morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2018-12-02
From: Swift Run Gap

To: Pinefield Hut
Miles today: 11.6
Weather: overcast clouds

Today was suppose to be a zero but it¢s going to be too beautiful not to hike - 55 and sunny. It is going to rain in the morning though so I asked my shuttle to pick me up at 10:30.   We enjoyed a slow morning drinking coffee and eating good food. The hike started off with a nice climb. I was wearing shorts and a tee shirt and still was sweating in the warm sun which felt great.  The views were beautiful with much of the hike on the side of the mountain.  At the first view point from Hightop Mt I met a couple from VA that were enjoying a day hike. They had lost their dog 2 years ago and really missed having a pup though were not ready for one yet. They enjoyed seeing Rusty.At the Powell Gap Hollow view we saw Forager - so nice to run into him again. He is done in less then 200 miles at McAfee Knob. We stopped there for a nice long break in the sun. We are really enjoying the warm day.  We ran into Forager a couple miles later and then walked with him to our shelter. About 3 miles before our shelter we hit the spot where the PATC has stopped clearing the trees off the trail. It was really hard to get around the damage. Two weeks ago there was an ice storm that damaged the southern path of the Shenandoah. The road was still closed from Swift Run Gap to the southern end of the park. Other hikers and the SNP crew had suggested road walking since it was hard and unsafe to take the trail. It really didn¢t sound fun to road walk but it actually was really enjoyable. The views were great.The warning from the SNP website:  ¢This area was the hardest hit by last week¢s ice storm. Crews have been working steadily, but it is slow going and the additional rain and fog are hindering efforts. As of today, crews have cut approximately 700 trees between miles 65 and 80, and an additional 200 between miles 102 and 105. They have not yet been able to get to the remaining portion, so estimates of how much longer the cleanup will take are difficult. Initial estimates indicate 100 down trees per mile. Once the road is cleared of down trees, crews will still need to assess overhanging limbs and chip trees that have been dragged to the shoulder.¢We got back on the path right before the shelter which we got to around 4. It was really nice setting up and making dinner in the warmer weather. Forager has feet issues so rubs his feet and legs with a ball. He also massages his feet and stretches. I massaged my feet and stretched too which felt great. We actually stayed up till 7 before getting in our beds. Then we talked for another hour. It was really nice to have Forager there. Forager gets up around 5:30 so he can stretch and get moving before light. I am going to get up then too but will wait for light to start hiking.
Date: 2018-12-04
From: Calf Mountain Shelter

To: Rockfish Gap
Miles today: 7.7
Weather: clear sky

We set our alarms to 6 this morning since we only had 7 miles to hike.  It is suppose to start a wintry mix at 2am Weds and go to 2pm so I plan to take a zero tomorrow.  Parts of the Blue Ridge Parkway are closed so it¢s either hike 7 miles or 27 miles to get to a hotel.  Forager¢s mom is meeting him at Rockfish Gap and will be slack packing him for the next part of his hike.  He¢s very excited to share this adventure with her.  The path south of the shelter was not cleared at all and made for extremely slow going.  I tended to try to climb over and push my way through so Forager renamed us Rampage and Firefox.  I really like that name though feel weird switching to it after 1300 miles.  I do think it fits us better though.  I cut back to the road when we lost the trail after climbing over the downed trees.  Forager did refind the trail and took it back to the road.  That¢s actually when he gave us our new trail names.  We stopped to eat and stretch them road walked to the end of Skyline Drive.  We came across 3 tree cutting crews that were working hard.  They still don¢t think it¢s going to be soon that the road will reopen since they have to go back and cut trees that are damaged though haven¢t fallen.We finished our hike and walked to King¢s Gourmet Popcorn place.  We got chili dogs, fries and kettle corn that were all great. We talked about maybe slackpacking tomorrow depending on weather.  I like that idea too. Forager¢s mom picked us up there and took me to the Quality Inn.  I took a long hot shower to get rid of the chill I had. Then Rusty and I walked over to Walmart to resupply and get beer Devils Backbone Eight Point which is great.  Forager and his mom decided to get a room at this hotel too.  Depending on weather we will slackpack tomorrow.  Either way we are staying 2 nights here.  Today was a nice Nero day so hopefully tomorrow the weather will be OK.
Date: 2018-12-05
From: Rockfish Gap

