morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2021-04-21
From: Boots Off Hostel

To: The Rabbit Hole
Miles today: 20.5
Weather: clear sky

We had a nice stay at Boots Off Hostel last night. The place is very rustic, but very clean. We rented a tiny green cabin that sleeps three. It had a mini fridge, small coffee pot, and heat, so we had all the necessities. The outdoor showers were interesting. The water flowed into a tub above your head and the water drained out of the tub through a bunch of small holes that were punched in it. It was crude but it worked fine.The weather forecast for today was pretty lousy, with slight rain, temps in the upper 30's to low 40's, and winds at 15-20 mph, gusting to 35. Most hikers were taking a zero today, just hunkering down where they were. I decided to slackpack(just carry food, water, and a little extra clothing). That's the luxury of having Lucy driving the chase car.  So I hiked a bunch of miles on relatively easy terrain. It didn't rain that much, but the cold and wind showed up as advertised. Nonetheless, it wasn't so bad. We decided to stay in another hostel tonight, The Rabbit Hole, to stay warm and dry.
Date: 2021-04-22
From: The Rabbit Hole

To: Tent Site South of Damascas
Miles today: 20.8
Weather: clear sky

We stayed at at The Rabbit Hole hostel last night. That wasn't our original plan but it was turning colder and we wanted to escape the below freezing temperatures. The bunkhouse was packed but we were able to secure two top bunks. The place was kind of rustic, but it was a good place to get out of the elements. It had a open air shower that was quite an experience in the cold temps. The hardest part of taking the shower was turning the hot water off to dry off. Aquaman would have loved it though.The most interesting thing about the place was that the owners didn't wear any shoes. They walked around in the cold on stones and other uneven terrain in their bare feet. They also drove in their bare feet. It was like we were in Fred Flintstone land.Today we crossed into Virginia. That wasn't our original plan either. We wanted to take it a bit easy and find a place to stay in Damascas, VA tomorrow night. But there's an ultramarathon in town and there were no rooms available at the dozen or so hostels/inns in town. So, we decided to get as close to town as possible with the intent of stopping in town tomorrow for a good meal and then traveling north to the a shelter outside of town. We found a tent site on a hill just 0.2 miles south of town and set up camp there. At that site we camped beside a nice young lady called Alaska and her beautiful husky pup. Alaska is going to be a National Park Ranger. She's already spent a lot of time at Denali Park in Alaska and intends to make that her home for a while after she's done hiking.Anyhow, we're glad to be in Virginia. Three states down, eleven to go. Virginia is a big one though. There are something like 550 miles of trail in this state.
Date: 2021-04-23
From: Tent Site South of Damascas

To: Lost Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 16.9
Weather: clear sky

We got up early this morning and headed into Damascas, getting in town just before 8:00. Damascas is called "Trail Town USA.". It is a relatively small town but it has three outfitters to support hikers and bikers, it has a bunch of hostels and inns (none of which had any rooms as mentioned in yesterday's post). The trail goes right through the center of town just like it does in Hot Springs, NC.  But the biggest thing that happens in Damascas is Trail Days, which occurs for a couple days in mid-May. During this event past and present thru-hikers gather together for a big celebration. People wear silly clothes in preparation for the marquee event -- the parade of hikers through town. During this parade the locals throw water on all the hikers because they smell so bad. Many hikers that have already hiked through the town get shuttle rides back to town for the celebration.  So, we hiked into Damascas. We stopped at the post office to pick up a package that our daughter Kelly had sent to us containing my summer sleeping bag, which I won't use for a little while, new shoes, and a couple other things. Then we were off to Mojo's Restaurant for a big breakfast. We spent a lot of time there. I wanted to stuff as many calories of real food as possible into me. I know I'm not getting enough calories. I've lost some weight, maybe 10-15 pounds or so, and I need to arrest that somehow. It's hard to not lose weight when you're burning 4000-5000 calories per day.  It was good to lose some excess fat, but I'm pretty sure I'm also losing muscle. And I didn't have much of that in the first place. Soon I'll be negative in that department.I received a call today from Bruce and Ken fro my old work place. It was good to hear from them. It seems like so long ago that I retired but it's only been 5 weeks.I hiked out of town around 11:00. I arrived at the shelter much later than usual, around 7:00 PM. Lucy was already there, as she hiked in a few miles from the north. A trail angel was there bearing gifts of beer and smores. A great combination that I was glad to partake in. More empty calories for starving hikers.
Date: 2021-04-24
From: Lost Mountain Shelter

