morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2015-10-11
From: Bobblets Gap Shelter

To: Daleville
Miles today: 18.5
Weather: clear sky

Treadway: 2/10Weather: Poor visibility and damp starting out, clear and cool by late morning 3/10Stats:18.53 miles 6:09:363.0 miles per hour 1556 c3877 feet up 4507 feet down41656 steps Narrative:Another major milestone accomplished by passing the two thirds mark today. Up at 6:15 am and on the trail around 7 am. About 6.6 miles into the hike I stopped to hydrate and otherwise kept going the whole way into town. Around 11 am the fog dissipated and it was sunny and nice the rest of the day. Around noon I reached an open field with nice views of the surrounding fall foliage. Around 1 pm I made it to town and the Super 8 and the Pizza Hut were right there to my left. After checking in, I went to Pizza Hut and enjoyed the AYCE salad bar with potato potage soup and breadsticks, and I also ordered a medium Supreme pizza to go. I also had two Pepsi fountain drinks. Then I bought two 25 oz Budweisers at the convenience store, went back to my room, took a glorious shower, iced both knees and my right hip, and enjoyed pizza and beer while watching NFL and catching up on my journal.
Date: 2015-10-12
From: Daleville

To: Daleville
Miles today: 0.0

The things that thru-hikers do in their hotel rooms. The likes of Luca Brasi would love to know our craft.Very productive zero in Daleville. Had breakfast and did laundry at the Super 8 before checking out. As I was doing my laundry, I did a complete overhaul of my gear in my room. I learned to my chagrin that all my insect repellent spilled out of the bottle and onto the fabric at the bottom of my pack. I washed the affected area thoroughly with soap and water and then dried my pack by putting it next to the heater after taking everything out of it. I aired out my sleeping bag, puffy jacket, air mattress, tent and rainfly, then repacked them after they were all bone dry. I flushed my water filter and detailed my water bottle to scour out all the gross build-up from the powders I mix with my water.After my laundry was done, I called the Holiday Motor Lodge in Pearisburg to reserve a room for Friday. Then I called the store 26 miles down the trail from Pearisburg and spoke to a lady who confirmed that she can shuttle my pack from Pearisburg to her store while I slackpack.After checking out of the Super 8, I checked into the Howard Johnson's across the street, then walked to the outfitter, where I bought a new pair of hiking poles and new tent stakes.Then I walked to the UPS Store next door and shipped my old hiking pole back to Donna.Then I went to the Kroger and stocked up on resupply to last me to Pearisburg.Then I went to the Bojangles in the same shopping center and had the two-breast dinner with rice and beans and sweet tea for lunch. It was a great lunch, and the food was excellent. I think I'm really liking the South.On my way to the shopping center, I stopped and talked to Molly Walker. Kiwi Brucie and she are zeroing in Daleville too. On my way back to the room I stopped and talked to Breezy, whom I first met with Snow at the Antietam Shelter before crossing into Maryland. She did not stay in Daleville and was planning to head south on the trail short of McAfee Knob.Back in my room, I really rolled up my sleeves and made a number of calls about slackpacking options from here to Springer. Generally speaking, it looks like I will be able to do a slack day in and a slack day out of each town or hostel I hit down the trail. I expect that if I am able to pull this off, it will significantly improve the quality of my hiking experience for the rest of the trip.For any readers who may not know what slackpacking means, it means hiking with a day pack instead of a backpack. Typically it involves meeting with a shuttle driver at the start of a hike, and giving the driver your backpack in exchange for a day pack for carrying water, a camera, a water filter, maps, a rain jacket and so forth. After the hike, the driver then returns your backpack, and you return the day pack. It is a great way to get in big days without making the day a miserable death march carrying a heavy pack.Now that I am resolved to do a lot of slackpacking, I feel much better about the rest of my trip.
Date: 2015-10-13
From: Daleville

