morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2018-05-22
To: None 
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

I got up ate breakfast and packed up by 7:30. Then at 8, I called for the shuttle to Marion. I walked around the visitors center until the shuttle arrived shortly before 9. I got dropped off at a motel and paid for a room, but could it check in until 11, so I went to McDonald¢s for breakfast, then Walmart for resupply. Then I checked into my room and just chilled for the rest of the day. I ordered spaghetti and a salad from a Perfect Pizza and had it delivered. There was so much, that I had leftovers for supper.Just waiting for Tony to arrive tonight. I can¢t wait to hear my hiking partner back!
Date: 2018-05-23
Miles today: 0.0

Just chilled all day. I had an delicious waffle at Three Sisters Cafe. Then I had Sonic for lunch and a Mexican place for supper. Tony¢s bus was supposed to arrive at 11:25 pm, but just as I set out to meet him, he texted me and said the bus was running 3 hours behind. So, I am going to go to sleep until then.
Date: 2018-05-24
To: Nonr
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Tony¢s bus finally arrived at a little after 2:30 in the morning. We were very happy to see each other and got back to the motel around 3 and went straight to bed.We got up  at 8:30 and went to Three Sisters Cafe for breakfast. We both had waffles and then went to Walmart to resupply Tony. Later we went to McDonald¢s for lunch. Then we returned to the motel and I packed the bags and took a nap. Then I ordered pizza for supper. Tony is very happy to be back and I¢m just as happy he is back.
Date: 2018-05-25
From: Partnership Shelter 

To: The Barn
Miles today: 11.6
Weather: clear sky

What an interesting and incredible day. Tony and I started out by having breakfast at the Sisters Cafe. They have the best waffles. Then we headed over to the post office to mail some stuff home. Then we caught the shuttle back to our motel and finished packing up and caught a shuttle back to the trailhead at 10:30.We saw Apache, who was very happy to see Cat Lover had returned to the trail, and Megan, now called Thorough bred. Her dog, Jake had to go home. We did not start hiking until 11. The first half of the trail was kinda rough today with the rocks, but we made good time. It is so awesome to have my hiking buddy back out here. We stopped for a snack break after 2 hours and then we stopped for lunch at the Chetfield Shelter. Tony at half of his sub at the first break and I ate mine at that shelter.I got ahead of myself, because before the break we met another hiker, Fish, who was just standing in the middle of the trail. As we got closer, he warned us that there was a rattle snake just off the trail. We saw it, first and I hope last one I see.After our break at the shelter, we came to the Settlers Museum and 1894 school house, which a Methodist church had left trail magic in. The school was exactly as portrayed on Little House on the Prairie. It was so cool. It was the best part of the day for me. I had a big red to drink.Then we hiked on and came to Cat Lovers favorite thing, railroad tracks. We heard the train, but did not make to the tracks in time to see it. About a mile after the tracks, we came out at a road with a cheap motel and since it was 6 and we decided to stay there. We got checked in and then went to eat at the Barn. I had a hamburger steak that was delicious. What an awesome day!
Date: 2018-05-26
From: The Barn

To: Quarter Way Inn
Miles today: 10.0

We got up around 7, and went to The Barn for breakfast. We started hiking around 9:30 and it started raining about an hour later. At first the rain felt good, but after an hour we were tired of it, it it rained all day on us, so we stopped at the Quarter Way Inn for the night to dry out.The Quarter Way Inn is a very nice place with great owners. They have everything a hiker could need, except cell service or WiFi. We had a pizza and ice cream and watching a couple of movies: Shenandoah (an old movie that takes place during the Civil War with Jimmy Stewart) and The Empire Strikes Back.
Date: 2018-05-27
From: Quarter Way Inn

To: Chestnut Knob Shelter 
Miles today: 14.3

I¢m did not write anything when we got to this shelter because I was not feeling well and went to bed as soon as our tent was set up and drinking some hot tea.I really cannot remember too much of the hike today as I was mostly just focused on putting one foot in front of the other and encouraging Cat Lover to keep moving as he was feeling bad too.
Date: 2018-05-28
From: Chestnut Knob Shelter 

