morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2009-04-23
From: Sarver Hollow Shelter

To: Dragons Tooth
Miles today: 20.3

Miles from Springer: 688.5This morning started better than usual. I could get up and pack out as I please since I was the lone camper. Another event that particularly made this morning a top ten was the numerous animals. I hear a turkey early (around 6:30 am) and then as I made oatmeal, a deer walked within 10 feet of the shelter. I reached for a camera but as I opened the case, the doe ran off. Then, on my way to the privy, a rabbit darted from the bushes.My hike began at 8:20 am and it was just a slow day for me in terms of my pace. I never had a good rhythm to pump out miles. On the first ridge, the trail was choppy, sloped rocks which hurt my ankles and feet. The sunrise and view were phenomenal though. I got some terrific pictures of the ridges around the area. The ridge I was hiking on to begin the day was actually the eastern continental divide. Any water to the west goes to the Mississippi River and into the Gulf of Mexico. To the east, the water ends up in the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic. I'll let you wonder which side I chose to go to the bathroom.I reached Niday Shelter at 10:20 am and my stomach was already in chow down mode. I had a powerbar, peanut butter burrito, and granola bar to tide things over. As luck would have it, just a mile down the trail there was a cooler full of trail magic. I had a bit of everything; the best orange I've ever had, a Sierra Mist, Yodels, a honeybun, and Babyruth candy bars. Thank you trail angel of the Loon!The added calories were extremely helpful on the ascent to follow. There were switchbacks but the ascent was long and my pack seemed really heavy. The day became warm up the ridge and the lizards must have loved it because I saw my first two of the trip.At the top of the ridge, I took a break and then trudged along to the Audie Murphy Monument. Audie Murphy was a hero in World War II who captured a bunch of German Soldiers. Following the war, he was an actor in war and western flicks. His plane went down in 1971 near the site of the monument.On the long descent from the ridge, I took a break for foot care which turned out to not result in any comfort. There was a good hike up from Trout Creek to Pickle Branch Shelter. On my way to the shelter, I saw another deer, which I'm beginning to feel accustomed to. My stay at the shelter was for only a half hour to fill up my water bladder and add chemicals. I was also able to snack a bit.On my way out, I ran into Cookyman, who I met at the Audie Murphy monument. I noticed my bandana was missing and asked him if he'd seen it on his way up. He told me it was a mile or less back. I decided to run down trail to retrieve it. This took an hour out of my day, but I found it .7 miles down trail. This is now the section I'm the most familiar with (unfortunately).For the next hour and a half, I hiked up to Dragons Tooth. It is a large, triangular shaped rock on Cove Mountain. I set up camp at 7:00pm and took some sunset pictures. A full, rewarding day on the AT.
Date: 2009-04-25
From: Lamberts Meadow Shelter

To: Daleville, VA
Miles today: 9.4
Weather: clear sky

Miles from Springer: 718.6I started my morning early knowing only one thing: I was going to Daleville. I had some food left in my bag, but I still needed to resupply. Sunny, who I was hiking with the day before Pearisburg, came to the shelter late last night so I woke up a bit surprised when I exited my tent. He was hiking before I was, but we met up in town.The hike to Daleville was pretty uneventful. I was thinking about food and new boots the whole time so I had ambitions other than hiking. The trail was well groomed and followed along a ridge for a while. There were plenty of ups and downs and climbs to make me work to get to town. The weird end to the hike was coming out of the brush and right onto a busy four lane route.I immediately went to the outfitter to purchase new footwear. I now own trail runners which are a running/hiking shoe. I also purchased a summer sleeping bag. I know it may be a bit early, but I still have my winter clothing with me so I'll be fine. When I compared the size and weight between my winter and summer bag, the difference was more than noticeable (in both volume and weight). Packing and hiking will be easier.From there I went to the Three Little Pigs BBQ restaurant and enjoyed a pulled pork sandwich, salad, Dr.Pepper, coleslaw, baked beans, and a sundae. All of which couldn't have been any better. I recommend the restaurant with both thumbs up and above my head. Plus, I charged my phone and camera while eating.I ran into Sunny at the grocery store and he watched my pack while I resupplied. I bought enough food to fill up the volume I saved from changing sleeping bags plus the normal amount. I may last five or six days with the food I bought.Sunny called a family he met back in Georgia since their daughter is currently thru hiking. They lived in town and offered to let me, Sunny, and Stink stay at their place if we waited a couple hours. This was a better option than buying a hotel room, so I sat outside the grocery store watching the citizens of Daleville. Then I went to Wendy's to enjoy the dollar menu.Homer and Theresa, The Odd Couple, picked us up and took us to their house. They even bought us pizza which was extremely kind of them. They hiked the entire trail when their daughter and son (Cascade and Rockslide) were just kids. Now, the Odd Couple maintain the Roanoke section of the trail. The three of us viewed all the pictures from their thru hike.Today was a relaxing and fun day. Plus, a great way to beat the heat and midday sunshine.
Date: 2009-04-26
From: Daleville, VA

