morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2018-04-06
From: Bald Mountain Shelter 

To: No Business Knob Shelter
Miles today: 10.6
Weather: clear sky

It was relatively warm today, packing up was pleasant for a change (cold hands and feet). It was even warm enough for a quick stream side ¢bandanna bath¢. There are lots of small flowers popping up: yellow, white, pink, and purple. I was passing a patch of purple ones when tiny purple butterflies took off from them...like the flowers were taking flight.Rain started just as I arrived at the shelter. I decided again to stay inside and claimed an end spot. There¢s room for six and there are seven now plus several tents outside and more arriving in the dark. On the overfull platform with me are Which Way, Next Step, Impact, Zero, Sparrows, and Beans; all of whom I¢ve run across before (Which Way and Next Step are the couple I camped near the other night and, as I know now, the ones who brought the boxes of food on Easter). The conversation is relaxed and lively. It¢s amazing how much we all have in common on and off the trail. I like it.
Date: 2018-04-07
From: No Business Knob Shelter

To: Uncle JohnnyÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs Hostel 
Miles today: 7.1

A foggy, mostly downhill hike into Uncle Johnny¢s Hostel just steps from the trail outside Erwin, TN. When I arrived they were cleaning the facilities after a sewer overflow in the shower and laundry building. Oh boy. I needed re-supply so I checked in and hung my hammock under a roofed area built just for that and hopped on their noon shuttle to shop and have lunch. Nine of us had all you can eat salad and pizza then hit the Dollar General until the van picked us up at 1:30. The showers and laundry were up and running upon our return, clean up and gear sorting filled the hours until the evening shuttle back into town. I finished my shopping at Walmart and ate way too much lasagna at a nice little Italian place before returning to hang a bit before turning in. I¢m undecided about tomorrow. I¢ve got a painful blister (my first so far) and I don¢t know if I can hike without making it worse. Too soon for another Zero but we¢ll see.
Date: 2018-04-08
From: Erwin, TN

To: Erwin, TN
Miles today: 0.0

Mr. Blister woke me this morning. The toe hosting him was red and throbbing. Uh-oh! I bought alcohol and bandages yesterday but failed to be proactive enough so I zeroed today and tended to things by frequently cleaning and changing bandages. By evening it was much better.I¢ve got three pairs of socks: Darn Tough wool hikers, Injinji ¢toe socks¢, and Sealskinz waterproof socks. I¢ve been wearing the Injinjis almost all the time and have had no blisters. I only wear the Seslskinz in camp or when it¢s very cold and wet. I hadn¢t worn the Darn Tough one¢s at all until a few days ago and that¢s when I got the blister. Lesson learned. There¢s a group of local fishermen on an annual outing renting a cabin here. They call themselves ¢The Happy Hookers¢ and invited everyone to join them for dinner. The Hostel owners contributed a big pot of chili and everyone gathered around the fire to eat and drink beers with music blaring (country of course!). Nice guys, I enjoyed chatting with them, doing my best to represent Jersey well. I ate too much and they¢re moving on to whiskey so I excused myself and am listening from my hang spot across the yard. I can see the mountains where I¢m headed and they¢re covered with snow. Overnight rain here means more white stuff up there. Despite that I hope Mr. Blister will allow me to proceed in the morning. Too many zeros and I¢m raring to go...
Date: 2018-04-09
From: Uncle JohnnyÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs Hostel 

To: Mile 353.8
Miles today: 10.0

Cold, foggy, and super damp today. I left Erwin planning to go only 4.4 miles to a shelter but the blister felt ok so I kept going till dark. The snow at altitude is nearly all melted and turned to mud.Trying to average 12+ miles a day this week so I¢ll go for 15 tomorrow. I¢m considering sending for my summer gear in a couple weeks to lighten my load. On we go...
Date: 2018-04-10
From: Mile 353.8

