morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2012-05-06
From: Iron Mountain Shelter

To: North of Abingdon Gap Sheltet
Miles today: 18.4

May 6North of Abingdon Gap Shelter18.4 milesThe weather cleared up nicely after the rain last night. Everyone was keen to get going, so the shelter was almost empugty when I hit the trail at 7:30. The sun was out for most of the day - what a change from yesterday's rain.The trail had no significant climbs or descents today; it was fairly flat with occasional rises and dips. So, flat trail combined with lovely weather made for a good day to get in some mileage towards Damascus.Early in the hike, several miles from the nearest road, the trail passed a tombstone and rough rock monument for Uncle Nick Grindstaff, born 1851, died 1923, "lived alone, suffered alone, died alone". There was no other information to fill out the story. Tomorrow, fairly early, I should hit the next state line. I will have finished 3 states: Georgia, North Carolina and Tenessee, and will enter Virginia. Virginia has the most AT mileage of any state, roughly 550 miles, so I will be hiking Virginia for over a month. I am excited to be finally reaching Virginia.
Date: 2012-05-07
From: North of Abingdon Gap Sheltet

To: Damascus, Virginia
Miles today: 7.7
Weather: few clouds

May 7Damascus, Virginia7.7 milesA town stop beaconed, so I got off to an early start - on the trail at 7:30. Although a strong wind blew for much of the night, it soon died down, leaving a beautiful sunny morning for hiking.After a few miles, I arrived at today's major milestone, the Tennessee-Virginia border. I took the requisite photos and was quickly on down the trail to Damascus. The morning's hike was easy, mostly downhill and relatively short. So, I was in town by mid-morning and settled into the Hiker's Inn.I spent much of the rest of the day re-supplying and doing other chores. Once again, I walked almost as much around town as I did on the trail.At the Inn, I checked my weight on an accurate scale. So far, I have lost 18 pounds in roughly 6 weeks. I am down to my university student weight! While I could easily afford to lose those pounds, I certainly can't afford to continue maintaining such a deficit between calories taken in and energy expended on the trail. Unfortunately, it can be difficult to carry and eat enough food to maintain a balance while hiking. So, I will need to stock up on calory-rich food and to eat as much as possible while in town. Otherwise, I could fade away to nothing.
Date: 2012-05-09
From: Damascus, Virginia

To: Lost Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 15.8
Weather: moderate rain

May 9Lost Mountain Shelter15.8 milesI left Damascus with my pack loaded with fresh supplies. As well, I was wearing new hiking boots, as I replaced my original boots which were starting to fall apart. The sky was cloudy - the forecast was a 50% chance of rain. As it turned out, that was optimistic. It soon started to rain, which kept up for most of the day. Fortunately, it was warm enough for comfortable hiking.The hike was uneventful, no major climbs or descents and, of course, no views due to the rain. The trail did not rise above 3,500 feet; however, tomorrow will take me back above 5,000 feet. There were some nice sections of trail along a small river. As well, there was a short section of the hike along an old railroad bed which has been converted to a hiking/biking trail - the Virginia Creeper Trail.I am now relaxing in my sleeping bag in the shelter - supper is over, dishes washed, chores completed. The rain has stopped and the sky has brightened - promising better weather for tomorrow.
Date: 2012-05-10
From: Lost Mountain Shelter

To: Wise Shelter
Miles today: 17.3
Weather: overcast clouds

May 10Wise Shelter17.3 milesThe rain stopped overnight; however the day started with thick, low clouds. I soon started hiking a long 2,000 foot ascent up Whitetop Mtn, and climbed into the cloud and mist - back above 5,000 feet elevation again. The top of the mountain was clear of trees and would have provided great views, if I had been able to see more than 30 feet into the mist. We then dropped into a gap and the clouds began to clear. By late morning, the sun had broken through, in time for our next climb, 1,000 feet up Mt Rogers. We were soon above the trees, for a long set of balds, which lasted for the rest of the day. There were great views all around, although much of the trail was challenging - rocky and muddy. This was one of the most scenic sections of the AT so far.This area is the home of several herds of wild ponies. We passed through one herd which was grazing around the trail on Mt Rogers. There were about a dozen ponies, including four young colts. The younger ponies were not shy and came right up to us to lick the salt from our hands and clothes. It was quite an experience, although we kept in mind that these were wild animals and potentially could injure us if spooked.There are only 3 of us at the shelter tonight (as of 8:00 pm), the first night I have been in a shelter that was not full. Finally, I reached another milestone today - 500 miles hiked on the trail.
Date: 2012-05-11
From: Wise Shelter

