morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2014-05-31
From: Pearisburg, VA.

To: Symms Gap
Miles today: 11.9
Weather: broken clouds

It was a trash goal in overtime that cost the Blackhawks another shot at a championship run. But, at the risk of sounding like a sore loser, I'll offer my congrats to the Kings and their fans. Judging by the two games that I actually got to watch, it was a good series. The quandary today was figuring out where to get back on the trail. The map in the guide shows a couple places where the trail crosses in Pearisburg, but we decided to road hike back to where we came out. My opinion of the trail leaving Pearisburg is highly subjective, though I did not enjoy it. The trail runs parallel to a section of highway, and next to some sort of refinery or trash processing plant. We couldn't agree on whatever it was, but it didn't smell good. From there, the trail was rerouted (this year) and it appears that a bulldozer was used to complete the two mile climb up the mountain. The trail was a wide dirt path covered by loose gravel and rib roots. The only scenery was a razor wire fence running along the outer perimeter of the trail. And it was a long and painful climb--partly because the Hawks lost, partly because of the margaritas consumed while watching the Hawks lose, and partly because it was monotonous trail. Also, due to the reroute, we had no idea where we were, or how many miles we'd actually done today. Water was also an issue today, including a 10 mile stretch with no water sources. The availability of water does influence how many miles one can complete in a day, and our hiking options were reduced to doing a short 7 mile day, or a long 22 mile day. Neither were attractive options, so at the last water source (before the 10 mile drought) we decided to shoulder as much water as we could, and camp at the first decent spot we found--be it a mile away or 7 miles away.Turns out our home for the night was only 3 more miles up trail; a beautiful place on top of a mountain. We think it was Symms Gap, but because of the rerouted trail section earlier in the day, we had no idea where we really were. And we had to make due with a very limited water supply--I had 2 liters--which is cutting things close after cooking dinner. We did hike in light, intermittent rain throughout the day, which was fine, because it kept the temperatures cool. The clouds look ominous, and fortunately I was settled in my tent before the real rain started.
Date: 2014-06-01
From: Symms Gap

To: Wind Rock
Miles today: 15.2

It rained briefly last night. Just enough that I had to pack a wet tent this morning. The plan was to reach Wind Rock today, we guessed somewhere in the 15-17 mile range. We had several miles of hiking on top of a ridge line, which was primarily straight-away hiking. Which is glorious hiking. Except for today.While we're on the subject, don't let anyone tell you Virginia is easy. I'll say that once you get the hard part out of the way (the climb to the ridge) hiking life is pretty smooth. But the hard parts are sometimes painful. Maybe not as painful as Georgia, but close. There's no water at Wind Rock, so I'd have to shoulder water across the ridge to the camp. We're talking about 4 miles from the water source I was presently at. Or...I could make a slightly riskier decision, and pull water from a spring a mile from camp. The risk was in not knowing if the water source would actually exist, when there's water right in front of me. I decided to take the risk, and only carry 1 liter across the ridge.The other issue was the thunder. We'd been listening to the thunder all day, and so far no rain, but it was definitely coming. Basically, I was going try to outrun a thunderstorm. The climb up to the ridge line started out easy, then got progressively (and exponentially) more difficult every 50 steps. Brutal. I was pretty thirsty when I got to the top.Then the ridge line crossing. I'd later discover it was 4 miles of crossing a rock and boulder field. I fell twice. The second one left an impressive scrape across the front of my leg. The day was full of frustrations; boiling to the point of anger. It was a very long 4 miles across that mess.The good news: The huge thunderstorm that arrived, waited until my tent was setup with dinner almost cooked, before the serious downpour began. I finished dinner in my tent, and with nothing left to do, went to sleep.
Date: 2014-06-02
From: Wind Rock

