morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2018-07-02
From: Hightop Mountain Hut

To: Loft Mountain Campground
Miles today: 14.1
Weather: overcast clouds

I awoke at 8:00 with the sun shining in my eyes. It was a quiet night and I felt well rested after 11 hours of sleep. I took some time to stretch my legs before starting out today which helped a lot. The day consisted of several climbs and dips, probably 4 mountains in total. I was flying up those hills! At one peak, Yard Sale and I took a rest at a lookout over the hollow. Four thru-hikers soon joined us. They were fun to hang out with for a little while. Soon enough, one climb took it all out of me. I was already out of breathe and soaked with sweat, when the gnats started buzzing around my face and my ears. I had three different bugs fly in my eye, and every time I tried to get them out, the sweat burned my eye so bad. My eye burned for hours. I finally got pissed off enough to put on my bug net after all that. At the top, we arrived at a nice lookout where some bikers were taking a break, too. The view was shortly ruined when I got stung by a bee. My luck eventually turned around when we crossed Ivy Creek. The creek was flowing fast. It looked so refreshing, I immediately started dumping cups of water on my head. From there, the last climb would lead us to Loft Mountain Wayside, but it looked like the worst climb yet. There were two side trails that led to the wayside, but the first one was .6 miles long. Therefore, I assumed we¢d take the shorter one that was all the way at the top of the mountain. To my amazement, the longer side trail was downhill! It was so worth the longer walk, and the trail spit us out directly in front of the wayside. I got a cheese dog, cheese fries, blackberry ice cream, and dr. pepper. From there, I assumed we¢d have to get back on the AT for another two miles to Loft Mountain Campground where we planned to stay for the night. Actually, there was a paved trail that led right to the camp store. At the store, there were bathrooms, showers, and a laundry room. However, the showers were occupied, so we decided to continue walking up the dang hill to the campground, only to find out we needed to find our own spot. I did not want to continue walking, looking for a spot that may or may not be available. I was annoyed already by the day I was having. So, we walked back down to the camp store to wash our clothes. It felt so good to take a shower and be clean after four days of hiking, even though the shower was timed for only 5 minutes. Instead of staying at the campground, we had to walk back down to the AT to find a place to setup for the night. I was hoping for a change of pace tonight, but once again, we are alone in the woods.
Date: 2018-07-03
From: Loft Mountain Campground

To: TurkÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs Gap
Miles today: 15.5
Weather: clear sky

Well last night was a little scary. Around 11:30, I woke up to an animal walking through the leaves near my hammock. I listened and waited. It got closer. I was too nervous too peek out from behind my tarp, so I just shut my eyes really tight and prayed it would move on. That probably wasn¢t the smartest strategy. Yard Sale actually got up and turned the light on to see a pair of eyes staring at us about 20 feet away. She yelled and yelled, and it finally scampered off. It sure sounded like a bear, but we weren¢t able to see anything but the eyes. I spent the next hour straining to listen for even the smallest noise in the woods but eventually fell back asleep til morning. Typically, we¢ve been seeing bears in the evening, but this morning, three little cubs came scampering through the woods. Mama bear was close behind and intently watching us while the cubs climbed the tree. They were adorable peeking out from behind the limbs. A few yards further, another bear (maybe papa bear?) was to our left. We are in a section now that does not have a water supply for twelve miles, so we filled every single bottle we had at Blackrock Hut. We also decided it would be wise to make our dinner while we were there, so that we didn¢t need water for that later. I¢ve never tried a cold soak on the trail before, but many hikers do it. I poured 2 cups of cold water in my ziploc bag of rice and let it soak until I got the camp tonight. It was perfectly hydrated by that time and tasted like cold pasta salad. I¢d definitely do a cold soak again, rather than soending the time to cook at night. In other news, the heat this afternoon was ungodly. My lunch did not settle well. I thought my tuna was going to end up on the side of trail. Both mountains this afternoon were broken into three peaks where the trail climbed for a while, dipped down, and climbed again. The step-ups made it feel like I climbed the mountain three times in a row. I couldn¢t wait to collapse at camp. After surviving today, I am excited we are over half way finished! And tomorrow, we will be picked up by Stanimal¢s hostel to stay in Waynesboro for the night. Hopefully, there will be some Fourth of July activities to get our mind off the trail.
Date: 2018-07-04
From: TurkÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs Gap

