morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2012-05-08
From: Walnut Mountain Shelter

To: Hot Springs - Sunnybank Inn
Miles today: 13.1
Weather: light rain

I got going just before seven-thirty and made it into Hot Springs by noon in order to maximize my non-hiking time. I stayed at the Sunnybank Inn and was fortunate enough to have my own room. It's supposed to rain tomorrow so I think I'll take a zero. I signed up for dinner tonight and breakfast at the hostel tomorrow before heading to the pizza place for lunch.I resupplied at Dollar Store and Banjo was right; they kick ass for resupply. He had told me that in Gatlinburg but this was the first time I had gone to somewhere other than a grocery store. If you want a cheap resupply this is the place. If you're in the mood for something specific and don't mind spending a normal about of money, like I usually do, then a supermarket is the place to go. But in a small town without a grocery store, I'll be very happy to find a Dollar Store.The ice cream shop is closed today so I'll have to wait until tomorrow for my fix. I'll also probably hit the spa for the hot tub since I've got the time.
Date: 2012-05-09
From: Hot Springs - Sunnybank Inn

To: Hot Springs - Sunnybank Inn
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: moderate rain

I slept in until breakfast this morning. Afterwards I weighed myself and was happy to see I was back up to one hundred seventy-two pounds - Woohoo!I did laundry, had a banana split and went to the spa to spend an hour in the hot tub before returning to the hostel to finish yesterday's pizza for lunch. The hour in the hot tub was really good since it made me focus on where I was tight and to try and loosen those areas up. There was a milk shake before a burger and fries dinner at the bar. I chose to have a Cherry Coke with dinner as opposed to beer, one because I'm hiking tomorrow and two I like it better or at least crave it more.It rained most of the day and I accomplished my goal of keeping activity to a minimum so it was a good zero.
Date: 2012-05-10
From: Hot Springs - Sunnybank Inn

To: Jerry Cabin Shelter
Miles today: 26.4
Weather: scattered clouds

After not having made a wrong turn except for following another hiker off trail, I managed to take four wrong turns today. A couple occurred after leaving Hot Springs trying to follow the trail from the campsite trails and a couple in the early afternoon following dirt trails.As has become the habit, I hiked more miles than planned today. I finished dinner around 4 pm and decided to hike to the next shelter to avoid the Jesus addict(s)there. It was a religious group that seemed like a cult. The members were all young guys who had developed substance abuse problems in college and to me seemed to have replaced one addiction with another. Every third word out of one guy's mouth was God while another looked at me, the non-believer who said nothing, suspiciously. The profile to the net shelter looked flat after miles twenty for the day so I departed. Ha! Once I got to the ridge line, it was a series of ups and downs over rocky terrain with a bad weather trail option.At day's end I had hiked my first marathon. The guys from Davenport shelter I at the shelter tonight so I expect I'll see some more familar faces in the coming days following my zero. Cheers to Fozzy Bear, who I met at Sunnybank Inn for turning me on to Cherry Pomengranate Crystal Light. It taste much better than water and is a lot easier to find than Gatorade packets.
Date: 2012-05-11
From: Jerry Cabin Shelter

To: Big Bald
Miles today: 23.6

I had a blowout on my left shoe six miles into the day. A stick caught between a rock and the front of shoe and ripped open the toe box. I had to duct tape it three times during the day to keep the opening closed. Well, that's what I get for starting the trail with cheap New Balance trail runners.I hiked farther than I intended again today. I passed Kool and Nuggets, who were just getting up, at the first shelter of the day and tried to get them to stop for the day at the second when they arrived for lunch, but since it would have been just an eight mile day for them, they declined. Since it was still early and I knew I could latch onto them if I bonked and they caught me before the next shelter, I took off while they were eating.When I got to the top of Big Bald I spoke with a few section hikers who were camping there for the night. They told me the weather was supposed to be clear for the night so I decided to stay since the next shelter was only a mile away and I had enough water to make it to morning. When Kool and Nuggets arrived they decided to stay as well. I saw my first sunset on the trail tonight. I also tweaked my shin atop the summit but massaged it away.
Date: 2012-05-12
From: Big Bald

