morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2003-05-20
From: Dickinson Gap

To: War Spur Shelter
Miles today: 17.6
Weather: overcast clouds

Woke up to clearing skys and we were on the trail by 7:45. Most of the trail today was over a rough conglomerate of loose rocks with every step creating a potential disaster because of the danger of a twisted ankle or worse. Many rocks were at different angles and all were slippery. At some points the trail was more of a streambed with water cascading over the rocks and fallen trees that comprise much of this trail. Stream crossings involved tricky rock-hopping because they were swollen from all the rain we had over the last few days.When we reached Dismal Branch we had to wind around, up and over hills for 2 miles in order to reach a foot bridge that would get us accross this swollen stream. Later the sky clouded over and rain threatened so when we reached War Spur Shelter, I decided to claim a space in the shelter rather than take a chance on getting rained on again. Rain all night!!Today was an uneventful day with only one good vista of the hills in West Virginia. Mostly just walking through a hardwood forest with lots of rhododendrons close to flowering. There were a few azaleas and a few pink lady slippers but no interestingly different flowers.Hope to get to sleep early tonight. Maybe the shelter will not be too crowded and have loud snorers.
Date: 2003-05-21
From: War Spur Shelter

To: Sarver Hollow Shelter
Miles today: 12.2
Weather: light rain

Wet, damp, periodic showers, muddy trail, slippery rocks, swollen streams, wet boots, wet clothes, fog and dripping trees. Can't get any better than this!Not an exciting day, more like one to be tolerated. Several times at road crossings we found the remains of "trail magic" - food and drink left by good Samaritans for thru hikers. Unfortunately, it was all gone by the time we got there. However, we were able to relieve ourselves of three days of trash.Arrived at Sarver Hollow Shelter at 3 p.m. today. Ordinarily this would be too early to stop, but it had been a rough day and we were ready for a chance to get out of the rain and rest for a while.It feels good to be sitting in Sarver Hollow Shelter, watching the fog periodically blow in, then clear as if someone had turned on a bright light. Occasionally a view opens up so the mountains in the distance become briefly visible.Others are drifting into the shelter, soaked and looking for a dry place to sleep. The shelter is probably going to be crowded - again.Words for the day: If you're lucky enough to be hiking, our lucky enough!!
Date: 2003-05-22
From: Sarver Hollow Shelter

To: Pickle Branch Shelter
Miles today: 15.9
Weather: overcast clouds

Another foggy, wet day. Heavy mist had blown into the shelter during the night so all my gear was damp and clammy.On the trail by 8 a.m. in the mist with water dripping from the trees. The trail was muddy, rocks slippery and every step was a potential disaster. At least the temperature was in the 50's - good hiking temp. Some light rain.The trail up Sinking Creek Mountain lead us to a knife-edge ridgeline. Unfortunately we were in very dense fog or we surely would have had excellent views of the Roanoke Valley. The knife edge was rough and dangerous walking with many rocks at odd angles. The only redeeming feature of today was the flowering Mountain Laural. In places the hillside was a sea of white and pink. In a few days the place will be gorgeous with flowering hillsides. If the sun ever shines again, the flower buds will open and some of the hillsides will be spectacular.Stopped briefly at the Audie Murphy Memorial. He must have been quite a guy. all those medals - 3 Purple Hearts, Congressional Medal of Honor - survived the war but died a few years later in a plane crash. An interesting story:While I was in Pearisburg, I had lunch in a Wendy's after walking through a wet field and rain. My appearance was clearly bedraggled, my hair was a mess and water was dripping from my beard. I doubt that I smelled very nice. A lady handed me a packet of roasted almonds saying that I looked like I needed these more than she. I guess I looked like a semi-starved, homeless person. In the tradition of all thru-hikers, I gratefully accepted (and almost asked for more).
Date: 2003-05-24
From: Catawba, VA