To: Trimpi Shelter
Miles today: 20.0
Weather: clear sky

May 11Trimpi Shelter20.0 milesIt was a cold night; there was frost on the trail this morning. However, the sky was clear - not a cloud all day. The morning was cool, perfect for hiking, while the afternoon warmed up to complete a lovely day.The first few miles continued over treeless balds, with great views and more wild ponies. A sign along the trail indicated that the ponies had been introduced in order to graze the balds and keep them clear. It certainly adds to the enjoyment of this section of the trail.We met a ridge-runner just before lunch and hiked with him to a nearby shelter for our break. (A ridge-runner is like a ranger for the AT. He helps keep the shelters clean and in good order and provides advice and assistance to the hikers.) It was the same ridge-runner that I met on my first day on the trail at Springer Mtn - Jonathan. He will be moving to Baxter State Park (the end of the AT) in July, so I might see him again at the finish.The trail was relatively easy today (by AT standards), so I hiked 20 miles with Plantman. However, by the end, my legs were quite tired. Fortunately, tomorrow is a short day as I will stop in town to resupply.
Date: 2012-05-12
From: Trimpi Shelter

To: Marion, VA
Miles today: 10.7
Weather: clear sky

May 12Marion, VA10.7 milesOnce more, I was up early for a short hike to a town re-supply stop and on the trail by 7:30. It was another nice morning for hiking and a generally easy 10 miles of hiking. There were no significant ascents or descents; however, I hiked at an easy pace to rest my legs after 2 long days of hiking.The day's 10 miles ended at the Partnership Shelter, which features an on-site shower and a nearby telephone from which take-out food can be ordered into the shelter. However, my plans were to re-supply and spend the night in town.There is usually a shuttle into town (only 6 miles); however, it was not running on the weekend. I guess we are not expected to be hiking on a weekend. Fortunately, a section hiker (Rocky) was driving into town and I was able to get a lift. He had parked his van in the parking lot for the state park, had gone for a day hike and then returned to find the parking lot chained shut for the weekend! A couple of phone calls later, the lot was unlocked and he was able to get out and drive me into town.Other than re-supplying, I have spent most of my town time eating - trying to keep my weight up. I may have trouble waddling onto the trail tomorrow! Fortunately, I have another relatively short day tomorrow, as I am sharing an inexpensive room with Plantman at the next highway intersection, only 11 miles down the trail.
Date: 2012-05-13
From: Marion, VA

To: Relax Inn, I-85
Miles today: 11.5
Weather: broken clouds

May 13Relax Inn, I-8111.5 milesI set off for a relatively easy 11 mile hike with a heavy pack after re-supplying food and other necessities. Rocky provided me with a lift back to the trail, which was a huge help as the shuttle was still not running. It is the many acts of kindness by people like Rocky that really help make the trail such a wonderful experience.Today was Yellow Wildflower Day on the trail. There were 4 or 5 different kinds of yellow wildflowers along the trail, including stands of thousands of buttercups. The morning was cloudy and cool, so quite good for hiking. Rain threatened after mid- morning; however, despite occasional spitting rain, I made it to my stop in early afternoon with dry clothes. More rain is forecast over the next few days, but mostly showers and thunderstorms.Tonight, I am sharing a cheap motel room with Plantman, as I wanted another easy day of hiking - and a roof over my head in case of rain tonight. It will be back to the 'real' hiking tomorrow.And, of course, Happy Mother's Day to my Mom - thank you for all of your love and suport!
Date: 2012-05-14
From: Relax Inn, I-85

