morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2009-04-30
From: Thomas Knob Shelter

To: Old Orchard Shelter
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: overcast clouds

I'm alive! Survived the thunderstorms. Once again, once you get dry clothes on, everything is good. It's amazing what you can get used to. Got up, put on the wet socks, into the wet boots, on with the wet underwear liners and shorts. I cheated up top though....I put on a dry Capilene 1 top under my wet shirt. Pack up the stuff, throw on the rain gear and out the door....if there was a door! What's amazing is how fast the synthetic clothes dry out when you're wearing them. I guess I should explain. If you get wet early in the day and it stops raining at least an hour prior to getting into camp, your clothes will actually dry by the time you get there....yea! If you are wet when you get to camp and change to dry clothes right away, the clothes don't get a chance to dry and will be wet in the morning. The body is a great "clothes dryer" for synthetics. Everyone wears synthetic everything out here....no cotton clothing, too long to dry (if ever ).Today was an awesome hike. I hiked through pine forests, grassy highlands with rock outcroppings, deciduous forests, thorn bush fields....a huge variety of landscape over just 11 miles of hiking.I hiked in two popular areas for hiking today, Mt Rogers and Grayson Highlands which are famous for the wild ponies that live there. I got to see about a dozen of them and even petted a couple...see photos. That made for a very cool morning!I am so amazed at how different the A.T. is every day. I have become aware that the different landscapes that can be made with trees, vegetation, water features, and rocks is limitless. It's very neat when you get in the "hiker zone" wondering what you'll see around the next bend.I've had a thought running through my mind for a while now and I thought it was time to share after hearing a comment from Snuggles last night. She was looking at pictures that a hiker named Western had taken....she made the comment "what Trail are you hiking? I haven't seen any of this!" Note: She hikes pretty darn fast.That's the thought I have been having that I find fascinating. Even though there are a bunch of us hiking the exact same footpath, we all have much different experiences.....even if we are hiking the same part on the same day. Everything comes into play and affects our hike....the weather obviously....someone crossing a bald on a sunny day has a different experience than the hiker on a windy/rainy day. But even little things like angle of the sun, hiker's mood, nagging body part, low on water, in a mental trance thinking about something, hiking alone vs hiking with others......all of this plays into what kind of experience you'll have on any particular section of Trail.
Date: 2009-05-01
From: Old Orchard Shelter

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

Goof, Mr Buffalo Man, and Sunnuke caught up with me last night. We got up and out at about 8:30 and hiked all day together from start to finish. It was a nice relaxing hike today over pretty easy terrain.It was a hike through nice scenery but nothing outstanding or out of the ordinary. The one thing I did notice is that Spring is definitely here. All the trees are green and the undergrowth is starting to pop up as well. I like the "new look" but also realize I'll miss being able to see through the forests.It rained this morning but the sun was out all afternoon and everything was dry quickly.The trail dynamics are very unpredictable. For this stretch, we only had 6 to 8 people at each shelter/campsite. When we came to the shelter tonight it looked like there would be about 8 people and several were already planning on staying in the shelter. Good...I thought....I can set up my tent and sleep in! We only have 10+ miles to do tomorrow so no reason to get up early....Yea!Well, that thought was crushed as the shelter is full, and there are 8 tents set up around me. Going to be a loud morning! So I've already decided I'm not going to fight it. I'm going to bed early, getting up early, crank out the 10 miles and just hang out at the next stop. Here's hoping for a sunny afternoon tomorrow.I brought up to the group today that I wanted to pick up the pace a bit mileage wise. They all seemed receptive. We'll see how it works out. We've been doing 14 miles steadily now and I think we can do 16 pretty easily. We have plenty of daylight to hike 8 hours a day, including 2 hours of break time. And we're doing 2 mph over pretty much all terrain now.
Date: 2009-05-02
From: Trimpi Shelter

