morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2018-08-27
To: Lambert Meadow Shelter
Miles today: 9.4

What a difference between my hiking experience in ME vs what I'm now experiencing in VA. Its hard to compare the two state's AT experience when you walk from one to the other. After finishing ME I got on a bus and four days later I'm hiking in VA. ME had cooler weather, many more and larger water sources, relatively little urban noise, much less bug noise, much harder trail and far fewer day hikers. I'm not complaining, it's just very different. I thoroughly enjoyed the start of the hike in VA in the spring and the roughly 270 miles in the north half of the state.I got a late start out of Daleville as I had to go to the post office to pick up my new shoes and wait for the outfitter to open at 10am to get stove fuel and a new food bag. I was hiking by 11am and it was already in the 80s with high humidity. I had a few hills to climb and was grateful for the switchbacks and smoother trail. I was rewarded with great views and was also able to dodge a rain shower under a rock overhang. I decided not to push too hard since I'm not used to the heat. There are fewer thru hikers headed south. Only the fast sobos have made it this far since they usually don't start until June.
Date: 2018-08-28
To: Stealth Camp
Miles today: 15.5

I have to get used to the new sunrise - sunset times. I was awake at 5am as usual and thought I would pack up by headlamp and get an early start. It doesn't get light enough to hike until 6:30am. And it stays light until 8pm. This differs from ME where it got light around 5:30am and dark at 7:30pm. I'll have to adjust my schedule and sleep a little later. I started with a hill that led to Tinker Cliffs. The view was worth the warm climb. After another six miles I came to McAfee Knob, one of the most photographed spots on the AT. I waited for a few day hikers to finish their photo shoot and had one of them take my photo. The trail was well worn to the nearest parking lot about three miles away. The day was quite warm and humid and I didn't hike very fast in the afternoon. Outside of the day hikers going to McAfee Knob, I only saw four weekenders on the trail. Since water is scarce in this area it really limits the number of camping spots. I did find a good spot by a river with enough water to wash up and rinse the sweaty salt out of my shorts and tee shirt. I thought I was pretty remote but I could hear dogs barking and traffic noise.
Date: 2018-08-29
To: Niday Shelter
Miles today: 17.6
Weather: clear sky

I was on the trail by 7am and headed up a rocky hill on a warm humid morning. This hill even had iron bars mounted in the rock to help you climb ala ME. This climb led to a rock formation called Dragons Tooth. It is the third of the Triple Crown along with McAfee Knob and Tinker Cliffs. After that there was more rocky trail and then an avsrent and descent that had smooth trail and many switchback. I saw very few people and ended camping with everyone I saw including a college freshmen outing from a DC area college.
Date: 2018-08-30
To: War Spur Shelter
Miles today: 18.2
Weather: few clouds

I've had a lack of cell signal at all my campsites since leaving Daleville. I try to stop at mt tops and ridgelines to try to get a signal. When I saw the weather report today it said thunderstorms and rain. I tried to make good time but it started thundering around 2pm. I thought I would get rained on but I got lucky as it started to rain as I hustled into the shelter just after 4pm. It started to rail fairly hard just after that. It turned out that I was the only one at the shelter. Its strange not seeing many hikers after seeing so many on the north part of the trail.
Date: 2018-08-31
To: Stealth Camp
Miles today: 19.9

I was on the trail by 7am on a warm humid morning and started by climbing a hill that gained almost 2000 ft in elevation in two and a half miles. There was a three mile section of rocky trail that would have made PA proud. There are large spiders in VA and their webs often stretch across the trail. As you hike you get some single strands and sometimes full webs right in the face. I can hear the webs break when I walk through them. Seeing a hiker going the other way or passing you is a blessing. No more webs for a while. Without many hikers on trail lately, I've been taking a lot of webs in the face. The weather forecast called for more thunderstorms and in a repeat of yesterday I hustled to a stealth camp spot and set up my tent just before it rained. This time it was light rain and didn't rain long. I have a cell signal here and was able to catch up on journaling. I'm planning to go to Pearisburg tomorrow for a hostel stay and resupply. After this warm humid weather, I need a shower and laundry badly.
Date: 2018-09-01
To: Angels Rest Hostel Pearisburg VA
Miles today: 13.1