To: Bland, VA
Miles today: 6.2

Cat Lover seems to have caught a cold on his bus ride to Marion. It wasn¢t too bad the first couple of days, but toward the end of yesterday¢s hike he was feeling really run down and bad, but I figured we could still make it to the next shelter. Once again I got ahead of myself. When I went to bed last night, I was starting to feel sick too. My throat was hurting. I went to bed about 30 minutes earlier than normal and woke up an hour later than I had been. I took my time getting up and packing. The shelter did not have a water source. There was one 1.4 miles down the trail. So we waited to have breakfast at a campsite close to the water source. Cat Lover didn¢t feel like eating though and i did either, but I forced myself to eat anyway. We resumed hiking, slowly, as neither of us had much energy. We were just looking forward to getting a hot meal from an Amish Store about 10 miles off the trail but provided shuttles to their store. When we got to the road crossing, 4 other hikers were there getting ready to call for a shuttle. But just as we ordered the shuttle two trail angels arrived, Ron and his wife. The Methodist church they attend provides a trash can just slight further north on the trail and they were there to pick up the trash and they said the would give us a ride. So we canceled the other shuttle. Ron took us to Mattie¢s store instead of the one listed on Guthook, but I was ok with that because I just wanted a hot meal, but one of the other hikers needed a small resupply and the store was not very good for that. Cat Lover and I ordered some burgers and chips and soda. Cat Lover said he didn¢t feel he could hike to the next shelter and I asked Mattie if she knew anybody who could take us to Bland. When I explained why she offered to give us two types of her essential oils to help with the colds we were fighting and she said Ron would probably take us when he came back to get the other hikers. Thankfully, Ron agreed to take us to the Big Walker Motel and we didn¢t have to pay a fortune for a shuttle, although I did give Ron gas money. So, now here comes the part purists aren¢t going to like, but I¢m not going to spend a fortune for a shuttle to take us back to where we got off the trail today. So we are going to miss out on about 15?milrs when we resume hiking. I just can¢t afford to. We are zeroing tomorrow and hopefully we will feel good enough to resume hiking Wednesday.
Date: 2018-05-29
Miles today: 0.0

So the goal today is to hopefully get over these colds we have. We also mailed our sleeping bags to a relative in Vermont. We will be using our sleeping bag liners.We went to Dairy Queen for breakfast around 8:30 and then returned to our room to rest. About 10:3o we walked the mile to the post office to mail off our sleeping bags. In the way back we stopped st the Dollar Store for first aid supplies and then stopped at subway for lunch. We returned to the room around 12:45 and spent the rest of the day resting. I alternate between feeling better to not feeling so well. Either way the plan is to hike tomorrow.
Date: 2018-05-30
From: Bland, VA

To: Jenny Knob Shelter 
Miles today: 12.0
Weather: few clouds

I woke up around 7 feeling like I been over by a truck. The cold instead of getting better, was worse. I was grateful that I had scheduled our shuttle ride to the trail for 10:30. Tony wasn¢t feeling very good either and asked me to bring is breakfast to him from Dairy Queen. So a little after 8 I went and got our breakfast because I knew we had to eat to be able to hike. Our shuttle driver was running late and didn¢t pick us up until around 11:15, for which I was grateful. We stopped and got Subway to go on our way to the trailhead. There was a picnic table where we got dropped off so we at our sandwiches before starting our hike. First part was road walking, which was nice. But then, of course, it is a rule upon leaving a town one must go up a hill. I felt like I had an elephant on my chest. We finally got to the top and mostly hiked on fairly level terrain.We got to Jenny Knob Shelter a little before 6. We got the tent set up and then I got water and cooked Mac and cheese for dinner. It started raining shortly after we finished eating, so I rushed to get everything in the tent and then just spent the rest of the evening listening to one of my books.
Date: 2018-05-31
From: Jenny Knob Shelter 