To: Knot Maul Shelter
Miles today: 13.9
Weather: light rain

May 14Knot Maul Shelter13.9 milesRain was falling steadily under dreary skies when we left the motel this morning. So, we stopped at a truck stop for coffee before we hit the trail. Eventually, we couldn't put it off any longer and set off.We hiked through wet forest all morning, prepared for all day rain. UHowever, the skies cleared around noon, contrary to the day's forecast, and we enjoyed very pleasant hiking under mixed sun and cloud for the rest of the day. The unexpectedly good afternoon weather was today's trail magic!There were a number of short climbs today and a moderate 1,000 foot climb, but only the final climb was steep. We also passed over 8 or 10 styles today - 4 or 5 rung ladders which go up over one side of a fence and down the other, usually to allow hikers passage while preventing livestock from escaping. They are not often very difficult, although we passed one hiker with a large heavy pack who was having a difficult time getting over them - although she and her friend eventually made it to the shelter for the night.The coming weekend is 'Trail Days' in Damascus. This is an AT festival which is expected to attract between 10,000 and 30,000 people to a town of 1,000 which has no motels and perhaps 10 hiker hostels and inns. It is hard to imagine how the town copes with this crowd. (There are stories that the local police use this opportunity to fill the town coffers by ticketing participants for various offenses.) Many through-hikers will hitchhike back for the party. However, this is not really my cup of tea, so I will continue down a temporarily less crowded trail.Finally, today's milestone: in the rain this morning, we passed the 25% completed point!
Date: 2012-05-15
From: Knot Maul Shelter

To: Jenkins Shelter
Miles today: 19.1
Weather: overcast clouds

May 15Jenkins Shelter19.1 milesThere were thundershowers much of last night; however, I was snug in my sleeping bag in the shelter. We got away early, 7:15 am, under cloudy skies. Luck was with us once more and we got through the day without any more rain.We had a short but steep climb and a long 2,000 foot climb for our morning efforts. Lunch was in quite a nice stone shelter at the end of our long climb, at 4,409 feet. I seem to always go past the nicest shelters in the middle of the day.The afternoon was easier, including a ridge walk for 4 miles. There weren't many good views, but the trail itself was quite nice.I have 55 trail miles to cover by Saturday noon, as I have to get to the Pearisburg post office before it closes on Saturday. Otherwise I will have to wait for it to re-open on Monday to pick up a Care package from home and my bounce box. So, I am hoping for good weather and easy trails.
Date: 2012-05-16
From: Jenkins Shelter

To: Brushy Mountain
Miles today: 22.1

May 16Brushy Mountain22.1 milesWe were up early again, on the trail by 7:20. It looked like a good day to make some miles. The weather was good, mixed sun and cloud, and the trail looked relatively easy. There were only a few short climbs and some flat ridges on the trail profile.After a short warm-up climb, we hiked along a flat section of foot friendly trail - no rocks! That set the tone for most of the day, a few ascents and descents, but lots of relatively flat ridges. We reached a shelter after 14 miles by 1:00 pm for lunch, which was quite good progress. We celebrated with a long lunch, not getting back on the trail until 2:30. Finally, just around supper time, we set up a camp on a ridge with a pleasant breeze. Even though the trail was relatively easy, 22 miles still made for a long day.After supper, I was washing my pot a short ways from the campsite, when a deer came out of the forest about 30 feet away from me. The deer seemed quite unconcerned as I washed up and brushed my teeth. It remained near, browsing the undergrowth for 10 - 15 minutes, before wandering off.And now it is off to my sleeping bag for an early night's sleep.
Date: 2012-05-17
From: Brushy Mountain

To: Near Sugar Run Gap
Miles today: 21.5

May 17Near Sugar Run Gap21.5 milesIt was another good day for hiking, cloud and sun through the day. The morning trail had a few short ups and downs, with fairly long flat stretches in between. There were quite a few streams crossing and parallelling the trail, including Dismal Creek, which was anything but dismal.We arrived at a shelter around 2:30 for a late lunch and then set off for the day's challenge - a steep 1,300 foot climb over about a mile and a half of trail. At least we got a good view from the top this time.I was planning to stop for the day a couple of miles further down the trail. However, the water source indicated in the trail guide did not exist, so I had to push on for several more miles until I could fill my water bottles for the evening. I set up camp with dark clouds and thunder all around, but was able to cook, eat and finish all of my chores without any rain. I am now relaxing in my tent, with sone light rain falling. With any luck, it will clear up for my modest 11 mile hike into town tomorrow for re-supply and rest.
Date: 2012-05-18
From: Near Sugar Run Gap

