morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2004-05-07
From: US220 Daleville, Va.

To: Bobblets Gap Shelter
Miles today: 18.5
Weather: few clouds

I was up at 6:30 but not exactly happy about it. Five hours sleep didn't quite do the job. Late last night I had to change rooms because the air conditioner was not working. Pez and Wolf Wind didn't bother to move but I was not about to spend the night sweating and uncomfortable. Anyway, I didn't get enough sleep and I have a big day ahead of me. As I was getting some coffee and donuts I ran into Footloose. He agreed to bring my package to the Post Office and mail it for me so I could head out early. That got me on the trail about an hour and half earlier and was a great help. What a guy! He is taking a zero today. I hope he catches back up to me as I enjoyed hiking with him and Rumbler. At about 8AM the Camera Crew, Pez, Wolf Wind, and I hit the trail. It was already getting hot. We climbed a very nicely graded trail to the Fullhardt Knob Shelter where we took a short break. We made it to the next shelter and had lunch and decided to take a long break because it was getting too hot to hike. I took a short nap and enjoyed the rest. We came across a dung beetle rolling a ball of dung across the trail. I got a few good photos of the bug and the dung. A short while after moving on we crossed the Blue Ridge Parkway for the first time. We crossed it a number of times and will continue to do so over the next few days. At one crossing we found a nice shady and grassy area. It called to us saying "take a packs off break". So we did. While sitting there I found the first tick crawling on me. I am sure there will be many more. We moved on and made it to Bobblets Gap Shelter about 6:30 and prepared a nice dinner. It is going to be a hot and buggy night. The No-see-ums are already out in force. They are swarming around my headlamp driving me even more crazy than I already am. I am going to turn out the lights and hit the sack. Goodnight,Lwop
Date: 2004-05-08
From: Bobblets Gap Shelter

To: Cornelius Creek Shelter
Miles today: 18.3
Weather: overcast clouds

We were all a lazy bunch of hikers this morning. Except for Wolf Wind who hit the trail at 6:30. The rest of us got moving about 9:00. We certainly were not going to beat the heat today. Pez and I spent most of the day hiking together and on and off we were joined by the Camera Crew. Today is their fifth aniversary and what better way to spend it than out on the AT. Well, OK, at least they were together. We had our lunch at Jennings Creek where the elevation was only 950 feet. I think that is the first time we've been below a thousand feet this whole hike. Anyway, we took off our shoes and had a nice long lunch right at the waters edge. Some children were swimming in the creek but the water was a bit too cold for this Floridian. We continued hiking and arrived at the Bryant Ridge Shelter around 4PM. This is the nicest shelter I've seen anywhere on the AT. It is three levels and has a very large overhang with a roof over the table. Really beautiful. We cooked our dinner and ate early with the hope that the temp would cool down a bit before we attempted the 2200 foot climb up Floyd Mountain. At a little past 6PM we started the long climb - all five miles of it. Half way there the Camera Crew pointed out a yellow ladyslipper right on the side of the trail. They knew I was looking for one. I got a few great photos. During the remainder of the hike I spotted a snake and was startled by a deer in the middle of the trail. I arrived at the shelter about 8:30 in the dark. I changed into dry clothes and am now ready for bed. We want to get an earlier start tomorrow. Goodnight,Lwop
Date: 2004-05-09
From: Cornelius Creek Shelter

