morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2018-04-27
From: Mile 528.3

To: Damascus 
Miles today: 5.2

A short walk on Thursday to meet George Nicholas at Partnership Shelter. I arrived a couple of hours before he was due so I cooked lunch and hung out with Cowboy, Napoleon, and some others. Cowboy had just been dropped off after a zero in Marion. It was good to see him again and share experiences since we last spoke. He¢s hiking on from here tomorrow but we¢re both certain we¢ll meet again as we leapfrog each other NOBO.George arrived right on time and made a positive impression by plopping down a bag of goodies to share amongst those present. Then we walked back to his van and took Rt. 81 to Damascus where we checked in to the Virginia Creeper Lodge and went out for dinner and beers. On Friday we prepared a classic Jersey breakfast with fresh Kaiser rolls, Pork Roll, eggs, and cheese from George¢s bountiful cooler. Then we walked through town picking up supplies and food for the next leg of my journey. I spent the rest of the day switching out my winter gear for the summer stuff George had brought from home. My pack should be smaller and lighter now because the summer gear is smaller and I now need fewer clothes. After loading it up and adding 5 days of food it was a bit smaller but didn¢t seem any lighter...oh well, I gotta carry what I need so no sense complaining. He also brought along my second pair of shoes. The ones I started with, as expected, are fully deprecated after 500 miles and were, without ceremony, retired to the trash bin. Tomorrow George will drop me off where he picked me up and then continue on home. I always enjoy his company but this was extra special as I¢ve been away from home for so long. I can¢t thank him enough for taking the time to drive way down here (9hrs!) on my account. More Magic from another Magical friend.
Date: 2018-04-28
From: Partnership Shelter

To: Mile 547.0
Miles today: 13.5

George dropped me off near the Partnership Shelter this morning. We dropped off a bag of snacks for the hikers there before we both headed NOBO: he on I-81 and I on the AT. He covered the 540 miles back to Bay Head in roughly the same time it took me walk 12 miles to Atkins. Thanks George, I look forward to sharing many future adventures! This afternoon as I descended into Shenandoah Valley the trees and shrubs were beginning to bloom and the sweet smell made me slow down. I briefly considered camping there but there¢s a ¢hiker friendly¢ restaurant in Atkins and I planned to have early dinner there to extend my food bag. As I approached ¢The Barn¢ restaurant only one vehicle was in the parking lot (a tractor trailer truck). A sign said, ¢leave backpacks outside¢ so I put mine where I could watch it through the window. When I entered there was one customer, presumably the trucker. The waitress told me to sit where I wanted and before I could the trucker said, ¢I¢ll pay the hikers tab¢. Well that¢s super nice but now what do I do? I can¢t say no (that¢d be rude) and I can¢t accept and then sit across the room while we both eat alone. Forcing down my social anxiety I asked him if I could join him. ¢Of course! I¢d love to talk.¢ Here we go...He was indeed the operator of the big rig outside (based near Rochester, NY) but surprise, surprise: he also goes by the trail name ¢Little Drummer Boy¢ and hiked the entire AT in 2011! Very cool!The burger was delicious and we talked trail and trucks for over an hour. He payed the tab and I showed him my pack as we left (packs have changed since 2011). As we parted ways he directed me how to get back on the trail without doubling back by pointing out the white blaze painted on the I-81 overpass a few hundred feet away. Thanks Drummer Boy! Tomorrow another friend, Dave Applegate is hiking in to meet me along the trail north of here where he¢s made arrangements for lodging. It¢s been a long time since we¢ve spent time together and I¢m very much looking forward to catching up. This trail IS magic!
Date: 2018-04-29
From: 547.0

