morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2015-05-21
From: Hurricane Mountain Shelter

To: Partnership Shelter
Miles today: 18.8
Weather: overcast clouds

My hike was a good one today and I planned on doing 15 miles to the second shelter. I got off to a good start but it soon started raining lightly, gradually increasing to a downpour after the Hurricane Creek Campground. I just pulled out my rain jacket, put the hood over my head and threw the rest over my pack like a poncho which worked reasonably well as it would have been too hot to put the jacket on. It was a good day of even terrain but very muddy, especially after the Trimpi Shelter which is a stout stone shelter with a fireplace, benches and bunks - so it took a lot longer to make my miles. I arrived at the Partnership Shelter which is a two story log cabin type shelter. I picked a spot for my bed and to put my gear in the loft as the bottom was full. I then found out that I had hiked 19+ miles instead of 15 so I felt a lot better about my hiking time for the day. There is a solar shower but the hot water was gone, all there remained was cold water, so being used to spring water, I showered in the icy water and felt better. I then did my laundry in a sink in the back and hung it out to dry. Instead of ordering expensive pizza like everyone else I just made a rice dish and had some gummy fruit snacks for desert along with a soda from the park HQ. The shelter filled up and there were people putting up tents and hammocks even though signs prohibited doing so. Some hikers had started a fire and I went out and was treated to both a safety meeting and a beer which completed the day. Sitting out at the campfire for a while before retiring had been relaxing and then it was off to the loft and to sleep.
Date: 2015-05-23
From: Partnership Shelter

To: Knot Maul Shelter
Miles today: 25.6
Weather: few clouds

Hiking to the Knot Maul shelter was a beautiful hike with many great views and happenings. I first saw 2 deer in the woods and got some pictures and a video before they left. I then saw something moving in the woods and a fawn soon came into view and started working its way towards me. The fawn made a noise like a bird chirping. I called a nearby hiker to show him and we took pictures and videos as it came closer. We had to leave before it got too close to the trail as we didn't want other hikers to touch it. Coming to the Chatfield Memorial Shelter, which is an old and worn out looking red shelter with a privy out back. I took a brief snack and privy break before moving on. Later on in the morning I ran across an old building which turned out to be a one room schoolhouse. I walked up to see it just because it was a cool looking old building and then I saw the sign on the door that it was a museum. There was "trail magic" inside in the form of cold drinks, snacks, fruit and heigene items for the hikers to enjoy. I called over two hikers while I was sitting on the porch eating fruit and drinking a soda, and showed them the trail magic and school. It was a blessing to sit and rest and enjoy the food and drinks. Reading the punishments for the students and rules for the teachers (will add pictures later) it was amazing how different school was back then. Soon it was time to go and before I got to the Relax Inn I found my first ripe wild strawberry of the trip! It was soo sweet! I stopped in at the Relax Inn in Atkins, Va on RT 11 where I was blessed to pick up a package with my ipod that I had forgotten at Crazy Larry's hostel in Damascus, VA! He mailed it to me and really made my day. Thank you so much Crazy Larry! I can't believe how much faster I hike with my music playing. I stopped in at the Shell Station for a Ocean Spray Cranberry/Raspberry drink and an ice cream. I bought an icecream and a drink for the hiker that watched my pack while I was inside. Then it was up Walker Mountain and the Holston River Bridge where I hopped in to cool off. Then there was the climb up Brushy Mountain and down to the Knot Maul Branch Shelter. I was excited and exhausted after hiking 25.6 miles in 13 hours. There had been an emergency at the shelter earlier as a hiker had hurt her hip, possibly breaking it. Two hikers turned her sleeping bag into a sling by putting two poles through it and using that to carry her to safety. (It turned out to be a stress fracture of the femur) The hiker at the shelter not only shared a safety meeting with me as I was having some back pain, including two spots on my lower back that felt like they were burning, but also gave me a large colorful bud as trail magic! Thus starting to safely unwind, I was so tired that I went down to the water source for water and cleaned up, returned to the shelter and just put my gear down, ate snacks and went to sleep.
Date: 2015-05-24
From: Knot Maul Shelter

