morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2008-04-09
From: Moreland Gap Shelter

To: U.S. 321(Hampton, TN)
Miles today: 15.0

I headed out early today and I wanted to check out the Kincora Hostel which was only about 6 miles away. I wasn't planning on staying because it didn't fit into my day but the place is fairly legendary so I wanted to check it out. I arrived there about mid morning and no one was around but I did check the hiker log and a number of people that I have hiked with fairly recently had been there including Peeps and Tupperware. Popeye and Lil Mak had stayed there the night before so I am only a couple of miles behind them. The highlight of the day was absolutely the Laurel Fork Gorge which I entered shortly after leaving Kincora. The trail runs right down through this stunning gorge capped by a swing by the base of a falls that looked to be 150 feet high. I will post pictures as soon as I am able; it was absolutely one of my favorite spots on the trail thus far. I hiked with Thorny again today and we decided to check out a hostel in Hampton, TN late in the day. It was about a 1.5 mile walk to town but on the way in we passed a biker bar and decided to get a beer. There were all these Harleys lined up out front and when we went in it was kind of like that scene in Animal House when the frat boys went in and saw Otis Day and the Knights at the roadside bar. Cricket, cricket... they thought Thorny and I looked (and smelled) a bit strange, but hey, we weren't the ones in leather chaps. All in all we got along fine with everyone and even managed to go back later this evening for a burger. The hostel here is called Braemar Castle and it is a little funky. It is just Thorny and I with some section hiker in a huge stone house that used to be the headquarters and post office for a lumber company. The house has 50 rooms, half of which are occupied by the owner and his family. The other 25 are the hostel so there is plenty of space to spread out. The AT was relocated away from this town sometime back so I guess business is not as brisk as it once was. In any event, it is not bad for $10. JUKEBOX------------------------------Tell your friend about PocketMail and let the savings start rolling in!
Date: 2008-04-10
From: U.S. 321(Hampton, TN)

To: Campsite near TN 91
Miles today: 20.0

Remember when I said that every downhill invariably leads to an uphill? I think the corollary needs to be that sometimes if you have a great day on the trail, you are bound sooner or later to have a not great day on the trail. The towns in Tennessee don't have the best reputation with regards to relations with hikers and we got a little taste of it this morning. There was no shuttle ride from the hostel back to the trail and we were unsuccessful in hitching from any of the 100 cars that passed on the way back to the trail, so we had to hoof it. This meant adding almost 2 miles of trek back up U.S. 321 to an already long planned day. It was just Thorny and I again today and we really haven't seen any other NOBO's since Roan Mt. The days hike was almost exclusively along the ridgeline high above Lake Watauga. It was hot and there was no leaf cover so when the trail ducked behind the ridgeline, which it did frequently, there was no breeze. It was like walking in a brown oven. Water, for really the first time on the trip, was a problem today. Because the trail followed the ridgeline and there is generally no water on the ridge; the water sources are usually down below(in some cases way down below). By the time we reached the water source near Vandeventer Shelter I was absolutely out of water. The water source was 1/2 mile off the trail, straight down. Unfortunately, we had no choice so it took a vertical descent of 400 ft and then back up a very tough side trail to keep us supplied. It was the only time on the hike that I had to take a breather coming back from getting water! It took Thorny and I 40 minutes to to go down and back up. The weather in the evening was really sweet so Thorny and I ate dinner at the Iron Mountain shelter and then kept on hiking. We stopped around sunset and set up camp in an old pasture.It was windy but a cool campsite nonetheless. Thorny and I plan on an early start tomorrow and we should be able to make it to Damascus, VA. JUKEBOX
Date: 2008-04-11
From: Campsite near TN 91