To: Laurel Creek Shelter
Miles today: 10.7
Weather: few clouds

Given the group dissatisfaction with yesterday's hike, and because everyone's feet hurt, we elected to so a short mile day before picking up the miles again tomorrow.Once again we had a pretty big climb later in the day before we could put this one in the books. A 1700 foot climb, spanning 1.5 miles. This one could hurt. In fact after doing it, I'd say it was one of the toughest 1.5 mile climbs in recent memory. It took me an hour to do it, counting one quick stop for a water break. You know it's hot outside when sweat runs down the back of your legs. And it was only 80 degrees today! But that was the case with this climb. When I made it to State Road VA 630, I was convinced the climb was almost over. Ah, no. It got worse. Looking up the trail, all you could see was the climb up. I made that only to turn a corner (maybe a switchback) and find more up-hiking as far as I could see! Again! It was a tough, rocky mess going up but we did get a great view from Kelly Knob at the top. Red and I hung out there for about an hour before finishing the final mile to camp. Dinners these days consist of combining whatever possible. Tonight was red beans and rice, with salmon, mayonnaise, and hot sauce. I wrapped that hot mess into a flour tortilla, because eating with a spoon slows down the calorie loading. On an unrelated note, we've seen lots of animals lately, including a very new baby deer laying on the trail. It didn't seem much concerned about us, and didn't move while we took pictures. Red wanted to carry it for a few miles, but that idea got shot down after we figured we'd eat it after carrying it for a mile. So we left it alone.Off to bed early tonight for an early departure in the morning.
Date: 2014-06-03
From: Laurel Creek Shelter

To: Catawba, VA.
Miles today: 29.2

So Virginia has been frustrating to say the least. Pretty much everyday has been wake up, climb to a rocky ridge line, cross that ridge line, then go down more rocks until you can find water and a place to crash (shelter, campsite, etc). In fairness, there are some cool things to see here, but you definitely work to see them. So I got up today, knowing full well that a ridge line climb was in my future. Probably after lunch. Last night, some section hikers told us that a beaver built a dam by a pond a few miles away, and successfully managed to flood the entire trail. He strongly advised we cross in our camp shoes.Sure enough, the trail crosses a tall field of grass, which was (apparently) flooded by the aforementioned beaver dam. I foolishly ignored the advise of the section hiker, and stayed in my hiking shoes. Epic fail. My feet were wet by the time I made it to the foot bridge at the halfway point of the field crossing. And, on the other side of the foot bridge was ankle deep water at least 60 yards in any direction. Rather than take my wet shoes off, I elected to cross AGAIN in my hiking shoes. I thought, "How much wetter can they get?" Yeah. A LOT wetter.So in extremely wet shoes now, we stop at this road crossing to eat lunch, dry out the shoes, and change socks. There was no way I was making this huge, upcoming climb in soggy socks and shoes.Me, Red, and Kelsey have been joking about how bad we want a Coke for the past 3 days. During lunch, we started joking around about hitching a ride into town to procure these Cokes. We were considering our options when a guy in a truck pulled over and asked if we wanted a ride. Like a cosmic sign, right? There wasn't even any discussion. We got up, quickly threw all our gear into our packs, and hopped in the truck.And that's how we skipped up the trail to the Four Pines Hostel. Otherwise known as yellow blazing, because of the yellow stripes on the road. This is universally viewed as poor hiker behavior, and there's honestly something to it: We skipped out on even more misery. I dunno. I might feel a little guilty about skipping a chunk of miles, but I'm mostly okay with taking a Mulligan today.Good food in town tonight, and I got an equipment upgrade in a mail drop: Smaller hip belts. (Thanks go out to Tammy and Jeff. So much better!)
Date: 2014-06-04
From: Catawba, VA.

To: Tinker Cliffs
Miles today: 15.2

It was difficult to leave the relaxing atmosphere of the Four Pines Hostel, including The Home Place Restaurant, just a mile or two down the road. Really good food. With full packs and full bellies, we loaded up in the Dragon Wagon for a quick ride back to the trailhead. On the agenda today was an "easy" 4 mile climb up to McAfee Knob, probably one of the most photographed places on the trail. And somehow I managed to hike right by the overlook trail to McAfee. To add insult to injury, I just didn't miss it by a little bit...no, I'm guessing I went a full half mile beyond. I was executing a brilliant piece of climbing down, when it occurred to me that an OVERLOOK wasn't likely to be found on a downhill hike. After turning around and hiking back (to much heckling and ridicule upon my tardy arrival) I got the obligatory pictures at McAfee's. The next few miles were non-descript, until I got to the base of Tinker Cliffs, where I managed to miss the white blazes--again! At Tinker, the trail runs a full half mile along a cliff line, and features excellent views of the mountains and valleys below. But, instead of hiking on the top of the cliff line, I somehow ended up below he cliffs...on a trail that leads absolutely nowhere. It was another error that cost me another full mile to correct. And I almost fell getting back to the trail junction. Naturally, by the time I reached Tinker Cliffs, I was nice and aggravated--with myself, with the trail, with the universe. At the end of the day though, it worked out okay: The view from Tinker Cliffs nearing sunset was pretty nice. The rest of the group pushed on to the shelter, but I decided to stay back and camp just below Tinker, so I could catch the sunrise in the morning.My new "sleep system" is a bit dicey. I've been using a fleece blanket that I bought at a Good-Will store, and I've been sleeping a little cold at night. Of course, it rained just enough today to get most of my gear wet. The good news is, the rain stopped long enough to set m tent up, and start cooking dinner (I had to finish eating in the tent). I probably hiked more south than north today after being guilty of committing more than one navigation error, but I ended up where I wanted to be. I'll be in Daleville, VA. tomorrow, and plan on hitting up the outfitter to address my need for slightly warmer gear at night.
Date: 2014-06-05
From: Tinker Cliffs

