morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2006-04-27
From: Jenkins

To: Jenny Knob
Miles today: 23.6
Weather: overcast clouds

A gloomy day turned great. We hiked the 12 miles to I-77 for lunch and dried our tents and wet gear while eating. We took an early snack break this morning because a local Methodist church had left a cooler of juice drinks for hikers, and a laminated note with weather and 1 Cor 13 scripture about love. Another trail ministry for hikers and a pleasant surprise for us. Hot Rod and I ran ahead for the next 7 miles and waited on Blistah and Dudley for about 15 minutes at I-77. Mufasa and Lotus arrived soon after. The sunshine was a great change after several rainy days.At our Helvey Mill shelter water fill-up I spoke with 2 of the section hikers from Jenkins shelter. One was an active scouter going to Philmont 626 this summer, and the other was a Lutheryn Minister. I also talked with 4 other section hikers, one who had been to Philmont in 1956 and later worked with missiles in the Air Force.I hiked with Mufasa for the next 5 miles and learned about his western US adventures and Alaskan trips. Exciting tales that include plans to return to Alaska. I spent the last 4 miles hiking solo to complete our 23 mile day. Mufasa commented, "Ryan, since you have joined us we have done two 20 mile days. We had not done any before that. Hmmm??"
Date: 2006-04-28
From: Jenny Knob

To: Wapiti
Miles today: 14.2
Weather: scattered clouds

Another great hiking day. We made it to VA 606 and the nearby store by 11am and enjoyed burgers, ice cream, juice, milk and soda while there. Blistah humerously thumbed a 0.3 mile ride for herself, Hot Rod and Lotus. Mufasa, Dudley and I walked over.We hiked to the Dismal Creek Falls and the guys, led by Mufasa, jumped in twice. Dudley took the plunge once. The water was cold but refreshing, and after drying we finished the last 6 miles to Wapiti. I think I ate around 4000 calories today thanks to the pit stop at the market.Novacaine and his dad were here for supper, and then decided to hike on to facilitate getting to the Post Office before lunch tomorrow. We saw TCBY and Happy Feet slackpacking from VA 606 to Pearisburg.After a couple Ibuprofen last night my ankle felt much better today. I'm not certain why it has been so bothersome, but hope that a couple days off next weekend in Martinsburg will be the cure.
Date: 2006-04-29
From: Wapiti

To: Holy Family Church Hostel/Pearisburg
Miles today: 16.1

We have really enjoyed some nice weather lately. I chased Dudley up the first climb this morning and passed her about half way up. We then cruised to Pearisburg, leaving a note for the rest of the train to meet us at the hostel. We arrived nearly 2 hours before them... but they stopped at DQ for ice cream!2 high school girls gave us a ride from the trail to Wal-Mart. (Apparently, one of their mothers was a suspected witch in Pearisburg, so the town would not allow her to open a market for hikers; whatever that means.) We walked over the hostel and realized that our group of six would be sleeping in the floor. After showering and greeting the rest of the group, we trekked over to Wal-Mart and bought supplies for the trail and for dinner and breakfast. The girls made spagetthi and cheesecake; what a treat!Later I caught up with mom & dad, Charity, Vern, Craig & Helen, Eric, Adam, and coincidentally, Dan Brock and Drew Updike who are always good for a laugh.Dudley spoke with her family in Great Falls and will join me for the drive to northern VA next weekend. I am looking forward to a few days off.
Date: 2006-04-30
From: Holy Family Church Hostel/Pearisburg

To: Symms Gap Meadow
Miles today: 12.1

I awoke to hikers compaining about a clogged toilet, and although tempted to journey to Wal-Mart, buy a plunger and solve the issue at hand, I went back to sleep. Around 7:30am I got up and discovered that the girls of the Maine Train, joined by Hot Rod, followed through on my disregarded plan for fixing the clog. I would say that my job as supervisor of the situation worked out tremendously well. As if the "Ms. Fixit" was not enough, the girls then cooked french toast, eggs, and a fruit salad. I just had to return to Wal-Mart for the forgotten eggs, Lotus's doughnuts, and some white gas, and later clean the dishes. This situation worked out well again.While finishing breakfast, Bill, the hostel caretaker came by for a chat. He was retired from the Army and spent time in Korea, where he earned a Purple Heart, and later spent time in Vietnam translating. He commented, "the Army paid $21 a day, once a month."Dudley and I did laundry and ate DQ Blizzards before hitting the trail again. I spoke with Amanda and Adam while doing laundry this morning. Bill drove us back to the trail near 2:30pm. Dudley, FreezeOut, and I set up camp on Symms Gap Meadow around 7:00pm. FreezeOut thought that 12 miles after 3pm was a pretty good hike. We have come a long way I guess. None of us were too hungry after stuffing ourselves in town. We ate anyway because are packs felt too heavy.We can still hear the trains near town reminding me of Erwin last February, and even more of spending the night at Grandma Betty's house. The night sky was awesome tonight, and looking down on the town lights is a familiar and comforting feeling.
Date: 2006-05-01
From: Symms Gap Meadow