To: Possum Creek / VA Rt42
Miles today: 10.9

Nice weather but cold in the morning. I needed to spend some time reshuffling the new items in my pack for a better fit. Even though the summer gear is less bulky there¢s barely room for everything when I have a full load of food - it¢s usually 2 or 3 days before I¢ve eaten enough to be truly comfortable carrying it. I¢m seriously considering ordering a slightly larger version of the same pack. I started walking knowing that my friend Dave had parked at Possum Creek and was hiking SOBO toward me. He is in the area this week and made plans to join me for a few miles on the trail then go to dinner, stay at a hotel, and drop me back on the trail in the morning. What could go wrong?It¢s the ATC and it¢s local affiliate hiking clubs that acquire and maintain the route this trail follows. While much of the ¢trail corridor¢ is on public lands it frequently traverses private property and occasionally needs to be rerouted. Dave, an experienced backpacker with a just purchased map of the area, got caught in a rerouting in progress. After passing thru hikers for much of the morning suddenly he saw no one except an apparently lost Bobo (NOBO). They had both missed new blazes at points where the trail had very recently been rerouted and were on the abandoned portion. Bobo went on NOBO. Dave continued SOBO and luckily rejoined the trail before we missed each other and we met near an unremarkable spot called Tilson Gap. Yes, the cartographers left out an ¢L¢.We had a trail lunch and hiked the 5 NOBO miles to his car. Then it was hotel, cleanup, dinner, great conversation, and bedtime. Back to the trail in the AM...
Date: 2018-04-30
From: Possum Creek / VA Rt42

To: Mile 570.6
Miles today: 12.7

After breakfast at the hotel Dave took me back to Possum Creek and sent me off laden with oranges and surprisingly tasty Wild Boar jerky. Between the car, hotel, and restaurant we spoke for hours about all manner of things (especially great to hear about his fantastic family!). It was proof positive that no matter how long it is between meetings old friendships never need to be renewed. I¢m certain we¢ll be seeing more of each other soon. Thanks Dave!A few hours into the arduous climb out of the valley I heard a voice behind me. ¢Is that Chip?¢. It was John catching up to me again. He had another injury but is back and walking strong. He hikes faster than I and has been covering more miles each day. Somehow though, after starting on the same soggy day back in February, and after all we¢ve both been through, here we are camped within 50ft of each other tonight. Cool. Looks like a couple of easy days ahead with great weather all week. Most of me is ready to pick up the pace but every time I get near 15 miles for multiple days my knee starts hurting and I have to dial it back. I was hoping to get my daily average up but that might not be possible. We¢ll see. On we go regardless...PS: Big thank-you to Manasquan Elementary and others for sending questions. I¢ll either answer them directly or work the answers into this narrative over the coming days.
Date: 2018-05-01
From: Mile 570.7

To: Mile 582.1
Miles today: 11.4

When I woke John was long gone. I¢m sure we¢ll cross paths up the line. The weather was warm and sunny all day, summer like for the first time. For most of the day the trail followed the rim of a 10 mile wide sinkhole called Burke¢s Garden. It was formed eons ago when the limestone underneath the area collapsed. Looking down into it reminded me of Meteor Crater in Arizona except here the view is through trees and the bottom is covered by farmland instead of bare rocks. Because the trail followed the high rim and, I suspect, because the local limestone is porous, the distance between water sources was much longer than I¢m used to. Up till now it¢s been rare to go more than a few miles without coming to a stream or spring. Here there are 10 mile dry stretches. This afternoon I came to a dirt road where the guides indicated there was water. Pancakes (Portland, OR) and Mule (Cleveland!) were there and advised me there was none. The next source was several miles north and we were all out. As we stood there feeling sorry for ourselves a minivan drove by and Mule shouted ¢Do you have any water?¢. The minivan stopped, backed up, and Dale and his wife pulled 2 cases of water out of the back. We chatted with them while chugging bottle after bottle, big grins on our faces. What a sight. We drank our fill, topped off our storage bottles, and left the extras trail side for the next thirsty hikers. Magic!More dry hiking tomorrow but the terrain should be good, gonna push for 15 miles to see how my knee handles it. Q&A: Q: From Manasquan Elementary - What made you want to hike the Appalachian Trail?A: I can¢t point to a specific thing that made me want to do this, I¢ve just always known I would do it someday. I knew about the AT because my family used to go camping every summer and the trail passed near some of the campgrounds. I was also in Scouts and they would mention it all the time. I do, however, know the specific moment I discovered I loved being out in the woods: I was very young, maybe 4 or 5, and I overheard my parents talking in the kitchen: ¢Charles, you¢ve got to do something with your son¢...¢OK, but what?¢...¢Just something.¢ Soon after that Dad drove me out into the pines, parked the car, and we walked straight into the woods. Little was said, the only sound was our crunching steps. After what seemed like forever we stopped and sat down. He got out some Sterno and cooked SPAM. We ate, walked back to the car, and drove home. Simple as that. I¢ve loved being outside ever since. I also love SPAM - got some in my pack right now!
Date: 2018-05-02
From: Mile 582.2