To: Reeds Gap
Miles today: 19.1
Weather: scattered clouds

Set my alarm for 5am this morning since, depending on weather, we planned to leave at 6. Forager decided it was a go but we should start at Reeds Gap and head north back to Rockfish Gap; that way we¢d be closer to the hotel if the roads got bad and his mom would not have to drive far.  We left here to just a little snow but, by the time we got to Reeds Gap, it was snowing pretty hard. Since the roads were closed and the trail was a mess we started with a 5 mile road walk. It was absolutely beautiful with huge snowflakes. Rusty was so excited racing through the snow. Once again it was really fun walking the road and seeing all the icicles, plants and trees growing on the rock cliff beside the road. The overlooks were fogged in at times and then clearer.When the AT crossed the road at Dripping Rock, we took the trail since it looked pretty clear. It was a winter wonderland! Part of the time we were walking through a white tunnel. We had some absolutely stunning views too. Then we came to the end of the trail clearing. It was unbelievable how much damage was done. It made us really appreciate the work the trail crew had already done and had much work they had left.  We did have fun navigating the downed trees but, 7 miles was enough, so we went back to the road at Humpback Rock. We had a fun 7 mile road walk back to Rockfish Gap. We were really excited to get to the end for Kings Gourmet Popcorn and chili dogs and popcorn but, unfortunately, they were closed. Forager¢s mom came to pick us up in her warm comfy car and took us back to our hotel.  Rusty jumped in bed and went right to sleep. I unpacked quickly and took a long hot shower. Then I heated up my frozen veggie lasagna meal which I ate with cheese dip, guacamole, chips and a mini bottle of red wine. Now I¢m nice and cozy watching a cute hallmark Christmas movie.Forager¢s mom is a true trail angel that made this beautiful day possible. I would never had hiked in that snow if I wasn¢t headed back to a hotel. Also the downed trees with a full backpack would not have been as fun. With a light pack it really was great. What a treat - thanks!
Date: 2018-12-06
From: Reeds Gap

To: The Priest Shelter
Miles today: 15.5
Weather: clear sky

Enjoyed the complimentary breakfast at Quality Inn. We drove to Reeds Gap and started our hike around 9.  Forager was hiking 10 miles today. He is enjoying hanging with his mom so was meeting her then headed to a hotel. They are a great team!  I was hiking 15 miles to the next shelter since the weather was nice.  Our hike was beautiful. All day we had great views since the trail ran on the sides of the mountains or on the ridges. Snow covered the higher altitudes and the cold side of the mountains but was completely gone on the sunny parts. There were broken branches and trees on parts in the trail but nothing like the Shenandoah. It was great hiking and talking to Forager. He such an interesting person and involved in so many different things. He is a healthy cook and has given me many new recipes for cooking that I can¢t wait to try. Yes, food dominates all hikers conversations.  We stopped for a great lunch, including Wholly Guacamole that I highly recommend, in a warm spot. Rusty once again enjoyed sharing Forager¢s bacon and cheese snack. He actually wrapped a piece of cheese with bacon for him. We realized that we were walking slower then normal. We did stop to talk to 3 older day hikers and their 14 year old pup. Also we had to climb around the debris and the trail did go over some rocky patches. We arrived at the pickup stop around 3:30. I really was tempted to go to the hotel with them but knew I really should keep going. I gave them both a hug and headed out. I will miss hiking with Forager but am excited for him finishing in less than 100 miles. Rusty will miss him too! My hike was now uphill to the top of the Priest mountain. I stopped around 4 to feed Rusty, snack and get my headlamp. I could not find my headlamp which was terrible since I knew I would not finish until 6 and it would be dark. I did panic a bit but then realized my phone had a flashlight. I was mad at myself for not checking the hotel room more thorough though I had opened every drawer and did look under the bed. I got going quickly and hiked as fast as I could. The sunset views were beautiful though so very hard not to stop and enjoy and take pictures. Fortunately I was in high elevation when it was getting really dark and the snow was still there so I could follow the tracks left by other hikers. When I saw the shelter sign I turned off and the tracks were gone so I did need to use my phone flashlight. It was only .1 mile away but not fun to hike in the dark with just my phone light.    I was very happy to reach the shelter. I fed Rusty then started feeling really chilly. I put on warm clothes and wrapped my quilt around me. I did not even get water since I had just enough for a cup for Rusty and to make dinner. I¢ll find the spring in the morning when it¢s light.  Once I finally relaxed, I realized that I had moved my headlamp to the water pouch place in my backpack when we were slack packing. I was so happy to find it!  I made dinner and we snacked on cheese and peanut butter. I was very happy to get into bed and get completely warm.
Date: 2018-12-07
From: The Priest Shelter

