morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2004-06-24
From: Daleville - EconoLodge

To: Daleville - EconoLodge
Miles today: 0.0

Econolodge Rm. 166Finish: Econolodge Rm. 166Miles: Zero DayWeather: Sunny & HotBreakfast: Kashi Cereal, DonutsLunch: Corn chowder, 12 chicken, Mac & Cheese, Spuds, Corn, Biscuit, MilkDinner: Alpine Aire Turkey Dinner, Hot Cocoa, FudgeroundTrail Conditions: N/AAnimals: DogPeople: W.A.D., Tippy, Mellow Mike, Superjew, Sleepy the Arab, Daddy-O, Little Engine, Icebreak, Goofy, townsfolkFor being in a comfy two person bed I didn¢t sleep near as well as I would have thought. Having not been in a real bed for over 40 days, I have grown very accustomed to sleeping on hard shelter floors. Crazy how that works I guess.I scarfed down the cereal given to me by Debbie and then proceed to eat a bowl of corn chowder. Lamby and I headed out on the town to run errands. We stopped by the outfitters and then raided the Kroger. We got a huge lunch at Kroger, which was a 1/2 chicken, mac & cheese, spuds, corn and a roll apiece. I am not sure what happened but the food just did not sit. Not a minute after I finished eating I had the urge to vomit. I ran to the bathroom across the store, as lunch made its way back up. I got to the can in the nick of time and soon found myself staring at everything I had just eaten. An unfortunate waste of food. I then had to go poop and got bad diarrhea. I felt so bad I had Lamby mail my stuff from the post office and I stumbled back to the motel. In route I crossed paths with Daddy-O and Little Engine.At the motel I started getting a headache. I took it easy all afternoon resting, icing my foot, and doing laundry. My stomach was acting crazy and I am sure I cracked the john with my severe case of flatulence.As the day progressed I began feeling better and I played some Frisbee. Goofy showed up in town and is crashing in our room tonight. I also met Icebreak as I walked to the gas station. For dinner I had the second turkey meal given to me by Women on the Verge. Thanks again. That meal stayed down which was a good thing. I called the folks, Justin, and Misty to see how things were with them. Yep, nothing to special today. Just a relaxing zero day. The tendon in my heel is still tender. I hope it is not too much of a problem over my next stretch of trail. We¢ll see. I also hope I don¢t get sick again. We¢ll see. Anyways, off to bed. Tomorrow I¢ll be done with 1/3 of the trail. Yipee.One Year Reflection
Date: 2004-06-25
From: Daleville - EconoLodge

To: Wilson Creek Shleter
Miles today: 11.2
Weather: moderate rain

Daleville EconoLodge @ 1128Finish: Wilson Creek Shelter @ 1604Miles: 11.2Weather: Humid and Rainy all dayBreakfast: Donuts, apple and PBLunch: Snickers, Jolly RanchersDinner: Turkey Trail Dinner, Fudgeround, SnickersTrail Conditions: Up & down. Reminded me of NCAnimals: Huge Beetle, Dog, Deer, Fawn, Lizard, TurtlePeople: EconoLodge janitor lady, Jacob, Lamby, Goofy, Superstition, Utah, Craig & Brother, Daddy-O, Little Engine, Sleepy the ArabI got used to the feeling of a soft bed again and slept really well last night. The four of us got up shortly after 8:00 and couldn¢t help but notice the rain that was falling outside. Murphy¢s Law I guess, sunny on your zero and rainy when you gotta walk. I took full advantage of the nutritious breakfast provided by the EconoLodge - donuts & hot cocoa - and finished packing my gear. The cleaning lady came by our room, real nice and all, and proceeded to tell us why we needed Marines in our schools to discipline our children and protect the teachers. Interesting to say the least¢¦Little Engine wanted to know if we wanted to go to Roanoke to see Fahrenheit 911. We all passed on the offer. As I left I stopped by and shot the breeze with her and Daddy-O, and they gave me a bunch of Jolly Ranchers for the trail. Yummy, hard candy.I hit the trail and my Achilles felt really good. I made a point of really icing it and resting it on my zero. I hope the pain free walking continues. I made great time, comfortably walking between 2.5 and 3 miles per hour. I rolled into the first shelter and chatted with Superstition, and two brothers that are thru-hiking. After about a 30-minute break I continued on. It started raining again, which was actually a nice relief to the humid conditions. I hiked for the first time without my shirt on. It was much cooler, and kept one more piece of clothing dry. I¢ll probably keep hiking this summer without a shirt.I got to Wilson Creek and ran into Utah and his dog ¢Mountain Goat¢. He picked his dog up in Pearisburg. Utah and the two brothers are pushing on to the next shelter. It¢s really raining hard out now. Jacob just rolled in and advised Lamby and Smack are in route and that Mickey & Mallory will be staying at the first shelter out of town.I just finished a big dinner. It is continuing to pour outside. I am glad I am dry. Time to call it a night.One Year Reflection
Date: 2004-06-26
From: Wilson Creek Shleter

