morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2003-06-08
From: Iron Mountain Gap

To: Roan High Knob Shelter
Miles today: 12.5
Weather: light rain

Well, Max ended up going home. He hurt his knee going down Mt. Unaka. I was disappointed to see him leave. He did have a good first day before he got hurt. I got to stay a third and final night at Miss Janets after Max got squared away. I was getting sick of being in Erwin. Miss Janet has this big screen TV right in her living room that seems to mezmerize hikers for days on end. I couldn't stand it no more so I got back on the trail ASAP.Today was a shorter day for me. However, I did climb Roan Mountain -- the groan over Roan. It was the worst climb of the trip. It was certainly one of the steepest slopes. Roan is the last 6000+ mtn. until New Hampshire. Roan is very similar to the mountains in the smokies. There are many pine trees and moss on the top of the mountain. It was neat watching the trees change from decidous hardwoods into a deep, dark thicket of moss and pine trees. Tonight, I'm staying with Q-tip, Butter, Troutman, and Rodent. Rodent took a good picture of Troutman and me at Roan High Knob Shelter. Roan High Knob Shelter is the highest shelter on the AT at over 6200 feet. Today was a good day with good company. Most of the impossible uphills are now over for a little while.POEM, JUNE 8, 2003THE CLIMB UP ROAN BLUFFStarting from the poplarsWas the foot of Roan.The trail wound around and aroundLeading into the trees.Once the climb beganOne's sense of orientation was goneDue to the canopy of green.Only the trail led the way.Through the poplars the trail crossedBack and forthBack and forthUp the hill.The poplars were pines.The forrest smells were different.The air was damp and cold.Mist came across the trail    as clouds passed around the mountain.
Date: 2003-06-08
From: Damascus, VA

To: Damascus, VA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Right now I'm entering my journal from a hot tub. It's crazy. My Dad rented a small place outside Damascus with 3 bedrooms, kitchen, and a bathroom with a hot tub. The other dads that were visiting hikers on the trail staid at campsites. I guess I got lucky. This is the type of thing that I've read about in in those AT books that lead people to quit hiking the trail because they got too comfortable. Tomorrow, I'm planning on getting around 15 miles in before going to sleep. Dad's got to go home to get back to work. It was nice seeing him. Today we drove up to the Grayson Highlands about 20 miles from where we're supposed to be staying. We must have seen 5 deer and several great view at the Highlands today. Now I just have to get myself back into hiking mode for Virginia!
Date: 2003-06-09
To: Tent Site Near Big Pine Mtn, TN
Miles today: 23.3

This day was one of the best days I've had on the trail. Q-tip, Butter, and me began hiking at Roan High Knob. Surprisingly, Roan Mountain is followed by a number of beautiful balds. I think Roan is better than the Smokies in terms of views. After getting down to TN19E from Roan I got into some farmlands where I saw a mother horse and her colt. The little colt came up to me and I petted it for a while. I'm sure that he was used to getting food from other hikers. I arrived at camp at dark around 9. I set up my tarp and went soundly to sleep.
Date: 2003-06-10
From: Tent Site Near Big Pine Mtn, TN

To: Kincora Hikers Hostel
Miles today: 15.0

I was tired today. My legs were shot after my 23 milers yesterday. Today was not eventful other than the massive number of small ups and downs which didn't appear on the map. It was fairly tough. Most of the day, I ended up hiking by myself. It was the hottest day on the trail yet. Tonight, I'm quite tired, so I'll probably keep my journal short. I'm at the Kincora Hiker's Hostel at Dennis Cove, TN. The hostel is only 0.2 miles west of the AT so it's not out of the way. Bob Peoples runs the hostel and rooms hikers for a $4 donation. It's a great deal. Bob has people maintaining sections around his hostel. Many of the hikers who stay at the hostel take some time off to help Bob maintain his section of the trail. In fact, if someone is in distress on his section of trail, he will mobilize all the hikers in his hostel to help find the lost person. I thought that was interesting. Fortunately, there were no problems while I was there. I'm looking forward to Damascus. A few of the other hikers are looking to do the Damascus Challenge which is hiking the last 40 miles into Damascus under 24 hours. I ended up meeting a south-bound flip-flopper named Kismet at Kincora. She cooked up a great (and free) breakfast before I left. There are 50 miles between me and Damascus. I may try the Damascus Challenge.
Date: 2003-06-11
From: Kincora Hikers Hostel