To: Mile 366.8
Miles today: 13.0

A chilly day, perfect to keep moving. There¢s still some lingering snow at higher elevations but it¢ll be melted soon as temperatures are supposed to rise each day to near 80 on Friday. I stopped twice to change Mr Blister¢s bandage, he slowed me down a little but didn¢t get worse. Around 3:00 at a road crossing I got Magic from ¢Rob the Casper Van guy¢ (his van has Casper the Ghost on it). Cherry pie and soda, sweet! He recommended a hostel up the trail near Roan, TN. I might stop there but no zero...gotta log some miles. I¢m trying to do a better job of remembering names and faces, something I¢ve never been good at. It¢s especially hard because most everybody here dresses the same and most of the guys have beards. Today I¢m committed to remember Skywater, Manny, and Moose.Onward...
Date: 2018-04-11
From: Mile 366.8

To: Mile 380.6
Miles today: 13.8

I said it would be warmer today...wrong! It¢s like a meat locker up here in the Roan highlands! Everything over 5000ft elevation is still frozen. At least the sun was out all day. I was thinking about staying at the Roan Mountain Shelter tonight. At 6249ft up it¢s the highest shelter on the whole AT. There¢s room for 15 so I figured I¢d give it a try just for the novelty of it. The trail up there was very icy and the side trail to the shelter looked like a frozen waterfall so I passed it by. Instead I¢m in a grove of trees on a bald (a grass covered mountain top) 2 miles up the trail. My GPS Trail App says I¢m at 5795.3ft as I hang in my hammock. The trail across the bald is about 50ft from me and apparently quite popular. At sunset several people walked their dogs past without noticing me. I suppose I¢ll have visitors at sunrise as well. I¢m a little beat up after today. Not only was it cold but the trail was very rugged. For miles it consisted of loose, three to six inch rocks, tough on the feet and ankles. Gonna be cold in the morning but I should be back below 4000ft by tomorrow night. Yes, it¢s everything I signed up for...and it¢s still awesome!!
Date: 2018-04-12
From: Mile 380.6

To: Mountain Harbor Hostel
Miles today: 14.5

I said goodbye to North Carolina today. Two states down, twelve to go! All my days out here are good but today was hands down the best so far. Sunny and cool with incredible views all day long. The trail went up and over vast grassy balds, occasionally ducking down into surreal groves of stunted moss covered trees, still bare of leaves. Pictures could not come close to capturing it.I decided to stop in the town of Roan Mountain for laundry and a shower. There are two hostels at the road crossing. One is a longstanding business that offered a spot to hang my hammock for $10. The other recently opened and has varied accommodations starting at $30. Sounds simple right? Not so fast: the $30 place has a craft beer bar on premises! About half a mile out of town there was a man cutting brush on what looked to be an unmaintained side trail just off the AT. He introduced himself as a hostel owner and said he planned to re-establish the side trail leading directly to his hostel. ¢Do you like beer?¢, he asked...¢Yes. Yes, I do¢...¢My hostel has a craft beer bar and it¢s right up the road from the trail, we¢ve got plenty of beds tonight.¢ I thanked him, wished him well with his new business, and headed to Mountain Harbor Hostel for a $10 hammock spot. It¢s very nice here, there¢s a food truck with a hearty menu, lots of washing machines, and hot showers. After dinner a nice man from Germany gave me a Budweiser. It tasted crafty. Most of the folks I¢ve seen on the trail this week are here too including Mel, Spirit Man, Moose, Cackles, Blade, and Fin. All is good in my little world tonite. Food truck breakfast is at 8:00 then resupply, relax for a few hours, and back NOBO. Tomorrow I¢ll hit 400 miles...
Date: 2018-04-13
From: Mountain Harbor Hostel

To: Mile 407.0
Miles today: 11.9

Another lovely sunny day, not as warm as predicted. Got started late after a magnificent food truck breakfast at the hostel: bravo Chef Dave! My belly was stuffed but the terrain was flatter and less rugged making for easy miles, some of them along a grassy river bank. Had I not showered only yesterday I might have jumped in. This week everyone got sunscreen out and we¢re working on our hiker sock tan lines. At lower elevations the ground is green and the vines and trees are leafing out. The only shade so far has been under stands of balsam and inside the rhododendron tunnels. Fin met a SOBOer who reported passing 68 NOBOers in one day. I recall Slow Motion passed about 30 a few weeks ago. That means the big bubble is getting closer. I hadn¢t noticed because I haven¢t stayed near the shelters much recently. Most nights I¢ve been ¢stealth¢ camping. That means just finding a spot anywhere along the trail, usually away from established campsites. When hikers meet in the afternoon it¢s often asked ¢where are you headed to?¢. My answer has been ¢6 or 7:00¢. I find it more efficient to hike till evening, load up on water, and continue until I find a nice spot. The hammock makes it easy because I don¢t need level ground to set up. If I had a tent I think I¢d need to hire a caddy to help me read the greens searching for a flat spot!Till tomorrow...
Date: 2018-04-14
From: Mile 407.0