To: US501
Miles today: 19.7

We were up and moving out on the trail as a group at 7:30. That is early for me but the plan is to put in almost 20 miles and be shuttled to the Dutch Haus B&B in Montebello. From there we are going to be shuttled a couple of days and will slack pack two days. That should get us close enough to Waynesboro to get an easy ride back to Damascus for trail days. But first we had to put in the 20 miles and we knew immediately it was going to be a hot day. We started with about a 1200 foot climb up Apple Orchard Mountain where we called to arrange the shuttle. Next we passed through the "Guillotine" and stopped for many photos. This is where the trail passes between two large rocks with a rock wedged and suspended over our head. I passed under at a quick pace - don't want to be there when the rock falls the rest of the way. During the hot part of the day we climbed over High Cock Knob. Hey, I didn't name it I just hiked over it. Anyway it was a real PUD. As a matter of fact if anyone wants to know the definition of PUD I would tell them to hike over High Cock Knob. We all resupplied with water at Marble Spring because we used all we had going over the PUD in the heat. We hiked a few miles in an area where the trail was loose pieces of slate and there was no shade from the relentless sun. The thermometers all read above 100 degrees. I stopped at the Big Cove Branch and sponged myself off with the cool water. As I stepped over the stream a heard a rather loud rattle. It is a sound you never forget once you've heard it. The sound of a good sized Timber Rattler. It coiled itself in a defensive posture and continued to rattle its warning until I left the area. I shot some great pictures first. Soon I was hiking along the James River and I knew I was almost finished for the day. But first it had to rain a little. The sun was out and I was getting soaked at the same time. After crossing the river over a beautiful bridge my hike was over for the day. The shuttle arrived shortly after I did and we were given a large bottle of cold juice. The ride to the B&B took over an hour but one view of the beautiful place and I knew it was worth the wait. I will describe it in a later entry because I am tired and will be getting up at 5:30 So goodnight, Lwop
Date: 2004-05-10
From: US501

To: US60
Miles today: 21.4

Today was supposed to be an easy day. We were a bunch of slackers. What that means is that we hiked without carring our full backpacks. We were shuttled to the trilhead by the owners of the Dutch Haus B&B and then picked up at the end of our hike and driven back. But the drive to the start of our hike was over an hour long and we had to get up at 5:30 to catch the shuttle. So much for a restfull day at the B&B. We actualy began hiking at about 8AM. We had to estimate the time it would take to hike the 22 miles so we could be picked up at the end of the hike. We underestimated the time required and arranged to be picked up at 5:30. With the climbs and the high humidity and heat, we were faced with a very hard day. The climb brought us past Fullers Rocks with a fantastic view overlooking the James River. We then climbed Bluff Mountain and visited the Ottie Cline Powell Memorial. Ottie was a 4 yr old who wandered away from school and died up on top of Bluff Mt. He had walked over seven miles and climbed a long way to the top of the mountain. This was in the 1800's. Thru hikers have been placing trinkets and coins around the memorial to honor the little hiker who died on that spot. The rest of the day we had to pick up the pace and make some time. I can hike fast but I was hard pressed to do so with the unusually warm and humid weather. I arrived at the shuttle location at exactly 5:30 but it wasn't much fun. Tomorrow we will leave ourselves more time to smell the roses. The local country store stayed open a half hour past closing time because they knew we were coming in late. We were able to get some snacks for tomorrow and some cold drinks. I ran into Dragon Slayer there - hadn't seen her since Erwin. And when I got back to the B&B Kinlock was there. It is nice to run into the people you started with on the trail. Both look great and are doing well. Goodnight,Lwop
Date: 2004-05-11
From: US60

To: Fish Hatchery Rd. (Montabello, Va.)
Miles today: 16.3

We had a very relaxing hike today. With no backpacks 16 miles is a breeze. The hike took us over some beautiful grassy balds. Balds are a nice place to hang out and relax and we took a number of restfull breaks. We ran into Dave & Miranda - a hiking couple from Maine - and spent some time chatting with them. I was able to make some phone calls to arrange a ride down to Damascus for trail days for me and Pez and I tried to set up one for Dave, Miranda, and Happy Feet. They will arrive at Rusty's today and are looking to get to trail days too. I will be hiking some tomorrow and then will be taking some time off to join in the festivities in one of the best trail towns on the AT. After the miles I have logged in this past week I can use a break.Anyway, back to today's hike...Today we only had one real climb and then a series of less than 500 foot climbs. It was cloudy most of the day and a little cooler than it had been.At Hog Camp Gap we hiked a long way to resupply with water - the guidebook said "spring to right". It should warn you that it is a long long way to the right. The area was very pretty and would be a great place to camp. There was even a swing hanging from a tree. And yes, I did take the time to play on it. Shortly after we arrived at the North Forks of Piney River where I camped in '02. I got some neat photos of a tree which grew on top of a large rock. With thunder rumbling in the distance I moved on quickly toward the next shelter. I ran into Cooker Hiker who is a section hiker and friend of Nortern Harrier. He was out doing some hiking and provded me with some trail magic - baked goods and a cool drink. We chatted for a bit and arrived at the shelter just as the rain started. The storm just brushed us so we all continued the last two miles - I was able to call for the shuttle to pick us up and we headed back to the B&B. I must say that my stay here has been very nice and I highly recommend the Dutch Haus if you are ever in this area. The owners are fantastic and the place is beautiful. But my stay is about over and it will soon be time to head back to the woods and bugs. I enjoy that too...I can sleep a little later tomorrow and am ready for a good nights rest. Goodnight, Lwop
Date: 2004-05-12
From: Fish Hatchery Rd. (Montabello, Va.)