To: Bryant Ridge Shelter
Miles today: 20.6
Weather: overcast clouds

Start: Wilson Creek Shelter @ 0845Finish: Bryant Ridge Shelter @ 1753Miles: 20.6Weather: Overcast morning, sunny afternoon w/ breeze and cool tempsBreakfast: Chocolate Poptarts, Vanilla CIBLunch: Fritos, Brownie, Pepsi, Snickers, Jolly RanchersDinner: Mountain House Chicken ala king, FudgeroundTrail Conditions: Up, Down, Up, DownAnimals: Box Turtle, Lizards, Butterfly, BirdsPeople: Jacob, Trip, Lamby, Smack, Dayhikers, Mountain Bikers, Shoe & Betty, Millipede, Goofy, 2 biker guys and gal, Craig & GarthIt rained steadily all last night and finally let up around 0300. I¢m not sure what the deal was, but I slept with one eye open all night so I was quite tired come morning.Considering that I am now 1/3 of the way done with the trail, I figured I should leave a donation to the trail ¢ after all, you have to give a little to get a little. My contribution was a toilet brush for the privy and a sign saying ¢Have you cleaned your privy today?¢ Everyone I was with got a good kick out of it. A Privy ContributionWe crossed the Blueridge Parkway quite a few times today. At the final gap before Bobblets Shelter, Shoe and his wife were hanging out with trail magic. It was great. I snacked on some brownies and a pop, iced my Achilles (which was hurting again) and got a bag of Fritos for the road. Thanks Shoe & Betty!Pressing on I ran into three motorcyclists at another road crossing several miles later. They were real nice folks and weren¢t familiar with the AT. We shot the breeze for the better part of an hour and I told them all about the trail.Today turned into a great day for hiking. Sunny, cool, and breezy. However water was in short supply along this stretch. At Cove Mountain Shelter I stopped for a quick bite to eat and nearly puked up my Snickers and last bit of water (I was able to hold it down). I was not feeling good. Enroute to my final destination I stopped at Jennings Creek, soaked my foot, and tried to rehydrate. On the last climb of the day I nearly passed out. I got very dizzy, my legs gave out, and I began hallucinating. I rested momentarily and kept pushing on. I was seeing all sorts of weird stuff. Trees looked like people, bushes like houses and cars. Occasionally the ground below me would just spin. I stumbled into Bryant Ridge Shelter, sat down, and just blanked out.I cooked up some Mountain House and pushed the fluids. So far everything has stayed down and I feel a bit better. Tomorrow will be a short day, and if I continue to feel sick I will be paying a visit to the Doctor in the next town.One Year Reflection
Date: 2004-06-27
From: Bryant Ridge Shelter

To: Thunder Hill Shelter
Miles today: 10.3
Weather: overcast clouds

Start : Bryant Ridge Shelter @1021Finish: Thunder Hill Shelter@1505Weather: Sunny and cool temps.Breakfast: French toast oatmeal, strawberry CIB.Lunch: Snickers. Dinner: Bacon cheeseburger hamburger helper, fudge round.Trail Conditions: Up hill.Animals: People: Rawhide, O-Day, Mirth, Jacob, Flash, Heidi.Holy balls, last night was cold! I¢m sure it dropped below 50 degrees because I could see my own breath. I spent most of the night shivering. I had planned on only doing a short day considering my poor health so I got a rather late start.I took it slow and steady to Cornelius Creek Shelter, going up 2,000 feet over 5 miles. It was an uneventful walk more or less. My Achilles ached a bit, but it went away after some hiking. I was surprised to see an older register with an entry from Officer Taco and the Soul Mates. I enjoyed reading their comments. Jacob was hiking behind me in the event I got sick. He pressed on to the final destination first.The hike to Thunder Hill was more uphill, in a State that is supposed to be flat. I saw two baby rattlesnakes and a deer. I also passed an FM radar tower. The Guillotine was also on today¢s stretch of trail. I have seen many pictures of this landmark, so it was fun to finally pass under. It¢s on of three naturally placed rocks I¢ll pass under along the trail. The first was at Fat Man¢s Squeeze and the third will be at the Mahoosie Notch.I rolled into the shelter early and there were two section hikers there already. Jacob showed up followed by three other thrus that have been doing some big miles.It has been a quite and relaxing afternoon. We¢ve all been shooting the breeze and having a fun time. O-Day had relatives that live in Hamilton and worked with a gal from my high school down in South Carolina. The section hikers have also been to Holland. For being the small conservative town Holland is I have encountered many people along the trail that have heard of the city or have been there.O-Day played some folk tunes on a guitar tonight and we all sat around talking and farting. Mickey & Mallory, Lamby, Smack might be showing up tonight, but who knows. I¢m off to bed now. I am pretty sure I¢ll be pulling a 25 miler tomorrow.
Date: 2004-06-28
From: Thunder Hill Shelter