To: StanimalÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs Hostel
Miles today: 12.6
Weather: overcast clouds

After having a bear in camp the other night, I had a terrible time falling asleep last night, jumping at every little sound. Then, I actually did hear something walking around. I purposely slept without my tarp and with my headlamp and glasses on my head, just in case. I whipped open the zipper to my hammock and saw a deer wandering about the woods. This deer circled our campsite all night long. Eventually, I got so tired of jumping up to see what the noise was. I now consider this a sign of comfort from nature. I slept soundly knowing the deer was doing circles around us. GRAPHIC LADY DETAILS AHEAD. MEN, DO NOT READ. In the morning, I got out of bed and noticed some blood on the ground where I was standing. I said, ¢Mom, there¢s blood on the ground,¢ without realizing the blood was my own. I typically don¢t get my monthly ¢visitor¢ due to being on a specific birth control, but it came today. I was utterly shocked and unprepared, so I had to get creative to stay sanitary until I could get to Waynesboro tonight for supplies. I happened to be out of toilet paper, too, so I placed a dried out wet wipe down there. Once I started hiking, I prayed I would come across another female to ask for some tampons. The first girl didn¢t have any, but five minutes later, a thru-hiker gave me one. The trail does provide! I got over my chagrin after that. The rest of the day went pretty quickly besides the last two miles. It felt like we¢d never get out of the woods! My guidebook wasn¢t accurate in the mileage either. Finally, the trail spit us out at Rockfish Gap where we were to be picked up by Stanimal¢s hostel for the night. They had burgers and beer waiting for us and a few decorations for the holiday. It felt great to stand in a long, hot shower, wash my clothes, and get some supplies for the rest of our trip. Many of the hikers here are injured and taking time off to heal before returning to the trail. I have so much sympathy for them, not being able to achieve their dreams. For tonight, I get to sleep in a bunk in an air conditioned room. It¢s better than heaven.
Date: 2018-07-05
From: ReedÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs Gap

To: Rockfish Gap
Miles today: 19.1
Weather: mist

I had such a long day yesterday, I forgot to post! I hated to be anti-social, but I went to bed at 8:00 pm. Fireworks and partying were going on outside my window, but I slept soundly in my bunk all night long. In the morning, Stanimal gave us day packs to do a 19-mile slack pack. We were able to leave all of our gear at the hostel, and only brought snacks, water, and bug spray on the trail. Many hikers suggested doing this section northbound for the sake of the ascents, so we heeded their advice and flipped for the day. I was shocked how fast I could move without my pack on. The first ten miles flew by. It was overcast and dark in the woods. We didn¢t see daylight all day long. The Paul C. Wolfe shelter was a nice spot for lunch. It was a very cool shelter with windows and a privy with a half door! I began to tire out after 15 miles. We came across a small cemetary with unmarked graves and ruins of a cabin. A few miles later, we emerged from the woods at Rockfish Gap again after a 19-mile day, my longest day on record. Our shuttle driver then took us back to the hostel where I showered, ate a whole frozen pizza, and watched netflix. Again, I was in bed at 8:00. This morning, we rose early to get on the trail before the rain. I hate hiking in the rain.
Date: 2018-07-06
From: ReedÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs Gap

To: The Priest Shelter
Miles today: 15.5
Weather: light rain

The hostel was bustling this morning as everyone was getting ready to get back on trail. We were dropped off at Reed¢s Gap again, this time headed south. Three Ridges Mountain was the first big mountain to summit. It went fairly easily, but I was still worn out from the day before. Then, we climbed way down into a valley to Harper¢s Creek. It was very pretty and the shelter was a great spot for lunch. I could have fell asleep there for hours. Luckily, the rain held off all day for us! The breeze was fantastic, though. I was slightly less sweaty! The Priest loomed over us, then. It was intimidating to see a mountain over 4,000 feet in front of us with 4 miles of incline. It felt like we were never going to summit. Just when I thought we were close, the trail turned again. Then, it started to rain. At first, the rain was refreshing. I was able to cool off, but I began to worry if it was ever going to stop. Continuous rain would have made for an even more miserable climb. I prayed the rain would stop again until we got to the top and it did! Yard Sale and I still had 2 miles to climb. My legs burned with every step. I felt like collapsing along the side of the trail. Somehow I completed the climb. The shelter at the top was a relieving sight to see as it was raining once again. I can rest easy knowing I will be dry for the night.
Date: 2018-07-07
From: The Priest Shelter

