morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2007-05-11
From: VA 624

To: Lamberts Meadow Shelter
Miles today: 16.3
Weather: scattered clouds

We were up at 6:15 and started packing up to hike again. We went to the road and after a short time of having our thumbs out a woman stopped. She is a guidance counselor at a school and she had a friend that hiked the trail last year. She dropped us off at the gas station/convenience store where we wanted to get a couple of sandwiches and a few more snacks for the trail. Then we had a 0.4 mile walk to the trailhead. We hadn't gone far when we saw Snakebait and High Five packing up from their campsite. Later we saw Bucket and her boyfriend, Matt, that came out to finish hiking the trail with her. They saw us first from across a creek and yelled at us. I didn't know who it was but I saw the collapsible bucket Bucket had in her hand and thought it looked familiar from when we were hiking together for a while. Before it registered who had a bucket like that Toto asked who was over there and Bucket identified herself and showed her face. This is the first we have caught up with her. Snakebait hiked with us for a while today. He is the pastor of a Presbyterian Church in South Carolina. He and Toto hit it off great and were able to chat a lot while hiking and taking breaks together today. The day was hard for both of us today because of the climbs over the ridges, the heat and humidity, and running low on water about 3 miles before the shelter. Also, for some reason this morning I just could not get my legs to want to climb. It felt like they were jello. I was dizzy and weak and I just could hardly go. I was drinking water as often as I could thinking I needed more fluids and Toto was pushing sweets down me to give me an energy boost. I finally did start feeling better but the climbs were still almost more than I could do. I have sweat so much, and so has Toto, that I feel like I have dried salt crystals all over my body. Tomorrow is a town day and we get a shower, get to wash the dirt and sweat out of our clothes, and relax. We've worked hard for 6 days and are looking forward to a zero day. I fell this morning crossing over wet boards on a bridge across a creek. I fell just as I was stepping down onto a step down and I thought my pack and I were going to go head first into the stream. Bucket and Matt were behind us and Matt almost fell, also.We got to the trail at 8 this morning and got here at the shelter at about 6 this evening. We spent a couple of breaks that were longer than usual. One of them was on McAfee Knob where we had our picture taken. It is supposedly the place on the trail where more photographs are taken. It looked like it was going to rain this afternoon so we were trying to get to the shelter before the rain came but then it seemed to blow on by. This evening it is clouding up again and so may have rain tonight. We are in the shelter and Ross and Truffles are in it with us. We have a short (we hope) hike of 9 miles to Daleville tomorrow. Looking forward to it very much.      Life is Great!Dorothy & Toto
Date: 2007-05-13
From: U.S. 220 Daleville, VA

To: U.S. 220
Miles today: 0.0

Today has been a very relaxing day. We started by going to an AYCE breakfast buffet and then came back to the motel to clean our cookpot, eating utensils, and water containers, to decide what we needed at the grocery store, work on our itinerary for the next 10 days as much as possible (we need to decide where we can get off the trail for showers and laundry and maybe some real food). We figure we ought to be able to make it to Waynesboro by the 23rd of this month. By then the church hostel should be open and we may want to stay there a night or at least check in there to see who is in town. This morning at the buffet we could make our own waffles. Toto said why didn't I go up to see how the machine works. Since I wanted a waffle, I did. When he went up he did not read the directions first so didn't spray the surfaces of the waffle iron. So after he had the batter in he read the directions. Needless to say, he had to remove the waffle from both surfaces in pieces. When I was making my waffle a little boy and his dad were waiting for the machine and the dad was showing the boy the directions. While Toto was picking the waffle off the surfaces of the waffle maker the dad came back to the food bar and Toto told him what had happened. The dad just laughed and said his son didn't have any problem at all. This morning was very cloudy but now there is not a cloud in the sky. It was cool this morning with a breeze and this afternoon is quite warm. It would have been a great day for hiking. It seems that the weather is difficult to predict in the mountains. One side may get rain and not the other. We were taking a day off anyway but if we were taking it off because of the threat of rain we would have been very disappointed to not be out there hiking. We ate a late lunch at the Rancho Viejo Mexican Restaurant in front of the motel. It had very good food, very good service, and it was spotless. And neither of us have been big Mexican food eaters. I think this was the 3rd Mexican restaurant we have eaten in since we started hiking. Well, we need to go to the store for some supplies and get a box ready for our things to send home from the P.O. in the morning. Then our last chance maybe for a while before we sleep in a real bed again. We are trying to plan where we can find a bed, shower, and laundry all in one place at least twice in the next 10 days.      Life is Great!Dorothy & Toto
Date: 2007-05-16
From: VA 614, Jennings Creek