To: Daleville
Miles today: 19.6
Weather: light rain

I had been anticipating this hike for sometime because it would take us over several landmarks of some note - Tinker Cliffs, Tinker Creek and McAfee Knob. We started on the Trail at 9 a.m. after saying our farewells to Firefly - a most wonderful Trail Angel. After a short climb we found ourselves on the long ridgeline that is Catawba Mountain. As the morning clouds lifted, we began to see views of North Mountain and the valley in between. The views became spectacular when we reached McAfee Knob where we had a snack and took many pictures. McAfee Knob is a rock outcrop that sticks out from the cliff and for those who are daring enough to sit on the edge of the rock, creates a startling picture.We then hiked along Tinker Mountain, often to the very edge of dangerous-looking cliffs. Tinker Mountain is in the shape of a long curving bowl that surrounds Carver Cove Reservoir. The trail is confined to a narrow corridor along the ridgeline. At times the trail heads south, west, east and then north. The last 6 miles of the corridor is over many rocky, twisting knobs and is a very difficult hike, especially for the end of the day. Many times I thought I was finally going to start the descent to Daleville, only to discover that the trail led up and over yet another knob. Since the trail was on the ridgeline most of the day there was no water source for the last 10 miles. Finally after 6:30 in the evening, we crossed Tinker Creek (Annie Dillard where are you?) and we knew we were near our destination for the day.This had been a long hard day because I had a heavy pack from my maildrop at Catawba, the Trail was rough for the last 6 miles, I almost ran out of water and at the lower elevations the trail was slippery and muddy. In retrospect we should have split this trip into two days. The rough trail was hard on my legs and feet, the weather had improved and there was really no need to hurry. A slower pace would have allowed us to spend more time enjoying the views.Daleville is a popular rest town for thru hikers. A large (expensive) grocery store is near the trail and there are several convenient motels. This may be a good time to eat well and let my poor old feet recover.
Date: 2003-05-25
From: Daleville, VA

To: Daleville, VA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

A zero day and the weather is wonderful - cool, overcast and dry. Why are so many town days also good, dry hiking days? Today is a chance to plan the next leg of this journey to Waynesboro, resupply, eat and rest. I went to a local Methodist Church today. A beautiful building, good music (often as patriotic as religious) and a good sermon on how hard it is to know God's plan for each of us. I was greeted pleasantly but not particularly warmly and the passing of the peace was an indifferent affair. Tomorrow we are back on the Trail. This town is starting to bug me because I need to get back to the woods. I just realized we have traveled 1/3 of the way to Maine!!
Date: 2003-05-26
From: Daleville, VA

To: Wilson Creek
Miles today: 11.2
Weather: scattered clouds

There was a hard rain last night but in the morning the sky showed some signs of clearing. Dreamwalker had a new headlamp waiting for him at an outfitters in Daleville; however, the store was not scheduled to open before 10:00 and we were in doubt that it would actually open today because of the Memorial Day holiday. After several phone calls we finally got on the trail at 8:45. A very late start for us but we did not expect to hike more than 16 miles today. More than 20 miles is simply too much for me especially with a full pack.The terrain was quite different from what we found on Tinker Mountain. The ascent to Tollhouse Gap was over a well-maintained and well-graded trail with many switchbacks and a few bridges. It was a pleasant hike, cool temperatures and the sky slowly developed a heavy overcast. Weather predictions were calling for heavy showers in the afternoon but by five PM the sky seemed to be clearing.I found two new flowers today that I could not identify so I took several pictures and looked at them carefully so I may be able to find them in a field guide.Just before lunch, Dreamwalker developed a lot of pain in the calf muscles of his right leg. After resting for a half hour, he was not feeling better but decided to go on even though he was in considerable pain. When we reached Wilson Creek shelter, we decided to stop even though it was only 2:30 in the afternoon. Ordinarily we would have gone on for another 5 or 6 miles but it seemed wise to let Dreamwalker rest his injury for a while. Hope he is ok in the morning.This has been a quiet day. Passed a lot of dayhikers going south but saw only three northbound thru-hikers. Now that we have stopped, I expect several northbounders will stop by the shelter. Vermont Bob just arrived. I continue to be amazed at how often the same group of hikers seem to keep crossing paths. We are becoming a moving brotherhood, gradually working our way north.
Date: 2003-05-27
From: Wilson Creek

