morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2015-05-23
From: No Business Knob Shelter, TN

To: Miss Janet's!
Miles today: 6.2

1846.3 miles to go.Most of us got up early and headed into town, fueled with thoughts of the KFC AYCE (All You Can Eat) buffet. The term "AYCE" is a magical term for hikers, and given even more adulation than a hot shower, bed with sheets, and clean laundry. As I passed Gentleman Jim on the way into Erwin, he called out "You've got chicken on your mind, don't you?"Twister and Foxfeet had hiked past the shelter yesterday and gone into town early. They both had boxes at the Post Office and with this being Memorial Day weekend they HAD to pick them up today because the Post Office wouldn't be open again until Tuesday. So, they had to make it in by noon, which they did. Ahhh, the trials and tribulations of a thru-hiker ....I caught a shuttle with Black Dynamite and Half Full, we linked up with Twister and Foxfeet at the laundromat, and we all headed to KFC. What followed over the next hour and a half is too uncivilized, too vile, too unspeakable to be recorded, but suffice it to say that I think I ate two fried chickens at KFC. Not two _pieces_ of chicken; two CHICKENS. With all the fixin's. And seconds on most. And dessert.Following the KFC massacre, none of us wanted to walk across town, or really anywhere, for that matter. We called a shuttle, which dropped me off at Miss Janet's house, and the rest of them at the Super 8. Now, Miss Janet is like royalty among AT hikers. Trail angels are people who do nice things to help out hikers, and Miss Janet is the rock star of trail angels.She has literally shaped her whole life around helping out hikers. She has a van that she will gladly pick you up and shuttle you anywhere you want to go, even hours away. Hikers are always welcome to tent in her lawn if they can't afford or don't want to stay at a hostel, and they can even crash on her couch if they're tired of sleeping outside. She dedicated her days to helping hikers, and even follows "the bubble" north as it slowly moves from Springer up to Katahdin. I stayed there for the sheer experience, and it was like staying with an extremely popular friend of the family: busy, crowded, lively, and homey, all at once.After a shower and some laundry, I got a ride out to the Erwin movie theater. The company included: Tortoise and Hair; Twister; Half Full; Foxfeet; Black Dynamite; Gadget; Patches; and Allegedly - quite the crowd. We piled in, piled on the popcorn, cokes, and candy, and put on our super-cool shades to watch Mad Max in 3D.From the theater, we made our way to Walmart to resupply, then stopped at the Mexican restaurant nearby for some welcome hot food. After that, Miss Janet gave everyone left a ride back to their homes for the evening.I closed out the evening drinking Lambrusco with Miss Janet, Honeybee, Xena, Allegedly, and Gadget, while shooting the breeze and watching UFC. Man, what a rough life.
Date: 2015-05-24
From: Miss Janet's!, Erwin TN

To: Between Indian Grave Gap & Cherry Gap TN
Miles today: 12.3

1834.0 miles to go.I spent the night in my hammock in Miss Janet's yard. There was at least one other hammock and maybe eight tents in her yard, in addition to the five or six folks who crashed in her house - she'll let any old hiker crash there, but it's nice for the hikers who are broke and can't afford even a hostel.Allegedly and I bought all the fixin's for a big breakfast last night: 3 dozen eggs, 30 sausage patties, biscuits, milk, and OJ. He kicked my hammock about 7:30, so we went inside and started making breakfast for the masses.After breakfast, I finished packing up, and hopped in the shuttle. We drove back to Uncle Johnny's while I enjoyed my customary Mt. Dew and Reese's Cups. After a little puttering around, I hit the trail around 2 pm.The hike out of Erwin was nice: a relatively gently winding trail, rising up through the foothills surrounding the town. After about nine miles, I strolled into a gap to find Twister, Black Dynamite, Foxfeet, and Half Full all taking a break from hiking - I just can't shake those guys!I left that gap a little behind them, and lucky for me, too: a lady came up to me as I was getting ready to go and handed me a nice, cold soda. On a warm day like that, after hiking almost ten miles, that cold soda was one of the sweetest treats I've had.We all ended up camping at the same spot, along with Big Sexxxy, Pumba, Dinner Roll, and a few others. I hung my hammock near the fire, and left the tarp off so I could enjoy the view of the stars.
Date: 2015-05-25
From: Between Indian Grave Gap & Cherry Gap TN