To: Thunderhill Shelter
Miles today: 14.0
Weather: overcast clouds

I am wishing I had my fleece hat, gloves, pants, and jacket this evening. It has turned quite cool. I know it won't last long but still I am wishing I had them just for tonight. The day started off with us getting up around 6:15 and getting to the trail by about 7:30. We got an earlier ride to the trail with the owner of the campground. It was supposed to rain and we wanted as much time as possible to get to the shelter. We made it within a mile of the shelter before it started raining lightly. Since then it has rained harder a couple of times. There was a little thunder heard once but mostly just rain without any storming. The clouds rolled in but they have lifted a bit now. The rain is still coming down lightly and the wind is blowing it in on us.Tomorrow we are planning on going into a campground for a shower and laundry. Hopefully, the rain will be gone.   The trail was pretty nice today with mostly all ups. The woods were beautiful with lots of flowers. We saw more turkey beards and pink trilliums, and we even saw a scarlet tanager. Many tulip poplars had dropped their flowers on the trail and many of them were in perfect shape.Our highest elevation was 4225 feet and the lowest was at 950 feet. In between we were up and down around the 2000 to 3000 range. In the shelter when we got here was a father with his 3 grown sons. They are from Florida and out for just 2 weeks---hiking to Waynesboro. They had set their tents up behind the shelter. Later Wiley Coyote and Roadrunner, from Boston, came in to the shelter while it was raining and decided to stay. As of now Dude is the only other hiker that has come in to the shelter. So there are 5 of us in the shelter so far tonight. We found out who the person going to the shelter around midnight was 2 nights ago. Dude told us it was Stealth. He had cowboy camped and was frightened by some animal noises in the night. It was deer and I can understand if he was lying on the ground in his sleeping bag why he would have been frightened. I would have been afraid they would have trampled me.I am cold so am closing this out and snuggling down into my bag to try to get warm. It's early but I think I can go to sleep.Life is Great!Dorothy & Toto
Date: 2007-05-20
From: VA 56 Tye River

