morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2013-05-23
From: Sarver Hollow Shelter

To: Four Pines Hostel
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Thursday, May 23 Sarver Hollow Shelter to Four Pines Hostel   23 miles.   Weather: Hot and Humid with showers in the morning and the evening. Today was a tough day on the trail. I got a good early start, about 6:45 and the morning mile were flat but very tough footing. We then had a good climb up to the Audie Murphy memorial. This is located near the site were he died in a plane crash. Ironic how the most decorated soldier in US history died that way. We meta man there who told us the weather was going to be great for 5 days starting that afternoon. That would soon be proven wrong!After lunch by a stream we set out on the last 8 miles of the day. Boy were those miles tough. There is a saying on the trail about PUDS (pointless ups and downs). This stretch was the very definition of this. We climbed and descended thousands of feet that were not shown on the guide and all over sharp, pointy rock. It was agony. We finally reached a large rock outcrop known as The Dragon's Tooth. It was pretty amazing. We finally made it to the hostel and man, what a dump. I couldn't possibly stay inside so I pitched my tent and of course it poured. We did have a fine meal at The Home Place, an all you can eat southern cooking masterpiece. Fried Chicken, pulled pork, roast beef, mashed potatoes, cold slaw, green beans, biscuits and gravy and cherry cobbler for dessert. Yum!Well it's off to bed. Another big day tomorrow.
Date: 2013-05-24
From: Four Pines Hostel

To: Lambert Meadows Campground
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Friday, May 24 Four Pines Hostel to Big Meadows Campground   17 miles. Cumulative miles 718Weather: clearing throughout the day, cool, windy. Hi 64 Lo 39.Today was one of the most spectacular days yet on the trail. First, we climbed up to the famous McKafee Knob. This rock outcrop is probably the single most famous rock feature on the entire trail. It cantilevers out at least 20 feet and drops off about 300 feet. Everyone gets their picture taken there sitting with their feet dangling out in space. Really cool. It was extremely windy and cold but we stayed over an hour just loving the views and beauty of the place. We then hiked 5 miles to another spectacular rock formation called Tinker Cliffs. This to me was even more amazing than McKafee's Knob. The views were incredible and once again the cliffs dropped off about 600 feet. We played up there for another hour and took a other 50 or so pictures because it was so amazing. We then walked 2 more miles to our camp site, pitched our tents and ate dinner. We sat with other campers around a roaring fire and enjoyed each others company. The temperature will dip down to the high 30's tonight with a clear sky and nearly full moon. What a difference in the weather from just yesterday! Snug in my tent at the end of a perfect day on the AT.
Date: 2013-05-25
From: Lambert Meadows Campground

To: Daleville
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

Saturday , May 25 Lambert Meadow to Daleville. 10 milesWeather: sunny cool breezy. Hi 74 Lo 37Today was a beautiful day for hiking. Cool dry and breezy. We did a quick 10 into Daleville and immediately went to lunch at the aptly named 3 little pigs restaurant. I ate a large size entree after a platter of wings and topped it off with 2 desserts. It felt so good to be full. Then we did the usual laundry, shower, resupply and sundry items like tick check, cut toe nails, journal, phone calls, etc. Tonight we will go to a Mexican restaurant and to bed by 10 with a good long day planned for tomorrow.
Date: 2013-05-26
From: Daleville

To: Cove Mt. stealth site
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Sunday, May 26 Daleville to Cove Mt. stealth site 23 miles. Weather: Sunny and cool. Hi 78 Lo 58We left Daleville around 9:45 after our Howard Johnson buffet breakfast. The day was a perfect day to enjoy the AT. Brilliant sunshine, comfortable temperatures, and dry air. The miles went by fast and soon we were approaching our destination for the day, Bobblets Shelter. When we got there around 6:00 it was full and there was absolutely nowhere to camp. We had no choice but to move on. The problem with the trail thru the rest of Virginia is that there is practically nowhere to camp except at shelters. So we walked another 6 miles before we came to a campsite around 8:00. I was worried we would have to walk to the next shelter in the dark and find no where to camp there. Fortunately we got lucky and found a perfect site to set up camp along the way. As B-line said, the trail always provides! We passed two milestones today. Halfway through Virginia and one third of the way through the whole trail. It's hard to believe that we've come this far in just two months (tomorrow will be exactly two months). We have some big climbs tomorrow and its supposed to be warmer. Off to bed!
Date: 2013-05-27
From: Cove Mt. stealth site