To: Watauga Lake Shelter
Miles today: 10.5
Weather: overcast clouds

Things were short today. We only did 10.5 miles which put us at the starting point for he Damascus Challenge. I'm a little nervous about doing the Damascus Challenge, becuase I've never done more than 23 miles in one day. The plan is to wake up at 3AM tomorrow morning and begin hiking until we arrive. Today, my feet hurt after only 10 miles. Kismet did make a great breakfast that morning at the Kincora Hostel. I no longer think of food as tasty, but rather, as fuel like fuel for an automobile. Kismet's food was definitely high octane. It was great. When I finish the trail, I would like to some day return to Kincora to help Bob maintain his section of trail. Things are all set for Dad visiting me in Damascus. I'm looking forward to seeing him and pig. I sure hope I can finish the Damascus Challenge tomorrow.
Date: 2003-06-12
From: Watauga Lake Shelter

To: Damascus, VA
Miles today: 40.0
Weather: light rain

Without a doubt, today's hike was the most physically challenging thing I've ever done. Today I hiked with Q-tip and Butter. We began the the day at 3AM at Watauga Lake Shelter at 3AM. We ended up beginning the Damascus Chellenge at 4:30AM. That morning I felt terrible. I was moving real slow. Most of the morning, I thought I wasn't going to make it. I decided by Vendeventer Shelter that I was not going further than Double Spring shelter and finish the day up at 4PM going a total of 23 miles. Fortunately, the majority of the hiking that day was over level ridgetop with no rocks. I arrived at Double Springs around 3 in the afternoon during a pouring thunderstorm. It looked like I jumped into a swimming pool. It was awful. I met up with Q-tip and Butter at the shelter and they were dry of course. We began hiking on at 4 to complete the Damascus Challenge. We ended up hauling ass our last 10 miles to beat the dark. We did about 7 miles in the two hours before it got dark, and we night hiked the last 3 into Damascus. My feet really didn't bother me until the last 3 miles. It was one of the longest and most amazing days of my life.
Date: 2003-06-15
From: Damascus, VA

To: Lost Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 15.8
Weather: overcast clouds

I got to see Dad today on Father's day. It was nice being able to see hime. I gave hime a AT hat. Today's hike wasn't that bad. I started out climbing out of Damascus. I passed by the Virginia Creeper trail a couple of times today. The Creeper is a bike pathwhich was constructed on an old railroad line which crossed through the area. Most people who ride on the Virginia Creeper trail start uphill and cruise down to Damascus. The AT follows the trail in about three places, but was walking uphill the direction I was going today. Tomorrow, I begin the climb up towards Mt. Rogers. It looks tough.
Date: 2003-06-16
From: Lost Mountain Shelter

To: Old Orchard Shelter
Miles today: 22.0
Weather: light rain

The day started out with a nice climb up to Buzzard Knob and finished with a big thunderstorm as I headed to Old Orchard Shelter. This was the day that I got to see some of the most beautiful sights in Virginia. It began with Buzzard Knob and continued as I climbed higher up to Mount Rogers. Once I reached Mount Rogers, it was all open until I left Grayson Highlands Stat Park. It was rocky in the highlands. So, I couldn't help but think that I was up in New England - maybe the Whites. After I finished hiking the Grayson Highlands it began to pour down rain. It was the wetest its been yet on the trail. The nice thing about the rain, though, is that it keeps the temperatures down. It was rumored there were rats in Old Orchard shelter, bet we had no problems.
Date: 2003-06-17
From: Old Orchard Shelter

To: Partnership Shelter
Miles today: 24.7
Weather: light rain

After hiking today's 24.7 miles, my feet really hurt. They are nice and swollen now. There really was nothing spectacular about today's hike other than Partnership shelter. I hiked in the green tunnel all day long. There really was not much rain. There's a chance of it the next couple of days. It seems like it's rained so much since I got started. I feel like I've gotten used to the rain - all except the downpours. Partnership shelter is nice because of the amenities. The pizza company near here delivers up here. The guys are eating pizza right now. The shelter has running water and a shower. However, the shower water was only lukewarm. I got out and froze. Tomorrow, I'm planning on staying in a hote.
Date: 2003-06-18
From: Partnership Shelter

