morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2007-10-04
From: Dutch Haus B&B

To: Brown Mtn Creek Shelter
Miles today: 17.8
Weather: scattered clouds

It was so nice to stay at the Dutch Haus. We even got to meet 3 SOBOs, Mr Cowpie, Twisted Sister and Tengu (who we sort of met in Harpers Ferry a couple weeks ago.)The weather is still unseasonably warm and muggy, but the terrain was nice. The five of us hiked together most of the day and was able to maintain 3 m.p.h. And water is scarce too so we are carrying at least 3 liters to start the day (read: 3 x 2.2 lbs = an extra 6.6 lbs of pack weight!)So we arrived at the shelter at 4:15 pm, which meant a nice leisurely evening. There was a group of 10th graders from a private school tenting nearby. They were studying the book The Odyssey and having their own odyssey at the same time.After dinner, Stargazer showed up. He is a SOBO that I last saw just north of Manchester Center. He said that four more SOBOs would be arriving in the next few hours. Now within 24 hours I have gone from feeling like Hedgehog and I are the only people in Virginia to a full blown SOBO reunion!10 SOBOs at one shelter! 8 of us crammed into a 6-person shelter. Quite festive! So we caught up to SOBOs that we had been following for 3 months and SOBOs caught up to us that have been following us for 3 months!At the shelter tonight are: Hedgehog, Mr Cowpie, Twisted Sister, Tengu, Stargazer, Wagon Wheel, Tumbleweed, Timber, Jack the Beanstalk, and me.10 SOBOs!
Date: 2007-10-05
From: Brown Mtn Creek Shelter

To: Matts Creek Shelter
Miles today: 22.2
Weather: overcast clouds

Another hot and muggy day. We heard it got to 83 degrees! Lots of climbing today that slowed us all down. Played leapfrog all day with almost everyone that was at the shelter last night. The poor night of sleep did not help our hiking either.Hedgehog and I hitched into Glascow for some goodies and to get some more snacks, as we were running low. We got picked up pretty quickly in both directions, and turnaround time was 1 hr 20 min. Pretty good if you ask me. We then got to brag to Tengu about the Ben and Jerry¢s ice cream we ate in town!At the shelter tonight: Tengu, Wagon Wheel, Stargazer, along with Hedgehog tenting and Mr Cowpie and Twisted Sister hammocking.Water source is a creek near the shelter that is just puddles this year.
Date: 2007-10-06
From: Matts Creek Shelter

To: Bryant Ridge Shelter
Miles today: 22.7
Weather: light rain

Another hot/muggy day with lots of uphill hiking. Beautiful multilevel shelter with lots of benches and hooks for us to hang our stuff. Here tonight is Wagon Wheel, Stargazer and Hedgehog. THANKS to Ken Wallace who left water at Cornelius Creek Shelter!
Date: 2007-10-07
From: Bryant Ridge Shelter

To: Wilson Creek Shelter
Miles today: 20.6
Weather: clear sky

Ahhh, finally an ¢easy¢ 20 mile day in our schedule. Yes, another hot and muggy day. But slightly smoother terrain than the past few days. I hiked in my scrub pants that are usually reserved for just in camp. You see¢¦when the humidity is up for several days my skin seems to fall apart and I get chaffed by my pack all over. I just could not bring myself to put on my still-damp running shorts in the morning. In a few days, if we can get a cold front to roll through, my skin will heal and no longer bother me.Towards the end of the day we ran into some trail magic. There was a group of folks watching the hawk migration and doing a count of them at the Harveys Knob overlook, where the AT crosses the Blue Ridge Parkway (for the 5th or so time that day.) The trail magic started with pizza, then soda, the ice, apples, and kept going. The group was about 10-12 people and we were getting questions from all sides. But they had seen hikers before because their questions were second level ones.We (Hedgehog, Stargazer, Wagon Wheel and I) left re-energized and giddy like school kids, helping make the 5 mile hike to the shelter an easy one.You have to see the world before you can change it.
Date: 2007-10-08
From: Wilson Creek Shelter