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

Woke up to a beautiful sunrise and a freezing day. I had no water left so I had to get and filter water this morning - no fun in the cold.  I made coffee and oatmeal. Then I packed up. Both my socks and shoes were frozen and stiff. I decided to use a dry pair of socks then I tried to put my shoes on and realized they would not bend. I had to push on them with my hands to make them my pliable. I finally got them on but now my feet were chilled. After hiking for around 10 mins my feet and body warmed up. After about an hour I had to switch from my heavy pants to my thin pants and from my ski mittens to my fleece gloves.   Rusty was really enjoying the cold day and the snow. The mountain views were great all day.  We went up one mountain that had a grassy meadow on top. We also walked by the edge of a stream.  Originally I had planned to camp but there was still snow on the ground so I decided to go to the next shelter. On the way there I met 5 college kids, actually the only people I saw today, who were also going to the shelter. The next shelter was only 5 more miles and it was only 330 so I decided to go to that one.  It was also downhill so was hoping it would be warmer - 1358 instead of 3468ft.It was a beautiful sunset highlighting the mountain tops. We walked by a beautiful stream for the last mile. I had to put my headlamp on for the last 30 mins. We got to the shelter around 6 and got water first. We set our bed up and made dinner.  Right after dinner we crawled under our warm quilt. Both of us are wiped out from the long hike and cold weather. I¢m looking forward to a great night sleep listening to the loud stream in front of the shelter.
Date: 2018-12-08
From: Brown Mountain Creek Shelter

To: US 501 Glasgow
Miles today: 20.0

Slept great last night with the running stream.  Woke up and made breakfast. I¢m now taking Foragers advice of adding butter to everything. So now breakfast is 2 Cliff bars, 2 packets of oatmeal with a tablespoon of butter in each and coffee. The best about thing about oatmeal packets for hikers is that you can add the boiling water directly in the packet and butter makes it better! I¢m also adding butter to Mountain House dinners instead of ramen noodles.  Hopefully after my hike is done, my insane hunger will go too.Once again my socks and shoes were frozen and stiff. I put my socks in my lap during breakfast and they did thaw but my shoes did not. I have read that you can sleep with your shoes and socks in your sleeping bag to prevent them from freezing but I love my quilt. I hate the idea of putting my stinky shoes and socks in it but I guess I will start. I put my feet freezers on last and started hiking. Fortunately my feet warmed up quickly.The hike started by the stream and then wrapped around a beautiful lake though way above it. We also climbed some mountains, were in evergreen forest and were in rhododendron tunnels. It was nice seeing the plants and trees that stay green in the snow. In places there were even green ferns poking through the snow.  I stopped around 2 for a snack and to see if I had service. I did not but fortunately people had texted warning me there was a big snow storm predicted for tomorrow. I was aware there might be one but I couldn¢t check last night since there was no service. Originally I had planned to hike to a shelter 1.8 miles from the town my mail drop was coming so I would just get a hotel for Sun night but with the expected storm I decided to hike the 1.8 miles and get the hotel for 2 nights.  There is no service at the trailhead so I hiked a couple more miles then checked again. Fortunately I got service so I found a shuttle then booked a motel. I was 4 miles from the trailhead and told the shuttle I¢d be there at 5 which was in 2hrs. I hiked quickly and got to the trailhead at 430. Pretty funny how fast you can go when you push!My shuttle took me to Food Lion first so I could stock up for the snow day - food and booze. I got to the hotel and took a hot shower while cleaning my clothes. Then put my jammies on and ate dinner. I was really hungry from the cold fast hiking so ate way too much. Now enjoying the warmth and watching cute Christmas movies.
Date: 2018-12-11
From: US 501 Glasgow

