morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2013-05-22
From: White Top Mountain Road

To: Wise Shelter
Miles today: 11.8
Weather: broken clouds

We woke up this morning to friendly clouds and lots of sunshine. We walked up a bald and had a great view of all the surrounding mountains. When we entered the Grayson Highlands State Park we were on the lookout for the wild ponies that live there. Years ago the ponies were brought in to graze on the grasses of the balds to keep them bald. We were met by a lone pony who came over to greet us. We were thrilled. Later we learned from other hikers that this pony was known as Outlaw. Old Sherpa wanted a photo of himself by the pony. Guardian, who had grown up with horses and ponies, encouraged him to get closer to the pony and pet him for the photo. It turns out that this pony is known as Outlaw because he nips and chases hikers - most hikers feel that he is bad tempered and has been outlawed from the herd of wild ponies. Sure enough, as Old Sherpa approached Outlaw, the pony bared his teeth. Guardian took the photo. Old Sherpa looked at the photo and exclaimed, "I wanted a photo with the pony. This photo shows me afraid of the pony!"In a little while we came across two herds of wild ponies. Many of the mares had young foals at their sides. These ponies were more friendly and approachable than Outlaw.Shortly after that a thunderstorm moved in and we walked in the rain to the Thomas Knob Shelter. It was full of hikers waiting out the rain. When the sun reappeared we all left the shelter but it wasn't too long before another thunderstorm began to move in. We were in luck at Wise Shelter. We arrived just before the rain began to fall and there was room for us to spend the night inside the shelter.As night time drew near more and more hopeful hikers came in, their rain gear plastered to their skin by the heavy rain. They were able to cook their dinners at the table under the roof of the shelter but had to set up their tents, tarps, and hammocks in the rain.
Date: 2013-05-23
From: Wise Shelter

To: USFS Hurricane Creek Campground
Miles today: 14.1

We set off in the rain this morning. The cool temperatures and rain are beginning to bother the hikers - we all question when the weather will turn drier and warmer. Yesterday two older day hikers came by Thomas Knob Shelter. There must have been a dozen of us sitting inside the shelter waiting for the thunder storm to abate. One hiker had collected pieces of trash from inside the shelter and put the trash inside a large ziploc bag. When the two day hikers stopped to talk the hiker asked if they would be able to take the small bag of trash with them. They were very friendly and agreed to carry out the trash and asked if there was anything else they could do. A small voice from the back of the shelter asked, "Maybe you could take us home and we could sleep in your garage?"The thunder and lightning soon quit but the rain persisted on and off until about 1pm and then the sun came out. Each clearing we passed by was full of hikers drying out all their gear in the sun.We added 4 miles onto our day and hiked into a fee area campground where we set up camp just before it began to rain again. There were two bonuses to the campground - a hot shower and some friendly campers who let us get under their tarp to prepare and eat our supper. Another coincidence, the campers were from New Jersey. Old Sherpa had lived in New Jersey for over 30 years. These folks are salamander hunters. They walk in rivers and streams turning over rocks looking for salamanders. On their laptop they showed us photos of salamanders they had found - 18 species on this trip through NC, TN, and VA. The salamander find they were most proud of was called a 'Hellbender'. It was 16" long and from what we understand, it was quite a find.
Date: 2013-05-24
From: USFS Hurricane Creek Campground

To: Mount Rogers Visitor Centre
Miles today: 17.1
Weather: scattered clouds

Other than our hike over Bald Mountain, today was our coldest hiking day. The sun was actually poking through the clouds at intervals but that 'cold Canadian air' kept us in jackets and in Angel's case, in her rain pants too. We came across some Trail Magic put out by a local Baptist Church. That was so nice!We were hoping to find a camping spot near a road crossing but there weren't any there so we kept walking. Soon we decided to carry on all the way to the Visitor Centre but first we stopped and ate because we were so cold. As we approached the end of our hike we saw a sign reading, "No camping within 1/4 mile of the Visitor Centre". When we arrived the shelter was full and there were a large number of hikers who were waiting until dark to set up their tents. We decided to try to hitch into Marion. Luckily for us two hikers had just picked up their vehicle from the parking lot and were headed into Marion. Unluckily for them one of their hiking party had fallen and cut her forehead and possibly had a concussion. Their hike was at an end after only two days. They were on their way to pick up their friend at the hospital in Marion.We stowed our packs in our rooms and walked down the street for a delicious Mexican meal. Before we left the motel Old Sherpa had cranked up the heat in his room. When we got back from supper his room was like a sauna!
Date: 2013-05-25
From: Mount Rogers Visitor Centre