To: Daleville
Miles today: 11.2
Weather: scattered clouds

TOWN DAY! Near record high day at 90 degrees!Hot but easy miles into town. A section hiker told us that the temp would be record-breaking today (90 degrees or so), so we were very glad to be heading to town and A/C! Once in town we went to the gas station for cold sodas to cool off enough to do errands. While crossing the highway I tripped forward and fell in the gravel onto my knees, with the weight of my pack not helping matters. It hurt so bad I was brought to tears (the 2nd time on the trail ¢ 1st time was in Maine) and my knee pain prevented me from bearing weight on my leg for 30 minutes. It gave me a little road rash on my knees, ripped a small hole in my pants, and tweaked my foot near my right big toe. So I hobbled through grocery shopping then back to the hotel.Getting to the post office was a whole other adventure. You see¢¦today is Columbus Day, which means the post office is closed. We thought we were being so good too, as we rolled into town on a Monday. Sigh.Met trail angels Del and Ken in the ¢HOJO¢ parking lot. Del gave us a ride to the buffet and Ken had left gallon jugs of water at a few points north of Daleville in the super dry sections.Saw TNadine, ET and Tengu in town.You have to see the world before you can change it.
Date: 2007-10-09
To: Daleville, VA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

My right foot was painful from yesterday¢s fall, so Hedgehog and I opted for a ZERO day in town. The morning was very exciting though. As we were eating at the hotel¢s continental breakfast, the manager came in telling the server lady to go to room #306 and tell the guy ¢there is a girl on the phone crying and that she fell.¢ I had overheard and said ¢Tengu¢¦that is YOUR room!¢ So Tengu runs off with his poles and an empty pack to the trail. A very short time later several (6 or so) aid cars and rescue trucks come screaming by with lights and sirens. ¢There must be a really big accident¢ I said. Turned out Twisted Sister had fallen hiking into town and heard her knee pop. The emergency vehicles were for her!A weak cold front moved in overnight.You have to see the world before you can change it.
Date: 2007-10-10
From: Daleville

To: Catawba Mtn Shelter
Miles today: 17.8
Weather: few clouds

Oct 10, 2007Start: Daleville, VAFinish: Catawba Mtn ShelterMileage: 17.8The cooler weather is so much nicer to hike in! No rain but decrease in temp and humidity. We crossed over Tinker Cliffs and McAfee Knob, and I got into camp by 5 pm. (Hedgehog slightly later as he took the ¢scenic route¢ down.)Found a turtle underneath the picnic table and enjoyed watching him walk around looking for food. He was very active.   Cold night.You have to see the world before you can change it.
Date: 2007-10-11
From: Catawba Mtn Shelter

To: Pickle Branch Shelter
Miles today: 14.6
Weather: broken clouds

Cold night last night, windy too, as another front moved through sans rain. Breezy and cool day with semi-threatening rain clouds, but it never rained. Had lunch at the gas station store near Catawba, VA. We consumed almost 1400 calories each in less than an hour, then proceeded to climb up to Dragon¢s Tooth. The trail starts with standard switchbacks, but then changed to Mainesque rock climbing that is called ¢hiking.¢ Needless to say¢¦our stomachs were very, very mad at us.Beautiful views from Dragon¢s Tooth, and we could see where we had hiked the last 2 days.We were going to cowboy camp near the creek past the shelter, but the threat of rain steered me to the shelter as I am not carrying a tent (but Hedgehog is.)Cold night again, and I am now very glad that I carried my 10 degree down sleeping bag these past few (very hot) weeks of ¢autumn¢.You have to see the world before you can change it.
Date: 2007-10-12
From: Pickle Branch Shelter

To: Laurel Creek Shelter
Miles today: 22.3
Weather: overcast clouds

Oct 12, 2007Start: Pickle Branch ShelterFinish: Laurel Creek ShelterMileage: 22.3Very windy night and cool and windy day. Passed by a sign marking the Eastern Continental Divide. Passed by a few section hikers mid-day, but was otherwise alone. Just Hedgehog and I at the shelter, so we slept at the back wall to keep warm. The shelter is surrounded by huge rhododendrons making it look like an enchanted forest (but in a different way than heading into The 100-Mile Wilderness.)You have to see the world before you can change it.
Date: 2007-10-13
From: Laurel Creek Shelter

