morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2014-04-15
From: Erwin, TN

To: Beauty Spot Gap
Miles today: 12.2
Weather: moderate rain

This morning during breakfast at the Mountain Inn Motel in Erwin, Tennessee, the weather occupied all of our morning discussions. Due to the poor weather, Listener decided to slack pack and he called a shuttle driver named J-Walker 910-409-2509. After a moment I decided to join him.   It was a good decision. My heels were hurting due to blisters, I was tired, and I think I have a cold coming on. The shuttle took us to Beauty Spot Gap. For the first time I hiked southbound on the trail. The weather was awful. The wind was blowing and the rain came at us horizontally. It was cold and wet. As we hiked down the trail the weather turned worse. By the end of the hike it rained, hailed, snowed and sleeted. Even though I wore rain gear, my clothes were damp by the time I got back. Snow is predicted in the mountains tonight. During the hike we had some great trail magic. We met a guy known as Father John and BT and he had coffee and warm brownies.As I hiked out of the mountains I passed Prom Queen, Trail Wife, and the three super hikers, Cornwall, Cowboy, and Simon now known as Gargamel heading into the mountains. I also saw Rob, Movin'on, Nick, and the Professor at Curly Maple Gap Shelter. A nice shelter, but clearly it will be a very cold night and I am glad I'm sleeping at the motel tonight and not in the mountains.The shuttle driver, J-Walker, learned about my feet problems and my belief that the blisters were caused by my socks getting stretched out and folding on my heels. She quickly pulled out a pair of smaller socks and gave them to me. I hiked all day with them and I am now 99% sure that I need new socks. At the first opportunity I will purchase smaller socks.Listener is a 27-year-old from Florida. Until recently Listener was editor of the Sarasota magazine. He quit for the adventure of the trail and to decide the next phase of his life. He is very intelligent and a strong walker. He is hard to keep up with. We discussed many interesting things on our hike.I will stay in the motel tonight and eat in town. I want everyone who is reading my journal to know that I am having the time of my life. There are hardships on the trail but that does not diminish the enjoyment. I continue to meet the best and most interesting people. The mountains are very beautiful. And my days fly by very fast.For the last two days a shuttle driver named Miss Janet has driven me to dinner. She is a very good and knowledgeable shuttle driver and I recommend her. She will be driving and following the hikers all the way to Maine. 423-483-0620RW: Today, Listener called me Royal Whiskers.
Date: 2014-04-16
From: Beauty Spot Gap

To: Clyde Smith shelter
Miles today: 14.4
Weather: clear sky

At 9 o'clock I left Beauty Spot Gap clearing mile 353.7 and arrived at 5:30 at Clyde Smith Shelter mile 368.1 for a total of 14.4 miles. It snowed hard overnight. The gap was beautiful and the mountains were covered in snow. I hiked in the cool morning sunlight with the snow and the ice crunching under my feet. The views were stunning. I hiked quickly up the mountain and hardly noticed the steep climb because of the beauty of the snow. As I climbed the snow deepened into drifts and the trail became difficult to follow. On one occasion I lost the trail and had to backtrack to find my way.                                  The day went fast but I passed very few people. At the end of the day I finally made it to Clyde Smith Shelter. There were some people that I knew at the shelter and some I didn't know. Cowboy, Gargamel, and Cornwall were already there. I met for the first time Wet Dog, Frankie the Sleeper, AYCE, and Mack. Later two other thru-hikers stopped by, Junco and Early Bird. These two just ate and continued on. Near evening two young girls came in known as Alaska and Happy.  These two girls had hiked at least a 25 mile day and plan to hike many more 25 mile days. They wanted to hike 100 miles in 3 days. They were both in college at Harvard University.      They didn't even seem tired. The rest of us were amazed.                                                            RW today the shuttle driver J-Walker named me Renegade Wanderer
Date: 2014-04-17
From: Clyde smith shelter

