morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2010-05-31
From: Bryant Ridge Shelter

To: Matts Creek Shelter
Miles today: 22.7
Weather: scattered clouds

Spent a miserable night sleeping in the shelter due to the biting nats. It was pretty stupid of me not to setup my tent but there really weren't any tents sites near the shelter. I guess I won't be sleeping in many shelters going north. When I awoke this morning I felt pretty tired which is not great when you have a 22.7 mile day planned. The morning consisted of mostly climbing until we reached the 2nd shelter of the day, Thunder Hill. I was pretty tired by lunch time and we had only done 10.3 miles. I think my body has forgotten what it's like to climb for an extended period of time. After lunch the terrain was more downhill so it wasn't as tiring and there was a good view at the Thunder Ridge Outlook off the Blue Ridge Parkway. Walking the miles in the afternoon was a bit of a slog but the trail was mostly ridge walking with a view and then we descended down to 835 feet. A pretty big descent since we were at 4225 feet earlier in the day. We are currently camped beside Matt's Creek Shelter which is a beautiful campsite. In the morning we are planning to hitch into Glasglow VA for breakfast and some resupply.
Date: 2010-06-01
From: Matts Creek Shelter

To: Little Irish Creek
Miles today: 17.2

Addendum to yesterday's journal.After I had retired to my tent for the evening we heard some noise in the woods which prompted Avatar to ask if I could see the bear bags. I looked out my tent and didn't see anything and noticed the bear bags were still hanging from the tree. I went back to reading but in a few more minutes I heard more noises in the woods. I looked outside again and to my surprise two Canadian Geese were walking through the woods. Strange. I watched the geese for a few minutes as they walked up the ridge and then they returned towards the creek. I went back to reading until I heard them take flight and looked up to see one of the geese flying right towards me. I seriously thought the goose was going to fly straight into my tent so I ducked and took cover. Thankfully the goose flew over my tent but Avatar said it was a close call. I wonder if the geese want us to leave.Avatar and I started the day with a quick few miles to US501 where we were hoping to hitch into Glasglow. We were standing out on the road with our thumbs out for about 10 minutes with no luck when another thru hiker came along and asked if he could join the hitch parade. The new hitcher was "Patch" and he told us we could also hitch in the other direction to a gas station in Big Island. So we started hitchhiking in both direction and in another 5 minutes had a ride to Big Island. We ended up at a gas station / restaurant combo and decided to go in for breakfast. After a great breakfast and resupply we asked a local gentleman in the restaurant if he could give us a ride back to the trail. He agreed and we managed to be back on the trail by 10:00 am. Back on the trail found us climbing 2200 feet which felt like a long climb but wasn't brutal thanks to all the switchbacks. Unfortunately I wasn't feeling all that strong today so the climbing felt harder than normal. On top of the mountain there were nice views of the Virgina countryside. After the climb the trail thankfully levelled out for a bit as we ridge walked and then another quick climb took us to the top of Bluff Mountain where there is a monument to Ottie Cline Powell who was a 4 year old boy who wandered into the woods and walked 7 miles up the mountain before he died. The monument said it was erected in the exact spot Ottie was found. Very sad. The rest of the hike today was downhill and we are camped beside a forest service road and Pedlar River. At camp tonight are two section hikers and Power Nap also showed up. Well I'm off to make dinner. Yum more ramen noodles.
Date: 2010-06-02
From: Little Irish Creek

To: Seeley-Woodsworth Shelter
Miles today: 20.8
Weather: few clouds

The hike to Brown Mountain Creek was nice as the trail skirted a lake and then followed the creek to a nice waterfall. At the waterfall we meet thru hiking sisters Just Blue Skies and Webwalker. The five mile hike to Brown Mountain Creek went quickly and was a beautiful walk. At the shelter we meet Whipersnap, Rest Stop and Tornado. After a quick break we left the shelter and climbed from 1395 feet up to 4059 feet to the top of Bald Knob. The climb up was long and hard but I was happy once the climb was completed. The hike across the top of the mountain down to Cow Camp Shelter was not my favourite as the trail went through lots of dense ground shrubs and it felt very closed in. We stopped for lunch at Hog Camp Gap and then pushed on 3 more hours before we stopped for the day. In the morning we only have a few miles to hike to a bed and breakfast where we are planning to take a nero day.
Date: 2010-06-03
From: Seeley-Woodsworth Shelter