To: Fish Hatchery RD
Miles today: 9.4

A short day of hiking with sunny skies and a brisk wind on top of the mountain. Our feet are thanking us for not having them do more miles. We started at 970 feet at the river and climbed to an elevation of 4063 feet in 4.3 miles. It was a gradual climb with nice trail until nearer the top and then it got rockier and a little steeper at times. Once on top of Priest Mountain it was fairly flat for about a mile. We stopped at the shelter (Priest Mountain Shelter) for a bite to eat and found Stealth there taking a break as well. Spice Cadet was there and we introduced ourselves. We had passed him on the trail a couple of days ago but didn't know what his name was.This B&B offers a free lunch to hikers but first they have to hike down the steep rocky Fish Hatchery Road for over a mile. Earl goes to the gated road at 11AM and 12:30PM to check for hikers and brings them to the house for the free lunch. Today there were 2 hikers here--Shadow and Dude. We passed Shadow going north while we were headed south back toward the B&B and we never did pass Dude. There were 4 of us that slacked the same section---Gator-Gump, his wife, Cindy, and us. Cindy did a great job of keeping up and we all came to the gate at the same time at about 2PM. Another slack-packer today, Mr. Clean, slacked from further north to south to the Tye River. That is the section we will do tomorrow---about 15 miles. He said it was tough but he did it in 7 hours. We'll be able to do it and hopefully in 7 hours, also. Here at the B&B are hikers, Diesel, Mr. Clean, Pug Nose, Gator-Gump, Cindy, and Rockman, a hiker we had never met before. After dinner a young female hiker, Ziola, came to the B&B. She is from Austin, Texas. She is another one we had never met before. Magellan left this morning and was planning on going past Waynesboro today. She was dropped off about 15 miles before Waynesboro this morning when Earl was dropping everyone off at trailheads. She is 2 days ahead of us. She called this wonderful place a "vortex" because it is so hard to leave after being here a few days. She is absolutely right because we are feeling the effects already. Wonderful breakfasts and dinners, showers after each day of hiking, and a nice bed that is warm and dry. Add to that Dish TV to turn on just before sleep to watch the weather report OR a baseball game.I am free to announce on the world-wide web now that we are going to be grandparents again. Our daughter, Emily, that had her first baby 2 years ago in August while we were on the trail, is due in the latter part of December. We told her we would try to be done with the trail by then. :-)It is almost 9PM and about time to go to sleep. Breakfast is at 7AM and we will be taken to the trail at 8AM. P.S. The 3 petaled purple flower I did not know the name of is spider-wort. I remember looking it up 2 years ago but had forgotten.
Date: 2007-05-21
From: Dripping Rock Parking Area, Blue Rdg Prkwy mp 9.6

To: View Entry
Miles today: 15.3

We went over a section today that when I hiked it in 05 I remember it as being a very tough day of just over 8 miles. Today, though, we jumped ahead of the section and started south toward it and it actually turned out to be not as bad even with more miles added in. The difference is that we did not have to climb up the south side of the section. Coming down that section was very rocky and very long. We had told Earl that we would probably be done by 4:30. We got down to the River by 3:30 and Earl arrived at about 4:10.   When we got back to the B&B Bucket and her boyfriend, Water, was here as well as Mike (previously Smiley), Yorkie, and Bonnie Carolyn. The hikers we did not know were Scottie and a young couple that are section hiking. Gator Gump slack-packed with us today over the same section but Cindy took the day off. Her heels came off her boots yesterday while she was hiking so they have glued them back and are hoping they will hold until they get to the Outfitter in Waynesboro after their hike tomorrow. Mr. Clean and Pug Nose slack-packed the section we did yesterday. We will all be headed out for good tomorrow. But tomorrow night we will be in Waynesboro in another warm bed and we will be taking a zero day there. We saw more poison ivy today along the trail than any other day so far. It was impossible to keep from brushing against it. Our laundry has ben done and we've showered so I hope that is enough to keep me from getting any reaction. I haven't had it in a very long time and now would not be the time to get it. This B&B has been absolutely fantastic!!! They are the most hiker friendly B&B we've been in. It is more like a hostel with B&B pampering. It is not that expensive compared to other B&B's, either. We have thoroughly enjoyed our stay.I can hardly hold my eyes open and it is not even 8:30. It has turned warmer today and this evening the open windows in our room are not even helping to cool the room, so Toto has turned the air conditioner on and it is now feeling much better.      Life is Great!Dorothy & Toto
Date: 2007-05-22
From: Dripping Rock Parking Area, Blue Rdg Prkwy mp 9.6