To: Four Pines Hostel
Miles today: 25.7
Weather: clear sky

Treadway: 4/10Weather: Sunny 2/10Stats:27.60 miles10:07:412.7 miles per hour 2252 c6551 feet up 6040 feet down 58000 steps Narrative:An otherwise great day which was spoiled when I fell hard and hurt my hip. Up at 5:15 am, breakfast at the hotel at 6:00 am. I met Eddie outside the HoJo at 6:40 am and swapped with him my backpack for a day pack. Although it was supposed to rain in the morning, it was clear when I started around 6:55 am, about half an hour before sunrise. I started seeing some nice views about an hour into the hike. About half a mile before the Lambert Shelter, I stopped to hydrate at a stream. That was about 9 miles into the hike. About 2 miles after that I reached the Tinker Cliffs, with excellent views of the fall foliage. After that, the trail was rough for about 3 miles. I stopped for water at Campbell Shelter, but it was a poor water source. After that was the climb up McAfee Knob. I met a nice group of local hikers, and the lady in the group took my picture. On the way down to VA311, there was a fair amount of climb up. About half a mile past VA311, I tripped and fell forward, doing another superman and landing hard on my right hip. It was a bad fall, and I was shaken up. After a few minutes I got up and was able to walk, but my right hip was hurting and it felt like I had a charlie horse deep into my glutes. The last six miles of the hike were absolutely miserable. When I reached VA624, I walked .4 to the store. The owner said Eddie and some hikers were heading over and I waited for them outside. When Eddie arrived, Science and Athena were with them, and I also met Zena, another SoBo from Atlanta. Back at the hostel, I used an ice pack in the freezer. I was limping badly and was in a lot of pain. Eddie asked if I wanted to go to a clinic, and I declined. I decided to take a zero the next day, and maybe another the day after that. Not sure when I will be able to get back on the trail.
Date: 2015-10-14
From: Four Pines Hostel

To: Four Pines Hostel
Miles today: 0.0

10/14/2015Spent most of the day napping and reading a cheap knockoff Robert Ludlum novel, but I also did all of my stretches, and my hip began to feel better as the day progressed. I met Moosie, from San Diego and she and Athena, Science and I stayed at the hostel this night. Moosie thru-hiked from Katahdin to Harpers Ferry in 2005. This year, she started at Harpers on September 19 and is headed to Springer. In 2010, Moosie thru-hiked the PCT and after that she thru-hiked the CDT southbound. I enjoyed listening to Moosie talk about her thru-hiking experience.
Date: 2015-10-15
From: Four Pines Hostel

To: VA621
Miles today: 15.5
Weather: scattered clouds

10/15/2015Treadway: 4/10Weather: 1/10Stats:16.53 miles 6:26:232.6 miles per hour 1358 c4530 feet up 4127 feet down 35443 stepsNarrative:A glorious day! Up at 7:15 am, on the trail around 8:25 am after Eddie dropped me off at the trailhead at VA621. Today I slackpacked from that trailhead to the Four Pines Hostel. About 3 miles into the hike I ran into Breezy. She was very positive. A mile later I made it to the Audie Murphy Monument and enjoyed being at this very special place. A mile after that I ran into Kiwi and Molly Walker. They thought Dragonstooth was hard and were planning to zero up the trail, I think at Pearisburg. Next I ran into Athena and Science, and they were looking strong. Then I ran into Clarity, and she was looking strong too. Then at Dragonstooth I met new SoBo Rivet, who got his name after striking a pose reminiscent of Rosie Rivet. Them I did the short Class 2-3 climb to the top of Dragonstooth and had a good conversation with an extremely kind and gracious local hiker who estimated he had been to the top 300 times. After getting down, I ran into Relish and Eclipse. On my way down the trail, I met new SoBo¢s Vicious and Skywalker. It was so amazing to meet so many great people on the trail today. The trail was generally easy and smooth to the top of Dragonstooth and generally hard and rocky on the way down. I made it back to the hostel around 3:15 pm and had a nice conversation with Joe before heading up into the shelter, where I met Lucky Man, who is hiking north from Davenport Gap, and new SoBo Smiles Davis, who is from Virginia. Oh, I forgot that I also ran into Snow before getting to the top of Dragonstooth. Around 5:10 pm we loaded up in the Dragon Van and Eddie drove us to the Homestead, where Lucky Man, Moosie, Miles Davis and I enjoyed an all you can eat, hearty meal of southern fried chicken, green beans, pinto beans, mashed potatoes, gravy, lemonade and sweet tea. As we were eating our meal, Georgia, Sunnyside, Milk Man and Blackbeard showed up, then after after we were all done stuffing ourselves Eddie drove us to the market, then back to the hostel. It was great catching up with Georgia!
Date: 2015-10-16
From: VA621