To: Marion, Zero Day
Miles today: 0.0

The rain has made quite a mucky mess of some sections of the trail. Sometimes there's no escaping it, you just have to step through the mud. Our socks have taken on their fair share of mud. This morning Angel was pre-washing her socks before putting them in the washing machine. After four pre-washes the water was still turning black!We spent the day planning and shopping for the next six hiking days. We were thinking of having pizza for supper but we returned to the Mexican restaurant for another great meal.
Date: 2013-05-26
From: Marion, Zero Day

To: Relax Inn
Miles today: 11.6
Weather: few clouds

How nice - a beautiful sunny, rainless day of hiking! After breakfast in our room we took a taxi back up to the Visitor Centre. We had an easy walk through the woods and some fields of tall grass. We came to a landmark called the Settlers Museum and Lindamood School. Inside the school we walked among the old desks and read the list of teacher duties - thank goodness we were born in modern times - no gathering firewood and having the firebox loaded before the students arrived at school for their lessons.When we entered the museum we learned that there was no entry fee for hikers. The lady who greeted us told us that just a 1/4 mile walk away was a farm started by early settlers in the late 1870s. It was only rediscovered in the late 1980s. Since then volunteers have worked to clean it up. Inside the house in a closet under the stairs they found log walls and realized that the back part of the house had been built around the log walls of the original homestead. She gave us a key to the house and a small cassette tape recorder so we could take a walking tour of the house. We walked into each room on the main and second floors. There was a large weaving loom, a spinning wheel, a rope bed, and an organ. Guardian sat down and worked the foot pedals and touched the keys - after all these years, it worked!When we returned to Lindamood School we found that Reverend Richard Lindamood and his wife Carol had set up some Trail Magic. While we were drinking pop and eating cake and other sweets they told us that their son Hard Tack is serving his ministry while he is thru-hiking the trail. Old Sherpa told them that Hard Tack had saved his feet. They exclaimed, "You're the hiker with the terrible blisters on your feet!" It turns out that Hard Tack helped Old Sherpa get medical attention in Damascus. Without his help Old Sherpa could not still be hiking on the trail. Carol told us that today is Hard Tack's 27th birthday. She pulled out her cell phone and called him up. Carol gave the phone to Old Sherpa. After he thanked him again for helping him get medical attention we all sang Happy Birthday to him. What an amazing coincidence to meet up with these generous people!The sunny weather with no threat of rain, the trail magic, and the hilarious stories Old Sherpa regaled us with got us to our destination, the Relax Inn, in no time at all. What fun we had today!
Date: 2013-05-27
From: Relax Inn

To: Lynn Camp Creek
Miles today: 15.1
Weather: broken clouds

We started the morning with breakfast at The Barn Restaurant. The weather was absolutely gorgeous. We walked through grassy fields and on shaded trails in the forest. At lunch we opened up the cheese sticks we had brought along. Each wrapper had a trivia question on the outside and the answer on the inside. We had fun testing our knowledge but really, for the most part, we were guessing like crazy.There were several places where the trail crossed private land. To get over the barbed wire fences there are ladders called 'stiles'. We climbed several stiles today.Again today we stumbled into some Trail Magic. Just before a road crossing there was a large wooden box with a variety of goodies to eat. Thank you!When we got to the shelter that we had intended to stay at we found that there wasn't any water. We walked on another mile and a half and found a campsite by water. Just as we got set up and inside our tents it rained for about 10 minutes. Just enough to keep the dust down.
Date: 2013-05-28
From: Lynn Camp Creek

To: Walker Gap
Miles today: 9.2

We decided to wake up without an alarm this morning because our hike today was going to be short. That meant that we had eleven hours of sleep last night!On the uphill out of camp the rhododendrons were blooming - light pink and dark pink - the bees were buzzing from blossom to blossom. For a while our hike was just 'a walk in the woods'; then came the 4.5 mile uphill hike to Chestnut Knob Shelter. The sun was shining as we walked through a cleared grassy area. We could see the Blue Ridge Mountains to the east of us. They make a formidable wall across the land. When we arrived at the shelter we all felt energized so we decided to carry on for another 1.8 miles to another camp spot with water. Now we're snug in our tents; an owl is hooting, and the wind is rustling the leaves in the trees - a peaceful end to a lovely day of hiking.
Date: 2013-05-29
From: Walker Gap