To: Johns Hollow Shelter
Miles today: 16.3
Weather: overcast clouds

Start : Thunder Hill Shelter @0957Finish: Johns Hollow Shelter@2200Weather: Sunny & hot.Breakfast: Cinnamon roll oatmeal, chocolate CIB.Lunch: Chicken quesdilla, Twix, Snickers. Dinner: 12¢ ham & cheese sub, Klondike Oreo bar.Trail Conditions: Down hill.Animals: Butterflys, deer, squirrel. People: Smack, Lamby, Jacob, Scorch, Mountaingoat, Sunshine, Mellow Mike, Superjaw, Flash, Heidi, O-Day, Mirth, Rawhide, Millipede, Dot, Don, Mike, Eric.It was another cold night, however, I was far warmer as four of us were squeezed together on one side of a six person shelter. I didn¢t sleep for a rip and got about three hours of shut-eye. A lady across the shelter was snoring and sounded just Chewbacca. I swear we had a Wookie in the shelter.The whole camp was rolling around 0700 and as usual the topic of conversation revolved around farting, AYCEs, and lack of women¢¦.and the occasional belch was let out. It was a fun morning. Jacob, Smack, Lamby and I all hiked together. We stopped at Marble Spring for about an hour and cooked up lunch and threw the Frisbee for a bit. We had just hiked down the backside of the world famous (not so much) High Cock Knob. Needless to say we had a variety of dirty lines somehow relating to the mountain.After lunch we pressed on to the James River. We stopped briefly at Matt¢s Creek Shelter, regrouped and pressed on to the longest foot bridge on the AT. The James River footbridge is a converted railroad bridge. Smack and I chose to walk the bridge, while Jacob and Lamby swam across the river about 500 yards. I wanted to swim to, but being the best swimmer of the group I held off in the event I had to play lifeguard. But they made it.We decided to go into Glasgow for a re-supply. After damn near an hour and a minor hunger based temper tantrum by me, we finally got a ride into town from a lady named Dot who is a graphic artist. Thanks Dot! Glasgow is a bizarre little town with all these dinosaur statues. It was quite funny. We ate at the ¢Mom & Pop¢ restaurant, got groceries at the Food Mart and chatted with Mellow Mike and Superjaw, who will be leaving the trail in Waynesboro. Around 8:30 PM we were ready to get out of town. Fortunately we were able to get a hitch quickly from a guy named Don who was super hiker friendly and owned a motel in town that used to cater to many hikers. Thanks Don!We night hiked to Johns Hollow Shelter and set up shop for the night. The bugs were terrible and there were thousands of no-see-ums. Any who, that was the day.Also big props to Mike and Eric for buying us a two liter Coke, OCP¢s, and candy bars with the money they won from a scratch-off instant lotto ticket. These kids at 16 and 17, and we were really impressed with their kindness. Mike & Eric thanks a lot. Always remember that one good deed deserves another.
Date: 2004-06-29
From: Johns Hollow Shelter

