morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2015-04-12
From: Lick Creek Campsite

To: Jenkins Shelter
Miles today: 16.6
Weather: broken clouds

4/12. 16.6, Jenkins ShelterAnother beautiful spring day and a great day to hike. Bowie packed and set out about 20 minutes ahead of me and I was on trail by 8 am. We started the day with a 2500 foot climb over several miles. The trail wandered through woods and over forest service roads and eventually came out on some high meadows. At 6 miles we arrived at Chestnut Knob Shelter, an old fire wardens cabin. It was very nice and I would hike there to spend a weekend to enjoy great views, an indoor fireplace and eight bunks built to hold hikers. After a break there we hiked on to the rolling ridge. The guides we have showed a relatively flat hike,climbing and dropping a few hundred feet at a time, but we should have known better. Climbs up and down are equally difficult for different reasons. Climbing up is, well, climbing up but climbing down, which sounds easier, is often harder because of footing and the constant pounding on legs and feet. Our footing today across the ridge was very rocky, and left me with sore feet at the end of he day. We crossed the access road where Tired and I left the vehicle two days ago and came across a covered pile of mulch with a note on it. "NOBO's (north bounders) take a bag full of mulch to the privy at Jenkins Shelter. Please/Thank You" We thought it was a creative way to haul mulch so we each grabbed a bag, filled it and strapped it on for the 4 miles left to the shelter. We stopped at a stream a mile from the shelter to fill water and hiked in to Jenkins Shelter at 4:30. We were a little leg tired and had sore feet, but as we went about our chores and started talking about tomorrow, we could either hike 15 or 25 miles to a shelter. Much of the terrain in the guide looks like today, minus the large initial climb, but we have learned to not rely so much on the guide. As we (Bowie and I) were trying to decide, Lunchbox hiked in for the night. He had hiked almost thirty to here and was hiking 25 tomorrow to get ahead of a group of younger hikers. The younger hikers are nice, but they stay up late, get up late and hike really fast to get miles in. That is not the way we hike. We prefer a tortoise type approach where we start early, hike a long day, but do so at a nice steady pace. At my age it just makes sense and reduces the chance for injury. Knowing all of this, Bowie said OK we will shoot for 25. That will leave me ahead of my pace enough to hike 20 on Tuesday, and into Pearisburg on a short 11 on Wednesday for a couple big meals and Laundry. Tomorrows rain forecast is a 50% chance so that may alter plans as well. Tonight temps seem to be dropping like last night when the overnight temperature hit low 30's. I am glad to still have my winter sleeping gear, but I am also looking forward to sending the weight home soon. The benchmark for that is Pearisburg, but I will look closely at the forecast when I get there. For now I need to get to bed so I can get up early and hit the trail. Big day ahead!Good night and have a pleasant tomorrow.Silverback
Date: 2015-04-13
From: Jenkins Shelter

To: Jenny Knob Shelter
Miles today: 25.0
Weather: broken clouds

4/13, 25, Jenny Knob ShelterBest day of hiking yet and it was marvelous! We woke early this morning with the big plan to do 25 miles facing us. Bowie and I were on trail at 6:40 in 45 degree temps. We started with a 700 ft climb over Brushy Mountain then onto the ridge for a while. It was evident early that we were making good time. Trail conditions were perfect with few if any rocks or roots to catch our feet. By noon we were crossing I-77 where we decided to stop at a small stream after the crossing to eat lunch. We were making very good time and felt the 25 miles would be in hand if the trail held out. By mid-afternoon the clouds started building, but the rain forecast is for later this evening. The cloud cover was a blessing though as temps are reaching the low 70's fairly consistently. Lunchbox is headed for the same shelter but his younger legs allow him to sleep in, and hike faster. He lunched with us, then took flight. We finally caught up with him at 5, when we arrived at the shelter. He had been here since 4 but we were pretty satisfied with 25 miles in 10 1/2 hours. The trail today was perfect the entire way making this the longest section of nice trail I have covered yet. Tomorrows plan is code name "flexible" due to the likelihood that we will be hiking in rain all day and flash flood warnings abound. There is a civilized stop at 6 miles into our day at Trent's Grocery, which means they have Mt. Dew, then a shelter at 15, and my original goal is a hostel 21 miles away. So tomorrow we will be flexible, and may take a long lunch at Trent's grocery.Good night and have a pleasant tomorrowSilverback
Date: 2015-04-15
From: Woods Hole Hostel