To: VA56 Tye River Hostel
Miles today: 9.5
Weather: few clouds

Not much need to get an early start today so we got a chance to sleep a little later. Pez and I are hiking to the Tye River and we will be picked up there by 30-30. It has been a nice stay at the Dutch Haus and even though we did not leave ourselves much time to relax there, I feel the stay did me some good. I am working hard to keep my body nourished properly so I don't lose too much weight. And with the great food at the B&B that was an easy task. We caught the shuttle about 9:30 and had an ice cream swandwich on the ride to the trail. After a short climb we arrived at Spy Rock and admired the 360 degree view and hung out there for about an hour. We continued climbing the Priest with a lunch break at the Priest Shelter. The weather has continued to be nice and I couldn't help but think about last years thru-hikers who had over twenty days of rain during the month of May. The nice weather means nice views and they are a nice reward for the efforts involved. I have been getting great photos of all kinds of wildflowers and plants. There also seems to be an abundance of poison ivy and stinging nettles. For some reason I haven't been bothered by either but there is plenty of time left.After reaching the summit of the Priest we began the four and a half mile downhill to the Tye River. The AT passes over a long suspension bridge which is fun to hike over. It sways and wobbles as you hike over it. On the north side Pez and I took off our boots and dipped our feet in the river. We took a little snooze laying on the rocks with our feet in the cold water. Hey, every minute of the hike can't be hard work... Next we headed back over the river and cooked up our chilli dogs. We had chilled our Pepsi's in the river and enjoyed them with our dinner. 30-30 showed up early and we piled into his car for the ride to Rusty's. I will not try to describe what Rusty's Hard Time Hollow is like except to say that I had a great stay there and I will return after Trail Days. The plan for the next four days does not include any hiking on the AT. I will be taking a three day break and ejoying the festivities at the friendliest town on the AT (Damascus). Next I will be paying my dues and giving something back to the trail I've been enjoying all these months. I will be doing two days of trail maintanence with Bob Peoples Hard Core Crew. This break may include a break from writing my journal. Besides, anyone who has been reading all these ramblings can probably enjoy taking a little break too. Till next time, goodnight,Lwop
Date: 2004-05-15
To: Trail Days
Miles today: 0.0

I am now in my tent with a thunder storm raging all around me. Thunder, Lightning, RAIN, and wind. It is exciting except that I will have to pack up a wet tent in the morning. That is if it doesn't blow away first with me inside it! It is getting a little spooky in here...BOOM! CRACK! RUMBLE! The sounds are almost as loud as my stomach when I haven't eaten in two hours...The storm better pass soon so I can get out and get something to eat...I may have to recompute the cost of this hike as I can single handedly keep a grocery store in business. I no longer eat a sixteen ounce steak; I just swollow it like a pill. Yesterday I was tempted to ask "Is there anyone in this restaurant who can't finish what's on your plate?" I look out my tent and there are people milling about drinking beer and shooting the breeze. In a downpour. It takes more than rain to dampen the spirit of a thru-hiker. Anyway, here at Trail Days it has been great to be reunited with many of the other hikers I've met on this and other hikes. I ran into hikers from my '02 AT hike, the Florida Trail Big O hikes, and of course all my friends ahead of and behind me on this hike. To name a few: Captain Hook, Slips, Fits, Slim, Biscuit, 30-30, Eats, Giggles, etc. Miss Janet is here along with Crash Test Dummy who is hiking from Canada to Key West. I spent time at the Florida Trail booth talking to hikers about the Florida Trail and enjoyng the company of Swampeagle. In spite of all the fun I've been having here I am beginning to get anxious to start hiking again. At least tomorrow I will be back on the trail - probably with a pick axe. It may not be much fun working on the trail if it continues to rain. Time will tell.Goodnight and good eating,LwopP.S. The rain let up a bit so I walked into town and got myself a large (16") pizza. I didn't want to feel like a pig so I didn't eat the whole pie.
Date: 2004-05-16
To: Trail Days Hardcore Crew
Miles today: 0.0

