morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2022-09-19
From: Woods Hole Hostel (Exit at Sugar Run Rd) Mile 626.7 

To: Weary Feet Hostel (Exit at shortcut) Mile 611.1
Miles today: 15.6
Weather: overcast clouds

We woke up in time to catch the sunrise. The best views are probably from the fields, but I sat on the bunkhouse porch and got my feet ready while watching the sun rise. There¢s fog down in the valley but the sunrise was still pretty nice. We had a delicious breakfast at the hostel and I was definitely quite full when I was done. Orchid, Coach, Crossword, Cat Water and I are all slackpacking and we dropped off our stuff to be transported to the next hostel and then took off for the day. We¢re going up Sugar Run Mt which is a 4000 foot mountain but it¢s a small climb from hostel given the starting elevation. Coach slowly pulled away from Orchid and I as we climbed up the hill. We had the occasional overgrown spot and rocky spot but in general the terrain today was really nice and we made good time today. Definitely a cruisy kind of day. Got some views overlooking the foggy valley and hazy mountains. Bloom caught us shortly before lunch and we met up with Coach at lunch at the first shelter. The four of us hiked briefly together before Coach pulled away and it was just the three of us. We chatted and did some Mad Libs to pass the time. About a mile before the hostel we were separated by about 40m when Orchid saw a bear off to the side of the trail. It immediately took off down the hill once it saw her. Bloom and I heard it crashing through the woods but never saw it. We caught up with Coach shortly before the turnoff for the hostel and made it there without any further incident. Today was basically a pleasant walk in the woods and there wasn¢t anything too exciting about the day except for the bear which wasn¢t that exciting. Everyone heading south from Woods Hole is also here tonight and Early Bird made it here as well. Coach, Orchid and I walked close to two miles round trip to resupply from Trent¢s Grocery and get some ice cream. The hostel had a very nice dinner and we all hung out on the porch afterwards chatting. It¢s one of the aspects of the trail that I really enjoy. I did manage to find some time to get some social media posts to get somewhat caught up. Steps 37500Weather Forecast: 75/60 partly sunny
Date: 2022-09-20
From: Weary Feet Hostel (Exit at shortcut) Mile 611.1

To: Weary Feet Hostel (Exit at US 52) Mile 593
Miles today: 18.1
Weather: light rain

We had a huge breakfast this morning with eggs, homemade sausage patties, and all you can eat pancakes. Early Bird tried for the pancake record but fell short. I ended up eating three and then had to slowly waddle away from the table. Robert from the hostel shuttled us out to the drop off point and we learned a bunch about how the bear dogs work and that there is apparently a chase season which we¢re currently in with the hunting season being in December. There¢s a youth hunting window coming up this weekend so we¢ll need to start preparing for hiking in hunting season. He dropped off Coach, Orchid and I at Rt 52 road crossing by Brushy Mountain Outpost. We¢re slackpacking northbound back to the hostel. Cat Water is also but getting dropped off at a different road crossing. We ended up only passing Bloom and Early Bird around the halfway point. Seems like our group is a little bubble. We started with a 3/4 mile road walk and then except for about the last two miles the trail today was really nice and it was primarily dirt and not overgrown. It had some ups and downs but nothing really bad. We were making almost 3mph moving average which is way faster than usual. No real views or anything all that exciting to see. Orchid and I generally were a bit behind Coach but we ate snack and lunch with him even though none of us were all that hungry after breakfast. He passed the 600 to go mark and then hit the 1600 mile mark and made a sign and took some photos. Orchid and I passed some of the time listening to Dolly Parton¢s America podcast. The last two miles had a bunch of rocks and some spots were starting to get covered in leaves which slowed down the pace. We were just a bit behind Coach but he waited for us at the end and we all headed back to the hostel together. Overall it took just under 7 hours to go the distance today.Headed back to Trent¢s Grocery, this time by car, for some drinks and ice cream. There¢s a northbound hiker here as well as the four of us that slackpacked. Had another great dinner and spent a while chatting with the hostel owner and among ourselves. Ended up getting to bed a bit earlier than in past nights after packing up a bunch of gear tonight. Steps 36700Weather Forecast: 78/52 partly sunny
Date: 2022-09-21
From: Weary Feet Hostel (Exit at US 52) Mile 593

