morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2013-05-30
From: Damascus, VA

To: Lost Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 15.6
Weather: scattered clouds

Thought the Journal reports 15.6 miles hiked today, it was closer to 11.7, and 10 of that was simply walking on the Virginia Creeper Trail, a converted railway. It reminded me of the North Central Railroad Trail in Hunt Valley, MD. The view was much nicer than the AT usually is and the constant roar of the river was a pleasant sound to have accompanying me as I walked.The smell of tar from freshly treated wood took me back to the boardwalks of my childhood summers spent on the beach. So despite the fact that I missed some of the AT today, I was not disappointed.Another advantage to taking the VCT was meeting a physician on bike who helpfully explained what exactly happens during a shin splint and the proper way to wrap my foot and leg to help keep the tendon from peeling off the bone like an ivy being stripped from a tree. I sat down and rewrapped my foot and leg, forming an X over the top of the ankle joint. He said this should hold the tendon in place and prevent it from slowing tearing further. The wrap, combined with a much slower pace, smaller stride, and lower miles, got me to camp almost totally pain-free. A step here and a step there reminded me of my injury, but all was well for the most part.The elevation profile for tomorrow looks daunting, and the closest shelter is 12.2 miles (I don¢t necessarily sleep in them, they are just good checkpoints and areas of social activity.) But I plan to be in bed soon (it is only 8 PM) and an early rise, steady miles, lots of breaks, and regular stretching should all contribute to a successful hike tomorrow. An increased appetite would also be nice, as I have brought way too much food for six days. Maybe someone out there needs trail magic.
Date: 2013-05-31
From: Lost Mountain Shelter

To: Thomas Knob Shelter
Miles today: 12.2
Weather: scattered clouds

Out of camp at 7:40 today, I think my pace for the day was good. It might have been faster than is ideal. I wanted to hike less than 2 MPH, or thereabouts, and I was likely on the upper end of that. Frequent stops slowed my overall pace, though I still got in fairly early with lots of daylight to spare.There were a number of beautiful fields and balds in today¢s stretch, the most interesting of which had about a dozen ponies. Since it was only a mile and a half until I reached the shelter, I took off my pack and wandered into the fray.It didn¢t take long for me to attract a pony and she slowly sauntered over to me. I was a little sad that I had nothing to offer her in the way of a snack. That didn¢t seem to matter.As she approached, she lowered her nose to my right leg and started licking. Ah ha, salt! That¢s what she was after. I consider it good fortune that I stopped by in the afternoon, otherwise, I might not have been salty enough to warrant the attention.Horse licks aren¢t that ticklish on the shin, but are quite so on the knee. A few times I was certain she was going to nibble on my shorts or my ankle wraps, but she only wanted more salt to lick. After a couple of minutes, I attempted to walk back to the trail, but she followed me intently. If I stopped, she licked. If I hurried up, she did too. At one point, she was even with me and attempted to chomp at my camera. It took a good distance for her to stop following and only because she found something more interesting along the way.The shelter I¢m near looks new. It¢s the view behind it that I¢m interested in. Sunset should be beautiful and I plan to catch it here in a couple of hours. It¢s also cooling off quickly, which I don¢t mind, I sleep better cool than warm.Shin feels relatively good. Had some pain towards the end of the hike and while sitting around camp. I really hope the lower intensity helps me heal up a bit. And who know, maybe pony saliva has unknown healing properties.
Date: 2013-06-01
From: Thomas Knob Shelter

To: Old Orchard Shelter
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: clear sky

Up early and out by 7:18 AM.Some of the most beautiful scenery that I¢ve seen so far. Grayson Highland State Park¢s rock-strewn fields, tamed cattle and wild ponies added variety to the forest walks that dominate the AT at times.Slow pace was again the key to a pain-free hike. There were moments when my shin felt like it did as the splint was starting, which is more encouraging. It makes me think that my leg is healing, perhaps slowly, or at least, not undergoing any more damage.The analytical part of me needed some exercise today, so I took the remaining mileage (1680) and figured that based on an October 1st finish (122 days from tomorrow) I have to average 13.8 miles a day (rounded to 14 for simplicity).Another hiker used this info and keeps a log of his daily net mileage. So for a 14-mile day, right on schedule, there is no net gain or loss. A 20-mile day would net a 6-mile gain; 10 miles would net a 4-mile loss.The system works well because it indicates when I can take zero days, or when I have to pick up my mileage. I¢ll be recording some negative days for a while until my shin heals, but it will help me keep close track of my progress as I go. One thing I¢ll be sure not to do is push too early, or let myself be carried away by the mileage game. And I certainly won¢t let myself get carried away by group mentality either.Tomorrow, I will begin the net mileage recordings.
Date: 2013-06-02
From: Old Orchard Shelter