To: Pearisburg
Miles today: 11.1
Weather: moderate rain

4/15, 11.1, PearisburgWe need to talk. I have been avoiding another subject. Yes, we hiked today. It was an eleven mile stroll over one ridge to get to Pearisburg. It took some time as the trail was a bit rocky, but Maverick and I made the trip together by 2:30. It was raining lightly most of the way making the trail slippery as well. Additionally, the trail functioned quite frequently as a small runoff stream. All in all the hike was fine and we checked into the motel, sent some mail forward, ate, resupplied and did laundry. But we need to talk.I have avoided another touchy subject that may make some squeamish, but has to be discussed. Its mice. Shelters are nice except for the mice. I have tolerated their noise making when trying to sleep as they run to and fro along the inside edges of the shelter. I remember a couple times in Virginia feeling them run across my forehead covered in my mummy bag. We hang our food, up until now, more to avoid mice than bears. Nevertheless, the mice keep searching and recently, they found something that I have not been hanging. Wool. My best clothing is marino wool socks and hiking shirts. My shirt showed a couple small holes a few weeks back and I thought maybe I had caught it on some briars. But several days back I hung it on my trekking pole and suspended it from the shelter rafters to dry overnight. When I grabbed my dry shirt in the morning I discovered he sleeve that was hanging nearest the wall had been chewed away two inches either side of the pole it was hanging on. I was mad. Then, just yesterday morning I pulled on my hiking socks, and holes had been chewed into them. It appears I will have to sleep with all my wool clothing in the bottom of my sleeping bag to prevent it becoming mouse nest material. AAARRRGGHHH!!! For now, my good hiking shirt sleeve is held together with safety pins, and I get new socks in three weeks. I will be much more attentive to where I store my clothing overnight.Tomorrow, Maverick and I will head out around 9 am and plan to see what the day brings. The rain is still supposed to be a possibility, so the trail conditions are unpredictable. I am hiking out with four days food, and my next resupply I just mailed ahead sixty miles north. After tomorrow the weather appears to be improving but for now we will watch and try to enjoy the way rain brings forth Spring. Good night and have a pleasant tomorrow.Silverback
Date: 2015-04-16
From: Pearisburg

To: Pine Swamp Branch Shelter
Miles today: 19.5
Weather: clear sky

4/16, 19.5, Pine Swamp Branch ShelterWe purposely planned a later start today out of Pearisburg because we were up late packing and laundering. We headed to Hardees for breakfast at 8:30, and made our way to the trailhead by 9:20. Todays hike started with an 1800 ft climb out of Pearisburg over the first six miles. The climb was gradual but a bit muddy from overnight rains. Rain was forecast for the day, but was holding off and temperatures were in the low 40's as we hiked. The most discomforting factor today was the wind as the 40 degree air was being driven by 30 mile per hour winds. After the climb our hike followed a ridge line as it rose another 400 ft over the 10 mile hike. The trail had several rocky areas hindering our progress and we found ourselves deep into the afternoon with 5 miles yet to hike. We eventually made it to Pine Swamp Branch Shelter at 7:15 after hiking 19.5 miles. Deer Dog and Felix were here, but we expected the shelter to be full. Deer Dog has a friend joining her for a couple days and in conversation we learned the two of them played on the US Women's Rugby Team in the last world cup. This trail is so full of interesting people! Tomorrow the plan is to hike over two significant climbs covering 18 miles. With an earlier start we should have an enjoyable day. Felix, who is hiking a second thru hike informed us that there is a significant boulder field on tomorrows hike so we have that to look forward to as well.It is 52 degrees so sleeping will be very comfortable and with a stream flowing nearby the woodland noises will fade quickly away.Good night and have a pleasant tomorrow.Silverback
Date: 2015-04-21
From: Lamberts Meadow Shelter

