morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2012-09-25
From: Blackrock Hut, Shenandoah Nat'l Park

To: Paul C. Wolfe Shelter
Miles today: 25.0
Weather: few clouds

I left Shenandoah National Park today, which actually seemed like a sad occasion. Walking through Shenandoah is like walking through a beautiful mountain garden. As to today's hiking, the last bit in the park was just a woodland hike. Beyond the park boundaries, however, there were nice views at Little Calf Mountain and Bears Den Mountain, though the latter was decked out with various communication towers. A cool random thing on Bears Den was a circle of tractor seats. I nearly broke my neck trying to get out of one of them, but it was cool. I told my parents a very early time for meeting, so I got annoyed with the PUDs between Bears Den and Rockfish Gap. It ended with a nice moment, though, when I came out of the woods and my parents waved to me from across the highway. It kind of felt like having a fan club. My mother was especially happy that I had a "spring in my step." I guess that means I looked less emaciated than she expected.Kory Kory, a MEGA I met last night at Blackrock Hut, happened to step out of the woods almost right behind me (I passed him only about two miles back while he was taking a break), so my parents were able to give him a ride into Waynesboro. We dropped him off in town and then headed out to one of my favorites -- Cracker Barrel. We had a nice, long meal and discussion. I had to get up-to-date on all the spicy gossip from Vinton, and after those 2.4 seconds passed, we just talked in general. I got resupplied at WalMart then we returned to the AT. It was a great visit.Back on the trail, it was an easy 5.5 miles to here. I am accompanied tonight by flip-hiker Banjo, MEGA hiker Dennis, and Dennis' friend Thomas. I am especially pleased with today since I had a great town day while still hitting ideal mileage. I am somewhat apprehensive about tomorrow since the terrain looks hard for the first time in a very long time. No more Mid-Atlantic flats for us. One last note: we had a huge resident rat at Blackrock Hut last night. If his tail had been fluffy, people would have probably started to pet him thinking he was a house cat.
Date: 2012-09-26
From: Paul C. Wolfe Shelter

To: The Priest Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 29.6

Simply put, today was exhausting. I got started from the Paul C. Wolfe Shelter, a very nice and well-maintained shelter, at about 7:40 AM. The first climb, up Humpback Mountain, was moderate, but the Old Dominion ATC (a club with a very small trail section) went a little overboard with the switchbacks. And, even then, a hiker still has to go 0.2 miles off-trail to visit Humpback Rocks. Even though I have been to Humpback Rocks a half-dozen times before, I made the off-trail hike. The view is, as always, worth the effort. The hike along Humpback Mountain from the rocks was steep and rocky, though also with occasional good views, especially south toward Wintergreen Resort. Even once west of the Blue Ridge Parkway, there were a couple of good views I simply didn't remember from previous hikes. One view that I could have lived without was seeing a nudist enjoying the fall day. It was a bit of an odd section for a nudist, though, since there are so many crossings of the Parkway.I had some terrific trail magic around lunch. I passed a day hiker from Pennsylvania as I came out of Reed Gap, and I told her what I knew about the section she was hiking. When I stopped for lunch a few minutes later, she gave me an entire bottle full of orange juice. She seemed to downplay the gift by saying, "It's just frozen orange juice I mixed at home," but it was liquid ambrosia to me.After lunch, I met-up and hiked with Banjo. Ever since meeting him at the shelter last night, I racked my brain trying to figure out where I had met him before. It came to me that we had met at Lakes of the Clouds Hut way back in the Whites when he was doing the northbound segment of his flip-hike. We hiked the afternoon together. We saw a very large rattlesnake (mainly thick and only about 4' long) as we started climbing Three Ridges. The climb, even though not nearly as bad as the NOBO approach of that mountain, was steep. We arrived at Harpers Creek Shelter, a shelter that sort of reminded me of Rainbow Stream Lean-to in the Hundred-Mile Wilderness, at 4:15 PM. We had already had a good, long day, but, after some water and snacks, decided to press on to here. The 5-mile climb up the Priest took every bit of energy we had, especially as it was 5 miles of the last 5.5 miles of the long day. The climb is never truly steep, just a constant uphill without much relief for the weary. We stopped for a couple of breaks simply because we physically could not keep going. The 3,000 feet of elevation gain was tremendous, and I am not sure we could have taken much more at that point.We arrived here at the absolute last light of the day (we should have probably stopped to put on our headlamps). We arrived to find Lite Brite and Foot already settled into the shelter for the night and burning a small fire. They are two female MEGAs, neither of whom I had met previously.
Date: 2012-09-27
From: The Priest Mountain Shelter

