morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2004-05-07
From: Pine Swamp Branch Shelter

To: Laurel Creek Shelter
Miles today: 18.5
Weather: scattered clouds

Fri May 7, 7:15a ¢ Tailwind and Stumble Bum (aka Curt Dude) went on to the next shelter; me, Sweetcheeks, the True Tree Huggers, Burn, Castro, Willow, and MC stayed the night. I didn¢t drink enough last night as my bladder is not forcing me up and out of bed this morning. And without that I¢m feeling pretty lazy, even knowing I have a long day today. Well, time for a poptart. Will try to be out by 8a.Bailey Gap Shelter, 10:30a ¢ came in just as Gimli and Gandalf were leaving. Stopping for second breakfast: poptarts and a coffee. Long day today so I¢m setting myself a slower pace. Got passed about half a mile shy of the shelter by Mainesail. We stopped and chatted for a bit; nice guy. He said he¢s gotta pull 20-mile days to reach Waynesboro by the 18th for a rendezvous. Whoa.War Spur Shelter, 3:30p ¢ in for comida; just me and Gandalf. My sob story for the day (other than the stick to the toe I took earlier): as I was coming into Wind Rock I see the True Tree Huggers putting on their packs.¢You just missed some great trail magic!¢ they shout. I look around frantically. ¢No, they¢re gone. They gave us trout and orange juice!¢ Rats!At the shelter I saw a postcard for the Inn at Riverbend, 125 River Ridge Dr, Pearisburg, 540-921-5211, www.innatriverbend.com, chumming for hikers with the note to ¢Call us for a rejuvination stay! Massage available on site!¢ Looks pretty swell from the postcard. Six miles to go to Laurel Creek Shelter.6:15p ¢ incredible! Some SuperDave trail magic (sodas and trash removal). Signed his reg and took a picture; here¢s his info:Super DaveBlacksburg, VA540-320-0441davirginia@aol.comLaurel Creek Shelter, 8p ¢ Stumble Bum, Mainesail, and Tailwind are here, too. I¢m not as pooped as I thought I¢d be (thanks, Super Dave!). Mainesail is telling stories about Bramble that have us all in stitches. For instance: at the Side Track Caf© in Damascus Bramble is chatting with a fellow armed services guy when another hiker, Gump, stands up and shouts out, ¢I¢m a pacifist and proud of it!¢ then bolts out the door. Bramble stands up and runs out the door after him, chasing him down the street screaming, ¢I¢m gonna hang you like a bear bag!¢Or Bramble telling terrified Boy Scouts about his Ranger training (after scaring them into throwing him food) ¢¦ Bramble in a kilt ¢¦ ¢Bramble doesn¢t filter himself for anybody,¢ Tailwind said.Also, at Tailwind¢s request we have gathered firewood. Great chat. Retired to the ¢mid about 10p.
Date: 2004-05-08
From: Laurel Creek Shelter

To: Niday Shelter
Miles today: 12.4
Weather: overcast clouds

Sat May 8, 7:15a ¢ What to do, what to do? My feet hurt like hell. I¢ve got 34 miles to go til I get to Catawba.Niday Shelter, 4p ¢ Well, I came in for lunch at 2:10p, about an hour earlier than I expected. People are complaining that the central Virginia mileage is off, and I¢m inclined to agree.Tough day today. I don¢t know why but I guess it has to the with thinking I can pull 20-mile days after not backpacking (or bike riding, or going to the dojo) for a year because I¢m doing 15 and that seems like a lot. And wearing the tennies on these downhills has again turned my feet into hamburger; when am I gonna learn to just wear the darn Chacos? I¢ve got blisters on four toes and one on my heel, and I ripped a blister on my pinkie toe open today when I jabbed it with a stick while hiking; good thing no one was around to hear me. I bandaged them up this morning, and wore my Chacos, but early on the trail went through some pasture land ¢ some wet pasture land ¢ and in addition to almost losing one of my sandals to the muck I lost all my bandaids.I thought that after eating a substantial lunch (potatoes, anchovies, hot sauce, tea) I¢d be up for pusing on to Pickle Branch Shelter with the guys, and I think I could, but oh I would pay. So even though a sizeable chunk of me wants to macho on with the guys I¢m gonna hang today, rest up, and do the 16 into Catawba and Four Pines Hostel tomorrow. Shouldn¢t be too bad: a big climb early on but then it gets pretty flat and, at the end of the day a shower and AYCE and perhaps a phone will be waiting for me. I¢ll also get to see the Dragon¢s Tooth and the Audie Murphy monument.The Niday shelter phoebe has two little white eggs in her nest, and doesn¢t like me sitting on the side of the shelter nearest it. She sat in a tree and got pretty agitated about it until I moved to the picnic table.Something else Gandalf said: he and Gimli were talking to a couple from Virginia who said they usually have several cold snaps during the spring, named afer what¢s blooming at the time. The one that hit right before I got on the trail was the Dogwood Winter. He said they said we should get another one mid-May, when the blackberries are flowering. Looks like it¢ll just be me and the True Tree Huggers here tonight. I¢m tenting out again, and Gandalf said he¢d wake me when they get up so we can have an early start. I think I¢ll eat my sopa de pasta seca with some hot sauce for dinner, and save the crackers and tuna for lunch tomorrow. That leave me some coffee packets and the freeze-dried ice cream Steama gave me, and one last Hony Bran packet. So I better get my butt into that hostel!
Date: 2004-05-12
From: HoJo, I-81, Daleville

