, and struggled with how best to set up the one after that. I am as always, grateful to have a break in town and the grounding experience of getting clothes and kitchenware washed, gear sorted, food bought, etc. And did I mention how nice it is to sleep in sheets?!   Long distance hiking amounts to a string of 4 or 5 day hikes that happen back to back, until you are done. So, all the chaos and confusion that tends to surround departures, takes place each time I get to town. Well, maybe not ALL of it, but a good bit more than I like. Tomorrow is find a replacement for the mat day, food day, and get as much rest as possible day. And thank you SOO much for reading!    Marcia JamrogAuntie Mame
Date: 2008-05-26
From: Daleville, VA

To: Daleville, VA ( HoJo Express)
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Wow. Did we ever need a day off from hiking. Last night Jan asked me if I thought a zero would be in order, since she and I both ground to a halt once we got to Daleville yesterday. I concurred, and felt a wave of relief, knowing I could then rest up and organize my supplies.   Hikers often gravitate toward an outfitter, when there is one in town, and we met quite a few of our comrades during our visit to the Krogers and Outdoor Trails. Sunkist and Kyonite came in, with their two trusty beagles sprawled out on the cement outside. Sunbeam strolled through, and later joined us for a chai at the coffee shop next door. Zach was bundling some gear he received from home into his pack, before striking out for the trail early this morning.   I found an air mat to replace my leaky one, and a super light fleece hat to use on cool nights. With this new Exped mat, its a good feeling to know I can sleep a little warmer and softer now. Tom said he would explore how to get the insulated Big Agnes repaired. [Ed.-- I received the uninflatable mat, called Big Agnes on their 877 #, and they will replace the mat ASAP..]   I walked down to the shopping center twice today, as I forgot a few items I needed and had the time to go back.   Summer heat spilled over us from the concrete, another shift toward hot weather to come.   V8 did the math to figure out the next few days, a food resupply, and then another leg to Waynesboro. Once we knew the numbers, we went shopping. For breakfast I am going with cold cereal and some dry milk, baggied up in daily servings. Just add water. Fast, simple, tasty.   I am adding a powdered protein drink mix as an experiment for muscle recovery: thanks, Puppy! Snacks are dry cherries and pecans, cheese crackers, and a bar of some kind. PB and J for lunch. Supper is still Ramen or potatoes since they cook quickly, with cheese added.    I am brining dinner for Jan tomorrow night, since I miss entertaining, and we need a little change to liven things up. Thai noodles with chicken, fresh lime,and chopped nuts; fruit cup, and chocolate pudding. We'll see how she likes it. Marcia JamrogAuntie Mame
Date: 2008-05-27
From: Daleville, VA ( HoJo Express)

To: Wilson Creek Shelter
Miles today: 11.1
Weather: overcast clouds

12:30 pm Sitting at the Fullhardt shelter for lunch on our way out of the Daleville layover. I am covered in sweat, as is my pack back, since the humidity is high. I can tell that dealing with the sour smell of the pack is going to be a challenge. Yuck. The instant it got into the 80's and humid, bam, the odor ballooned.    We made a trip to the UPS store to mail out a few things, and toasted our departure with a latte at the nearby coffee shop. Most of the hikers we know have already left town, so its been a quiet morning. Heads down, leaning into the poles, we have been moving quickly up the trail, as quickly as our loaded packs will allow.    7:45 PM Now its after supper at Wilson Creek, I have my tent up and am settling in to read and sleep. We had a more moderate course to walk today, gentler grades coming out of Daleville, and I am ready to rest, but am not as tired as some nights. Several new faces are here tonight, Fred and Clothesline, who saved my night by showing me how to make my stove work with a new gas canister. Liberty is here with his sister, Helen, who will walk with him for 2 weeks. I look forward to seeing them again. Jan and I celebrated the 1/3 mark tonight, with Thai food, fruit salad, pita chips with humus, and a paper cup of wine. a nice change from potatoes!   Rain is predicted for tonight and tomorrow, which could mean several things. Showers that don't amount to much, to thunder and lightening and rivers of rain. I tuck everything I can into the big plastic pack liner, keep the pack inside and hope for the best. We need the rain, no question, but nobody really wants to walk in it.    I read about half an hour, another Sue Grafton, "M is for Malice", and its time to sleep. I can hear a whipoorwill in the distance, and as soon as it started up I laughed. Jan chuckled, too, remembering how loud they can get. Someone who came in late is scraping pots and cleaning up after their dinner. Otherwise its still and quiet, and about as warm a night as we have had yet.    The site is piney and somewhat open, with a pleasant array of tent spots around, and tall oaks here and there as well. All that's missing is a rushing stream to sleep by. The water here is down a steep grade about 1/4 mile, where a thin stream winds through a deep rocky creek bed. Huge piles of brown leaves are caught on embankment and boulders and fallen trees, impeding what little water there is. Nature, taking its course. Marcia JamrogAuntie Mame
Date: 2008-05-28
From: Wilson Creek Shelter

To: Cove Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 13.7
Weather: scattered clouds

This was a rainy one. I awoke at 5, restless but still half asleep. I tried to go back to sleep, but it wasn't going to happen. I heard V8 rustling around in her tent, so both of us were up earlier than usual. The air was heavy and still, and I wanted to pack up before the rain started. We were on the trail at 7.   We got in almost 2 hours before it began to sprinkle, then rain. We tucked in at Bobblets Gap shelter for lunch and coffee around 11. I brought some fresh ground java called Foglifter, some filters and milk, and made a cone from a styrofoam cup. Jan boiled water for us and we indulged in a warming cup as we sat at the shelter edge. I had to get 3 litres of water there, as our destination shelter area had none. The spring was just 30 feet away from the shelter, so an easy fill for us. Not so easy was adding 6# to our already heavy loads, but we managed to go the 6 miles to Cove Mtn successfully.   Once the rain backed off, the winds shook the trees so hard that spatter from the leaves above us soaked us for hours more. I used the Packa, first just as a rain cover, then as a jacket. Its a good concept, but my seam sealing wasn't, so I had slow leaks onto my shorts and pack lid. I'll put another layer of sealer on the other side of all the stitching when I can.      Its around 4pm, and I have set up the tent, peeled off wet clothing, gotten into dry duds, flung things in trees to dry, and had a snack. It looks like it just might clear, an unexpected treat.Marcia JamrogAuntie Mame