morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2014-04-20
From: Trimpi Shelter

To: Marion, VA
Miles today: 10.7

Short hike today. I need to go into Marion to pick up my summer gear and send my winter gear (weight!) home. But the PO isn't open until tomorrow. That means a hotel with shower and laundry. Nice!The day dawns clear. It's cool but the promise in the air is warmth. It feels very Spring like. The underbrush seems even greener. It's a great hiking day and the miles melt away. The open fields down below are green with new spring growth. Partnership Shelter, .1 before the road to Marion, is famous. Here, the trail gossip goes, one can order pizza delivered to the shelter. We all talk about it. The Trimpi shelter journal is full of pizza drawings. We're hikers. It's pizza. What can you say. But about 2 miles into the morning I run into trail magic. Again. By a local church. An awning. Chairs. Pop. Snacks. Supplies. I included a photo. Incredible! It gives your feet wings. I caught a lucky ride into Marion by a local trail angel who happened to be at Partnership Shelter returning a couple hikers to the trail. Before long I'm clean, my laundry's done, and I've gotten resupplied. As I've said before, you're never a stranger. I ran into at least 5 hikers I knew at the store. And here I am. Caught up with my journal. We'll meet at a restaurant tonight for some town food. I'm going through my gear to decide what to send home. It's very exciting! I'll be carrying less weight! Can't wait. And my clothes are clean. Life is good. Easter Blessings.
Date: 2014-04-21
From: Marion, VA

To: Crawfish Trail Junction
Miles today: 17.8

Today was magical. It didn't start that way. My sole reason for going into Marion was to get to the PO this morning for my summer gear. Yup...somewhere between Damascus and Marion the USPS lost my package. Bummer. I at least got to send home about 5 pounds of weight and bulk. Hopefully the package will be found and be waiting for me in Pearisburg. So I was a little preoccupied with this disappointment as I rejoined the AT where I left off. And the trail was hot with rocky ups and downs for the next 6 miles. With no water. I had to work at feeling the usual joy of hiking. I wanted my favorite Gossamer Gear Gorilla pack and light summer sleeping bag. Then the trail became gentler, with less rocks. I now had water. Eight or so miles in I passed under some power lines that emitted a disturbing double octave hum. I could feel the energy. It was like entering a new reality. The trail leveled into green fields. And suddenly there was an old one room school house with a sign inviting hikers in for trail magic. It. Was. Awesome. The setting was wonderful. Peaceful. A page out of time. The magic was the most thoughtful ever. There were all kinds of things like wet wipes, first aid, safety pins, combs, disinfectant, stamped postcards...even dog treats. And the usual snacks and pop. My day turned completely around. From there the trail ran among low hills and fields. One forest hill side was covered in flowers. Beautiful. At the I-81 underpass I came upon The Barn, with its 16 ounce Hiker Cheeseburger. And there was Geared Up, Winging It, and Prom Queen. I hadn't seen another thru hiker all day. We were all hyped up over the magic and our awesome food, right there beside the AT. I then stopped at a gas station and got two 24 oz beers and hiked out. The beers got consumed fairly quickly as the trail began to climb. Nice! I saw my first AT deer and a big snake. The day had gotten perfect. As the shadows lengthened I hiked down into the gap at mile 549. Great place to camp, beside a babbling stream. Geared Up, Winging It, and Prom Queen left at dusk. They wanted to do 26 miles, a marathon, to commemorate the anniversary of the Boston Marathon. As a native of MA I felt the pull but decided 17.8 miles were enough for the day. Hiking your own hike gets challenged daily. Elusive showed up just as the others left and hung his hammock. I lit a fire and savored what had turned out to be an exceptional day on the trail. In the warmer weather I sat by the fire in shorts and a T shirt. Spring is here. My 20 degree bag will be too warm tonight, but things have a way of working out on the AT. There's nothing worth fretting about. Hikers are scarce at the moment. I seem to be between hiker bubbles. I pretty much know who's ahead and who's behind. It is SO peaceful. I can't wait to see what tomorrow brings.
Date: 2014-04-22
From: Crawfish Trail Junction