To: Rockfish Gap, U.S. 250, I-64
Miles today: 14.3
Weather: overcast clouds

We arrived at Rockfish Gap at about 3:30PM. We started at about 8:40AM so we did well today--averaging just over 2 miles an hour. In 05 it is the section Redhat and I slack-packed into Rockfish Gap the day after she fell and cut her head on a rock---sending her to the ER for stitches. I thought of that also yesterday as we were walking over those same rocks where she fell. I have been lucky so far not to have injured myself in a similar manner. I have missed many opportunities.   After getting off the trail we got on the road and hitched a ride with a woman going into Waynesboro. People are so good to hikers! After getting to the motel and showering we took off on foot toward some eating places and stopped at Gavids Steakhouse, an AYCE restaurant. We both ate too much and afterward walked around town to find the P.O., church hostel, Kroger store, library, etc. At the hostel we saw Mountain Mike, Dude, Shadow, Karl (who changed his trail name from Beach Bum because, for one reason, there is another Beach Bum ahead), and a couple of others that we did not know. The trail today was not bad. Less rocks than yesterday with some ups and downs but they were not extreme. There were a few views from a few places but most of the time we were under a canopy of green which did provide a bit of coolness. We caught a breeze once in a while and it did feel so good on our sweaty bodies. The high temperature was probably in the 70's which was not bad and the humidity was less than it was yesterday. We saw several deer today and I saw a garter snake go across the trail in front of me. Also there were chipmunks scurrying about and many birds singing. I do wish I could identify the bird calls. We did see an eastern towhee and we do know its call. There are many other flowers starting to blossom. Most of them are probably considered more weed than flower but they are in flower identification books. Many of the plants are much bigger than the flowers themselves. One of the plants is a cow parsnip but the flower has not yet developed. This flower is big and in the areas where we have seen them the forest floor is covered with these plants. The flowers when they blossom will be an amazing sight to see. Just 239 more trail miles to the half way point in PA. We should have no problem making that point by the time we have been out here for 3 months. We are excited about getting close to that monumental point of the hike.Tomorrow we have the usual town chores to do and then we head for the Shenendoah National Park. It is a holiday weekend this weekend so there will be more people in the park although on TV they are wondering if higher gas prices will cause many people to stay closer to home. Right now I guess we are fortunate that we are not paying for gas except for what we pay to people that shuttle us to trailheads.Life is Great!Dorothy & Toto
Date: 2007-05-23
From: Rockfish Gap

To: Rockfish Gap
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

No matter whether I am hiking or taking a zero day I wake up early and cannot go to sleep again. Toto can lay in bed longer than me but I don't think he can sleep much more but he tries. After eating breakfast in the motel lobby, which was quite good for a continental breakfast, we went to the laundromat to wash our clothes. At about noon we went across the street to CVS to purchase more ibuprofen, glucosamine, toothpaste, etc. We had friends driving down from Kirtland to VA to see their new niece and granddaughter so stopped to have lunch with us. It was great talking to them and finding out all about the brand new visitor center and the landscaping that is being done. They brought so many snacks that we did not need to buy any for our trek through the SNP (Shenendoah National Park). We received maps at the P.O. for the next several sections ahead of us and the box we had bounced ahead from Daleville. I also washed out our water bottles and bladders since I did not clean them in Daleville. I'm afraid of what might be growing in them if I let them go too long. Toto has slept a good bit this afternoon so should feel well rested tomorrow. It has been a more relaxing day than we usually have when we are in town. We will try and hitch a ride back to the trail in the morning as early as we can get ready. We'd like to make it through the park in 7 days if possible but that will all depend on weather and whether we feel like doing the miles every day in order for that to happen. There are waysides and restaurants through the park that we can take advantage of so we do not have to carry so much food. So we plan to take advantage of as many of them as possible. Waysides have the usual hamburgers, french fries, sodas, and milkshakes. We have not lost any weight since being on the trail but when one sees how much and what we eat when we are in towns it is easy to see why.Time to relax and watch a little TV. Not much more can be done tonight to get ready for tomorrow.
Date: 2007-05-25
From: Rockfish Gap