To: Cove Mtn. Shelter
Miles today: 13.7
Weather: moderate rain

Again the day started with rain. Heavy rain last night had become a steady drizzle in the morning. We started slowly this morning, staring in disbelief at the rain but made breakfast, packed up and were on the trail by 8:45 - a late start but we were reluctant to leave the dry shelter at Wilson Creek. The rain continued for most of the day, sometimes heavy but more often a steady drizzle. At times the fog was very dense and we lost the trail several times. By noontime we were soaked but kept warm by moving. During the morning, a trail runner (!) named Buckeye passed me. He was trying to reach Katahdin in less than 50 days. His wife was serving as a support team by meeting him on the trail with food and water. When I reach the place his support team was waiting, she offered me a Mountain Dew. I wish Buckeye luck but wonder what he sees while he runs along the trail.At noontime we stopped at Bobblets Gap Shelter to get out of the rain to eat lunch. Within five minutes, Bearbait arrived with bags of fresh fruit, Gatorade, chicken, tuna salad and fruit cocktail. What a trail angel! She even delivered at the shelter in the pouring rain. We ate what we could and moved on quickly because we were getting cold in our wet clothes. About two hours later we came to a stream in which another trail angel had left a supply of cokes. We each had one and rejoiced in our good fortune.I must admit this rain, fog and cold weather is getting me down and I can feel "the Virginia blues" setting in. However, what a boost to my feelings a generous trail angel can give. Today was a discouraging and encouraging day. What a joy to meet so many kind people.
Date: 2003-05-28
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Note from Finch's editor: His journal entries get to me before the disc from his camera with pictures so be sure to check back over journal entries later or the photo files when you check his journals next. I'll get pictures on each journal entry when the pictures get to me. Don't know about you but I can't imagine hiking in all that rain - rain which seems to be soaking the whole east coast these day. Pray for dry, sunny days for them."Cricket", Finch's AT widow.
Date: 2003-05-28
From: Cove Mtn.

To: Thunder Hill
Miles today: 17.2
Weather: light rain

Clear skys in the morning, cool and dry--great hiking weather. We went through some great rhododendron tunnels all in flower. Also took some neat pictures in the "Guillotine" - see photos (when they are posted). In general an uneventful day. My left knee is giving me trouble but will see what vitamins and some rest will do for it.
Date: 2003-05-30
From: Thunder Hill

To: Brown Mtn Creek
Miles today: 19.3
Weather: broken clouds

Left Glasgow after a bacon and eggs breakfast at the Wright Place. We were able to get a ride to the trailhead from an old fellow with an old pickup truck. He charged us two dollars each - a good deal for the 5 mile, up hill ride. Finally on the trail at 9:00 a.m. What a great hiking day. Cool breezes, clear skys and NO rain. After about an hour of steady hiking we were up to Fuller's Rock and had a great view of the James River, Glasgow, a huge chemical plant to the north and papermill to the south. When we reached Punchbowl Shelter at 2:30, we decided to push on to Brown Mountain Creek which was 8 miles further down the trail. Those miles proved to be harder miles than we expected because much of the trail was a slick, slimy red clay. With every step we slipped back a few inches. We finally reached the shelter a little after 7:00.On the way we passed a large dam forming a reservoir for the city of Lynchburg. As the water flowed over the spillway, we could see fish falling and being killed as they tumbled down.
Date: 2003-05-31
From: Brown Mtn Creek

To: Seeley-Woodworth Shelter
Miles today: 15.8
Weather: scattered clouds

Once again the day started with rain - heavy rain just as we were prepared to leave the shelter. We waited about an hour for the rain to lessen, then started on our trek up Bald Knob in a steady drizzle. The trail took us through the remains of the Brown Mtn Creek Community which was abandoned in 1920 when the Forest Service took over the land. The community was established by former slaves after the Civil War. I was in awe of how much work was required to farm this narrow strip of bottom land. Thousands of rocks had to be moved to clear the land and long rows of stones walls ran along the side of the creek. A few foundations were visible in the fog and rain. As we climbed Bald Knob, I removed m rain gear because it was simply better to get wet from the outside rather than the inside of the rain jacket. The views were obscured by the very dense fog and at times it was difficult to find the trail on the wind-swept bald at the top of the muntain.Soon after lunch which we took in a small cave formed by some large rocks, we came accross a group of former through hikers who had prepared fantastic Trail Magic - hot dogs, fruit, beer and sodas. They had large tents set up and a great fire upon which we cooked the hot dogs. What a great surprise and boost to my flagging spirits.
Date: 2003-06-01
From: Seeley-Woodworth Shelter