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

It was a very cold morning. My thermometer read approximately 28 degrees.      There was a crust of ice in my water bottle. Today was a big day and a major milestone. I climbed the dreaded Roan Mountain. The mountain is 6,212 feet and the second highest on the Appalachian trail. The climb was hard but not the hardest climb. The trail was the most treacherous I have been on. Overnight the trail flooded and turned into a trail of ice. Every step was slippery and threatened to put me on the ground. It took a long time to climb the mountain. The view from the mountain was not very spectacular. As I walked I came to other smaller mountains and had fantastic views from their summits.While the day started cold it did start to warm up later in the afternoon but never really got me warm. The trail had ice on it and the mountains had snow all day.      The Overmountain shelter is a big converted barn. I decided not to sleep in the barn because it is very cold and very drafty. My tent is warmer. There is no sign of Spring in these mountains except some small patches of green grass. The trees are not close to setting leaves and no flowers are visible.   The shelter barn is at 4,654 feet and was used in the movie "Winter People". Spring will not arrive here for quite a long time.      I know almost everyone at the shelter. Everyone from last night is here except Happy and Alaska. Rob and Movin'on arrived soon after me.I am almost completely out of food and Rob made a reservation at the next hostel. He made one for me too. I will buy food there. Rob and Movin'on have hiked tremendous miles to make up the 7 miles I was ahead of them 2 days ago. They are both very tired.It is currently very cold and windy. I'm writing this journal from my sleeping bag because it is so cold and windy. It is only 6:30 and almost everyone is inside their sleeping bag because of the cold.RW means Roan Wireless
Date: 2014-04-19
From: US 19E

To: Mooreland gap shelter
Miles today: 18.9
Weather: overcast clouds

April 19 Saturday. RW means Reckless Whirlwind because I broke a picture at the hostel. This morning we had a fabulous breakfast.   I was almost too full to hike. A 71 year old lady named Vagabond hiked the AT last year in under 6 months.   At 75 she plans to do it again and set the record for the oldest woman to thru-hike.I shared the hostel with Rob, Mack, Ayce, Frankie the Sleeper, and Caveman.The Professor (angry Phil) came intothe hostel and upset the staff with his rudeness.   I figure Phil is so angry because of his diet.   For example he adds water to dehydrated potatoes at night and then eats them cold for breakfast.   Lately the potatoes are half frozen in the morning and he swears at them. Just one of many food choices that seem to make a difficult hike miserable for him. I am amazed he is still hiking.   He is 63 and just gets more miserable every time I see him, yet I bet he will finish the trail.I weighed myself today and I seem to have gained back some of the weight I lost. Seems improbable but the scale at the hostel says it's true.Today Rob and I hiked together all day. We left the hostel at 9:30 and hiked 18.9 miles by 5:30. The day was cool and drizzly.   We hiked along the Upper Laurel Fork River for several hours. Hiking was easy and we did more miles than expected.   After dinner there was lots of campfire talk about politics and Damascus. Just before bed I saw the strangest rainbow.   It went straight up out of the top of Roan Mountain.   Too many trees to get a good picture.         At the shelter were Wet Dog, Rob, PC6 and his wife Captain D, Caveman, Sprout, and Red Dog. Wet Dog does not like his picture taken and is a tall handsome 63 year old that is a very private person.
Date: 2014-04-20
From: mooreland gap shelter

To: Watauga Lake Shelter
Miles today: 16.6
Weather: clear sky

Rob and I hiked all day together.   The weather was perfect.   Happy Easter everyone!                     We passed Gargamel, Cowboy, and Cornwall who were going into town for supplies.   Gargamel seems sick. I will know more at Damascus. We are making great time to Damascus and hope to be there by Wednesday.                                                         Laurel Falls is beautiful and we hiked along the stream for hours. We met Dirty Harry and Fran. They are from London. We were a little disappointed today that there wasn't any trail magic since it is Easter except at breakfast when Captain D gave everyone a piece of chocolate. Spring is in bloom at the lower elevations. Last night we slept at 3,823 feet. The falls are at 2,120 feet and tonight the shelter is at 2 084 feet. We expect the night to be warm. I saw Columbine blooming.Tonight at the shelter will be Rob, Red Dog, Caveman, and me. We all intend to sleep in the shelter instead of tenting because of the threat of rain in the morning.   Cell phone reception is improving.   Yesterday and today I could make calls. RW means Really Wise. Given to me by Sprout
Date: 2014-04-21
From: Watauga Lake Shelter

