morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2009-04-27
From: Groseclose, Va. (Happy Hiker Hollow Hostel)

To: Knot Maul Branch Shelter
Miles today: 13.9
Weather: clear sky

4-27-09 MondayI woke to the smell of breakfast cooking after a good nights sleep. I went downstairs and took a short walk up the road to loosen up my leg. It seemed a little better today. Rambunny had fixed me an ice pack for it last night. I had some coffee while I was waiting for breakfast to be served at 7:00. Aqua fixed french toast, pancakes, fried potatoes, bacon, coffee, and juice, again AYCE. After goodbyes were said Aqua took Mudflap and me back to the Shell-Mart. He told me that if I had problems with my leg between here and Bland to just call and he would come pick me up. That¢s the way people out here on the trail are. We started hiking at 8:15. It was going to get hot today so we walked 6 miles without stopping. We went through cow pastures and woods alternately all day. I don¢t know how many stiles we climbed over but it was a bunch. My pack was heavy after resupplying last night, probably over 40 pounds. We had a couple of hard climbs and descents today to boot. We took a lot of breaks and didn¢t get to the shelter until 6:15. We are at Knot Maul Branch Shelter. There is a cool breeze blowing that feels good. It was a long day and I am tired. I drank 96 ounces of water on the trail today and it¢s 10 p.m. and I¢m still sipping water as I write this. We are only planning to do 9 miles tomorrow. My leg did fairly good today.
Date: 2009-04-28
From: Knot Maul Branch Shelter

To: Chestnut Knob Shelter
Miles today: 9.1
Weather: clear sky

4-28-09 TuesdayI slept well last night. I woke up shortly before sunrise and did the normal morning chores and was on the trail at 7:45. We started out with some downhill through rhododendron bushes then a fairly difficult climb up Lynn Camp Mtn. I tried to drink a lot today but didn¢t need as much water as yesterday. After another stretch of downhill came Chestnut Mtn. It was steep at first but finally eased off. It was a 3.7 mile climb that put us at 4409 feet. I think this is the last time we will top 4000 feet for a good while. Mudflap and I are both tenting as there is a good breeze up here and the shelter is an old fire warden¢s cabin that is totally enclosed. The view up here is outstanding with almost a 360° view. All the young hikers that stopped in here this afternoon for a break have moved on, but I¢m happy with the 9 miles because this is a very nice place to spend the night. I¢m finally getting to camp on a bald. I hung my sleeping bag on a tree limb to air out, repaired my alcohol stove, dried out my tent and sleeping pad, and did some repair work on my body where the waist belt of my pack has rubbed the skin off down to the meat and is getting infected. My leg is still sore but I am still walking. Growler showed up late in this afternoon. He has a new hammock he is trying to put up, but he tied it on too small of trees and when he got in it the trees bent over and his butt went to the ground.
Date: 2009-04-29
From: Chestnut Knob Shelter

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

4-29-09 WednesdayI slept well last night. My tent was wet this morning from dew and condensation. The breeze died down during the night and let the dew fall. The sunset last night and the sunrise this morning were not pretty due to the cloud cover. I did the usual morning stuff and was on the trail at 8:15. After I got warmed up and the pain in my leg lessened I really enjoyed the walk today. We had 5 or 6 miles on a narrow rock strewn ridge with occasional good views to the valley below. The rocks were large and stable and you could step from one to another without having to worry if they would tip. Of course there was a lot of dirt trail today too. I started hearing thunder in the distance but we made it to the shelter in just a very light rain without getting wet. I¢m at Jenkins Shelter with Mudflap, Katie, and Oblivious. I had a good day today.
Date: 2009-04-30
From: Jenkins Shelter

To: Helvey's Mill Shelter
Miles today: 14.0
Weather: overcast clouds

4-30-09 ThursdayI had a restless night last night. I don¢t sleep well in shelters. It rained most of the night but had stopped by morning. I did my morning chores and was on the trail at 8:00. We had a couple of good climbs but most of the day the trail was fairly level compared to normal days and mostly dirt. We had no bad rocks all day. There were some very pretty views into the valley. I saw several mushrooms growing along the trail, stepped over an 18 inch snake without ever seeing it. Mudflap was behind me and spotted the snake. It was a very unhappy snake and repeatedly struck at any thing put close to it. We crossed over I-77 and I took some pictures of the traffic. We reached Helveys Mill Shelter at 3:35 and stayed dry again today. We are sleeping in the shelter because there is a high probably of rain tonight. There are 2 section hikers in the shelter and one is tenting. Katie is also in the shelter. We did find some trail magic today in the form of one grape drink left in a cooler near a road crossing. It was put there by the Appalachian Outreach Ministry.
Date: 2009-05-01
From: Helvey's Mill Shelter

