morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2004-06-02
From: Damascus, Virginia

To: 2 Zero's in Damascus, Virginia
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Today I'm saying ¢Hello¢, from the shady porch of the Apple Tree Bed & Breakfast, where I can watch the world go by from this rocking chair!The sky is awash with blue and a small breeze is bringing the wind chimes to life. It is a peaceful moment here in small town U.S.A¢¦ all we need is a squash festival with cotton candy and children giggling while waving sparklers!Taking a page out of my multi-tasking city living days, I headed uptown to the Laundromat to put a different kind of sparkle back into my duds while sitting on their stoop writing postcards. Yea, I am a powerhouse, aren't I?With it being June 2nd, kind of the unofficial start of summer. Belle hobbled over with her tender ankle from ¢The Place¢ (a hiker hostel) and we sat and talked as everyone rushed here and there. Carp came hiking into town and dropped his pack to chat (THUD! His pack is quite heavy, but then again he was ten years in Australia's Special Forces! Carp somehow thinks that things like his half-a-pound gun-shot, gash bandage just might be needed someday out here. Ahh, yea right, maybe if a squirrel attacks you?!Belle and I went to hang out at the outfitters where a couple of folding camp chairs out front had our names on them. No sooner did we sit down did I catch wind of the most horrible smell. Did I step in something? ¢What is that smell?¢ I asked. Just then a hiker walked out and reached behind us both to grab his socks he laid out on the window seal. ¢So that's what we're smelling, your socks. We thought a possum had died. Have you ever actually washed them since the first time you put them on?¢ He showed us a slow grin and that's how I met Goose. ¢Hey, I'm Postcard.¢ He answer in his slow Virginia way, ¢H i, I ' m G o o o o s e. ¢By six, both had returned to test out one of the rockers and enjoy some red wine on the porch before we moseyed over to Sicily's. But we had to enjoy the wine in stealth mode, its not acceptable in Damascus to do such racy things. Belle, Carp and I all get along effortlessly, so the food and conversation was great. Then in comes Pop-Up, which is how he got his trail name, he just seems to pop up when no one knows where he is. Then Mello Mike, Butterfinger with her hiker buddy's, London and Greybeard and the Reverend Yukon Jack. It was as if a tour bus of hikers had just landed! See how a zero day reunites you with those you know.Anyway, it was a wonderful, peaceful day¢¦ a perfect zero!!
Date: 2004-06-04
From: 2 Zero's in Damascus, Virginia

To: Lost Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 15.8
Weather: moderate rain

After two wonderfully restful sunny days in Damascus, it was time to make some miles again. So naturally, it was raining! I was moving fairly slow after last night's libations with the tribe on my B & B's porch. Everyone had brought something, from red wine to donuts to good dispositions. We laughed at each other's stories and our own trail goof's. Later we all relocated down to the mill for a nice dinner, but afterward we all had to say farewell to Belle. We'd be hiking out the next day while she'd still need to nurse the injured ankle. I'll miss her company and we all encouraged her to jump up the trail to rejoin us when she's finally able to walk without the crutch.Anyway, back to the rain¢¦Beth, the owner of the Apple Tree B & B had my breakfast ready at eight. I'll admit that when I saw the rain I wanted to rethink hiking out. But as a thru-hiker, you just have to move despite the weather. It takes true grit at times.On went the raingear and pack cover and up main street I went to find where the white blazes leave the town and disappear into the woods of America. The early on ever-present angst of the physical difficulty that would face me for the day has been slowly vanishing and is transforming into just moving north. I believe the confidence of knowing what has already been tackled, all those miles and mountains is empowering me. It's a feeling that whatever lay's ahead is no longer worth fretting over; I will handle it, move over it or around it. That's what I do. The only thing at issue is whether I desire to do it. It's no question as to If, I can¢¦ I am! No, it's much more about if I want to hike all the way to Maine. And that issue all comes down to enjoying the journey, which I am.Virginia provided a nice stroll today even in the rain. The coolest part of the hike came in the afternoon when the AT joins the Virginia Creeper Trail on an old railroad bed (the kind from the steam engine days). It then moves over one of those classic wooden railroad bridges over a deep gorge. The whole thing had been converted to a footbridge, which was so high up that you could gaze down into the forest canopy¢¦ a real change from walking underneath it. As I walked across I counted how many steps it took. 221. It was a really interesting piece of architecture and fun to cross. Good trail texture.Many were in this nice shelter when I arrived. Short days seem to dominate the hiker crowds on yukky days. Unfortunately for them, it means slow progress. Most likely that's why I'm now meeting hikers who started a full month before me now. Oh well, ¢Hike your own hike¢ is the AT mantra. It's chilly tonight and the rain has everything dark¢¦ maybe I'll hit the mummy early and warm up. Hmm, some music might cheer up the dreary weather?
Date: 2004-06-05
From: Lost Mountain Shelter