To: Pearisburg, VA
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: overcast clouds

May 18Pearisburg, VA11.0 milesIt was a great hiking day today:- after thunderstorms last night, the morning was perfect for hiking, mixed sun and cloud with cool temperatures;- the trail was fairly benign, mostly flat or downhill, and not too rocky (although the last 1 3/4 miles of trail was a steep 2,000 foot descent into town);- there were several great views for the day, including a view of Pearisburg from an open cliff face 2,000 feet above and another good view from Angel's Rest Rock;- there was trail magic: cold beer and pop left on the trail (even though it was Bud Light, it was appreciated!);- Pearisburg is right on the trail, no need for a shuttle or lift into town; and- the motel manager drove me to WalMart on the other side of town and back, so that I could pick up some supplies not readily obtained near the motel.And, most important of all, I picked up my Care package from home at the post office: home-made muffins and cookies, snacks for the trail, freeze-dried trail food, new socks, letters from home, etc. Many thanks to my Mother and my brothers James and Peter who all contributed!!This afternoon, I am doing town chores (post office, laundry, supplies, shower, etc.), so that I can spent most of tomorrow relaxing. There were some fairly long hiking days in the last week, so my legs need a rest. It will be back on the trail Sunday.Metric Milestone: I have completed 1,000 kilometres of the AT.
Date: 2012-05-20
From: Pearisburg, VA

To: Pine Swamp Branch Shelter
Miles today: 19.3
Weather: scattered clouds

May 20Pine Swamp Branch Shelter19.3 milesThe hills were covered in mist when we left town; however, the mist soon burned off, leaving a cool, sunny morning. We hiked through the outskirts of town, along a couple of roads and past a large industrial plant. After a few miles, we hit the day's main climb, 1,600 feet up to a ridge which promised a good day of hiking. We hiked along the ridge, enjoying several great views of the valleys on either side. We eventually reached a shelter beside a large meadow with a great view for lunch.The afternoon was warm, but with an occasional cooling breeze, as we continued along the ridge. The ridge was mostly good hiking with a few shorter ups and downs. We had hoped to stop at a campsite along the ridge, but we could find no water along the way. So, we pushed on the the next shelter, which required a 1,400 foot descent off of the ridge - fortunately, with lots of switchbacks to flatten the drop somewhat.Today's wildlife viewing featured 2 snakes. I was walking along, not really paying much attention to the trail, when something moved almost from under my foot. It was a large Black snake, about 5 feet long and perhaps 2 inches thick - a very beautiful animal. It slithered a few feet off the trail and then posed very accommodatingly for photos. A short while later, I once again almost stepped on a small, unidentified snake, which quickly disappeared into the brush. These are the first snakes I have seen on my trip, but I hope to see more as the weather warms.
Date: 2012-05-21
From: Pine Swamp Branch Shelter

To: Johns Creek Campsite
Miles today: 13.6

May 21Johns Creek Campsite13.6 milesWe set off on another lovely cool morning, following a large creek for several miles until we arrived at our big climb for the day, 1,300 feet up to a ridge leading to Lone Pine Peak. The ridge was fairly flat for about 6 miles, but the first few miles were quite rocky and hard on the feet. As well, when the trail is quite rough, you must constantly be looking down at your feet, to avoid tripping, so see little of your surroundings.We stopped for lunch at Wind Rock, which provided a panoramic view of the valley and ridge to the west - a great lunch stop. The afternoon's trail led to a steep drop of 2,000 feet, past another shelter, to a campsite beside Johns Creek. We set up our tents and were then driven inside by thundershowers. The showers passed after about 1/2 hour, leaving us plenty of time for dinner and chores. We also had a roaring campfire to send us off to bed.
Date: 2012-05-22
From: Johns Creek Campsite