To: Chestnut Knob Shelter
Miles today: 16.7
Weather: overcast clouds

I wonder how many thousands of feet I climbed today. The final climb of the day was over 2000. I was pretty beat by the time I got to the shelter. It surprised me. I'm blaming it on all the climbs during the day. Just makes the shelter all the more welcome to see. This shelter is fully enclosed, with a door. It's made of stone and sits right on top of Chestnut Knob at 4410 feet. Beautiful. The wind is howling outside. It rained today and the weather seems to be in transition. This elevation, 4410, I'm told is the highest I'll see until New Hampshire. Looks like the trail is now up on a ridge. Tomorrow's hike should be much easier. I think that during the day the trail crossed over a number of north/south ridges to get to this one. When there's visibility one can see lines of ridges stacked towards the horizon. It's beautiful. My first climb of the day was over Walker Mountain. Some trail maintenance people I came across in the next valley, where this photo was taken, told me that the crest of Walker is 25% of the AT. Sounds about right and is fun to contemplate. 25% of the AT completed. It'll only get better and better. Up here Spring is not so much. But even here it's coming. I feel so fortunate to be walking with Spring. I haven't run across any other thru hikers today. The marathoners of yesterday are half a day ahead. Sisyfus and Val have pulled ahead. Elusive is pushing 20 mile days to get to Pearisburg. Meanwhile I'm catching up to some other hikers I know. But for now I'm the only one here. It'll change. Part of the fun. I'm looking forward to tomorrow. Sunshine. Easy trail. Fellow hikers to see. Life is very good.
Date: 2014-04-23
From: Chestnut Knob Shelter

To: Laurel Creek
Miles today: 14.8
Weather: overcast clouds

The view from Chestnut Knob was wonderful this morning. The day dawned cool and clear. During the night the skies cleared and the stars put on a display. And, I slept like a baby while the winds howled outside. It was very comfortable. And perhaps I felt extra secure, having four walls and a door. It was glove cold starting off, until I got off the knob and the day warmed up. The trail followed a ridge escarpment for several miles. On the east side the ground sloped up from the valley at a steep angle. On the west was a sudden drop off. The trail played hide and seek with the edge of the escarpment. I was walking on layers of ancient rock that had folded up at a 40 degree angle. I never tire of the geology...limited as my understanding is. I recognized, as I hiked along, that I was contemplating pushing for 25 miles today. And my reason was to try and catch up with some other hikers. 10 miles into the day, at Jenkins Shelter, the shelter journal told me that I could catch some of them if I went 15 miles to the next shelter. Hike Your Own Hike, HYOH. It seems like almost daily that concept gets challenged. And one loses staying in the moment. Just before dropping down to Laurel Creek I saw a sign on a tree, inviting me to consider stopping at Trubrit's Fort Bastion. HYOH I thought. So I called...and changed my focus. Suddenly I stopped thinking about making 10 more miles. I swear my feet felt better and my body felt energized. I got to the road at Laurel Creek and Hump picked me up and took me to Trubrit's place. I've spent the rest of the day sitting in a comfy chair, under cover, beside a fire. I've met some new hikers...names I've seen in shelter journals but not met. We got pizza delivered. It's been all together a nice break from the trail for a few hours. Hours that I could have spent pushing myself up the trail on into dusk. I've already done almost 15 miles today anyway. HYOH. I wonder how many more times I'll catch myself hiking for something, or someone, on up the trail. And lose touch with staying in the moment. I believe that staying in the moment is the best way to get the most enjoyment out of the trail. I guess one could also call it smelling the roses. So now I'm in my tent at Fort Bastion. Breakfast is served at around 7:30. Perfect. Then I'll load up with extra water and get shuttled back to the trail. Looks like it'll be the longest stretch yet without a water source tomorrow. The forecast is excellent. I'll be prepared with water. And I'll be packing some pizza in my food bag. Should be a great day.
Date: 2014-04-24
From: Laurel Creek