To: Damascus, Virginia
Miles today: 21.3
Weather: scattered clouds

I said goodbye to North Carolina and Tennessee as I strolled into Damascus, Virginia at 4:30 pm today. Thorny was about 30 minutes behind me and we secured bunk spots at the Hiker Inn, a very cool spot right on the trail. The trail, of course, runs right through the center of town so the trail is in fact Laurel Ave. I have been walking with Thorny the last couple of days and he is an interesting cat. He is a retired air traffic controller and he has bought a grocery store outside of Chester Gap, Virginia that he plans on taking on when he finishes the trail. Thorny is actually almost done with his hike. He started last year at Mt. Katahdin, Maine and hiked to near the Peaks of Otter outside Roanoke, Virginia. He suspended his hike when the drought conditions made water to hard to find. He started northbound this year from Springer Mountain, Georgia so he will be finished in a couple of weeks ( in trail lingo this is called a "flip flop"). Damascus is a big trail stop for everyone and I caught up with many fellow thru hikers today including Lil Mak , Popeye, Burro, Tupperware, The General, Snake and Time Traveler. Lots to do tomorrow including re-supply and rest. Probably heading out on Sunday and the weather again looks to get colder with snow at the beginning of the week. JUKEBOX------------------------------Tell your friend about PocketMail and let the savings start rolling in!
Date: 2008-04-12
From: Damascus, Virginia

To: Damascus, Virginia
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

It was a planned day off today but there was a lot to do. I spent some time at the library uploading some pictures (very nice facilities) and picked up my mail drops at the post office. There are lots of familiar faces in town as well as some new ones. I met up with Half Brew, Chili Mac, and Shutterbug and we hung out with them a bit. They are heading out later so we will see them up the trail. I am staying at the Hiker Inn with Thorny tonight. Lil Mak and Popeye are at another hostel and are kind of jealous as we have nice linens and our own bathroom. It is a pretty sweet set up and the owner Suzanne has been super nice and helpful. I would highly recommend the Hiker Inn but hurry up as Suzanne is selling her place and moving to Arkansas to be closer to family. JUKEBOX------------------------------Allow us to help those in need, sell back your spare PocketMail and make some extra pocket money.
Date: 2008-04-13
From: Damascus, Virginia

To: Elk Garden(VA 600)
Miles today: 23.8
Weather: light rain

Popeye, Lil Mak, Thorny and I got a shuttle ride from Lone Wolf to Elk Garden so we could hike back to Damascus and stay another night at the hostel. It is a big day but we felt energetic after a day of rest and food. It was really cold when we started off and snowing periodically. On the way back to Damascus, we passed a number of north-bounders including Burro, Twiggy and Spock, Time Traveler, Chili Mac, Half Brew and Shutterbug. I got back to town about 4:30 pm, hoping to see the end of the Masters and I walked into the hostel and who is there? Half Brew, Chili Mac, and Shutterbug. Didn't I pass you guys 20 miles back going in the other direction? Turns out they got to Elk Garden and the weather was so bad that they got a ride from a section hiker back to town!Sometimes, the lure of town is strong. I had my first directional miscue today. At some point in their AT hike every hiker manages to temporarily lose his sense of direction and head the wrong way. After a break today I set out on my own and after going a few miles realized that I was walking away from my destination. After catching back up with the crew later, Lil Mak had a good laugh as I had earlier ridiculed her at Clingmans Dome for doing the same thing. Only difference was that I did not throw a hissy fit. Suzanne offered to pick up some steaks for us while we were hiking and I grilled them up after the Masters. How cool was that? A long day and I am getting a bit of a shin splint. Hopefully, a little compression will take care of it. JUKEBOX------------------------------Tell your friend about PocketMail and let the savings start rolling in!
Date: 2008-04-14
From: Damascus, Virginia

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

An unplanned zero today as the combo of the 24 miles yesterday and the nasty weather had the gang opting to stay in town. The next stretch we will go through includes Grayson Highlands State Park, one of the highlights of the southern portion of the AT. All of us are keen to go through on a good day. The weather today is snowy and cold with a probability of accumulation of several inches in the mountains, so we are going to sit tight today. There is not much to do in Damascus; I will finish mailing some things ahead to myself and do so some reading. JUKEBOX------------------------------Allow us to help those in need, sell back your spare PocketMail and make some extra pocket money.
Date: 2008-04-15
From: Elk Garden(VA 600)