To: Dutch Haus B&B
Miles today: 2.3

I slept in today as we only had a few miles to hike to a road where we could walk a few miles to a hostel. Avatar and I reached the road fairly quickly and then we walked one mile downhill to a fish hatchery where we decided to stop and ask direction to the hostel. The nice guys working at the hatchery let us use their phone so we could call the B&B to see if they would come and pick us up so we didn't have to road walk. No luck on a shuttle so we decided to road walk into town. A mile or two road walk found us at a little general store where we decided to resupply before finishing our walk up to the B&B. After our resupply we decided to hang out on the porch at the store and eat some snacks and while doing so a car pulled up to the post office and clearly they were hikers. Avatar and I walked over and said hi and found out the driver was Earl one of the owners of the B&B. Earl drove us up to the B&B where Avatar and I hung out on the porch drinking coffee and chatting with another hiker. Before long we were invited into the house for lunch and then we enjoyed showers and hanging out in bath robes while our laundry was done. I enjoyed a nice relaxing nero day at the B&B and I will be headed back out on the trail tomorrow.
Date: 2010-06-05
From: Maupin Field Shelter

To: Waynesboro
Miles today: 20.8
Weather: overcast clouds

Up early and on the trail by 6:30 am as I knew today would be a long day of hiking and I wanted to try to get into Waynesboro before dark. The first 6 miles of the hike was pretty rocky and I thought I was in for a very long tough day. Eventually the rocks stopped and I was on top of Cedar Cliffs which is a big rock outcrop with a nice view of the Virgina farm land. I decided to stop and make some coffee and enjoy the view as I didn't bother to make any coffee this morning. As I sat and enjoyed the java and view I mentally debated if I should hike the 21 miles into town or only hike 16 and camp at the last shelter. I couldn't decide so I decided to hike on and see how the day progressed before making a decision. The next 5 miles were also rocky with lots of short ups and downs and I was surprised to meet a guy on the trail who was out for a run. He said he had started his run from Rockfish Gap and when I met him he said he was going to turn around and run back. I was impressed as he had already run 10 miles up the trail so he was out for a 20 mile run. I hiked on and was very relieved that the trail passed Humpback Rocks was very easy with no rocks. I arrived at Paul C Wolfe shelter around lunchtime and met up with 2 Rings and a woman who had hiked in to feed us lunch. Wow amazing trail magic. I finally decided to leave the shelter and hike the last 5 miles into Wayensboro. I rocked out the 5 miles in 2 hrs and arrived at Rockfish Gap and attempted to find the visitors center. I was a bit confused as to which way town was when a car pulled up and asked if I needed a ride to town. It turns out the man in the car was local trail angel Bill Gallagher who often provides hikers rides into Waynesboro. Bill dropped me off at the Grace Lutheran Church Hostel where I was quickly welcomed and shown around. I was soon in the shower and then I went into the lounge to hang out with the other hikers. It turns out that the church was hosting a $5 AYCE spaghetti dinner and then offering a free shuttle to the movies. I decided to take part in both the dinner and movie. Dinner was fun and I got to see Krispy Kritter, Dragon Tail and Sherpa again. After dinner a van load of us went to the movies and I enjoyed sitting in a theatre watching a movie with a huge popcorn and coke. I decided to see Iron Man 2 which was ok but not great. After the movies I finally got a chance to update my online journal although I am still a month behind. Crappy nights sleep on the cots in the church which are not very comfortable. I finally decided to blow up my thermarest around 3 am and sleep on the floor. I am not sure why I didn't think of that earlier in the night.
Date: 2010-06-06
From: Waynesboro