To: Erwin Tn
Miles today: 18.1
Weather: overcast clouds

I did a poor job staking out my tent fly last night. It flapped throughout the night and I slept poorly. However, I was awake early enough to get some great photos before, after and during the sunrise. I also saw two deer running across the bald in the morning as I hiked to the shelter for breakfast.I was hoping to get into Erwin to resupply and possibly out of town today. With the help of a Sprite from a trail magic cooler and a short Reeses Pieces break at the last shelter before town, I started my descent before a God awful pain started in my shin about five miles out from Erwin. I was hoping to walk it off but it continued to get worse. If I stopped for a few minutes it briefly got better before worsening again. At one point I threw down my poles and wondered if this would put me of the trail or end my hike since I started in late April.Eventually, I made it to Johnny's hostel but had missed the afternoon shuttle into town. I sat on the deck and massaged my shin which seemed to make it better. I asked where the nearest outfitter was and was told Johnson City after explaining I was looking for hiking shoes. Unfortunately, it's illegal to hitch in Tennessee and there were no shuttle drivers available. It was a one way shuttle to their or the local WalMart which didn't help. Finally, I decided I'd superglue the front sole back to the toe if I could find some while in town to resupply and replace them when I got to Damascus.I paid for a night's stay before I realized I could probably have hiked out after the dinner shuttle. The hostel was not my favorite place. The bathroom had no soap or toilet paper and the health report gave demerits for the bunkhouse and bathroom which coincidentally where work for stay chores. Also not mentioned was the fact that the CDC had been in town that day to investigate a noro virus outbreak, that several hikers at the hostel had been ill with symptoms last night and that bleach not soap and water was needed to kill the germs.I took the shuttle into town and was dropped off in a convenient spot near restaurants a grocery store and a Dollar General. I resupplied and got some superglue which seemed to hold my shoe together. My shin also felt better. Hopefully, it won't be a problem tomorrow.
Date: 2012-05-13
From: Erwin Tn

To: Clyde Smith Shelter
Miles today: 26.2
Weather: light rain

I got out early this morning and arrived at the first shelter for water and a snack break before anyone there had left. There was a big friendly group of hikers there but I hope I don't wind up where they stop tonight. There was a light rain falling for most of the day which didn't present a problem until I decided to press on after lunch sixteen miles into the day. Soon after the trail became slippery, my shin began to ache again and I began to limp. I should have stopped after lunch but between wanting to avoid big groups, trying to hike into Trail Days and the desire to get over the next mountain tomorrow morning before a predicted lightning storm, I pushed on and aggravated my shin.The superglue held all day but I failed at avoiding a big group as the shelter is overflowing and there are tents everywhere. However, I found a nice place to pitch mine and I still have a chance at hiking into Damascus for Trail Days if the weather is good, my shoe holds and my shin pain can be managed. Then, I can rest up and buy a good pair of trail runners.
Date: 2012-05-14
From: Clyde Smith Shelter

To: Stan Murray Shelter
Miles today: 12.6
Weather: light rain

Once again the trail was muddy and my shin bothered me all day. All day being a mere twelve miles in over six hours. So Awful! Still, I was going to push it, since next shelter was only two miles away, but thunder stopped me. I did cross Roan Mountain before the storm but in a cloud with no views. What a surprise. Another six thousand foot mountain without a view. With my extra time I changed the worn out rubber tips on my trekking poles to metal tips using the pliers on my multi-tool. Hopefully, I've done it right and don't lose one tomorrow. The superglue is still working on my shoes with no problems but I need batteries for my headlamp. I got pills for tendonitis from another hiker last night but I have yet to use them. I may also need to buy more food for five days of hiking which seems unbelievable.The downside of the high mileage since Erwin is that I was passed by a bunch of hikers who stayed at Johnny¢s the night before me and had a 24 hour virus afterwards. I hope I don¢t come down with it but I'm worried based on the high number of hikers I've passed.
Date: 2012-05-15
From: Stan Murray Shelter