To: War Spur
Miles today: 20.1
Weather: broken clouds

Today was a spectacular hiking day. It was a pleasantly cool morning with slightly overcast skies providing smooth hiking conditions. After a snack and water stop at Pine Swamp Branch Shelter, we began the journey to Bailey Gap Shelter for lunch. We had to walk the road for a mile and a half for a washed out bridge over Stoney Creek. Hurricane Jeanne left its mark here.Turning back onto the trail, we arrived at a cooler of sodas and a tray of Little Debbie cakes provided by "Captain." Another pleasant surprise, boosting our spirits for the climb to Bailey Gap. Just before lunch we heard some rockets overhead which I believed to be F-16s. It was like being in Tucson again, but we did not see them. A few minutes later we heard them approching again and turned in time to see the pilot of the second F-16 buzzing the ridgetops literally feet above. It provided for about 3 seconds of pure excitement. We enjoyed lunch with FreezeOut and hit the trail for the last 9 miles of the day. 2PeopleW2Dogs (Dogman & Buglady) from Raleigh were hiking for a couple days to get away. They had through hiked in 1998 and had many stories to tell.I began signing as Maverick today. I enjoy thinking of family when I talk about how I chose the name (see Trail Name section of this website).Tonight, MOAT is sleeping in his hammock as usual, and FreezeOut, Dudley and I are in the shelter.
Date: 2006-05-02
From: War Spur

To: VA 621 / Craig Creek
Miles today: 19.5

Today brought more good weather until this evening. It rained briefly during dinner at Niday Shelter and again after setting up camp at Craig Creek. This morning we stopped at Laurel Creek Shelter for a snack and then moved on to the big Keffer Oak tree for lunch. I had planned to refill water at Sinking Creek but it was unpleasant. Luckily there was a stream soon after. I was disappointed at what seemed like poor water planning since I'm always carrying 3 liters of water while most people carry 2. I was attempting to reduce pack weight by carrying less water, but I guess I am not that much of a camel. We met a SoBo hiker who had just seen a rattlesnake and also told us about "sodas" - in Craig Creek. I really did not plan on hiking past an empty shelter to set up a tent in the rain just for a "soda." However, my hiking partners were excited, so I joined them. I had an orange Food Lion brand soda when we arrived at the creek. Later, as I was attempting to hang food in a bear bag, I fell out of the tree and landed flat on my back. Being only 5 feet above the ground, I am surprised that I had time to thing, "I hope nothing is sticking out of the ground, and I hope my head misses the fallen tree behind me." I can tell my body is seriously tired from the last couple of weeks.
Date: 2006-05-03
From: VA 621 / Craig Creek

To: Catawba Mtn
Miles today: 23.2
Weather: light rain

Aiming for at least 22 miles, you would expect hikers to make an early departure. The rain seems to slow everything down, as well as the breakfast Food Lion brand Dr. Pepper. The first 8 miles went well. We felt strong. I stopped by the Audie Murphey Monument for a picture. Murphey died in a plane crash at that point on the trail. He was also the most decorated WWII veteran from the U.S. We had a snack at Trout Creek and dumped our garbage. Hoping to hit Dragon Tooth for lunch, we ran out of steam about a half-mile short¢unknowingly. Each with our books and maps and the trail signs disagreed on the mileage to the Tooth also. After pictures on the Tooth, we trekked on Highway 624 and found a cooler of trail magic¢EMPTY!! FreezeOut had enjoyed the last soda, but we did find cold AquaFina water inside. Hungry and thirsty, we opted to take the 0.4 mile side hike to a gas station store. Dudley and I found MOAT and FreezeOut in front of the store enjoying a pizza. MOAT also tanked a 2-liter of Sprite. I had an egg roll, Milky Way, Tootsie Rolls, juice, and also bought a king-sized Snickers for tomorrow. The 2000 calories I just ate really improved the next 7 miles of hiking. Arriving at Johns Springs Shelter, I was preparing to leave a note MOAT (moving much slower after his pizza and 2-liters of Sprite) as the others continued, when I discovered a case of Mountain Dew and a grocery bag of Ms. Field¢s cookies and some brownies. MOAT arrived as we were drinking our second Mountain Dew, and the 4 of us decided to night hike one more mile to the next shelter.         Johns Springs Shelter was formally called Boy Scout Shelter. This heavily-traveled section has several wooden bridges constructed during Eagle Scout projects. Approaching Johns Springs, we met Gary and his dog from Roanoke doing a 5-mile loop instead of running at home in Roanoke.
Date: 2006-05-04
From: Catawba Mtn