To: Hog Camp Gap
Miles today: 14.3
Weather: broken clouds

This morning, the temperature dipped down to 50 degrees. I only had a little down-feathered quilt for warmth because the forecast did not call for such cold temps. It took me a while to emerge from my covers and start getting ready for the day. I only packed shorts and tank tops for the trip, but Yard Sale let me borrow her rain jacket for a while. All morning, my hands were cold, even while hiking. Our first stop for the day was at Spy Rock. I ate a snack at the bottom, but didn¢t feel like walking to the view because my legs were awfully sore from hiking the Priest the day before. However, I got too cold sitting there, so I decided to climb up the rock scramble to the lookout. It was one of the best views, looking up at Three Ridges Mountain and the Priest which we had climbed yesterday. After that, it seemed like the day dragged on forever because it was our final day in the woods and we were excited to get picked up to head home. The last view from Tar Jacket Ridge was so pretty. The sun was shining; the breeze was blowing. I collected wildflowers on our last mile down to Hog Camp Gap, where Deanna was waiting for us. At the bottom of the hill, we walked through a beautiful meadow where a family was having a picnic. There Dee had the car filled with water and snacks for the ride back to the hotel. I had not planned to have wet clothes from the rain we encountered yesterday, so I didn¢t have any clean clothes, but I enjoyed a hot shower. Since many hikers raved about Devil¢s Backbone Brewing Co., we decided to head there for dinner and drinks. They were also putting on a festival, Music on the Blue Ridge. The place is a town in itself, with a band stand, campground for hikers, and multiple bars. It was well worth the wait for dinner! At the end of the night, I had to get my favorite milkshake from Cookout, a vanilla malt. I basically passed out in bed with my milkshake in hand, thus ending another once in a lifetime trip on the AT.
Date: 2019-06-15
From: Hog Camp Gap

To: Rice Mountain
Miles today: 15.0
Weather: broken clouds

I was wide awake in my bed at the Howard Johnson in Lexington, VA at 6:00 am. I wanted to start my hike on a good note, with an early start and a full belly. After some scrambled eggs and coffee, we jumped in the car to drive 45 minutes to Hog Pen Gap. My uncle, Bruce, and cousins, Lorelei and Sam, were nice enough to drive us all the way to the hotel last night and stay over to drop us off at the trailhead this morning. (Thanks guys!) As we said our goodbyes, Yardsale and I crossed through the split rail fence to start an easy climb to the top of Cove Mountain, through a forest of ferns. The weather was a brisk 56 degrees. The top of the mountain opened up to a grassy bald with a 360 degree view. What a nice way to start the day. We quickly descended the mountain only to climb another with an equal amount of elevation, Bald Mountain. Bald Mountain isn¢t actually bald, like Cove Mountain was. Go figure. Before we knew it, we had hiked 8 miles before 12:15. That was one of my fastest hiking rates with a pack, so I felt pretty great rolling into Brown Mountain Shelter for lunch. The shelter sits along a well-flowing stream that we followed for a couple miles. I laid my head back for no more than 30 seconds, and a little head comes bobbing up to the shelter. It was Platypus! We met at Trail Days last month and got to know each other because she is hiking for Hike for Mental Health. Only pure coincidence led us to having lunch together at the same shelter in the 500 miles of trail through Virginia. The rest of the afternoon, the trail meandered through the woods along the side of the mountain above a stream with little room for missteps. By 3:00 pm, we had made it to our intended destination for the night, a suspension bridge above a nice creek with flat grass for camping. Sadly, we left that perfect spot behind since it was still early in the day. Instead, we chose to hike another two miles uphill to Rice Mountain in order to get ahead on the big elevation change that is awaiting us tomorrow. Let me tell you, those two miles felt like they would never end. Every time I thought it was over, I saw more trail heading uphill. I was drenched in sweat. 0.2 miles from the top, Yardsale and I laid out in the middle of trail, completely worn out. We got our bearings and hiked the last bit to the top in order to set up camp for the night. I discovered a few blisters on the tops of my toes. I¢m not sure how that happened, considering I haven¢t had a blister for two years now. Hopefully they don¢t get worse over the next few days. It¢s quite breezy up here, but the sun is hitting us perfectly as it sets. I have a feeling I¢m going to sleep like a baby in my hammock, tonight.
Date: 2019-06-16
From: Rice Mountain