To: Cove Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 24.9
Weather: clear sky

Miles from Springer: 743.5Homer dropped Sunny and I off at the grocery store this morning at 8:45 am. We went in and bought deli sandwiches, milk, fruit, and yogurt for breakfast. The sandwich was better than biscuits.Sunny and I started on the trail around 9:15 am and had a decent uphill climb for what seemed like all day. The sun was out and it was another hot morning and afternoon. At a shelter 12 miles in, we stopped to cool in some shade and eat lunch. Inside was a man from New York who is hiking from Daleville to Bear Mountain, NY. His name is Hatrack. When I noticed my spoon was missing, he kindly gave me his extra to use.We moved on around 2:00 pm and crossed the blue ridge parkway for the first time around 3:30 pm. Eventually, we arrived at a shelter where Little Tree, Squeak, and Cabot were relaxing. They took it easy since it was hot (around 80 degrees) and had only done 10 miles, while we were at 18 or 19 miles at that point. We ran into them yesterday at the grocery store and I was happy to finally meet them since I'd read their shelter entries for over a week.They pushed on as we filled up on water. Our hike out was uphill and we crossed the blue ridge parkway 3 more times (about 8 times total today). We climbed up and down Cove Mountain to finally end our day around 7:50 pm. The new shoes worked well today. I'm looking forward to a lighter food bag.
Date: 2009-04-27
From: Cove Mountain Shelter

To: Marble Spring
Miles today: 24.1

Miles from Springer: 767.6I had a terrible time sleeping last night. It felt as if I accumulated under 5 hours of sleep despite my best attempts to get comfortable. You would think that after a long, tough day of hiking I'd fall into my dreams pretty easily, but that really has not been the case.Sunny was off and hiking before I finished my morning routine. I caught up to him quickly and we filled up our water at Jenning's Creek around 9:30 am since the shelter last night didn't have a source. After creek was a 1000 ft ascent that got the blood flowing nicely. It was an up and then down section of Fork Mountain. I forgot to mention that the elevation of the creek was under 1000 ft which may be the first time in awhile I've been at that elevation.Sunny and I relaxed and snacked for a bit at Bryant Ridge Shelter. This was not your usual 3 walled, 1 roof, 1 floor shelter. It was three floors high and looked well kept. After a half hour break, we pushed on....reluctantly. We knew that we had a huge climb ahead of us. The next shelter was only 5 miles away, but it was 1800 ft higher. This was a big climb that Sunny lead the way on. I kept up with him the whole way and never felt the need to pass. The sweat was rolling down my face and onto my shirt which now had salt stains clearly visible since it is black. Inside the shelter was Little Tree, Squeak, the Wizard, and WD 40. They were consuming food and staying cool in the shade, or at least they were attempting to. They left before Sunny and I did. We filled up on water again and left a half hour later. The next 5.3 miles had a couple of rolls until we took a final climb up to Apple Orchard Mountain (4225 ft). The time was around 4:00 pm by the time I reached the summit. I waited for Sunny and the others who I left behind on the way up. On top was a huge round white sphere which I assume is probably a NWS radar. I can't leave meteorology behind. Everyone sat on top of the mountain for an hour. I put sunscreen on since the sun was intense. I'm sweating just thinking about it again.On the way down, we went under the guillotine which is a rock wedged between two boulders that the trail passes under. Next we hit the Blue Ridge Parkway and waiting for us was John H. He cooked us some breakfast with pancakes, eggs, kielbasa, and fruit juice. That was some fantastic trail magic to have late on a Monday. It was 6:30 pm by the time we all left and we still had 6.9 miles to our designated camping location. It was mostly downhill, but by the time we reached High Cock Knob, it was too dark to see. I used my head lamp for the final 2 miles. We rolled into camp at 9:00 pm and I'm exhausted.
Date: 2009-04-28
From: Marble Spring