To: Burkes Garden Dirt Rd established campsite Mile 572.4
Miles today: 20.6
Weather: clear sky

It was the same breakfast as yesterday and I managed to eat just as much. Downside of this is I know I won¢t be hungry for all the snacks that I bought and so will be carrying them into the next resupply. Robert dropped us off at the same place as yesterday and the car ride was just as interesting and informative. Bloom and Early Bird were at the parking lot when we got there. Bloom started hiking with Orchid and I while Early Bird got a breakfast sandwich from Brushy Mountain Outpost. Shortly after starting our climb we went through the first of two burn areas, the second was close to the end of the day. The first part of the day wasn¢t too bad although not that exciting either, and we made good time to the first shelter where we met Coach and the four of us ate lunch. Bloom, then Coach and finally Orchid and I left the shelter. The second half of the day was tough with lots of small to medium ups and downs as we walked along the ridge next to Burke¢s Garden. This is a geological feature which is a limestone sinkhole. Unfortunately we didn¢t really get any views down into the valley due to trees or being on the wrong side of the ridge. It was primarily on the sunny side of the ridge and it was one of the hottest days we¢ve had recently so we were all sweating pretty badly. In addition it had a fair amount of rocks. All of us are basically hating this little section today. It¢s one of the few times this trip where I felt like it was a mundane day just making miles. Orchid and I passed Coach resting on the side of the trail just before the downhill into camp. At the last minute we changed the location to another campsite about .2 miles further with better water so we waited for Coach. Turns out Bloom could hear us and waited for a while before she headed to the next shelter up the hill and we just missed her. The three of us got to camp about 5 so although it was a tough day still made reasonable time. We were able to easily find a tree to hang the bear bag and after dinner it was starting to get pretty dark so we headed into the tents around 8. Today was the first day of fall pretty warm, and the warmest in a while, but tomorrow night will be the coldest yet with lows around 40. Steps 43800Weather Forecast: 83/64 sunny
Date: 2022-09-23
From: Reed Creek Established Site Mile 553.7

To: Long Neck Lair Alpaca Farm Hostel (Exit at US RT 11) Mile 547.0
Miles today: 6.7
Weather: overcast clouds

Orchid measured 45 in her tent and 42 outside the tent. I slept reasonably well despite a of couple chilly moments mostly when the quilt wasn¢t fully tucked in. However getting out of the sleeping bag in the cold and dark was pretty hard and I desperately wanted to set the alarm for an hour or two later. We left camp one by one as we finished getting ready with Orchid and I leaving last. Hands were definitely cold for quite a while after we started hiking.  I also have a bit of congestion going on this morning. We passed the 3/4 mark and there was actually a sign to mark the occasion. We had another pasture walk today and this time there were actually cows in the field. They were mostly scattered in groups of 1 to 2 throughout the field except for one that was standing in the AT about 10m from the style we had to climb over. She moseyed off the trail as I climbed over and otherwise didn¢t pay us any attention. Lots of cow pies to avoid in the field. Coach was waiting for us at the road before town and we all walked into town to the Exxon station together to grab some drinks and snacks. Bloom was there and like good hiker trash we hung out in the sun out of the wind along the side of the building until the SweetWater restaurant opened. The four of us went in for an early lunch and were joined halfway through by Early Bird. They had a piano and Coach played and sang for us and Bloom and Early Bird played as well. Bloom and Early Bird took off together after lunch while Coach, Orchid and I headed up to the hostel. We started laundry and then headed into town for a bunch of resupply. Started getting more congested so I picked up some cold meds just in case. After we got back to the hostel I lay down and fell asleep for a long nap. Orchid and Coach picked up some Mexican takeout for me. With getting everything sorted for tomorrow didn¢t get to sleep as early as I was hoping. Tomorrow we start a four day push into Damascus VA. Steps 18800Weather Forecast: 67/43 mostly sunny
Date: 2022-09-24
From: Long Neck Lair Alpaca Farm Hostel (Exit at US RT 11) Mile 547.0