To: Fullhardt Knob Shelter
Miles today: 5.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Wednesday May 12, Fullhardt Knob Shelter ¢ I am such a slacker. I was in no rush to rush out of Daleville, so after a leisurely morning chatting with hikers and the custodial staff in the HoJo breakfast room, I wandered back down to Krogers for more supplies (still no 6-v batteries) and another meal at Three Little Pigs, this time with Gandalf and Gimli, then wandered back to the motel, packed up ... and hiked across the lawn to Gandalf and Gimli¢s room to hang out. Talked to Poppo and met his wife, Grammo ¢ she¢s cute as a bug. Got some postcards off. We finally decided it was about time to head out ¢ when it started to rain. Well, we couldn¢t hike in that, could we? It was about 3p before our feet finally touched dirt again. Good thing it was a short hike here out of town.Register shows 4 hikers came through here today: the True Tree Huggers are behind me, though I expect them to stay here tonight; Stumblebum and Mockingbird are ahead.
Date: 2004-05-13
From: Fullhardt Knob Shelter

To: Cove Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 20.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Thursday, May 13, Wilson Creek, 9:40a ¢ lovely weather and trail so far today, but I think it¢s going to get hot and thunderstormy this afternoon. Even my California weather sense is catching on.So far this morning I¢ve seen a turtle, a turkey, and a toad. I¢m sure that blue-suited cluster bomb of justice can¢t be far off.So I guess this shelter¢s the one-third point along the trail, which is kinda exciting, but less than entering Virginia was, or leaving Georgia, or reaching Damascus was and Harper¢s Ferry will be. Still, I have hiked 700-odd miles of this thing in about 8 weeks¢ time.Somebody found a yellow flicker feather and left it on the picnic bench.Boblett¢s Gap Shelter, 1:30p ¢ Ugh, it¢s a third of a mile off the trail, downhill, to get to this dingy shelter, so I didn¢t want to stop in but I needed water, especially if I¢m going to stay at Cove Mountain shelter up the trail, which is dry. Data book has no water in between. Though of course there could be something, I¢d hate to find that the book was right. Was surprised to find Stumblebum dozing in the shelter. The register is full and unclaimed, so I¢m scooping it up and leaving a new one in its place. Taking my snack break early while I wait for the water to treat before tanking up and moving on.Cove Mountain Shelter, 6:20p ¢ a quiet evening, just me and Stumblebum. Doug was in for dinner then on to Jennings Creek to camp and maybe ice cream; Mockingbird went on to Bryant Ridge shelter, which is supposed to be deluxe. This one¢s a little ratty: dry, and infested with carpenter bees. One maybe flat spot to camp, but it¢s been thundering all afternoon, and while it¢s clear now ... I¢ll take the bees and mice and hard floors instead.Met Travellin¢ Jack headed south, and Second Chance and Late Start at Bobblet¢s heading north. I don¢t think anyone else is coming in tonight.I did end up encountering the wild blue yonder of righteousness, right here at this shelter, but it was only one and it hadn¢t embedded yet. Plus, a saw a second turtle, so my T Animals Day was quite a success. I also saw the Blue Ridge Parkway today for the first time. The trail crossed it and followed it many times today. Pretty easy walking, even tanked up with 3 liters.Bzzz.I have now hiked half my days this trip. I¢m not ready to go home yet!The plan for tomorrow is, three miles up the road and get off at VA 614 and walk/hitch to the It¢s A Wonderful Life campground to get some fuel, which I stupidly forgot to get in Daleville. Then back to the trail at Jennings Creek ¢ the lowest point on the trail so far, at 954 feet ¢ and up, up, up into the mountains (2,042; 3,560; 4,225), through The Guillotine, and hopefully on to Thunder Hill shelter. I¢m hoping. Why do hikers call Virginia flat?Or, you know what? I¢m thinking I can squeeze two days of fuel out of my bottle, so I could do Thunder Hill then Matts Creek shelter and pop into Big Island/Glasgow the following morning.
Date: 2004-05-22
From: YMCA Campground, Waynesboro