To: Brown Mountain Creek Shelter
Miles today: 22.4
Weather: scattered clouds

After one of the most tiresome days of my entire journey yesterday, I would have expected to sleep like a log last night. To the contrary and for no clear reason, I tossed and turned all night.Banjo and I hiked together again for most of the day and got underway at about 7:45 AM. We made good time across the ridges to Spy Rock. The rock reminded us a lot of some of the sites and sights in Maine or New Hampshire. We joked that the big difference was that the steep jaunt up the rock would have just been an average segment of the AT there versus an off-trail excursion for daring hikers here. Though never overly difficult in any one spot, the climbs and falls beyond Spy Rock were tiring and more challenging than one would expect based on the elevation profile. Tar Jacket Ridge (apparently named for a Tory who got tarred and feathered during the unpleasantness with the United Kingdom) had several nice views from cleared knobs. We stopped for water and picked apples (they were too tart to finish) at Hog Camp Gap. I felt bad because Banjo and I kept leap-frogging Lite Bright and Foot as we were hiking faster but also stopping more frequently. If they were annoyed, they were nice about it. Cold Mountain (which is not the famous Cold Mountain -- that's down in North Carolina southwest of Asheville) was spectacular as always, though the "bald" is far from natural. Bald Knob, which is completely wooded now that grazing cattle and hogs no longer keep it open, was a bit of a hump, but a tame mouse for southbounders compared to a beast for northbounders. The trail has a way of keeping things, even, though, so I am sure we have or will get stuck taming the beast someplace else.I arrived here after a pleasant walk down from US 60 along Brown Mountain Creek. Banjo, along with Lite Bright and Foot, headed into Buena Vista. I am here tonight with Gandalf, a MEGA I am meeting for the first time. We've had a good night listening to music from Gandalf's I-pod and watching a storm attempt to get organized (we are kind of rooting for the storm both for a good lightning show and so that the rain will pull some of the humidity out of the air). I have found it interesting hiking in familiar territory. On one hand, it's great knowing exactly what to expect and when to expect it, while on the other I miss the thrill of revealing the unknown.
Date: 2012-09-28
From: Brown Mountain Creek Shelter

To: Cabin Near Shenandoah Nat'l Park
Miles today: 9.1

Sleeping within earshot of the creek last night was very pleasant, though our storm never got itself going (at least not at our location). I was a bit on the dilatory side getting rolling (7:50 AM), but had some time to spare as I had given my friend, Dr. K., a liberal time for picking me up for my R&R day. I thoroughly enjoyed the downhill, creek side hike down to Pedlar Lake / Lynchburg Reservoir. The Natural Bridge ATC re-routed the trail so that hikers only get a passing glimpse of the dam (the trail used to cross right behind the dam) and instead cross the Pedlar River on an impressive suspension bridge similar to the one over the Tye River. [In fact, I just looked at the area on Google Maps, and they still show the old route of the AT even while the new bridge is visible on the satellite view.] The climb from there to Rice Mountain wasn't huge, but challenging enough. Central Virginia keeps reminding me that the difficulty level of the trail, especially as compared to say New Jersey or Pennsylvania, has ratcheted back up. The every day climbs here are as hard as the difficult climbs in the Mid-Atlantic flats.Dr. and Mrs. K. and family picked me up on the Parkway at the Punchbowl Overlook. They are hosting me as their guest at a great mountain party one of their family members throws annually [which is why I am suddenly way back north]. Not a bad way to get a break from the trail! We ate at a buffet in Charlottesville while we watched it pour buckets (I've been lucky in my off-trail day selections). With clean laundry (thanks to a friend of their family) and a hot shower, I am ready to party!
Date: 2012-09-29
From: Cabin Near Shenandoah Nat'l Park