To: Long Neck Lair Alpaca Farm Hostel (Exit at US RT 11) Mile 547.0
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

I¢m definitely sick today with congestion and  a fever which started overnight. I spent most of the day in bed napping. Coach and Orchid are still feeling good. I did walk down the long driveway two times and felt pretty good. Cat Water arrived today and she is staying in the private room in the house. We¢ll see what happens tomorrow.Steps 3000Weather Forecast: 71/53 mostly sunny
Date: 2022-09-25
From: Long Neck Lair Alpaca Farm Hostel (Exit at US RT 11) Mile 547.0

To: Long Neck Lair Alpaca Farm Hostel (Exit at Mt Rogers HQ) Mile 535.5
Miles today: 11.5
Weather: clear sky

Slightly better today, not as congested and fever lower. Coach is getting antsy and he left this morning and is taking the slow path to Damascus where we¢ll hopefully reconnect. Late morning I was feeling better and so we decided to take advantage of the slackpack option. Cat Water came with us. The hike was fairly unremarkable and aside from a slightly higher heart rate than usual I felt pretty good. We had a brief shower just as we were getting to one of the shelters and so hung out there for a while until it passed. We got to the road and the Exxon Station just as I was starting to feel worse. Still had the energy to continue but feeling like the fever was back. Was about the same as before when I measured but later in the evening it spiked back up. I took a Covid test tonight and it came back positive. Not sure when or where I was exposed but doesn¢t really matter. We¢ll adapt to the current situation and make it through. I¢m just glad that I¢m basically feeling OK and that Coach and Orchid are still feeling good. We¢re staying here again tomorrow. Steps 24400Weather Forecast: 71/49 with rain and thunderstorms
Date: 2022-09-26
From: Long Neck Lair Alpaca Farm Hostel (Exit at Mt Rogers HQ) Mile 535.5

To: Long Neck Lair Alpaca Farm Hostel (Exit at Mt Rogers HQ) Mile 535.5
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Spent the day in bed. Mostly napping in the morning and watching Netflix in the afternoon. Fever is down slightly and I¢m still feeling pretty good. Decided it¢s best to wait one more day before leaving to recover more since seemed to rebound slightly after hiking yesterday.  This also gets closer to the point we don¢t need to isolate ourselves anymore. We¢re getting squeezed with Hurricane Ian coming and potentially being a major impact to the trail. We¢d like to be in Damascus which is four hiking days away when the storm arrives. Currently it looks like the storm would arrive late in the evening on day four. So if we leave tomorrow and everything goes OK, we¢ll arrive just before the storm. From an energy standpoint I think I am OK. I feel pretty good and are not having any major issues related to Covid. Even when the fever was higher, I didn¢t have a headache and I have taken very little medicine. I¢d have to continue to isolate for another two days and avoid other hikers and things like shelters. Fortunately the number of hikers around us is very low so that¢s a lot easier to do right now. Of course that all assumes that both of us are feeling good in the morning and we can actually leave. Steps 1700Weather Forecast: 68/41 sunny
Date: 2022-09-27
From: Long Neck Lair Alpaca Farm Hostel (Exit at Mt Rogers HQ) Mile 535.5

To: Hurricane Campground (Exit at Dickey Gap Trail) Mile 519.4
Miles today: 16.1
Weather: broken clouds