To: Mile 600.5 Campsite
Miles today: 20.0
Weather: clear sky

I woke up at Trubrit's Fort Bastion feeling great, and thinking about breakfast. For $7 Trubrit gives you a place to tent, provides an excellent covered fire area and keeps the wood coming, provides a charging station for electronics, shuttles hikers to and from the trail, and cooks a most excellent breakfast. Sitting in a comfy chair before the fire (how I miss chairs) and drinking coffee was worth the price alone. Then pancakes, eggs, and bacon. And, he had me on the trail by 0900. Fort Bastion is a vision in progress. It'll be quite the place in the future. Today I was sort of reborn on the trail. HYOH. I felt great! And today the trail was easy. Gentle inclines. Nice tread way. No rocks. No roots. I did the first 8 miles at better than 2.5 mph, which is fast for me. And I wasn't in a hurry. After crossing over US52 the trail went up on another ridge. I spent a lot of my hike right on top of the ridge. By 10 feet either side of the trai, the rounded ridge top dropped away very steeply. Very steeply. But no rock formations. Just nice easy hiking. I noticed that the ridges on the horizons are now at a uniform elevation...almost like the ridges are carved by erosion from an uplifted flat plain. I really need to Google some geology! Later, through the trees, it looked like my ridge was going to intersect, at almost 90 degrees, with another ridge. I could see the new ridge run north up a valley. Very cool looking. Unfortunately there were no clear photo opportunities. I'll never forget the sight. Beautiful. A wooded inverted V running high above the valley floor. And yes, the trail turned to the left and I hiked along this new ridge, about 8 miles, all the way to the end. And again, steep drop offs either side. And no rocks. What was missing was water. I went 20 miles without a good water source. I did camel up at a stream near US52 but I suspect there was some petrochemical contamination from the highway run off. Would rather not have used it. By the time I reached this campsite, beside a stream, I was out of water. Good practice for further north in PA. I'm here by myself. It's a great campsite. The fire is going. The bugs have left. I've eaten well. My bear bag is hung. And my tent is ready whenever I want to call it a night. Think I'll just sit here and relax by the fire. AKA Hiker TV. Great day!
Date: 2014-04-25
From: Mile 600.5 Campsite

To: Wapiti Shelter
Miles today: 13.2
Weather: clear sky

The logistics of getting to Pearisburg and the Post Office (open 10-12 on Saturday) pretty much dictate that I take it easy on a Friday. Besides, I want to hike .5 off trail to the Trent Grocery and have one of their double cheeseburgers. And I want to stay at Woods Hole Hostel on Saturday, 10 miles or so from Pearisburg. Yes, hiking is going to be more like meandering these next couple of days.It's nice to be around water again. Then back up on a ridge. Rocky this time. A guest signed my journal and says this ridge is Silurian sandstone. And the break at Kimberling Creek is a water gap through the ridge. Thank you. I really am going to do a little studying of the geology. I think it's fascinating. The suspension bridge over Kimberling is very cool. The picture is taken from the middle. At the Trent Grocery I ate my double cheeseburger and chatted with the locals. Much of the talk concerned how dry it was. Farmers need rain! "Sorry about you hikers, but we need some rain!" Fair enough. I'm just passing through. Soon as I left Trent's it started to rain. Then into the woods. It's flat here, and there's lots of water. I crossed creeks, or walked beside them, a lot. Rhododendron thickets. Pine groves. Very nice. And then the thunder and lightning hit. And a downpour of rain. Happy farmers. Poor me. Really, I was feeling lucky. I was down in a valley, under rhododendrons, and not up on some high ridge where the trail spends much if its time. I talked to Blitz later and she was up on a ridge, running, when the storm hit. Yes, I was lucky. The storm passed but rain continued off and on for the rest of the day. I made it to Wapati in the early afternoon, with no intention of moving on. Woods Hole is only 7 more miles. Got to leave something for tomorrow. Eventually three women weekend hikers showed up to tent. Blitz made it in. And that was us. Good company. Some shared food. A salad!!! Thank you ladies! A fire. A fine ending to a wet day. And later the skies cleared, the stars came out, and tomorrow should dawn sunny.
Date: 2014-04-26
From: Wapiti Shelter