To: Old Orchard Shelter
Miles today: 23.2
Weather: light rain

They're called The Grayson Highlands and they are indeed named properly. The entire area harkins back to my time in the highlands of Scotland. It was quite gray with low-level clouds clinging to the mountains, but as morning was edged out by midday, the sun started to assert itself. It would toy with us the rest of the day. Joining us were just herds and herds of weekenders to enjoy the beauty on this fine Saturday¢¦ especially since we were able to leave the rain gear packed up. Yes, I know it's hard to believe, but today saw No Rain. Truly amazing.Most seem to be out for a weekend camping adventure where they could use all all their camping do-dads and adventure wiz-bangs. I guess there must have been over 400 weekenders! Tents were everywhere, some in clusters resembling outdoor cities It was a tougher than normal 23 miles because so much of it was rock. At one of the midway shelters, Goose and I met Dave Underfoot who ask if I'd like some hot chocolate? With the sun playing hide and seek behind the clouds, the cold would find you fast while it was hiding. Especially so when you stop walking and are wearing wet everything from sweat. ¢Sure, that sounds like a great way to warm up. Thanks¢ And that is how we three met and came to hike together for a week or two. During lunch a doe wandered in to look us over¢¦ ¢No food to spare, sorry.¢ By afternoon, I hiked up upon a family of five who are Thru-hiking the AT. Mom and Dad and their three children travel as the ¢Garland Five.¢ Real nice folks and the kids love to take charge of making the campfire, which is usually something I do. So tonight I'm just sitting back being a slug and gazing into the fire. Most Thru-hikers don't bother with having one since their tired or don't want to go to the bother, but I just love the ambiance it creates. Especially when you turn in and the glow of the flames flicker on the shelter and woods. It's pretty darn cozy.The long mileage today had a purpose¢¦ if you've been following my journal then you may have an idea as to the motivation. By hiking twenty-four point seven miles tomorrow, I'll be sleeping at one of the newest shelters that even has running water and a shower! But, as good as both those conveniences sound, they can't surpass the fact that the local Pizzeria will actually make deliveries to the shelter!! So, there it is. Tomorrow will be a big mileage day to a large pepperoni pizza. Yum!
Date: 2004-06-06
From: Old Orchard Shelter

To: Partnership Shelter
Miles today: 24.7
Weather: scattered clouds

To celebrate crossing through the five hundred mile mark this morning, Mother Nature granted me blue skies, light breezes and sunshine. The feet are a bit sore from the two day, fifty-mile distance. But, I'm letting them rest now as they have served me well and deserve time off!I arrived here early and have ordered pizza already¢¦ I'm writing as I'm waiting for the delivery person to show up with all the delicious bounty. Eight hikers and one dog descended on him the moment he turned his motor off! And what had been one nice pepperoni pizza sitting in front of me a moment ago has disappeared into the ever deepening abyss called my stomach. A nice reward for a near 25-mile day! Which is a new topic of thought. Should I be pushing my mileage into the twenty's so often? It does garner certain benefits such as getting to towns earlier than my original plan and thus allows me the luxury of taking zeros without falling behind. I believe that can still be accomplished without twenty's each day, but if I did do a lot of them, I'd be in Harpers Ferry in under a month, some 500 miles. This feat would eliminate any worry about getting to Katahdin, before they close Baxter State Park on October 15th. I suppose doing twenty's is the same as hiking in general. If it's enjoyable then do them. Frankly, I didn't know I had it in me to bang out so many. One thing that is increasing on these 20+ mile days is my hunger. I just had a whole pizza pie, I sure could go for a whole apple pie about now.Today completed five full weeks on the trail in addition to passing the 500th mile. Lunch and dinner is becoming all the more important as well as what those meals actually are. My 500-mile pepperoni pizza was my finest hour for a trail dinner¢¦and having it in the woods, all the more memorable.The last couple of days I've been hiking with Goose and Dave Underfoot (that's his trail name and he's been a major volunteer for ten years in the actual building of the AT¢¦and he isn't even American. He's Australian.) Anyway, together we've been planning big miles; we all seem to be similar in daily ability. Goose lives right here in this area and has extended an offer to Davy and I to hike and hang at his house each night for the next couple days. That means laundry, showers and normal food!! Goose rocks. Yea baby, how good is that!? Why, I might even be able to sneak off to a cinema to catch the new Harry Potter movie. Wouldn't that be something¢¦ Thru-hike and pop culture! You gotta love America!
Date: 2004-06-07
From: Partnership Shelter