To: US 501/James River
Miles today: 13.1

I tossed and turned in my hammock for most of last night, mainly due to my legs and hips being so sore. We packed up camp, and I chugged my protein shake as we hit the trail. Descending Rice Mountain, we passed a ton of other hikers. Yardsale and I were both dreading the ascent to Bluff Mountain¢s peak, as the climb consisted of 1100 feet of elevation gain. It was actually a slow and gradual path to the top which made the amazing view so much better. At the top of the mountain, ruins of a fire tower overlook the lower mountains and towns. There is also a mysterious memorial site of a 4 year old boy who was found dead there. Apparently, he wandered away from his school and ended up 7 miles away at the top of Bluff Mountain. Creepy. I began to feel the excitement of getting off trail for the night, so my pace quickened from there. However, the weather suddenly became extremely hot and humid, slowing me down again. I struggled more through that than any ascent up a mountain. We stopped for lunch at Big Rocky Row overlook which seemed to be the meeting place of the day, as 5 other hikers joined us. From there came an extremely long section downhill. It took over 2 hours to get off the mountain. We zigzagged, rock hopped, slid, and ran all the way to the bottom. Spider webs and gnats waited there for our arrival, while the air became more and more sticky. I, finally, had to stop at John¢s Hollow Shelter. We only had 1.7 miles to go, but I desperately needed a break. The trail is a good teacher. No matter how bad I wanted that shuttle ride into town, I couldn¢t push my body any further. I had to be patient with myself. By turning my outlook around, I was graced with a beautiful 1.7 miles along a creek, all the way to the James River. Donna, our shuttle driver, was there to take us 6 miles into Glasgow to stay at Stanimal¢s Hostel. It felt so good to get out of those sweaty clothes and take a shower! The trail also works in mysterious ways. As soon as we arrived in town, our friend Pringles posted a photo of herself at the shelter here in Glasgow. We quickly ran over to the shelter, and Pringles jumped out of her tent to hug us! We enjoyed a great meal at Scotto¢s restaurant together. The hostel is pretty quiet tonight, so I will be spending my night catching up with friends and family at home. Til tomorrow!
Date: 2019-06-17
From: Cornelius Creek Shelter

To: US 501/James River
Miles today: 20.1
Weather: moderate rain

Today was quite the whirlwind. Our shuttle picked us up at Stanimal¢s hostel at 7:00 am for a slack pack which means we only had to carry a day bag with our water and snacks. Because of that, we aimed to complete 20 miles. We hiked into Cornelius Creek Shelter around 8:00. It was a busy shelter the previous night, so many people were still lingering in the morning. The next shelter was also full of thru hikers who stayed at Cornelius last night. Yardsale and I played leap-frog with this group for the rest of the day. I was surprised we kept a steady pace with them! The first view from Thunder Hill overlook was incredible. However, we had many more miles to go. We came up to the FAA tower, a giant satellite sphere, at the top of Apple Orchard Mountain. Then, we descended into The Guillotine, where a spherical rock hangs stuck between two rock faces. It¢s quite the wonder to behold considering there aren¢t many other rocks in the area. One incline remained, to the top of Highcock Knob. It looks easy on the map, but it was tough considering the sun was beating on us as we climbed through multiple rock mazes. By the time we got to the top, I felt ill with heat exhaustion. I, carefully, walked to the next water source and soaked myself with water and popped another electrolyte tablet. Just as I felt well enough to continue on, it started storming. The sky burst open and poured on us. Trashcan, a thru hiker, reminded us to ¢embrace it.¢ It ended up being a great cool down, but my soaked shoes and socks only made my blisters worse. I cringed with every step for the last 4 miles of the day. As we crossed the foot bridge above the James River, we completed a record 20-mile day! The thru hikers were there once again, trying to hitch a ride into Glasgow. We all hopped invthe back of a guy¢s pick-up who was nice enough to stop for us all. All I want to do is rest and recover at this point.
Date: 2019-06-18
From: Cornelius Creek Shelter