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

After the 1400 foot climb up from Wapiti Shelter the day's hike was easy and leisurely. But really...7.2 miles? I was remembering my 6 mile training hikes and how tiring they seemed. Things have changed. 7.2 miles is a barely decent half day now. But there's no sense hiking more if I can't get to the PO until Monday. So let's turn this into an opportunity!I have heard about Woods Hole Hostel before. "Should not be missed." So when I got to the dirt road I turned right and hiked the .5 mile to the hostel, glad for the opportunity. It really is a wonderful place with gobs of rustic charm. A log home made of chestnut logs? Wow. Sustainable lifestyle. Organic garden. Farm critters. Home made bread. Fresh eggs. Michael and Neville have obviously poured labour and love into this place. I'm so glad I stopped. The bunkhouse is another old log structure. It was moved to the property and reassembled. So comfortable. I got there shortly after noon and just hung out and enjoyed the place and the hikers as they came in. With shorter miles these couple of days I'm meeting new hikers. Meanwhile, shelter journals show others I know moving into the distance ahead. It's fun to meet new people. And the common comment I get from the new hikers is that they've seen my name in the shelter journals. I guess the shelter journals are our newspaper and postal system rolled into one. I never go by a shelter without checking out the journal. They're pretty well taken care of too. God forbid some day hiker tore out pages to start a fire!Spring is still just barely touching these higher elevations. From the ridges the valleys are looking green, and they are. But here, close to 4000 feet, there is still little poking up through last fall's dead leaves. It won't be long. Today was warm and sunny after yesterday's rain. Butterflies are appearing, along with encounters with black flies and mosquitoes. Birds seem to sing more often. And I'm usually down to just shorts and T shirt less than an hour into the day. Tomorrow I'll hike on into Pearisburg, VA, which sits at 1650 feet. I expect Spring will be well under way down there. As nice as Woods Hole Hostel is, there will be a whole new adventure tomorrow.
Date: 2014-04-27
From: Woods Hole Hostel

To: Pearisburg
Miles today: 10.0

What a breakfast Neville fixed this morning at Woods Hole. It was a fine gathering. And then off I went back to the AT on a warming sunny day. A measly 10 miles to Pearisburg. Funny how perspectives change. Part of me chides the other for slackening the pace, no matter the reason. But I successfully shut that voice out, and just enjoyed walking through the forest. I ran into the three men in the picture early on and later took this picture as they enjoyed a lunch break overlooking the valley below. They're section hiking. Lately I've met lots of section hikers. I admire their tenacity. It's one thing to thru hike. Section hikers are out there year after year, as time allows, and about the time they start getting their trail legs they have to stop. I can't imagine repeating that process time after time. Thru hikers get the glory, but I admire section hikers more. After a nice ridge walk the trail descended 2000 feet to Pearisburg. Suddenly, the ground was covered in plant growth. Flowers. Bees. Butterflies. And the trees are leafed out like I haven't seen yet. It was stunning. We've all been talking about it...each with a special gleam in their voice. We've hiked through the cold, the snow, the freezing rain. We're over 600 miles up the trail. And suddenly a green wall of Spring rises out of the brown shades of forest. I'll never forget it. The hotels in Pearisburg are booked up due to a construction project. But the Holiday Motor Lodge has put together a bunkhouse for hikers. "Welcome Hikers" says the sign out front. The lobby has a cork board full of postcards showing smiling hikers, most with arms flung high, posed by the sign on Katahdin. You know you're in a hiker friendly place. There's AYCE Chinese nearby. Mexican food with $3.99 32 oz Dos XX on tap across the street. A big grocery is across the street. The PO is just a couple blocks away. It doesn't get much better. So far there's six of us in here. Be fun to see who else shows up. And tomorrow hopefully my summer gear and I are reunited. I'm picking up my bounce box as well, so tomorrow is also a zero day. Life is good!
Date: 2014-04-28
From: Pearisburg