To: Stan Murray Shelter
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

I shivered all night in my fifteen degree sleeping bag with my silk liner and clothes on. Not good. Sure enough, I got sick when I woke up at seven and again at ten-thirty. I warned anyone who came by that I had the noro virus but a hiker named Lionel and then Tomas & Skipper offered to get water from the creek for me. The latter pair stayed in the shelter with me and Tomas offered to refill my reserve bladder for me when he saw me limping out of the shelter. I accepted. I must have looked like a wreck. I only tried to eat dinner after they kept prodding. I could only get down half of my oatmeal before being full and when I took whatever pills they gave me to sooth my stomach it caused a reaction. I quickly left the shelter, ran around back and got sick again.Well I can say I've taken a zero in the woods now. Though not the way I would want. Tomorrow when I wake up I'm going to put on my pack and if it feels heavy, I'll begrudgingly back track three miles to the last road and hitch into town to recover. If it feels light I'll push on and attempt to make it the eleven miles to the Mountain Harbor hostel.
Date: 2012-05-16
From: Stan Murray Shelter

To: US19E-Mountain Harbor B&B
Miles today: 11.1

When I put on my pack this morning I was relieved that it felt light. I think I sweated out the virus during the night and hiking today but I can't be sure. I made it to the hostel on water and two fig newtons that I ate after ten miles. I couldn't have eaten another if I had tried as I felt full.My shin splints, or whatever they are, are back. I bought a wrap to put on them after dinner. I managed to eat half a pizza for dinner and the rest later at the hostel so I'm feeling better. I asked about a shuttle to Trail Days but it was $95. A worker from the next hostel is going the next couple of mornings but that is over twenty miles away and I can barely hike half that distance with my shin pain. But I may have a spot in a shuttle to Damascus tomorrow thanks to Eva and her group. They are staying at the hostel tonight and were the large group I met at the first shelter outside of Erwin.
Date: 2012-05-17
From: US19E-Mountain Harbor B&B

To: Trail Days-Damascus
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Breakfast at Mountain Harbor was great! I couldn't pig out but I did eat a full meal and have seconds. A thank you goes out to Tank and his mom for the ride into Trail Days. I set up my tent in the woods and was pleasantly surprised to see Medicine Man and Grizzly again. They where in the parking lot waiting for a free dinner from the church. I joined them in line and Grizzlie was happy to get part of my dinner since I don't have a full appetite. I also ditched the Gatorade bottles I was carrying when I realized I've had them since before I got sick. Afterwards, I hung out where the guys were set up until it began to rain around nine. My shins still hurt, I¢m limping noticeably and I still feel a little off from the virus but it is good to know I have a few more days to rest with people I know.
Date: 2012-05-18
From: Trail Days-Damascus

To: Trail Days-Damascus
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

I spent the day hanging out and having a few beers with Camp 'merica, which is Soda, Stoves, Med Man and Grizzlie, when we weren't near the Damascus Baptist Church.The Church was amazing! They gave out free food, resupply items and services to the hikers. One local also let me use his phone to order my contact lenses. The foot wash and massage by the parishioners was nice but the free doctor visit was the best trail magic I received. It may have saved my hike. I explained how I been able to massage pains out of my foot, ankle and near the shin before but not this time. He put pressure on several points of my lower leg that didn't bother me. Finally, he said it was NOT shin splints but rather a knot in the muscle directly behind my shin. He, along with the church lady who gave me the foot massage, gave me exercises to do to keep my foot/leg/shin loose and prevent it from happening again provided I had given it enough rest, which coincidentally Trail Days would do. I resupplied at Dollar General and bought a one hundred thirty dollar pair of Salomons, my luxury item, since the cheap running shoes I've been hiking with have outlived their purposes. I'm thankful the hiker who gave me the tendinitis pills was shopping for shoes too. We both were thinking about getting a shoe size a half size larger than what we started with and that helped me make the decision to get the larger size. One of the Camp 'merica guys told me that one of the outfitters was providing free dinner in the camping parking lot so I headed there and met some more trail friends. II heard a bunch of people calling out ¢Pace!¢ and turned around to see Kool, Nuggets, Banjo & Meltdown in line for dinner. They shortened my name to Pace since I was always taking around the pace I needed to hike into Damascus. Coincidentally, I also graduated from Pace University but most people know me as Pacecar. My good deed for the day was to tell the group I was camped near, who I didn't know, about the free food in the parking lot.That night I wound up singing Karaoke with Owf, Stoves and Medicine Man and hanging with some guys I met in the SMoky Mountains around the large fire pit..
Date: 2012-05-19
From: Trail Days-Damascus

