morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2008-06-16
From: Doc's Knob

To: Pearisburg, VA
Miles today: 8.2
Weather: few clouds

After getting a really good night's sleep in the tent, I took a leisurely hike into Pearisburg this morning. The weather has cooled off some which is a relief. The 8 mile hike afforded several outstanding views of Pearisburg and the surrounding countryside. I also startled a few deer on the way in and spotted a snake by the trail. The snake was kind of grey with several thin yellow stripes down its body. I had originally intended on staying at the Rendezvous Inn, where my re-supply package was sent, but they were booked solid. So I ended up in the middle of town at the Plaza Motel (not to be confused with The Plaza in New York, but still very nice). It is right across the street from a pizza place (lunch), a Chinese A.Y.C.E. buffet (dinner), and the supermarket which I will hit tomorrow. Perfect location for a hungry hiker. I have decided to hang out here tomorrow and to rest the feet. Tonight I am enjoying some Phillies baseball as they are playing the Red Sox on national television. Since I am use to going to bed by 8:00 p.m., staying up to see the end of the game will be a challenge.
Date: 2008-06-17
From: Pearisburg, VA

To: Pearisburg, VA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Today was just what the doctor ordered. I started off by going to a hiker friendly coffee house called the Courthouse Cafe for breakfast. They had a "Hungry Hiker" breakfast burrito that was very satisfying. That, two cups of coffee and a homemade brownie for dessert was a great way to start the day. I then picked up a few needed items at the Rite Aid and the Food Lion to round out my re-supply. I also stopped by the Post Office and sent home a book (Call of the Wild by Jack London) that I don't need yet and one of the maps I am done with. Lunch at Hardees (their burgers are overated) and then I watched the Euro soccer matches on television. Later on I joined Cornelious, Dr. Zaius, The Mule, and Phexen for grilled hotdogs at the Holy Family Catholic Church Hostel. The gang was staying there for a donation of $5.00 per person. Not a bad deal! The hostel was like a mountain cabin overlooking the mountain valley. Really the nicest I have seen. It is very nice of the church to help the hikers out this way. Then I walked back and got to bed at a reasonable hour after watching some sports on the tube. Very enjoyable, relaxing day of R&R.
Date: 2008-06-18
From: Pearisburg, VA

To: Symms Gap Meadow
Miles today: 11.9

This was an incredible day! The weather was perfect. High in the low 70s, sunny with some puffy clouds, going down to the low 50s tonight. Great sleeping weather. The climb out of Pearisburg wasn't too bad and the rest of the day was just following the ridge. I crossed the New River which is well known for white water rafting. Later on I stopped at a bald next to Rice Field Shelter and ended up taking a 2 hour break. I spent it napping, eating lunch, reading my book (Thirteen Moons by Charles Frazier), watching the clouds roll by, watching the wind create waves in the meadow grass, and chatting with the other hikers as they passed by. The view was really nice. We are walking the Virginia and West Virginia border, and we had clear western views of the West Virginia farmlands. Tonight we are camped on a meadow at 3320 feet. Hopefully the stars come out tonight for a show! Well, I am getting hungry so I need to go and make some dinner. Chow!
Date: 2008-06-19
From: Symms Gap Meadow

To: Potts Mountain
Miles today: 16.4

I woke up this morning on the meadow very early because the sun was hitting my tent. I had some condensation inside the tent but the sun quickly dried it out. That was nice. But clearly the best part this morning was the view of the valley. We were high enough that the valleys below us were filled with clouds, like someone poured just enough milk into them to cover the valleys but not the mountain tops. Nice way to start the day. I ventured into a forest area today that did not look right. Most of the trees were bare and/or dead. At first I thought it might be a result of the six year drought they have had down here. But then I noticed that there were dead catapillars all over the ground and on the tree trunks. I remember seeing a number of postings during the past 50 miles indicating that the Forest Service was going to spray the forest to control the gypsy moth. So I was thinking that these catapillars must be gypsy moth catapillars and they must have already sprayed this area and that was why we had all these dead catapillars. Also noticed that a lot of partially chewed green vegetation was scattered all over the forest floor. Then, further down the mountain I came across an area they had not sprayed yet. Live catapillars were crawling all over the ground, plants, and trees munching away at the vegetation. Hated to see them eating the beautiful Mountain Laurels that were in full bloom. I guess not until today have I had a first hand look at the kind of devastation that gypsy moths can inflict on a forest. Also scattered a couple of deer today, had lunch next to a trout stream, and enjoyed an excellent view of the Mountain Lakes Wilderness Area from Wind Rock.
Date: 2008-06-20
From: Potts Mountain