To: Boone, NC
Miles today: 12.6

I got a text last night from Kathy Wiswell (Schroeder) offering food, rest, and company at her and John¢s place in Boone, NC. I initially declined then tossed and turned all night regretting that choice. Why shouldn¢t I visit old friends when given a chance? Duh! First thing in the morning I called back, arraignments were made, and John picked me up at 4:00 after a mostly downhill hike to the next road crossing. After I got cleaned up John treated me to burger, beer, and conversation (Kathy is out of town, due back late tonite). Now, here I am in a real bed for the first time in weeks. Once again there¢s bad weather on the trail as I chill in town. The mountain forecast is for torrential rain turning to snow over the next few days. While that¢s all happening I¢ll enjoy catching up with friends and plotting my return. Sweet!
Date: 2018-04-17
From: Boone, NC

To: Mile 433.1
Miles today: 13.5

Back on the trail this morning after a few days in Boone visiting Kathy and John. I enjoyed their company, the excellent food, and the super comfy bed! I am grateful once again for the opportunity to spend time with good friends as part of my journey.Last night John and I went to Appalachian State University (where they both work) to hear a presentation about abolitionist John Brown¢s many children. It was interesting and relevant to learn more about the man as the AT will take me right through Harpers Ferry Historical Park in about a month.This morning I hired one of Dr. Schroeder¢s students to give me a ride back to the trail. Joshua dropped me off right where John picked me up and I was back in the rhododendrons. I followed a river for a bit. There was a big waterfall followed by some tricky waterside steps along a rock face. Saturday¢s rain has swollen the river and it was overflowing onto the trail in spots. As I climbed uphill it got very windy and up high there was still snow on the ground. Someone made a snowman along the trail leading back down to Watauga Lake. They¢ve had bear problems at Watauga the past few years so the shelter and camping areas are closed. Signs are posted banning anyone from entering the area except ¢Park Rangers, Firefighters, and AT Thru Hikers¢. I¢ve got two of those covered! The rules required me to hike through the area without stopping. I covered the five miles quickly, went a little further to be safe, and here I am on a ridgeline watching the sun set.There¢s decent weather predicted for the next few days so I should be able make good progress . It¢s 37 miles to Damascus, I¢d like to get there on Friday morning. Let¢s continue...
Date: 2018-04-18
From: Mile 433.1

To: Mile 449.8
Miles today: 16.7

I felt good today so I just kept going until sunset. The weather was nice but it¢s getting real windy now and beginning to rain. I hope my tree and limb spotting skills are good enough to keep me safe. Since I started in February I¢ve heard three trees fall, none of them close by. Sooner or later they all come down.The weather tomorrow won¢t be as nice but I¢d like to post 15 or so miles. That would set me up for a morning arrival in Damascus, Virginia on Friday for resupply. Damascus has declared itself ¢Trail-town USA¢ so I¢m looking forward to checking it out.Note: I enjoy reading the messages posted in the guest book for this journal. It gives me a lift to see that people are enjoying my posts. If you are curious about any aspect of this thing I¢m doing please let me know. I¢ve got a lot of daily posts to go and it¢ll give me something to write about! That said: Questions? Anyone? Mrs Taft¢s class maybe?
Date: 2018-04-19
From: Mile 449.8

To: Mile 467.1
Miles today: 17.3

Cold and windy today, VERY windy. I kept warm by walking and before I knew it I had my biggest mileage day yet. I said goodbye to Tennessee and will be calling Virginia home for the next 500 miles, the longest I¢ll be in any one state during my hike.While hiding from the wind for lunch at a shelter I met Louie from Canada and two women from Denmark: Dirty Girl and Valkyrie. Also there were Finn, Rebecca(?), and two gentlemen I¢ve been leapfrogging for a few days. All of us would have liked to stay in Damascus tonite but alas, everything is booked. I stopped for the night a few miles short of town and called in a reservation for tomorrow. I¢m guessing the others are doing the same.
Date: 2018-04-20
From: Mile 467.1