To: Brown Mountain Creek Shelter
Miles today: 27.7
Weather: broken clouds

Miles from Springer: 795.3I got up at 6:30 am and immediately followed through the usual morning schedule. At 8:00 am I was hiking. The landscape this morning was spectacular. Trees at lower elevations now have leaves and flowers are blossoming at all elevations. I was beginning to think I could beat spring north, but I believe it is now passing me.The first five miles to Matt's Creek Shelter were downhill. I signed the register and moved ahead. The next shelter was about 4 miles away over relatively flat terrain to the James River. It was beautiful and the smell of the water reminded me of the beach.I made it to the next shelter at 11:30 am. It was time for lunch (peanut butter tortilla, airhead, and water) and getting more water. I left the shelter after noon which is when Sunny arrived. He told me that he and the others jumped into the James River from the footbridge. I was a bit upset I didn't do that, but I've jumped from an airplane at greater than 10,000 ft before, so I'm not too stressed about it.I began the climb up to Bluff Mountain. This may have been the worst ascent yet! You go from 1,000 ft to 3,000 ft in 3.1 miles. There wer numerous switchbacks and the grade was strenuous. I was glad to have a full water bladder. At this time, air temperatures must have been in the mid to upper 80s with the sun scorching the skin. At 3,000 ft I still wasn't finished because the trail follows the ridge for 4 miles before making a climb to 3,372 ft.I rested on the summit when Sunny came up. He and I made it to the next shelter at 4:00 pm. I grabbed more water and hiked on for another 8.1 miles.   I knew it was mostly downhill and flat so I went for it. This distance put me at Brown Mountain Creek Shelter just before yet another big climb. Sunny pulled the mileage as well. This should benefit us since now we climb up Bluff Mountain early when it is cool and maybe before some t'storms roll in (that is the rumor). It was a nearly 12 hour day of hiking and my feet know it.
Date: 2009-04-29
From: Brown Mountain Creek Shelter

To: The Priest Shelter
Miles today: 22.7
Weather: overcast clouds

Miles from Springer: 818.0Well, I just got a voicemail from Sam the Jam saying that he concluded his trip yesterday. He had a beautiful day, as did I, on McAfee Knob. I miss my hiking companion, but I am fine so far on my own. When I think about the start of our trip in Hartford to the end in Damascus Va, it is hard not to smile. I can't wait until we can reminisce in our old stories and share new ones when I'm in State College. Congratulations Jam!Today, I woke up at 6:15 am and started my packing routine. My food bag is finally becoming lighter. I know because I ran out of oatmeal this morning. I have Pop Tarts for the next couple mornings to hold me over.Everyone who was thru hiking left prior to my departure which was earlier than usual (7:45 am). The 2,700 foot climb up Bald Knob took 2 hours for the 4.6 miles. Although it was cooler today, the sweat still rolled down my face. The weather looked grim from the top. There were very dark clouds to the south and west and the wind clearly was converging toward them. I thought I'd need my rain gear for sure, but it stayed overcast all day. Afternoon temperatures were cooler than in the morning so it was a good day to hike.Just after the summit, I made a peanut butter & raisin tortilla for quick calories. That powered me for another 4 hours. I hiked 10 miles to the next shelter over a bald and around a few ridges. I guess the trail designers decided to be a little gentle on us thru-hikers. At the shelter, I caught up to Lunatic who was snacking and I decided to make another tortilla.Sunny, who I passed between balds, arrived a bit later and pushed on to Montebello for a mail drop and a stay at a bed and breakfast. I was originally going to stay at the B&B, but I noticed I had enough food to make it to Waynesboro two days away. Plus, the heavens never opened up.I trailed Lunatic for the next 7 miles to the Priest Shelter. It is only he and I tonight. Tomorrow is a huge descent from the Priest followed by a 3,000 foot climb up Three Ridges Mountain. I hope either this fog remains or it clears so I can put another 20 mile day under my belt.
Date: 2009-04-30
From: The Priest Shelter