To: VA 606 (Trent's Grocery)
Miles today: 16.3

5-01-09 FridayI didn¢t sleep well again. I¢ve got to stay out of these shelters. After the usual morning routine we were on the trail at 7:45. I only saw 1 mushroom today, a big black morel. I saw some new varieties of wildflowers today and a very pretty bright red bird with black on its wings. It looked like something from the tropics because of its fluorescent glow. I have identified it as a Scarlet Tanager. I had never seen one before. I also saw a 5 foot long Black Snake lying just off the trail. We had mostly good walking today but did have one rocky section on top of Brushy Mtn. during a ridge walk. We got to Jenny Knob Shelter at 12:30 so we decided to go on another 6 miles to Trent¢s Grocery on VA 606 for some real food (cheeseburgers and pizza). We got a tent spot with shower and laundry facilities for only $6.00. Of course I spent $20.00 on food for a late lunch and supper. Mudflap, myself, and Safari a section hiker are here tonight. Katie came into the store and bought some food then went back to the trail. We will eat breakfast at Trent¢s in the morning then be back on the trail. Tomorrow night we will stay at Wapiti Shelter where a local man, Randall Smith, killed a man and woman in May 19, 1981. After getting out of jail early he shot two men in the same area in May 6, 2008. I crossed the 600 mile mark today.
Date: 2009-05-02
From: VA 606 (Trent's Grocery)

To: Wapiti Shelter
Miles today: 7.7
Weather: light rain

5-02-09 SaturdayI slept fairly well in my tent last night. There were a couple of pigs in a pen near where we camped that flipped the lid of the feeder up and down occasionally throughout the night. Amazingly, the tent was dry this morning. No rain, no dew, and no condensation. We went down to Trent¢s Grocery for breakfast. I had 2 sausage and egg biscuits and coffee. Then I bought another sausage and egg biscuit and a ham and egg biscuit to carry out on the trail for tomorrow morning. That sure beats oatmeal any time. We only hiked 7.7 miles today to Wapiti Shelter. We are setting ourselves up to hike into Pearisburg early Monday morning. It rained on us lightly for about the last mile to the shelter but not enough to get us wet. We got to the shelter at 1:00. Later it cleared somewhat so I set up my tent. I hope it doesn¢t rain tonight. I don¢t want to have to carry a wet tent tomorrow. Lone Wolf stopped in for about an hour but decided to move on. I hadn¢t seen him since Roan Mtn. Mudflap saw something black run past the shelter. He didn¢t get a good look at it but from the way he described it I think it was a wild hog. Yette, Maggie, and Mudflap are in the shelter. Red Bear and I are tenting. I did some math and found I am 129 miles behind where I should be at this point of my hike. That¢s about 10 days of hiking. I just can¢t put in the miles I need because of my sore leg.
Date: 2009-05-03
From: Wapiti Shelter

To: Pearisburg, Va. (Plaza Motel)
Miles today: 16.6
Weather: moderate rain

5-03-09 SundayI slept well last night in my tent. About 3 a.m. I heard raindrops on my tent. I reached out and closed the fly. Then it quit raining so I opened the fly again. Then it started raining again so I closed the fly. After a few of these it kept raining the rest of the night. It quit raining long enough for me to cook breakfast and get packed up then rained for most of the day. We hiked in the rain and clouds with only one quick view into the valley below all day. I suggested we go ahead and hike down into Pearisburg today to get out of the clouds and rain. Mudflap readily agreed to it. We went into town and called the Plaza Motel for a room. They had vacancy so we walked the mile to the motel. After getting a shower and into some dry clothes we went to the Chinese AYCE for supper.
Date: 2009-05-04
From: Pearisburg, Va. (Plaza Motel)

To: Pearisburg, Va. (Plaza Motel)
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