To: Partnership Shelter
Miles today: 10.6
Weather: light rain

Holy cow! The dutch couple were up before twighlight....someone said their alarm clock went off at 5:30! All I know is that I heard their stove blazing and a full-blown conversation prior to 6 am. C'mon, where do you need to be? So we (I mean everyone) was up and out of camp by 8:30. We were kind of annoyed having only 10+ miles to go. So off we go for an uneventful hike. Goof spazzes out and leads up the trail going 3+ miles an hour. Wow...hey....we don't have anywhere to go fast today. So we hit Partnership Shelter at 1 pm.Partnership Shelter is the flagship of shelters so far. Two stories, top-notch craftsmanship, showers, nice out-house (privy). And there is a phone a couple of hundred yards away from which you can order pizza that will be delivered! Each of us had our own large pizza + a couple of desserts. And we each had our own 2-liter bottle of soda!So today was relaxing sitting around chatting and eating....a hiker's dream!OK...so I've been doing some inventory and getting ready to do the winter-to-summer gear switch-a-roo. Planning on switching to a summer sleeping bag. I'll send the winter gloves, one of the long underwear layers, and parka home. I'm also going to switch to a new pair of boots in 2 weeks...same kind....these are worn out!The trail for the last couple of weeks has been much easier than we are used to. Probably a combination of being in better shape, plus I think the trail layout is easier. By that I mean the uphills seem to be less steep, even up big climbs like Mt Rogers, and the trail surfaces seem to be softer in general. Sure, there have been rocky sections, but I think less overall.Love being out here......even in the rain!
Date: 2009-05-03
From: Partnership Shelter

To: US 11 (The Relax Inn)
Miles today: 11.6
Weather: moderate rain

Up and out at 8:30. Took off by myself planning a leisurely stroll into the Relax Inn, our target for the day for re-supply, showers, etc. Only 11.6 miles so I know I would be in about 2 pm.I still like hiking alone as I can go any pace I like, break as often as I like, take pictures, etc.The first half of the day was rock hell. See, some people like uphills, others hate uphills. Some like downhills, some hate downhills. Everyone loves level. EVERYONE hates rocks! Rocks hurt the feet, twist the ankles, make it almost impossible to keep an even pace, and you can't look around as much because you have to watch your footing more carefully. So all the way to Chatfield Shelter, the half-way point for today, I was in rock hell. I took an extra long lunch break at the shelter.Leaving the shelter led to more rocks so I resigned the rest of the day to just relaxing and going slow, and if I got in at 5 pm, so be it. All of a sudden I was 8 years old again. Me and my little sister Lisa used to build tunnels around our house to play in. We used boxes, blankets over tables, and whatever else we could use to build a tunnel to crawl through. Well, this afternoon, Mother Nature built a huge rhododendron tunnel for me to play in! It was thick with rhododendron totally lining both sides of the trail and also a canopy overhead. The bonus....a soft footbed underneathe. I was having a blast all of a sudden and almost running. It was turning a lot so you would come around a corner and come upon a stream, a fallen tree, or something else unexpected. I totally enjoyed that segment. Out of the tunnel and into a short segment of pine forest....also soft on the feet. Then into fields for the rest of the day. Totally enjoyed the afternoon hike!Got our chores done and ordered some delivery food. Got our re-supply together and we're ready to hike out tomorrow. Gonna bump up the mileage for the next 12+ days!
Date: 2009-05-04
From: US 11 (The Relax Inn)