To: Trimpi Shelter
Miles today: 14.1
Weather: light rain

Rain always has the ability to make me alter my plans to some degree. I don¢t really object to sleeping in the rain - my setup keeps me dry - but setting up and breaking camp in the rain sucks.My plan was to hike about 12 miles and camp out, but the steady rains motivated me to walk just a bit further to shelter. I¢m both glad I did and somewhat regretting it. On the one hand, I reunited with Titus and J-Rock, two cool guys I met at Trail Days. On the downside, my right shin is aching some and my left shin has started to show signs of preliminary shin splinting. It¢s tough to say whether my day is ending well.Surely it is in the social sense, less so in the physical/emotional sense. I could handle soreness, tightness, blisters, and some other ailments I¢m sure I¢ve had, but persistently painful shin splints are wearing on me. Perhaps they¢ll pass like all my other aches, or, maybe they won¢t. Could it be that they will maintain a constant presence for the rest of my hike? If so, I just wish I could have some assurance as to how bad they will (or won¢t) be.The thought that frightens me is the one I hate even to mention ¢ could shin splints end my hike? I so badly want to hike this trail that the idea of not doing so this year puts me a negative mindset. But I have to be reasonable about it too. There¢s no sense in risking serious or prolonged injury because of foolishness.Time will tell. I hope it (and prudence on my part) tell a good story with a fulfilling ending.
Date: 2013-06-03
From: Marion, VA

To: Marion, VA
Miles today: 10.7
Weather: overcast clouds

Left shin acted up, stopped to rest at Mt Rogers Visitors Center. Called for 2:30 shuttle to town. While waiting, Titus and J-Rock showed up. Coin flip decided that they join me in town. Cleaned up and had ¢ dinner at a Japanese restaurant. Titus also speaks Japanese, so we had a good time. Bear and ¢moonshine¢ in my motel room, up way too late. Bummed about my left leg, but hopeful it turns out like the right one-all better?
Date: 2013-06-04
From: Marion, VA

To: Outside of Atkins, VA
Miles today: 13.3
Weather: overcast clouds

Caught 11:00 AM shuttle back to trail alone. Titus hungover, J-Rock done with the hike and heading home.Tried to focus on keeping pace slow, but kept creeping faster. One hour break at a shelter helped, as did dinner in Atkins (16 oz. Burger, plus pie). Hoping I don¢t regret the mileage on waking tomorrow. Plan to keep it slow again, the hills should help with that.Seven weeks on the trail. Also, 25 % done, mileage-wise (or very close to it).Leg pain was getting me down, but a 2-mile search for a camp site after dinner helped calm me down. Tomorrow, I¢ll wake up and hopefully feel OK, both mentally and physically.Camping alone, still carry a childish fear of dark woods. Every noise is a bear coming to eat me. Ha!   Sounds of I-81 in the distance remind me I¢m not that far from civilization.
Date: 2013-06-05
From: Lynn Camp Creek

To: Lynn Camp Creek
Miles today: 13.3
Weather: clear sky

Woke naturally, no alarms, started off at 8:45 AM. Kept my pace nice and slow today and averaged around 1.5 MPH. Shins hurt minimally, and only for short periods of time. Stopped every hour, or less, to sit and stretch. It seems to have had the desired effect even doing 13.3.Didn¢t see another hiker until 3 PM, and he was going south. Saw plenty of cattle grazing near the trail and I caused a stampede by surprising one of them by accident. Only saw the back end of a rather large snake, but I assume it was poisonous.Tail magic of PB + J sandwiches and Dr. Thunder soda before a big uphill. Many thanks to Lumberjack for the food and the 5-day forecast printout (rain all week0>Made dinner at a shelter and met some cool hikers. Pushed on another mile or so to hang. It might rain tonight, but I sleep so much better in my hammock than on hard wooden floors. I can also wake up early without disturbing anyone either. And the sound of the creek is an added bonus.I hope tomorrow is as good on the legs as today was, or better!Oh, and Day 50. Woohoo!
Date: 2013-06-06
From: Lynn Camp Creek