To: Niday Shelter
Miles today: 17.3
Weather: broken clouds

May 22Niday Shelter17.3 milesToday was a tale of two very different halves.The morning was very nice, cloudy but warm. As soon as we left our campsite, we were faced with a steep 1,700 foot climb over 2 miles, up Johns Creek Mountain. That was followed by a rocky ridge walk, past Kelly Knob, and then a steep descent back to the elevation that we started at. Late morning continued with a very pleasant walk through fields and meadows. On the way we saw a large turtle on the trail - moving almost as fast as we were. As well, we passed Keffer Oak, the second largest oak on the AT, with a diameter of nearly 6 feet.The afternoon started with another steep climb, 1,400 feet, up to Sinking Creek Mountain. About half way up this climb, dark clouds rolled in, bringing rain for the rest of the afternoon. We were warm enough as long as we kept moving, so we ate lunch on the fly. After we finished the climb, there was a 5 mile section of difficult ridge walking over large slabs of rock, now quite slippery due to the rain. There were quite a few views from the ridge; however these views were largely obscured by the rain and clouds. From what we could see, the valleys on either side of the ridge were getting much nicer weather than we were.The day finished with a final steep descent to Niday Shelter, where we gratefully dropped our packs and set up for the night. Plantman and I are sharing the shelter with 3 young through-hikers, who are playing Scrabble on a full-sized set that they are carrying. The rain has now largely let up, so we are hoping for a sunny day tomorrow to dry out all of our gear.
Date: 2012-05-23
From: Niday Shelter

To: 4 Pines Hostel
Miles today: 16.8
Weather: moderate rain

May 234 Pines Hostel16.8 milesClouds predominated and rain threatened all day. However, hiker heaven - no rain! We had two 1,500 foot ascents and two equivalent descents off of the mountain ridges.Today's highlights included:- the Audie Murphy memorial (most decorated US WWII soldier) located on a mountain ridge in the middle of nowhere,- an easy 3 mile ridgewalk,- a difficult 5 mile rocky ridgewalk, with some good views, - the Dragon's Tooth, a large rock spike with wonderful views and great photo opportunities, and- a very steep descent from the Dragon's Tooth, with rock scrambling and iron rungs bolted into the rocks, very reminiscent of Adirondack trails.We ended the day at the 4 Pines Hostel, a pay-by-donation hostel. It consists of a large garage with a cement floor and a few old couches and cots. However, it is warm and provides shelter from the elements. There are at least 20 hikers of various ages lounging around the hostel, mostly resting and chatting with the others.The hostel also features shuttle rides into a country grocery store for pizza, cheeseburgers, beer, junk food and trail food supplies. In my never-ending quest for calories, I availed myself of all of the above. Tomorrow, we push on towards our next town stop at Daleville, which we should reach in 2 days.
Date: 2012-05-24
From: Lamberts Meadow Shelter

To: Lamberts Meadow
Miles today: 16.3
Weather: overcast clouds

May 24Lamberts Meadow Shelter16.3 milesWe left the hostel at 7:30; all of the older hikers were up and out by then, while the younger hikers were still in their sleeping bags. (However, they often pass us on the trail later in the day.) Today, once again, rain threatened all day, but we only had one brief shower around lunch time.In the morning, we had the easiest 1,000 foot climb that we have exerienced on the trail so far. It looked like the trail builders were trying to make the trail up to McAfee Knob accessible to a wider public - an easy grade and even wooden bridges across 'difficult' section of rock. McAfee Knob is one of the iconic locations on the AT - a rock slab jutting out over a steep drop. Hikers sit on the rock slab with their legs dangling over nothingness for photos. It also has the reputation of providing the best trail view in Virginia. McAfee Knob is a part of the trail that all hikers who visit it will always remember.Most of the afternoon, we hiked with a loud buzzing coming from the forest. At first, it came from the valley below the ridge. The noise was almost the same as the Martian death ray from the 50s sci-fi movie, "The War of the Worlds". As we got lower into the valley, the pitch changed and the volume increased, until it became almost difficult to hear each other. Eventually, we realized that it was caused by millions of cicadas, invisible in the trees above us. So, we were at least safe from the Martians. The cicadas accompanied us for the rest of the afternoon and evening.Further down the trail, we hiked along Tinker Cliffs, a half-mile section of trail along a set of steep cliffs. The views were almost as good as at McAfee Knob. Tonight, we are at a shelter about 10 miles from town. We should be in town around lunch time for resupply and rehab. Hooray.