To: Chestnut Knob Shelter
Miles today: 9.4
Weather: clear sky

I was up late and on the trail after breakfast. My hike was only a little over 9 miles today as I slept in and didn't start hiking until 9 in the morning. I started having a pain on my lower back as something was rubbing me raw there. I hiked with Gorp Gobbler into the Beartown Wilderness, a part of the Jefferson National Forrest. It was a hard climb reminiscent of climbs in NC over Lynn Camp Mountain and then it grew steadily into a more gradual incline through beautiful open meadows filled with flowers and bordered by the trees as we climbed up Chestnut Knob. There was a scent of lavender everywhere but I couldn't find what gave off that scent. GORP Gobbler told me that the only water source was a mile away from the shelter at a spring by a small pond, just off of the trail. I filled up my bottles, filtered and took pictures of a very photogenic frog at the well before resuming my trek to the shelter. The stout, stone shelter was a former firewardens cabin and you can see the remains of a firetower behind the shelter. The shelter once had a working fireplace which had been closed up and the chimney topped off and covered with the roof. There were 3 bunk beds and a sleeping platform inside along with a picnic table as the shelter was very spacious. Once there I laid out my bedding and put Triple Antibiotic Ointment on the open sores on my back and then took some time to see what was causing the irritation. At first I thought that it was caused by the seam on my shirt bunching up and causing chaffing. But after further examination I found that the adjustable frame straps had about a half an inch of play, causing it to move up and down and wear the skin off of my back! I got it fixed easily and quickly by taking the slack out by tying a knot in the straps. This problem was probably caused by overloading my pack causing it to stretch out. I then ate dinner, visited for awhile and then wrote my poems in the shelter log. I read in my Guthook's AT app that Burke's Valley below the shelter was a 4 x 8 mile limestone sinkhole that had once been a giant cavern that had collapsed. It must have been incredible! When I hiked on I would be following its rim for the next 8 miles. I met the hiker Frasier Fir who is a cool hiker and we spent awhile swapping stories. Someone had started a fire so I hung out awhile and visited while eating dinner. I needed one so I sponsored a safety meeting before going to sleep.
Date: 2015-05-25
From: Chestnut Knob Shelter

To: Chestnut Knob Shelter
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

I Zeroed today, getting up and eating breakfast and enjoying an extra cup of coffee. I wanted to let the sores on my back heal.( With plenty of tripple antibiotic ointment it is doing much better this afternoon after spending most if the morning reading. I also visited with hikers and had written poetry in the shelter log. Early in the day the Bionic Woman stopped in along with Cruise Control, Waldo, The Dog Dante and his owner. They visited for awhile before moving on down the trail. It was Memorial Day so I wrote my poems for those serving and who gave their lives in the service of our country. I kept triple anti-biotic ointment on my back and rested all day. The view from the shelter is out of the world. I met with and talked to a Marine who was setting up a portable ham radio station behind the shelter to be the first one to broadcast from this mountain. He spent a good part of the day documenting his contacts across the globe from this location. He was a busy man, but got out and hiked the AT as much as time would permit so I gave him a trail-name of Devil Dog. (A name that the German Army gave to the Corps after their first encounter in Belleau Woods. The French and English were in full retreat when the Marines arrived. They were asked if they were going to retreat as well but the only replied - "Retreat?! Hell no!!, We just got here!" and the small detachment of about 1,000 Marines not only stopped a much larger German force of about 10,000 but started a counter-attack if my memory serves me well. The marksmanship and ferocity of their attack earned the Marines the nickname of Devil Dogs from the highly disciplined and well trained German army at that time.) He liked the name and proudly accepted it by giving the Corps battle cry! I also thanked him for his service and sent him on his way with a few granola bars for his trip back to his van miles, down the mountain. The rest of the evening was spent visiting with the hikers while I ate dinner watching the sunset. Then it was safety time. I was well rested and got to bed early and listened to the Bible on audio and music.
Date: 2015-05-26
From: Chestnut Knob Shelter

To: Helveys Mill Shelter
Miles today: 25.9
Weather: overcast clouds

It was an early start to a long 26 mile day and I was greeted with a stunning sunrise. I made my breakfast and coffee before packing up and hitting the trail feeling refreshed and ready to go. I was eager to get going and was on the lookout for the next water source as I was getting low after my zero. I would be hiking along the edge of Burke's Valley - A 8x4 mile crater created by a limestone sinkhole. I can only describe the hike as one of surreal otherworldly beauty. I wonder if a massive limestone cave had imploded due to erosion or an earthquake. Either way it must have been something to see. Everything was covered in a soft green coating of moss. You would not be surprised to see unicorns, nymphs and sprites dance out of the mist. One could just as easily imagine dinosaurs romping among the boulders and ferns under a soaring canopy of ancient hardwood trees. I envisioned a tyrannosaurus rex battle to the death with a triceratops as they thrashed through the ancient trees and boulders.(Having recently watched Jurassic Park.) The descent was steep at times and the Garden Mountain Outcropping offered beautiful views into the valley. I found the spring and filtered and filled my containers as it started to rain. Along the way the rain stopped and the sun came out heating things up. The trail came across a stream about 8'-10' across and my smell dictated that I take a bath. I stripped down to my underwear (which look like shorts ) and sandals and walk into the icy waters and begin washing with my bandana as a washcloth and bodywash. I submerged myself in the icy waters to finish rinsing off. A hiker with a dog named "Dante" came by and I could smell them before I saw them. Apparently, Dante decided to chase a skunk and got sprayed as a result, since I saw them last at the spring this morning. It took a whole bottle of Dr. Bonner's camp soap to make the smell manageable. There were a number of road walks covering miles with a road walk on an overpass across I-77 and it was a difficult matter of following the trail at the trailhead as there were several trails, some former AT with old markings. I got very frustrating as it was starting to get dark when I finally found the blind corner where the trail switched back that I had missed and started my climb. It was a wonderful 26 mile day, the farthest I have done in a single day. I ended up at the Helvy Mill Shelter, after a long side trail, where I saw the Bionic Woman and several others already getting ready for bed as it was dark right after I arrived. They made room for me at the shelter and I got set up in the center of the shelter by a beam and sponsored a safety meeting. The shelter is a half a mile from the trail and to get water it is about .6 mile round trip so I pulled a 27+ mile hike in total. I then made dinner and relaxed for awhile feeling great about my high mileage day. Today I also passed the 600 mile marker made of sticks on the trail! I ate some trail mix and soon went to bed with my headphones on and was soon asleep.
Date: 2015-05-27
From: Helveys Mill Shelter