To: Thunder Mt. Campsite
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

Monday, May 27 Cove Mountain stealth site to Thunder Mountain campsite. 23 miles Weather: Partly sunny, pleasant. Hi 80 Lo 57Day 2 in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Today I got an early start, about 6:50, and made some good early miles. By noon I had covered about 14 miles before stopping at Cornelius Shelter for lunch. There I started a 5 mile climb up Apple Orchard Mountain. The total climb was about 2700 feet. I have also cycled up this same mountain on the Blue Ridge Parkway during my bicycle trip here last year. I would have to say that the hike was tougher than the bike!We had heard bad things about the trail here because of its proximity to the Parkway. So far I have thoroughly enjoyed it and look forward to the next segment which passes through Shenandoah National Park. We passed the Thunder Mt. Shelter to hike an additional 3 miles on the day for a total of 23. This will make tomorrow a little easier at 21 miles and set us up for our next town stop In Buena Vista on Thursday.
Date: 2013-05-28
From: Thunder Mt. Campsite

To: Punchbowl Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

Tuesday, May 28 Thunder Mountain Campsite to Punchbowl Mountain Shelter 21 miles. Weather: Hot and Humid. Hi 92 Lo74Today was the first really hot day for the entire day. We have to be very careful to drink plenty of water and snack often. The climbs in the afternoon slowed us to a crawl but we still managed a 21 mile day. I think I will begin to back off the mileage on these hot days even if it means I drop back from the group. I can't see driving myself hard in this heat to make a few extra miles. After all we're not hiking straight to Maine, we're hiking a series of 3 and 4 day sections to resupply points. To push 3 of 6 extra miles just makes you tired that day and gains you nothing in terms of getting to the next town. I'd rather swim or take a nap in the hot mid day sun. I'll see how this plays out in the days to come.
Date: 2013-05-29
From: Punchbowl Mountain Shelter

To: Buena Vista, VA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

Wednesday, May 29 Punchbowl Shelter to Buena Vista VA12 miles. Cumulative miles 802.1Weather: Very hot and humid. Hi 95 Lo 76Today we really pushed out early and fast to beat the heat back to town. I covered the 12 miles in 3 hours and 15 minutes. That's about as fast as I can hike. We hiked like this to catch a 10:30 shuttle to the Blue Dog Art Cafe hiker hostel. The place is really funky and is a good hostel. The town is a sleepy spread out place right out of the 50's but served our resupply and clean up needs well. It was pretty hot walking around town in rain gear jackets while our laundry was being done but that's the way it is!We are catching an 8:30 shuttle tomorrow back to the trail after a good hiker breakfast. We have a huge steep climb to start the day and we want to get that done in the morning before the worst of the heat. We're expecting another day in the mid 90's with high humidity and lots of sunshine. Plenty of water and electrolytes are in order as are going slow and not stretching the day!
Date: 2013-05-30
From: Buena Vista, VA

To: Spy Rock
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Thursday , May 30 Buena Vista VA to Spy Rock17 miles. Weather: Hot and humid. Hi 90 Lo 68Today was one of the best days yet on the trail. We left Buena Vista after a great breakfast and shuttled back to the trail a d began hiking around 9:15. We climbed the long uphill out of town at a nice slow pace led by Srocket. Before we knew it and with seemingly little effort we reached the summit. Slow and easy became the MO of the day. As the heat gets worse we will have to practice this more and more. Next we went over Cold Mountain which has an extensive bald and fine views. We stopped there for a good long break and no one got antsy! This kept us refreshed and strong during the mid day heat. We then made the prudent call to cut a few miles and one big climb out of the day which put us all at ease. We now had a nice 8 mile walk left for the afternoon and we all knew we could make it without pushing too hard. We arrived at Spy Rock around 6:00 and were treated to a fantastic 360 degree view. Spy mountain was used by both the Union and Confederate armies to watch opposing troop movements during the Civil War. We immediately decided to cook our dinners on the summit and cowboy camp up there which means under the stars with no tent. I am lying here in my bag right now staring up at a sky full of stars in what is a truly magical night.
Date: 2013-05-31
From: Spy Rock