To: Laurel Creek, VA 615
Miles today: 13.5

Last night at about 4am we heard some music coming from Old Sherpa's cell phone. He left his tent and went outside. In the morning he said, "Let me tell you why I was turning on my phone early his morning. My headlamp has had a loose wire for a while now. Last night it finally broke. Here is my new headlamp for the rest of the hike." Jammed under the band of his headlamp was his cell phone - he is using the flashlight app on his cell phone as a headlamp.Today's hike had lots of ups and downs. Even though the leafy canopy blocks a lot of the sun we were dripping with sweat. Laurel Creek was a lovely surprise. The water was cascading over rocks and invited us into its cool waters. We stashed our packs at the campsite across the road and walked back to the creek. Apparently our laughter and shrieks upon entering the cold water could be heard by hikers coming down the mountain. We must have made it sound inviting because soon other hikers were dropping their packs and going down to the creek to rinse off themselves and their sweaty clothes. It is so nice to be CLEAN tonight!Last night and tonight we are camped with Blockade Runner and High Tide. They are a retired couple from Tennessee who are thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail. They hope to reach Mount Katahdin in September to celebrate their 35th wedding anniversary.
Date: 2013-05-30
From: Laurel Creek, VA 615

To: Helvey's Mill Shelter
Miles today: 9.2

Last night as we lay in our tarp tent. We could hear cautious footsteps breaking dry twigs and rustling the dead leaves. At first we thought a hiker had come into camp and was trying to set up without turning in his or her headlamp. Soon the footsteps, ever cautious, were coming closer to us. Angel shone her headlamp through the screen door. This started a stampede of fleeing footsteps and a trail of reflected eyes. Then from the other side of the trail there was a loud hissing; like cats fighting. Angel said, "I thought it was deer but deer don't make noises like that." Guardian replied, "Not deer, probably raccoons." Then he rolled over and promptly fell asleep! Now Angel felt the need to stand on guard. Our packs are stored outside the tarp tent in a garbage bag and all she could think was, "What if the raccoons think the bag is full of garbage and tear our packs to shreds!" Guardian began to snore slightly. Rather than nudge him to stop the snoring Angel reasoned that perhaps the snoring would keep the raccoons away. It was after 1am before she fell asleep.Today was a short mileage day. We were up early to beat the heat. The trail up from the road and the creek crossing was perfectly switchbacked and so we covered the distance to the I-77 crossing with ease. Once there we road-walked a short ways before beginning to climb again. We agreed with Blockade Runner when he remarked, "Switchbacks. Where are the switchbacks?" It was a steep 3/4 mile climb to the top. We arrived at the shelter at 2pm. Other hikers we met there collected water and carried on hiking further, taking the chance that they'd find a camp spot before the next shelter. We decided to stay. By 3pm we were in our tents for a short nap. Finally at 5pm we woke up to eat supper and get ready for bed - what a lazy afternoon!For some reason the cell reception was very strong here at the shelter. Old Sherpa was able to finalize all of his travel plans to get home on Monday. It's amazing what can be done on a cell phone!
Date: 2013-05-31
From: Helvey's Mill Shelter

To: Trent's Grocer
Miles today: 16.3

We were up even earlier this morning hoping to beat the heat because it was going to be a long day on the trail. There was lots of ridge walking with occasional views of farmland to the west. The terrain was very friendly; some ups and downs and just a few short climbs. There wasn't a lot of water along the way but we still had water from Helvey's Mill Shelter so we were fine.After crossing the Kimberling Creek Suspension Bridge we had a short road-walk to Trent's Grocer. This was a very friendly family-run gas station / convenience store. We were able to order food from the deli and sit at tables inside the store. A couple of older gentlemen sat and talked with us. Angel couldn't catch all that was said because of their heavy Virginian accents. More than likely the two gentleman were struggling to decipher what she was saying!We were into camp early enough to have a hot shower and do a load of laundry. Part way into the wash cycle Angel took a peek in the washing machine and saw that the water was black from our soiled clothes so we ran the washer again without soap with the hope that the second rinse would help. The dryer was on its last legs. Our clothes were in the dryer for an hour and a half and were still damp! Old Sherpa sat in the laundry room reading his email waiting for the clothes to dry. We could hear the drum of the dryer shrieking through the closed door of the laundry room from inside our tents - which were at least 50 metres away!
Date: 2013-06-01
From: Trent's Grocer