To: Helveys Mill Shelter
Miles today: 11.2
Weather: clear sky

I decided to stop for the night at this shelter area because there is water here. The shelter is 0.3 miles off trail and it¢s another 0.3 miles from the shelter to the water in the ravine below. That¢s a round trip of 1.2 miles without making any NOBO progress! There¢s almost nothing us hikers dread more than a long walk off trail for shelter or water.The highlight of the day was lunch at Brushy Mountain Outpost. Located right on the trail they serve breakfast and lunch, sell hiker groceries and supplies, and have a phone charging station. I had a Country Burger (instead of beef it¢s a big slab of fried baloney), a basket of cajon fries, Mountain Dew, V-8, a honey bun, 2 pickled eggs, and a peach milkshake. Hooyah! While digesting I stocked up on supplies and charged my phone. It varies week to week but here¢s what¢s in my food bag now (it¢s enough for about 5 days):Instant rice to be cooked with Goya flavor packets, milled flax seed, olive oil, and meat or cheese. Summer sausage, pre-cooked bacon, beef jerky, SPAM singles, packs of tuna and salmon, and powdered cheese sauce. Peanut butter mixed with honey, flax, and sunflower seeds. A mixed bag of cashews, dried bananas, dried strawberries, fruit snacks, and coconut. Pop Tarts, Snickers bars, Pay Day bars, M&Ms, and protein bars.Carnation breakfast powder, Gatorade powder, instant coffee, and Lapsang Souchong tea. Flour tortillas to make trail burritos with virtually anything above.I ran into Pancakes and Mule several times today as we leapfrogged each other. They¢re here tonight along with Dynasty who just got rid if his tent and bought a hammock. Good move! When I went down the ENDLESS water trail I brought back 7 liters so I won¢t have to go there again before moving on tomorrow. Let¢s continue...
Date: 2018-05-03
From: Helveys Mill Shelter

To: Mile 606.7
Miles today: 13.3

Pretty easy miles today under sunny skies. Sometimes the warm wind smells like pine needles. Not swanky pine smell like a Christmas tree or Yankee Candle - it¢s a hot, dusty, pine barrens smell and I like it. Trees and shrubs are getting greener quickly now, almost by the hour. A new cast of wildflowers is taking the stage as the early bloomers start to fade. Redbuds  are giving way to dogwoods.Water is pretty scarce through here so I had to carry more than I¢m accustomed to. I rearrange the stuff in my pack a little each day trying to find a more comfortable weight distribution. You¢d think I¢d have figured that out by now but back when the weather was cold and miserable I had other things on my mind. I leapfrogged with Pancakes, Mule, and Dynasty all day. I¢ll probably see them in the morning at a deli 3 miles away that caters to hikers. They have food made to order, supplies, lodging, showers, and laundry. I could use all of those things but all I can think of is huge deli sandwiches...
Date: 2018-05-04
From: Mile 606.7

To: View Entry
Miles today: 12.5

Warm and dry again today. The woods got greener overnight and lot of it is poison ivy...yikes! Fortunately years of battling the menace on Bay Heads public lands has given me a keen eye for spotting it.I went to Trents Grocery/deli/hostel/gas station/gun shop for lunch along with at least a dozen hikers and some local working guys; backpacks and pickups lined up out front. Had me a big ham samich, a chili dog, a butterfinger bar, 2 Gatorades, a V-8, and a bottle of strawberry milk. There was an elderly gentlemen there who asked each of us where where we were from: Texas, Alabama, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Ohio, New Jersey, etc..  when asked where he was from he proudly declared, ¢Why I¢m from right here!¢ I bought a few food items for the trail including a can of sweetened condensed milk (1300 calories!). I¢m gonna either mix it with vanilla breakfast drink powder and water for a shake or cook it with rice and add the drink powder for rice pudding. Chairman Kaga says, ¢Allez Cuisine!¢I made a rookie mistake setting up for tonight: Rain was imminent so I took the time to tie my tarp super taught using extra stakes and lines then adjusted everything to perfection - Good. I hung the hammock ¢just right¢ underneath it and rigged the bug net and insulation - Great. Next I got everything organized for tomorrow and hung my pack from a tree - Excellent. Then, just as rain began, I put on my sleeping clothes and proudly laid down in my nest - D¢oh!! One of the trees I tied to is a smallish Maple and it¢s bending under the weight so everything sags badly. I¢ll stay dry, I think, but I can hear Slider, wherever she is, playing her Sad Trombone for me... wah~wah~wah~~
Date: 2018-05-05
From: Mile 619.2