To: Washington, DC
Miles today: 0.0

Goodbye, fair Waynesboro! Loth Springs Campground, with your fine picnic table, benches, and soft green lawn. Sam's Hot Dogs, with your yummy lunch special of bbq pork sandwich (with cole slaw), chips, and drink. Public library, with plentiful Internet terminals and operating hours til 9pm. Weasie's, with your tasty biscuits and endlessly refilled coffee mugs. I will see you next year.My plan was to hang out in Waynesboro until Sunday, when Steama would come whisk me away to DC and my plane back home, but I came to my senses (with a little gentle prodding) and, after a farewell breakfast at Weasie's, took the 8:20a Greyhound bus with Skipper into DC. Did the tourist thing, as that was my first time in the capitol. Began throttling back the meal controls.My friend Patch came down from Philly and the three of us sat up way too late chatting about life and all things AT, then the next day Patch got me a crabcake sandwich-and-fries lunch and got me off to the airport. I'm typing this now in downtown Oaxaca; glad to be home, but oh so sad to be off the trail and out of the U.S. again.I can't wait to come back.Hugs and kisses to all you rockin' hikers on the trail this year,
Date: 2005-05-18
From: David Lesser Memorial Shelter

To: Harper's Ferry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Whoo-hoo! Felt great strolling into the ATC office after a shortie day of hiking. Had our photo taken, signed the book, then Steama shouldered his pack so he could walk into Maryland. I huffed up the hill to the Hilltop Hotel and checked us in. After Steama returned we went to the outfitters, just to see, then drank our way back up High St. Jersey Judge, Acronym, a Japanese hiker and a pair of section hikers are all at the hotel.Tomorrow it's back to DC via Amtrak, and another year til I'm back on the trail.
Date: 2006-06-07
From: Harper's Ferry

To: Ed Garvey Shelter
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Yay! Back on the trail again.Steama and I got into Harper's Ferry about 5:30pm; while we were fiddling with our packs a guy started chatting to us about his upcoming thru-hike, and another guy and his puppy came over to say hi. He'd gotten the dog at Miss Janet's! We're feeling right at home already. Nice flat hiking out of town on the C&O towpath¢for once, no grueling uphill leaving town. On the uphill to the nice ridge walk, passed two hikers, one of whom I recognized from a previous year's section. Happy Feet! Out on the trail, doing it again.Ed Garvey is a deluxe shelter; we're bunked upstairs. Quite a crowd tonight: us, Lunchbox, Parkbench and his mom, Figgy, Heald with Annie the dog wonder, and some other folks whose names I didn't catch. It's sprinkling a little, and everyone's warning us about the Hiker Flu going around.
Date: 2006-06-08
From: Ed Garvey Shelter

To: Pogo Memorial Campground
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: haze

More easy hiking along the ridges today under mostly cloudy skies. Nice temps. Fun reading all the Civil War history signs along the trail in and around Lamb's Knoll and Gathland State park. Gathland was also our first encounter with Maryland's No Park Trashcans law, but as it's only been a day we don't really have much garbage to pack. I did, however, take advantage of the showers at Dalgren's Campground. We both checked out the Milk Jug, aka the Original Washington Monument, and browsed on the¢mulberries? boysenberries?¢growing on the trees nearby. Tasty.We pulled into Pogo Memorial Campsite around 6:30p and put up our tents. It's a far cry from Dalgren's, but we make do as it's thundering. Hung our food bags, and then the rain lets loose.
Date: 2006-06-09
From: Pogo Memorial Campground

