morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2012-05-22
From: Symms Gap, VA

To: War Spur Shelter, VA
Miles today: 19.8
Weather: broken clouds

Nice camp spot on Peters Mountain. Dry overnight. Fog in morning. Finish rocky traverse of Peters Mountain. Winding drop in and out of Stony Creek. Insane rocky traverse of Big Mountain. Much thunder late in the morning. Stop for lunch along trail. Fill water bottles at spring. The heavens open up and rain comes pouring down. Rain and drizzle through the afternoon. Push on to War Spur Shelter. There are six of us in the shelter including Grundel Hammer, "310" and a dog.
Date: 2012-05-23
From: War Spur Shelter, VA

To: Niday Shelter, VA
Miles today: 18.2
Weather: light rain

First out of War Spur Shelter at 6:30 am. Climb 1500 ft up onto Johns Creek Mountain with 2 mile traverse across top of mountain to Kelly Knob. No views. Drop 1000 ft to crossing of S.R. 42 and then climb 1000 ft up onto Sinking Creek Mountain. Very nice 5 mile traverse on flat trail of Sinking Creek Mountain. Nice views from Boiler Plate Rock at north end of Sinking Creek Mountain. Walk with Yoko and Chunder most of descent to Niday Shelter. Eat with them at Niday Shelter. They move on. I stay the night at Niday Shelter.
Date: 2012-05-24
From: Niday Shelter, VA

To: State Route 624, VA
Miles today: 16.0

Depart Niday Shelter about 6:30 am. Nice flat trail on 1500 ft ascent of Brush Mountain. Stop at Audie Murphy Monument at top of ridge. Yoko and Chunder are camped near monument. Nice flat trail on old woods road for traverse across top of Brush Mountain which is flat, wide and grassy. Nice trail continues on descent to crossing of Trout Creek and S.R. 620. Easy Rider passes me at Trout Creek where there is a Trail Magic cooler with water and candy! Have long tough climb over Cove Mountain. Ridge is rocky and rolls up and down. Some Class 4 moves on way down from Dragons Tooth. Camp in woods at level spot on lower part of ridge about 0.5 mile south of S.R. 624. Much noise from nearby private property throughout the evening: roaring power mower, roaring motorcycle dirt bikes and shooting guns. Ugh.
Date: 2012-05-26
From: Lamberts Meadow Shelter, VA

To: Daleville, VA
Miles today: 9.4
Weather: few clouds

As per usual, I am up with the birds, at about 5 am. Although I am packing quietly, this wakes the young woman from the previous night, and she chides my for "being inconsiderate". I say nothing and finish packing as quickly and as efficiently as possible. Am on my way about 6 am. Have nice walk along Tinker Ridge. See hiker Chef and later hikers Backtrack and Twigs. The sun comes up and presents itself as a big orange ball. The walk along Tinker Ridge becomes hot. The distance into town is just over 9 miles, a short day. Have nice views of Carvin Cove Reservoir from Tinker Mountain. The cicadas are still "buzzing" away, but are already dying and beginning to litter the ground. At U.S. 220, near I-81, and not far from Daleville, see the Howard Johnson sign but first walk to Kroger, which is a short distance in the opposite direction. As the automatic doors slide open I am blasted by the air conditioned chill blowing out. I feel like I'm walking into a refrigerator. After shopping at Kroger, check in at the Howard Johnson Express Motor Lodge. There are many dead and stepped-on cicadas on the pavement around the motel, which is kind of gross. Wash clothes at on-site laundry room. Shower. Watch Memorial Day weekend cable TV movie "Midway". Because, frustratingly, the dryer at the laundry is not making any heat, hang my clothes in room to dry. Call Cindy and chat away into the evening.
Date: 2012-05-27
From: Daleville, VA