To: Martinsburg, WV
Miles today: 17.8

The alarm went off at 5 am after FreezeOut suggested we do sunrise on McAfee Knob. It was like sunrise on the Tooth at Philmont. Dudley and I ate breakfast while enjoying the sunrise. Arriving at Lamberts Meadow Shelter, FreezeOut stayed for a nap. Dudley and I continued about 4 more miles before feeling completely drained again. We stopped to finish every last bit of food with Roanoke in sight and just over 5 miles remaining. We finally arrived in Daleville near 3:30 and walked to the post office for a mail drop. We stopped by the grocery store and the outfitter, where we met Casey Jones and Doodle, who allowed us to shower in their motel room before getting picked up. Craig and Helen (Vic and Irish), friends from when I was in school in Knoxville, picked us up at the motel and took the scenic route to the legendary Home Place restaurant in Catawba. The rest of the Maine Train was there with several other hikers when we arrived. Blistah (from the Maine Train) sang me ¢You¢ve Lost that Lovin¢ Feeling¢ to make fun of my new trail name when we arrived at the Home Place. Craig and Helen graciously paid for the unlimited supply of meat, bread and vegetables. As we were leaving, Sleeper, Novacaine, and DaBear arrived to eat. Craig and Helen then took me to the rental car facility and then to their house to pick up my mail. We made arrangements for our Sunday evening return, and then Dudley and I drove north on I-81. I dropped her off in Winchester with her uncle near midnight and arrived on base in Martinsburg at 12:30am, after stopping to trim my beard. I spread all my gear out to dry and had difficulty going to sleep as I rummaged through all the boxes with banana bread, gorp and new gear from home.
Date: 2006-05-08
From: Martinsburg, WV

To: Roanoke, VA
Miles today: 0.0

The weekend was busy in Martinsburg. I spent three days at drill with free evenings. On Friday, I picked up a couple new pairs of Merrell hiking shoes in Hagerstown, MD on my way to DC to visit Amanda from college at UT. She recently completed her Masters at Northwestern and moved back to DC to work in tunnelling engineering. It was a nice visit and great reprive from the trail. After completing drill on Sunday and drying out all my gear, I packed up and drove to Winchester to pick up Dudley. We arrived in Roanoke later than expected and talked with Craig about zeroing on Monday to rest more. He and Helen were very welcoming and let us borrow the car to run errands throughout the day. In the morning I caught up on some pictures and scheduling while watching "O Brother Where Art Thou?" Dudley and I drove out to the Post Office to mail things home, and forward some additional items to Waynesboro and Harper's Ferry. After work, Craig & Helen took us to a restaurant called Corned Beef for dinner and to meet some of their friends. Ryan, Deborah, Jeff, Penny, Jeff, and Sarah were all very active in the outdoors through running, biking, hiking, etc and were very interested in our AT hike. They had helped Craig & Helen during their thru-hike in 2003. When we returned to Craig & Helen's house, they showed us pictures from their hike and the slide show they had created for presenting to groups.I look forward to the opportunity to repay and pass on their hospitality, support, and kindness in the future.
Date: 2006-05-09
From: Roanoke, VA