To: Blackrock Hut
Miles today: 20.0
Weather: clear sky

We were at the trail by just after 7AM. At breakfast we met another hiker that was hiking out this morning and was being picked up at about 7. We cannot remember what he said his name was but he is a retired truck driver from Tennessee. Anyway we got a ride out with him. We were going to take it easy but pushed on to do 20 miles. The first shelter was only 7-8 miles in so that would have been to soon to stop. And there were no camping spots in between. So we are camped at a tent spot at this shelter. There are some section hikers here and 2 thru-hikers, Gopher and Judo. Gopher passed us earlier today; he also hiked out from Waynesboro today. Judo probably did also but we haven't really talked to her because she is tenting up nearer the shelter. We had a lot of climbing to do today during the morning but this afternoon it was fairly level with mild climbs. It was warm with a fair amount of humidity and an occasional breeze so we perspired quite a bit. About 3 miles before we got to the shelter it started to rain a little. It actually felt good and cooled us off while it lasted. Several times before it rained it became overcast and looked like it might rain but never did. Toto's toe is still hurting but he has been popping the ibuprofen and said it has felt some better. My feet have hurt a lot today. My little toes push into the toe next to them and they begin to hurt after a few hours. I am getting corns on the 4th toes and need corn cushions to ease the pressure. I have tried moleskin but it does not work as well as the corn pads. The soles of my feet feel just plain bruised all the time but it gets worse also after a few hours of hiking. We saw a bear today. We had just finished eating peanut butter on tortilla wraps and had started hiking when Toto said he heard something down the mountain from the trail. I told him it was probably just a deer and then he saw the bear. It was a young bear, probably at least a year old . When it saw us it turned and ran off. We also saw several deer and a black snake lying across the trail. And Toto also saw a turkey. So we have seen more variety of wildlife today than we usually see in a week. Lots of mountain laurels are still just beginning to bloom and we saw quite a bit of azaleas blooming still. I will miss their fragrance when they are gone. It is almost 8:30 and the sun has gone down and it is beginning to cool off. We are very tired and achy so will be going to sleep soon. We plan a shorter day tomorrow and a stop at the camp store and Wayside at Loft Mountain Campground tomorrow. We'll be able to have some cold sodas, hamburgers, fries, etc. Toto is counting down the hours until then. Life is Great!Dorothy & Toto
Date: 2007-05-29
From: Thornton Gap, U.S. 211

To: Big Meadows
Miles today: 17.6
Weather: scattered clouds

We were up early this morning to begin the day. Toto and I hiked walking south from Thornton Gap so we drove Symbol's van to the gap and started hiking south. Symbol started north from Big Meadows and when we met him about half way Toto handed him the van keys so he could drive it back to the campground when he reached Thornton Gap. Before we left in the van Symbol took our picture behind the van so he would have a picture of us and the license plate to show the police when we took off with his van. When we met today on the trail and he got his keys Toto said he would get a campsite when we reached the campground and Symbol said, "And I have your tent." Is he going to come back? We stopped at Skyland Lodge and Restaurant about 9 miles into our hike and had lunch. There were a lot of backpackers there and there was a long row of backpacks lined up outside the building. Some of the names of the hikers were Sandwich, Gorilla, Eula, Stone Age, Triple Deuce, Gatorgump, Random Kid, Tom Dooley, and Pooch.   Hikers we met going north were Habitual Hiker and Umbrella Lady, Michelle and John, Waffle, Rock Man, Scottie, and Castenets. Here at the campground are Focus and Frito. It is amazing how we keep meeting new people and meeting up with people we haven't seen in a while. The menu here for lunch was the same as at Big Meadows Lodge. Pricey but good. We chose from the cheapest items on the menu. After eating at the waysides and the dining rooms it adds up. The trail today gave us some beautiful views of the Shenandoah Valley to the west even though it was hazy. The first part of the day was the best with more views. The second part seemed to be not as interesting as far as views go and the rocks were hurting my feet a lot. My feet have spread out and I am down to sock liners only and still my toes are crunched. While driving north on Skyline Drive this morning a big black bear ran across the road in front of us. We also saw many deer in the meadow and along the road this morning. Toto had to stop once because he didn't know which way the deer were going since they were on both sides of the road.Tomorrow is another long day. We will almost get out of the park but not quite. We are going to try for 22 miles but may go for 18 if our bodies give out. So now it is time to sleep. Toto is already asleep. Symbol is in his van sleeping and Frito who is sharing our tenting space is also in his tent. It is 9PM and I am ready for sleep. Life is Great!Dorothy & Toto