To: Rural Retreat, VA
Miles today: 11.6

The day went by fairly fast. (I must admit that I'm writing this entry a couple of days late) Once again, I walked through a couple of pastures. Farmland is a fairly common sight here in southern Virginia. Unfortunately, the trail becomes a cattle trail with its fair share of cowpies. What happens is that you end up hiking to a fence and climb a ladder into a pasture area with cattle. The trail crosses in and out of private lands here in Virginia. The trail is still public property, but you cannot stray outside the berm - which I believe is 100 yards, but it didn't seem like that at all in the pastures. It seems like you were walking down a cowpath. This night we stayed at a little motel near I-81, and we ate at a little place called the Barn just up the street. Getting food along the trail has been no problem because of nearby groceries and restaurants.
Date: 2003-06-19
From: Rural Retreat, VA

To: Knot Maul Branch Shelter
Miles today: 13.9
Weather: broken clouds

Most of today was spent hiking in the green tunnel. The day did start, however, going through more cow pastures. At one point, I came across a big bull. Since I'm now wearing a red Hawaiian shirt, I became quite nervous that he would charge. So, I quickly pulled my shirt around off my arms and chest. My shirt was open so it wasn't too hard to hide it. I think the bull was a steer because he showed no interest in me. When I got to the shelter, I met up with Moose and Dogman. Glutonous Monk and Tucker left at the same time as I did today. They were at the shelter too.
Date: 2003-06-20
From: Knot Maul Branch Shelter

To: Jenkins Shelter
Miles today: 19.0
Weather: scattered clouds

This morning I awoke to hear Dogman cursing. It was pouring down rain and he decided to pitch a tent because he thought it would be a nice night. It was kind of funny. Unfortunately for him, the rain stopped right after he packed up and left this morning. This year has been a very rainy year. I saw in the paper before leaving Rural Retreat that SW Virginia has 8.5 inches of excess rain for the year. The hike today started off with some nice climbs. The biggest was a 2000 fiit ckunv yo ti Chestnut Ridge. After the rain let up, the day became beautiful. So, the climb was well worth it. I took a couple of pictures of Moose and me up on Chestnut Ridge. Oce we climbed to the top, we began a decent down to the ridgeline which was long and rocky. Finally, we decended down to Jenkins Shelter for the night. Today we broke the 1/4 way mark for the AT.
Date: 2003-06-21
From: Jenkins Shelter

To: Bland, VA
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: broken clouds

This morning Dogman sat around camp naked for an hour. It was very cold out despite being the first day of summer. Last night the temperatures got down into the 40's! Moose and I got off to a late start at 11AM. The hiking was gairly easy except Wolf Creek which was flooded. Moose and I spent some time throwing rocks into the creek where the trail crossed. Never the less, our feet still got wet. Moose can really move if he wants to, but shin splints have been slowing him down. The elevation change was insignificant for most of the day. We ended up making fairly good time. Tonight we are staying in Bland, VA with another thru-hiker. I'll call him George Z because I can't remember his real name. We stayed for free. He and his wife offers free room and breakfast to fellow thru-hikers in the area. He is a retired Lutheran minister, and his wife is an active Lutheran minister. They both were really very nice people. It was nice running into them.
Date: 2003-06-22
From: Bland, VA

To: Dismal Creek Falls, VA
Miles today: 20.0

Well, the stay with George Z was great. He recommended that we make a stop at Dismal Creek Falls for the night. So we did. Everything was good at the falls. I took a nice picture of them. There were a couple of strange locals down by the falls. I thought I heard dueling banjos start up. They were strange. Once again, Moose and I were hiking together. We did manage to pick up some beer and hot dogs at a local gas station near the falls. So we had fun.
Date: 2003-06-22
From: Dismal Creek Falls, VA

To: Pearisburg, VA
Miles today: 24.0
Weather: clear sky

Honestly, nothing too exciting happened today. I'm still hiking with Moose. I passed a guy named Sage that I've been hiking on and off with since Georgia. His girlfriend came down to visit him, and I ended up seeing them at a nice outcropping overlooking the New River valley. They are both from Massachusetts. They are probably in their early twenties. Originally, Moose and I were not planning to hike all the way into Pearisburg, but we were feeling pretty good around 7 o'clock so we rolled into Pearisburg. We came down a steep descent of Pearis mountain at night and came into town around 11.
Date: 2003-06-24
From: Pearisburg, VA