I woke up feeling pretty good today and I¢m ready to hike. Orchid is slightly congested today. She had bought me two tests and we decided rather than pack out the second one she¢d take it. Unfortunately she tested positive which pushes her isolation out into Damascus. As she¢s basically feeling OK she decided she wants to push on. Surprisingly this area has a really good bus system and there is a bus that runs from the Exxon Station up to Mt Rogers HQ where we needed to start. It¢s got a set schedule but only runs if you call so we were pretty confident we¢d be the only ones on the bus and we were right. It was cool and windy to start the day and it was hard to keep warm even while moving. It¢s possible that there is a little aspect of being sick but also much of it is related to the weather. It seems like on the hot days we¢re on the sunny no breeze side of the mountain. This morning we¢re on the shady windy side of the ridge. Today was the first time I was immediately putting on the fleece when we stopped to take a break. On several of the breaks I also added the rain jacket to block the wind. It was a rather unremarkable walk in the woods today. We got to the first shelter at about 10 miles and stopped to get water and have some lunch. We were both feeling good and decided instead of stopping here and having a long day tomorrow we¢d push on to an established campsite about 4 miles further and take our chances with hanging our food. On the way there while looking for other possibilities we noticed there was National Forest Campground two miles further on. We got to the campsite and it was nice but there were no bear hanging trees obviously nearby. We decided to push on to the Hurricane Campground (really it¢s called that. Named after the nearby mountain not the incoming Ian) which looked like it only had one site reserved. It¢s actually a fairly nice campground with the sites having a reasonable amount of space between them. There¢s a campground host who told us only 2 sites were occupied at the far end. We chose a site near the entrance so we didn¢t have to go further. There are hot showers but with the cold air and small hand towel / sweat rag a shower was not in the cards. Never saw another person while we were there. In fact we didn¢t see a single hiker today. Temperatures getting down to 40 tonight so I¢m basically wearing almost everything I have except for the puffy. I¢ve got that stuffed in the sleeping bag in reserve in case I get cold overnight. Should be warm enough overnight based on previous experience and have the pants legs and puffy which I didn¢t have before. Steps 38700Weather Forecast: 62/37 sunny
Date: 2022-09-30
From: Lost Mountain Shelter Mile 487.9

To: Crazy Larry Hostel Mile 472.3
Miles today: 15.6
Weather: clear sky

Orchid and I woke up early to get on trail by 7 to maximize our chances of getting to Damascus before the rain from Hurricane Ian arrived. One of the downsides of being in the woods with no cell coverage and with unpredictable weather heading your way is the forecast updates are far between making planning for precise timing very challenging. We didn¢t get Friday¢s update until we¢d been hiking for several hours. It was warmer this morning which made packing up easier and a lot more comfortable. After a little while we briefly ended up on the Virginia Creeper Trail which is a rail to trail that leads into Damascus and beyond. It¢s a very popular bike destination and there were probably half a dozen bike rental shops that rent bikes and shuttle you to the start of the trail. There can be upwards of 2000 people riding on a busy Saturday in October.  It also turns out that the Yeti 100 mile endurance race was going on today starting at 7 AM. We didn¢t see anyone running this morning but we did see runners on the trail in Damascus later today. Unfortunately the AT leaves the flat Virginia Creeper trail and heads up into the hills going into Damascus. We were pushing hard to beat the storm and didn¢t take any real breaks. It turns out that we managed to do more than 12 miles before noon, successfully completing 12 by 12 while suffering from the lingering effects of Covid. The day was overcast but we did manage to get to Crazy Larry¢s Hostel before it started to rain. Coach was at the hostel already and it¢s just the three of us there. Cat Water and Horse With No Name are in town at another hostel. Orchid and I picked up our resupply packages from Lady Di¢s were we had been planning to stay pre Covid and then grabbed some lunch. Afterwards we basically relaxed and did nothing for the rest of the day. Throughout the day the track of Ian shifted from west of Damascus to well to the east sparing the area from a lot of rain. However the Laurel Creek through town was definitely running way faster after the storm. Steps 38900Weather Forecast: Hurricane Ian in evening
Date: 2022-10-01
From: Crazy Larry Hostel Mile 472.3

To: Crazy Larry Hostel Mile 472.3
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

We took the day off for Hurricane Ian. A lot of rain fell overnight but it didn¢t seem very windy. Looks like we lucked out with the actual track missing Damascus. Today is light drizzle with the occasional shower but nothing really heavy. Mountains around town are completely socked in. Spent most of the day relaxing and watching movies although Orchid and I did walk the 2 mile round trip to the grocery store for resupply. Coach and I headed back to the dinner where we found Cat Water, Horse with no Name, Float and Kidding as well. Cat Water has to leave the trail so we said our goodbyes. Both Orchid and I still have lingering Covid symptoms of nasal and chest congestion. Tomorrow brings a slackpack.Steps 9400Weather Forecast: 49/47 Light Rain
Date: 2022-10-02
From: Crazy Larry Hostel Mile 472.3