To: Trail Days-Damascus
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Today I hiked in the parade, played a little frisbee and drank with Camp 'Merica who picked up two new members, Philly and Earlybird. I scored free breakfast and lunch today, the latter from the outfitter I bought my shoes. Medicine Man cooked us bacon in his mug for dinner. I hung out by the large fire pit for a while and went to bed around six in the morning. I'm not planning on taking any zeros for a while so I figured I'd get it out of my system today.
Date: 2012-05-20
From: Trail Days-Damascus

To: US19E-Mountain Harbor B&B
Miles today: 0.0

I probably should have figured out how I was getting back to Mountain Harbor B&B today before, you know, today. As luck would have it, none of Kool, Nuggets, FWD, Cyborg, Banjo, Meltdown and 2/3rds, all of whom I¢ve hiked with in the past, had made plans either. Amazingly, we had all shuttled in from the B&B at different times on Thursday and were willing to split a $95 shuttle. It's too bad the guys I hiked Georgia with are back near Erwin. I would like them to catch up to me but its unlikely I¢ll see them again on this hike at the pace I've been going with a fifty mile head start.Four of us went for a pancake breakfast where I ran into Slash, who was part of Eva's group and let me use his phone to call for the shuttle since none of us at breakfast had reception. The shuttle didn't arrive until mid afternoon but we got back to the B&B in time for a shuttle to town for dinner. We intended to hike out of Mountain Harbor at five after hearing there would be no breakfast the following morning because the cook had a wedding to attend but gladly reconsidered and stayed when we found out she wasn¢t leaving for the wedding until Tuesday. Woohoo! I had been looking forward to the breakfast before hiking again.After dinner, I threw a football around with the guys and my shin and new shoes felt good. I also gave away a free pair of extra socks I received in Damascus to one of the hikers who had his clothes stolen in the laundromat. None of us really wanted to hurry back to Damascus, I had actually bought five days of wood to get back there, until 2/3rds came up with the idea to race back to Damascus for beer. We all liked the idea to keep our mileage up and I suggested that you give a beer to anyone ahead of you and get one from everyone behind you instead of just paying the winner to provide incentive for every place. Others contributed with rules to sign in at each shelter and to take a picture of the falls to make sure everyone was still hiking the trail as they would and not short-cutting anything for the sake of competition, to substitute another drink for beer for our non-alcohol drinking friends and to have whoever was last take a picture of the logs for accuracy.I owe a thanks to Meltdown for showing me how to properly use my tent's accessories and tie downs. Cyborg was also nice enough to point out how to use the tongue on my shoes to keep the laces clean.
Date: 2012-05-21
From: US19E-Mountain Harbor B&B

To: Laurel Fork Falls
Miles today: 25.6

The Dash to Damascus started at ten after another great breakfast at Mountain Harbor. It was interesting to see the personalities come out at the start. In particular, who is really competitive.I hung back at the beginning to break in my shoes and test my shin but had caught four of the guys at a shelter for dinner. We decided to stay at the Kincora hostel until we found out it was closed to hikers because of an event for trail maintenance volunteers.I wound up night hiking with the others until we found a suitable campsite past Laurel Falls, where the other two Dashers happened to have set up camp. So much for easing back into hiking.
Date: 2012-05-22
From: Laurel Fork Falls

To: Iron Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 23.3
Weather: light rain