To: Paul C. Wolfe Shelter
Miles today: 29.5
Weather: overcast clouds

Miles from Springer: 847.5Last night was cold and damp on the Priest. My new 45 degree sleeping bag probably wouldn't cut it by itself, but that is why I still have my cold weather clothing. The fog was thick all night and everything inside the shelter collected drops of water. I'm sure that didn't help my sleeping bag situation since it is filled with down.I got up at 6:30 or 6:15 am and made quick packing progress. I ran out of oatmeal so I had Pop Tarts and there was no tent to put away either since I slept in the shelter. Thus, I was hiking by 7:15 am and had the steep downhill of the Priest awaiting me. I went from 4,063 ft to 970 ft in 4.3 miles. The trail was all switchbacks and straight down. It turned out to be an easy descent that I did in an hour or so.Right when you hit the bottom of The Priest, you start another huge climb up to 3,870 ft called Three Ridges Mountain. I climbed the first 1,000 ft over 2.5 miles to Harpers Creek Shelter in an hour and came in around 10:00 am. I was starving so I ate two peanut butter & raisin tortillas. From here, Lunatic and I climbed the final 2,000 ft in 3.3 miles to the summit. It was steep and lasted forever. I believe we reached the top at noon and took a short break before descending to Maupin Field Shelter. We got in at 1:00 pm and filled up on water before leaving a half hour later.Our plan was to hike 12 more miles to a spring and camp since we'd already done 13.7 miles. The hike was really unsatisfying since it was on the side of a ridge and covered in rocks. Plus, today was overcast so there were no views to be had.We sat down at Cedar Cliffs to rest our aching feet and knees before pushing on to the top of Humpback Mountain. This would have been an easy climb had there not been rocks everywhere. The trail was also very indecisive on a path so a lot of distance was just going back and forth aimlessly.We got to our planned stopping point and noticed that there were no camping sites next to the spring. The whole mountain was littered with rocks. So, we hiked the remaining 4 miles to the shelter. The clouds started to look threatening so Lunatic and I high-tailed it and got in at 7:00 pm. After 12 hours of hiking, we'd gone 29.5 miles and are now just 5 miles from Waynesboro and the start of the Shenandoah National Park. The terrain profiles from here to PA look much flatter. I'm still on schedule to get to Duncannon, PA by May 15.
Date: 2009-05-01
From: Paul C. Wolfe Shelter

To: Rockfish Gap/ Waynesboro, VA
Miles today: 5.0
Weather: light rain

Miles from Springer: 852.5I slept in until 6:45 am since I knew the hike today was so short. Lunatic had the same train of thought. I finished off the 2.5 Pop Tarts I had left, some trail mix, and a PayDay. That pretty much emptied my foodbag.The hiking part of the day took a couple hours. We left at 8:00 am and pulled into Rockfish Gap at 10:00 am. The only event of note is that we came across two turtles in the middle of the trail. One was pointed southbound and the other northbound.Rockfish Gap is the beginning/ending of the Blue Ridge Parkway and Shenandoah National Park. There was a visitor center not too far off that we went to to get a ride into town. Waynesboro is very friendly and citizens (trail angels) have volunteered to drive a needy hiker the 4.5 miles into town. I called trail angel Tom B. who picked Lunatic and I up and gave us a brief tour of the town before dropping us off at the Quality Inn.I purchased my own room and promptly took a shower. Then I did laundry at a place across the street. While that was was tumbling, I went to Subway. Evidently it isn't $5 for any foot long anymore, but the oven roasted chicken breast sandwich was still had the deal and I made it a meal. After eating and laundry, I ventured to the library to use the internet and then Kroger for groceries. For dinner, I ordered pizza and salad and brought it back to enjoy while watching hockey. I also picked up Epson salt and a pint of ice cream at CVS.A nice relaxing day here in a pleasant town.
Date: 2009-05-02
From: Rockfish Gap/ Waynesboro, VA

To: Blackrock Gap
Miles today: 20.0

Miles From Springer: 872.5This morning I slept until 7:45 am and packed before going to the complementary breakfast. They had waffles, muffins, yogurt, and english muffins which worked for me. I left the hotel at 10:45 am and went to CVS before calling trail angel Ann for a ride to Rockfish Gap. She has actually been to Vernon before because her cousin lived there. Her daughter now works in the area. In terms of hiking, I began around noon and was really pumped to be in Shenandoah National Park. The trees are all green and the terrain is a bit easier. I went 7 miles to the first shelter to have lunch. It was only 2:30 pm so I decided to truck it another 13 miles to Blackrock Gap. The skies stayed cloudy and temperatures were comfortable so conditions were perfect for hiking.The terrain today was easier, but I still felt like I had a good workout. The trail was virtually rockless and the gradient was mild. There is an abundance of shrubs along the trail here and I must have seen 5 deer. I pulled into the shelter at 7:10 pm. It will be interesting to see how far I go tomorrow when I leave earlier. Good news is Wizard is here tonight. A group of section hikers from Richmond, VA are also around.
Date: 2009-05-03
From: Blackrock Gap