To: Daleville, VA
Miles today: 9.4
Weather: scattered clouds

4/21, Daleville, 9.4We woke this morning to cool temps in the 40's, and clear skies. The forecast is for several clear days and our plan takes us in to Daleville to resupply and plan ahead. We started hiking at 8 looking forward to a smooth walk into town. The trail was good as it rolled along the ridge line above Daleville. The views this morning were spectacular and we stopped many times to enjoy. Later the ridge became a little rocky and reminded us why we were considering taking a zero in town, our feet and legs have gotten a little worn. Ironically the last zero I took was in Damascus when we biked the Creeper trail. The nine miles took all morning, and we dropped into town at 12:45. After checking in to the motel we grabbed a big lunch and wandered over to the outfitter for a couple things. I need to change to summer gear and reduce my weight soon and it is time for shorter gaiters, and maybe a lighter jacket. I found some Outdoor Research gaiters I think will be good, but jackets on sale were still much too expensive. I have balanced weight with budget and am a little heavier than I would like to be, bit it is manageable. I will mail a couple things home like my heavy jacket and oversize phone/iPad battery. I have gone back and forth about the battery, but have not needed to use it for three weeks, since we get to a power supply every four to five days. I maximize power savings by leaving everything on, but locked in airplane mode. It seems to use little or no power to keep them stored this way and I still have plenty to write this journal, and read. I will have to watch how much I use the GPS locator on my trail app though.Looking at the map from here we anticipate some resupply challenges. The trail is near towns, but not through them, so we need to plan carefully where we stop in order to minimize hitching and/or shuttle expenses. I will carry five days of supplies from here. Tomorrow our zero will be about extra sleep, off our feet rest and planning up the trail. Silverback
Date: 2015-04-22
From: Daleville, VA

To: Daleville, VA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

4/22, Daleville, true 0We woke and headed to the free breakfast buffet in the lobby this morning and greeted many fellow hikers. Some taking a zero, bit many hiking on after a rest. After breakfast we called a local shuttle driver for a ride 5 miles out to Wal Mart. Turned out, he and his entire family hiked the trail in 2002, and his daughter wrote a children's book about their adventure. After talking and shopping, he trail angeled us and did nor let us pay for the ride. Thank you trail angel! Late morning Maverick fell down to a nap, and I settled on changing out my winter bag, for a lighter load. I found what I needed at the local outfitter, and headed to the post office for a box to send winter gear home. I stopped on the way back to get lunch and Met Maverick on his way to lunch. We grabbed some food and ate back in our room, while packing boxes to send home. I ended up sending hime 6.5 pounds, and replaced it with less than 1.5 pounds. My pack has been pretty heavy, 40 pounds or a little more with four days food until now, so I am looking forward to the reduction.We relaxed and talked plans in the afternoon, and decided to get more aggressive about miles per day. We have planned now to hike 20+ miles per day and have made some contacts for further down the road. Weather looks reasonable, with fewer days of rain than sun foe the next week. The trail ahead has fewer places to stop so we will be hiking forward trying to make Waynesboro in a week. I am looking forward to a renewed challenge and honestly, Waynesboro is the beginning of the final section of Virginia which will feel like another milestone. In the morning we will pack and get to breakfast at 6:30, and be back on trail by 7. I will upload journal entries as soon as I get wifi, but that will probably be Waynesboro. Until then, thank you for your prayers and support. Knowing you are reading is a great encouragement. Silverback
Date: 2015-04-23
From: Daleville, VA

To: Cove Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 25.0
Weather: light rain