To: Clyde Mountain Shelter, TN
Miles today: 13.9

1820.1 miles to go.I packed up and left camp about 9:45, running maybe a half hour behind Half Full, Foxfeet, Twister, and Black Dynamite. The rest were still back at camp. About 30 minutes into hiking, I stopped short: there was a 2-3 foot long tail sticking out into the trail from the underbrush, and it had a rattle on it. I was only about two paces away from it, so I thought it'd be prudent to back up a few more steps. Once I had established a safer distance, I was able to see it was a five foot long diamondback rattlesnake. I wrote a note to leave in the middle of the trail, and as I did, he started moving off the trail. By the time I was done, he had moved enough that I could continue safely on the trail, after taking a few pictures of course. While I was taking pictures, he doubled back and eyeballed me intently for a minute, I guess trying to decide if either I was tasty, or if he could take me. Whatever the question in his mind, he must have decided the answer was 'no', because he eventually turned away and continued on.About an hour later, I caught up to Twister, Half Full, and Foxfeet, who had all stopped trailside and were chatting with This Guy, Tortoise, and Hair! Those three had all spent the night in Erwin, and were slackpacking this section, but going south bound. We all talked for a bit before heading on.I was alone when I made the top of Unaka Mountain. It was covered in Spruce trees, and the transition of forests was drastic, like a boundary line. I stood in a single spot and took two pictures: one facing south, the other facing north along the trail. The north-facing one is all Spruce trees; the south-facing one is maples and such.Lunch was at a beautiful little campsite today: about five trees shading a patch of green grass in a field near a natural spring. Doodlebug and Sea Bass were there when we got there, and we all chatted as we ate and relaxed a little, some of them even taking off their shoes and laying back.Rain is coming, possibly as early as tonight, but Wednesday is expected to be ugly. I'm hoping to make town tomorrow, even though it's 20+ miles, and I'm thinking about taking a zero on Wednesday to avoid the rain. However, the next week or so after that is expected to be wet, so I doubt I'll be able to avoid all of it.
Date: 2015-05-26
From: Clyde Mountain Shelter, TN

To: Overland Shelter, aka 'the barn' TN
Miles today: 15.5

1804.6 miles to go.I slept inside the shelter last night; unusual for me. I had wanted to get up early this morning and hit the trail so that I could make it the 24 miles into town this evening; but the rainstorm at 3 am told me that wasn't very likely. Sure enough, it was still raining when I woke around 6, so I rolled over to get out of the drips coming off the ceiling, and went back to sleep. Around 8 or so, the storm seemed to peter out so I got up and started getting ready for the day.There was a short warm-up mountain, and then Roan Mountain began in earnest. The top of it is the site of the old Cloudland Resort, which had the distinction of having the TN/NC state line painted down the middle of its dining room. If you purchased alcohol on the TN side and carried it across the 'border', you could be arrested in NC for possessing alcohol ... and legend has it that one NC Sheriff would tarry there, waiting for some unsuspecting sot to do just that!Coming down off of Roan Mountain, we hit Carver's Gap. I decided to hitchhike into town and resupply, since I had eaten the last of my main meals for lunch. I figured rather than push on ahead of my bubble, I could resupply and then catch them at the next shelter. I caught a ride easy enough, bought groceries, and then stopped across the street at a local joint for a delicious, good old fashioned double cheeseburger. Hitchhiking back to the trail proved a little more time consuming: I ultimately got four rides, because each time the person was only going part of the way.I got back to the trail late, a little after 7 pm, and started hiking again. The wind on Round Bald was literally pushing me around! I got to the shelter just as the last light was fading, only to find my companions already in bed so I ate dinner and crawled into bed myself (sleeping inside the shelter again).It's called Overland Shelter (aka 'the barn') because it's on the route that the "Overmountain Men" travelled on their way to defeating British forces at King's Mountain. The shelter itself is an old barn that was converted into a shelter and is much larger than most shelters; it has a large 'porch' and an entire second floor.
Date: 2015-05-29
From: Black Bear Hostel, Hampton TN