To: Dismal Falls campsite 
Miles today: 8.3
Weather: moderate rain

I woke around 7, still feeling sick. But what else is there to do but hike. So I packed up, ate a pop tart for breakfast and was hiking by 8. Cat Lover and I were both feeling terrible, but we just pushed on anyway. There is a store, Trent¢s Grocery about 6 miles from the shelter and half a mile from the trail. The store serves hamburgers and pizza and fries, etc. So, of course, we could not pass that up. When we got to the road, we had barely started hiking toward the store when a trail angel stopped and asked if we wanted a ride. Of course we did. The person who gave us a ride was Neville the owner of Woods Hole Hostel. Cat Lover and I had hamburgers, fries and a drink. Then we resumed our hiking even though we didn¢t want too. Not too far, we came to the trail for Dismal Falls, which was .3 miles. We decided to go see the Falls, then the plan was to hike on to Wapiti Shelter. We passed a few good campsites on the way. Of course Cat Lover loved the Falls and begged to camp there. With not feeling great, it didn¢t take much convincing. We waded in the water to cool off and I splashed water on my face and arms too to cool off. We played in the water for about an hour and watched other hikers jump from the Falls into the pool of water below. It was only maybe a 15 to 20 foot jump from the highest point.Then we went and set up the tent, then went back wade in the water a little more before cooking dinner. It is a very peaceful and beautiful area to camp.
Date: 2018-06-01
From: Dismal Falls campsite 

To: Woods Hole Hostel 
Miles today: 8.7
Weather: overcast clouds

I woke up feeling really rested and better. We packed up and were hiking around 8:30. I don¢t think I had hiked more than 2 miles when on any climbs, I felt a hard time breathing and then I got a huge headache. So, of course, when Cat Lover suggested we take Ribble Trail to cut off about 4.5 miles off our hike and a climb, I said yes, not knowing that Ribble Trail is mostly a fairly steep climb. By time we got back to the AT, I felt as like I couldn¢t go anymore. So, I made the decision to go to Woods Hole Hostel instead of hiking on to Doc Knob Shelter. Thankfully she had an opening in the house and we stayed in the loft. I just spent the rest of the day sitting in a rocking chair on the porch and trying to figure out my game plan for the next two days.We saw Remedy, Bloodhound, and several other hikers here.
Date: 2018-06-02
From: Woods Hole Hostel 

To: Pearisburg 
Miles today: 12.0
Weather: overcast clouds

I woke up around 6:30, still not feeling too good. I knew I couldn¢t hike very far with a pack and zeroing wasn¢t an option either, so one of the other guests at the hostel who is section hiking and has a vehicle was kind enough to ensure our packs got delivered to Angels Rest Hiker Haven, our destination for the day. We had breakfast around 8 that the hostel provided. Then around 9:30, we started hiking. We came to the shelter we had intended to hike to the day before, Doc Knob Hostel. This was among the top 5 Shelters that I have seen. Last year very nice deck with benches was added to the shelter. Awesome job, trail maintainers.Next we saw some gorgeous views of the valley below. It was a very steep and muddy descent down to Pearisburg and I fell once landing on my right hip on a rock. It really hurt and I have a bruise. We made good time, though, reaching the town by 3. We stopped at Dairy Queen for a late lunch, then headed over to the hostel. We got signed in and picked our bunks, then made a run to Walmart. Space Bear, James, Bloodhound and his family, Tree Hugger, Brair Rabbit and many others were there. I was feeling a little better but still not a hundred percent, so the plan is more slack packing.
Date: 2018-06-03
From: Peters Mountain Trailhead 

To: Pearisburg 
Miles today: 16.0

We got dropped off at the trailhead at around 7:25. We began hiking south, slack packing back to Pearisburg, and shortly reached Pine Swamp Shelter. The first 3 or so miles was up hill, but it wasn¢t too bad. I can see why the shelter has the word swamp in its name, as the first half of our hike was like walking through a swamp and a rain forest. This part of the trail is how I picture the Amazon being but without all the poisonous snakes and other dangerous creatures thank goodness. The temperature was nice too. The only problem was trying to find a place to take our first break because all the moisture makes everything damp and covered with moss. After about 3 hours we finally came to a campsite that had some stones stacked for sitting without moss. We took a short snack break here, then resumed hiking.We came to a field and pasture area about half way into our hike and took another short break hear. When we resumed hiking, it wasn¢t long until we came to a long area to the right of us taped off with the yellow police crime tape. Soon I came upon a tree with a paper attached to it regarding a pipeline being placed in this area. So I don¢t know if the tape was to mark off the area and keep people out of the area where the pipeline is being placed or if an actual crime had been committed. I there are some really strong opinions regarding the pipeline. Soon we came to an area with powerlines and gorgeous views. Shortly after that we passed a cell tower and then crossed another field with even more beautiful views. Rice Shelter was just off this field area and we took a short break here. Then we knocked out the last 3 miles of our hike. Our shuttle driver picked us up about 5 minutes after reaching the road and we went back to the hostel to pick up our packs and then went by McDonald¢s before being dropped off at the Plaza Motel.We got checked in, ate our McDonald¢s and then took showers. The lady running the motel is incredibly nice and did our laundry for us without charging any extra and she used a fabric softener so our clothes smell good. We had a a late supper at the Dairy Queen next to the motel.
Date: 2018-06-04
From: Pearisburg 