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

After more web stuff, packing, mailing (boxes, and a card to Mrs Bruce Walcutt), and a box of Frosted Mini Wheats, we left for the trail with Helen near noon. She took us to the outfitter for fuel and Dudley's new pack cover, then back to the trailhead. Before hiking I called Mr Palmer to discuss working at Crater Lake this summer. I also talked to Fran about it because Mr Palmer was out for the week. Lately, I have learned of more and more items that need to be completed before AMS in August; uniforms, interviews, drill weekends, etc. I do not want to do a halfway job as a camp director while completing tasks for the guard. I'll await his response next week.As we started hiking, we met a trail maintainer weed eating the tall grass along the trail. He gave us some advice for the next 30 miles which has already proved helpful. We were surprised to see him again about a mile later after he drove ahead to push mow more of the trail. We later passed John, Lily, Swiss & Happy Feet before arriving at the shelter. Gus, Doc, and DaBear were there. We had shared the cramped Jenkins shelter with Gus a couple weeks ago. DaBear decided to pack up and hike further with John and Lily after spending the last 6 hours lounging around the shelter in his sleeping bag.The four days without hiking proved beneficial as my ankle felt better and I felt recuperated. My new pack is doing well along with a new shirt from Emily and Lauren, new socks, and the new shoes. Going to Martinsburg provided great recovery time from hiking.
Date: 2006-05-10
From: Wilson Creek

To: Bryant Ridge
Miles today: 20.6
Weather: scattered clouds

The forecasted showers held off and the low 70's with clearing skies were nice. We gained 3 miles on the Maine Train and hope to gain 8 more tomorrow. I think we will catch them by Waynesboro.It did not feel like a 20 mile hike today. The main excitement was a loud thump in the weeds as Dudley was hiking, and I turned in time to spot a rattlesnake. As it watched us from a distace, it appeared to be a dark brown snake...until we heard the rattle. We later saw another snake, but it was a smaller slow moving black snake. We stopped by Cove Mtn Shelter for lunch, then on to Jennings Creek for water and a wade in the creek. The huge, tri-level Bryant Ridge Shelter had rice crispy treats as trail magic. With so much room in the shelter, there was plenty of space for pushups and good support beams for some pullups.
Date: 2006-05-11
From: Bryant Ridge

To: Matt's Creek
Miles today: 22.7

We left around 9:30am under a gloomy sky. Having lunch at the day's halfway point, we met Patches and his two friends, and Jaywalker, who are all staying the night at the shelter. The rain has convinced them to stay under cover. Within 15 minutes of our departure from lunch, the hardest rain I've hiked in so far began to fall. We still made good time to Matt's Creek, but my feet were soaked for the first time since hiking in the snow on Feb 16. I don't think the boots I was previously wearing would have leaked like the new shoes, but the shoes are much lighter (except when wet!) and I am not regretting the footwear change...yet. We are with the "Cane Train" and Preacher tonight. Preacher thru-hiked 1987 and attempted another hike recently but was injured in PA. The Cane Train is a group of middle aged guys, Wandering Bill, Mad Dog, & Pilgrim, who took their collective name from the Maine Train.
Date: 2006-05-12
From: Matt's Creek

To: Brown Mountain Creek
Miles today: 22.2
Weather: overcast clouds

We got an earlier start today, but then Dudley took a wrong turn as she approached the James River Bridge! At highway 501 we decided to forego a trip to Glasgow, upon the advice of Preacher, and push on to Buena Vista (pronounced Buna by the locals) for our resupply. We are down to 15 miles or so behind the rest of the Maine Train, and will likely catch them on Monday in Waynesboro.Hiking up from the highway we passed a nude runner heading south. He yelled, "see you in June" referring to a day that some people hike without clothes on the AT. Seems a bit over the top to me.I saw another black snake today slowly crossing the trail. I tossed a piece of bark toward it to see its reaction, which only included a momentary small increase in speed.We had lunch on Bluff Mtn with Sleeper, Senator, Bonesaw, & Tricycle. They are currently camped about 200 yards south of the shelter as they did not see the shelter ahead of them. We passed Swiss, Happy Feet, the Cane Train, and caught Karuna-Miel here tonight.A couple more 20 mile days should not be bad. I feel much better than last week after the 20 milers, and the weather has likely been a factor. It has been cooler. We have hear that the Shenandoahs are easier hiking and have several small stores to resupply or eat to keep you motivated.
Date: 2006-05-13
From: Brown Mountain Creek