I paid some of my dues and paid something back to the trail. I hiked in with Bob Peoples Hard Core Crew and worked for hours building a little ten or fifteen foot section of relo. It gives you an appreciation of the magnatude of maintaining and building such a trail. Over four hours of hard work to build a section of trail that takes two seconds to hike. Two seconds of a trail that will take me six months to hike. Somebody out there has put a lot of time and sweat into building this beautiful trail. They have made it possible for me to participate in this adventure and I want to thank each of them. There were perhaps eighty workers involved in todays project. We will be returning tomorrow and will continue with the relocation. I am happy to be working in this area because it is one of my least favorite sections of the trail. If I am going to complain about a section of trail, I'd better be ready to help make things better. I think everyone who wants to thru-hike should be required to do a day of trail work first. They would respect the trail more and would find a lot less to complain about. Anyway, Mr Peoples is probably going to work my butt off tomorrow so I better get some sleep. I am staying at a motel tonight because everyone got soaked and nobody wants eighty stinky, wet, and dirty hikers to hang out in their living room. And I didn't want to sleep in my wet tent. Goodnight,Lwop
Date: 2004-05-17
To: Trail Days Hardcore Crew
Miles today: 0.0

We finished the relocation of trail today and made it through the day without getting too wet. We had thunder and a short burst of rain but it didn't last long. It was fun to watch the faces of the crew members as they took turns painting the blazes in the new section of trail. They were all so proud of their accomplishment and they should be. I painted a blaze and it felt funny because it wasn't orange. It did feel good to participate in this project and we were rewarded well. We had a fantastic dinner waiting for us when we got back to Kincora. We received a Hard Core patch and hat. And Bob Peoples had arranged for someone to take us all back to the trail. For me that is about four hundred miles north of here. Pez, Ponderer, and I will be leaving here with Phil at about 6AM. That and the fact that it is after midnight means I will not be getting much sleep. I'm tired. Goodnight,Lwop
Date: 2004-05-18
From: VA56 Tye River Hostel

To: Maupin Field Shelter
Miles today: 8.8
Weather: broken clouds

The alarm went off at 5AM and I had to drag myself out of bed. I spent the night at a place refered to as the "castle" in Hampton. The owner of the 50 room plus house allowed the Hard Core Trail Crew members to stay overnight for free. I stayed in the room Dragon Slayer had vacated and had the hugh room to myself. But I only got about five hours sleep. I need to get back on the trail to get some rest. Our ride showed up shortly before 6 and we were on our way. We arrived at the Tye River and started hiking up the Three Ridges at about noon. I prefer to tackle such a climb early or late in the day when it is cool outside but there wasn't much choice. The air was heavy with moisture and we were just hoping to get over the ridge before the afternoon thunder storms that have been a daily occurrance. In spite of the fact that the AT in Virginia is mostly flat the climb from the Tye River to the top of Three Ridges involves climbing over 3000 feet. With our fresh legs we were over the mountain without much difficulty. We stopped at a rocky overlook but left after a few seconds as the lightning and thunder was making us nervous. We left the ridge at top speed heading straight in the direction of the thunder. There was no way we were going to make it the 2.6 miles to the next shelter without getting soaked. The last mile was exciting as lightning was flashing all around me and thunder was blasting the cobwebs out of my ears. I arrived at the shelter to find one soaked Pez, the Camera Crew, Bearbag Hanger, and Dave & Miranda. They indicated there was room in the shelter for me and Pez but my hope was to go on and walk off the trail the 2 1/2 miles to Rusty's Hard Time Hollow. When the storm subsided Pez, BBH, and I took off to the Hollow. I will not say much about the "Hollow" because it is really a place that has to be experienced to be appreciated. Suffice it to say that Rusty is a great friend to the hiking community and the Hollow should not be missed by any thru-hiker. Pez and I will chill out here for a day or two. After greeting Rusty we changed out of our wet gear and enjoyed a pleasant evening of conversation. A comfortable dry bunk, facilities for cooking, and great companionship made the walk well worth while. And I do need a good nights sleep. Goodnight,Lwop
Date: 2004-05-19
From: Maupin Field Shelter