To: North of Laurel Fork Shelter, TN
Miles today: 5.2
Weather: scattered clouds

1765.5 miles to go.Today didn't really goes as I wanted it, but I will accept the day for what it was.I got up early today, about 7:30, and called the Post Office before 8 am. They had received my other package during the night, and I could pick it up at the counter now. That settled, I got my still wet clothes into the dryer (laundry room opened at 8), had breakfast, and packed my bag. At about 9:30, I was read to head into town to grab my box.With no shuttle available, I started walking. I probably got half a mile before being picked up and delivered to the Post Office, where my Paleo Meals To Go dropbox was waiting for me. I was happy to see them, too, because that beef stew is the best meal I've had on the trail! That done, I headed to a gas station to get a Mt. Dew and Reese's Cups for the trail.I did some online shopping as I savored the yumminess, ordering a few things for Damascus. I'm still trying to switch to a summer set of gear and refine (lighten) my load. I also ordered a new guitar that's almost a whole pound lighter. And, finally, I took care of some of that "other world" nonsense that just won't seem to go away. All very good, important stuff to get done ... but all very time consuming.By the time I left town, it was 3 pm. I walked for a little, hitched a ride to the turn, then walked for a little and hitched another ride most of the way (I put the hiker in hitchhiker). It was during the second hitch, while I was sitting in the back of a pickup enjoying the sun and the breeze, that I remembered I still needed to get alcohol for my stove if I wanted to have hot dinners!No problem, I'll just go to the Kincora Hostel and grab some on my way out, right? Wrong ... Bob wasn't around at first, so I killed about 20 minutes chatting with other hikers (Baltimore Jack, Gilligan, Sir Teensy, Honeybee, Doodlebug, Dapper Dan) and playing with the kittens. When I finally got to ask Bob, he was out of alcohol. So, I walked the .7 miles, passing the trail as I did so, and went to the Black Bear (cabins where I had stayed the night before) ... And got a light sprinkle of rain along the way, just for fun. I finally got my 6 ounces of denatured alcohol for my stove, repacked, and walked BACK to the trail, arriving a little after 5 pm. This is the problem with town: everything goes slower, takes longer, and is harder than it should be.I only got a few miles in before it the sun was setting, but they were pretty nice miles. You can tell we're getting out of the higher elevations, because now we often walk along good sized rivers, instead of just crossing little streams and springs up in the mountains like we were doing back in GA and NC. I love it; the sound of the rushing water is very pleasant.
Date: 2015-05-30
From: North of Laurel Fork Shelter, TN