To: Davis Farm Campsite
Miles today: 14.9
Weather: overcast clouds

The shins both felt really good today. I may have pushed them with almost 15 miles, but I did the right thing and found a place to camp when they felt somewhat questionable.The terrain went up on a ridge, which undulated, annoyingly so, over rock fields and slanted boulders overlooking some large depression in the landscape. I¢m tired of being taken up to viewpoints only to have clouds and rain make the ascent mostly pointless. I did avoid the big rain of the day while I lunched in a four-walled shelter with a door (Chestnut Knob at 565.2).I¢m also going to implement a 5-minute wait before setting up when I pick a camp site. This is because flies, which may not be immediately noticeable, soon swarmed me at my current location (before setting up my hammock).Cooking, clean-up and brushing (?) was more of a chore tonight because of the pests. I wonder if anyone sells a travel-size bug-zapper?Expecting rain, so the tarp is hung low. Perhaps I¢ll get lucky and have another dry night. If not that, then I at least hope it¢s not raining when I pack up.Trying to plan the next few days. Need to resupply in Bland, VA in 15 miles. There is a nice hostel at 620, and Pearisburg is at 630. I know I could make Bland tomorrow, but not sure I could hitch in and backi late in the day. Maybe camp out before the road and hitch in the next day?Thunder rolling in the distance. Hope I set up everything properly. Or, maybe it will miss me.
Date: 2013-06-07
From: Davis Farm Campsite (?)

To: Helveys Mill Shelter
Miles today: 17.0
Weather: light rain

Woke to rain, broke camp in rain and hiked in rain, though it was mostly just cloudy. I wasn¢t planning on 17 today, but it worked out that way.My first goal was to hit the shelter; it only took about an hour and a half. After a Slim Jim, cheddar Cheese and tortilla snack, I kept making my way, being careful not to overstress the legs.I forgot to mention that when putting on my shoes this morning, I heard a crunch and felt something strange. Removing my shoe, I realized I had accidentally killed a snail. Clean up was tough, but part of him will probably make it to Maine.That morning shock and persistent rain was balanced out by my hitching experience. As I approached VA52, North Scenic Highway I saw a red Jeep Cherokee rounding the bend. I put out my thumb and smiled a big grin. It worked! And Harry, the 87-year old German hiker, was right behind me to join the ride. Our driver was Paul, a kind fellow who went out of his way to help us. He dropped Harry off at the motel and then drove me to Subway and the Dollar General store. While I shopped, he ran an errand, and when he met me again, we made one more stop for some stove fuel. I¢d say he took a good hour out of his day to help me out and I couldn¢t thank him enough.Back on the trail, I did two more miles to the shelter, though it cleared up at around 6 o¢clock. The hike was steep but the start tomorrow is flat. I¢ll probably cut down on the miles just to be safe. And I hope it doesn¢t rain too much, either. Even if does, I¢ll be dry in Pearisburg in a few days.And Paul, if you are reading this, thanks again!
Date: 2013-06-08
From: Helveys Mill Shelter

To: VA 606
Miles today: 16.3
Weather: few clouds

So much for a shorter day. I hope the fact that my body doesn¢t hurt means good things. There are moments where I¢ll be reminded about my shins, but for the most part, they feel fine (and I¢m not taking ibupriofen during the day, just keeping them wrapped).I slept in and got a late start at 9, thinking that the extra rest would be helpful because of yesterday¢s distance. Maybe it was, but I was really dragging about 6 PM, or so. At that point I came upon a nice open, level camp that should have worked well. But the hiker in me wanted to push to VA 606 and a place called Trent¢s Grocery. Sounded neat, it¢s actually just a gas station with some basics, though I did devour a double cheeseburger and a chocolate shake.I thought about camping there since I¢d already done so many miles, but they wanted $6, so I walked back to trailhead and re-entered the woods. It was already getting late, close to 8 PM, so I booked it uphill to try and find a camping spot before I lost the light. Sure enough, at a switchback on a ridge, I found one. And here I am now, sweating on top of my sleeping bag smelling the worst I have so far on this trip. I¢ll shower and do laundry in two days in Pearisburg, but there¢s a waterfall between here and there. I wonder how cold the water is/Another night alone, still getting used to it. I bet the stink helps keep the wildlife away.Definitely doing a shorter day tomorrow.
Date: 2013-06-09
From: VA 606