To: Rice Field Shelter
Miles today: 7.8
Weather: clear sky

Going... Going ... Gone. The sun just finished setting as I sit here atop Peters Mtn. Just north of Pearisburg. Moose and I decided against taking a zero day in Pearisburg to hit the Rice Field Shelter instead. I think it was a great idea. Well, in town today I did most of my normal town things - buy groceries, internet, laundry, eat, and eat more. I guess I hit the trail this evening around 5:30 and made it to the shelter by 8:30. Just in time to catch the sunrise. It was great. I just took a picture of dusk from the mountain. Everything is going great now on the hike. The weather is better and the miles are increasing. The scenery is still great. Oh, the mosquitos are terrible. I hope I don't get West Nile. Tomorrow looks like another great day.
Date: 2003-06-25
From: Rice Field Shelter

To: Bailey Gap shelter
Miles today: 16.2
Weather: clear sky

Moose and I started out the day ridgewalking Peters Mtn. There really was not much water on the ridge so I ended up carrying extra water (and extra weight). We stopped after about 13 miles out of the last shelter to cook some dinner. Shortly after eating, 10 kids filled up the shelter with all of their junk. It was annoying but Moose and I planned to move on. Before we left, the kids and chaperones left the shelter to go swimming. So Moose and I stole one of their Dr. Peppers. We found out that the shelter was right next to a road. Just now, a section hiker pulled in out of the dark. It looks like he'll be joining Moose and I here tonight at Baily Gap shelter. The shelter is not so great. It's full of mice. Evidently, a couple of the guys we've been traveling with made it to the last shelter. I hope they like hanging out with all the obnoxious kids.
Date: 2003-06-26
From: Bailey Gap shelter

To: Sarver Hollow Shelter
Miles today: 21.0
Weather: scattered clouds

I've found that there are many big ups and downs in Central Virginia. I had the chance to do 2 of them today. Evidently, the Roanoke ATC likes to build its section of AT straight up the side of the mountain. Besides the big uphills, every thing was fairly nice today. The hiking is typically a 2000 foot climb, ridge walking for 5 to 10 miles, a 2000 foot drop, then a valley walk for a couple of miles, and finally another climb to start the cycle over again. There were two neat things I saw today on the hike. The first was a big rattlesnake about 4 1/2 feet long which Moose came across on the trail. I got a picture of him. The second neat thing was a 300 year old white oak with an 18 foot girth. The oak would have been more neat if it wasn't next to a cow pasture. I made it to the shelter around 8 and stayed with fellow thru-hikers Moose, Butter, and Nuge.
Date: 2003-06-27
From: Sarver Hollow Shelter

To: Four Pines Hostel
Miles today: 22.0
Weather: broken clouds

Moose and I again did some hiking together today. Usually, we will start out together, but he usually gets up ahead fairly quickly since he has a faster pace. So, most of my day is spent hiking alone which is fine with me. Originally, we were only going to hike about 16. Moose was felling good so we continued on to the Four Pines Hostel where we met up with a bunch of other hikers including Nuge and Butter. Today's hike was again not too eventful except for the big bear I came across. He was probably around 200 lbs.When I saw hime, I started making a bunch of noise, but he started coming towards me. I was pretty scared. After the bear, I made the climb up to Dragons Tooth. Coming down was interesting because I had to climb using my hands in a number of spots. More than once my hiking poles saved my knees and ankles on the big rocks. Virginia is turning out to be quite rocky.
Date: 2003-06-28
From: Four Pines Hostel

To: Campbell Shelter
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: light rain

Moose and I went 6 miles on the AT until we came to Catawba. We ate a huge meal at Homeplace restaurant. It was great. We met up with a few other hikers and chowed down the all-you-can-eat (AYCE) home cooking. After the meal we hitched back to the trail around 8. From there we climbed McCaffe's Knob after dark. McCaffe's is truly one of the better views in Virginia. It was a great felling getting up there even at night. When we got up there, no one was there except good ole Butter. He had been there for four hours that evening just journalling and relaxing. It was a great day!!!
Date: 2003-06-29
From: Campbell Shelter

To: Dalveille, VA
Miles today: 15.1

Moose and humped it out to get to Daleville today. Other than the views from Tinker Cliffs, the day was long and hot. I'm glad we left early. Moose had to meet up with an old friend this afternoon in Daleville, because he's going back home to DC to see a Pearl Jam concert. I probably won't see him again in a long time, because he's getting off for four days. I made it to the Best Western for the night. Daleville is basically a big rest stop for interstate 81. So I'm looking to get out of here already - that is once I get new shoes. My old onces have sort of run out. Well, another thru-hiker named Mule is here with me tonight. He's leaving the trail tommorrow to go back to NYC for school. I'm going to miss these guys, but oh well. The trail goes on!!!
Date: 2003-06-30
From: Dalveille, VA