To: Daleville, VA.
Miles today: 10.5
Weather: overcast clouds

I woke up at 5am this morning in anticipation of a great sunrise at Tinker Cliffs. I was not disappointed. Still, I didn't get out of camp until nearly 8 (I went back to sleep after my tent got warm) but I was on a mission to get to town as quickly as possible. The rest of my hiking pals were about a half mile up the trail, and I reached them about 10 minutes after breaking camp. I was a little surprised to see SuperFeet walking up the a side trail from the shelter, with a big smile on his face. We talked about my negative hiking experience yesterday, and I felt a little better after he told me of his crappy day of hiking, which included a fall. The rest of the gang wasn't ready to roll yet, so I told them I'd catch up with them in Daleville. SuperFeet offered me this bit of advise as I was leaving: "Follow the white blazes, bro. Nothing else." Funny guy.With that, I torched the 10.5 miles I trail leading into Daleville. I should also mention, I ran out of water about 6 miles into the section, and was pretty thirsty by the time I hit a Shell gas station in Daleville. But I made the 10.5 miles in about 4.5 hours. Including a 30 minute lunch break. I'm staying at a Howard Johnson in Daleville, which has a nice pool, and is within a half mile of just about everything I need, including a long-term resupply point, and a well-stocked outfitter. I bought a silk sleeping bag liner to compliment my fleece blanket, with the hopes I'll sleep a little warmer at night.
Date: 2014-06-06
From: Daleville, VA.

To: Wilson Creek shelter
Miles today: 11.2
Weather: scattered clouds

I think I'm beginning to understand what the "Virginia Blues" are all about; I'm having a hard time leaving towns lately. Lately, the biggest challenge to doing the miles is a mental one. I know that I'm capable of doing big mile days, it's just a matter of finding the right frame of mind and attitude to do them. While I certainly wasn't looking forward to crushing a big mile day in the 90 degree heat, I did manage to summon up enough mental fortitude to throw the pack on for an 11am start. Unreliable water sources are still a lingering problem, and today was no exception. There was water in a cistern at the first shelter I reached today, but the water was yellow. As a rule, I don't generally drink yellow water, and I didn't feel compelled to deviate from my guideline on drinking yellow water today. I might regret it, but I decided to take my chances on a water source 3 miles up trail (it was fine).There wasn't much to see today in the way of views, but the trail was mostly level, and without the normal assortment of hazards--like roots and rocks. There was one tough climb, but it was over so fast that it only rates a brief mention. It started to rain again just as I was setting my tent up for the night. It makes me wonder, why are so many water sources dry (or sketchy) when there has been so much rain? I'm trying out my new and improved sleep system tonight, an I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I'll be warmer . Strange how I can bake in the heat all day, then be freezing cold under a fleece blanket at night!
Date: 2014-06-07
From: Wilson Creek shelter