To: Woods Hole Hostel
Miles today: 14.9
Weather: broken clouds

A shorter day, though arguably not by much.I felt really good during the first half of today, but again was dragging during the afternoon portion. It could be that once the legs start getting worked, and the shins begin to ache, I lose a good amount of my cool. It¢s a lot easier for me to be in good mentatl condition when I¢m in good physical condition, too.14.9 brought me here to Woods Hole, a small hostel in, you guessed it, the woods. The owners run it self-sufficiently and there are all kinds of animals, some of which meander about the yard. I¢m looking forward to coffee and breakfast, an hour of seated meditation, and a zero-day before my 10-mile into Pearisburg. For one, it¢s cheaper here and I¢ve got a good feeling about spending a day in the woods when I¢m not hiking.First order for tomorrow, eat! Then stretching and ice on the legs. Follow it up with some exciting reading on WW II escapes and evasions. I think it will be a good day for doing much of nothing. And I¢m still on schedule for Katahdin.
Date: 2013-06-10
From: Woods Hole Hostel

To: Woods Hole Hostel
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Today was everything a zero-day should be: rest, ice, eating and reading.My main objective for today was to stay off my feet as much as possible, a goal successfully achieved. I spent lots of time reading and a good portion of that time with an ice pack placed alternately on each shin. The short walks between the bunkhouse and the cabin felt good, devoid of pain or soreness, so I am hopeful for tomorrow.The plan is 10 miles into Peariburg, VA. There, I¢ll pick up my bounce bucket, find lodging, resupply food, try and ice and rest my legs a little more, stuff my face at an AYCE buffet, and mail some items (bucket and these journal pages, especially). The earlier I start my day then, the more time for relaxing.Today at the hostel was unique. It was genuinely peaceful, breakfast was delicious (peach crumble {maybe?}) with scrambled eggs, homemade bread, and fresh orange juice. Guest completed small chores to help clean up, tasks that took no more that 10-15 minutes.A long, leisurely day followed. Dinner consisted of various types of lasagna, salad picked fresh from the garden, and chocolate brownie ice cream. A few of us wrapped up the day with some Vipassana meditation, an activity I¢ve not done in quite a while (and one that the owner does daily).My restful day wasn¢t all good news and vibes. A thru-hiker died, found dead in a motel room, of a drug overdose. No details were provided (we know who it was) and I felt it unnecessary to ask, but I hope his friends and family are able to work through their significant loss.And tomorrow we go on. Whether ten to town, or to mourn a loss, we wake up and do it again and hope for more beauty, growth and fun.
Date: 2013-06-11
From: Woods Hole Hostel

To: @ Pearisburg, VA
Miles today: 10.4
Weather: broken clouds

Leaving a good place is hard to do, especially when the elevation profile shows lots of up and down. But more than landscape, the experience of the place has the most draw and mental resistance. Those thought bouncing around my head, I started the half-mile walk back to the trail and started my trek to town.The hike was uneventful. I kept a decent pace and monitored my legs and only had small issues on the 2,000-foot drop into civilization. My first observation was that the motel to which I¢d sent a package was no longer there. Apparently, it burned down two months ago and my package was at the P.O. Second, Pearisburg is not an easy town to catch a ride, so I had to walk the mile and a half uphill into town. I found a fellow hiker with whom to share a room and some other good friends were at the same motel, so the atmosphere has been good since arriving.Planning to hike out with Titus tomorrow, but we¢ll leave a little later (noon?) and shoot for 12-14 before sunset.Like I¢ve said before, as long as my leg pain stays manageable ¢ or goes away ¢ I¢ll finish this hike. I need to ask the staff for some ice, then it¢s probably time for bed.Spirits are high at the moment and I hope to keep them that way.
Date: 2013-06-12
From: @ Pearisburg, VA