To: Wood's Hole Hostel
Miles today: 13.9
Weather: clear sky

We stopped in at Trent's Grocer first thing this morning to pick up a few lunch and snack items to take us into Pearisburg and then we were off and hiking. The trail was in great shape. We moved along the trail to the first shelter and were surprised how quickly we got there. Our guidebook mentioned that there was a lookout at the top before we would begin the downhill to Wood's Hole Hostel. We were looking forward to climbing up the lookout and taking in the view. After lunch we began the five mile climb to the lookout. We noticed that the wind had died down and that the birds were no longer singing. Then we could hear the sound of thunder coming closer. The thunderstorm moved through quickly and so did the rain. It only lasted about a half hour or forty minutes but there was enough of a downpour that we were walking through puddles. Unfortunately climbing up the lookout did not seem to be the prudent thing to do so we missed the view; the clouds were so low that we may not have seen much anyway.Wood's Hole Hostel is a very unique place. The main building is a log cabin built in the 1880s. There are bedrooms available in the main building, a bunkhouse in the yard, and a camping area. The couple who run the hostel, Neville and Michael, also offer yoga sessions and provide massage therapy. Old Sherpa was able to have a massage and gave it a high rating. We enjoyed a communal supper with about 20 guests and hikers. Inside the main log building two tables were set up and laid with fresh bread, fresh-picked lettuce, and homemade dressings. The more limber guests were invited to sit on the floor around a low table.Before our evening meal we all joined hands in a large circle and introduced ourselves by our trail names and said something that we were thankful for. When it came to our turn we said, "For the last several weeks we've been hiking with Old Sherpa. Soon in Pearisburg he'll be leaving us. We are thankful for the strong friendship we've made." Next it was Old Sherpa's turn. He said he was thankful for his guardian angels. He went on to say, "I think we'll be friends for life!"After the delicious supper we retired to the bunkhouse for the night.
Date: 2013-06-02
From: Wood's Hole Hostel

To: Pearisburg
Miles today: 10.4
Weather: clear sky

In the morning we had a great breakfast of peach cobbler with yoghurt, scrambled eggs, fruit, and fresh bread. The eggs were from the chickens that had the run of the yard. We have to hike today if only to burn off all those delicious calories!A young couple who were celebrating their fourth wedding anniversary at Wood's Hole Hostel gave us a ride back to the trailhead so we didn't have to road walk the half mile. The walk up from the road was steep for a bit but then the trail mellowed. Halfway through the day it began to drizzle and then rain and soon we could hear the thunder coming closer. Quickly we donned our rain gear and then the heavens opened. We were looking forward to a grand view to the east at a spot named Angel's Rest. The view we had was straight across to the other mountain tops - the valley was completely filled with a huge misty cloud!Some of the rocks were quite slippery from the rain. What was really bad though was the last 400 metres down to the road into Pearisburg. The trail was very steep downhill and the surface was slick with clay. Both Guardian and Old Sherpa slipped and fell several times. Angel managed to stay upright only because she stepped carefully where the others had fallen. Old Sherpa took a nasty fall on the clay covered timbers making up the steps down to the road. Both Guardian and Old Sherpa survived without serious injury. A man driving a new Cadillac SUV stopped and drove us into Pearisburg. We were pretty muddy and very wet but he was not bothered and insisted that he would drive us into town - how generous!Even though we had supper together at Wood's Hole Hostel the night before, Blockade Runner and High Tide greeted us like we were long lost hikers when we arrived at the motel.
Date: 2013-06-03
From: Pearisburg

To: Pearisburg Layover Day
Miles today: 0.0

In 1992 Old Sherpa began his quest to hike the entire Appalachian Trail. By completing the Erwin, TN to Pearisburg, VA section this year he now has less than 300 miles to go.For the last month Old Sherpa has bent us over with laughter on the trail, touched us with stories of his life and family, and stimulated our minds with discussions ranging from philosophy to spirituality and everything in between. Even after weeks of hiking together we can still spend hours at a Mexican restaurant talking over a pitcher of beer. Our mutual exchanges make us feel as if we know each other's families even though we haven't yet met!We were sad this morning to see Old Sherpa drive off in his rental car. Before making his way to the airport he gave Blockade Runner and High Tide a ride out to the trailhead. Old Sherpa is truly a helper to all those around him. The three of us know that it won't be long till we see each other again.
Date: 2013-06-04
From: Pearisburg Layover Day

To: Pine Swamp Branch Shelter
Miles today: 19.7
Weather: overcast clouds

We weren't in any hurry to leave this morning because our plan was to hike between 13 and 14 miles. It took awhile to really break away from Pearisburg because the trail paralleled roads for quite awhile. Also there was a large river to cross on a highway bridge. Soon we were enveloped in the green of the forest. Each time we gained elevation the vegetation would change. Then we would lose elevation and return through the same plants and trees once again. There were green ferns, trees of orange azaleas, and the white cup-like blossoms of the mountain laurel trees. We walked through large fields of tall grass past viewpoints down into a valley. The farms dotting the landscape looked as if a giant's hand had placed toy barns and buildings in tidy clumps and had thrown down a patchwork quilt over the hills.We just kept walking through all the beauty until late in the day when we arrived at the shelter. It turned out to be a long day, not the short day we had planned. The shelter was a tidy stone structure with sleeping platforms on the left and right sides. The far wall held a fireplace and chimney. There were several hikers already preparing supper, hanging up food bags and packs, and getting ready for bed. Everyone was very friendly and you could tell from the conversation that they were very much into day to day hiking. We talked about what was coming up in the next few days and traded information gleaned from the various guidebooks and maps.