To: Damascus, VA
Miles today: 2.7

I treated myself to a swanky room here in Damascus at the Virginia Creeper Lodge -  named for a popular bicycle path that runs through here. There¢s a nice kitchen in the common area so I bought groceries and cooked myself dinner to celebrate my 2 month hiking anniversary. It was quite nice and healthy to boot.After dinner I went to Damascus Brewing Co. to sample the suds. The place was full of filthy hikers, my kinda place! Had a long talk with Crazy Brit and bought a beer for the German guy, Marco, who gave me a Budweiser last week. He¢s off trail tomorrow heading to NYC and a decidedly not swanky $40 lower east side hostel before returning home. I advised him to skip Tompkins Square Park and head west to Washington Square. He plans to return to the US and continue his AT adventure from here next year.I¢ll be outa here in the morning after cooking myself a hearty breakfast. I might linger a bit to meet up with fellow Jersey guy John. He¢s all healed up, hiking fast, and will be arriving in this town tomorrow morning. It¢ll be nice to see him. The weather today was spectacularly nice. I was glad to be able to enjoy it sitting down for a change. Back at it tomorrow...
Date: 2018-04-21
From: Damascus, VA

To: Mile 479.5
Miles today: 9.6

Another beautiful day. I left Damascus about noon after meeting long lost John for coffee, he¢s finally caught up after his foot injury and is taking a zero there. It was good to see another Jersey hiker...so few of us out here.There are no doubt statistics on all of this this but here is roughly what I see:40%-50% of thru hikers are from southeastern states, 20%-30% are from the rest of the US, and the rest are from abroad: mostly Germany, England, and Australia. Sidebar: If you mistake an Australian accent for British they politely correct you. If you mistake British for Australian you get ¢the look¢. I don¢t guess anymore.With few exceptions Americans and Canadians are either in their 20s or their 50s. Europeans are usually in their 30s-40s. 20s are hiking fast to get back to school or job. Foreigners have visas that run out in 6 months. We greybeards generally aren¢t in a hurry. A surprising number are retired from military service, teaching, or other government work. I¢ve met more than a few retired firefighters/EMTs but no law enforcement folks.Perhaps 4 of 10 hikers are women. Nearly every thru hiker I¢ve met is white. The ATC recently established a program to expand the diversity the the hiking community. Interestingly the folks I see out hiking for a day or weekend are more racially diverse. In Damascus and along the trail today there was another group of travelers: bicycle people, lots of them. The famous Virginia Creeper Bike Trail parallels the AT for several miles here, with a river separating the two. It was full of cyclists of all ages, from families with young children to full blown, tights wearing, pro looking bike guys. From what I saw in town cyclists gravitate to the more swanky establishments. Hikers generally shop at Dollar General and sleep in bunks.I stayed in an upscale lodge last night and talked touring bikes with one of the peddlists from an upstairs room. I asked him a few questions about expensive bike. He was happy to extol its many virtues and told me of the adventures they¢d had together. He was decidedly not interested in my hiking gear or anything about my adventure. Hmmm...Note: I¢m entering another poor cell service area...posts might be delayed.
Date: 2018-04-22
From: Mile 479.5

To: Mile 497.4
Miles today: 17.9

Big miles over varied terrain. The weather turned colder as the day went on, heavy rain predicted in the morning. I¢m camped at over 5000ft close to the top of Mt Rogers, Virginia¢s highest peak. So...that means it¢s all downhill into Harpers Ferry?The trees are still leafless but the rocky hillsides are covered with small white flowers with light pink stripes. There¢s enough of them so that it looks like snow on the ground. Pretty cool. And wouldn¢t ya know it, just after I said there are few Jersey guys out here I met Shawn wearing a Sevens Tech Lacrosse shirt. He¢s originally from Ocean City and knows Bay Head as he used to take the train frequently. He was on a day hike with his dog and headed for the summit but wisely turned back before reaching it so he could get down to his car before dark. Tomorrow I¢ll be in the Grayson Highlands, an area famous for the wild ponies that call it home. It¢ll be nasty out so I¢m not sure if I¢ll see them, they might all head for a hostel to stay dry.
Date: 2018-04-23
From: Mile 497.4