To: @ Pearisburg, VA
Miles today: 13.7

I had a later start than anticipated today, but the day turned out all right.We all had some big (45-oz.) margaritas last night, so I took care of my food resupply this morning. I tried to buy less than usual, but once packed it still felt heavy. Took some time to reorganize before checkout. Even got lucky with some free water purification drops in the hiker box (saved me around $15).Since hitching in Pearisburg was not happening, I walked the mile back to the trail and got underway at 11:00.Not too long after 12, I came across a big stream and decided to soak my legs. It was worth the re-wrapping I had to do. If I can do it, I¢ll try to soak my legs once a day.The climb out of town was awful, as always, though I made the 7 miles to the first shelter in four hours, stream break included. I took a long lunch and debated moving on, which I eventually did. I found a good pace and by the time I pulled into camp at around 8 PM, I¢d hiked 13.7, just under my daily goal. There¢s a nice section hiker here as well and the deer are quite numerous and active. I think I just heard a buck snorting, or something.No plan for tomorrow as it depends on the legs, weather, etc. I¢m in a good mood now and I hope to carry that over to the morning hike.
Date: 2013-06-13
From: @ Pearisburg, VA

To: @ Bailey Gap Shelter
Miles today: 9.5

Started off well, out of camp at 7:25. Found one of my hiking food bags on the ground, the fabric of the attachment to hook it to a caribiner had ripped. The food in that bag dented my pot lid on impact, but it still works. My lighter stopped working too, so I had to borrow one to cook dinner tonight. Not sure what I¢ll do tomorrow if I end up alone.Planned on doing around 14 today but as I got closer to the second shelter of the day, the thunderstorms caught up with me. I got drenched but made good time and the shelter was only 0.2 miles away. Weather continued to worsen and a few more guys came in. With the persistent wetness and the drop in temperature, I called it with only 9.5 done. I¢m okay with that because it means more rest for my legs. Besides, no one day makes or breaks the trail progression. Next few days are supposed to be nice, so I¢ll tack on a little mileage then.Apart from the bothersome gnats, I was happy today. Leg pain was very low, which is encouraging; I¢m sure the cold stream, leg-soak helped again. I hope to stay close to water for a while. The key to keeping my spirits up is not to push myself too hard. There are so many days left so I need to keep up a good healthy pace. My net mileage is 17.5 at the moment, but it¢s not a worry. It¢s only a little more than one day off my schedule and as I heal and boost my miles again, I¢ll get back into the black.Cool breeze and early bedtime, combined with a nap this afternoon, means tomorrow should be a good day, weather permitting.
Date: 2013-06-14
From: @ Bailey Gap Shelter

To: @ Laurel Creek Shelter
Miles today: 14.6
Weather: scattered clouds

Laying up at the shelter was a good idea ¢ lots of rest, a break for the legs, and the trail dried out to make today¢s hike really good.Spirits were high today, perhaps bolstered by all the rest I got. The sun took a few hours to break through, but the cooler morning meant the bugs weren¢t out either. The group I was with kept a bubble together and we all ended up at this shelter again.There were a number of good creeks running today and I soaked my legs after lunch (I¢ll will soak them before bed tonight, too). The water is still very cold and I can¢t keep my legs in more than a minute, but I¢m hoping it does a lot to keep the inflammation down.The shelter campsite is nice and mountain laurel surrounds us. I¢m hoping that the cool weather is not a portent of rain tonight, but even if it did rain, I¢m under some good tree cover.Among others, Titus is here and it¢s always good to have a good friend in camp. I¢m sure he¢ll leave me in the dust tomorrow. But I¢ll keep taking it slow, not stress about miles, and heal up for when Virginia gets flatTrail magic today at the top of a climb ¢ Granny Smith apple, Busch beer, and an oatmeal cream pie. Many thanks to Special K and Super Dave!
Date: 2013-06-15
From: @ Laurel Creek Shelter

To: @ Audie Murphy Memorial Monument
Miles today: 17.5

Two big climbs today, one before 10 AM and the other to finish my day. The second one had a cooler and snacks at the top, titled (on the lid): ¢Trail magic in the Middle of Nowhere.¢ Thanks to Sprout and Papa Sprout for that one; it certainly made up for the short-distance 1500¢ elevation gain. Water sources were not plentiful for the first half and last 2-3 hours of the day. Not much could be done about it except to fill up 4 liters and drink to make it lighter.Weather was sunny and there was no chance of rain, though that will change tomorrow. Calling for partly cloudy skies (a good thing) and a 40% chance of rain (a good thing in very short bursts).I¢m almost out of food, so the plan tomorrow is to stay at a place called Four pines, a hostel in Catwba. The owner will shuttle us to dinner then shopping. The next resupply is only two days past that so I¢m looking forward to a very light pack. Only 8:45, but I¢m exhausted. To bed shortly, after marking my perimeter. 60 DAYS!