To: War Spur Shelter 
Miles today: 12.4

Our shuttle picked us up at around 11, and to our surprise Chinook was in the car. He was going to Blacksburg to get new shoes. The shuttle drive dropped us off at the road crossing just past Pine Swamp Shelter. The terrain and environment were pleasant. We stopped and had lunch at Bailey Gap Shelter. We didn¢t get to War Spur Shelter until after 7. I got water, cooked supper and then we set up the tent. We a both feeling much better.
Date: 2018-06-05
From: War Spur Shelter 

To: Saver Hollow Shelter 
Miles today: 12.2
Weather: clear sky

We got started around 8:30. We took a snack break around 2 hours after we started. Then we hiked on. Laurel Creek Shelter was only a little over a mile away, but with just taking a break we were just going to hike past the shelter, but it was a mile over very rocky terrain, so our feet needed a break. So we ended up stopping at the shelter to air our feet out. Then I got more water for us at the stream just past the the shelter and we continued hiking. We reached the shelter around 5:30 and did our usual end of the day chores. There were a quite a few hikers there, surprisingly, considering that it was .3 down a steep hill. It was a very quiet shelter. I think everyone was in bed by 8:30. Everything was very far apart, the privy and the water source. There was a old barn that had fallen down and two chimney stacks from a house that no longer stood and a well site on the way to the water source.
Date: 2018-06-06
From: Saver Hollow Shelter 

To: Trout Creek campsite 
Miles today: 15.0
Weather: clear sky

We were up and at it again a little before 8:30. We met Truck this morning who did not get into camp until 8 last night. We talked for while we at our breakfast. We would leap frog each other throughout the day. We stopped for a lunch break at the Niday Shelter. Truck was there along with several other hikers. We hiked on and arrived at the Ledges no long after. Cat Lover did not like this part at all. For some reason he is afraid he will slip and fall, so it took us a long time to get through this part and Truck and Brair Rabbit were tight behind us. The best part of the hike awaited us; the Audie Murphy Monument. It was a great tribute to a great hero. And there were wonderful views. Truck said Brair Rabbit said that they were planning on stopping at the Trout Creek Campsite, so Cat Lover and I decided to stop there too. When we arrived at the campsite Sticks and Dat Boy were already there. Truck and I spent the hour prior to arriving at camp talking which made the miles go by faster. I found out she is from Dallas. I got water and then set up our tent and then cooked supper. Several more hikers arrived: Tripod, Brair Rabbit, Snorts, Max, and the others I don¢t remember. It was a hard day, but good.
Date: 2018-06-07
From: Trout Creek campsite 

To: Four Pines Hostel 
Miles today: 7.8
Weather: overcast clouds

We were up and hiking by 8:30. The plan was to hike 16 miles to a shelter just before McAfees Knob. We had a long climb up hill, but it was a gentle grade for the most part. I was excellent to get to finally see Dragons Tooth and it did not disappoint. Then Cat Lover and I followed 4 other hikers down and we all took the wrong trail down a very steep hill for about an 1/8 of a mile. It took a lot of energy to climb back up to the known trail and then we were rewarded with an even more treacherous descent. Cat Lover was terrified coming done and Yardsale who was carrying a day pack switched packs with him so Cat Lover would feel more comfortable navigating his way down. We very grateful for trail angels. By time we got down to the road, we were mentally, physically and emotionally exhausted. So we opted to hike the .4 to Four Pines Hostel. I was so grateful to be done for the day and then to get a great meal from the Homestyle Restaurant. I was also very grateful to take a shower. There were several cats there, which made Cat Lover very happy.
Date: 2018-06-08
From: Four Pines Hostel 