To: Sarver Hollow
Miles today: 15.9
Weather: clear sky

Today was the Summer Solstice, and if you are in the hiking business you know what that means. Yes folks, it was Hike Naked Day on the A.T. It is an annual event and an established tradition in the community. And, although it started out a little chilly this morning, the afternoon warmed up nicely. Since most of the woman never participate in this event, I really had no interest in seeing a lot of hairy a---- on the trail. And fortunately, I did not have any such encounters. Myself, well, only one thing worse than a hairy a--, that is an old hairy a--. So I passed. However one of my compadres did fully participate. Let's just say that his new nickname is "Three Socks", since that was the extent of his clothing. Gee, why would he need a third sock? Use your imagination. He was waving to the cars at the road crossings. Lucky he wasn't arrested, or worse, had a run in with the local mountain boys. Remember the movie "Deliverance"? We think of it often out here. Otherwise it was a pretty normal day. Walked through some more gypsy moth forests. I started smashing as many of the catapillars as I could with my boots. Just trying to help out. Also had two pretty serious climbs today. It has been a while since any of the climbs made me hunker down and work hard. The terrain in Virginia has been easier. The best though was at the end of the first climb. I came upon a road and found that someone had left a cooler of cold soda by the trail for the hikers. Wow, it tasted so good. You get tired of drinking water all the time and soda is a real treat. If you ever just want to make someone happy, leave some food by the A.T. For the thru-hikers. Trail Magic is just that, and it really is appreciated. I will be doing some Trail Magic of my own once I am off the trail. I hope to meet up with some of my friends here as they pass througg PA and NJ. I am thinking about a cook out at a road crossing. It has been a while since I did this. Here are some more trail names of folks I have met recently..... Bearmeister, Firefly, Phexen, Tenderfeet and Old Fat Dad (from Doylestown, PA area), Promethesis, Zero Zero, Chip, Long Man Walking (a Brit, and yes he is tall), Superman (he is, caught me today and left Springer one month ago), Growler, and Care Bear. Under the wildlife category, I saw some sort of varmint today. Either a groundhog, muskrat, or something similar running through the woods. And while walking through some hay fields I saw some Red Winged Blackbirds and Barn Swallows. Also heard the Bobwhite call but did not get a good look at him I am currently being serenaded by a Whippoorwill. Noisy. And, of course, I saw a couple of deer. Another great day on the trail.
Date: 2008-06-21
From: Sarver Hollow