5-04-09 MondayI slept well in the motel last night. Mudflap snores all night when he is in his tent or a shelter but oddly does not snore when he is in a real bed. We took a zero day in Pearisburg and ate a lot of food and resupplied. The lady that ran the motel took us to Wal-Mart and let us out at no charge. She said to call her when we were ready to return to the motel. That is service above and beyond. My bounce box was waiting for me at the motel as was a box that Diana had sent me with vitamins, meds, and maps. After taking the items I needed from my bounce box I sent it ahead to Waynesboro. The other box I sent home with a few items I won¢t need for a while. I had a CD made at the drugstore of all the pictures I have on my camera and sent it home as a precaution in case I would lose my camera. I bought a new knee brace hoping it would give my leg some support. Its time to try to get everything back in my pack. We will be heading back to the trail tomorrow. My food bag is too heavy. Tomorrow will be a hard day.
Date: 2009-05-05
From: Pearisburg, Va. (Plaza Motel)

To: Rice Field Shelter
Miles today: 6.8
Weather: moderate rain

5-05-09 TuesdayI got another good nights sleep at the motel. I finished packing up and we left the motel and walked down to Hardee¢s for breakfast. We ate and walked on down the hill to where the trail came into the edge of town. We started hiking on the trail at 9:00. My right leg was very stiff behind the knee today and I wasn¢t walking very well. A short distance out of town we came to a creek that was running a little higher than normal that we had to cross by rock hopping. I started across the creek and slipped on a wet rock, lost my balance and fell off the rocks and into the creek. After staggering around for a few seconds I finally fell down on my back. Lucky for me my top half fell mostly on the bank with my legs and feet in the water. Mudflap helped me get my pack off and then I managed to stand up and get on dry land. My phone, camera, and their chargers did not get wet. They were the only things that could have been permanently damaged by water. However, my boots that I had spent all day yesterday drying were full of water. So much for dry feet today. We had a steep climb to get back on top of the mountain but after that the walking was good. We got to Rice Field Shelter a little before 2 p.m. We stopped for a break and it suddenly started raining hard. We decided to just stay there for the night rather than hike in the rain. I grabbed a spot in the shelter because several other people started showing up to get out of the rain. Later it quit raining and I put up my tent and moved all my gear out of the shelter. It is still going to be damp tonight because we are in the clouds. I¢ll have a wet tent to carry tomorrow.
Date: 2009-05-06
From: Rice Field Shelter

To: Bailey Gap Shelter
Miles today: 16.4
Weather: light rain

5-06-09 WednesdayI slept well in my tent last night. I cooked breakfast lying in my tent this morning since I slept with my food last night. I did not feel there would be any bears in this area. I packed up and we were on the trail at 7:45. We walked in the clouds most of the day with no views. It started raining about an hour before we reached Pine Swamp Branch Shelter. I was soaked by the time I got to the shelter. We had planned to go to Bailey Gap Shelter today so after a quick break and snack it was back out into the rain. It did quit raining for a little while this afternoon but it started again shortly after we reached the shelter. I barely got my tent set up before it started. I¢m up on the ridge above 75 yards above the shelter by myself. The shelter is full and there are three tents set up by the shelter. I didn¢t like the way the ground lay down there. I like to set my tent up on a little high spot if I think it is going to rain and it was obvious that it was. I¢m not sure who all are down at the shelter. I know the Pack-of-Divas are down there along with Mudflap. It is 9:45 and it¢s raining again with thunder rumbling in the distance.
Date: 2009-05-07
From: Bailey Gap Shelter

To: Laurel Creek Shelter
Miles today: 14.6
Weather: light rain

5-07-09 ThursdayI slept o.k. last night but was awakened several times by the rain. I was trying to keep my tent fly open but the rain kept coming in. It quit raining about 7 a.m. so I was able to take my tent down, eat, and pack up without getting wet. We were on the trail at 8:45. We had a lot of rocks to walk through for about 2 miles and after that a mixture of about every kind of trail you can have. There were rocks, dirt, level, steep, forests, rhododendrons, and scrubby bushes. We took an hour break lunch break at War Spur Shelter then finally reached Laurel Creek Shelter at 6:15. Mudflap and I set our tents up although there is no one in the shelter. It started to rain again while I was cooking supper but didn¢t rain much. I saw another snake today. Also there are a lot of songbirds in the mountains now. They sing so loud that even I can hear them. I¢m still seeing a lot of squirrels and chipmunks but nothing else except an occasional deer. I am walking better but I am having a hard time climbing hills. I just don¢t seem to have any energy.
Date: 2009-05-08
From: Laurel Creek Shelter