To: Wapiti Shelter
Miles today: 24.2
Weather: broken clouds

I was up early and felt well rested after my record mile day. I was back to coffee and blueberry oatmeal, to which I added Carnation Instant Breakfast Powder for breakfast. Soon it was time to pack up and get back on the trail. Even after the hike yesterday I had a lot of energy and easily climbed up Brushy Mountain where I took a break at the Jenny Knob Shelter. I had run out of water when I arrived at the Kimberling Creek suspension bridge, before the road to the store. I walked the half mile to the grocery store so I could charge my phone and get some rest and water. While there I was surprised that I ate 2 pepperoni and cheese calzones that were like a foot long each and drank a full half gallon of orange juice in about an half an hour. While there I confirmed that I was carrying a full gallon of water when I bought a gallon and filled up my 2 litre platypus and 2 20oz bottles and they were filled to the top and used all of the water. I had guessed this before but now I knew for sure how much water I started each day with. I was there for about an hour before hitting the trail again. It was getting late so I skipped the quarter mile round trip to the Dismal Falls as I heard severe storms were on the way. I did stop to refill my water and, for a bath where the stream came close to the trail to wash the sweat off from the arduous climb. The freezing water cooled me off greatly and re-energized me temporarily. I even threw on clean clothes afterwards and it felt great to be clean. I arrived at the Wapiti shelter (where it was supposed to be haunted by a woman killed there.) at 9:30 in the pitch dark by headlamp. I and was utterly exhausted expecting the shelter to be full, but it was empty except for several food bags hanging on hooks inside. (It was the second time that I was the only person to sleep in a shelter. It was almost 3 but the other time that the Bionic Woman came in late in the night.) There was a Cornish flag flying behind the shelter and several tents and hammocks up and everyone was asleep. I hung my food bag and pack after I set up my bed and made dinner. I stretched and had a safety meeting before my audiobook and music. I felt great after a second recordbreaking mileage day, but was exhausted and was soon sound asleep.
Date: 2015-05-28
From: Wapiti Shelter

To: Woods Hole Hostel
Miles today: 7.2
Weather: overcast clouds

I was up early for breakfast and enjoyed an extra cup of coffee while I chatted with the others at the shelter area. They had heard me come in and were wondering who it was. Soon I was off and after a few stream crossings and a beautiful view, I arrived at and climbed the lookout tower drinking in its panoramic views as I rested and snacked. Then it was a short mileage day as I decided to stop in at the Woods Hole Hostel to see if I could sew a button on my pants and do some laundry. I ended up staying the night and eating a wonderful home cooked meal of salad, home made bread, soup with meatballs, cheese and rice with homemade ice cream cones for dessert. I helped prepare for dinner by washing dishes and cutting greens for the salad. The organic farm is beautiful and serene and a must visit location for any thru-hiker. They make awesome homemade icecream and smoothies along with bread and cheese! You can even get a massage! I saw T-Storm, Pockets, Gorp Gobbler and other familiar faces and talked with them in turn to catch up on news. I took awhile to do a video about the hostel to put on Youtube as the place impressed me so much with their warmth and hospitality. I wrote a long poem for their hiker book in the hostel part of the barn using colored pencils that they provided. I showered and did laundry and while waiting sat around the fire pit with safety breaks sponsored periodically (off grounds, out of respect). Finally clean with clean clothes I felt great and visited for awhile before going to sleep after my evening ritual. And yes, I did borrow a sewing kit to fix the button on my pants.
Date: 2015-05-30
From: The Hostel at the Catholic Church