To: Pine Swamp Branch Shelter
Miles today: 18.5
Weather: clear sky

Extra cold morning, so we allotted an extra 30 minutes in our sleeping bags. I have also gotten better at using the jetboil stove while still in bed to make coffee. Good times!We had heard from a farmer we chatted with yesterday about a ¢warming trend¢ coming ¢¦from a daytime high in the 50s all the way up to the 60s! That meant for a great day of hiking¢¦and it was!Lunch at the War Spur Shelter. Had great views from Kelly Knob and Wind Rock (where Hedgehog played AT ambassador and official map translator for the day/section hikers). In the shelter tonight are three male section hikers and myself, with Hedgehog tenting. We were sitting around getting organized and one of the male section hikers blurted out to me with great concern, "there is a spider on your bag!" Hedgehog and I both look at it, shrug, then continue what we were doing. Sheepishly, the guy then said "well, I guess you guys get pretty used to that when you are out on the trail that long." "Yup," I say and nod and Hedgehog responds the same way. The roof is also partially caved in from a fallen tree. Nice! On to Pearisburg tomorrow. (Yeah! Town Day!)You have to see the world before you can change it.
Date: 2007-10-15
From: Pearisburg VA

To: Docs Knob Shelter
Miles today: 8.2
Weather: overcast clouds

Easy miles out of town, but with a killer climb up to Angels Rest straight out of town. Always tough with a full food bag and 4 liters of water. The temperature climbed back into the 70's so we were sweating. After several days that did not get out of the 50's it was a nice change.About a half mile before the shelter I saw 3 more black bears. They were off to the right of the trail about 100 yards. Just as I started to reach for my camera they started running deeper into the woods. I got a millisecond of one running as a video. Very cool nonetheless. Bear count:9.No water at the shelter, and as we are seeing less section hikers as we get further into the fall we have less info about water sources downtrail.
Date: 2007-10-16
From: Docs Knob Shelter

To: Jenny Knob Shelter
Miles today: 22.6
Weather: broken clouds

Nice day of hiking. Lots of Rhododendron thickets that we hiked through and around. Crossed over Dismal creek and it was looking dismally dry. We saw puddles in 2 parts of the creek and got water from one of them.Lunch at Wapiti shelter, near the site of the murders in 1982. We ran into a section hiker later that day that had read the book about the murders and gave us the brief story.We were getting tired and were going to camp before the shelter, but threatening clouds motivated me the shelter as I am no longer carrying a tent. A few sprinkles fell overnight and in the morning.
Date: 2007-10-17
From: Jenny Knob Shelter

To: Helveys Mill Shelter
Miles today: 9.8
Weather: scattered clouds

Stopped early for the day as my feet were not feeling great and I was unmotivated to hike 14 miles to the next shelter after lunch. We thought about hiking a few more miles to a campsite but there were more threatening rain clouds in the area with sprinkles falling. As soon as we made the decision to stay, the sun came out and it was nice and sunny. Sigh.The water source was downhill 0.2m from the shelter from a rapidly drying up creek bed. Problem was that even after filtering the water then treating it chemically with AquaMira it still smelled and tasted like cow manure. Yuck. Subsequently we both drank very little water the rest of the day.For dinner we had Iron Chef - with JetBoil stoves and freeze dried dinner meals. I had gotten 2 different meals that took more than 1 step each so it was on. Let me tell you that JetBoils are not the best device to make dumplings in. Just throwing it out there.
Date: 2007-10-18
From: Helveys Mill Shelter

To: Chestnut Knob Shelter
Miles today: 23.8
Weather: moderate rain

Long day of hiking and we finished after dark. But it was very rewarding as we got to stay the night in the Chestnut Knob shelter, a great 4 sided structure on the top of the knob in a field. Only problem it was very windy and rainy all night long. But at least we were able to catch the tail end of a neat sunset before all the clouds rolled in.
Date: 2007-10-19
From: Chestnut Knob Shelter

To: Atkins, VA - Relax Inn
Miles today: 22.9
Weather: light rain

Half way into the day we decided to go ahead and splurge and push into town for the night. Usually, when trying to save money you stay in a shelter a few miles short of town, roll through town during the day and then stay at the next shelter just past town. But, a shower and laundry sounded really nice so we got to have another 20+ mile hiking day.Lunch was at the "Lick Creek cafe," not really a cafe but just a place to put our behinds on the steps of the footbridge across Lick Creek and fire up our JetBoils for some tasty ramen lunch.Halfway into our day there was a downpour with dramatic wind and everything as we climbed up Big Walker Mountain. 30 minutes later as we started to climb the last peak the sun started to come out again.We wrote an *ODE to I-81* at the last shelter before town as we took our last break, as we would be crossing said interstate for the last time during our AT thruhike. Very sad. Stayed at the Relax Inn at the interchange, dinner and breakfast at the Barn Restaurant, then back on trail.
Date: 2007-10-20
From: Atkins, VA - Relax Inn