To: Knot Maul Branch Shelter
Miles today: 13.9
Weather: overcast clouds

Today was just an all-around good day on the Trail! Went to the Barn Restaurant and had a real breakfast ..... pancakes, sausage, eggs, bacon and toast topped off with some O.J. Great way to start the day.Mr Buffalo Man and I hiked together for the first 1/3 of the day. Goof caught us and hiked with us for the 2nd 1/3. Sunnuke caught us at the 2/3 point and we all hiked together for the rest of the day.Today's trail was very nice....lot of dirt, not many rocks, and the ups and downs were gentle. It was the easiest 14-mile day I have had out here.We spent the majority of today hiking through pastures full of cows. We even chased 20 of them down the A.T. for about a mile. We came up on them all standing on the A.T. When they saw us they started moving, but moved right down the A.T.. They'd move, we'd get closer, they'd move again down the A.T., we get closer, they'd move again.....over and over for a half-hour. It was hilarious. We asked them if they were thru-hikers, they said no....they really liked that section right there.Obviously, going through all that farmland, we came across a bunch of fences today between fields and between different farms. We must have had to cross 10 stiles today. One or two is kinda neat....after that, it's just work!The sky was overcast all day which kept it kinda cool; good for hiking. It rained lightly all day off and on, but not bad enough to dampen the mood.Great day on the A.T.!
Date: 2009-05-05
From: Knot Maul Branch Shelter

To: Davis Farm Campsite
Miles today: 16.1
Weather: light rain

Today was a mental roller coaster for me! Started out like a normal day on the A.T. We hiked for a couple of hours with no problems. We stopped at a cool footbridge over Lick Creek for a morning snack.Then the rain started.....again....and we hiked for the next 3 hours in the rain up Chestnut Knob....basically 4.5 miles of steady uphill. There was a shelter at the top of Chestnut Knob that was our lunch stop destination. I was in a pretty foul mood during the last 1.5 miles prior to the shelter. I was just tired of overcast and rain....again....day after day.It was good to get in the shelter and out of the rain, but the feet were soaked and not enough time to let them dry out during the break. Usually I take off my boots and socks during the breaks and let my feet dry out....you know....for the "prune-y" skin to go away. But they were just too wet to get them dry during lunch. It was a weird shelter....no picture....in too foul of a mood to even take pictures. I know...hard to believe.OK...so on with the wet socks and boots and back out in the crap. I gave up on any hope of sunshine and that was probably good. I just got down to the business of hiking. So the group of us hiked on to our planned destination. It was a tough 16 miles for all of us....all had soaked feet, semi-tough terrain, and long miles.To top it off, we have to hike .5 miles off the A.T. to get to our campsite. When we get there, we find a tent pad built into the side of the hill with room for 2 tents. We put up 4!! Beautiful view however overlooking Davis Farms.Warm and dry now. Got some food in me. Interesting day on the Trail......some good and some bad.
Date: 2009-05-06
From: Davis Farm Campsite

To: Helvey's Mill Shelter
Miles today: 17.0
Weather: moderate rain

Note about yesterday: We hiked a while along a ridgeline going to and leaving Garden Mountain. It was a narrow ridgeline with a steep slope off to the right. Off to the left was a steep cliff at times....very cool!OK. I'm done whining about the rain. You all know how much I love the sun and hate day after day of rain and sun-less skies.So today it rained off and on all day. There are a couple of good things about rainy weather. One, the ground is soft, so it is easier on the feet. Two, it is cooler than hiking in the sun. You can also see how many spider webs there actually are in the forest when the condensation is left on them in the morning. There are tons of them in the woods!I got closer to a deer today than I have so far on this trip. It was literally only 12 feet away. I was walking through a rhododendron thicket, turned a corner, and there it was staring right at me in the middle of the trail. I didn't even dare go for the camera, he was so close. I stood there perfectly still and we looked at each other, still, for a good 20-30 seconds, and then it just walked up into the thicket.....beautiful creature.The Trail today was mostly rolling ups and downs in open woods. The woods are turning bright green and flowers are popping up all over. Oh yeah, another benefit to all the rain is that water is plentiful. The handbook we carry lists water sources like springs and streams. Some are listed as "seasonal", "unreliable", or "questionable". Well, they have all been flowing strong this year.We had a couple of trail magic events today....a local methodist church left some Gatorade down by Laurel Creek.....thanks....it tasted awesome, especially after days of just water. Also, the Piedmont A.T. Hiking Club left gallons of water prior to crossing I-77....thanks again.....water sources were lacking in the 2nd half of the hike today.Staying in the shelter tonight to stay out of the weather and get out quickly tomorrow morning for a long day of hiking.
Date: 2009-05-07
From: Helvey's Mill Shelter