To: Near Bobblets Gap Shelter, VA
Miles today: 17.5
Weather: broken clouds

Wake up early. Watch cable TV movie "Patton" while packing. Away from Howard Johnson Express at 6:35 am. Sun already coming up. Walk grassy lanes and then under I-81. Cross U.S. 11 and then railroad tracks. Cross more open fields and cows in pasture. Unexpectedly walk up on newborn fawn in trail just before Salt Pond Rd. Catch up to hiker Chef at stream. See Chef again at Wilson Creek Shelter where I cook my rice dinner. Among several hikers congregating at shelter meet Chef Boyardee and Long Stride. Get water at spring past shelter. See a crayfish in the water. Long hot walk up to Blue Ridge Parkway. Visit auto pull-outs along BRP. Make camp along trail in woods on ridge just before turnoff for Bobblets Gap Shelter. Am not far from the BRP and hear an occasional car go by. Find two more ticks. One on my belly just below the navel. One on a shoe. Hiker Solo stops to chat. Later hiker Hippity Hop stops to chat. Both continue on. Nice breeze on ridge, which continues into the night. At this point I have walked about half-way across Virginia, the longest state on the trail. There are about 554 trail miles between the borders with Tennessee and West Virginia.
Date: 2012-05-28
From: Near Bobblets Gap Shelter, VA

To: Near Black Rock Overlook, VA
Miles today: 20.3

Nice night on breezy ridge. A pair of night hikers go by about 12:30 am. Depart campsite 6 am. Get water at stream in Bearwallow Gap. Just past Cove Mountain Shelter while I am paused at side of trail to remove shoes and socks to air feet for a few minutes, hiker Solo passes by and we chat for a bit. Have nice passage over Cove Mountain with partial views due to trail passing along clear cuts associated with timber sales. Pick and eat about 6 ripe blueberries. See many more green ones. Get pics of box turtle in trail. Get very small tick in grass along clear cut. It is a hot and humid day. See Solo again at pretty Jennings Creek. Have 1000 foot climb over Fork Mountain. Cook my rice dinner at Bryant Ridge Shelter. Other hikers congregating at shelter while I am there are Solo, Chef Boyardee, Long Stride and Silver Girl. Fill water bottles at stream adjacent to shelter. Air is maddeningly still in the woods for hot and humid 2000 foot climb of Floyd Mountain. I realize I can handle heat and humidity if there is some kind of breeze. But this afternoon there was absolutely no air moving and the heat and humidity were intense. Get water near Cornelius Creek Shelter. Pass thru tunnels of fading blooming Rhododendron in vicinity of shelter. It has been a long hot and humid day. I started looking for a camp spot at 4:30 pm and did not find one until 6 pm. By the time I made camp I was seriously running out of energy and feeling the fringes of exhaustion. Find a nice level camp spot with a thick covering of dried leaves in woods just off trail near turnoff to Black Rock Overlook. I never go down to the overlook. Perform standard evening chores: setup tent, take sponge bath and rinse trail clothes. In the comfort of my clean dry night clothes I trade text messages with Cindy. After trading many text messages over the course of an hour and feeling chilly and sleepy I signed off at about 7:20 pm and crawled into my bag for the night. The BRP is out of sight, just over the ridge. I hear an occasional car pass in the night.
Date: 2012-05-29
From: Near Black Rock Overlook, VA

To: Johns Hollow Shelter, VA
Miles today: 20.7
Weather: scattered clouds

Deer visits in night. Up early. Depart 6 am. Make 1000 ft climb to top of Apple Orchard Mountain. Hazy view from top. Get photo of FAA dome. Much blooming Rhododendron down from summit and across Thunder Ridge. Get water from spring just before Thunder Hill Shelter. Have 1000 ft drop to Petites Gap then 800 ft climb of Highcock Knob followed by 800 ft drop. Nice traverse with views thru trees from Marble Spring around Hickory Stand and along Grassy Island Ridge. Get view of James River. Descend to Matts Creek shelter where I cook my rice dinner and fill my water bottles. Do not like camp spots in vicinity of shelter, so move on. Nice walk along James River and over footbridge on old railroad piers. Climb along nice stream to Johns Hollow Shelter. Hear some thunder. Sky looks like a storm coming. When arrive at shelter find that it is full to the gills with many hikers setting up tents in vicinity. With thunderstorm threatening quickly setup tent and get my gear inside. As soon as I am in the tent the heavens open up with rain pouring down and thunder and lightning nearby.
Date: 2012-05-30
From: Johns Hollow Shelter, VA