To: Harpers Creek Shelter
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Friday, May 31 Spy Rock to Harpers Creek Shelter. 11.5 miles. Weather: Hot and Humid. Hi 92 Lo 71A nice easy 11.5 mile day today. We woke up at sunrise on top of Spy Rock where we cowboy camped last night. It was a beautiful sight and a memorable evening. I woke up several times and just marveled at the stars and thought how fortunate I am to be hiking this trail.After a quick climb up Priest Mountain, we stopped for lunch at a beautiful overlook that looked down at the Shenendoha Valley. We then hiked down the Priest and swam in the Tye River for a good hour. It felt so good and cold in the blaring mid day sun and heat. We finished our day with a 2 .5 mile climb up to the shelter. A memorable day on the AT!
Date: 2013-06-01
From: Harpers Creek Shelter

To: Reed's Gap
Miles today: 8.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Saturday, June 1 Harpers Creek Shelter to Reed's Gap 8 miles. Weather: Hot and humid. Hi 92 Lo 76Today we left camp about 6:45 and began the day by finishing the climb we started yesterday to the top of Three Ridges Mountain. It was a 2,000 foot climb over a 3.5 mile distance. Not terribly steep but it got my attention first thing in the morning. We then flew the remaining 4.5 miles in about an hour and a half to arrive at Reeds Gap in time for trail magic. The 4 of us then hitched down to the Devil's Backbone Brewery to attend a music, beer and food festival. Thru hikers got in free so we were well represented. Nothing there was free however and I found the festival expensive and kind of ho hum. It is always fun, however, to catch up with fellow hikers at any time. s Srocket says, the best times on the trail are on the trail, not in town or spending a bunch of money someplace. I'd have had more fun at a swimming hole with some other hikers and some beer. Tomorrow we will attempt to get back to the trail a d hike the remaining 20 miles to Waynesboro for a town stop and a resupply.
Date: 2013-06-02
From: Reed's Gap

To: Paul C. Wolfe Shelter
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Sunday, June 2 Reed's Gap to Paul C. Wolfe Shelter. 16 Miles. Weather: Warm and overcast. We left the Devil's Backbone Brewery tent campsite about 7:30 and hitched a ride up to Reed's Gap and back to the trailhead about 8:00. Our original plan was to hike the 20 miles into Waynesboro but we ran into serious trail magic after 6 miles that changed things. We arrived at 10:00 and were handed a huge piece of watermellon, a cold coke, and strawberries. The trail angels then made us a fresh sausage a d egg biscuit and finished it off with home made chocolate cookies and brownies. Instead of leaving and resuming our hike, we stayed until lunch was ready an hour later. Beef kabobs with baked potatoes. Just awesome. Finally about 1:00 we thanked our hosts and hit the trail. After about 3 miles we stopped and climbed out onto Humback Rocks with their great views of the valley below. Then it was a quick 6 miles to the shelter which is spacious and well designed. We immediately went for a dip in the creek in front of the shelter and prepared a community dinner among the four of us with everything in our food bag since we are walking into town tomorrow morning.AWESOME DAY ON THE AT!!
Date: 2013-06-03
From: Paul C. Wolfe Shelter