To: Pickle Branch
Miles today: 16.1
Weather: broken clouds

This morning I woke up with a start. A deer was right next to my tent and I startled it when I rolled over in my sleeping bag. The deer took off through the brush and in the process kicked up a stone or a stick which slammed into the side of my tent. I woke up out of a sound sleep thinking some animal had just crashed into my tent, so I slapped the side wall of the tent with my hand to scare whatever it was away. But I hit the side wall so hard that a tent stake came loose and the side wall collapsed on top of me. It was about then when I started to really wake up and put two and two together. Stuff happens out here and you can only laugh. It did rain during the night, but I decided to sleep in and the tent was dry by the time I packed it up. I broke camp and hit the trail around 9:00 a.m. That is my latest start yet. Early on the views were outstandincg. Kind of scrambled across these large rocks for about a mile. Then later I had a big climb where I shedded buckets of water. To make it more exciting, a thunderstorm was approaching. Perfect, I am heading for the ridge. The worse place to be. But somehow the storm completely missed me. I then came across a monument dedicated to Audie Leon Murphy, the most decorated American veteren of World War II. His single-handed capture of a large number of German soldiers made him a legend. After the war he starred in many Hollywood war movies and westerns. He died in a plane crash in 1971 near the monument. Also came across a sign that said I was on the Eastern Continental Divide. All waters flowing to the east go into the James River and on to the Atlantic Ocean. Those to the west flow to the Mississippi River and into the Gulf of Mexico. Just north of here the western side of the ridge will flow to the Shenandoah River into the Potomac River and out into the Chesapeake River. Speaking of direction. We have for a couple of days been heading due east. We will be meeting up with the Blue Ridge Parkway and turning north again soon. Tomorrow will be a long mileage day, so I will be starting early. This way I can get into Daleville on Monday by lunch for re-supply.
Date: 2008-06-22
From: Pickle Branch

To: Lamberts Meadow
Miles today: 23.0
Weather: clear sky

I woke up at the first sign of light and was on the trail by 6:30 a.m. I had walked about a mile and I realized that I had left my hat back at camp. If I returned for the hat I would have added another 2 miles to an already planned 23 mile day. Hopefully someone will pick it up and bring it forward. I would hate to lose that hat. So I pushed on and over one of the toughest stretches yet called the Dragons Tooth. I should have known with a name like that I was in for a challenge. The top of the ridge was a series of never ending sharp edged rock piles. Each one like a dragon's tooth I guess. Up and over them was exhausting. Then the climb down was very hairy. I am scared of heights and this is the first time it got to me. They had metal ladders built into the walls of rock so you could get down. No trail to speak of, just lots of rock faces. My new shoes were excellent and I hopped and danced my way down the mountain. Having used so much energy to get through this section, I began in my head to modify my goals for the day. But as fate would have it, I caught a break when I got down to the road. A guy was dropping his son off to start a hike and he offerred me a ride to Catawba's general store. When I got there it was closed (it is Sunday), but the A.Y.C.E. Homeplace Restaurant was starting to serve their famous country style dinners. It was an unbelievably good meal and just what I needed to raise my spirits. I caught my second wind and just made it to the Catawba Shelter before a very entertaining thunder and lightening rain and hail storm hit. Lucky again to be near a shelter for protection. The storm eventually let up and I continued on up to McAfee Knob, the so called most photographed spot on the A.T. Now I know why. Really nice spot, one of my favorites so far. I took some timed self-portraits of me standing on this rock which juts out over the abyss. Then I plugged on to the Tinker Cliffs area. The views there were just as impressive. Folklore says the name comes from Revolutionary War deserters who hid there and repaired pots and pans (known as Tinkers back then). Tomorrow the pay off for the long day, as I only have 9 miles to town. Time to re-supply again and re-charge the batteries. Broke 700 miles and my feet feel great.
Date: 2008-06-23
From: Lamberts Meadow

To: Daleville
Miles today: 9.4
Weather: scattered clouds

Got in to town today around noon and did what I always do in town (Shower, wash clothes, get some good meals, and re-supplied at the local Krogers. Nice store, wish we had one near us. Now that all the chores are done I plan on laying around for the rest of the day. Ahhhhh, nice. Tomorrow, back to the trail.
Date: 2008-06-24
From: Daleville