To: Fullhardt Knob Shelter
Miles today: 5.0
Weather: broken clouds

I didn't get much mileage today. I spent more time hanging around town to see a few people off that were leaving the trail. Tucker is leaving to go back to New Hampshire to make money for his senior year in college. I heard before starting the trail that many people end up leaving in central Virginia. I guess it true. Moose and Nuge are going home for a couple of days. I hope both make it back. The mosquitos continue to be bad. The recent rainfall has made them abundant. Tonight was the first time I've had to put on deet. Ticks are getting worse too. I got new shoes today. I picked up a pair of Montrail Javas. I'll have to update trailjournals with a picture. THey should be a little more sturdy on rocks than my Nike trail runners. Today I ate my first trail raspberrys. They were great. I think all the rain is going to help out the berries. I'm looking forward to eating more.
Date: 2003-07-02
From: Bryant Ridge Shelter

To: Thunder Hill Shelter
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: light rain

After a big 27 mile day, I ended up doing just 10. A remnant of a tropical storm known as Bill came through and is supposed to dump 3-5 inches of rain. It feels more like 10 inches have fallen already. Today I climbed over the highest point on the AT until New Hampshire. Apple Orchard Mountain is 4225 feet high. I did notice that in the next week I'll be climbing several peaks which get close to 4000 feet. It's funny to think that just 4 days ago the temperatures were in the 90's, and now its cool, windy, and rainy up here on the mountain. I saw my first buck today. His antlers were still covered with velvet.
Date: 2003-08-17
From: Telephone Pioneers Shelter, NY

To: Kent, CT
Miles today: 21.6

I'm in New England! I arrived in Kent,CT and am only a few days behind schedule. It was nice getting out of New York, but I did receive the best Trail Magic of the trip in New York so far, so I am sure I'll miss it. Yesterday's hike was not too special I guess. We ended up crossing a covered bridge that George Washington crossed over a couple of times. It was called Bulls Bridge and it is on the Housatonic River near the CT/NY border. We finished up the day with a series of tough climbs on top of a mountain ridge. Right now, I'm hiking with Mitch (aka Big Bird) and Fallback Dan. I'm looking forward to getting to Massachusetts.
Date: 2003-04-26
To: View Entry
Miles today: 131.0

Crazy milesMy name is Iron Toothpick and I'm addicted to hiking. Every day is a 20+ day now. A few days I went past the 300 mark, today I'm over 400. I keep thinking I need to slow down, but since I feel good, I keep going.The fog lifted this morning for a while. I was able to get some pics of the cool barn/shelter on the way out.Then the fog and wind returned. Whatever. While hiking over the Roan Highlands it cleared up a bit. The Roan Highlands is a huge field with rolling hills, at 5,000 feet. It is covered with grass so you can see, unobstructed by trees, into the valleys below.It also is used for grazing cattle. I wouldn't have thought that grazing cattle would be a big deal, but today it was. These things were sporting huge horns. And there were calfs. This didn't smell good. I decided to go around them, except I was surounded by them. The hills and the fog had concealed them as I walked in.After a bunch of nervous standing around, they finally moved a bit. Since it was a field, I just went the long way around the small herd.Later in the day I encountered trail relocation. Sometimes they need to move the trail, and when they do they post a map, and tell about the new section of trail. Today five miles were replaced my 7.5. Not a big deal I thought.It became a bit of a concern when I thought I was out of the new section, but things weren't agreeing with the data book. I became real miserable. I didn't know where I was. I wasn't lost, the white blazes told me I was on the AT, I just wasn't sure where I was.I was planning to setup camp when All Right showed up. He was at Miss Janets, and has been at the last two shelters. Every night he complains about the long day so I figure I won't see him again.All Right was out of water and delerious. For some reason I started hiking with him even though it was getting late. After a short bit we were at the shelter, which I didn't expect. Being at the shelter meant we had done more than 27 miles.My feet and legs were complaining after today, especially my heel and achiles.It is 6 miles into the hostel. I might make it a short day to give my feet a rest. I'll still be in Damascas before the end of the month which isn't so bad.My full on-line journal is at:http://mywebpages.comcast.net/aharrah/