My stealth camp was on a ridge top so I had a nice cool breeze all night and in the morning. I was on trail by 7am and encountered a few fields and meadows right away. They were pretty but the long grass was really wet and my feet got soaked and in one place the weeds were so tall I was wet up to my chest. The sun and low clouds made for some wonderful views. The trail was mostly downhill but as I neared Pearisburg, it got very hilly. I arrived in town around 1pm and stopped at Dairy Queen for food and ice cream. After arriving at the hostel, it was shower and laundry time for this stinky guy. I did a few gear repairs and headed to the nearby grocery store for trail food and fresh food to eat at the hostel. I made fairly good time over the 94 miles from Daleville to here in six days, especially since it was so warm and humid this week. I'm back on the trail again tomorrow morning.
Date: 2018-09-02
To: Watipi Shelter
Miles today: 17.8

I got a shuttle from Angels Rest Hostel and was on the trail by 7:30am. It was overcast in town but as I climbed the 1500 ft hill, I got above the low clouds. The view from the top spectacular. The trail had a little of everything today - wet grass, rocky stretches, easy parts, hills and a section that burned this spring. As has happened for the past three days, it was thundering and threatening rain. I hurried to the shelter arriving just after 4pm and it started raining heavily two minutes later. It rained hard for a half hour flooding the flat shelter area. The water drained quickly. This shelter is rumored to be haunted. I didn't see any ghostly images. One other guy showed up an hour after I did. We had a good chat and went to bed just after dark, me in the shelter and he in his hammock. Around 9pm I woke up to a bright headlamp shining in my eyes. Two guys showed up and proceeded to make lots of noise as they set up their sleeping hammocks. After that they sat five feet away from me at the picnic table and talked loudly while cooking their dinner. When they were done eating they noisily tried to hang their food bag taking over a half hour and only getting it four ft off the ground. It was almost 90 minutes of loud talking and activity while two of is were trying to sleep. It was hauntingly inconsiderate behavior.
Date: 2018-09-03
To: Stealth Camp
Miles today: 20.5

I got up at 5:30am and packed up in the dark. With the heavy fog, I had to hike the first 20 minutes by headlamp. I had some easy trail to start and made good time. There was plenty of water opportunities in morning when it was cooler but water was scarce in the afternoon after it got warm. I stopped at a shelter around 1pm and found just a trickle at the water source. Since I was going to stealth camp beyond this shelter, I carried a couple extra liters which with my regular supply of one and a half liters and the total water weight was seven lbs. It was a long hot six miles to camp but I'm glad I put in the extra miles. Tomorrow morning I will stop at a trackside store for resupply and deli treats. I'm under 600 miles to go which is like hiking the Superior Hiking Trail twice.
Date: 2018-09-04
To: Stealth Camp
Miles today: 20.3

I camped up on a ridgeline last night and enjoyed having a cell signal so I could keep up to date on this journal. Most shelters are located in a valley and I don't get a cell signal. Stealth camping allows me to put in a few extra miles if I feel up to it. Lately the trail has been relatively easy so I've been hiking some of my longer days. Today's trail brought me past a small store so I had a second breakfast of biscuits and gravy after I bought a couple of days of resupply. The first 17 miles were mostly easy and the last three were rocky and uphill. My pack was heavy with extra water to camp up on a ridgeline again. I was really tired by the time I found a place to camp. Sleep will come easy tonight.
Date: 2018-09-05
To: Stealth Camp near VA Hwy 42
Miles today: 18.9

It was a foggy morning and even up on a ridgeline it didn't get light enough to hike until 6:45am. The first five miles were rocky and slow going compared to the past few days. I could hear hounds dogs barking in the distance and assumed there were houses in the area. Then one started getting closer and all I could think of was a sign posted about ten miles back describing what they assumed was a rabid agressive dog. When the hound dog caught up with me I was relieved to see it had a radio collar on. I yelled loudly at It, more to get the attention of the owner and the dog retreated. Now I know what bears in WI feel like. There were a few long climbs today on one really long meadow walk mid day, luckily the long grass was dry. I saw only one other hiker all day. Tomorrow I will be hiking a shorter day into Atkins VA and a motel stay. Time to clean up, get resupplied and eat town food.
Date: 2018-09-06
To: Relax Inn Atkins VA
Miles today: 12.9