To: Petites Gap Parking lot
Miles today: 9.9
Weather: clear sky

We took up double zero for the snow storm which was around 10¢ here. I read a book, watched football and watched lots of Christmas movies. Both of us wanted to hike on day 2 but road conditions were bad so fortunately we were forced to stay an additional night. Temperature went below 0 that night.We planned on starting our hike by 9 but my shuttle Frog¢s car would not start. The temp is 0 here - Ug! Then I had to stop by the post office to pick up my resupply and got an extra goody box - yum and thanks!  We started hiking around 10 and conditions were great. We followed footsteps over the James River Footbridge which was beautiful. Then the person turned right and we had were the first to break the snow. Rusty was so excited racing back and forth but after about 20 mins dropped behind me. The path was flat and followed the James River for about a mile. It was tiring just walking in the shin deep snow. We took a break at the Matt¢s Creek Shelter which was right on the trail and just over 2 miles from the start.  It was only 11:30 but I actually thought about stopping for the night; we had 12 miles to the next shelter and it was a tough slow walk even on the flat ground. We continued on and the path headed up the mountain. It was beautiful but hard walking through snow that ranged from 6-12¢ deep. At around 2 the snow started getting wet and clumping to Rusty. He started having a hard time getting through it so I had to carry him. At first I tried to carry him with one hand so I could use one pole but, though only 18 lbs, it became too hard. I hooked both poles to my bag so I could use both hands.  We came to a rocky patch which just looked like lumpy snow. I fell a couple times so had to put Rusty down. That worked for awhile but then we got to the top of the mountain where there were thigh deep drifts of snow. Rusty could not get over those so I started carrying him again. It was windy and cold now so I had to put my puffy and snow mittens on.  Through guthooks I saw there was a parking lot coming up in less than 2 miles. I decided to get to that and see if I could get a shuttle. We finally made it down about 5:30 and the parking lot was completely snow covered. I decided just to put up my tent and stay there. We had walked less than 10 miles in 7.5 hours and both of us were completely wiped out. I had never used my tent in the snow so was hoping it would be fine. Thanks again to Jon for getting me to scotch guard my tent sheet.  Right after setting it up we crawled inside. I tried to get all the snow clumps off Rusty but it was hard. We ate dinner in our tent and then quickly got under our quilt. It actually is warm and comfy. We both fell asleep quickly. Hopefully things go better tomorrow.
Date: 2018-12-12
From: Petites Gap Parking lot

To: Thunderhill Shelter
Miles today: 4.7
Weather: clear sky

Tent camping in the snow was warm and cozy though hard to pack up.  We were low on water so I had to skip my coffee and oatmeal. We had some bars which Rusty shared. Then we packed up in the tent. The floor did get wet but not flooded. Packing up the tent was hard because my fingers were frozen. Once again my shoes were frozen so they were hard to put on too. Also I was dreading hiking in the wet and deep snow but fortunately Rusty was just excited to be out in the snow.  The first couple miles were fine just slow and uphill. There was also trees and branches on the path though not nearly as bad as the Shenandoah. It was harder to get around them though because of the drifts of snow.  Once again when the temp warmed up, the snow started clumping to Rusty and I had to carry him. My calves and really whole body were sore. While carrying him I pulled the snow off as best as I could. Then I put him down to walk until the clumps got too big for him to move. No fun slow process!  When we got to the next shelter it was 1:30 and we walked less than 5 miles in 5 hours. I got water and fed Rusty. I made myself a hot tea since it was too late for coffee. The next shelter was 5 miles away so I decided to stay here. I got more water, hung up my tent and put warm dry clothes on. Rusty chased birds then laid in the snow. I started making dinner around 3 and then Rusty hopped up to share. I took off all Rusty¢s snow clumps which took awhile. I did not want him to go back in the snow so I put his leash on. Then we ate dinner and I set up our bed.  I started getting chilly so I brushed my teeth and got in bed around 4. Rusty did hear birds again so is now sitting on top of the covers in guard dog mode. I wrote my blog and fell asleep by 5.
Date: 2018-12-13
From: Thunderhill Shelter