To: Harpers Creek
Miles today: 14.3
Weather: broken clouds

A great day of hiking. Lots of wind, clear skys and temps in low 70's. Lots of great views of the surrounding countryside and a view of the Shenandoahs in the far distance. I packed up early today and was on the trail by 7:30. Kiwi and Dreamwalker left about 7:50 and caught up with me around 1 p.m. while I was having lunch. Tonight I am tenting near a steep mountain stream. The roar of the rushing water blocks out all other sounds. Water music tonight! This day has greatly lifted my spirits.This evening the sky is clearing and a steady wind seems to be clearing the weather front so I decided to tent rather tan squeeze into the shelter. I feel like I need a little quiet time.This has been a challenging day and a day with a great surprise. This wet weather has certainly gotten me down but the good wishes of Angus (the thru-hiker with all the magic) and the camoraderie of so many good friends helps to keep me going. There is joy in being here but I do wish things would dry out!!
Date: 2003-06-02
From: Harpers Creek

To: Bear Spring Stealth Camp
Miles today: 18.2

Bright sunny cool day - great hiking weather at last. The climb to Chimney Rocks was tough but that was the hardest part of the day. Great views of the Shenandoah Valley and views of the mountains that I climbed a few days ago. It took a while to find a good camping spot and we had to go further down the trail for water.Although the trail paralelled the Skyline Drive for four miles, there were many loose rocks and the walking was treacherous at times. This section looked easy on the map because there were few elevation changes but it was very tiring walking. This section of the trail was built to avoid a long road walk but I would have preferred to have walked along the shoulder of the road rather than negotiate all those loose rocks. Big miles for us today. We are tired and will sleep well tonight. Thank you, Lord, for this challenging day and fine weather.
Date: 2003-06-03
From: Bear Spring Stealth Camp

To: Waynesboro, VA
Miles today: 9.1
Weather: moderate rain

A late start today but only 9 miles to Waynesboro for a day of rest and resupply. A rather uneventful hike. At times we crossed the Skyline Drive and heard the roar of motorcycles but generally it was a quiet walk in the woods. We passed several day hikers who were ot discouraged by the muddy trail, swollen streams, slippery rocks and occasional light rain (yes, rain again).The trail wandered among large piles of rocks that had been removed from the hillside to make some fields and at one point we passed the remains of an old cabin. The stone foundation and fireplace had been built with local rocks that were held in place without mortar. Amazing that they had stayed in place for all these years.When we reached Rockfish Gap we met a trail angel dropping off some hikers, so he offered us a ride into Waynesboro. He also gave us a brief tour of the town - motels, food places, library, etc - and drove us to the Quality Inn Motel which is known among hikers for its reasonable rates. A shower will feel good tonight!Had pancakes at an all-you-can-eat restaurant, four hours later pizza with an all-you-can-eat buffet. Guess I'm building up a reserve of calories for the next leg of this journey.
Date: 2003-06-04
From: Waynesboro, VA

To: Waynesboro, VA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

A zero day. A chance to get a haircut and beard trim. I was looking more than a bit shaggy. A trip to a local outfitter to get a new filter for my water filter, new tips for my trekking poles, then a short hike to a shoe cobbler to try to get my boots stretched (no luck), a trip to a grocery store to get five days of supplies (consider calories/gram of weight), a visit to a local historical museum and a long walk to the Waynesboro Public Library to check my e-mail. Thanks to all who have sent me encouraging notes. It often rained while I was walking outside and cleared while inside - interesting! So much to do while in town! Waynesboro is a nice town for hikers with lots of trail angels.
Date: 2003-06-05
From: Waynesboro, VA