To: Bearwallow Gap
Miles today: 15.5

Just as I was about to fall asleep on the ride to Cornelius Creek again, we pulled in at the trail. The steep down slopes have really done a number on my legs. Because of hiking downhill with so much weight on my back, my knees were painful with every step; my feet felt like they were wailed on with a meat tenderizer; and I think that¢s also what caused my blisters. I did change my socks, though, which did the trick! Hopefully, no more blisters. After the descent to Bryant Ridge Shelter, we had three big climbs ahead of us. And only one with a view! We had to hurry because the forecast was calling for rain again, starting at 4:00. At lunch, Yardsale and I swam in Cross Jennings Creek and laid out along the rocks. It felt so good to freeze my feet in the cold water to reduce the swelling and soreness. As we climbed out of the gap to our next peak, I came across a sign saying there was no water at the next shelter. That meant we had to hike a little extra to get to our next water source, so a 13-mile day turned into a 15-mile day. But we beat the rain! And the view from Cove Mountain, looking over all the terrain we hiked today, was beautiful. I set up camp just in time for the rain to start. All we needed was some dinner, yet, which was easy. Yardsale dehydrated stuffing, chicken, and craisins for us. It was delicious for a backpacking meal! Usually, I¢m stuck with rice and tuna every night. For the rest of the evening, I will be snug in my hammock, staying dry. However, I¢m a little nervous about the weather tomorrow. If we have to hike all day in the rain, my sleep system might get too wet to sleep in and my clothes and boots may not dry out for the following day. We will reassess our game plan in the morning.
Date: 2019-06-19
From: Bearwallow Gap

To: Fullhardt Knob Shelter
Miles today: 16.6
Weather: broken clouds

We rose to a fresh, sunny morning. The earth was still wet due to the rain the night before, but we packed up our damp gear in hopes of beating the rain once more. Thankfully, the rain pushed back to late afternoon again, so Yardsale and I hiked a good ten miles without an issue. I felt the best I¢ve felt since the first day out, probably because I fell asleep at 8:00 pm the night before. Early in the day, we met two SOBO hikers and ran into a SOBO hiker we met the other day. It was fun to have people to talk to at every stop. We all enjoyed talking to each other because we had experienced the same trek. It was a relatively flat day compared to the last 4 days. We crossed Blue Ridge Parkway several times at different view points before we stopped for lunch at Wilson Creek Shelter. We met a bunch of hikers there, too, including Smiley, who was so nice he put us all in a good mood. Yardsale and I had thought about stopping there for the day, but since the rain was holding off, we decided to continue another 6.7 miles to Fullhardt Knob Shelter, knowing we might get caught in the rain. There was quite a climb to the shelter, but I felt strong. Near the top of the first leg, I started to feel raindrops. Honestly, it felt great. It wasn¢t raining too hard, but it was just enough to cool me off. It stopped just long enough for me to dry when it started coming down again. It was chilly enough for me to put on my poncho until we climbed to the shelter where I could change into comfy pants and a jacket. I am hoping the skies stay clear tonight because my clothes are hanging above my hammock, drying out. Yardsale and I dreaded seeing a boy scout troop at the shelter. Usually, they take up so much space and make a lot of noise, but these boys were polite and quiet all night. I actually enjoyed talking with them about the trail and our favorite backpacking meals. Yardsale is letting me sleep in tomorrow because we will be having a shorter day. The area we are hiking into only allows camping at designated areas, so we will be quitting early to stay at the shelter at the base of Tinker Cliffs.