To: War Spur Shelter
Miles today: 19.5
Weather: clear sky

Treadway: 6/10Weather: Partly sunny and cool 1/10Stats:20.03 miles7:42:392.6 miles per hour 1628 c5157 feet up 4435 feet down 45552 steps Narrative:I had the strangest dream. I was being prepped for surgery, more specifically, a replacement of my right hip, which I injured on Monday after my hard fall on the trail. But it's my left hip which has been diagnosed as arthritic, not my right hip. So just before they put me under, I pointed that out to the doctor, and he apologized and looked very embarrassed about making such a mistake. Then I asked for a bathroom break, which request was granted. As I was going to the bathroom, I was wondering why I was having surgery since it meant I could no longer complete my thru-hike. I also lost confidence in the surgeon. So when I returned to the operating room, I told him I was calling off the surgery. Eddie drove Georgia and me to the trailhead at VA621. Georgia headed north and I headed south. 1.5 miles into the hike I reached Niday Shelter and ran into Clarity. The trail was smooth to Niday and became rocky after that along the 2.7 mile climb to the sign announcing that I was at the Eastern Continental Divide. The sky and surroundings were bleak, and the setting reminded me of the U2 song "October". Shortly after that I began to go over a miserable rock slide which Oma had described to me and which lasted for about 2 miles. By the time I reached the cutoff for the Sarver Hollow Shelter, the rock slide was over. The trail was generally smooth for the 6 miles from Sarver to the Laurel Creek Shelter. Halfway into this stretch I stopped to hydrate and have lunch, at a stream just north of VA630. At the high point between VA630 and VA42, I took photos of a scenic panorama. After VA42, the trail climbed to Laurel Creek. I intended to stay at the shelter here but felt strong and decided to push on to War Spur. The last 5.8 miles were off and on rocky, with a .5 mile traverse starting at VA601 which was particularly unpleasant.When I reached War Spur Shelter, Clarity and Science already were there, and Athena made it to the shelter after sundown and at dusk. My sleeping pad went flat and I had a rather miserable, highly uncomfortable and generally sleepless night.
Date: 2015-10-17
From: War Spur Shelter

To: Rice Field Shelter
Miles today: 25.3
Weather: clear sky

Treadway: 4/10Weather: Sunny and cold 1/10Stats:25.58 miles9:22:222.7 miles per hour 2133 c5931 feet up 4940 feet down 55460 stepsNarrative:A big day. Up at 6:45 am, on the trail at 7:00 am. I started hiking with all my clothes except my rain gear and then stopped after .7 miles to have breakfast on the trail after I had warmed up enough to tolerate cold fluids. Then I hiked another 1.1 miles before I felt warm enough to remove my thermals, sweater and puffy jacket. It was feeling like a Sierra morning, and it was looking like the San Gorgonio Wilderness with increasing air and light around me as the forest was thinning with the continued falling of leaves. I felt like I was starting to get into my element. The trail was off and on rocky throughout the day. It was windy at aptly named Wind Rock, and the trail was rough and not well maintained at the low section between Bailey Gap Shelter and Pine Swamp Shelter. At Pine Swamp, I stopped to hydrate and have lunch and ran into Kiwi Brucie, Molly Walker and Clarity. Then I began to climb the switchbacks leading to the top of the ridge, which the trail followed the rest of the day. About 20 miles into the trail, I reached Symms Gap and stopped to take scenic photos looking northeast. About 3.5 miles after that I reached the campsite with water and ran into Kiwi Brucie, Molly Walker and Clarity again. Then I hiked the last 1.6 miles to the shelter, which I shared with 6 section hikers who were very nice and not annoying like the big group which descended upon Bobblets. It was a cold, uncomfortable and generally sleepless night with a nonfunctional sleeping pad.
Date: 2015-10-19
From: Pearisburg