To: Massie Gap
Miles today: 16.0
Weather: clear sky

Surprise.... I've been telling Tom since the beginning of our hike that when we get to the wild ponies.....I want to hike the area to find them. This picture was so hard to get. Of course, ....the pony was grazing before the rain that was predicted for the day. He/she had no time for me and our selfie.  I had to crawl along to get this shot!! I can't imagine what that pony was thinking of this stupid human crawling along just for a pic. But it made my day. :)On another nature note, For the first time in my life, I actually saw 2 wild male turkeys on the back roads of VA. I noticed their beards first (while they were crossing the road) then the bright red waddles. They were big Tom's.Tom on the other hand, hike 16 miles today in a driving rain w/ up to 30mph wind gusts. It was on the highest mountain in VA (Mt Rodgers). The temp was hovering around 37°  As crazy as this was, I was so happy to find him on the trail in a cloud. Literally!! It didn't take much to convince him to drive an hour to the next town to get a hot shower, and warm bed for the night. Looking forward to warmer weather. Today was a cold one!
Date: 2021-04-25
From: Massie Gap

To: VA 603
Miles today: 9.8
Weather: light rain

Yesterday's hike took it's toll on me. It was cold, rainy, and very windy with very rocky terrain in the Mt Rogers area. By the time I hooked up with Lucy at Massie Gap I was very cold and wet. Rain gear can only do so much. We had originally intended to set up our tent in the area, but we decided to find a hostel or hotel to get dried off and warm. Most of the other hikers were doing the same.  We found a room in a budget motel in Marion, VA  The room was clean and the hot shower was very welcome. However, by night time both Lucy and I were beginning to get sinus congestion. By morning we both had sinus headaches. I think there was mold, dust mites or some other airborne disease in that room. We're trying to treat it with over-the-counter drugs for now. We'll see how that goes.The hike today was a bit shorter than usual because of the long day yesterday. I started in the Grayson Highlands, where I stopped yesterday, and hiked down to one of the gaps. I was still in the clouds and wind in the Grayson Highlands as the picture shows. By the end of the day the trail became easier and the sun made an appearance. The next few days are supposed to be warm and sunny ... a very welcome change.
Date: 2021-04-26
From: VA 603

To: VA 601
Miles today: 18.1
Weather: clear sky

While hiking I got a call from Asa, our 5 year old grandson. Here's the conversation:Me: "Hello"Asa: "Where's Aquaman?"Me: "I don't know, bud. I haven't seen him in more than a week"Asa: "Oh" (disappointed)Me: "Who's your favorite superhero?"Asa: "Spiderman. Do you think Aquaman knows Spiderman?"Me: 'Yep. I'm sure he does"Asa: "OK. Bye"Short and sweet. No idle conversation with Asa.At the hostel where we stayed last night, the owner recommended using an organic concoction of grapefruit seed extract, which they had on hand, to treat our decongestion. Per their recommendation, Lucy added exactly 33 drops of the stuff to a bottle of water and drank it down. By this morning the decongestion had mostly gone away. Pretty good stuff I think. If we would have added eye of newt I bet the cure would have been instant.The hike today wasn't bad at all. The weather was great and there were no major ups or downs. Maybe this is the "easier" Virginia I've been told about. We'll hold off a few more days before we make that verdict. Lucy enjoyed handing out food and water to a number of hikers. They were surprised that Lucy had driven up the narrow dirt road to do that and they were very appreciative.
Date: 2021-04-27
From: VA 601