I was on trail at first light thinking about food again - a common theme these days. I encountered a number of farm pastures in the morning which meant wet feet, itchy legs and dodging cow pies. I saw four other hikers which surprised me. One guy was going south like me and stayed at the same motel as me. He said I was going really fast when I passed him and I told him that town food was motivating me. Some section hikers don't understand the power of hiker hunger. The motel is cheap and dated but has laundry and is near food sources. What more do you need? Just before getting to town today, I hit the three quarters mark. It feels good to get this far but I realize I still have a long ways to go. I'm resupplied and will be making a 4 or 5 day push to Damascus VA.
Date: 2018-09-07
To: Trimpi Shelter
Miles today: 21.4
Weather: scattered clouds

I left the Relax Inn in Atkins at first light. I had to cross some grassy meadows and ended up with wet feet. The trail got rocky as I made the long climb and descent of Glade Mt which is over 4000ft in elevation. It was really a quiet day on the trail As I saw no one until I was crossing a high bridge over a river and looked down to see a fisherman fighting a fish. He pulled in a beautiful 12 inch Rainbow Trout. We talked fishing for about 10 minutes before I hiked on. I got to Trimpi Shelter by 5pm and just finished dinner when it started to rain. It came down really hard and the sound was deafening on the metal roof of the shelter. I ended up having the place to myself.
Date: 2018-09-08
To: Wise Shelter
Miles today: 20.1
Weather: overcast clouds

I left as early as I could given the foggy morning. About mid morning I noticed a posting at a road crossing talking about bear problems and a 17 mile stretch of trail 38th no camping allowed. It said it was between two highways and included three shelters. I thought I had camped in the restricted area last night. At the next road crossing I thought I was out of the camping restricted area but found out I was just entering it. The first posting listed the highways in the wrong order for sobo hikers. There was no way to make 17 more miles in half a day. I decided to stay at one of the restricted shelters that had bear boxes. On my way there I stopped at a shelter for a break just as it started to rain. I was there for 90 minutes until it quit. A nobo hiker came in soaking wet. He is also a flip flip hiker and we discovered we both had just over 500 miles to go. What a coincidence. After the rain I climbed to some high pasture land's and encountered large cattle. I arrived at my shelter late and had a quick dinner and put all the food and cookware in the bear box. I had no issues with any bears. I was now in the Grayson Highlands and was looking forward to seeing the famed wild ponies.
Date: 2018-09-09
To: Lost Mt Shelter
Miles today: 17.5

It was another foggy morning as the weather for the past three days included some rain. I was hopefull of seeing the ponies that are there to control vegetation and keep the highlands open. It was so foggy I was worried I would miss them but did manage to see a small group of them near the trail. The trail was quite rocky and rough and my luck dodging the rain ended. Some intense showers hit as I was crossing some high open country and I got soaked. It cleared up later in the day as I got near camp. There was actually someone at the shelter site and three more hikers came an hour later. It was fun to have other hikers to compare stories with.
Date: 2018-09-10
From: Lost Mt Shelter

To: Woodchuck Hostel Damascus VA
Miles today: 16.0

I made it to Damascus VA today after hiking through a remote area with no cell signal and I don't have a signal in town either. The hike into town was fairly uneventful and I made it to town by 3pm. I'm staying at Woodchucks Hostel and got showered, laundry done, stopped at the outfitter and post office and bought dinner and trail food resupply at the grocery store. Reports of a hurricane making landfall has my plans up in the air. Tomorrow is calling for rain all day and possibly heavy rain later in the week. My options are a zero day, pushing on or slackpacking. I can get to another hostel in 2-3 days. I may try to get there and wait out the storms.
Date: 2018-09-11
To: Woodchuck Hostel Damascus VA
Miles today: 21.3

After a waffle breakfast, we were shuttled up to our starting point to hike back to the hostel. It was overcast and foggy and the trail was mostly easy. It followed a ridgeline with a few small hills but no significant climbing. It rained on and off and the hike was easy with a small pack. I made it back to Damascus by 4pm. I've been monitoring the progress of Florence and it looks like the worst of the rain will hit Saturday or Sunday. I plan to do some hostel hopping and possibly some more slackpacking to keep moving forward. Tomorrow may be a long day to another hostel and then I need a day off. Hopefully the weather won't have too much impact.
Date: 2018-09-12
To: Boots Off Hostel in Hampton TN
Miles today: 20.5