To: Niday Shelter
Miles today: 12.4
Weather: overcast clouds

5-08-09 FridayI slept well again in my tent. It¢s so much better than sleeping in a shelter. Or it could be the all the meds that I am taking that¢s causing me to sleep better. It did not rain during the night and my tent was dry. We were on the trail at 7:45. About 50 yards from the shelter was a creek that we had to cross. It was running high because of all the rain we have been getting. There were no rocks to cross on so my almost dry boots and socks got wet again. We went through a couple of miles of nice forest then we walked through open rolling fields with cattle, dogwoods, cedar trees, and pines. Then we went back into the forest and passed the famous Keffer Oak. It is the second largest oak in the East and estimated to be 300 years old. It has a girth of at least 18 feet 3 inches. It is probably larger than that now because that is an old measurement. Later we walked over the Eastern Continental Divide. I didn¢t even know there was such a thing. All the water on the west side of the ridge runs to the Gulf of Mexico. All the water on the east side of the ridge runs to the Atlantic Ocean. Tonight I am at the Niday Shelter. I am tenting again tonight. At last we had a beautiful sunshiny day with only a few sprinkles.
Date: 2009-05-09
From: Niday Shelter

To: Dragons Tooth
Miles today: 14.3

5-09-09 SaturdayIt started raining right after dark last night and we had rain and lightning and thunder all night. It stopped right after daybreak and I was able to eat and pack up without getting wet. We were on the trail at 7:30. The trail went downhill for a mile then we had a 2 mile climb of 1500 feet back up onto the ridge. We stopped at the Audie Murphy Memorial for a few minutes. He was killed in a plane crash near there in 1971. We decided to camp at Dragons Tooth tonight on Cove Mtn. Since there is no water up here I had to carry 10 lb. of water 3 12 miles to have to cook with and drink. It is a beautiful place to camp so it was worth it this time. The mountains are finally coming alive for spring. The dogwoods are blooming, the wildflowers are blooming, birds are singing, and snakes are crawling. The Virginia Mountains are beautiful with different colors of green as the trees get their leaves. 4 day hikers came up here and gave me 2 oranges, some trail mix, and a stack of Girl Scout Thin Mint Cookies. Food. The ultimate trail magic. Tomorrow we are going to attempt to go to The Homeplace Restaurant, a very popular eating place out here. It¢s AYCE too!!!
Date: 2009-05-10
From: Dragons Tooth

To: Johns Spring Shelter
Miles today: 9.4
Weather: few clouds

5-10-09 Sunday I didn¢t sleep well last night and I¢m not sure why. There was a nice breeze blowing and a beautiful sky all night but I woke up several times. I was up at first light and did not cook this morning. I watched a nice sunrise and was on the trail at 6:30. The days are getting so much longer now. We had a very dangerous climb for about a mile down huge rocks first thing this morning to get off Cove Mtn. There was metal hand holds set into the rock at one point to aid in getting off one particularly bad spot. One bad step could have spelled the end of my hike and possibly worse this morning. We had emptied all the water that we had left except for about 20 oz. to drink on the 3 miles to the road and our food bags were almost empty to make our packs as light as we could for going down this bad section of rocks. It took us 3 hours to complete the 3 miles downhill to the road. We then walked 0.4 miles down the road to a convenience store to buy enough food for 3 days. Since I had skipped breakfast I bought 2 large sausage, egg, cheese, and tomato biscuits and coffee. We then walked the 0.4 mile back to the trail and walked 6 miles of trail to VA. 311. We came down to the road and there was a large parking lot full of cars. It serves the area of the trail that includes McAfee Knob and Tinker Cliffs, both popular destinations for day hikers. There was a couple of U.S. Marines from Paris Island there that had just returned from an overnight hike to McAfee Knob and they offered to take us to the Homeplace Restaurant at Catawba VA. They said they knew where it was, but they went the wrong way and after 5 miles they turned around. We were only 1 12 mile from it the other direction when we left the parking lot. The Homeplace is a very popular place with the locals. Even at 3 p.m. we had 1 12 hour wait. It serves home-style AYCE and hikers can eat a lot. We had fried chicken, ham, roast beef, potatoes, green beans, pinto beans, slaw, apples, gravy, biscuits, cherry cobbler with ice cream, and tea. All that for $14.00. We caught a ride with another hiker who had a car back to the trail. His name was O.M. River. I think I had met him on the trail somewhere. We hiked 1 mile up the trail to Johns Spring Shelter where we are tenting. A couple of side notes: I got my first blister yesterday from my feet being wet for 4 days and I saw my first rhododendron in bloom today.
Date: 2009-05-11
From: Johns Spring Shelter