To: Double Springs Gap Campsite
Miles today: 27.0
Weather: overcast clouds

A marathon day, 27 miles! The miles were moderate-to-easy all day. I left camp at 7:30 a.m. and arrived at 6:30 p.m. Too tired to say much more.Today at about 6:00 AM a Wippoorwill flew close to our shelter and started to sing. As a result RW now means Romantic Whippoorwill.
Date: 2014-04-22
From: Double Springs Gap Campsite

To: Damascus (Laurel and Shady)
Miles today: 13.3
Weather: light rain

Caveman and I stayed at a nice campsite last night. We left early, 6:45 AM for Damascus. The trail was mostly downhill and smooth. I made great time and arrived in Damascus at 11:30 AM. Damascus is a small town, and like all towns on the trail, I don't get a cell signal. WiFI if I am lucky. I am writing this from the public library.Yesterday I didn't mention that I had two instances of trail magic. The first was about 10:00 AM. I missed the blue blaze indicating water and I ran out of water. Caveman gave me some sips of water, but he had little to spare and I didn't want him to suffer because of my mistake. Yesterday it was hot and my mouth soon became dry. I walked for 2 hours or nearly 7 miles before I came across water. I can't recall being so thirsty. At about 3:00 PM I came across a box of pop and snacks left by a church. It also came at a good time because again I was almost out of water. Water is surprisingly far apart on this part of the trail. Water was abundant until yesterday and now abruptly is more scarce and the water sources are meager. It takes 15 minutes or more to get 2 to 3 liters of water. Yesterday Rob left camp before me by 15 minutes. Caveman and I pushed hard yesterday, 27 miles, but didn't seem him. Today no one ahead of us saw him either. Somehow we must have passed him and didn't know it. I assume he is behind me. On the way into town I entered Virginia. Three states down. Damascus is a small town that survives by catering to backpackers. It has several outfitters and a lot of hostels and B&Bs.As I approached town I ran into Murphy, who I haven't seen since Gatlinburg, TN, Movin'On and the Professor who I haven't seen for the past 4 days. The Professor is staying at the same Hostel I am staying at, Dave's Place.I plan to take at least one zero day and rest, my ankles are hurting, and I am tired and hungry. I will also check out the three outfitters in town and get new socks, a new water bag, and consider getting new hiking boots. My boots seem to be fine but are showing signs of wearing out after 467.1 hard mountain trail miles plus some break-in miles.Today Blue Jay said RW means Reading and Writing.
Date: 2014-04-23
From: Damascus (Laurel and Shady)

To: Damascus (Laurel and Shady)
Miles today: 0.0

Last night was not a good night. I stayed at Dave's Hostel and my room flooded because of plumbing problems in the next room. I was up most of the night. Also, a guy was sick all night and kept everyone up with his stomach problems. He was noisy and disgusting. So in the morning I got half my money back, they said I must have slept some so they would only give me half of money. I do not recommend Dave's Hostel.   I went down the street to the Hikers Inn Hostel. I have a very nice private room.Also in the morning I saw Rob. Two days ago, Monday, Rob and I got separated. Rob left the Watauga Lake Shelter about 15 minutes before me and I walked 27 miles trying to catch-up to him. Well, when Rob left the shelter that day, he went the wrong way and walked south for a mile instead of north before he realized his mistake. He was behind me from the start. He made 21 miles that day and got into town this morning.Today is a beautiful day and because I am taking a zero day hiking, many hikers behind me arrived in town today. I saw Tandem, Buzz, Red Dog, and DaVinci so far, and others I recognize but don't know their trail names. It continually amazes me that no matter how hard I hike, many hikers I know are just behind me hiking just as many miles. Many are taking a zero day in Damascus. Soon after breakfast, I went to SunDog outfitter and purchased some new socks - Fits - and a pair of new hiking shoes - Salomon XA Pro low trail hikers. It is the first time I have hiked in non-water proof low profile trail hikers. I hope this works or I will quickly be in a world of hurt when I start hiking again. I am walking around town in them in hopes to break them in some before I hit the trail. I mailed home my boots and old socks and it was a lot less money than I imagined, only $9.99. I purchased some Epson Salts and plan to soak my feet and rest tomorrow as well. My feet, knees, and ankles are sore. Another reason I left Dave's Hostel is because I don't want to get sick. As I traveled around town rumors of other sick hikers were a topic of conversation in the cafe. Some are starting to suggest that a Norovirus is spreading in the hiker community. I hope not, but I am now taking extra precautions with cleanliness and limiting my physical contact with other people. It is a nasty virus and there has been talk for weeks how devastating the virus was to the hikers last year around Damascus. The Professor and Murphy left town today. The Professor is carrying about 8 days of food and is now moving fast, I likely may not see him for a long time, if ever. I am deciding how many days of food to purchase. I meet my son on May 5 in Bland, VA, 120 miles to the north and deciding where and when to make stops for food before I get to Bland. RW means, Rainbow Walker after the rainbow I saw jetting out of Roan Mountain a few days ago.
Date: 2014-04-25
From: Damascus (Laurel and Shady)