I was up first and went back to take a picture of Laurel Falls. After stopping for lunch at Lake Watauga, I told 2/3rds to pass me because I was feeling slightly off. I caught FWD and used him to pace me up to the third shelter. After checking my map, determining I could hike into Damascus if I reached the next shelter and seeing the terrain looked flat per my map, I decided to proceed slowly to the Iron Mountain Shelter.At the shelter, a section hiker coming from the opposite direction told us where a local church had left a cooler full of goodies a few miles away. That gave me something else to look forward to tomorrow.While eating dinner, I realized I may be feeling sluggish because I ate the peanut butter and bagels I bought while resupplying in Erwin before I got sick at the lake today. I'll throw them out as soon as I get to town tomorrow. It is supposed to rain tonight, so I'm being lazy and staying in the shelter. The other four guys I hiked with yesterday arrived around nine so we are behind the competitive two again.
Date: 2012-05-23
From: Iron Mountain Shelter

To: Damascus VA- The Place
Miles today: 26.1
Weather: moderate rain

I hate staying shelters. There were two guys in the shelter with noisy air mattresses that could be heard every time they moved. One day I'll learn.I was happy to find the church cooler full of junk food and Dr. Peppers since I needed water. When I stopped at the next shelter for water I found it funny that the hikers there asked if I was one of the Dasher. I laughed, said yes and took my time treating the water knowing I couldn't catch the guys ahead of me unless they bonked because they hike faster than me.I caught Meltdown and the shelter ten miles from Damascus and learned I was five minutes behind 2/3rds but I needed to eat, get water and dry my feed so I chilled for a bit. Had I known I was going to get caught in a down pour after leaving the shelter, I would have skipped the steep downhill to the water source. I wound up running a good part of the last ten miles, which took two and a half hours, partly so that my phone would get soaked and die on me until I thought to stop and put it away in my clothes sack inside my pack.I saw 2/3rds in town and agreed to stay at The Place so we could all stay together. A thanks goes to Jonah for letting me throw my laundry in with his so I didn't have to wait for the next load or pay a full five dollars for it. There were other hikers clothes in there so he didn't even care about charging me anything. I showered and went to a bar to pay off my beer debt to 2/3rds when everyone else arrived. I thanked the guys that paid me off although it wasn't really necessary. The payoff was supposed to be beer from the grocery store so the guy in last was just out a six pack not a bar tab for six beers. Oh well, it was only a few bucks and we all got here in three days within hours of each other.
Date: 2012-05-24
From: Damascus VA- The Place

To: Lost Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 15.8
Weather: light rain

I got a late start waiting on the other guys today. But that meant town food, a pancake breakfast and Subway for lunch, before leaving in the early afternoon. Unfortunately the other Dashers decided they wanted to hike the Creeper Trail and I want to be a purist so I¢m ahead of them.At the shelter, I started planning my first mail drop for Pearisburg. I'll need my next set of maps and contact lenses. I'll also see what winter stuff I can mail home with my first map set. Someone mentioned we will see wild ponies tomorrow?!
Date: 2012-05-25
From: Lost Mountain Shelter

To: Big Wilson Creek
Miles today: 17.6

Evidently I was yelling in my sleep last night per Thai Dye. Actually it was more of a loud mumble as he couldn't understand what I was saying. I think I was trying to chase a bear out of camp in my dream.There were amazing views today! And wild ponies! I pet two and had my leg licked by one. I may have taken a hundred pictures today.I should have bought Aqua Mira in Damascus when I was debating it. I ran out today but was lucky enough to get eight iodine tablets from Sicilian Gypsy¢s moral support team (her husband and daughter visiting her on trail). Thank you. Thai Dye was also gracious enough to let me use his Steripen on two liters of water if I went and filled his bottles for him at the shelter we stopped for dinner. That shelter was located at the five hundred mile mark - Woohoo! I saw saw Tank slackpacking Southbound today but missed his mom¢s trail magic. Either she hadn't arrived or it was taken by the homeless couple that was at the spot when I arrived. Thai Dye and I figured they would get to the shelter we were eating dinner at so we hiked a few more miles so we could camp for the night. Sure enough another hiker showed up later that night saying he gave them a meal at the shelter before leaving. I'm hoping to resupply in Marion on Sunday.