To: Mile 507.0
Miles today: 9.6

As predicted the weather today was, and is, absolutely awful. It was cold and pouring rain this morning so I waited, and waited to get started. Finally after 10:00 I gave up and mustered the energy to get packed up and on the trail. Mt Rogers and the Grayson Highlands were mostly void of trees and the wind was wicked, driving the rain (and me, on occasion) sideways. My gear was sufficient to keep me warm and mostly dry as long as I kept moving. All I saw of the famous ponies that reside here was manure, apparently they don¢t work in the rain. I saw other hikers but none of them were thru hiking making me wonder if I was following the right trail. At one point the enveloping clouds lifted to reveal a spectacular view. I took pictures from a few different spots before realizing I was no longer on the AT. I got out my phone and used the GPS app to get back on track...30 minutes and unnecessary energy wasted. Got some good pictures though!In better weather I could have covered 15 miles but by late afternoon I was sapped. I used my compass to find a place sheltered from the wind and after taking time to button everything down tight I¢m cozy and dry. It will not be pleasant getting under way tomorrow morning but so it goes...Da-da-da-da!
Date: 2018-04-24
From: Mile 507.0

To: Mile 519.5
Miles today: 12.5

Heavy overnight rain then drizzle, drizzle, drizzle. Parts of the trail were flooded with ankle deep rushing water; other parts just a slimy mess. It¢s warm enough so that break down and set up is not as miserable...except for the wet socks. Yuck. There were cows mooing in the woods. Kinda odd. Every now and then I caught a glimpse of them through the trees. Are they following me? Dynasty (NOBO) heard tell of a local bull that will stand on the trail and stare you down: ¢You shall not pass!¢. Out of respect I kept the jerky tucked away and had SPAM for lunch. As I ate the SPAM at one of the shelters a young lady was distressed as she had lost touch with her hiking partner. She didn¢t know if he was ahead or behind and cell phones hadn¢t worked all day. She was about to leave a note and hike on when he walked up. She gave him a big hug and the song ¢Reunited¢ began playing in my mind. And THEN the guy actually starts singing it! Peace¢s and Herb?! How many people actually know that song?! Now it¢s stuck in my head along with the ¢500 miles¢ song. ¢Reunited and it feels so good...Da-da-da-da!!¢ Great...on we go...Musical references:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26J0uDIGErMhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbNlMtqrYS0
Date: 2018-04-25
From: Mile 519.5

To: Mile 528.3
Miles today: 8.8

Cloudy today with some wind and rain. The wetness is wearing me down a bit more each day. There¢s no sense in pushing too hard, just gotta roll with it till the sun comes back.Because it¢s been so nasty out I¢ve been eating more food than usual to keep my energy up. Resupply is after tomorrow so in an effort to conserve I had a very light breakfast. Soon my energy level was low and I was struggling. Wouldn¢t ya know it: as I came to a road crossing Ramblin¢ Rose got out of her van and held out a bowl of goodies!! She was waiting for her NOBO husband Turtle...I¢m glad he¢s not named Hare or she might have been gone already. I gratefully gobbled down snack cakes and Easter candy then took some ¢to go¢ as Napoleon (NOBO) walked up and took my place at the Magic trough. Thanks Ramblin¢ Rose!That food helped but I still needed to conserve. I stopped at a shelter to cook a meager portion of rice for lunch. As I ate four Day Hikers showed up and gave me Fritos and an orange. They had packed in dry wood and got a cozy fire going in the shelter fireplace while we chatted. Shawn (NOBO) arrived and as I¢d eaten all the Magic Fritos they gave him half a sub. Things do have a way of working out. Thanks Day Hikers!This afternoon I saw my first deer, or at least the first one not running away. It waited patiently for me to take some pictures before bounding off into the fog. Later as I crossed a cow pasture the tale proved to be true: A bull was grazing right smack dab on the trail and eyeballed me as I detoured around him. Gandalf!George Nicholas is driving down from New Jersey tomorrow with my lighter ¢summer¢ gear. After he picks me up at a road crossing we¢ll head down to Damascus until he returns me on his way back on Saturday morning. It¢ll be good to get dry, lighten my pack, and catch up on news from home.