To: Trail to Dismal Creek Falls
Miles today: 18.2

Today was a good day on the A.T.. Up and out early knowing we wanted to do a lot of miles today. I hiked the 1st 10 miles alone and cranked them out in less than 4 hours. That's fast for me. There was a shelter, Jenny's Knob Shelter, at the 10-mile point where we all planned to meet for lunch. The others came in shortly after I did and we took a long lunch break.The terrain all day was what Top Shelf calls "forest flat", or easy ups and downs.....there really is no flat out here, rarely. It rained lightly on and off all day but it really was a pleasant day out. The trail was very sloppy today and everyone fell at least once. Mr Buffalo Man had his bad day yesterday biting the dust 4 times. I fell yesterday as well. I've gotten very good at "turtle-ing", falling on my back. See, when you "turtle", you fall on your pack and it doesn't hurt at all. We've all gotten good at "sliding" or "ice skating" down hill in the mud, singing "slip sliding away", of course. So it was a fun day of good conversation and playing in the mud.After lunch we had a quick 6-mile hike to VA606. Other hikers had been talking about stopping there for showers, food and even camping overnight at Trent's Groceries......about a 1/2 mile down the road. We debated whether to go or not all day long, knowing we already had 18.2 miles planned + .3 miles extra off the A.T. to our campsite. Did we really want to add another mile (.5 there and back)?By the way, there was a really cool suspension bridge prior to VA606 we had to cross...well built....fun to cross! Well, the temptation of cheeseburgers for dinner was too overwhelming, so we hiked to Trent's.....cheeseburgers, onion rings, Diet Coke and Oreos for dessert back at camp!We got to camp just in time to set up the tents prior to it beginning to rain. Awesome day on the A.T.
Date: 2009-05-08
From: Trail to Dismal Creek Falls

To: Doc's Knob Shelter
Miles today: 14.2
Weather: overcast clouds

Note to future thru-hikers: Stay at Jenny's Knob Shelter one night and then plan to stay at Dismal Creek Falls the next night (only 8.4 miles). Go into Trent's Groceries along the way (VA606) and grab burgers/dogs/buns and marshmallows. The camping areas near Dismal Creek Falls are great + there are swimming holes and the scenery is great. There are grills there for grilling food also.The hiking through VA has been very nice. There has been greatly varying terrain and scenery. We have had pine forests, deciduous forests, rhododendron tunnels and thickets, tons of water features, and great views of spring valleys from the mountain tops. The trail has also been much more moderately graded than we're used to. It also has varied from grassy wide roads to very rocky mountain ledges. Unfortunately the trail has been very muddy and slippery for the last several days.Today was finally sunny and dry.....yea!!We get into Pearisburg tomorrow for a quick re-supply/laundry/shower stop. I'm looking forward to the stop. My feet need to dry out!Basically, everything is going great. All the gear is working as advertised and the body is in great shape. I'll be replacing shoes and socks here within a week or so and maybe some other clothing pieces.....nothing new, just replaced with the same stuff, just new. Socks are worn out!The body feels great. It feels wonderful to be back in shape. I'm able to cruise up long hills non-stop now for an hour or so with a good breathing rythym going....like running in the old days. I'm curious to see how it translates into running when I'm done on the trail. I haven't had the chance to jump on a scale recently, but I'd guess I've lost between 20 and 30 pounds. I started the Trail at 215....we'll see.I had become soft and sedentary in my life prior to the Trail, so this has been the best thing that I could have done for myself. It has gotten me back in shape, toughened me up mentally having to put up with all sorts of stuff out here. Even just having to crawl around on the ground, getting on the ground and back up, has me working on my flexibility.Good stuff...this Appalachian Trail.
Date: 2009-05-10
From: Pearisburg, VA (Holiday Motor Lodge)