Last night was the end of VA for me. Yesterday's slack pack hike started in TN and I hiked back to the hostel in VA. Today we got dropped off in TN and I headed south. It was a tough day on the trail because I was feeling tired and the rain didn't help. I got soaked during the intense showers. It was a fairly easy trail and the day ended near Watauga Lake which was really pretty. I'm taking a well needed zero tomorrow after covering 300 miles in the last 17 days since leaving Daleville. I'm trying to find a good spot to hide from the remnants of Florence. I will most likely hike for two days before the rains that are forecasted to hit on Sunday.
Date: 2018-09-13
To: Boots Off Hostel in Hampton TN
Miles today: 0.0

I slept well last night and enjoyed having a day off from hiking. There are a few people here that left coastal cities to avoid hurricane Florence. It makes for an interesting mix of people. I spent the day resting, eating and drying out gear. I will hit the trail tomorrow for a couple days before waiting out the forecasted heavy rains.
Date: 2018-09-14
To: Stealth Camp
Miles today: 17.2

The zero day at Boots Off Hostel yesterday was exactly what I needed. I hit the trail at first light and the day started with a long steep climb and descent of Pond Mt. On the other side, the trail followed a river for a while. It took a turn up a steep hill and I came to a spot where the trail split into four choices. I looked for a blaze but didn't see one so I started up the one that looked the most traveled. I soon ended up in a very steep rugged area that I could tell wasn't the trail. Many others had also taken this route. After climbing for a long time, I came to a trail with no blazes. I followed it for a while and came to the AT. After figuring out which was south, I was back in business. The rest of the day was uneventful, but my little jaunt through the woods wore me out. After I got my tent set up, it started raining so I cooked dinner in my tent vestibule. After cleaning up and putting stuff away, I fell asleep around 7pm.
Date: 2018-09-15
To: Station 19E Hostel in Roan Mt TN
Miles today: 16.0

I woke up to an overcast morning. I packed up and was on the trail by first light. It started raining lightly about 11am but I was able to keep my feet dry which makes for much easier hiking. The trail had a few hills but was relatively easy. I got to the highway and walked a half mile to Station 19E Hostel. I will spend a few nights here while the remnants of Florence passed through. They have closed the AT in many areas in anticipation of lots of rain and wind.
Date: 2018-09-16
To: Station 19E Hostel in Roan Mt TN
Miles today: 0.0

It was a quiet morning as the others in the hostel slept past 9am. I was up by 7 on this rainy day and had breakfast and read the Duluth paper online. I also took an hour long nap in the morning. There is a bar below the hostel which was handy to watch football all afternoon. Its supposed to rain heavily tomorrow so I will wait until Tuesday to hit the trail again.
Date: 2018-09-17
To: Station 19E Hostel in Roan Mt TN
Miles today: 0.0

It wasn't as rainy as forecasted but I talked to a few hikers who said the trail was very wet in places. I think this area missed the brunt of the storm. I will be slackpacking tomorrow and then hit the trail with my big pack on Wednesday. I've been talking to my daughter and mom as I make plans for the end of the hike. They are going to meet me in GA and hike the last mile with me. We are planning to meet near Springer Mt on Oct 15. I'm really excited to be able to finish my hike with them.
Date: 2018-09-18
From: Carvers Gap

To: Station 19E Hostel in Roan Mt TN
Miles today: 14.8

Today was a slackpacking day. We got a ride from the hostel up into the Roan Highlands at Carvers Gap. There were four of us from the hostel and we started out with our daypacks on a foggy windy morning. The higher country was rocky with lots of standing and running water on the trail. The temps were cool which felt great after so many days hiking in the heat. I've heard the views are spectacular from up there but I could only see about 100ft. The tops of these mountains are mostly grassy balds. The sun started to peek out about the time I entered the green tumnel. It was a quick hike of just under 15 miles and I was rewarded with one nice view as I was about halfway down the mountain. I'm spending one last night at the hostel and will get dropped off at Carvers Gap in the morning to resume hiking south. The weather forecast looks good for a few days so hopefully the trail will dry out.
Date: 2018-09-19
To: Cherry Gap Shelter
Miles today: 19.0
Weather: clear sky