To: Rusty's Hard Time Hollow
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Today is a sleep in day. After running around for the last week Pez and I decided to chill all day and hang out at Rusty's. All you future thru-hikers listen up... Make sure to stop here and spend some time. Rusty runs this place on a donations only basis. He now has a phone which he allows hikers to use during certain hours (I made the second call ever made from the Hollow). He will shuttle hikers back to the trail and to other locations. It is an interesting place to visit and is a must see. I did a few chores to try to help out a bit but pretty much relaxed all day. I even got a two hour nap this morning. We may be leaving tomorrow and head back to the trail. Or we may just hang out a while longer. The storm that passed through here this afternoon droped 2 1/2 inches of rain. I may wait here till the weather clears. During the storm we cooked up hot dogs and a big can of beans and counted our blessings that we were not hiking through the downpour. We spent a nice quiet evening sitting around and chatting. Now it is late and I'm drifting off...Goodnight, Lwop
Date: 2004-05-20
From: Maupin Field Shelter

To: Paul C. Wolfe Shelter
Miles today: 16.1
Weather: broken clouds

Got a late start out of Rusty's and didn't start walking until about 11AM. We had to walk about 1 1/2 miles on a fire road just to get back to where we left the trail. These are extra miles and don't count when tallying up the total AT miles hiked. Shortly after starting up the fire road we came upon a timber rattler. It coiled in a defensive posture and started rattling and also hissing at us. I got a few photos and we circled around and let him be. I did notice that they don't rattle as loud when they are wet. We rejoined the AT and started hiking the 16 miles to the next selter. The trail was fairly level but very rocky. After the 2 1/2 inches of rain everything was very slippery and wet. Most of the day we were hiking in thick fog with water dripping from the trees. We spotted five of the orange colored salamanders. You don't see them very often and usually only after a heavy rain. We arrived at the shelter just before 7PM and were pleased to find plenty of room for us (Pez , Happy Feet, and I were hiking together today). It will be a tough nights sleep as the no-see-ums are out in force and it is warm. My choice is to sweat in my sleeping bag or expose myself to their voracious appetite. No-see-ums are nothing more than a mouth with wings and they can drive you crazy. Well, I am going to try for some sleep now. Goodnight, Lwop
Date: 2004-05-21
From: Paul C. Wolfe Shelter

To: Rockfish Gap
Miles today: 5.0
Weather: overcast clouds

We had a very rough night last night. It was very warm and humid and the hungry bugs were out in force. I had no choice but to climb into my sleeping bag and suffer from the heat. Any part of my body left exposed was quickly attacked by no-see-ums. I awoke at 11:30 soaked with sweat. I was tempted to go set up my tent but I didn't want to wake up everyone in the shelter. So I suffered until sunrise and packed up and headed down the trail. We arrived outside Waynesboro early and called for trail angel Sherri to shuttle us into town. Once there we checked into the motel and then set off doing our chores - laundry, shopping, etc. I went to the outfitter and replaced my boots which were starting to fall apart. Not everything got accomplished but I will have more time tomorrow. Its late now so goodnight,lwop
Date: 2004-05-22
From: Rockfish Gap

To: Waynesboro
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

I took care of some business on the internet at the library and had a nice breakfast this morning. Then we headed up to Shenandoah NP and brought some cold sodas to pass out to the hikers. We even stashed a few so we can retrieve them as we hike through. Later we headed out for a good AYCE dinner. Everything is set for our hike tomorrow as soon as Pez's brother-in-law arrives. Did get to do some hiking today even though it doesn't count or get me any closer to Maine. I am hitting the sack now. Goodnight,Lwop