To: Brown Mountain Creek Shelter
Miles today: 17.9
Weather: clear sky

Start : Johns Hollow Shelter @1021Finish: Brown Mountain Creek Shelter@1730Weather: Sunny & warm. Good breeze.Breakfast: PB on hamburger bun.Lunch: Snickers, trailmix, dried peaches. Dinner: Tuna parmesan, fudge round, OCD, salad, chicken salad sandwich, Pepsi.Trail Conditions: Steep climbs first half, down hill and level second half.Animals: Lizards, chipmunk, butterflys, deer, dogs, birds. People: Day hikers, Hannah, Smack, Jacob, Lamby, Flash, Heidi, Millipede, Sunshine, Superstition, Sarafin, Liteweight Joe, Sleepy the Arrow.The bugs at last nights shelter were the worst so far along the trail! We were all literally eaten alive. There was no defense against the bloodthirsty no-see-ems. Alas, it was another sleepless night. I wanted to get out early today, but it just didn¢t happen. I got organized, watched Smack & Lamby get frisky with each other, and dried out my gear in the morning sun.The flat AT thru Virginia led me up a 2,500 foot climb in the first few miles. There were great views and rocky outcroppings that made the climb well worth the effort. More or less the first 8 miles today were all uphill. There was a memorial to a four-year-old boy, who back in the 1800¢s, wandered off from home and died atop the mountain. Bummer. I rolled into Punch Bowl Shelter and chilled for about thirty minutes. I dropped off a new register for the shelter, I hope it gets sent back to me when it¢s full.The last nine miles of the day were down hill or on level terrain so I did make fast time. I went pass the Lynchburg reservoir, which was a cool dam. The trail was not blazed at all thru the reservoir area and there was signs everywhere saying ¢No Trespassing¢. An employee directed us where to go. I hammered out the final two minutes in about 30 minutes. When I rolled into the shelter Flash and Hot Flash (game 1987) were there with chicken salad sandwiches, salad, cookies, and Pepsi. It was a truly wonderful and unexpected end to the day. Thanks so much! I cooked up my grub and shot the breeze with Jacob, Hannah and Superstition.Around 8:00Pm Sarafin showed up from town toting cookies, candy and pop! Awesome and more unexpected trail magic. Several more late arrivals just came in so the shelter will be full after all. The bugs aren¢t too bad here, so after two near sleepless nights I am hoping for some good rest. I¢ll let you know in the morning.
Date: 2004-06-30
From: Brown Mountain Creek Shelter

To: Fish Hatchery Road - Dutch Haus Hostel
Miles today: 18.1

Start : Brown Mountain Creek Shelter @0752Finish: Fish Hatchery Road - Dutch House Hostel@1456Weather: Sunny & warm.Breakfast: Chocolate CIB, Peaches & cream oatmeal.Lunch: Twix, Snickers, trailmix, dried peaches. Dinner: Spaghetti, 2 OCD, , trailmix.Trail Conditions: Steep climbs, meadows, flat towards end of day.Animals: Deer, squirrel, birds, cat. People: Hannah, Sardine, Jacob, Liteweight Joe, Loon, Smokestack, Swedish, Millipede, Lois & Earl, Piney, Inchworm.Another buggy night, and about 5 hours of sleep. I woke about 0330 and rolled out of the sack about 0630. I snacked on some of Sarafin¢s Famous Amos cookies. The no-see-em¢s were so bad I put on my long underwear to protect myself. After fixing up some breakfast, I got back in my shorts, quickly packed up, and got moving for the day.The first chore of the day was the 2,700 foot climb. Folks, Virginia is not flat (I¢ll write more about that later). There were several splendid views from the top of the mountain and I made it a point to enjoy them. The day quickly heated up and I was sweating buckets.After the morning climb the terrain leveled out, minus the occasional several hundred-foot PUD¢s. I reached Salt Log Gap and took a good breather. I looked at my guidebook and realized I crossed the 800-mile mark! While hanging out, Inch Worm showed up. She was being slack packed by a local named Piney, who just happen to have a can of Pepsi for me. It tasted great, thanks. In route to Seeley-Woodworth Shelter I caught up with Loon. He is on his fifth hike of the AT and has also completed the PCT. He is a retired professor so we shot the breeze about academia.The rumor mill had really been grinding about the Dutch Haus in Montibello. I decided I should pay it a visit as hostel stops are always fun. Loon had arranged a ride at 3:30PM at Fish Hatching Road. We got to the trailhead plenty early, and Earl shuttled us to the house. It is located in a great setting and Earl and Lois do a wonderful job taking care of hikers. I enjoyed a nice shower, and they washed my laundry. They also provided bathrobes to wear while the clothes were being washed. I spent the afternoon in a stylish purple felt robe about two sizes small for me. I looked so funny in it, so I modeled for all the hikers.It was a good day of hiking. I put out my miles very quickly and have had a wonderfully relaxing afternoon with good company. Off to bed now. I am looking forward to a great breakfast.
Date: 2004-07-01
From: Fish Hatchery Road