The day started overcast but it burned off by mid morning. It ended up being great weather for hiking. We got dropped off in the same spot as yesterday but we hiked south today. The majority of the day was downhill which made for a more enjoyable day. I made it to the shelter by 5pm and decided to sleep in my tent. The days are getting much shorter so I have been getting up in the dark and packing up so I can start walking at first light.
Date: 2018-09-20
To: Uncle Johnnies Hostel Erwin TN
Miles today: 17.1

I was up early and hiking by first light. It was a nice weather and I started with a pretty big hill. After a few ups and downs I came to a field with 360 degree views called Beauty Spot. The views were incredible with fog filling some of the valleys and the mountains sticking up. After that it was a really long downhill into Erwin and Uncle Johnnies Hostel. After a shower we got a shuttle to a Mexican restaurant and a resupply. Tomorrow's trail starts with a big hill and had lots of elevation change. It will be a hard day tomorrow.
Date: 2018-09-21
To: Bald Mt Shelter
Miles today: 16.8

I left Uncle Johnnies Hostel at first light and started up the big hill south of town. It seemed like it wouldn't end. It must have been all that Mexican food I are the night before. This day was really tiring with all the long hills. There were three that were 1-2 miles long that climbed 900-1200 ft in elevation. The shelter was over 5000ft in elevation and 3400 ft higher than the start. I've finally met up with some other sobo thru hikers. They are two pairs of flip floppers and I've been leap flogging with them for a week or two. Its nice to see familiar faces and have people at the shelters and hostels to talk to.
Date: 2018-09-22
To: Flint Mt Shelter
Miles today: 19.0

The day started with a short climb up Bald Mt and I saw a sign for a bird banding project. Volunteers are collecting data on bird's that pass through the area. I talked to one guy who was excited to hear I was from Duluth. He was familiar with Hawk Ridge in Duluth and said they had caught some bird's banded at Hawks Ridge. It was an easier day than yesterday and I arrived at the shelter early. There were two people already there and two more I knew showed up. It was a full shelter and it rained on and off that night.
Date: 2018-09-23
To: Stealth Camp near Allen Gap
Miles today: 18.2

I saw some familiar faces in the morning. I met a couple of section hikers that I had met at a hostel a couple weeks ago. They are finishing a few sections they had skipped a few years ago. The trail had a new section with some rocky climbs and a nice view. I also went through a meadow and got my feet soaked. Just before I was going to bed I heard a loud crack and saw another large tree come down about a hundred ft away. I've been pretty careful choosing my tent spots given all the trees I've watched fall on this trip
Date: 2018-09-24
To: Alpine Court Hot Springs NC
Miles today: 15.4

I'm in another small town with a terrible cell signal. I didn't have a signal at any of my campsites the last four days. I'm sitting in front of the Welcome Center because the WiFi is so bad at my hotel. I made a quick trip to town today since it was mostly downhill. I had planned to zero tomorrow but will keep going because rain is coming Wednesday and Thursday. I will hike the next two days and zero on Thursday. I got new shoes today and am resupplied and ready to hit the trail early.
Date: 2018-09-25
To: Roaring Fork Shelter
Miles today: 18.0
Weather: overcast clouds

I left the motel in Hot Springs at 7am and climbed a mile long steep hill to start the day. The next hill was over two miles long and gained 1600 ft in elevation. It was overcast and humid but I could feel the temp drop a few degrees as I gained elevation. The trail leveled off mid day and I arrived at a nice shelter and had it to myself. The two pairs I have been traveling with camped in front and behind me. Tomorrow's forcast calls for rain. I plan to get to Standing Bear Hostel to resupply and rest before entering the Smoky Mts.
Date: 2018-09-26
To: Standing Bear Hostel
Miles today: 15.4

I was ready to hike at 7am but it was too dark and I had to wait about 20 minutes on this overcast morning. I climbed up to Max Patch Mt which has a meadow on top with great views to find a lot of people up there. To my surprise I found a wedding about to start. The east sky had a band of blue which allowed some great light for the pre wedding pictures. Not being an invited guest, I hiked on. I made good time up and down a few hills. It started to rain just before noon but the green tumnel kept me mostly dry. I arrived at the hostel just before 2pm and about a half hour before the heavy rain. There are some interesting people staying and working here. I will most likely take a zero tomorrow given the forecast for heavy rain.