To: Symm's Gap Meadow
Miles today: 12.2

Double cheeseburger and onion rings for breakfast at Dairy Queen! Yummy...and how about a large ice cream cone for breakfast dessert? Breakfast of champions!We reserved hotel rooms for next weekend in Daleville....good thing too because the 1st two places I called (Howard Johnson Express Inn and Holiday Inn Express) were totally booked (University graduation). Luckily, the Super 8 still had a couple of rooms left. Lynn, Goof's Mom, said they had told her that she had booked the last room available!Off to the trail. There is always some grumbling when leaving a re-supply point because your backpack is at it's heaviest, full of food and water. The good news....it gets lighter every day, every time you eat!So today was absolutely gorgeous! All day long! The 1st couple of miles out of Pearisburg were relatively flat with some fun stream crossings requiring some balance and creativity in finding a way across. There has been so much rain lately that the stepping stones usually used to step across the streams were under water. Goof actually took his boots off and waded across one stream in his crocs....which was a good idea....better that than falling in and getting everything soaked (backpack and all) on day one.....especially after coming out of town with everything clean and dry.Then there was a pretty good climb up out of town. Not bad, and made easier by a bright sunny day. After the ascent, we walked along a ridgeline for the remainder of the day. Most of the Trail today was through open forests with occasional views of the valleys on both sides of the ridge....simply beautiful....green of spring everywhere. We stopped for a break at Rice Field, a grassy meadow on top of the ridge with a spectacular 180 degree view of the valleys...in West Virginia....I didn't know we were that close to the border. Nice spot!We camped at Symm's Gap Meadow. Another grassy meadow on top of the ridge. Beautiful camping spot. Relaxed and actually got to see a sunset! Perfect day on the Appalachian Trail!! We camped here with Big Daddy and iPod (both have journals on this webpage). Nice guys. We should be hiking with them all the way to Daleville.Today marked two months on the Trail (62 days)!
Date: 2009-05-11
From: Symm's Gap Meadow

To: Campsite
Miles today: 16.1
Weather: light rain

Woke up to rain....surprise, surprise. So I laid there until it stopped, packed up and out at 8:40 am. Light drizzle during the morning hike. Just enough to keep everything wet but not bad enough that we got soaked through. Clothes under the Anorack stayed dry.Plenty of stream crossings today with some good challenges....these are fun. They're good for entertainment and exercising the problem solving skills. Water is flowing so high that the normal crossing mechanisms (stepping stones, logs, etc) are sometimes under water....but there is usually a way to get across without wading through!There were a couple of good climbs today but nothing extraordinary. There was a long rocky section during the latter part of the day that was a challenge. Sharp rocks under the feet are no good at all. All-in-all, a pretty unremarkable hike today. The view from a place called Wind Rock was cool. 180 degree view of the valley floor and a ridge to the west....all forest.....not one sign of mankind. No towers, no power lines, no roads, no buildings....nothing but forest. Awesome!Big Daddy had a fire going already when we got to camp. That was awesome. We made dinner and BS'd around the fire. We could see 3 deer eating on the ridge above our campsite....their silhouettes were highlighted against the sky behind them.There has been a lot of gear talk lately due to Trail Days being right around the corner, and the fact that we're taking a couple of zero days. Good time to inspect all the gear and make a list of everything that needs fixed or replaced.....and cleaned....or sent home.Sunnuke has been having trouble with his tent. As he puts it, "it's doing a great job of keeping him moist!" So I think he is going to replace his tent on the next stop. Mr Buffalo Man and I need smaller waist belts for our packs....yea!Goof needs a new headlamp and some clothing. So, it's going to be a busy weekend getting things prepared for more hiking.