To: Partnership Shelter
Miles today: 11.6
Weather: few clouds

First and foremost, the Parnership shelter is beautiful. It is located just behind the Mt Rogers visitor center. It has running water from a spigot behind the shelter and a privy with a 3.5 out of 4 rating from Hedgehog.2 big stories of the day. First we ran into some members of the Piedmont Appalachian Trail Hikers club that maintains that section of trail. They invited us to join their potluck dinner tonight. We offered to bring ramen and snickers for desert, but they were not particularly thrilled, and said they would pick us up at the shelter for dinner. Very cool.Second, a small group of boy scouts would be sharing the shelter with us and they had a ton of food (as the shelter is maybe 100 steps from the visitor's center parking lot). They were a great group, gave us info on water sources south of the shelter, and offered us breakfast of which we just had time for coffee as we were planning a 20ish mile day.The potluck dinner was great and was held at the Konnarock Trail Maintainer meeting site (think buildings, sheds and FEMA trailers). Although slightly overwhelming with the number of people compared to the trail.
Date: 2007-10-21
From: Partnership Shelter

To: Raccoon Branch Campsite
Miles today: 13.0

Got a late start with the boy scout troop socializing, but great trail the first part of the day. I was really really tired from 2 nights of sleep deprivation. I tend to not sleep well when in town and continued that trend while at the Relax Inn (I think I got up at 4am, or something ridiculous like that) and then last night in the full 2-story shelter. So we made a plan to stop short for the day just as long as we made up the mileage the next day to stay on track for an on time arrival in Damascus.A few years ago they took apart the Raccon Branch Shelter and all that is left is the picnic table, privy, and concrete around the spring outlet (now dry). So we stayed there for the night, looked ahead for possible resupply towns south of Damascus to the end of the trail and generally rested up.
Date: 2007-10-22
From: Raccoon Branch Shelter

To: Thomas Knob Shelter
Miles today: 22.7
Weather: overcast clouds

The following entry was posted on WhiteBlaze.net today (Oct 22nd):"Yesterday at the bridge over the South Fork of the Holston, I saw that Boo Boo had signed in. There were also numerous others, but the pencil scratchings are very hard to read. I'm going to try to remember to leave a ball point there today. It's raining and cool. It's s'posed to be that way for the rest of the week. That's good news for all, I think.--Kinnickinic"The bridge over the South Fork of the Holston is 515 miles from Springer!So today Boo-Boo has most certainly passed under 500 miles!!GO BOO-BOO!So we didn't really get to see much of the Graceland Highlands. Late morning it started to rain and didn't really stop. And then as we climbed up to 5,000 feet in elevation we were then inside the rain clouds plus the rain and the wind. Did see some of the wild ponies (one of which Hedgehog walked right past) in the permafog, and we joked that we felt like we were in Maine again.Got to the Thomas Knob Shelter just before dark as the wind was picking up to an even brisker pace. We had heard that there was no water at the shelter so we had stopped at Wise Shelter to cook dinner, then tank up at the flowing stream there.It was very windy all night, but actually sounded worse than it felt when you were standing exposed in the wind.
Date: 2007-10-24
From: Saunders Shelter

To: Damascus, VA
Miles today: 9.4
Weather: light rain

We got into Damascus around 11am. Rained overnight and this am while hiking into town. Staying at Dave's Place, a hostel run by the Mt Rogers Outfitters in town. Cracker Don is here, he zeroed yesterday and I think we convinced him to zero again today. He is aiming to finish Nov. 20, a day after Hedgehog. Hedgehog is zeroing tomorrow then back on trail Friday. We are having lunch at the pizza place in town (they have a computer) and we will then spend more internet time at the library this afternoon. -- You have to see the world before you can change it.
Date: 2007-10-25
From: Damascus, VA

To: Damascus, VA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Zero day to let the feet heal so I will hopefully have less problems on trail with them. Big thanks to Anne & Tom, Music Man, and Lora P. for their care packages. Always great to recieve them and have a connection to something familier when you are a stranger in a place along the trail.
Date: 2007-10-26
From: Damascus, VA