To: Pen Mar Park
Miles today: 0.0

I pulled into PenMar Park about 3:20, ass dragging, and met Waterwings and Glo-worm; waiting on Steama. He rolled up, whipped out his cell phone, and we start trying to reach Rocky's and get a pizza delivered as we've been waiting for this all day. But the ugly conclusion is Rocky's in Cascade is closed, so there will be no pizza. (Glo-worm mentioned that they got Rocky's to deliver to the Ensign Cowell shelter.) Then a strange old couple offers to take us to a restaurant in town. I'm not up for it, but Steama was game, so off he goes in their mini-van while I rest in the sun and read my book. About forty-five minutes later he's back with sad little cheeseburgers, some pie, and drinks. Hey! It's way better than mac n cheese. We wolfed it down then headed out of the park to look for camping options.Not too far up the trail we come across some old dirt roads that make good camping, so we set up shop. My legs are still killing me, so I pop some Advil and crawl into my tent. It rains a little, but not too much.
Date: 2006-06-10
From: Pen Mar Park

To: Waynesboro, VA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

I'm sick. Whatever bug was making its round among the hikers, I've got. No appetite, sick to my stomach, and bad diarrhea. Chills and fever. Thought about going the five miles to Deer Lick shelter, but bailed at the road to catch a hitch into town. Steama went ahead; I'll catch up to him when I get back on.Waited about half an hour on the road before Beekeeper, a section hiker like me, pulls over and gives me a ride to the Best Western. I check myself in, make a quick pharmacy run, then crash.
Date: 2006-06-11
From: Waynesboro, VA

To: Philadelphia, PA
Miles today: 0.0

Still feel awful, and all symptoms of the previous day are present and accounted for. Imodium and Pedialyte weren't doing a thing, so I called my friend Patch ('01 thru-hiker) to come get me, as the hotel is $70 a night. Checked out at 11am and sat in the parking lot waiting for Patch. Got to his apartment in Philly and crashed.
Date: 2006-06-14
From: Philadelphia, PA

To: Tumbling Run Shelter
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

After a pizza lunch in Waynesboro, Patch dropped me off on the trail at 2:45; I pulled into the shelter about 5pm. Some day of hiking! Three other hikers here, but they didn't give their names; one of 'em got a new stove (an Etowah alcohol stove like mine), so I showed him how to use it and gave him a spare lighter as his had crapped out. Caught the caretaker on his way out and got to enjoy a cold Coke before making my noodles for dinner.
Date: 2006-06-15
From: Tumbling Run Shelter

To: Birch Run Shelter
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Got out at 7:15a from Tumbling Run after a leisurely morning (mug 'o tea). Well, leisurely when you're used to getting up for work at 3:30a. Stopped at the snack stand in Caledonia State Park for some blackberry ice cream and a Pepsi. Just sat at one of the many picnic tables by the creek and enjoyed the day. Even better than the ice cream was when a group of kids wandered by, and one of the boys said my hair was "critical." I'll take that as a compliment.Strolled into the shelter at 4:30p; pretty early, and Tom's Run is only 6 miles away, but I don't want to pull in around 8p, and this one's nice enough¢though nothing like Quarry Gap Shelter! It was positively Disneyesque, what with the landscaping, the benches, the lanterns, the hanging pots of flowers. All the care made it easy to overlook how small the dual shelter really was. (And I read in the shelter log that Steama had passed through on the 10th and had scored coffee and donuts from the caretaker. Way to go, dude!)
Date: 2006-06-16
From: Birch Run Shelter

To: James Fry Shelter
Miles today: 0.0

Full house last night, plus tenters. Only thru-hiker was sobo. 8a departure from Tumbling Run, tea in hand. It was cold last night; the first thing everybody commented on this morning. Upper 30s? Someone said it was 41 degrees at 7a. I was really glad I got a new summer bag, because I was quite comfortable.Pulled into Pine Grove Furnace State Park around noon. Section-ate my gallon of ice cream (a pint of cherries jubilee), called G-man, napped, then refilled my water bottles and trudged on. It was hot! I passed an Amish group picnicing by the river, the guys playing baseball. A lovely scene.Got to the shelter about 5:30; no one else was there, and no one else came in that night. My first solo night at a shelter! And it only took a thousand or so miles.
Date: 2006-06-17
From: James Fry Shelter