To: Bobblets Gap Shelter
Miles today: 18.5
Weather: clear sky

Today was an absolutely beautiful day on the trail. I left the comforts of town fairly early and found the trail kind of easy. I am not sure it was so easy or if I was just feeling so good after the day's rest. Whatever it was, I felt so good that I ended up going further than originally planned. The trail is now tracking the Blue Ridge Parkway and headed north. Surprisingly, there was little traffic on the Parkway even though it is vacation season. The views are outstanding, and I hope to cruise down here again sometime with the other gas guzzlers. For the first time I bought all my food in town, instead of relying on a re-supply package from home. Consequently, I have a lot of food with me for the next 6 days. It weighs a ton and it is extremely bulky. My pack is screaming at the seams. So much food that it doesn't all fit in my food bag. I had to use my sleeping bag stuff sack for the overflow when hanging my food tonight. And yes, tonight I was extra careful to hang my food properly because not more than a half mile from camp I saw a bear. He was just off to the side of the trail and ran off as I approached. I only got a look at his backside as he ran off and he was obviously a big fella. Since the shelter is on a steep slope, I can't set up my tent around here and must sleep in the shelter. Not my first choice but one must do what one has do out here. Tomorrow will be another wait and see how we feel day in terms of how far I go. Regardless, I only need to hike about 15 per day to get to Dutch Haus B&B by Sunday. I called them from the trail today to make a reservation. It turns out that back in the late 70s they lived on Emerald Avenue in Westmont. My re-supply package already arrived there and they noticed the return address. As they say, it is a small world.
Date: 2008-06-25
From: Bobblets Gap Shelter

To: Cornelius Creek
Miles today: 18.3
Weather: broken clouds

The best part of this day was the scenic two mile walk I took on the Blue Ridge Parkway. The trail itself did not have much to offer. I did meet up with T.E.G. (The English Guy) and Sharkey (did the trail in 92 and owns a farm near Rockfish Gap at base of Shenandoah National Park). They were great company today during the hike. Constantly cracking jokes. Lots of fun. I haven't mentioned it previously, but one of the really cool things about being out here are the smells. Unlike the smell of a SEPTA bus passing by, it actually smells really nice as I move through the forest. Sometimes the air has a hint of turpentine, which kind of makes sense since turpentine is made of wood. At other times, last fall's leaves which cover the ground and are decaying seem to dominate the air. And then at other times the air smells kind of sweet from some flowers and/or vegetation. If I see a lot of ferns then the air is kind of spicy. All day long the aroma of the forest changes as I move through it from one area to the next. It really is a pleasant part of being out here in the woods. I also have been seeing some lizards and possibly some skinks. I went through a dry area the other day and saw a bunch of lizards. They were about 6 inches long (including the tail), kind of an oval shaped body, mostly brown with small black marks on its back. Also have seen two types which are similar in size and shape and only vary in color. I think they may be skinks. Both are long and sleek, about 8 to 10 inches long. One was dark grey with an orange hood over its head, the other was the same grey with blue (not sure if head was blue or tail). Anyway, I will have to look them up when I get home. We ended the day with a 1000 foot climb followed by a 500 foot descent followed by a 2000 foot climb over 4.5 miles. Phew! Now that I am on the ridge again I will follow it all day tomorrow down to the James River. I hope to cross it and stay a couple miles in on the other side.
Date: 2008-06-26
From: Cornelius Creek

To: Johns Hollow
Miles today: 21.6
Weather: clear sky

I had a little bit of climbing early but generally had an easy time of it as I cruised down to the James River. A drop of 3500 feet. I love going downhill. The only downside was that it was very hot today and I started to feel poorly from the heat after lunch. So I stopped at a shelter which was occupied by a large group of Boy Scouts and cooled down in the stream. Yes, I said in the stream. That seemed to help the the next two miles which brought me to the James River Footbridge. Couple of my trail friends were there swimming so I jumped in. It felt absolutely great! A bunch of the locals were diving off the bridge into the river. Crazy. I saw a mother bear and two cubs today. They were foraging off to the side of the trail and ran across the trail in front of me just as I approached. The trail in Virginia is lined with Mountain Laurel and Huckleberry bushes. The Huckleberries are just like blueberries and are starting to ripen, which I think the bears are excited about. So I expect to see a lot more bears. I woke up to a deer foraging outside my tent this morning. That was pretty cool. And I saw several more deer during the day. The deer obviously are not hunted around here because they have gotten very tame. They used to run off but now they just check you out and then go about their business. Time for bed, it is late. Hopefully it will cool off tonight.
Date: 2008-06-27
From: Johns Hollow