To: Rockfish Gap
Miles today: 0.0

Monday, June 3 Paul C. Wolfe Shelter to Rockfish Gap 5 miles. Weather: Overcast with light showers in the afternoon. Today we left camp around 7:00 and walked out to Rockfish Gap by 8:30. From there we were headed to Waynesboro for the day and needed to hitch a ride. No sooner had we figured out which way to go when someone stopped and offered us a ride into town. Wow! We then got dropped off at the Post Office to pick up our resupply boxes and once again we were approached by someone asking us where we planned to stay. Turns out this guy helps run the church hostel in town. His name is Santa's Helper ( he's a former thru hiker) and he quickly gives us the lay of the town and gives us directions to a laundermat and nearby restaurant which are our next 2 stops. After thatwe hitch to the outfitter where I buy a new pair of shoes. This is always scary because you never know how they will work out until you wear them. I'll find out tomorrow. Then we spent a little time in the library were I did some journal uploading and then over to the all you can eat Chinese buffet. We then checked into the hostel and repackage our gear, did a shakedown on the pack, and went to the supermarket again and each bought a pint of Ben and Jerry's for dessert. A typical resupply stop for a thru hiker, but not your typical hiker town. Waynesboro was especially friendly and helpful for thru hikers and I will never forget it or the wonderful people there.
Date: 2013-06-04
From: Rockfish Gap

To: Black Rock Hut
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Wednesday, June 5 Black Rock Hut to High Top Hut23 miles. Weather: Mostly sunny and warm. Hi 81 Lo 56Today we broke camp and immediately finished the climb of Black Rock Mountain. I called Yolanda because I had a feeling reception would be a problem later and that turned out to be true. I told her about the beautiful early morning views and light and how much I wished she was there seeing it with me. I so miss her!Today we visited our first wayside restaurant in the park for lunch and I ate a cheeseburger, fries, and a black berry milkshake. All quite good. Also, fellow thru hiker Ursa Major and her dog Ursa Minor were slack packing today and being supported by her parents in a car full of food. We all got trail magic from the car twice. Fresh fruit, cakes, water, chips, etc. After lunch we banged out the last 13 miles and finished just after 6:00. I slept in the shelter again because the tent sites have been crappy around the shelters and the bugs don't bother me a bit. I'm lucky that way. Tomorrow we will get off the trail to visit a friend of Srocket who manages a B&B in nearby Harrisonburg VA. Should be fun! We'll also cross 900 miles tomorrow which is hard to believe. The hike is flying by and I want to slow it down a little. I'll so what happens after Harper's Ferry WV which we will get to in about a week.
Date: 2013-06-05
From: Black Rock Hut

To: South River Picnic area
Miles today: 6.5
Weather: light rain

Thursday, June 6 Hightop Hut to South River Picnic Area. 6.5 miles. Cumulative mileage 905.9Weather: Steady heavy rain, cool. We walked out of camp about 7:00 to walk the short 6.5 miles to a picnic area where we were picked up by a friend of Srocket who along with her husband operate a bed and breakfast in Harrisonburg VA. We are lucky to be missing what would have been our rainiest day on the trail yet. Tomorrow, however, is supposed to be the same. I'm not looking forward to starting the day in the pouring rain from off the trail but we need to push on. I passed the 900 mile mark today and I will be finished with Virginia in about a week. Within another week I will be crossing the Mason Dixon Line into Pennsylvania. That's hard for me to believe! I can't overstate how nice everyone Ive met has been. That is surely the best part of the trip. I can't wait for what the rest of the journey will bring!
Date: 2013-06-06
From: South River Picnic area

To: Rock Spring Shelter
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Friday, June 7 South River Picnic Area to Rock Spring Shelter 17 miles.   Weather: Rain. Hi 69 Lo 50Sometimes it just rains. It's the Appalachian Mountains and it rains a lot. You still have to hike. "No rain, no pain, no Maine." Starting in the rain from a town is particularly hard because every instinct you have says don't go. It's easier in the woods because you're wet and cold and only hiking will warm you. Today we leave from a warm cozy B&B and it will be tough. After a couple of miles it won't matter and we'll just cruise along, happy to be out and on the AT!Well the 17 miles went pretty fast. We started hiking at 11:00 and I got to the shelter at 4:45. It was just a beautiful day on the trail. The rain made everything seem super green and lush and without any long range views my focus was on the trail and the forest around me. Deer were hunkered down, birds sang between rain showers and the weather made for a pretty empty trail as far as other hikers. I'm in the shelter now listening to the rain drumming down on the metal roof. I'll sleep well tonight.
Date: 2013-06-07
From: Rock Spring Shelter