To: Damascus (Laurel and Shady)
Miles today: 0.0

Yesterday I went to the clinic and received some bad news. My Achilles tendon is inflamed. I will need to rest a few days for it to heal. They gave me a cortisone shot and some medication to help with the pain and swelling. Monday I hope to start the trail again by slack packing for one day. If all goes well I will begin the trail again but go very slowly for about a week. This is not a problem because I am still very far ahead of schedule. My injury is caused by my failure to distinguish pain from injury. I thought it was just the normal pains of the trail and would eventually go away, instead it got significantly worse. Currently I am just sitting in the hostel resting my ankle.It is okay that I am not hiking today as planned. It has been raining hard off and on all day. Earlier today the main street of Damascus looked like a small stream as the water poured down the street. I can only imagine how flooded the trail is today. It seems a higher force is looking out for me in that when I am not hiking for whatever reason the weather turns very bad.Today Rob left for the trail and I hope he is staying dry. I went to lunch and saw Listener and Tank who have now caught up to me. They plan to leave town tomorrow. It appears many of the people that I have been hiking with for the last several weeks will now be significantly ahead of me so I will be meeting a whole new group of hikers. I still have lots of time to make Mount Katahdin.No further news on the Norovirus. No illnesses noted in town today.Many hostels have a policy of limiting hikers to 2 days. But because of my injury the owner has agreed to let me stay until I recover.Last night I went to dinner at Joe's Taco.   Two thru-hikers who carry a banjo and violin played for tips. During the evening I met Grandma Jo. She is a 52-year-old woman from Germany. She has been in town for almost two weeks due to the worst case of blistered feet I've ever seen. Her feet are just raw. She is another walking wounded in town. RW means Recovering Wounded
Date: 2014-04-26
From: Damascus (Laurel and Shady)

To: Damascus ( Laurel and Shady )
Miles today: 0.0

This is a very special entry and day. On March 30th, I hiked with a 65-year-old named Black Horse. This kind and gentle man shared with me his hopes and dreams for hiking the trail and we both talked at length about our family and friends. He is from the state of Maine, and was very excited about hiking home to his family and friends. Every step along the trail brought him closer to his dream. That morning we climbed a mountain in the snow and it was a beautiful mountain scene. Yesterday I emailed his wife a photo of him that I took that day. She emailed me back and explained that he had a tragic accident on April 12. Shortly after he left the Smoky Mountains he fell off a cliff into Pigeon Forge and was very seriously hurt. God must have seen it coming that day because at that very moment people were whitewater rafting below. They saw him fall from the cliff and came to his aid. He is now in the hospital and ready for his fourth surgery for multiple broken bones and injuries. This trail can take anyone at anytime and anyway it wishes. I wish him the best and want to let him know that for those few hours he touched my life.I'm still recovering from my Achilles tendon, but knowing what happened to Black Horse puts my injury in perspective.RW MEANS Rusty Wheel
Date: 2014-04-27
From: Damascus ( Laurel and Shady )

To: Damascus ( Laurel and Shady )
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