To: Old Orchard Shelter
Miles today: 15.2
Weather: broken clouds

Our plan for today was to hike 20+ miles to a new shelter on Hurricane Mountain, but from the outset, I knew that might be a tall order. We got a shuttle to Elk Garden from Lone Wolf. Elk Garden sits at the base of Mt Rogers and is in a pass at approximately 4400 feet elevation and when we arrived it was under a brilliant blue sky and the temperature was about 25 degrees. There was also about 6" of snow on the ground. As we located the trail I could see there were no tracks so we would be blazing today. This can be especially tough as you can't see all the roots and rocks on the trail and are particularly susceptible to twisting an ankle. Walking in deep snow, while pretty, is also very fatiguing on your legs. It took us almost 2.5 hours to climb to the summit of Mt Rogers and get to the nearby shelter. Thomas Knob Shelter was only 4.2 miles from our start this day and it should have normally taken us about 90 minutes to get here. After a rest, we pushed on to Grayson Highlands State Park and it in a word it was awesome. The terrain was unlike anything we had seen thus far, more reminiscent of the high desert in Colorado than of Appalachia. This coupled with the fact that the park is populated with herds of feral ponies makes it particularly cool. The gang (including Half Brew and his dog Trinity who hiked with us from Damascus) had a great time playing with the ponies and it was mid afternoon before we left the park. We stopped for the night at Old Orchard Shelter and there were some awesome tent spots, probably the best we have seen on the trail so far. Thorny and Half Brew are in the shelter and Popeye, Lil Mak and I are tenting nearby. JUKEBOX------------------------------Tell your friend about PocketMail and let the savings start rolling
Date: 2008-04-16
From: Old Orchard Shelter

To: Dickey Gap(Troutdale)
Miles today: 10.2

It was a very, very chilly night last night with temperatures in the low 20's. Today, however, the weather has been beautiful with crystal clear skies and a temperature about 60 degrees. We had a leisurely morning for us and sat around a fire drinking coffee and eating breakfast (cherry pop tarts for me, I think my first in twenty years) waiting for the sun to crest the ridgeline and warm everything up. Once underway we were a bit undecided as how far to go today until Popeye took a bit of a tumble and twisted his ankle. He is fine, just a bit sore so we decided to do a shorter day and stop at Troutdale, Virginia. We thought we would check out a church hostel listed in the companion (this is the thru hiker companion, one of several such guidebooks published for long distance AT hikers). We hitched a ride into Troutdale and had lunch at a general store called Jerry's Kitchen and Goods and then located the hostel. Jerry's is literally the only business we found in Troutdale, so finding the church was no problem. We located the hostel but couldn't find anyone to check in with. It all seems pretty low key and friendly. We will head to get a bite soon and see if we can arrange for a ride back to the trail for tomorrow. The hostel is just open rooms with no bunks, just floor space. Popeye, Thorny, Lil Mak and I have one room and a few other hikers are sharing the other. Tomorrow we plan to head to the Partnership Shelter which is supposed to be one of the cooler shelters on the trail. JUKEBOX------------------------------Have a spare PocketMail laying around, sell it back to us and help those in need.
Date: 2008-04-17
From: Dickey Gap(Troutdale)

To: Partnership Shelter
Miles today: 14.5
Weather: clear sky

The Baptist Church Hostel was basic and clean but there was no water. Jerry's Trading Post, however, was awesome. We ate dinner and breakfast there (great biscuits and gravy) and got a ride back to the trail from Jerry. Popeye's ankle was feeling better but he was focused on it most of the morning. He was so focused on his ankle that he didn't see a huge tree down across the trail. Boink! He went face first right into the trail. We got to the Trimpi Shelter and got him cleaned up. He has an abrasion on his cheek and a pretty good shiner but other than that he is in good shape. We decided today that he can't trail blaze anymore for a while. We arrived at the Partnership Shelter late this afternoon and this shelter is well known along the trail for food availability. The shelter is right next to the Mt Rogers Visitor Center and we can get pizza delivered so everyone is pretty jacked. We had planned on eating and hiking a bit more but the U.S. Forest Service is doing another controlled burn today ahead on the trail so we can't go any further today. As a result, we finally have a shelter full of northbound through hikers (NOBOs) tonight. It is a welcome change. In the shelter tonight are Popeye, Lil Mak, Thorny, Double Time, Loafy, Snoopy, Sinker, Hearts and a few other folks I haven't met yet. JUKEBOX------------------------------Allow us to help those in need, sell back your spare PocketMail and make some extra pocket money.
Date: 2008-04-18
From: Partnership Shelter