To: Pass Mountain Hut
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Saturday, June 8 Rock Spring Hut to Pass Mountain Hut15.3 miles. Weather: Sunny and warm Hi 83 Lo 66Today started overcast with a threat of showers but quickly cleared up and turned sunny and warm. A beautiful day. Our challenge today was how to turn a short 15 mile day into a full day.   We were quite successful. First we stopped at a trail side lodge with a restaurant featuring an all you can eat breakfast buffet and wound up staying there for 2 hours. Then we stopped at a shelter for a long snack break where we did our daily push ups ( I did a set of 28 which I was happy with. My high is 30). We also made several stops at overlooks and generally took our time. We arrived at the shelter at close to 6:00 so our mission of filling the day despite shorter miles was accomplished. We found what we all thought was an abandoned baby deer but it turned out that the mother was staying away in hopes of not drawing attention to the newborn. She later returned to retrieve it and even used herself as a decoy. After all that failed she finally just gathered up her baby and boldly ran off with it right in front of us. It was great drama and Mother Nature at work. Tomorrow we won't need to drag out the day as we have a 22 mile hike into a hostel.
Date: 2013-06-09
From: Pass Mountain Hut

To: Front Royal Hostel
Miles today: 22.7
Weather: broken clouds

Sunday, June 9 Pass Mountain Hut to Front Royal Hostel 22.7 miles. Weather: Overcast with strong afternoon showers. Hi 88 Lo 65 The day started early as I broke camp by 6:15, ate my breakfast of granola and powdered milk (surprisingly good), and hit the trail at 6:45. Less than 3 tents of a mile up the trail I came across a mother bear and her treed cub. The cub was tiny and the mother appeared to be teaching the cub how to follow her commands in the event of danger. After observing a few minutes, I gave them a wide berth and moved on up the trail. Not a minute later I came almost face to face with 2 deer and even was able to take a picture of one while it just stared at me. As the day went on I counted 5 bear sightings and at least 12 deer. We had an early meal break at a wayside which resulted in a 15 mile post meal break lunch. This combined with persistent and heavy afternoon showers made for long and tiring afternoon. Nevertheless I got to the hostel just after 4:15. Not bad for a 22 mile day. The hostel we are at is clean, well organized, and set up perfect for thru hikers. We got everything done except resupply which we will do in the morning then head back out to the trail.
Date: 2013-06-10
From: Front Royal Hostel

To: Dick's Dome Shelter
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Monday, June 10 Front Royal Hostel to Dick's Dome Shelter19.5 miles. Weather: Torrential showers most of the day, 3 inches of rain was predicted along with flash floods. The rain started as soon as we awoke and continued hard and heavy all day right up to dusk. It was pretty crazy at first but soon I was just going with it and hardly noticed it. In places the trail was veritable stream bed and the mud was ankle deep in many places. I just plowed through it all and actually made pretty good time. Just over 19 miles in under 9 hours. I got to the shelter which was actually a geo dome that was only rated for 4 people. We squeezed in 6 and I had one of the best nights sleep I've had yet on the trail. All in all, a pretty good day.
Date: 2013-06-11
From: Dick's Dome Shelter

To: Bear's Den Hostel
Miles today: 19.3
Weather: few clouds

Tuesday, June 11. Dick's Dome Shelter to Bear's Den Hostel19.3 miles. Weather: Sunny and warm Hi 84 Lo 68I awoke to clear skies and the pleasant sound of the stream running right in front of the shelter. It had soothed me all night long and I slept like a baby. I got out of the shelter and on the trail by 6:45 and did a quick 9 miles by 10:00 and arrived at the beginning of the famous Roller Coaster. This is section of 11 short steep hills that come in a 13 mile stretch. I no sooner got up and over the second hill when I came across an amazing trail magic setup. Hot Dogs, hamburgers, baked potatoes, cookies, chips, sodas, everything and all you can eat. I spent almost an hour there and really relaxed and talked trail with fellow hikers. I then set out to knock off 6 more of the roller coaster hills and got to the Bear's Den Hostel about 3:30. What a spectacular place! It's an old stone resort that the ATC bought and maintains as a hiker hostel and nature center. Really special. Tomorrow I get to Harpers Ferry where I will also zero, my first in almost a month. I could use a day of rest for my body, especially my feet.