To: Iron Mountain Shelter, TN
Miles today: 19.3
Weather: scattered clouds

1746.2 miles to go.I woke up this morning fairly early and bid farewell to Sunshine and Yahtzee. We had spent the night on top of a mountain, so the first few miles were all downhill - a nice change from the usual "good morning uphill".After a few miles, I arrived at a beach on Watauga Lake. I had thought I would hike some good miles to make up for yesterday, but the day was warm and I had already worked up a sheen of sweat from the first few miles - the perfect recipe for a midday swim!The water felt amazing: cool and refreshing, but not cold enough to make you chilly. I swam back and forth a bit, and even chased some mother geese with their goslings. Eventually I climbed out and laid in the warm sun to dry off. Bigfoot, Utah, and Nepal were all there, and we chatted for a bit.Reluctantly, I shouldered my pack and headed off again. The trail wound around the edge of the lake to the far side before turning up into the surrounding hills. As it got further and higher, the view of the lake became more and more picturesque. After a few miles, I came across four hikers who were taking a break for lunch. We started chatting, and they explained that they were section-hiking southbound, and would finish at the beach I had just come from.The more we talked, the more I liked these people - I'm sure it didn't hurt that they were giving me all of their leftover food! Thanks to their generosity, I had a delicious trail magic lunch of tortillas with pepperoni, string cheese, and tomato paste: hiker pizza. The conversation was equally satisfying; it turned out to be one of my favorite lunches on the trail thus far. They even gave me plenty of food that I could carry for later: candy bars and energy gels, we're talking the good stuff here!On the far side of the lake, the trail crossed the dam that created the lake. I stood for a moment, watching all of the boaters, tubers, jet skiers, and fishers enjoying the beautiful waters on a warm, sunny day, a little envious of their "fun in the sun" day.I made it to a shelter where I saw several other hikers who I had been leap-frogging with all day. I stopped and made a hot dinner while I decided whether to push on or not. Eventually, I decided to push on, so I set out again at about 7:30 pm.For the third time this journey, I hiked at night and had to use my headlamp. I got to the shelter a little after 11:00, expecting everyone to be asleep, but Gilligan was sitting outside at the picnic table! I looked in the shelter and saw that there was room for one more, if people hadn't spread out so much. I asked Gilligan if I could squeeze in, so he started moving his bedroll over, which woke up Jarhead. I asked him to scoot over as well, and finally I was able to lay out my quilts between them. I haphazardly ate a few of whatever was at the top of my food bag, then stretched out and promptly fell asleep.
Date: 2015-05-31
From: Iron Mountain Shelter, TN

To: Damascus VA
Miles today: 26.2

1720.0 miles to go.I woke up fairly early this morning and ate breakfast. Honeybee headed out before me, but I was the second one out of the shelter - I had visions of a hot shower and a pizza in Damascus, despite the town being 26 miles away. Sir Teensy and Gilligan were packing as I left, so I knew they wouldn't be far behind me.Almost immediately, my leg started started bothering me. It had been aching slightly last night, but not enough to affect me. I guess it's like shin splints, but only on my right leg: it hurts on the front of the leg, just above the foot/ankle, and only when I'm walking or lifting my toes. Occasionally, when I step on something like a rock or root or whatever, and I have to shift my footing to compensate, the pain really intensifies. I could understand if it was hurting the day AFTER a marathon, but it actually started bothering me the evening before ... maybe mile 436 was just the magic mile where my body said "enough of this walking all day, I need a break!"The leg bothered me all day, and at first I was hiking pretty slowly. I took some of the medications that I've been carrying in my first aid kit (a muscle relaxer, an anti-inflammatory, and a pain pill). One of them must have had an affect, because an hour later the pain had lessened and I was able to resume a more normal walking pace. I thought about slowing down, and even putting off Damascus for a day or two, but I figured I could make it into town and it'd be a lot more enjoyable to take it easy there, instead of spending hours laying in a shelter or a hammock in the middle of the woods. Also, I knew that a few days of storms were coming, and I'd much rather be relaxing in town through the storm, instead of the woods.Gilligan and Sir Teensy caught up to me about an hour down the trail, where the trail goes through the pastures of a ranch. When I walked through, there were about two dozen cows and calves in the pasture, with a family (father, mother, and child) doing their ranch chores.I got to Abingdon Shelter at about 4:30, right as it started raining. Gilligan was leaving the shelter, and he said that Sir Teensy had just headed out. I ducked inside the shelter and started making a hot dinner, and listened to the storm intensify. I held my water bottle under the runoff from the shelter roof so that I wouldn't have to go out and get water; the rain was really coming down hard. I enjoyed my nice, hot dinner in the dry shelter while the rain pounded down, and by the time I had finished and packed up, the rain had stopped. I set back out, still dry, and happy to have dodged yet another rainstorm.About three miles before Damascus, I left TN behind and crossed into VA. Three states down, eleven to go!I strolled into Damascus at about 10:00. It was a little bizarre: one minute you're walking through the woods, then you walk between two houses and you're surrounded by a town! I got to the Woodchuck Hostel, and This Guy had a hot pizza and cold Coke waiting for me (I had texted him my ETA). It was a fantastic way to finish a marathon!
Date: 2015-06-01
From: Damascus VA