To: Bearwallow Gap
Miles today: 10.4

I had his brilliant idea leaving Daleville, that I'd only need to carry enough food to make it to Buchanan, VA., about 2 days away. I'm beginning to think this wasn't such a smart idea, because it's going to require some time AND a ride to get in and out of Buchanan. I should've carried 5 days worth of food, but I thought I'd be smart and travel lighter considering the heat and everything. I made a quick stop at Bobblets Gap shelter for water, which may be the last water I see for another 10 miles. As I was making the 0.2 mile climb out of Bobblets, I encountered a southbounder, and asked about the water situation up ahead. To which he responded, "I don't know what to tell you." I rephrased the question to make a general inquiry about the water situation within the next 5-10 miles and he really got huffy when he said again, "I don't know what to tell you." Just tell me if there's water or not. But, it was hot out, and he definitely looked thirsty, so instead of firing back with some smart-ass quip, I dropped the subject. This whole issue of water sort of dictates where I end up camping tonight. If there's water in 5 miles, I'll definitely stop. If there's not, then I'll have to push ahead three more miles, which messes with my resupply plan in Buchanan. It turned out I could get water from a rusty drainage pipe next to the road. And while I won't touch yellow water, I didn't have an issue pulling from a rusty pipe. Go figure.
Date: 2014-06-08
From: Bearwallow Gap

To: Big Meadows campground, central Shenandoah's
Miles today: 175.3

I've been neglecting to keep up with daily journal updates. In the interest of time, this update will cover the last 197 miles, to my present location. Still in Virginia. I've mentioned before that hiking in Virginia can be frustrating at times. It's hot, the bugs are crazy-thick, there are long stretches without water (two days ago it was 11 miles), and the south / central parts of Virginia didn't feature many views. That said, there are some places in Virginia that are worth the time and effort to see: Tinker Cliffs, McAfee Knob, and Grayson Highlands are places I'd like to see again someday. I spent a few days in Buena Vista, VA., for the 21st Annual Fiddlers Convention, taking place in a 250 acre park next to a shallow river. Sounded pretty good to me, and now I can say I've been to a fiddlers convention. I'd actually go back for subsequent conventions. It was very hot out that weekend, and there was a fair amount of time spent swimming in the river. After leaving Buena Vista, Red, Kelsey, and I made the executive decision to skip up to Waynesboro in order to start the Shenandoah's. As an added bonus, after we secured a ride to Waynesboro, I talked to SuperFeet, who told me they were already in Waynesboro. So we'd get to do the Shenandoah's with SuperFeet and Barnacles, which is sure to be fun. If we can scoot through the Shenandoah's in a reasonable time, we'll be back on track to reach Harpers Ferry before July 4th. On the topic of the Shenandoah's, hiking here has been good. The trail is in excellent condition, and mostly free of the typical trail hazards one is likely to find: rocks, rib roots, and big puddles of muddy water to name a few. Additionally, it's possible to bang out big miles in certain sections of the Shenandoah's. There are scenic spots along the AT in the Shenandoah's, but I think the real appeal to hiking the Shenandoah's is the abundance of wildlife. It's not uncommon to see several deer walk right past you on the trail on their way to a grazing spot, or water hole. I also saw a bear near Loft Mountain, though this sighting wasn't nearly as story-worthy as my first bear sighting. The rangers at the Loft Mountain station say there are a number of active bears in the area, including a 550 pounder who "thinks he owns the place." He probably does. Anyway, the one I saw was unsuccessfully trying to open a garbage can. Cute.I'm excited to be about finished with the Virginia section of the trail. This section spans ~550 miles, and though I can't say I've hiked every mile of it, I don't have an issue with leaving a bit of unfinished business here. Tomorrow I'm off to complete the roughly 80 mile section of trail out of Virginia, and into Harpers Ferry. On a side note, Salomon has agreed to replace my trail runners, which are falling apart. There might be 350 miles on them, and I was expecting to get at least 600 miles out of them. I sent them pictures of my shoes, and within a few days, they agreed to mail new shoes wherever I want. I had a good experience dealing with Salomon.
Date: 2014-06-03
To: Ready
Miles today: 0.0