To: Mile 632.2
Miles today: 13.0

It rained in and off last night but I stayed dry. A bit of rain during the day wasn¢t enough to get out the rain gear. According to trailside message spelled out in sticks (no doubt by a Euro-hiker), I passed the 1000 kilometer mark. I have great respect for, and appreciate the advantages of the metric system but here in The States we take bigger bites. I¢m hiking miles! A few hours in I came to a dirt road and the entire area ahead was blackened by fire (it smelled like BHFC¢s truck bay after a worker). There was a handwritten note, dated yesterday, tied to a tree saying the fire should be out ¢in a few days¢ and that hikers should follow the road to the next trail crossing. Hmmm...not very official. How far is it? How do I find the trail again? I have two trail guides and neither will help me follow a road. Last nights rain had wet everything down and I only saw smoke coming from a few stumps so after thinking about it a few minutes I decided to cautiously hike through. It obviously had been a ¢controlled burn¢. Firefighters had lit fire along each side of the trail and left it to slowly run up and downhill. Not once in almost 2 miles was trail surface scorched or charred creating a surreal, shoulder width green path across the black forest floor. A successful burn, nice job guys! Mid afternoon I stopped at a shelter to eat and rest. Thunderstorms were imminent and there was occasional rumbling in the distance. I decided to press on a few more hours so I could get into Pearisburg tomorrow morning. About 4:30 the sky darkened and I picked a spot to set up, this time choosing bigger trees. Once again I meticulously buttoned everything down just in time. The gusty thunderstorm lasted about an hour and everything held up, more are due overnight. I¢ve got a bunk reserved at a hostel tomorrow night 4.2 MILES away...let¢s continue...
Date: 2018-05-06
From: Mile 632.2

To: Pearisburg 
Miles today: 4.2

I¢m at the Angels Rest Hostel after a short hike down from the mountains. It¢s remarkable to see how much greener it gets as I walk downhill. This is the nicest hostel so far: very clean, nice staff, 2 kitchens, enough showers and washing machines for all, and a short walk for groceries. If you¢re ever in Pearisburg...I sat in on the deck all afternoon and into the evening chatting and I¢m more tired than had I walked all day. John has been here for 2 days nursing a blister. People are beginning to call him ¢No Name¢. We¢re both leaving tomorrow but I¢m sure he¢ll be out way before I¢m even awake. I¢m all cleaned up, stocked up, and ready to go...Zzzzzzz...
Date: 2018-05-07
From: Angels Reat Hostel

To: Mile 645.5
Miles today: 9.1

I willed myself to leave Pearisburg this morning on the 9am shuttle back to the trail. Angels Rest Hostel is what hikers call a ¢Vortex¢ - a place so nice you get sucked in and can¢t leave. I left many of my comrades behind there. Some are still recovering from a Cinco Dr Mayo party two nights ago. Eventually the vortex will spit them all back out onto the trail. Thunderstorms threatened all day with dark clouds and rumbling staying just west of the trail. The threat of lightning this afternoon prompted me to stop and set up shelter. The storms fizzled out before reaching me but I enjoyed the two hour nap. I¢m going to try to get to Daleville, 84 miles from here, without spending any nights off the trail. Resupply is scarce on this stretch so I¢ve got to step it up, no more naps! If I can put in several days of steady mileage I should be able to predict when I¢ll enter Shenandoah NP.Note: I haven¢t forgotten your questions. I¢ll get to them as my battery allows me the ¢screen time¢ (I also need battery for the GPS trail guide). I won¢t be able to recharge for several days so posts will be brief and I might skip a day or two.
Date: 2018-05-08
From: Mike 645.5