To: Maupin Field Shelter
Miles today: 18.2
Weather: broken clouds

Tye River BridgeStart: Fish Hatchery Road @ 0920Finish: Maupin Field Shelter @ 1918Miles: 18.2Weather: Overcast, Humid & Hot, ThunderstormBreakfast: Banana, Kiwi, Sausage, Strawberry Shortcake, Honey Nut ChexLunch: Snickers, Twix, Honey Roasted PeanutsDinner: Velveeta Shells & Cheese, FudgeroundTrail Conditions: Steep! RockyAnimals: Deer, Butterfly, SquirrelPeople: Millipede, Smokestack, Earl, Lamby, Sardine, Flash & HeidiAfter a great night of bugless sleep, I reluctantly started my day. There was a lot of hustle and bustle in the Haus as everyone packed up and Earl & Lois arranged a slew of hiker shuttles. Lois prepared a fantastic breakfast that I wish I could have had 10 more servings of. Earl drove us back to the trailhead and I kicked off the day with a nice view from Spy Rock, and short climb up the backside of the Priest.The decent was over 3,000 feet down into the Tye River. It was probably the steepest down since Georgia¢s Blood Mountain. I nearly blew out my knee on a rocky portion. My left leg slipped on a rock and my knee twisted left and I could feel all my muscles, tendons, and ligaments stretch and creak painfully. I was able to walk it off but it was too close a call.I spent about 45 minutes at the Tye River listening to the water and reciting Natalie Merchant¢s great song ¢Where I go¢. I crossed my second suspension bridge of the trail. They are very cool to cross and I am impressed by their construction. Tye River BridgeVirginia, the flat State that it is, then lead me uphill another 3,000 feet. I stopped at Harpers Creek Shelter for a quick break and chatted with Heidi & Flash. Although not the best shelter, it was by far one of the coolest locations.I then pushed up the final 2,000 feet up three ridges. It was definitely hard hiking. There was a rock scramble, and the trail was so steep, it reminded me of a lot of Mt. Albert. As I ascended the mountain I began hearing loud thunder to my right. Fortunately the storm never crested the ridge. However, in the valley and town below hail fell, several inches of rain came down and a small tornado popped up with other high winds blowing over trees.I rolled into Maupin Shelter, and there was rain there earlier in the day. Only Smokestack and Millipede were at the shelter, so I spent the night with them bug free.One Year Reflection
Date: 2004-07-02
From: Maupin Field Shelter

To: Rockfish Gap ÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ Quality Inn, Waynesboro
Miles today: 21.1
Weather: scattered clouds

View from Cedar CliffStart: Maupin Field Shelter @ 0742Finish: Rockfish Gap ¢ Quality Inn Waynesboro Rm 136 @ 1620Miles: 21.1Weather: Hot & HumidBreakfast: Chocolate CIB, Strawberry PoptartsLunch: PB on Hamburger Buns, Snickers, WhatchamacallitDinner: Lipton Rice Sides Broccoli & Cheddar, Mountain House Beef StewTrail Conditions: Rocky!<Animals: Deer, Rabbit, SquirrelPeople: Judd, Section-Hikers, Smokestack, Millipede, Little Engine, JohnA light rain fell last night and a low cloud drifted through camp this morning dampening the air. I rose early and got a good jump on the day. It was quite overcast this morning so I figured we would probably see rain, however, the sun soon burned off the clouds and things really heated up.I crossed the Blueridge Parkway (BRP), for what seemed like the 103rd time, early on and began my assault on Humpback Mountain. The climb was not bad at all and offered some great views from Cedar Cliffs. Nearing the summit was a huge 30-foot boulder pile called the ¢Stairway to Heaven¢. It was a blast to climb up and over. I walked a bit with an older dayhiker named Judd. He was a real nice fellow and we had good conversation. "Stairway to Heaven" Atop Humpback I missed a sign and led myself to believe that I covered 16 miles already, when in fact I had only gone 9. Consequently, I was expecting to be at the gap in 5.6 miles and was quite dismayed when I ran into the shelter and learned I still had 5 to go. Oh well.It was very hot and once again I probably sweated off about 5 gallons of water. I made it a point to push fluids but was still dehydrated. It looks like with all this heat I¢ll be drinking more along the lines of 8 liters per day.I met up with Millipede at the Rock Fish Gap Visitors Center. He had contacted a local named John who gives free rides into Waynesboro for hikers. John drove us in, took us to the Post Office, and drove us around town to show us where things were. Thanks John!Millipede and I are sharing a room at the Quality Inn motel. It is a very nice motel and located near the services we need. A lot of other hikers are rolling into the motel and campground at the YMCA. There is also a large pack hanging out at Rusty¢s for the 4th of July. Although I want to hit Rusty¢s for the 4th I also want to get to Harpers and go home for a few days.Tomorrow I¢ll be zeroing and catch up on my hiker chores and enjoy some air conditioning.One Year Reflection