To: Near Brown Mountain Creek Shelter, VA
Miles today: 17.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Much light rain overnight. Pack wet tent in morning. The trees are dripping, but it is not raining. Depart camp 7 am while most everyone else is still sleeping. Make 2000 ft climb up onto Big Rocky Row. Pass and chat with hiker Four Trees (when he first came on the trail he could only walk the distance of four trees before having to pause for rest). Get shadowy view of adjacent ridges from Little Rocky Row. View of valley from Big Rocky Row. Foggy morning clearing into another hot humid day. With calm air it is sunny. Pass and chat with hiker Y's Guy (he works for the YMCA). Make 1000 ft climb of Bluff Mountain. Sunny on top. Get view of towns Buena Vista and Lexington. Get pics of hikers Hippity Hop and Juggles (he is a very good juggler). Hippity Hop gets a pic of me. Have 2500 ft drop to Pedlar Creek. Traverse around Pedlar Lake (AKA Lynchburg Reservoir). Make camp just off and down from trail on nice level campsite immediately adjacent to rushing Brown Mountain Creek about one mile south of Brown Mountain Creek Shelter.
Date: 2012-05-31
From: Near Brown Mountain Creek Shelter, VA

To: The Priest Shelter, VA
Miles today: 23.7
Weather: clear sky

Away from camp 6:30 am. Pass Brown Mountain Creek Shelter 7 am. Stop to use privy. Chat with hikers Y's Guy and Incline at shelter. Make 2500 ft climb to top of Bald Knob. Sunny morning with cool breeze. Take pic of Solo and Cheeba on Cold Mountain. Nice open grassy fields on Cold Mountain. Get water North Fork Piney River. Make rice dinner at Seeley-Woodworth Shelter. Cheeba and Boots are at the shelter. Solo comes in later. Push on to The Priest Shelter thru the late afternoon and early evening. It is sunny and not too hot with calm to occasional light breeze. See brilliant red bird with black wings (subsequently learn is a Scarlet Tanager). Arrive at shelter about 7 pm. Hikers Hippity Hop, Cheeba and Boots are there. There is plenty of room in the shelter, but stupidly, I decide to set up my tent nearby. The sky is clear, so I don't put the fly on the tent. After dark the moon is up. But I am uneasy. Before much time passes I notice that the moon has gone. Quickly I am out of the tent and throw on the fly. Just as soon as I am back inside the sky opens up and the rain pours down. There had been no noticeable change in temperature or wind heralding the incoming rain.
Date: 2012-06-01
From: The Priest Shelter, VA

To: Harpers Creek Shelter, VA
Miles today: 7.6
Weather: moderate rain

Light rain in the night. Overcast, but not raining in the morning. Move gear to shelter. Pack up and go about 7 am. Takes 2 hours to drop 3000 ft on a continuous down-grade to the Tye River. Find glazed doughnut ring Trail Magic at highway at Tye River. Cross Tye River on suspension bridge. Make 1000 ft climb up and away from river. A light rain start up. Arrive at Harpers Creek Shelter about 10 am. Nobody else is there. I am feeling a little tired, having walked 80 miles in the 4 previous days. More significantly, heavy rain is forecast for the rest of the day. So, I decide to spend the night here, in hopes of clearer weather and better views from Hanging Rock on Three Ridges, tomorrow. Sweep out shelter. Setup my gear (always at the better end of the shelter: which gives me most of the sidewall to hang my stuff, also only one adjacent neighbor). Take sponge bath and dress in night clothes. Cheeba and Boots stop for a break, but decide to continue on (I learned later that they got soaked in the rain that afternoon and had no views from Hanging Rock). After they depart I nap in my sleeping bag from noon to 2 pm. A few others pass thru. Big Cranky (or BC) comes in for the night. He is section hiking SOBO (south bound). He is a birder and Big Cranky is a nickname for the Great Blue Heron. Big Cranky is also carrying a hammock and really wants to use it. Because of the on and off rain he is between his hammock and the shelter several times. He does eventually spend the night in his hammock. Three section hiking friends also come into the shelter. Juggles comes in too and with his addition, the shelter is full. It continues to rain on and off throughout the day and evening.
Date: 2012-06-02
From: Harpers Creek Shelter, VA