To: Non-designated campsite on Bluff Mountain
Miles today: 2.0

Today was essentially an off-trail day for me, despite hiking a couple of miles to get back into the woods. Dr. and Mrs. K. hosted me at one of their family member's mountain party at a cabin property almost adjoining Shenandoah National Park. I ate a metric ton of home-cooked food, did my fair share of delving into the beer cooler, and had a great time. A lot of the revelers especially enjoyed the bluegrass / old time playing courtesy of some of the local talent, but the highlight of the day for me was getting to talk to some of the people who still remember life on that part of the Blue Ridge before the park. Unlike the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Virginia used its power of eminent domain to force land sales against hold-outs to create Shenandoah National Park. The cemeteries, occasional building sites, and non-native garden plants serve as reminders of the communities that once existed in those highlands.Dr. K. took me to get resupplied at the Harrisonburg WalMart on our way back to Punchbowl, then I hit the trail in dense fog and rain. I was planning to crash at Punchbowl Shelter, but some weekenders had claimed all of the spaces (all is fair in love, war, and shelter space). I was already wet and, despite the fog, the full moon was making things bright, so I opted to night hike once again. The night hike was actually very enjoyable and made a moderately tough climb far more interesting. The moon was very bright even through the fog and my headlamp only worsened my visibility by illuminating the fog, so I hiked completely in the dark. I am camping just south of the summit of Bluff Mountain, which might be a risky thing since I understand that the ghost of Ottie Hill likes to play tricks on hikers. [Ottie Hill was a young boy who went missing after school about a hundred years ago. Tragically, his lifeless body was found on top of Bluff Mountain. Local ghost stories in the area often feature Ottie or his mother wandering the mountain.]
Date: 2012-09-30
From: Non-designated campsite on Bluff Mountain

To: Thunder Hill Shelter
Miles today: 23.5
Weather: clear sky

I slept well last night, though I did awaken to hear occasional raindrops falling on the tent. I almost had to laugh when I got out of the tent this morning -- In extremely heavy fog, I pitched my tent last night on the best spot I could find, which was a rooted, brushy spot just south of the summit and Ottie Hill Monument. It turns out that, had I walked just thirty yards off-trail, I would have found a perfectly flat, grassy spot ample in size for a couple of tents. Oh well!The view this morning from the summit of Bluff Mountain was exceptional. The fog had already burned off the summit and other mountains above a certain elevation, while it remained hard-fast in the valleys. The effect was an ocean of fog with island mountaintops (I have seen the same sort of view before, especially near large river valleys). The hike was rolling and only somewhat steep across the ridge to the Rocky Rows (Big Rocky Row and Little Rocky Row). By the time I arrived at the Little Rocky Row viewpoint, the fog had burned down to the point that it was just hugging the James River, which added a spectacular element to that already great view, as well. I got loved-on yet again today -- this time by my sister and her family. They came over from Richmond and met me at the James River crossing. They drove me down to the James River Visitors Center on the Parkway for a picnic then came back to the James River Foot Bridge and hiked a half-mile with me. (It's cool how the bridge is named for a man with the last name of Foot, so it could actually be called the James River Foot Foot-Bridge. And, it should be pointed-out that the Natural Bridge ATC did an awesome thing by building the Foot Foot-Bridge on old train pile-ons. The old US 501 bridge that the AT used near Snowden was dangerous, not to mention a drag to hike.) My niece and nephew both looked uber cute trying to be trail hikers. It was awesome seeing my sister and her family!The hike from the James River to here was long, but felt good. I enjoyed hiking along the river for a mile, and would recommend that section for hikers who may not be in great shape but who still want to see some nice river views and neat rock formations. I saw Choo Choo, a MEGA hiker I had met at Blackrock Hut, at Matts Creek Shelter. The uphill hike to here came in steps. Step one was up to the ridge above the shelter with views of the river and valley. Step two was up and over High Cock Knob (I don't name them, I just hike them), a rather steep PUD both up and down. The last long step was from Petite's Gap to Thunder Hill Overlook, the longest grind of the day. I arrived here just after dark (and again probably should have been using my headlamp). Kory Kory, who I had seen in Waynesboro, was already here, and Choo Choo came in a few minutes after me. We are all beat! In fact, why am I still writing? Today was great, though -- great for its off-trail and on-trail components.
Date: 2012-10-01
From: Thunder Hill Shelter