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

Another zero day here in Damascus to let my feet heal up. I have actually been "drug free" (i.e. no Motrin or Aleve) for the last 6 days so things are moving in the right direction. Did not find any shoes that I liked at the outfitters here in town so I ordered some online to have sent to Erwin, so here is to some important finger crossing that they work out. Seems like it would be great if someone created a clearinghouse website of shoe information across brands and that had information of where to order them from. I had to spend some time researching across several websites about shoes. Oh well.The town sure came alive starting this AM as it is Friday. Lots of cyclists in town to ride on the Virginia Creeper Trail. A few more southbound section hikers rolled in mid-day, 2 of which we ran into on the very rainy and windy Tuesday in the Graceland Highlands when we stopped for dinner at the Wise shelter. They treated me to lunch at the pizza place in town then they hit the road for their 10-hr drive home.Hedgehog left town this morning as he is trying to finish the trail before Turkey day. It was kind-of sad as this is the first time for me to not have a hiking partner. So we shall see how this is going to go. The next few sobos as I understand are 3ish days north of here. I plan to head back to the trail tomorrow mainly due to boredom, although the town has been very friendly and has lots of access to the internet available to the public.
Date: 2007-10-27
From: Damascus, VA

To: Damascus, VA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: few clouds

New photos (Pearisburg to Damascus) uploaded here and on FLICKR.Oct 27, 2007Start: Damascus, VAFinish: Damascus, VAMileage: ZEROAnother ZERO day. Rode bicycles on 12 the Creeper Trail with some folks that spend 12 the year in Damascus and 12 the year in Birmingham, Alabama.Ok, another zero day it is. I got up ready to head out of town and decided as my final test was to walk around in my hiking shoes to see how they felt. No hot spots of acute pain anywhere but "twinges" of discomfort at the places where I have been having problems. So, another zero day it is. The 1918 Influenza book I am reading that MusicMan sent in a care package weighs 1 lb 3.5 ounces! (They have a scale at the Mt Rogers Outfitters in town). Therefore I am very motivated to finish it today before heading back to the trail.
Date: 2007-10-28
From: Damascus, VA

To: Iron Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 25.9
Weather: overcast clouds

Early start out of town. Saw the well known ¢Welcome to Damascus¢ sign as I was leaving town. Chilly, breezy and overcast. Did not see anyone on the trail until late afternoon. Got to the Double Springs Shelter at 3 pm and felt it was too early to stop, so I filled up with H2O and pressed on. Made dinner on a random bench in the middle of fields nears TN91. Beautiful view from that random bench. Arrived at the shelter just before dark. Saw a black bear just north of the shelter. In fact, it was the biggest bear I have seen so far. Very cold night, but I slept well.
Date: 2007-10-29
From: Iron Mountain Shelter

To: Dennis Cove
Miles today: 24.3

Cold mornings are typically slow starts, and today was no exception. Stopped at the Vandeventer Shelter for a coffee break to warm up, and enjoyed sunny views of the valley from a huge rock. Day #2 of hiking without Hedgehog. His words of encouragement in the registers have been great!Around 3 pm I started thinking about how nice it would be to stay in a hostel ¢ so I called Bob @ Kincora¢s and asked if it would be ok if I arrived after dark at 8 pm (I still had 9 miles to go!), and he said ¢No problem! I will get the woodstove going for you.¢So I finished dinner while sitting at the Shook Brook picnic area and headed out. Laurel Falls were absolutely beautiful, even in the dying light. I made it to Kincora¢s by 7:20 pm with just about an hour of night hiking.Passed a BEAUTIFUL waterfall about 2 miles or so before reaching Dennis Cove (but I did not take a picture for some reason). There was no other hikers at the hostel that night so I slept on the couch, the closest point to the stove and set my alarm to wake up during the night to keep the fire going.
Date: 2007-10-30
From: Dennis Cove

To: Mountaineer Shelter
Miles today: 15.6
Weather: clear sky

Spent the morning doing laundry and finished reading the 1 lb. 35 oz. book on the 1918 influenza pandemic that Music Man had sent for Hedgehog and myself to read. Got started at 10am. Bob had said it got down to 20 degrees last night.A few hundred yards into the day¢s hike I ran into Timber, then Jack. They had gotten ahead of us by 4 days, then went to Missouri for 7 days. Combine that with the 3 zero days I took in Damascus¢¦and that explained why I ran into them again. We were aiming for the same shelter too, since Abby¢s Place Hostel was closed temporarily for the night.People! Cool! Also ran into an older section hiker from Canada that we had previously seen just north of the Shenandoahs.The Mountaineer is a new shelter that was multi-level and beautiful. Another cold night with frost in the morning.