To: Humpback Mountain, VA
Miles today: 15.7

Say "good-bye" to Big Cranky as I depart shelter at 7 am. It is a cool morning with a stiff windy breeze in the trees. The woods are wet from yesterday's rain. Because of the cools conditions I wear my wind jacket and visor for the entire 2000 ft climb up Middle Ridge and North Ridge of Three Ridges. At Hanging Rock there are great views and a big crowd of people including a large group of Boy Scouts. Had very rocky tedious and tiring traverse all the way from Harpers Creek Shelter to Humpback Mountain. Get water at spring on route west of Blue Ridge Parkway crossing. Have nice views at Cedar Cliffs. See Starcraft at auto pull-out at Three Ridges Overlook. Starcraft is wife of hiker Spot (they are from Canada, British Columbia if I remember correctly). She is driving their Starcraft pick-up truck camper (and hence her nick-name). At a previous road crossing, when I first met her, she gave me a can of Sprite! Today she gifts me a much appreciated can of root beer! From near Hanging Rock am able to get cell phone reception so am able to call and reserve hotel room in Waynesboro, VA. Cook rice dinner at nice overlook on Humpback Mountain. Chef Boyardee and Juggles stop to talk while I'm finishing my rice dinner. Solo camp in woods at established site at north end of Humpback Mountain. I have pitched my tent next to a pine tree where the ground is covered with a nice bed of pine needles. Saw two scarlet tanagers today.
Date: 2012-06-03
From: Humpback Mountain, VA

To: Rockfish Gap, Waynesboro, VA
Miles today: 11.5
Weather: scattered clouds

Chilly night with stiff breeze buffeting tent. Break camp quickly to stay warm. Mostly downhill on good trail. Move along quickly. Walk a short distance on an old turnpike. Pass Paul C. Wolfe Shelter. Because all the ground around the shelter is barren, I can tell this is a heavily used place. Glad I didn't stay there. Pass a coupe of locals out for the day with their dog. The dog barks at me menacingly because I'm wearing a visor (anyone, including family, wearing any headgear will offend it according to the owner). See Chef Boyardee at Rockfish Gap. Two other hikers have already arranged for a ride and are waiting for local Cindy to pick them up. Waynesboro, VA has a nice program of locals providing shuttle rides (for free) to hikers passing thru town! Very nice! Cindy delivers me to Quality Inn in Waynesboro. After quickly checking in and dropping my pack in the room, Cindy drops me at Kroger. Later get ride from local Steve to outfitter to top up my denatured alcohol bottle. Do laundry. Call Cindy.
Date: 2012-06-05
From: Waynesboro, VA

To: Skyline Drive mile 89, VA
Miles today: 15.5

Still having diarrhea at 5 am. Get pack ready to go. Call Karl at 6:35 am. Meet Karl at Quality Inn office at 6:45 am. Karl drops me at Rockfish Gap at 7 am. Overcast morning. Hike into Shenandoah National Park. Fill out park permit at self service entry station. Pass two sets of communication towers. Starts to drizzle. Have to stop for bowel movement in the woods. Heavy rain coming down at 10 am. Drop pack between my legs and stand at side of trail, out of water running down the trail, under my umbrella. Am standing next to an old apple tree. Rain tapers to a drizzle in about 10 minutes. Wait some more minutes for trail to drain. Stop for early rice dinner at Calf Mountain Shelter. Meet hiker Miles at shelter. Cheeba comes by shelter too. Fill my water bottles. Rain stops. Make camp in woods at established tenting site at height of land in the vicinity of, but out of sight of, Skyline Drive mile 89. Clean up and get into tent. Starts to drizzle about 6 pm.
Date: 2012-06-06
From: Skyline Drive mile 89, VA