To: Hightop Hut
Miles today: 21.4
Weather: moderate rain

Miles from Springer: 893.9Last night it began raining around 10:00 pm and continued for 26 hours straight. I made a serving of oatmeal and ate a couple Pop Tarts before hiking. I had no idea what time it was at any point today since I packed my watch in my sleeping bag unintentionally.The hike was just very wet today. The trail was still in excellent condition despite the rain. My hands did get a chill and shrivel, but other than that, the water didn't bother me much. There were no views of course, but I still saw a few deer and rabbits while on trail.I took my first break at Lewis Campground. Along the Shenandoah Parkway there are stores and campgrounds. I popped by to see if the store was open, but it wasn't. Hopefully some of the others down trail will be so I can eat comfortably without meager rationing for the next three days until I reach Front Royal, Virginia.Once I reached the first shelter, I was ready for more food. I made a peanut butter tortilla and chowed down some trail mix. It was also nice to be out of the rain.Not long after I started hiking again, the rain stopped and it became a thick fog/drizzle for the rest of my time on trail. I was hoping to pull big miles over this easy terrain, but with all this moisture I'm just maintaining the 20 miles per day pace.Tonight it is Peanut, Wizard, and I in a cool, damp shelter.
Date: 2009-05-04
From: Hightop Hut

To: Rock Spring Hut
Miles today: 23.9
Weather: light rain

Miles from Springer: 917.8Well, it was another day of fog and rain today. It was slightly difficult to get up and going. Rain doesn't phase me anymore since I hiked in the snow around the Roan Highlands. I must have seen 10 deer throughout the day. Two were on trail and I got within 10 feet of them before they moved. The national park , absent of hunting, has created a sanctuary of sorts for them I presume.Most of the trail was really flat so I have no tough climbs or descents to speak of. Of course, the fog eliminated any potential views.My highlights today center around food. The Lewis Campground store was open so I bought snacks and an ice cream sandwich. It's not ice cream weather, but I'm always in the mood. Eight miles later was Big Meadow Wayside which sold chili and hamburgers so that is what I ordered along with a soft serve ice cream cone. Wizard and I enjoyed the warm food and shelter.We hiked the next 4 or 5 miles to Rock Spring Hut which is already crawling with mice. I wish I could camp, but this weather puts those thoughts to rest.
Date: 2009-05-05
From: Rock Spring Hut

To: Gravel Springs Hut
Miles today: 28.4
Weather: overcast clouds

Miles from Springer: 946.2Last night may have been the worst sleep I've had on the trip. The shelter floors are soaked due to constant fog for the past 48 hours. I put my ground cloth (tyvek) on the floor, my sleeping pad on top, and finally my sleeping bag. The only thing I couldn't prevent was moisture coming from above. The fog is so thick I think the down bag fails pretty easily. I had warm clothes on, but it helped only a little.Needless to say, it was easy to start hiking this morning. I began at 7:30 am and was between two cloud decks on Hawksbill Mountain. 4.5 miles into the hike, there was Skyland Restaurant which I couldn't pass up. It was built like a huge log cabin. The inside was like the Wilderness Lodge at Disney World. I looked out of place among the tourists. I ordered an omelet, homefries, and an orange juice. It was a good second breakfast.Leaving the lodge, I hiked to the highest point that the AT reaches in SNP (3,838 ft). I had a good ascent up Pinnacle Mountain and then descent to Thorton Gap until I reached a shelter at 2:00 pm for lunch. I had the option of calling it a day there, but I decided to push on 13 miles to the next shelter. The first 5 miles went quick, but it started raining and I was chilled and soaked quickly.There was a Wayside which sold food about 7 miles beyond my lunch location. I went in to stay dry and have a BBQ pork sandwich. From here, I had a big climb and descent to reach Gravel Spring. It stopped raining, but the fog remains.Tonight in the shelter is Big Boots, Wyoming, Awol, and myself. I'm looking forward to leaving the National Park tomorrow, going to the Front Royal Hostel and into town.