To: VA 42 Crossing
Miles today: 23.4

It was a day filled with variety and Trail magic. Goose and I seemed to keep a lot of the crowd at Partnership Shelter up with our dueling nighttime symphony; its not our fault they don't have ear plugs after this long on the trail. Anyway, we sort of got out of there extra early before the grouches woke up. Heck, we slept well.The trail took us over streams and dark hollows, through sun filled summit trees and down into huge hay fields where the temps might have been pushing 90 degrees. By 11 am, twelve miles was done and the AT brought us to the doorstep of a Dairy Queen. We stayed for over an hour! Lunch was the first priority or was it the strawberry sundae?Goose had prearranged with his folks for them to pick us up farther north after another big chunk of miles, so we reluctantly left The Queen and made some miles. The variety to the trail continued as we climbed three ridgelines, then dropped at a knee-busting pace to a raging river¢¦ and all the while, climbing these ¢A¢ frame ladders called Stiles, over numerous fences. It was like a boot camp since we must have gone up and over a dozen.I met Steve, Goose's father at the VA 42 and off we went to their home where Betsy had the most amazing home cooked dinner all ready and waiting. We did however first de-smell ourselves with a shower, it wouldn't be polite to subject Steve and Betsy to our charming stench. Hey, I'm not unreasonable; it was the least I could do. For dinner there was fresh vegetables and secret recipe mash potatoes, chicken and applesauce, fresh rolls and a rhubarb-strawberry bread pudding! Oh, did I mention to-die-for-Brownies? If that wasn't enough, their warmth and generosity rated an eleven on a scale of ten! In the morning, they naturally made an equally amazing breakfast then drove their son, with me tagging along, back out to the trailhead so we could hike and do the whole thing over again. Yes, they are Special people! I only hope I can think of a drawing worthy of all the favors they've done for me.I'm not entirely sure Steve and Betsy knew what Goose had offered to us (myself and Dave Underfoot), but like true champions, they swung for the fence on the first pitch and hit a 2000 foot home run outta' the ballpark! Two nights of nirvana here at the Cardwell's Trail Magic home, but tomorrow, it's back out to the shelters where with some determined miles I can have myself in Pearisburg for a zero. We've already knocked out 104.1 miles in the last 5 days. With another 3 days to go before then, a zero day may not be a choice but a necessity? I'm not as young as rambunctious Goose.
Date: 2004-06-08
From: VA 42 Crossing