To: Davis Hollow
Miles today: 17.1
Weather: overcast clouds

The trail today climbed over Shade Mountain and then made a long descent. The trail condition was pretty good in general, though a bit ocky. After about 15 miles I met up with Lucy at a truck stop near Rt 81. There we waited for Cakes. Lucy had prearranged giving him a ride to Marion, VA to get his broken glasses fixed and to resupply.While he was doing that we went to a local restaurant, Sur 81, and ordered a huge burito. It tasted great but it was more than I could handle. I'm still trying to get enough calories. We picked up Cakes, drove back to the truck stop, and hiked a couple more miles.Tonight we're camping near a cow pasture Grumpy Cat (age 13), Jump Rope (age 9 1/2), Bobo (age 8 1/2), and their Mom Turtle. They've been out for over a month and have hiked over 300 miles! They were in great spirits and really seemed to be enjoying the trip.
Date: 2021-04-28
From: Davis Hollow

To: Campsite near VA 625
Miles today: 18.1
Weather: overcast clouds

I reached the trail marker today indicating 1/4 of the trail completed. A big milestone. It's time to take stock of progress/issues to date.Trail Angel : Lucy has transported dozens of hikers to local towns, and she has handed out water and food to many more hikers. She has also hiked quite a few miles. I'll meet hikers I haven't seen before on the trail and ask me if I know Chaser. Then they'll say she's awesome. I'll tell them. Yep, I know that.Gear: Our gear is holding up well so far with only a few issues. The first issue was Lucy's cell phone was badly cracked early into the hike. It's still barely functional. We're looking forward to finding an Xfinity store as we head north to replace it. I also lost my little titanium shovel for digging a poop hole.  I left it at a place in the woods where I made a deposit. That thing was too expensive to replace. I've been using the heel of my shoe and my hiking pole to dog a hole and it works fine.Weight: When I started the hike I weighed 181 lbs. Now I'm at 167. Almost all hikers lose weight, especially male hikers for some reason. I've been taking a protein supplement and I'm trying to eat as many calories as possible. It's hard to replace the 4000-5000 calories I'm burning every day. Hopefully I'll stop losing weight soon.Health: I haven't had any major aches or pains so far. Early on I has some minor issues with my right knee. But all is fine now. Every day my feet usually hurt by the end of the day, especially if there's a lot of downhill and/or rocks. I talked to other hikers and they have the same issues. After a good night sleep the feet are ready to go again. I've been experimenting with different types of insoles including the stock insoles that came with the shoes, Superfeet insoles, Easy Feet insoles, and Dr Scholl's. The Dr Scholl's have worked out best for me and they were the least expensive.Food: the backpacker meals from Mountainhouse are starting to get old. We sometimes mix other ingredients with them for variety, but it doesn't help much. I'm tired of the protein sawdust bars too. I think I'll try to carry more 'normal' food like fruit and maybe some packaged meats. It will be heavier but I'll enjoy it more. I'm still carrying peanut butter. I don't think I'll ever get tired if that.
Date: 2021-04-29
From: Campsite near VA 625

To: Jenkins Shelter
Miles today: 14.6
Weather: light rain

We really enjoyed the time we spent in Marion, VA. Marion is not directly on the trail, but you can get a short shuttle ride to town from multiple trail intersections. The town is big enough to support multiple small motels, a WalMart a couple grocery stores, an outfitter, post office, and just about anything else a hiker would need. We particularly enjoyed a couple restaurants there. The first one, called Sur 81, has breakfast, lunch, and dinner food at reasonable prices. They serve large portions and the service was great.The second restaurant was called Moon Dog.  It has really good bar food including pizza, grinders, and other similar item cooked in a brick oven. They also had a large selection of craft beer. A great place to eat and enjoy a good meal off the trail. If we ever make it back here, we'll have some good places to go.
Date: 2021-04-30
From: Jenkins Shelter