I'm hoping to finish the last 700 miles of my great adventure by July, 2014. I started my hike at Springer Mountain on 3/24/13 with Tutu and Gracie. We hiked together until they had to head home to do normal life stuff. In July of 2013, I flipped from Harper's Ferry to Katahdin then headed south... back to Harper's Ferry. Did the 100 Mile Wilderness with Dr Evil and had the pleasure of navigating Mahoosuc Notch with Uno and Live Simply. I was feeling strong and able.... then I fell on wet rocks and herniated 2 discs. I managed to continue hiking through the White Mountains but had to toss in the towel when I got to Franconia Notch. It was hard to head home in order to heal after hiking 1,400 miles of the AT.    After lots of doctor visits, physical therapy, etc. I'm heading to Harper's Ferry on Saturday and hitting the trail again on Sunday. I love everything about backpacking.... well almost everything. I could do with less rain this year!
Date: 2014-06-04
To: Set
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Woo-hoo! Got my new MSR Hubba NX tent. Between the new tent and new sleeping bag, my pack will weigh 2 pounds less this year! Color me happy!!! My back says thanks. What a sweet husband I have. He is so supportive of my backpacking. As happy as I am to finish my AT adventure, I'll leave with mixed emotions. I'll be able to talk to my sweet husband on my cell phone most nights. My dog, Stella, not so much. Truth is, she doesn't talk much when I'm at home either! I sure will miss hugging her!
Date: 2014-06-05
To: Go
Miles today: 0.0

Just found out yesterday that my phone needs to be re-booted. The battery (and Mophie) is draining at the speed of light! As Sweet Brown would say "Ain't nobody got time for that!" Needless to say that will impact how often I can post updates and photos! I'll do my best to keep you updated. Adding photos from my phone hasn't worked for me yet but I hope to have that taken care of before I leave. I'm still tech challenged so bear with me.
Date: 2014-06-08
From: Harpers Ferry, W VA

To: Rocky Run Shelter
Miles today: 15.4
Weather: overcast clouds

Met lots of hikers today as I expected I would. My plan was to hike in the NOBO (northbound) bubble of thru hikers. So I met G-Bird and her boyfriend Simba and their friend Snail. Also met Freeman,Spot, Bluejay,Eastwood, Sky-eyes (with the moonshine), Scout and Left Turn at Rocky Run Shelter. Got photos of them so I remember who they are. All are NoBo.    Hike was easier than expected. It was like doing the Occoneechee Mt and the Eno River trails..... a couple of times each! I only wanted to hike 11 miles but ended up doing 15.4 because Crampton Gap Shelter was invaded by locals with a car camping tent pitched on the deck blocking the entry to the shelter. And they had their folding chairs with cup holders set up at the fire ring. No one was around when I arrived so I assumed they went to town to buy their beer since the shelter is so close to a road. Is that banjo music I hear? So I moved on. Got to Rocky Run shelter 15 minutes AFTER the rain started!   My milage plan is already shot. Now I have to rethink tomorrow and my resupply! AT Rule #1- be flexible! It thundered, lightening and poured most of the night. Glad to be in the shelter.
Date: 2014-06-09
From: Rocky Run Shelter

To: Ensign Cowall Shelter
Miles today: 15.7
Weather: overcast clouds

So happy to find that I can hike further than I expected.    I've been writing notes on my phone every day. I was planning on copying them and pasting them to this web journal. Unfortunately, I managed to accidentally ERASE them. Because I have to wait to get to town to do my posts, I had several days worth of journaling to post that I won't be able to share in detail. None the less, the adventure has been great so far. Met lots more hikers. And the thunder and rain didn't start until after I made it to the shelter.
Date: 2014-06-10
From: Ensign Cowall Shelter

To: Tumbling Run Shelter
Miles today: 18.1

You've heard the question,"If a tree falls in the woods, does it make a sound?" Well, I'm here to tell you IT DOES. As I was hiking along (no wind, no rain, not even a super strong critter) all of a sudden a tree the size of a telephone pole falls down across the trail in front of me! I'm here to tell you it makes a very loud sound as it slowly falls to the ground. I've been back packing in the woods for 30 years and that's never happened to me before! What a treat!!! Thankfully, it fell away from me instead of towards me. Wish I had a video of it.....
Date: 2014-06-11
From: Tumbling Run Shelter

To: Fayetteville,PA
Miles today: 9.6
Weather: overcast clouds

The weather is suppose to be fierce today and worse tomorrow. Thunder, lightening, wind and pouring rain! All day and night. And possible tornados. So I decided to hunker down in town. Not a fan of zero days (non hiking days). But being struck by lightening isn't my idea of a good time either! Last year, Tutu and I were caught in a sudden lightening storm on Jane Bald near Roan Mt. We had to duck under a pitiful rhododendron bush for protection. Not that it offered any protection or comfort. We were pelted by hail and the lightening and thunder were simultaneously present. We could practically touch the lightening bolt at one point. Way too close for comfort for me! Learned my lesson well.....avoid lightening!