To: Bailey Gap Shelter
Miles today: 14.2
Weather: overcast clouds

An interesting day through varied terrain. I walked over a hilltop that used to be an orchard. The apple trees were blooming and the hum of busy bees filled the air. Later I went through an area that had been decimated by gypsy moths a few years ago. The dead trees are rotted and falling prompting the ATC to close one of the shelter areas. I also passed by a spot occupied by some ¢tree sitters¢ protesting a gas pipeline project. Yesterday I passed through a construction area where a US Forest Service officer was screening hikers, presumably to prevent protesters from disrupting activities. Hint to protesters attempting to enter: don¢t bathe for a week, strap 35 pounds to your back, and walk up like you¢re expecting some food. He¢ll let you pass but he will not give you candy bars. Boooo Forrest Service, where¢s the Magic?
Date: 2018-05-09
From: Bailey Gap Shelter

To: Laurel Creek Shelter
Miles today: 14.6
Weather: overcast clouds

Another nice day for walking. Again nothing extraordinary happened...no exciting wildlife encounters. I¢m almost always looking down at the ground deciding where to put my feet so I¢m sure I¢ve missed some critters. Here¢s what I have seen (not much): 2 snakes: 1 garter, 1 black4 deer: 3 pretty big onesMiceMany squirrelsCountless chipmunksWoodpeckers: heard, rarely seenHawks and turkey vultures Songbirds, heard more than seenOwls: heard every night but not seenButterflies and mothsCoyotes: heard at dusk but not seen CowsFrogs and tadpoles Salamanders3-4¢ Millipedes: they¢re everywhere!Large beetles and other crawly thingsA big bug flew into my mouth, it tasted like pineOther hikers have seen bears, not I. I¢m sure there¢s lots and lots of critters out here but they surely prefer to avoid the parade of hikers passing through. On we go...
Date: 2018-05-10
From: Laurel Creek Shelter

To: Niday Shelter
Miles today: 12.4
Weather: broken clouds

The day started nice enough through pasture lands and past the Keffer Oak. At 300 years old it¢s ¢the 2nd largest oak tree along the AT¢. Apparently there¢s a bigger one in NY, I¢ll let you know. After pretty pastures came an arduous climb to a ridge line where the terrain was pretty rugged. As I was up there approaching thunderstorms twice compelled me to descend into the woods and shelter under my tarp. It rained a bit but neither storm passed directly overhead and I got some quality nap time. After some very difficult miles over rocks and ledges I came to a sign marking the ¢Eastern Continental Divide¢. From there the trail descended away from the Gulf of Mexico, 1920 miles away, and toward the Atlantic Ocean, 405 miles away (according to the sign writers).I have just enough food to get to Daleville, three days away. There is a small store halfway where I¢ll pick up some extra calories to be sure. Onward...
Date: 2018-05-11
From: Niday Shelter

To: Mile 700.1
Miles today: 13.4

A warm day with big puffy clouds overhead. The clouds cast dark shadows over the surrounding mountains and valleys enhancing the views. Around noon I passed the Audie Murphy Memorial. Audie was our most decorated World War II Veteran. He died in a plane crash nearby. There were many flags and personal items of tribute placed there.All the trees have leaves now. They¢re still light green, not the dark green they¢ll be come summer, making for light filtered shade. Very pleasant. Dogwood petals are falling and new flowers are appearing including Lady Slippers, Lilly of the Valley, Azalia, and (promising future snacks) Blueberry and Blackberry. When the wind is calm you can hear the forrest buzzing with insects flying among the flowers. Fortunately these bugs aren¢t interested in me, they¢ll come later. New wildlife today: small brown lizards darting through the leaves and hummingbirds. I haven¢t gotten a good look at the tiny birds but they seem attracted to the yellow jacket hanging from my pack . Now and then I hear one hovering over my shoulder, just out of sight.Late afternoon I crossed a small footbridge and was disappointed to see a pile of cans and bottles...oh, wait a minute...they¢re full...Coke and bottled water left in the cool stream just for me, and two German women who came up as I was leaving with two Cokes in my pack. One Magic can powered me up this mountain, the other I¢ll save for tomorrow¢s climb...