To: Boiling Springs, PA
Miles today: 0.0

I'm in Boiling Springs, a terminally cute little town. Got in around 2p after a blazing hot hike through the fields outside of town. I thought I was gonna melt! Blazes were hard to spot, but fortunately I trailed a group coming back from a dayhike...until I stopped to feast at a stand of mulberry trees; when I had eaten every mulberry in reach, I turned around and they were gone. Which way to go!?It was funny: the trail took me tantalizing close to town, then turned away ducked back under the trees and following a creek before popping out again into a dirt parking lot filled with fly-fishermen. (I saw the sign pointing out the AT Campground, but didn't see anything other than crop-fields, so I kept on. Later, when I was chatting with a woman who works at the pool, she said the campground was in the trees I'd seen waaaay in the distance¢and Steama said the camping was right next to a very busy set of railroad tracks!) I got directions into town from the people in waders, and marched myself along the town's charming, bird-filled pond right to the ATC office. Closed. Oh yeah, it's Saturday. Took a break from the heat, called G-man, riffled the hiker box (snacks! mashed potatoes!), then walked over to the Garman House B&B. One buck to throw down my tent in the back yard, no shower or bathroom. What the heck. I wasn't thrilled about pushing on in the heat (low 90s and humid as all get-out). The lawn was getting mowed so I stashed my pack against the shed and wandered off to do the town.Ran into Brownie and Soulman, and Chill, and directed them to the lawn. Got lunch at JC's Cafe, wandered back down to the ATC office, convinced Beer-thirty to give the tavern a try. Yeah, instead of a shower! If I'd had a bathing suit I would've been down at that pool pronto...So the two of us sat in the cool, dark interior of the tavern's bar, sipping microbrews on tap, talking trail talk and chatting with the way-cool bartender. Oh, my! Staggered off to get my resuply at the gas station (which also had a bathroom and is fortunately owned by a very cool family), dinner at JC's again, then down to the pond to watch the tourists, the locals, the ducks and geese and swans, and write in my journal. Then back to Garman House and my tent.
Date: 2006-06-18
From: Boiling Springs, PA

To: Cove Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Woke up early, packed up as quiet as I could. Pumpkin, a hiker from South Texas, came out of the B&B to share his breakfast bounty with all of us on the lawn: large, fresh-baked muffins. That and the cup of coffee from the Getty gas station sent me on my way in a fine mettle.HIked out of town with Chill; even early in the morning, we knew it was going to be another hot one. Mostly flat hiking out of town, so we made good time, and got to Scott Farm at 10:15 for water and a break. Pumpkin and Joel pulled up while we were there. I saw my first-ever groundhog on the lawn near the creek, too! Awesome. It looked like the fatter, grey cousin of the gopher in "Caddyshack."After Scott Farm it was a hot, humid climb out of the valley to Darlington Shelter; pulled in just after noon. Took a long break, then pushed on for the last 7.3 to Cove Mtn.There's a bird on the trail, which I haven't seen because of the profusion of insanely green leaves everywhere, that sounds much like Vivani when she whines: faaa-vooo-r-r-r-r!, usually heard when she wants me to play with her in her cardboard box. Gonna look it up when I get back to a city. I doubt it's called a Vivi-bird.What did the Wicked Witch of the West say? "I'm melting! I'm melting!" That last bit of hill up to Cove Mountain Shelter was killer, and it was covered in rocks. "Rocks...why does it have to be rocks?" (Close enough.) It took all of us awhile to become human again. Chill, Joel and I peeled out soggy stuff off and hung it on Joel's line to (ha) dry. We're at least now wearing dry clothes, though we are awfully dirty and stinky.Joel is a physics professor in South Dakota and has a five-year-old daughter; Chill is from southwest Virginia and is currently between addresses as he hikes the trail and figures out what he wants to do; Pumpkin (who we hear stayed back at Darlington with Snickers) is from the south of Texas and hunts elk with a bow he made himself! Brownie and Soulman just got married (this is their honeymoon) and are finishing up their thru-hike which they started last year.Saw two blacksnakes today, a deer with a radio collar, and a large, orange toad. Oh, and another cardinal. No orioles yet!