4/23, 25, Cove Mtn ShelterWe woke, showered, ate, packed, and walked today. Thats the short version. I woke ip at 5:30 and jumped in the shower to wake up. We wanted an early start so Maverick turned on lights and started packing while I was in, then he showered while I packed. By 6:30 we were heading to the free breakfast, and by 7:30 we were on trail.There were four shelters on our route today we could reach which I called, near, farther, farthest and "nuts". We reached the near shelter, 5 miles out, at 10:15. We reached the farther shelter, 7.2 miles farther, at 12:30. We reached the farthest shelter, 7.3 miles more, by 3:45. We decided it was a nuts kind of day, and pressed on to the next shelter, 5.5 miles more for the night. We arrived at Cove Mountain Shelter at 6:45 after completing 25 miles, and enjoying a very nice hike. Todays hike included several crossings of the Blue Ridge Parkway. The trail, when it crosses the parkway, does so at a pull off view so we viewed many nice vistas. We also had many climbs and descents, but nothing too strenuous. But best of all, we had perfect weather for hiking. Temperatures today were cool in the 50's, and a moderate wind blew most of the day under cloudless sunshine. We actually hiked with jackets on in the morning, but enjoyed perfect weather all day. To summarize, we experienced the perfect combination of factors to make a 25 mile day possible. Perfect weather, good trails, two days rest and manageable terrain. It was difficult leaving the trappings of town behind for the trail after so much time, but soon I was feeling I was right where I need to be, on trail. Tonight is forecast to be in the low 30's. It is a little ironic, but a good test for my sleep system, since I sent my winter bag and some clothes home yesterday. I now have a 40 degree bag, a silk liner and a thermal liner, inside my Tyvek bivy on my thermal air mattress. Tonight will certainly be a good test. The wild card in all this is the slight wind blowing into the front of the shelter. Time will tell I just hope my tell isn't chattering teeth!On the critter front, no bears sighted yet, but I did see two more snakes, several lizards and a small mosquito hatch. The Appalachian ecosystem is fun to watch.Silverback
Date: 2015-04-27
From: US 60, Buena Vista, Three Springs Hostel

To: Priest Shelter
Miles today: 20.6

4/27, 20.6, Priest ShelterThree Springs hostel is amazing! They are on their second year of operation and have a lot of great things going for them. Breakfast was great, the company all evening was nice and they went the extra mile to make you feel at home. Southbounders, plan a stop there when you are near Buena Vista.After our wonderful breakfast Maverick and I enjoyed an extra cup of coffee before getting our ride back to the trail so we started hiking at 9:30. With 21 miles planned we hoped to not have any delays as regular hiking put us into the shelter at 7 pm. We started with the climb off the highway up nearly 1000 ft to the ridge line. From there our hike today was many ups and downs of 100 to 400 feet rolling across the mountains. We enjoyed cool temps in the40's and a slight breeze so we were constantly putting our jackets on and off to regulate body temperature. Skies wee very clear so we enjoyed some great views, and I took several panorama photos. We stopped for lunch 7 miles into the hike and figured we were on track to get to the shelter at 7. Later in the day we were still covering the distance at 2 miles per hour, so we knew we would not arrive early. Expected lows tonight are in the upper 30's, so Maverick plans to be in his tent. I decided to wait snd see since my tent does not really add any warmth. Around 5:30 we reached the top of a rise and saw the sign for spy rock. It was 100 yards off trail and a scramble to climb up but the 360 degree view from there was incredible! We hiked on still on track for a 7 pm arrival. At 7:05 I stepped in front of the shelter and found one spot left. Lorax, Dopey and some others are here and we also have a southbound section hiker. Section hikers hike the entire trail over many seasons doing a several hundred mile section each year. It is not a thru hike but is still recognized as a hike of the entire trail. Temperatures were dropping quickly so I filtered water, settled my space and cooked a quick Ramen and Tuna dinner. With my fruit pie and leftover orange juice I ate pretty well. We are all turning in early to stay warm so I guess it will be another test of my summer gear. Judging from my typing hands this could be an interesting night. Tomorrow we are planning a shorter day and taking a side trip to a hiker friendly brew pub. If all woks out we will enjoy a good dinner, camp out and get a rode back to the trail the next morning. It should be an interesting diversion. On a more difficult note, I have developed a sore between the last two toes on my right foot. It appears to be an awkwardly healing blister, but I have been fighting it for several days. I may decide to take a couple days in Waynesboro but for now, we just need to get there. It will be an interesting hike.Silverback
Date: 2015-04-30
From: Waynesboro, VA

To: Waynesboro, VA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: few clouds