To: U.S. 11/VA 683
Miles today: 11.6

We got an early start today hoping to take advantage of the weather but the U.S. forest Service had different plans. The area that we were going to hike through had been designated as a prescribed burn area. Sections of the national forest are periodically burned to reduce the amount of fuel on the forest floor and encourage growth of trees that require fire to germinate. Having seen the results, I can tell you that the only thing damaged in these burns are leaves and deadfall; the fire does not get hot enough to damage healthy trees. We had seen periodic signs posted by the USFS that different areas were targeted but their time frame was 2008 or 2009 with no specific date. Apparently, there about 8 or 9 days a year when conditions such as rainfall, temp, wind etc. are all within tolerance to do a burn. Yesterday was one of those days. When we had previously walked though a burn area outside Lake Watauga, the fire had burned out in a day. This area was much larger and still actively burning when we got to the perimeter in the morning. We managed to hook up with a USFS crew doing a walk through and they escorted us through the area, doing cut downs and such along the way. We managed to get through the burn area, but it took several hours to go a few miles. Just as we were about to clear the burn area (there were 6 hikers being led by two rangers), we heard a loud report like a gunshot off to our right. The forest guys immediately bolted and the rest of us looked up to see a huge tree falling toward the trail! Fortunately, the tree came up short because none of us had really moved. If the tree were 10 feet taller, it may have been a different story. We made it into Atkins, Virginia by mid afternoon and checked into a motel just off the trail. None of us had showered since Damascus and so that and laundry was in order. We also re-supplied (at the truck stop, it was the best we could do) and managed to get something to eat at a little place called The Barn. It was not good. Even with my hiker appetite, there are some places that are not as good as what I can make in my little jet boil stove! JUKEBOX
Date: 2008-04-19
From: U.S. 11/VA 683

To: Knot Maul Branch Shelter
Miles today: 13.9
Weather: light rain

I am in the shelter at Knot Maul Branch as I write this after spending the day dodging the rain. It eventually caught up with us. Our original destination was a campsite located about 3 miles past this shelter where we had stopped for dinner. Popeye, Lil Mak and Thorny opted to push on and I decided to stay. It looks like a good decision since the skies opened up about 45 minutes after they left. It is not so bad if it rains on you overnight while in your tent but it can be a real pain setting up your tent in the rain, particularly if you are not in a shelter area. I have a big day planned for tomorrow so hopefully the weather will cooperate. I only have 1.5 days of food so I have to make it to the next town which is Bland, Virginia about 31 miles away by Monday. Oh, one last thing, I almost stepped on another snake today. Not good times. JUKEBOX------------------------------Have a spare PocketMail laying around, sell it back to us and help those in need.
Date: 2008-04-20
From: Knot Maul Branch Shelter

To: Jenkins shelter
Miles today: 19.0
Weather: light rain

The decision to stay at the shelter last night was a good one as the skies opened up about 6:00 pm and it rained all night. When I woke at 6:00 am it was still thundering and lightning so I went back to sleep until 7:30 am. By the time I left the shelter at 8:45 am, it had stopped raining but it was still chilly and wet. The rumor on the trail ahead of us has been (maybe always) that Virginia is much easier miles than what we have hiked so far. I am here to dispel the rumor. Today was tough with a huge climb up Chestnut Knob and lots of ridgeline walking. Ridgelines can be tough because they are generally punctuated by lots of up and downs and lots of rocks and today was no exception. Everyone was talking about how beat up they were today. When I arrived at the Jenkins Shelter, Lil Mak, Popeye and Thorny were already there and there was a gear explosion outside the shelter! They apparently got pretty soaked in the rain last night. We are here in the shelter with Loafy and Snoopy. Everyone is jacked because a local church sponsors a hiker feed every Monday and we just happened to hit the bullseye. Tomorrow, we get to town to re-supply which is good because I am out of food. Eds note: New pictures postedJUKEBOX------------------------------Allow us to help those in need, sell back your spare PocketMail and make some extra pocket money.
Date: 2008-04-21
From: Jenkins shelter