To: Bobblets Gap Shelter
Miles today: 23.7
Weather: light rain

We awakened to rain showers, which tends to make even the most ambitious hikers sluggish in getting up-and-at-'em. The three of us in the shelter had planned to get up early, but those plans were replaced by slumber. I, for one, didn't get out of the shelter until 8:40 AM.The first climb of the day, Apple Orchard Mountain, which was really a continuation of the climb up from the James River started yesterday, seemed like old hat for me since I am getting into my hiking backyard. It's kind of funny that I keep running into day and section hikers who seem excited to meet a through-hiker only to be disappointed that I am just a local and not from anyplace far away or exotic. I stopped at Black Rock, another of my old haunts, more for old time's sake than the view itself (which was partially obstructed by rain clouds and fog). I got water and snacked at Cornelius Creek Shelter, though the spring there was pitiful. From there, I followed Floyd Mountain all the way down to nearly the valley floor at Bryants Ridge Shelter, a long stretch for southbounders and a killer for northbounders.I must say that I hate the trail from Cornelius Creek to Bearwallow Gap, not because it is any worse than any other stretch of trail, but because it forms a long horseshoe that avoids the Peaks of Otter. As a local, I have been to the summit of Sharp Top and Flat Top more times than I can count, but it kills me that the AT skips what I think is arguably the best viewpoint in Virginia (Sharp Top). Before my through-hike, I kind of bought that idea that the current AT track preserves the wilderness feel of the trail in the area, but after visiting such places as Pinkham Notch, Mt. Washington, and Mt. Greylock (just to give a few examples), my new feeling is, "Give me a break!" Unfortunately, if the AT had always gone over / through the Peaks of Otter, it would be the status quo, but now to change it would be purgatory in the form of bureaucratic red tape. It's just a shame though -- Sharp Top would be one of those "must-see" places on the AT just like McAfee's Knob.At any rate, I ate at Bryants Ridge Shelter, a luxury, three-tiered shelter that is more akin to a cabin than a simple roof in a storm. From there, it was up and over semi-PUD Fork Mountain, across the newly repaired Virginia Rte. 614 bridge over Jennings Creek [a storm earlier this year dumped 10 inches of rain in minutes in the area causing the stream to take-out the bridge], and up Cove Mountain. Ironically, a large forest fire on Cove Mountain a couple of years back has actually created some decent views on the mountain. It used to be a lot of climbing with no reward.This shelter is close to the Parkway but built near the bottom of a deep hollow. I guess it was placed here because of the nearby spring. I am here tonight with MEGA hiker Dennis and his friend Thomas, who I met at the Paul C. Wolfe Shelter, Kory Kory, and Choo Choo. I am excited because I will be taking some down time as I approach my hometown and the Star City -- Roanoke.
Date: 2012-10-02
From: Bobblets Gap Shelter

To: Vinton, Virginia
Miles today: 10.7

Volume I of my journal has truly come full circle. My first entry was at my parents' house, and now the final entry of the volume is also being written at my parents' house. I have walked home from Katahdin!I thought I was going to be too excited about my R&R to sleep last night, but that was no problem. Heavy rain overnight provided some nice white noise on the shelter roof. The shelter may be old, but it has a solid, new roof. Major kudos to the Natural Bridge ATC for having a well-maintained section throughout.The rain slackened this morning, but kept coming throughout my hike. It was an odd experience hiking over Blue Knob, through Blackhorse Gap, over Wilson Creek and Curry Creek -- places I visit frequently just for daily exercise when at home in Vinton. The nostalgia was killed a bit by the climb up from Curry Creek -- a short killer that makes you think enough of that for a while!My parents are on vacation, but they drove my Jeep up to Curry Gap for me and allowed me to have run of their house for a break. I also need to re-gear for winter, so it's not all fun. I felt bad for anyone following me on the Parkway as I drove my Jeep for the first time in three months -- I was probably going all of about 32 MPH and still felt like I was flying down the mountain. Being home is at the same time old hat and surreal. But, that's probably not unique to AT hikers and would apply to anyone who has been away from home for a while. My highlights of the day have been eating an entire Dominos pizza and watching the entire Back to the Future Trilogy. Ah! My own bed! Money can't buy some luxuries. The only downside is not getting to spend any time with my parents. I am sure they are torn-up about it too as they stroll on the beach, swim in a heated pool, and eat seafood with their friends.
Date: 2012-10-03
From: Vinton, Virginia