To: HOL NW of Flattop Mountain, VA
Miles today: 21.0

Light rain thru previous evening. Away from camp 6:45 am. Pass by Blackrock Hut. Boots is just hiking out from hut. Can smell campfire smoke. Walk around Blackrock. Boots passes me here. Take pics. Do not climb to top of Blackrock since stone is wet from drizzle. Have light drizzle throughout morning hours. At Dundo Picnic Area fill water bottles at standpipe (no filtering needed!) and use restroom. Hike up to Loft Mountain Campground. Setup stove on concrete under overhanging roof, as rain is threatening, at campground restroom to cook rice dinner. Hikers Eat-to-Walk and Superstar come by to use restroom. Rinse cook pot at sink in restroom and fill water bottles (no filtering needed!). Deposit trash in SNP provided trash can! See Cheeba at trail coming back down from lunch. Get pic of hiker Bush Goggles at Ivy Creek. Get pic of hikers Fozzy and Juggles also at Ivy Creek. Solo camp at side of trail at height-of-land north-west of Flattop Mountain. About six people go by after I am setup.
Date: 2012-06-07
From: HOL NW of Flattop Mountain, VA

To: Bush Mountain, VA
Miles today: 18.0

Sky clears overnight and moon comes out. Away from camp 6:55 am. Sunny and cool morning. Meet hikers Cheeks and Atlas at Swift Run Gap parking area. Meet Hotshot, Easy, Gravity and Glog at Swift Run Gap. The last time I saw Hotshot was many weeks ago, in North Carolina. Meet up with Boots, Superstar, Walk-and-Eat at South River Picnic Area. Make rice dinner, fill water bottles and use restroom, wash socks and dump trash at picnic area. About six hikers pass me throughout the afternoon. Top up water bottles at picnic area at north end of Lewis Mountain Campground. Skip view at Bearfence Mountain. Dark cloud passes over dropping brief drizzle and then sky clears. Solo camp at nice spot at side of trail on the flank of Bush Mountain. Hikers Cheeks and Atlas pass by.
Date: 2012-06-08
From: Bush Mountain, VA

To: Pass Mountain Hut, VA
Miles today: 25.9
Weather: clear sky

Breezy and chilly overnight. Depart camp 6:30 am. Nice walk over Hazeltop. Flat grassy lane on north side down to cross Skyline Drive at Milam Gap. See old cemetery at Tanners Ridge Road. Very rocky over Blackrock Mountain and Hawksbill Mountain. Trail here is west of Skyline Drive on faulted side of mountain, with many rock slides, ledges and cliffs. Very difficult walking. Fill water bottles and use restroom at Big Meadows Amphitheater. Fill water bottles at Skyland. Get pics of Cheeks, Atlas, Spot, Boots and Hotshot. Make rice dinner and fill water bottles at Pinnacles Picnic Area. Very rocky over Pinnacle and insanely rocky descent to Thornton Gap. Because of bear signs: scat, overturned rocks and logs, decide to camp in woods near highway in Thornton Gap. As I am beginning to setup the tent I hear a rusting noise and turn to see two young bears a couple hundred feet away, looking at me. After a few moments the bears scamper off into the woods. Decide to hike on to Pass Mountain Hut. Arrive at hut to find it is full, with many tents setup in the vicinity. Find a clear level spot on grass (groan, ticks) to setup my tent. Several other tents are setup within a few feet of me. Once or twice in the night there is some commotion nearby. Evidently bear roaming the woods nearby.
Date: 2012-06-09
From: Pass Mountain Hut, VA