To: Woods Hole Hostel
Miles today: 11.1
Weather: clear sky

10/19/2015Treadway: 3/10Weather: Sunny and cold 1/10Stats:11.76 miles 3:37:363.2 miles per hour 947 c3225 feet up1833 feet down 26602 stepsNarrative:An easy slackpack. Called the post office at 7:30 am and thankfully they were holding my box. Then I called Woods Hole and was told I could leave my pack at the Holiday Lodge front desk and they would pick it up and take it to Woods Hole. With that plan now in place, I went to the Dairy Queen for breakfast and had a breakfast burrito, hash browns and coffee. After that, I went to the post office and waited for it to open at 9 am. When it opened, I collected my box and got my AT Passport stamped. The lady said she was away for two weeks and apologized that the box was not delivered to the hotel. I ran into Rivet and Skywalker at the Dairy Queen and the post office. After sorting through my box and mailing my old maps, I went to the Food Lion and bought cheese and Gatorade. Then I went to the hotel to drop off my pack and from there I started the hike. It was an easy .9 walk from the hotel to the trailhead on Cross. I ran into Molly Walker and Kiwi Brucie at the trailhead. It was a smooth and steady climb from there to Angels Rest. A bit below Angels Rest, I passed Clarity and Science. At Angels Rest, I took photos. After that the trail leveled out and for about a mile or so was rocky. Then it went back to smooth until the high point .9 past Docs Knob Shelter. Then it was mostly rocky the rest of the way to Sugar Run Gap, where I walked .5 to Woods Hole. During the hike I ran into Tangerine, who was sharing the shuttle with me while slacking north, and Eclipse, Relish and Athena. I arrived at Woods Hole around 1:30 pm and signed in and met Neville after claiming a bunk in the bunk room. I also met Working Class, who is hiking north from Springer. Neville came back with my pack around 5:00 pm, and I put on all my clothes to stay warm. Georgia arrived a little after that. Kiwi Brucie, Molly Walker, Rivet, Skywalker and Vicious also stayed the night. I ate a hunk of cheese and a loaf of bread while waiting for my pack, and for dinner we had salad, stir fry vegetables with steamed rice, peanut sauce and sausage meatballs, with cookies for dessert. It was delicious.
Date: 2015-10-20
From: Woods Hole Hostel

To: Jenny Knob Shelter
Miles today: 21.7
Weather: scattered clouds

10/20/2015Treadway: 4/10Weather: Sunny and cool 1/10Stats:22.02 miles 7:22:323.0 miles per hour 1843 c3605 feet up 4051 feet 46235 steps Narrative:It was not as cold in the bunkhouse as I anticipated. Breakfast at 7:30 am, eggs, bacon, bread, apple crisp and coffee. On the trail at 9:15 am. It was rocky the first six miles, then smooth for 8 miles after that, then half a mile of rocky, then smooth after that. Made it to the shelter around 6 pm. Georgia, Skywalker, Vicious and Rivet also stayed the night. We met section hikers Wall Street, Small Talk and Texas Pete. Small Talk provided us with excellent information on trail conditions ahead. All in all, this was a good day, with perfect weather and decent trail.
Date: 2015-10-21
From: Jenny Knob Shelter

To: Jenkins Shelter
Miles today: 25.0
Weather: clear sky

10/21/2015Treadway: 2/10Weather: Sunny and cool 1/10Stats:22.76 miles 7:13:393.2 miles per hour 1918 c4668 feet up 4760 feet down 48907 steps Narrative:The easiest 25-mile day I could possibly imagine. Up at 6:45 am, on the trail at 7:25 am. Hiked nonstop for 10.7 miles, then stopped for lunch, then hiked another 8.7 miles nonstop, then stopped for a second lunch, then hiked the last 5.3 miles into the shelter, arriving at 4:20 pm. Ran into Science and Athena on the trail. Georgia hitched in and out of Bland for Subway and still made it to the shelter well before sundown. Skywalker, Vicious, Rivet, Relish and Eclipse also spent the night. This was such an easy day, a real anomaly for the Appalachian Trail. I would not be so lucky the rest of the way to Damascus.
Date: 2015-10-22
From: Jenkins Shelter

To: Knot Maul Shelter
Miles today: 20.0

Treadway: 6/10Weather: Sunny and cool 1/10Stats:20.07 miles 7:24:402.7 miles per hour 1664 c5104 feet up 4708 feet down 45512 steps Narrative:As easy as yesterday was, today was hard. Up at 6:45 am, on the trail around 7:30 pm. It was cold overnight, so I began the day fully clothed and stripped layers for the first two miles. The first three miles or so we're all uphill and somewhat rocky, but not too bad. Then came the ridge walk from hell. Although it lasted for only four miles or so, it seemed to go on forever, and was quite dreadful. Uneven treadway, lots of rocks, and just when you were dying for it to end, there was another uphill section ahead. Finally, I left the ridge and descended to Walker Gap, where I could not find the water, so I pushed on and began the long climb up Chestnut Knob. About half a mile below the summit I bonked and stopped to eat a Snickers Bar. That got my blood sugar and energy up to manageable levels, and I resumed the climb to the top, where I stopped briefly to take photos of the shelter and surroundings. It was a lovely place, but I did not linger and instead pushed on. I began a field walk down the south slope, but it did not seem easy, and the turf felt strange and uneven. About 1.8 miles below the shelter I stopped for a good break at a spring and hydrated with Cytomax. That gave me a nice boost. Then I continued downhill, then had some up and down with off and on rocks the rest of the way. I was the first to arrive at the shelter, and Georgia arrived next. Everyone thought the ridge walk was quite dreadful. It did not get very cold that night.
Date: 2015-10-23
From: Knot Maul Shelter