To: Stealth Camp (Hay Rock)
Miles today: 14.8

5-11-09 Monday4:44 a.m. ¢One Stick, are you awake? It¢s raining.¢ I wasn¢t but that woke me up and it wasn¢t what I wanted to hear. I closed the flap on my tent fly and lay there for a few minutes. Then I decided to pack up and get my tent down before it got real wet. The trees were holding back most of the rain so far. I moved everything to the shelter which was empty and cooked breakfast and finished packing. We were on the trail at 6:30. It started raining harder as soon as we started hiking. It stopped shortly before we got to McAfee Knob and the valley cleared for a great view. In five minutes the clouds were back and the view was gone. We hiked on to Tinker Cliffs and again had great views into the valley below as it had finally quit raining. Bookworm joined us for the rest of the day so we hiked as a threesome. About 5:00 we reached Hay Rock above Daleville Va. and Mudflap and I decided to set up our tents and stop for the night. Bookworm decided to go on into town some 4 miles away by trail and stay at a motel. Mudflap and I will go into town in the morning. It is more cost effective to get to town in the morning than at night. It saves one night¢s motel bill. All in all a great day.
Date: 2009-05-12
From: Stealth Camp (Hay Rock)

To: Daleville, VA. (Howard Johnson Inn)
Miles today: 4.0
Weather: scattered clouds

5-12-09 Tuesday I slept pretty well last night. Mudflap woke me at 6:07 and after packing everything up and eating some much crushed chocolate covered donuts we started to Daleville. A short distance down the trail I stepped down off a big rock and felt a sharp pain below my right knee. After a few more steps I had to sit down for a while. After a little rest I got up and tried walking on it again and was able to continue on, though in some pain. We got down the mountain and walked into town at 9:15. We got a room at the Howard Johnson Inn and cleaned up (it had been eight days) (phew) and went to Wendy¢s for burgers and fries. We went to the outfitters, Kroger Store, and UPS Store then walked the 0.4 mile back to the motel. I cleaned and repaired our boots while Mudflap did the laundry. We went across the road to a Mexican Restaurant for supper. Afterward we repackaged food and tried to get organized for leaving tomorrow. I found I needed some 1 gallon Zip locks, so I walked back to Kroger¢s. On the way back I had another sharp pain in my leg and decided to stay another day and to try to talk Mudflap into going on without me. I had tried to do this several times but he insisted on staying with me. This time he agreed to go on without me because he is getting so far behind his schedule walking short miles with me. So I will be walking solo again when I leave town Thursday. I will be able to take the breaks I need when I need them and start and stop when my body feels the need. Hopefully I can get my leg better. It has been nice to hike with Mudflap. He thru hiked in 06 and has more experience than me. He has been very patient and understanding of my problems. Maybe I can hook up with him again if I can get my leg to heal.
Date: 2009-05-13
From: Daleville, VA. (Howard Johnson Inn)

To: Daleville, VA. (Howard Johnson Inn)
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

5-13-09 WednesdayMudflap and I had breakfast together at the motel and then he finished packing up and went back to the trail. I paid for another night at the motel and went back to the room. I pulled up a tub full of hot water and soaked in it for a long time. I stretched my legs and massaged the sore spots. Afterward I walked back to the UPS Store and mailed some things home. I asked if there was a hardware store around and the lady told me there was an 84 Lumber store down the other way from the motel. I need some kind of brackets to temporarily repair my alcohol stove while I wait for some parts from the manufacturer. That means I will have to walk another 2 miles. So much for getting much rest today.