To: Front Royal, VA
Miles today: 26.5
Weather: broken clouds

Away from camp 6:30 am. Five hikers including Blue Sky pass me in the first half of the morning. Meet River and his Dad. The last time I saw River was at the Holiday Inn Express in Erwin, TN. He is half Columbian and travelling in a group of four hikers from Florida. Get rusty water at Elkwallow Wayside. See black bear number 3 a hundred feet off the trail north of Elkwallow Wayside. Beautiful day with warm sun, cool breeze and no threat of rain. Pass many locals and weekend campers along the trail. Stop for privy, lunch and water at Gravel Springs Hut. Blue Sky stops for water. Very nice trail most of day except rocky at the top and on the north side of North Marshall Mountain. Out in the hot sun going thru a burn area on the south side of Compton Peak. Am able to get cell phone reception at top of Hogback Mountain to make reservation for Sunday evening at Quality Inn in Front Royal. At Compton Gap start to think about going into Front Royal this evening as it is only three miles (and mostly downhill) from Tom Floyd Shelter. Call Cindy and ask her to check ATC website for Trail Angel providing shuttle service in Front Royal area. Cindy finds two possibilities. I call local Sharon, who answers and agrees to meet me at highway. I call Quality Inn and they confirm availability of room this evening. I miss a turn in the trail and go 0.5 mile out of my way before realizing my error. Return to trail and descend to Tom Floyd Shelter. No one else is there. The air at the shelter is still and stagnant. The general atmosphere is gloomy. This confirms my decision to go into Front Royal this evening. I am at the road at 7:10 pm. Shadows are lengthening as the sun has started to go down. The highway here is very busy and the traffic is going fast. This would have been a difficult and dangerous spot to hitch with nearby curves limiting visibility. Glad Cindy was able to find a shuttle for me. As I am waiting for the shuttle I happen to glance down at my feet and discover that the front of one boot is torn away from the sole. Looks like I will be boot shopping in Front Royal. After a short wait Sharon my shuttle driver arrives and delivers me to the Quality Inn in Front Royal, VA. Shower and get snacks across road at convenience store.
Date: 2012-06-11
From: Front Royal, VA

To: Dicks Dome Shelter, VA
Miles today: 15.2
Weather: overcast clouds

Load pack. Call taxi. Get another nice hotel breakfast: eggs, bacon, cinnamon buns, orange juice, milk. Taxi takes me back to trail. Depart from side of U.S. 522 at 7:15 am. Walk fence line of Smithsonian Zoo property. See animal enclosures, but no critters. Warm, very humid with heavy still air thru the morning. Mostly good flat trail. A few scattered rocky stretches. Start to feel a blister coming up on the ball of my right foot. Pull into Dicks Dome Shelter for the night. It is actually a geodesic dome made of plywood. Unfortunately it is pathetically small. According to AWOL's AT Guide it will only accommodate 4 people. Hikers Jersey, Y's Guy and Cheeba join me in the shelter. Later hikers Spiceman and Reinhard come in and setup their tent. Two young women arrive and they don't appear prepared to manage life on the trail. The one woman is having some distress, possibly some kind of allergic reaction, possibly to something eaten or possibly due to an insect bite. She is pretty frantic. Someone may have offered her an anti-inflammatory. After about an hour of histrionics she begins to settle down. The two women eventually go off to setup their tent. We have a little evening rain. But then it is dry overnight.
Date: 2012-06-12
From: Dicks Dome Shelter, VA

To: Bears Den Hostel, VA
Miles today: 18.3
Weather: heavy intensity rain

Light misty drizzle coming down in morning. Jersey is also an early riser and is away from the shelter by 6:20 am. I will not see him again for the rest of the day. I depart shelter 6:45 am with my umbrella up. Use umbrella all day. Rains on and off. Trail is pretty quiet today, only a few south bounders pass, going the opposite way from me. Have drizzle and light rain thru the morning. By mid-day my shorts and shoes are soaked. The temperature is warm, so it's comfortable being wet. In the early afternoon there is a tiny bit of sun. The air is still. The humidity is super high. Arrive at Bears Den Hostel just after 3 pm. Shower and get a bunk. Trail Angels bring delightful dinner including pot roast and cherry pie!