To: U.S. 21/52 (Bland, Virginia)
Miles today: 11.5

When we got to the shelter last night, there was a note from a local church group advising that they would be holding a hiker breakfast every Monday for the next 8 weeks. A quick look at my watch showed that today was Sunday...score1! I seem to always miss these by being on the wrong day but this looked promising. They also promised a ride into town which was going to be helpful as we were going to have to hitch or walk. The Outreach Ministry of the New Hope Union Methodist Church was the sponsoring group and the spread was pretty spectacular; eggs, casseroles, biscuits, apple butter, pancakes and on and on. It was overwhelming. To top it off, Pastor Alan is a great guitar player and he played for a bit while we chatted with everyone and ate. It really was one of the highlights of the trek so far. Afterwards, we went into town and got re-supplied. All in all, Bland, Virginia has turned out to be one of my favorite little trail towns; very hiker friendly with plenty of southern hospitality! JUKEBOX------------------------------Tell your friend about PocketMail and let the savings start rolling in!
Date: 2008-04-22
From: U.S. 21/52 (Bland, Virginia)

To: VA 606(Trents's Grocery Campsite)
Miles today: 18.6

One of the interesting aspects of long distance hiking is how your body gets conditioned to certain aspects of trail life. For example, if you use the privy or its equivalent first thing in the morning, then you will use the privy every day at that time regardless of the circumstances. It is the same with food. I eat breakfast first thing and I eat something like an energy bar or Snickers 2 hours later whether I am hungry or not because I know I will run out of energy before lunch if I don't. The other thing that we do like clockwork is calorie load when we get to town. I start thinking about everything I am going to eat the day before I get into town. No joke, it is obsessive. We eat ridiculous numbers of calories when they are available because we know we will be burning those reserves over the next several days. Sometimes this backfires as it did with Lil Mak last night. Lil Mak has an impressive thru hiker appetite, to the point that I sometimes can't keep up with her and I outweigh her by 80 lbs. But something of the many things she ate last night didn't agree with her and she was pretty ill. She is a tough cookie though and she was ready to go first thing this morning. We went into town to get coffee and try to get a ride back to the trail and it literally took about 2 minutes and there were 5 of us and a dog! I love the south. The weather has looked the exactly the same for the last 5 days; rainy, overcast and cool. Today was no exception as it rained on us most of the morning. I am really ready for some nice sunny days. We are tenting tonight at a quasi campground a little ways off the trail. We have to do a load of laundry, which we couldn't do in Bland, and we get to tent on some nice level, grassy ground. In the camp site tonight are Lil Mak, Popeye, Thorny, and Half Brew and his dog Trinity. JUKEBOX------------------------------Have a spare PocketMail laying around, sell it back to us and help those in need.
Date: 2008-04-23
From: VA 606(Trents's Grocery Campsite)

To: Doc's Knob Shelter
Miles today: 16.1
Weather: overcast clouds

As expected, we awoke to rain this morning and that kind of slowed things down. We had anticipated this and hoped that if we hung around camp we might get a little sun to dry things out. There was an old washer and dryer at the campsite and Half Brew had the smart idea to use the dryer to knock off some of the moisture from the tents and bags and that worked well. When we hit the trail at 9:00 am the sun had finally come out after 5 days and everyone was in a good mood. The 8 mile hike to Wapiti Shelter was pretty easy and everyone who was at the campsite the night before (except for Shutterbug who came in late) stopped in for lunch and a siesta. The hike this afternoon was much harder and we were all dragging ass when we got to Doc's Knob Shelter this evening. The combo of two hard days and lots of rocky trails has everyone's feet sore and energy level a bit low. No worries, we have a short day into Pearisburg, Virginia tomorrow and it will be the biggest town (outside of Gatlinburg which is well off the trail) that we have gone through on the hike. I am jacked to get a re-supply at a big grocery and everyone is hoping to get some good food. The conversation at dinner tonight, while we ate our Lipton sides, was what we wanted to eat for dinner *tomorrow* night. The consensus was the Chinese buffet as we agreed that was our best hope for getting fresh green vegetables in large quantities. JUKEBOX------------------------------Allow us to help those in need, sell back your spare PocketMail and make some extra pocket money.