To: Turk Mtn
Miles today: 11.4

With the good wishes of John our trail angel, we were able to get a ride out of Waynesboro to the trailhead leading to Shenandoah National Park. The trail proved to be gently graded in most places so we moved along at a good pace. In many areas the hillsides were speckled with pink and white flowering Mountain Laurals.I stopped at Turk Mountain parking area to meet my daughter Amy, son-in-law Brian and grandson Griffin who had come from Chicago to spend some time hiking with me on the AT. I have been looking forward to their visit for sometime and it was quite a thrill to see them drive into the parking lot! In order to meet Dreamwalker and Kiwi, we drove up the Skyline Drive a few miles to start walking south. It was a lot of fun seeing the expression on the faces of those I had been hiking with when they saw Finch walking south. Griffin handed out trail magic until we ran out of goodies!Kiwi and Dreamwalker will get ahead of me by two or three days but I hope to catch them before too long. I expect they will stay in touch with me by way of shelter log books. It will be strange hiking without them and I fear a bit lonely. They are good friends and hiking companions.
Date: 2003-06-06
From: Turk Gap

To: Rip Rap Trail
Miles today: 6.1

A great day for a hike...cool, clear sky and a dry trail. Brian and I walked (slack-packed) from Turk Gap to Riprap Trail - a pleasant, gently sloping trail. We chatted while we walked and met Amy and Griffin at the parking lot near the Riprap Trail. Amy and Griffin had several bags of apples and bananas to hand out as trail magic but for some reason, they encountered only one long distance hiker. What a nice day we had. We saw several deer and one bear today!
Date: 2003-06-07
From: Riprap

To: Blackrock Hut
Miles today: 3.2
Weather: light rain

Amy, Brian and Griffin visited with me for two days. On one day, I hiked with Brian for a few miles while Amy and my grandson, Griffin, provided Trail magic further up the trail. It was a great day for hiking and I enjoyed it very much.The next day was rainy so we abandoned hiking in favor of a tourist trip to Lauray Caverns and a tour of an antique car museum.Amy and Brian then drove me to the Riprap parking area which was close to the place where I had stepped off the trail. The rain was very light and the clouds appeared to be lifting. After an hour of easy hiking, I arrived at the Blackrock Hut. Kiwi and Dreamwalker had been there two days earlier. Hope they are under cover for most of this rainy day.
Date: 2003-06-09
From: Hightop Mtn. Hut

To: Rock Spring Hut
Miles today: 23.9
Weather: few clouds

Lots of hard rain last night. Thunder and lightning. I discovered the seams on the bottom of the tent leak when exposed to a lot of water. Time to get some seam sealer at the next outfitter I come to. In the morning there was dense fog and a steady dripping from the leaves of the trees. All my gear was either soaked or clammy. I shook most of the water off my tent and tried to pack up as quickly as possible.Today's hike started in a dense fog, dripping water from leaves and a muddy trail with water cascading down some of the steeper parts. After about two hours the fog cleared and the sky was blue. When I reached the trail to South River Falls Picnic area, I decided to hike the .2 miles to the area to find a place where I could spred out my gear and let things dry. Drying took about an hour but it was a chance to eat an early lunch in the warm sun.Further down the trail, I took a detour to the Lewis Mtn. Camp Store to send some postcards and to eat some chocolate cupcakes.The trail after Bearfence Mtn was the best I have seen in the Shenandoahs... well maintained and relatively flat. In places the trail passed through a park-like wooded area with wide spaces between the trees and a carpet of hay-scented fern. It was an unusual forest and the trail was so straight that at times I could see several hundred yards ahead. There were many deer often unafraid of a lone hiker. At times I thought I might have to push them off the trail. I also saw many grey squirrels for the first time and chipmunks that also seemed unafraid. Several times, I came upon Scarlet Tanagers and Indigo Bunting. Hiking alone seems to make it easier to see wildlife.This has been an extraordinarily wonderful day. The weather was excellent, the animals were active and I was able to get a hamburger at Great Meadows Wayside. Thank you, Lord, for this day.