To: VA 623 Crossing
Miles today: 17.3

I saw my first Black Bear today. As I came around a bend, Goose was frozen in the trail with his finger up on his lips, I was puzzled. He had walked right up on a momma bear and her three cubs, which she was protecting. I never saw the cubs since they moved down off the ridge, but the momma stayed put grunting and scratching the ground. We looked at each other during an awkward couple of minutes before there was amble room to move up the trail away from her. I got going while Goose stayed to temp fate for a Kodak moment. It's a scary thing to come up on a mother and her cubs! Not the scenario I was hoping for, but was quite thrilling! No sooner did I get some distance on the situation the damn trail made a hard U-turn and headed right back to where the momma had backed off towards. Jeeze. I started hitting my hiking poles together yelling out ¢Hey bear¢ so I wouldn't surprise her. I wasn't in the mood to have one of my body parts becoming a snack. Thankfully, the trail took another hard U getting me the heck out of there for good. Other thrills came in the afternoon as Goose, Dave Underfoot and I made the long climb up Chestnut Knob Ridge. Being a pseudo Bald, it was really beautiful with great views of Southern Virginia. However, the surrounding thunderstorm clouds were keeping me from truly appreciating it. After our quick lunch at the shelter on the top of the ridge, we made a hasty exit to get to our meeting place where Goose's father would be picking us up. As quick as we were, we couldn't avoid the inevitable. But I won't complain, there's been about four days of sunshine, the rain was due. It's amazing how cold you can get when you're wet from head to toe the moment you stop hiking. Or maybe I should say it's amazing how warm you can keep yourself when you are. The human motor is quite the heater. The shivers can happen very quickly, so you tend to put on and take off a wind-shirt or fleece frequently. If the shivers are more dramatic, your only course of action is to get into your dry stuff you keep in a zip-lock inside your clothes bag. Fortunately this afternoon, we were able to step inside Steve's car and out of the chilly wind, and then we were off back to their house for another feast. Despite being in the car, the shivers found me. I for one was terribly glad to be out of the woods and out of the wet world trying pathetically to get my soggy clothes dry! When we arrived back at their house, I got out of those clothes faster than a couple of newlyweds.Just more Trail Magic from Steve and Betsy Cardwell, maybe the friendliest family on the trail!
Date: 2004-06-09
From: VA 623 Crossing

To: Helveys Mill Shelter
Miles today: 18.1
Weather: scattered clouds

A beautiful sunny day in Virginia! We got a late start, but were able to make the miles fast thanks to forgiving terrain.At one point today I crossed one stream twelve times. Each time meant rock hopping and I was totally dry until the last stream and the last rock, which teeter-tottered on my right foot giving me a boot of cold mountain water. Oh well, almost perfect!Dave and I won't see Goose now for a couple of days due to a wedding he'll be involved with, but we're sure after our stay in Pearisburg, we'll be hiking again.
Date: 2004-06-10
From: Helvey's Mill Shelter

To: Wapiti Shelter
Miles today: 24.0
Weather: scattered clouds

It was one of those mornings that fill you with smiles. As I packed up the gear over on the Brushy Mountain ridgeline, the sun started to show its rays. The terrain was rocky, but relatively flat and was giving up some fast miles - a good thing since the plan was to do twenty-four miles. This would get us into Pearisberg the next day for a zero. It would be the first day-off in the last eight with a sizeable mileage tally.By 1:30, we came to Kimberling Creek and its large suspension bridge. Dave Underfoot took a dip while I sat on the bridge checking the maps. That's when I discovered that just a half-mile to the left was a store/restaurant/pizza place. It took only two little words to get Dave to commit to the detour¢¦ Ice Cream. So, we had a pizza and soda, then each of us polished off our own pints of ice cream! Strawberry for him, Cherry Garcia for me. We followed that up with a cheeseburger and a tallboy Budweiser to go. I really shouldn't let my journal become so focused on food detours, although it does reveal what is happening to my body and needs.As always, the skies were becoming dark and the afternoon rumbles started to make there presents known. We hiked the last eight, hard and fast, and despite getting caught by a 3-minute cloudburst, we made it to the shelter moist, but not soaked.Two nice events did take place that should be noted. The first was hiking right upon a wild cherry bush. Dave pointed it out, so we stopped and ate handfuls of the sweet red fruit. My first time. The second happened just 1.8 miles after the pizza-cheeseburger-beer stop. The event involved hiking over our 600th mile Dave and I stopped, shook hands in Congratulations and continued to haul butt to beat the rain.When we arrived, all new faces and trail names greeted us . I suppose this last weeks pace had taken us into a whole new tribe of hikers¢¦ lots of new acquaintances! But I'm not sure we made a good first impression after we unpacked our still cool Budweisers and toasted our great day of unplanned town food.
Date: 2004-06-11
From: Wapiti Shelter