To: VA 611
Miles today: 20.1
Weather: heavy intensity rain

The trail was nice to us today. The trail surface was smooth with few rocks or tree roots to deal with. They're we're ups and downs as usual, but it wasn't bad at all. I made pretty good time. By 12:30 I had traveled more than 11 miles, arriving at Brushy Mountain Outpost, which is right on the edge of the trail. I met Lucy there.I had a big bacon cheeseburger. A half pound of beef and many strips of bacon for only 6 bucks. I also got a mound of fries for another 2. That was good stuff, but their feature was the Mountain Burger .... A half inch thick slab of fried balogna with all the fixings. The next step up from that is the Deluxe Mountain Burger ... a half inch slab of balogna and a half pound of ground beef. I think that would have put me into cardiac arrest.After that we were back on the trail. The plan was for Lucy to drive north and hike south to meet me at mile point 599. When I arrived there the wind was very strong and tree limbs we're coming down. The forecast was for gusts up to 50 mph through the night. After conversing with Lucy we made a wise decision ( unusual, I know) to head north another mile and a half to take shelter in the truck for the night. Well, Lucy actually made the decision. But I was there for it, so I'm taking credit. Along the way we crossed the 600 mile marker.
Date: 2021-05-01
From: VA 611

To: Wapiti Shelter
Miles today: 17.6
Weather: clear sky

Today (Sat.) was a long stretch of a hike for me. I did 8 miles one way to Wapiti Shelter. The hike itself was easy and somewhat flat--not much elevation gain or decent. My kind of hiking!! Along the way we met a few people who told us the shelter was haunted. Some wack-a-doodle killed 2 hikers there in the 80's. I was just glad that when we arrived another person was there too...Charlie. He seemed easy going.  It was nice to learn he was from Pittsburgh. Our overnight was uneventful. Sooo looking forward to my 1st shower in 7 days, it was my fastest hike back to the truck in the morning to get to our next hostel Woods Hole.On a funny note, I tried to do a snot rocket. I was alone,  hiking,  feeling pretty confident and thought ....I'd give it a try. Without further discussion,  lets just say that it won't ever be tried by me again...what a mess!On the nature front, I came across a very dirty puddle and it was filled with tadpoles and a frog. Karis & Jadon (our grandchildren), here is my "I spy" for you (and those reading)....can you find the snake in the tree trunk? It caught the corner of my eye as i was passing by. And I took the picture.  OXOX Grandma
Date: 2021-05-02
From: Wapiti Shelter

To: Narrows Rd
Miles today: 19.0
Weather: clear sky

We met up with Lightening Rod yesterday at the shelter. We last saw him on Day 4 during that all day, all night thunderstorm event. In fact, that's when he got his name. A bolt of lightening struck a tree very close to him as he was hiking. Lightening Rod hikes much faster than me (young guy), but he has taken a bunch of zeros, so he's just catching up. We spent some time talking to him and it turns out he runs a yacht Detailing business in Florida. We also discussed ocean sailing, one of my other interests. We shared contact information and I may look him up after this adventure is over.At the end of the hike today I traveled from the ridge line, which is about 3500 ft altitude, down into the town of Pearisburg, which is about 1600 ft. At the lower altitude the forest was fully in bloom. The trees actually shaded the whole trail and the wild flowers were abundant. It was so nice to be under the canopy out of the sun.Tonight we're staying at Woods Hole Hostel, voted by many as the best hostel on the trail. They promote a very friendly atmosphere with group meals, campfire sing-a-longs, group yoga sessions, and real flush toilets.  They also grow everything organically on site. We rented a safari tent, a cool private pad with a queen bed, electricity, night stands, and a small covered front porch. A much better arrangement than our little tent in the woods.... Tom
Date: 2021-05-03
From: Narrows Rd

To: Stony Creek Valley
Miles today: 19.8
Weather: overcast clouds

The designer of the Appalachian Trail, Brenton McKaye, intended for it to be a permanently protected public footpath for hikers. As such, no horses, bikers, or ATVs are permitted on the trail.  The trail is maintained by 31 trail clubs and multiple partnerships, and managed by the National Park Service, United States Forest Service, and the nonprofit Appalachian Trail Conservancy.There are still about 10 miles of the trail that are not publicly owned. In the sections of the trail that are not public the owners have granted easements for hiked to pass through. I came across one of those short sections of the trail today. The picture in today's post shows the sign just before entering that section.Today I was slackpacking. Since we've staying at Woods Hole Hostel for two nights I was able to leave most of my gear at the hostel. Lucy drove me to the trailhead and I was able to hike more miles than usual. The hike was very pleasant for the first few miles. The climb out of Pearisburg was very pleasant. I could hear the sound of trains and industry as I hiked out. Once I reached the top of the ridge the trail was a mess. The high winds from a couple days ago knocked trees down all over the place. It was like an obstacle course for many miles. Before entering that section a sign was posted asking hikers to help clean up the trail. But without saws or other equipment it was difficult to do much. It makes you appreciate all of the work done by trail volunteers to keep the trail in good shape.
Date: 2021-05-04
From: Stony Creek Valley