To: Brown Mountain Creek
Miles today: 18.3
Weather: scattered clouds

Today was the kind of day I envisioned when I decided to hike the A.T. It started with a big climb up to Fuller Rocks on Little Rocky Row. Had I known yesterday, I would have done the climb last night because the views up there were amazing. Had several unobstructed views of the James River Valley right next to two primo campsites. I was up there early so it was extra special. It is always nice to be rewarded after a tough climb with breathtaking views. The views continued as I traversed the ridge over Big Rocky Row and then Bluff Mountain. During the descent I was cruising pretty fast when I had to suddenly slam on the breaks. A copperhead snake was stretched out across the trail in front of me. Beautiful creature. Brown and rusty colored markings which seem ideal for camoflauge. Also got hit with a very entertaining storm just before lunchtime. The thunder and lightening were never all that close. The wind, however, was bending all the trees around me in half as the leading edge of the storm passed. It dumped a ton of water and was over in half an hour. I rain geared up in high speed and then hid out in the woods until the worst of it passed. This afternoon I lunched on the Lynchburg Reservoir Dam watching the fish jump. Then I stopped at Brown Mountain Creek bridge and took a delicious dip in the cold stream. Then walking up the Brown Mountain Creek Valley to camp I learned that a community of freed slaves lived here from the Civil War until about 1918. Remains of cabins and stone walls were still evident in the woods. Made me pause and think about what it must have been like for them. Tonight I have one of the nicest campsites to date. I am just a couple of feet from the Creek so I will hear nothing but running water all night. Hopefully no more rain until tomorrow.
Date: 2008-06-28
From: Brown Mountain Creek

To: North Fork of Piney River
Miles today: 13.9

Last night after I had been asleep for a while I awoke to the sound of some critter moving about in the bushes. I could not tell from listening what it was, so I poked my head from the tent and used my headlamp to scan the area. The light lit up two little eyes shining right back at me from the bushes. I still don't know what it was, but those eyes kind of startled me. Of course the day started with a tough uphill climb. Eventually I got on top of Cold Mountain' which was a pretty bald full of wildflowers. This ridge continued for some time before I descended down to Hog Camp Gap. There I got some water at a very nice spring and had some lunch under a shady tree that had a swing on it. That's a first. By the way, I threw out my water treatment filter because it has been giving me nothing but trouble for the past two weeks. Every time I think I have it fixed something else goes wrong. So, I decided to just use iodine or chlorine tablets for now on and reduce my packweight by not carrying the filter. Some folks don't treat their water at all and don't get sick. But most of the hikers out here either filter or treat their water before drinking. Tomorrow I walk about 4 trail miles to Fish Hatchery Road where I will get a ride to the Dutch Haus B&B in Montebello for some rest and re-supply. Yes! Always love going into town.
Date: 2008-06-29
From: North Fork of Piney River

To: Montebello
Miles today: 4.2

I am sitting on the front porch of the Dutch Haus Bed & Breakfast in Montebello, Virginia. I was picked up at the trailhead. Upon arrival, I was served a delicious lunch. I showered, shaved, got my re-supply package squared away, clothes laundered, and washed up my mess kit and utensils. Now all I have to do is sit in this here rocking chair, out of the rain, and watch the hummingbirds visit the feeders hanging from the porch ceiling. Tough, tough duty. I may even read my book for a while and then take a nap before dinner. This is really nice. The Dutch Haus is one of those log cabin kits with a huge stone fireplace in the middle. Beautiful place bought by a couple who used to live in the same town as me. Now that is a coincidence. Really nice folks. Very glad I chose to stop here. Tomorrow I begin a short three day stretch to Rockfish Gap where I will meet up with Marie for a week of slackpacking the A.T. in Shenandoah National Park. Things look like they are going to be easier from this point on. Only 200 miles to go, which may sound like a lot, but not when you have already walked 800 miles. I am still enjoying my time out here but I am anxious to complete this hike and return home to family and friends. About 2 weeks should do it, and then I need to go find my golf game (if I still have one).