To: Seeley-Woodworth
Miles today: 15.8
Weather: broken clouds

Today was very nice with cool weather and a productive 4 hour stop in Buena Vista. I called James B., past conservation staffer from Philmont, but he was preparing for a drive to Washington state for trail building and conservation work. We got a ride from Laurel, a past AT hiker from about 10 years ago, who was working for a subcontractor with T-Mobile surveying tower sites in the area. She was heading east but turned around to drive us 10 miles west into Buena Vista. She had 2 laptops running in her car, one with GPS tracking her routes. We recommended that she day hike the Dragon's Tooth or McAfee's Knob on her day off tomorrow.We resupplied at the Food Lion as well as buying a loaf of french bread, 2 lbs of sliced turkey, some cheese, and tomatoes for lunch. I also humorously bought a gallon of distilled water in hopes of flushing the MicroPur from my system!! In the store we ran into Sleeper, Senator, Bonesaw, Tricycle, Swiss, & Happy Feet, who were disappointed that Wingfoot listed a non-existant grocery at the intersection of the road and trail, so they hitched into town for coffee & sandwhich. Dudley & I hitched back to the trail along with the first four guys. Another driver turned around to help us. Stan was driving a Dodge diesel university van shutteling students, but took 30 minutes to turn around and take us up to the trailhead.After laying around to aid in digesting the supersized sandwhich, and making arrangements for the ANG interview, we took off for the shelter. We passed many friendly day hikers, including John K., a Botany professor, and Carol out for a day hike. They provided good conversation during a short break before finishing the last 8 miles for the day. We met the Cane Train again here at the shelter. They are planning for the Montebello bed & breakfast tomorrow, while Dudley and I are planning for another 20 mile day.
Date: 2006-05-14
From: Seeley-Woodworth

To: Maupin Field
Miles today: 20.5
Weather: light rain

The sunrise was nice this morning. The moon last night was pretty incredible also - large and orange. I called mom this morning to say Happy Mother's Day. I also placed an order for my next mail drop.The Priest Shelter did not have a journal, so I left the extra one I was carrying and hope someone returns it when it is full. While climbing The Priest we heard about heavy thunderstorms in the area on Dudley's radio, and from two women day hiking. We hoped to arrive at Harper's Creek Shelter before any downpouring. Arriving there we met Slavedrivers: Low & Slow and Tumbleweed, who were hiking SOBO from Harper's Ferry to Springer, GA. They confirmed that water was consistently available over the next 180 miles, and that the stores and restaurants in Shenandoah National Park would be ready for us when we arrive. After our conversation and a snack, the weather appeared to be holding back, so we began the climb to Maupin Field Shelter. The thunder, lightning, and rain began within minutes and after very close lightning strikes, we turned back. We backtracked to the blue blaze bad weather route (Mah-Har Trail) we had passed 2 miles ago. It was very steep but had some nice waterfalls along the way. We arrived at Maupin just before dark and met Bushwhacker, Afterburner, EZ, and Lightning Bolt. The latter two were a father-son pair who thru-hiked in 2000, and were on their way to Damascus for trail days. EZ was a retired steel worker who worked on the World Trade Center while Lightning Bolt currently works as an electrician. Their accents reminded me of Papa. After eating and filling up on water, I changed out of my soaking wet clothes and went to bed.
Date: 2006-05-15
From: Maupin Field

To: Waynesboro, VA
Miles today: 21.1
Weather: scattered clouds

I woke up before 6am today and the rest of the shelter joined me in an early rising. Afterburner wanted to get to Waynesboro to call his son who is in the National Guard and just returned from Iraq. Dudley and I wanted to arrive by mid-afternoon to find the rest of the Maine Train and get our mail. We took a short yellow blaze (road hike) along the Blue Ridge Parkway since it was our last chance to see the parkway for a while and it saved almost a mile of hiking.We stopped to snack at Paul C Wolfe Shelter where Dudley found Mufasa's shirt. He had hiked shirtless and forgot it there. He had figured someone would bring it to him when he realized that it was forgotten. On our stretch into town, we passed Elk from Colorado on his 3rd AT thru-hike. At the visitors center the staff arranged a ride to town for us from Bill, a "trail angel." He gave us a tour, shuttled us to the Post Office, and between the hotel and the library to assist finding the rest of the Maine Train. The others called us while at the library checking email, and we arranged to meet at the Chinese Buffett. Everyone shared stories of the past couple weeks while eating 3-4 plates from the buffett. It has been exciting chasing them on the trail.
Date: 2006-05-16
From: Waynesboro, VA

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

I did not really want or plan to take a zero in Waynesboro, but it worked out well for catching up. We had breakfast at Weasies Diner while doing laundry. I returned some phone calls and began playing phone tag with Mr Palmer at Philmont. He was incredibly understanding of the Air Guard business I had to accomplish before officer school, and joked that after I finish my time with the Air Force, he would convince me to join the Marine Reserves like he had. I could not have asked for better conversations with a former boss.I talked with Charity for a while and she began helping me update these entries. That will prove beneficial over the remainder of the hike.