To: John's Creek Trailhead
Miles today: 15.8
Weather: overcast clouds

As I was driving today to take Silver Goat to the trail head, there was a canopy of Wisteria for about 1/2 mile beside a stream near the trail. The smell was so intense. It reminds me of lilacs. I just had to stop to take this pic.  Last night was our second and last night at Woods Hole Hostel. This hostel features organic food and was started in 1986 by Tillie and Roy Hood. The tradition of being a refuge for AT hikers is still carried on today by their granddaughter Neville. The dinner we had was home made bread, Amish cheeses, and lettuce greens grown on the premisis. Didn't think we could fill up on such stuff but we did. One thing I really like, after the dinner bell rings, we gather.....we say our trail names, where we are from, and what we are thankful for. God has blessed us in many different ways!
Date: 2021-05-05
From: John's Creek Trailhead

To: Niday Shelter
Miles today: 15.0
Weather: overcast clouds

The hike today went up and down the ridges of the Virginia countryside. The trail was in good shape in general but there were quite a few rocky sections that weren't kind to my feet. One of the highlights of the day was the Keefer oak tree. It's 300 years old and something like 18 feet in circumference. A nice tree but it seems kind of lonely.Tonight we're staying at the Niday shelter. Lucy hiked in from the north. It's getting to be a routine now.  We made some new friends at the shelter. One of them, Getaway, served in the Navy and he was stationed in one of the submarines that was deployed during some the testing we did at my old job. We shared lots of stories about our jobs and similar interests. Small world.
Date: 2021-05-06
From: Niday Shelter

To: Four Pines Hostel
Miles today: 16.8
Weather: overcast clouds

There were three milestones along the trail today. The first two were the 700 mile marker and the Dragons Tooth monolith. There are pictures of these in the Photos section of this journal. The third milestone was the most significant of all to us. It was the Audie Murphy Monument. Audie Murphy was the most decorated veteran of WW2. He was awarded 24 medals of valor during his service. He received every medal of valor the US has to offer, and some of them more than once. He was a true American hero. He died in a plane crash in 1971 and the monument was erected near the crash site.The trail to Dragons Tooth was steep and very rocky. When I reached the monolith, hiking from the south, Lucy was already there, having hiked in from the north. She commented about the difficult trail she had taken. I thought it couldn't have been much worse than the trail I was on. We went out the way she came in and trail was very difficult. There were many places where we had to crawl down rock faces. The first mile was probably the toughest mile on the trail so far. It was tough on our feet.Because of the rocks and the trail restrictions we couldn't find a suitable tent site where we wanted to camp, so we left the trail at a road intersection and set up our tent in the yard of Four Pines Hostel, a nice place that accepts donations for staying there.
Date: 2021-05-07
From: Four Pines Hostel

To: Campbell Shelter
Miles today: 10.3
Weather: clear sky

This morning we awoke to the sound of roosters cackling. They started their day about 4:30 this morning. It turns out that at Four Pines Hostel they let their chickens run free in the camping area and it seems like they were screaming there heads off right outside our tent. I didn't realize this before but roosters never shut up.  So we packed up a bit early and headed for the trail. Our objective for today was McAfee Knob, probably the most photographed location on the trail. We decided to cut back on the mileage a bit today because my feet were swollen from the rocks yesterday and probably from the weeks of abuse I've been putting them through. I think the shoes I've been wearing , the Lone Peak Altras, aren't the right shoes for me on this trail. Tomorrow I hope to get to an outfitter to see if I can find something more suitable.The view from McAfee Knob was spectacular. We were lucky because it was mostly cloudy all day and the skies cleared up a bit when we arrived. After we made it to the campsite about a half mile north, the winds picked up and it started to hail. We crawled into our sleeping bags early to escape the cold. We're glad we didn't send our winter gear home yet.