To: Lambert Mountain Shelter 
Miles today: 16.4
Weather: broken clouds

The stay at Four Pines Hostel was nice. I¢ve read some negative reviews about it, but I found it to be fantastic, especially since the operate on a donations only basis. I got laundry done and the supper we had at the Homestyle Restaurant was one of the best. The following hikers whose names I remember were there as well: Space Bear, James, Yardsale, Mareeke, Snorts, Tripod, Smurf, and at least 20 others.I had a restful nights sleep and we were hiking by 8:40. I have been looking forward to getting to McAfees Knob since I started on this adventure and it did not disappoint. There were awesome views all day long.After McAfees Knob Stopped at Campbell¢s Shelter to get water. Then Cat Lover hiked on without me. We had 6 more miles to go to Lambert Mountain Shelter. All was uneventful, untested Tinkers Cliff where I took a wrong turn and became totally lost for about 30 or so minutes. I fell I. A pile of brush and scratched my left leg up pretty good. I did finally find my way to the trail and just hoped Cat Lover had not made the same mistake I did. I arrived at the shelter around 7:45 and thankfully Cat Lover was there. Mareeke was kind enough to get us some water while Cat Lover set up our mats while I got ready to cook. I was so worn out.
Date: 2018-06-09
From: Lambert Mountain Shelter 

To: Troutville 
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: broken clouds

We got up around 6 and were hiking by 7:35. Cat Lover started a few minutes before me. About a mile into a the hike, I came across a beautiful view of the valley and town below. I caught up to Cat Lover we took a snack break around 10:30. The first few miles were nice, almost flat. We had some mild climbs and descents throughout the rest of the hike. There were a couple of boulder scrambles, but nothing to bad. It was a really warm day. We reached town around 1 and found a hotel and checked in, took showers and went to Cracker Barrel for lunch. We had McDonald¢s for supper.
Date: 2018-06-10
From: Troutville 

Miles today: 0.0

Homer, a former thru hiker, and his wife let me borrow there car to get town chores done. What trail angels, to loan a car to a total stranger. First order of business was getting laundry done, then going to Walmart for resupply and then we went to the outfitters to get Cat Lover some new shoes. Hopefully these will work out better than the last pair. We had lunch again at Cracker Barrel and spent the rest of the day relaxing. With both soaked our feet in epsom salt. And then had Subway for supper.
Date: 2018-06-11
From: Troutville 

To: Wilson Creek Shelter 
Miles today: 10.8
Weather: overcast clouds

I woke at 7 this morning and packed the bags, showered and went to breakfast. Then I watched a little TV and then took a nap from 9:30 to 10:30, enjoying a nice soft warm bed. Then, it was time to leave our cozy hotel room and start hiking. We stopped for lunch at Fullhardt Knob Shelter. When we were about 2 or 3 miles from our destination for the night, it started raining, so we stopped and put on our rain gear. We arrived at Wilson Creek Shelter at 4:45 and it had stopped raining for a little while. There were two spaces in the shelter, so Cat Lover and I set up our stuff. Then we went and got water, which ways a ways off. Then we cooked our usual macaroni and cheese for supper and had a piece of blueberry bread.There are several other hikers here, Dat Boy and Brair Rabbit and I cannot remember the others names.Now, I¢m just chilling, listening to an audio book. I did not take any pictures today.
Date: 2018-06-12
From: Wilson Creek Shelter 

To: Peaks of Otter Lodge 
Miles today: 10.4

The plan was to go to Cove Mountain Shelter, but when I saw the Lodge and they offered shuttles, I couldn¢t resist. The bugs and heat wore me down. I didn¢t get up until 7:20 because of the rain. So we did not begin hiking until 9. We took a snack break/lunch break at 11. We got to the road crossing at 2:30 and were at the lodge by 3. We ate a late lunch, then got settled in our room. The area around the lodge is very beautiful. It made me wish I was vacationing with my whole family and that we could enjoy visiting the local historical areas and The caverns in the area. It made me start thinking with the money I¢m spending we could enjoy a really good family vacation. I¢m feeling a little selfish and missing the other half of my family. The burgers at the lodge were really good, but the fried chicken we had for a late supper wasn¢t very good. Cat Lover and i sat outside our room for awhile, enjoying the view of the mountains and pond.