To: Partnership Shelter
Miles today: 25.6
Weather: clear sky

Treadway: 4/10Weather: Sunny and warm 3/10Stats:26.55 miles 9:10:562.9 miles per hour 2182 c6289 feet up 5761 feet down 58338 steps Narrative:A big, productive day. Woke up at 6:45 am, on the trail around 7:30 am. It was smooth and easy all the way to Chatfield Shelter, then rocky the last 7 miles to Partnership. Three miles into the hike, there was trail magic, a cooler full of colas, and I helped myself to two of them. In Atkins, I picked up my resupply box at the Relax Inn, then had lunch at the Barn (1 lb cheeseburger, curly fries, onion rings and two 20 oz cups of Pepsi), then pushed on to Partnership. About 3 miles out of Atkins, I stopped at the restroom at the Settlers Museum and filled up on water. I arrived at Partnership around half an hour before sunset and shared the shelter with a section hiker who was starting a trip to Damascus. It did not get cold that night.
Date: 2015-10-24
From: Partnership Shelter

To: Old Orchard Shelter
Miles today: 23.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Treadway: 7/10Weather: Dark and gloomy 5/10Stats:23.94 miles8:05:503.0 miles per hour 2044 c5170 feet up 4333 feet down 49839 steps Narrative:This was a miserable day. Up at 6:35 am, on the trail around 7:20 am. It was nonstop rocks covered by leaves the whole day. Not exactly difficult, but horribly annoying. I had to take three hydration/nutrition breaks during the day to make it to the shelter. I listened to music in the hope that it would boost my energy level, but it did not. I made it to the shelter a little after 5 pm and felt beat when I arrived. I shared the shelter with two nice young ladies who were backpacking for the weekend. Unfortunately, we all learned that night that the shelter was seriously infested with rodents. More specifically, mice chewed through my food bag during the night and got into my Fritos and Cheese Its. But I got off lucky- the mice chewed holes through the packs of the young ladies, and they were understandably upset to learn this at 4 am that night. Memo to AT community: Old Orchard Shelter sucks, don't stay there! On a more positive note, this is where I read Spark's fascinating entry in the shelter register about George Bailey and It's a Wonderful Life.
Date: 2015-10-25
From: Old Orchard Shelter

To: Lost Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 23.6
Weather: overcast clouds

Treadway: 5/10Weather: Dark and gloomy with light rain 5/10Stats:23.03 miles8:29:132.7 miles per hour 1907 c4389 feet up 5062 feet down 45984 steps Narrative:The weather was much better than I anticipated. Up at 6:35 am, on the trail at approximately 7:20 am. The trail continued to be rocky for about a mile out of the shelter, then was smooth the rest of the way to Wise Shelter. Two tenths of a mile past Wise, I stopped at a stream to hydrate and met a weekend hiker who had a nice little dog which was shivering. The hiker said it was a rescue dog his girlfriend gave him, and that the dog had a history of anxiety issues. The dog had such sad eyes, but I know he had a master who loved him and was taking care of him, and it made me feel better to know that. I then began the climb up to the Grayson Highlands, where I saw five wild ponies but not much else because I was in a cloud essentially the entire day above 4,000 feet. The trail continued to climb and became rocky as I transitioned to an alpine tundra while continuing to climb. About half a mile below Thomas Knob Shelter, I shimmied through two rock faces so close together they practically were kissing (see photo). It was cold, windy, exposed and dreary, but I liked it and the hike reminded me of my visit to the Cairngorms and Ben Nevis in Scotland more than 20 years ago. At Thomas Knob, I took a short break and met some local hikers out for the weekend, all of whom were very nice to me. Then I began my descent, which was off and on rocky but not too difficult, and when I reached Highway 601 it was up and down and fairly easy to Lost Mountain Shelter. There, I was pleased to see Ramrod, Fireman, Gravity and Snow, and I was further pleased to meet Highlander from New Jersey and Nino from Kalamazoo. We talked about Spark's register entry at Old Orchard about It's a Wonderful Life and George Bailey, and I shared my own thoughts on how George was different from us thru-hikers. It was great seeing everyone again. It did not get very cold that night.