4/30, 0, WaynesboroI took a true, full, restful zero today to heal my right foot, specifically the "piggy that had none". We awoke in the hostel, and decided to zero in a hotel, rather than try to function from the hostel. We had Stanimal run us to Hardees for breakfast where we decided our strategy for the day. Ultimately, we walked to CVS so I could get Epsom Salts to soak my foot, then a couple blocks further to the Quality Inn. After settling in I soaked my foot right away, and we called to arrange our shuttle back to the trail in the morning. The local community here has organized a list of volunteers to provide free shuttles to hikers. The list has over twenty people on it and they are each trail angels for what they do. One of them who saw my number but did not answer this morning even called this evening to make sure I had gotten everything done I needed. We unpacked our wet gear to dry, and then called for a shuttle to the outfitter where I hoped to get some toe socks to help my feet. At the outfitters, Maverick decided to change to a new pack, and I found some toe socks that I hope will help my foot. Back to the hotel I soaked again, and Maverick packed his new pack to make sure it was large enough. We were successful on both counts so we stepped out to the post office to mail the old pack home, and on to Kroger's for resupply at 4 pm. Back at the hotel I soaked one more time and successfully tried out my socks. Satisfied they may work, we determined tomorrow was a go and stepped out for some dinner around 6 pm. We ended up at a nice place downtown for burgers and onion rings, and were joined by a couple of section hikers. They soon discovered we were thru hikers and the evening was very enjoyable from then on. They had lots of questions and we talked and laughed for a time. I finally left around 8:45 to call home, and Maverick returned to the room around 10. It is really a lot of fun talking trail with so many people. Tomorrow we enter the Shenandoah National Park where everyone heading south has told us the hiking is much smoother. We will see but we plan to hike with twenty mile goals in mind, and enjoy the journey. Thank you all for coming along this far, we are nearly half done! Silverback.
Date: 2015-05-02
From: McCormick Gap

To: Loft Mountain Campground
Miles today: 24.4
Weather: scattered clouds

5/2, Loft Mountain Campground, 24.4We awoke this morning to sunny skies and trail breakfast in the motel. For me thats a package of two pop tarts, two packages of carnation complete breakfast drink, and a cup of coffee. Maverick just eats a boxed fruit pie for trail breakfast each day. No wonder we crave fresh food when in town! We were packed and ready when our shuttle arrived a few minutes early. We dropped off the other hikers first at Rockfish Gap, then John drove us the 3 miles up he road to McCormick Gap where we left the trail yesterday. My foot felt pretty good, but as always, time would tell. We hiked away after saying goodbye to John one last time. My first reaction was that my foot felt about 90% and things should be fine. When we stopped along the trail for a snack, we felt progress was good, and my foot was still OK, though slowly beginning to hurt again. By lunch, I was pretty sure the toe socks were not going to be a great idea, but they were not terrible. My damaged toe just felt like I was walking on a bruised foot. After our lunch stop we crossed Skyline Drive again, and ran into some trail angels with sausage, cheese, crackers and cold soda for thru hikers. It is always a nice boost to have fresh food snacks along our hike.As we continued I was getting concerned with the level of pain in my foot. I certainly did not want to expose deeper layers of flesh, or cause more damage than before but it felt like it was headed that direction. A couple skyline drive crossings later we received our second trail magic of the day when two older friends provided us with a bottle of cold water, and our choice of snacks from a hiker food box. I had some old fashioned lemon head candies. They also had Ibuprofen in case we were out, but we were not. Nevertheless, the offer of Ibuprofen caused me to question why I had not been taking it for my foot. I quickly took 800 mg, a full dose, and we hiked on. It was 4 pm, too early to stop, and we had only covered 16 miles thus far. Maverick suggested we stop at the next shelter, prepare and eat our dinner, then hike on until 7:30 - 8 pm. The plan worked well and we arrived at the park campground, currently closed, at 7 pm. We ate making good use of their tent sites just off the At, and the bear bins to keep our stuff from the bears. I have yet to see a bear, but did see a spike buck in the woods above the trail today. The revelation of the day occurred when I realized the Ibuprofen had virtually eliminated all of the pain In my foot. I was able to hike the last seven miles to the campground with regular stride and pace, which is something I have not been able to do with my damaged toes. We are now settled in our tents and ready to hike out to a skyline drive wayside for some coffee, and perhaps breakfast in the morning. We shall see.Silverback