To: Pearisburg
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Today's the day. At 0900 I'm at the Pearisburg PO. Success! Both my summer gear package and my bounce box are here! The USPS pulled through. The picture is of my summer pack...a Gossamer Gear Gorilla. Most of my practice hikes were with this pack. I love it. It has sweat stains from my first hike up Mt Wachusett, eleven months ago. The day I really wondered what I was getting myself into. It was a bit of a shock when I put the pack on. The straps, and especially the belt, were way too loose. They were adjusted to my pre AT weight. The picture is from the next day. One third of the volume in the pack is my food bag, loaded with four days of resupply. I also wanted to show my Canadian friends that I have their flag on this pack as well. Inside is my 40 degree summer sleeping bag. Less weight. I'm guessing my pack now weighs just under 25 pounds with four days of food and two liters of water. It'll be well under 20 pounds as I near the next resupply point. This makes me very happy. My niece Lynn had sent several Mountain House meals with my summer gear. At this point on the trail they're generally considered a luxury item. If they're even available, hikers are starting to count pennies. Hiker boxes exist in most places we frequent. Hikers will toss in stuff they don't want. Others will dig through the box for what they might need. The mystery ziplock bags of food, common in the hiker boxes, are now being picked up and taken. No one would EVER toss in a Mountain House meal. Thank you Lynn. Once I did my gear switch, and updated stuff from my bounce box it was back to the PO. And then resupply a few things at Food Lion. Typical zero day. Chores now done, the day fills out with eating and visiting. It rained off and in during the day. Seymour and Koko left for the trail. Catch Me If You Can left as well. Stakes and Cliffwalker are staying for a couple zeros to meet up with family. Simba is zeroing. And a whole new batch of hikers comes in. Many of them new to me. Fun. Tales from the trail. Weather is a big topic. The Weather Channel gets turned on. Tornado warnings SW of here. Severe thunderstorms predicted for our area. For tonight, tomorrow, and Wednesday. Most are planning to zero out the weather tomorrow. I'm pretty determined to hike in the morning. One zero is plenty. I want to get back on the trail. The next section has a long ridge walk. I just don't want to get caught in a thunderstorm up there. Just have to see what the morning brings. Meanwhile, it's nice to be clean, well fed, under cover, in a real bed, and among fellow hikers.
Date: 2014-04-29
From: Pearisburg

To: Pine Swamp Branch Shelter
Miles today: 19.7
Weather: light rain

Sure enough. It's raining. I load up my pack anyway, put on rain gear, and hit the trail. After a stop for breakfast. Indiana leaves as well. He passes me with a pack about the size of a loaf of bread, moving fast, and is gone. Meanwhile the trail winds through some neighborhoods, crosses roads, bridges, and eventually escapes the town. There's a factory of some sort here, and a large industrial project is going on. It takes a long time to climb away from the noise. Soon the trail has climbed into the clouds. It's rainy, windy, and cold. I put on gloves and hike faster, trying to warm up. But the trail on the ridge is relatively easy. The miles go fast. Pintsize and Squirrel & Flossie have passed me. Gradually the weather improves. It warms up a little. Good hiking!There's no views today. Even when the cloud ceiling raises up. But there are LOTS of blow downs. There's more trees, tree tops, and branches across the trail today than in all the miles up to here combined. At the shelter most hikers commented on the blow downs in the journal. But few complained. Not every section gets the same maintenance by the volunteer crews. We're mostly just grateful. Even more so after seeing what a lack of maintenance looks like. It's only myself, Squirrel, and Flossie in the shelter tonight. Good company. And a nice stone shelter. We visit a lot about Australia travels we've had. Fun to meet someone who's been to many of the same places. And Flossie teaches me how to copy and paste on my iPhone, to save time and battery. Thank you!Almost 20 miles today. And the dreaded thunderstorms never happened. The evening is relatively warm. I'm liking having my summer sleeping bag. It's been a very good day.