To: Vinton, Virginia
Miles today: 0.0

Today has been my first zero day on the entire trip. There's no doubt that I have earned it -- in fact, going 1,453.9 miles without a zero would qualify as nuts in most hikers' opinions. Yet, I can't help but to feel a tinge of regret to break my streak. I guess I will just have to cry into this giant bucket of ice cream I am eating.Today was complete and utter laziness. I slept in, ate like I had been hiking for three months without a break, and watched movies. One thing I did do was go visit an old friend way back from my Boy Scouting days, trail name Fast Packer. I was on Facebook last night when Fast Packer IMed me and asked about my trip progress. I told him that I was in town to rest and re-gear for winter, but that I was unsure as to exactly what I needed. We IMed back and forth on that topic a few times when he sent a striking IM stating, "Why don't you come 'raid my basement' for winter gear?" Now, Fast Packer was a good troop friend, but also a guy I have not seen since our days in the troop -- about 12 years ago. But, if he was offering... I went over to his house to find that he not only had winter gear, he had top-of-the-line winter gear and basically everything a person could need for such an endeavor. He had me take whatever I needed. What extreme trust and generosity!I am taking another zero day tomorrow (see, it's a slippery slope -- once you break the streak, there's no disincentive to taking zeros). I have a little shopping to do and the unpleasant task of filling out as much as I can of a bar application.
Date: 2012-10-04
From: Vinton, Virginia

To: Vinton, Virginia
Miles today: 0.0

Today was my second zero day of the trip and my second zero day in a row. I went shopping for a few additional winter items, did my standard resupply, got my hair cut, and, dreadfully, worked on my bar application.One funny incident happened at a local "outfitter", and the reason I put that term in quotation marks is that this particular shop is much more focused on selling clothes to yuppies than outfitting long distance backpackers. Don't get me wrong -- that is perfectly fine and what I would do if in that business as there are probably a couple of hundred yuppies who like wearing outdoors gear for every serious hiker. Anyhow, I went into this store and told the sales person that I was looking for "hiker tights." The person replied, "We don't sell tights. We sell base layers." When it came out that I am through-hiking, I think the sales person was a little embarrassed. And, I ended up buying my "base layer" elsewhere since the yuppie store had yuppie prices.Well, there's really not much to tell about a zero day, so off I go. I need my sleep since I plan to get another long streak without a zero day started tomorrow.
Date: 2012-10-05
From: Vinton, Virginia

To: Lamberts Meadow Shelter
Miles today: 17.2
Weather: few clouds

Today got off to a slow start. Sleeping at home was simply too comfortable to awaken early. I took care of getting my parents' house back into a semblance of order -- after all, it was nice of them to give me run of the place in their absence. It was 10:30 AM when I finally got back to Curry Gap. Ironically, one of the hardest miles I have walked to date was the one mile from the Parkway back to the AT along the fire road, and that had nothing to do with terrain, pack weight, or the like. I was walking away from home. Where I had felt elation heading down the fire road on Tuesday, I felt sluggish and slightly blue heading back up.Getting back onto the AT proper and putting a few miles down helped me find my groove again. I hit the 2/3 completion point near Fulhardt Knob Shelter, then made my way down familiar ground to US Rte. 11 and then US Route 220 at Daleville.   I took a break long enough for a drink at the Sunoco, then headed off toward Tinker Mountain. The climb up Tinker was pretty and challenging in spots. I had forgotten some of the nice views along the ridge, especially Hay Rock with its view of Carvin's Cove. Even with good views, I began dragging after making the nearly 90-degree turn to follow the ridge toward Scorched Earth Gap. I arrived here at that perfect worst time -- early enough to consider a run to Campbell Shelter but late enough to justify staying. So far, I am by my lonesome, which I find odd for such a popular section of trail during a weekend night in leaf season.