I went to a church service at the local Presbyterian.   The sermon was about Timothy and inspirational.   Town is quiet today and I ran into J-Rex. She checked into the hostel last night and has an injured knee.   She plans to be here at least several days to heal.   Other hikers are reporting Norovirus and sickness on the trail. Today I hiked about 2 hours on the trail without a pack.   Minor ache but no pain. I plan to hit the trail Tuesday and go slow for a few days. Yesterday a Baptist Church brought food for all thru-hikers to the Methodist Church Hostel known as The Place. I enjoyed the food.   Today I also had trail angel food. Someone discovered that a German thru-hiker's birthday is today and brought a cake and ice cream for everyone at the hostel. Today I received an email from Black Horse's wife. Black Horse is looking forward to providing trail magic in Maine when he is able. I look forward to seeing him as a trail angel. See Tank's post about Black Horse. RW MEANS Reborn Wondering if I can walk.
Date: 2014-04-28
From: Damascus ( Laurel and Shady )

To: Damascus (Laurel and Shady)
Miles today: 0.0

RW: Random WobblerStill here. Saw I Believe in town today. She said she saw several people with Norovirus one town back, in Hampton. My Achilles tendon is getting better, still tender, but no longer sore. I'm walking around town okay now. Tomorrow I slackpack about 7 miles and test it, maybe. Severe thunderstorms are predicted for tomorrow and I may decide not to hike if the weather is bad.I met my first person from Tasmania. He goes by Tasmania. All three injured Germans (Grandma Jo, German 1, and Little German) who stayed at the hostel last night took a shuttle to a larger town this morning. Then they may take a bus several hundred miles north to hike an easier section of the trail because of their injuries. Because of my injury and the great difficulty in communicating with ATT cell phone service here, I purchased a monthly Verizon phone plan and phone. This is an unexpected expense, but I hope it solves some of my communication problems.Not much else to say. Very bored.
Date: 2014-04-29
From: Damascus (Laurel and Shady)

To: Saunders Shelter
Miles today: 9.2
Weather: light rain

RW Means: Right or Wrong.  After the thunderstorms passed this morning I returned to the trail.   I walked slow and felt as expected, sore.   The new boots and socks work well.                                                  Since I left the trail the forest has livened.   Many of the trees are pushing leaves out and the trees now have a light subtle green hue. The forest floor is also looking greener as new growth covers the leaf litter. Some trees are at the early stages of flowering.   Insects are also more prevalent. The trail is surprisingly dry given the storms.   There is rumblings in the distance alerting us to another approaching storm.   While the temperature is comfortable, the humidity is higher than anytime since I started the hike.Seven days off the trail has affected my physical fitness.   My legs are tired and the injury is sore.   Trail angels left a spray can of Lysol at this shelter. We are spraying everything to kill Norovirus. I am staying in a shelter because of the predicted rain tonight.   It is a nice shelter.   I am sharing it with Jenny, J-Rex, Bacon Dog, Speedy G.                                                   I hiked along the Laurel River for several miles.   The river is roaring as this morning's storms swelled it over its banks.   The small gully thundered with the sound of the rushing water.
Date: 2014-04-30
From: Saunders Shelter

To: Thomas Knob Shelter
Miles today: 18.6
Weather: light rain

RW MEANS: Roaring Wind. Today I hiked far more miles than intended or should have due to my Achilles tendon.   The wind must have been 35 miles per hour all day and there was little protection. I climbed Whitetop Mtn, the second highest mountain in Virginia at 5,235. It was difficult to stand as the wind caught my pack like a sail.   I saw on the map an ideal location to camp for the night slightly farther than I wanted to hike but I hiked there anyway -16 miles to find protection from the wind. When I got there signs said the campground was closed so the meadow could recover due to over-use. I hiked 2 more miles to the next shelter. I am so glad I made it to the shelter instead of tenting.   The night was cold and rainy. The wind picked up and howled and buffeted the shelter all night. The shelter is crowded with 18 young people.   I am the ancient old man here. We all just huddled in it and thankful it is so well built.The shelter is just below the top of Mt Rogers, 5,490 feet, the highest mountain in Virginia. This is wild horse country and I saw one wild horse just before arriving at the shelter.Yesterday and today I couldn't get a cell signal even with the Verizon phone I purchased in Damascus.   Here in the Grayson Highlands the few trees are leafless.   Spring is still weeks away unlike yesterday.