To: Jennings Creek
Miles today: 14.0

I woke up nice an early today. Rusty decided around 5 to crawl under the quilt and demand cuddle time. Seeing as we had been in bed for 12 hours I was ready too.  We did wait another hour before getting out from under our cozy quilt though. It actually did feel much warmer than yesterday. I let Rusty loose and he jumped right out excited there was still snow. I love that he really lives in the moment!I made coffee and oatmeal and packed up my nice dry tent. We watched the sky turn pink and then started hiking. It was beautiful hiking that morning with the pink line in the sky. We went under the Guillotine and had a great view from the Black Rock overlook. The snow was too wet to clump badly on Rusty. I did have to help him over of few big drifts. We really had a great day.  We saw tons of wildlife prints.  I thought bears would have hibernated by now however we saw their prints too.  Later I talked to the owner of my hotel and he said female bears and young bears were hibernating however males hadn¢t yet.  Rusty enjoyed chasing the many deer and birds that were out.We saw Forager, who was hiking North, about halfway through the day. He had decided to go North for the next two sections because of the snow melt on the South side of the mountain. It was great seeing him and also great because his footprints made the trail so much easier for us.  It¢s been harder following the trail with the snow since there is no path to follow.   I was thinking about stopping at the beautiful Bryant Ridge shelter at the 10 mile point which we got to around 2:30. I did stop there to feed Rusty and filter some more water. I decided to hike the next 4 miles to town when I found out it was suppose to start raining tonight or tomorrow morning with temps in the low 40s.The last 4 miles of the hike were quick since the snow was pretty much melted on the path.  I arrived at my pickup spot at 410 which was way earlier than I expected. My shuttle, which was the owner of the hotel Wattstull Inn, picked me up. He was fun to talk to as was the rest of the staff I met.  It is a great hotel that has a restaurant and Shell convenience store right beside it. I got a burger and salad and Devils Backbone Trail Angel Weiss. All were great. Now I¢m hoping it just rains tomorrow not the next two days as the forecast shows.
Date: 2018-12-29
From: Jennings Creek

To: Wilson Creek Shelter
Miles today: 17.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Back on the trail and a beautiful day!  Rusty was so excited too! We had a great Christmas break seeing family and friends. I thought about waiting till Sun to start so I could watch Clemson in the semifinals but the weather is too nice. Also the big game is the following week.Woke up nice and early for the drive back to Jennings Creek. Fortunately my parents could shuttle me even though it would be an eight hour drive for them. Thank you!!! We got to the trailhead around 9:30 and started the big climb up the mountain. Rusty raced around exploring everything. It was a perfect hiking day. I wore shorts and a long sleeve. The mountains were beautiful and the sun sparkling. We got to our planned stop at 1:30 and decided it was too early to stop so hiked 7.7 more miles to the next shelter. The trail crisscrossed Blueridge Parkway and did have great overlooks from the road however it was annoying having to watch out for cars.  We walked fast because I wanted to be at the shelter by 4:30 for the start of the game. We were tired but did make it in time. A section hiker Don was already at the shelter. He has hiked from GA to here in sections.I fed Rusty and set up our bed. Then I went to get my food and couldn¢t find my Jetboil. I know people hike stove less but definitely not for me especially when cold. Fortunately Don let me borrow his for the night. Tomorrow I will pick something up at the next town.  I enjoyed the game through my brother and friends text. Don¢s wife is an Alabama alum so he understands all the texting.  Hopefully we will get to play them next week!