To: Holiday Motorlodge Hostel
Miles today: 0.0

I spent a zero in town and walked over to resupply at Walmart and ate breakfast at Mc.Donalds. Then cruising over to get some updates done at the library, I spent a good part of the day. Walking across town and Stopping by the courthouse with its monument to the soldiers lost in the Civil war was very somber. I always love reading the historical plaques along the way it was and it's an exciting feeling to be treading on such historical grounds. The AT goes through an area that is so rich in the history that made our country what it is today. That history is a great part of the excitement and adventure of hiking the Appalachian Trail for me. On my way to the Holiday Motorlodge, I stopped for a drink and snack at a gas station along the way and charged my phone while I rested. Arriving at the Lodge, I checked in for the bunkhouse at the hotel lobby across the parking lot, past the pool. I went across the street and ate dinner at the La Barranca Mexican restaurant across the street and it was very good and authentic Mexican food, served in generous portions, along with a large and delicious frozen Margarita! It was nice so I decided to eat on the balcony on the back under the shade of an umbrella where I rested and relaxed. Then it was off to the grocery store for a few odds and ends and then back to the hostel. I was happy to find my headlamp that I had lost coming into town. It had been hanging on my sternum strap and had fallen off and there it was in the hiker box! I lay down early and listened to music for awhile before sleep.
Date: 2015-05-31
From: The bunkhouse at the Lodge

To: Rice Field Shelter
Miles today: 6.9
Weather: overcast clouds

Not in a hurry to leave that morning I slept in and drank a cup of coffee to wake up. Soon after I was finished, I packed up and started walking. A trail angel stopped and asked if I needed a ride. He not only gave me a ride, but I was treated to breakfast at McDonalds where I had orange juice, a yogurt parfait and fruit oatmeal, which is pretty much the healthiest things on the menu. Then it was off to the trail head with a ride from my trail angel. It was a great but tough hike out of town as the trail before the bridge was pretty overgrown and in need of maintenance. Crossing over the Senator Shumate Bridge over the New River was an adventure! It crosses a large river on a high, long bridge that shook like crazy whenever big rigs drove over! Once over the bridge there was a stairway that led to a road under the bridge and to a short road walk to the trailhead. The climb started as soon as I hit the trail and it went up about 1,700 feet in under 2 miles. There were plenty of bright orange newts out playing today. I love the way that they brighten the trail and I'm always glad to see them and keep watch lest I step on them on the trail. Right before the shelter there is a privy, about 10' off the trail with only one wall facing towards the trail! No privacy there! I arrived at the shelter after picking up water at the source beforehand hearing that none was to be had there. I got set up in the shelter and called it a day, as a big storm was headed our way and I had been walking in a light drizzle for awhile before the shelter. The Rice Field shelter on the edge of Rice field and is right by the VA/WVA state line where you enter and leave WVA in a matter of feet. Rice Field that looks into WVA where we watched giant thunderstorms race down the valley in an impressive display of light and sounds. The view from the field is one of the better ones on the trail. The storm bypassed us, but by that time it was too late to move on so I cooked dinner as I visited with the other hikers that filled up the area. I sponsored a safety meeting and then laid down for my evening routine. P.S. - Bring water to the shelter as there is none there.
Date: 2015-06-01
From: Rice Field Shelter

To: Bailey's Gap shelter
Miles today: 16.5
Weather: few clouds

I was up early and after a quick breakfast was on the trail. The trail was pretty good to Dickenson Gap where there followed a short but tough climb. I hiked into the Peters Mountain Wilderness section of the Jefferson National Forrest. This section has been filled with wild flowers and rose bushes everywhere and the scents were wonderful. The descent to the Pine Swamp Branch Shelter was fairly easy and I stopped to use the privy and for a quick snack. I liked the stone shelter with its fireplace and twin sleeping platforms. Soon I was hiking along the stream to the Captains, where I had missed the big party days before. There is a zipline to cross but I still had a good bit of hiking to do, so I pressed on. Along the way there was a fungus on some of the trees that was a patch of florescent yellow that stood out sharply on the forest floor. From the Stony Creek Bridge, I took a bath in the stream, cleaning my clothes at the same time. Feeling refreshed I then made the steep climb up to the shelter to just beat the rain, which had been threatening all day, by about 20 minutes. There was just enough of a warning to run out and grab my clothing hanging on the branches outside before the rain arrived in a downpour. It rained hard for a good 20 minutes or so before slacking off and stopping. The steep climb wiped me out and I was utterly exhausted and sore. White Wolf and Lucky Charms were at the shelter with an older couple who started their hike one day after they retired and it was good to visit for awhile. It rained all night, heavily at times which helped me to sleep. I saftied up and laid down for the night listening to some Adele.