To: Crazy Larry Hostel (Exit at TN 91) Mile 449.1
Miles today: 23.2
Weather: overcast clouds

Woke up early to the smell of cooking breakfast. Crazy Larry was up early making pancakes, eggs, and sausage for us. Orchid, Coach and I ate breakfast and then caught a shuttle ride out to TN 91. Damascus was overcast but as we got into the mountains it became clear that they were still socked in and a heavy mist started falling. We started our slackpack north back to the hostel through a couple of pastures and pretty quickly our shoes were wet. We then entered the woods where we would remain until the edge of Damascus. All through the day we had fog and varying levels of mist. Every time the wind blew water would drop off the leaves. It wasn¢t quite wet enough or cold enough for me to put the rain jacket on. However, It was just cold enough that I kept taking the gloves on and off and rolling up and down the long sleeves. I was also putting on the fleece every time we stopped and leaving it on for a while after we got going again. We basically only stopped once for lunch and we all got cold pretty quickly even though we added warm layers. It certainly didn¢t help that we are all just a little damp. It was a fairly unremarkable day with a bunch of little ups and downs until the longer descent into Damascus. We never got a view but even if there was a viewpoint we would not have been able to see anything. We were making excellent time with the light packs and good, if wet, trail conditions, averaging over 3 miles per hour. Do to a miscalculation what we thought was a 21 mile day turned out to be a 23+ mile day and the longest day Orchid and I have done so far. Even so we were back at the hostel by 4. We ended up getting pizza for dinner and eating at the hostel. We didn¢t finish the pizza so we¢ll pack it out in the morning to eat for lunch. After dinner caught up with journaling and social media. Then started packing back up in anticipation of leaving tomorrow morning as my stuff is somewhat scattered. Steps 42800Weather Forecast: 54/47 light rain
Date: 2022-10-04
From: Boots Off Hostel Mile 428.4

To: Established Site Mile 411.3
Miles today: 17.1
Weather: overcast clouds

Boots off has a continental breakfast and I had cereal, cinnamon bun, and a yogurt that I had bought at the store yesterday. Nothing really great but I did eat a large quantity of food to make up for it. Coach, Orchid and I left after breakfast before many of the section hikers had even made it to breakfast. We have a big climb to start the day and then immediately descend back to the same elevation as Boots Off and then climb back up again before we stay up for the rest of the day. The climbs weren¢t too bad and we got some partial views along the way. We are definitely seeing the leaves starting to change in more places. Often the colors are muted but there are some sections that are really bright and that really pop. It was another chilly start and I had the gloves and the fleece on for much of the morning. It¢s always an interesting balancing game of trying not to be too cold and not to be sweaty. A lot of times I have the sleeves pushed up while wearing the gloves.After the first climb we walked all Laurel Falls Stream for quite a ways until we came to the Laurel Falls. This was probably the largest and possibly the nicest waterfall that we¢ve seen so far although some in Maine came close. We spent some time watching the falls and getting water before climbing up from the waterfall to start the second climb. The initial climb had a lot of steps and was a tough start after the extended break. The biggest change today from recent days was that we saw the sun for the first time in four days. Since it was chilly we tried to take our snack and lunch breaks in the sun. Weren¢t too successful at lunch and we definitely got cold while eating even though we all added a layer. Orchid usually runs cold and even on nicer days she¢ll get goosebumps before I¢m done eating. These days it¢s closer to shivering. Even I am getting a bit chilly. As a result we¢re not stopping very long, usually just long enough to eat. This helps the body temperature but the feet aren¢t too happy as they would prefer three longer breaks on our long days. We got to the shelter early and decided to push on to an established tent site a couple miles further. This was partially to make the day into the next hostel shorter and also because there was no sun at the shelter and it would be cold sitting around all afternoon. There are no privies in Tennessee so it¢s not really any different from a shelter to a tent site. The tent site didn¢t have any sun either but it was later when we arrived. Bear hang trees were hard to find but there was a tall branch that I was just able to throw the rope over after several attempts. However we had to tie Orchid¢s rope to mine to be able to make it work and put both our bags on the same line. We all have too much food and it was a tough pull to get the bags up. Steps 31400Weather Forecast: 64/39 partly sunny