To: Pearisberg, VA
Miles today: 16.2
Weather: broken clouds

The trail brought us right to the edge of a rock cliff with just amazing views. The first was a vista where the clouds were hanging low to the valley with the mountains rising out of them during the morning sun. The second came before we would start our descent down into Pearisberg, it was a sun filled valley of farmland sprinkled with trees and rooftops here and there. I really love those moments just as you begin the last miles down off the ridgeline into town. It always feels like the end of a chapter in a book with the arrival in town as the last sentence. I checked into the motel at the base of the mountain and ordered Italian food for delivery, square away. Veal Parmigiana, salad and cheesecake arrived in a flash and disappeared even faster! I got my laundry started so that tomorrow I could have no worries other than getting a new backpack. Oh, yes¢¦ did I mention that my second backpack, the one that's only a month old, has had the same shoulder strap rip-out problem?I called the maker and was given a full reimbursement when I informed them I was a Thru-hiker. Those are magic words to manufacturers, they know we know our stuff and talk to one another. Then I called the great people at Mt. Rogers Outfitters in Damascus and spoke to Jeff. With two packs failing by the same manufacturer, I decided to try a new tack. A company called ULA (Ultra Light Adventure) makes a real top-notch Thru-hikers pack, so that was my choice. And most importantly, Jeff actually got up the next morning at 5 am and arrived at my motel by sunrise to not only hand deliver it, but to fit me masterfully to the correct size. Him coming personally to fit me was a gesture above and beyond, Damascus may be the Friendliest Town on the AT, but Mt. Rogers Outfitters may be the best outfitters in the country.Anyway after we spoke and I knew that the replacement pack would arrive the next morning, I did what any Thru-hiker would do. I called the Italian place and ordered another Veal Parmegiana, another salad and another cheesecake. Oh, and a ham & cheese sandwich, just in case! It seems in the span of two hours I had consumed two days worth of dinners. Only on the AT.So now, I'm on backpack #3 and later at the post office, I picked up hiking shoes #2. Gee, it's almost like starting a new hike, only I have a 622 mile head start!
Date: 2004-06-12
From: Pearisberg, VA

To: Taking a Zero in Pearisberg
Miles today: 0.0

As I mentioned yesterday, Jeff from Mt. Rogers Outfitters started my day for me at 6:30 am to fit me and deliver my new ULA-P2 pack. As you can imagine, I would highly recommend them to any hiker who values an expert staff who know their stuff.With Pearisberg all spread out, I put the new pack on and hiked up the road for breakfast, then to the Post Office for my boxes and then finally moseyed over to the hiker hostel to see if Belle was there. Her ankle injury had improved, but she still needed to be off it. Dave returned from laundry and invited us to come hang with his friend who runs the Appalachian Trail Conferences central division out of Roanoke.I had suggested that we all go see either the new Harry Potter movie or Shrek 2. Well, we all hopped into her car and headed over to her hometown and the cinema where two of us saw Potter and two of us saw Shrek 2¢¦ loved it.Later, we headed over to the local church where a fund-raiser fish fry was taking place. So, we paid our six bucks and loaded on the tarter sauce and waded into the first of several plates. Manning the deep fryers were the men and spreading the icing on the cakes and pouring the lemonade were the women folk. It was a true slice of America!The last stop was to Kroger for hiking groceries and then we head back to Pearisberg. It was a great zero with nice new friends. Dave and I will both be heading out tomorrow, but not together. The plan is to meet at tomorrow nights shelter.Back at the motel, I spread out the food and maps to figure how many days it would take to get to the next bed¢¦ I mean town. Oops!
Date: 2004-06-13
From: Taking a Zero in Pearisberg

To: Pine Swamp Branch Shelter
Miles today: 19.6
Weather: overcast clouds

It was a good zero. I feel rested and my stomach is smiling (can they do that?) with all the calories I shoveled into it. And I got some pop culture from the normal world with the Harry Potter #3 movie. So, now that it was time to hike out of town, guess what happened? Yea, it's been raingear all day, but I'm here early after a near twenty-mile day. It's called Pine Swamp Branch Shelter, which is odd. There are no pine trees and the nearest swamp may be back in Florida. There are, however; lots of branches lying on the ground everywhere. Go figure?!