To: Damascus VA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

1720.0 miles to go.This Guy had gotten us spots in the teepee at the Woodchuck Hostel, which was interesting. There were no beds in the teepee, just a rough outdoor carpet over a pea gravel bed. I didn't need much, though: just a flat spot in the ground was enough for me after all of those miles.The next morning, This Guy and I enjoyed the Woodchuck's famous "all you can eat waffles" breakfast. I had some eggs, and some OJ, and more waffles than I care to admit. I put peanut butter and honey on the last two and ate them like a sandwich.I spent most of the day trying to take care of my resupply. Chuck, who runs the Woodchuck, was kind enough to drive me around town a little since I was trying to not put a lot of miles on my tender leg. My new top quilt from Hammock Gear had arrived; I'm very stoked to be shedding another pound of gear by switching to a lighter quilt. Unfortunately, ALL of my other boxes had gotten messed up - it's a good thing I was planning on zeroing in Damascus anyways!The new guitar and cooking pot that I had ordered off of Amazon got dumped at a FedEx warehouse in Blountville, TN. It took about an hour a several phone calls to track them down and make arrangements to have them sent out to the Woodchuck Hostel the next day at no charge. My resupply box from Momza had gotten shipped to Abingdon, VA, and they would have it at the Post Office in town for pickup the next day.With that all straightened out (sort of), I did some shopping at the outfitters in town. Chuck dropped me off and I took my time perusing the Sundog. After a lot of shopping and a couple of minor purchases, I wandered across the street for lunch at the cafe. While there, I texted a shuttle that was listed in the guidebook, who said he could give me a ride. As I was eating, a guy paid his check, then turned to me and asked "you wanted the shuttle?" He was eating lunch at the same place I was!He drove me across town to the other cluster of stores, and didn't even charge me for it. I did a little more shopping, ran into many other hikers that I knew, and then walked the .3 miles back to the hostel. It's fun going to a hostel, because you tend to bump into many of the people that you have crossed trails with, and this was no exception.One of the things that I had bought in town was a new t-shirt, so I took another shower and put it on, along with a change of shorts. This Guy and I put our dirty clothes in the laundry, and then I joined a group going to the local grocery store to stock up on food (Chuck drove us there and back again for free). I stocked up on trail food (bananas, apples, avocados, tuna packets, etc), along with a few items that were definitely town food (pack of Mt Dews and Reese's Cups)...
Date: 2015-06-02
From: Damascus VA

To: Damascus VA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

1720.0 miles to goI had gotten some texts from other hikers that they were renting an entire house for two nights, and wanted us to join them. Back at the hostel, This Guy and I packed up and got ready to leave. Chuck gave us another ride to our new home away from the trail (we gave him a nice tip), and we settled in for the evening. Other hikers at the house included Big Sexxxy, Dinner Roll & Pumba, Sasquatch, Mama Long Legs, Sheldon, Jarhead, Quixote, and Braveheart .... I think that's all the hikers who stayed at the house. However, many more hikers came and hung out for the evening - word spread thru the bubble pretty quickly, and by the time dinner was done, we had quite a crowd at the house. Among us, we had three guitars, a harmonica, and an amateur singer, so we had some fun with an impromptu jam session on the front porch.In the morning, Quixote and I made breakfast for everyone: milk, orange juice, eggs, biscuits, bacon, sausage, and pancakes. The rest of the day we tried to relax and enjoy our zeros, but I did catch another ride to make the rounds and pick up all of my wayward packages. I now have my new guitar, my new pot, and my resupply box! I spent a good part of the evening sorting and repacking my bag, and getting my box of extras ready to mail home. Dinner Roll took charge of making a big, family style dinner, so all I had to do was show up, eat, and then wash some dishes afterwards - it was fantastic.Damascus must be the place on the trail where family comes and visits. I saw three hikers whose sisters had come out to either visit or even hike a little with them: Pumba, Doodlebug, and Yahtzee. Also, Twister got into Damascus and came to crash with us at the house - it was definitely a full house.