To: Blackrock Hut
Miles today: 20.0
Weather: clear sky

I woke up early again this morning despite not going to bed until midnight and also not sleeping well. I spent a little time this morning trying to enter a few more online journals and was also trying to decide if I should hike out or take a nero day. Trail Angel Bill showed up at the hostel around 8:45 and asked if anyone needed a ride back to the trail. I decided I should hike on and asked Bill if he would drop me a the the Kroger as I needed to resupply before hitting the trail. A quick resupply and I was back on the trail by 9:00 am. A few hundred yards up the trail is a registration board for Shenandoah Nation Park so I stopped to fill out my permit. As I was filling out my permit Laid Back and Trashman came up the trail. What a great surprise to see both of them again. It turns out they had both taken 2 zero days at Trashman's house. Trashman and I hiked together today and spent the first few hours chatting and catching up, it was just like old times. The hike today was fairly easy as there weren't any big climbs or descents and the trail mostly followed Skyline Drive. Trashman and I made it into Blackrock Hut by 6:00 which isn't to bad considering we didn't start hiking until 9:00 am. Tonight I am camped away from the shelter so I told Trashman not to wait for me in the morning as he and Laid Back have been getting on the trail around 6ish which is a bit too early for me. Hopefully I will catch up to them for lunch tomorrow at the wayside. I am excited for my first cheeseburger in the Shennies.
Date: 2010-06-07
From: Blackrock Hut

To: HighTop Hut
Miles today: 21.4
Weather: scattered clouds

 I started the hike today by finishing the climb up Blackrock Mountain and then enjoyed the view from the summit. I hiked alone this morning for a few miles until I caught up to a couple of thru hikers the "Canadian Geese". I had been wondering when I would meet up with them as I always like to meet fellow Canadians on the trail. I chatted with them briefly as we hiked and it turns that Richard and I both graduated from Brock University, small world. It was nice to meet them and soon I was ahead of them on the trail and then I met up with Safari. Safari and I hiked together in search of the Loft Mtn Campstore. The guidebook does not have great info on which trail to take to the store so we ended up taking a side trail and then road walking to the store through the campground. At the camp store we met up with Trashman and all three of us enjoyed some snacks and beverages at the store. I didn't hang around the store for long as I was planning on going to the wayside for a cheeseburger and the wayside was only another mile up the trail. I hiked on but when I reached the mileage sign for the wayside it said it was .6 off the trail and it appeared it was down a long descent. I thought about it and decided to wait for Safari to let him know I wasn't going to bother hiking an extra 1.2 miles to the wayside. Safari showed up and we agreed to skip it and hike on. Trashman, Safari and I hiked to Pinefield Hut together where we stopped for lunch. Not much to mention about the terrain today. The trail was fairly easy and nicely graded but there were zero views. After lunch we still had 8.2 more miles to hike to Hightop so we didn't have a leisurely lunch. The terrain after lunch was a bit more challenging as we had three climbs and descents to make. We enjoyed a few views in the afternoon - one from Weaver Mountain and the other a view of Powell Gap Hollow. At Smith Roach Gap we met up with Tornado and So Far who are road walking Skyline Drive instead of hiking the trail. They both agreed that road walking the Shennies is better than walking the trail as all the views are from Skyline Drive. I am not sure that I agree with them but everyone has to hike their own hike. The last climb of the day to Hightop Hut tuckered me out and I was very happy to arrive at the shelter after a 21.4 mile day. I think I need to slow down a bit as 21.4 miles in 9 hours has me pretty tired. At camp tonight is Trashman, Safari and Hyway. I also met No Tech and Tom Thumb at the shelter. I still seem to be meeting new thru hikers. Hoping to hike another 21 miles tomorrow to Big Meadows campground so I can do some laundry and have a shower.
Date: 2010-06-08
From: HighTop Hut

To: Big Meadows Campground
Miles today: 20.9
Weather: scattered clouds

I decided to start the hike today pretty early as I wanted to have time to do laundry, shower and resupply before dark. I was on the trail by 6:20 am. The terrain was pretty gentle to Lewis Mtn Campground and I managed to cover the 11.5 miles by 11:15 am. ON the way to Lewis Mtn this morning I saw four deer and a mother bear with 3 cubs. Now one of the encounters I never wanted to happen on the trail has occurred. All in all the mother and cub encounter was a good one due to the fact the mother ran off into the woods when she saw me and the three cubs all went up a tree. Quickly the cubs came down out of the tree and ran after their mother into the woods. I breathed a sigh of relief and hiked on. I was happy to arrive at Lewis Mtn Campground and find out from Little Aspen that they have great coffee at the store. I was browsing around the store when Trashman arrived and we both enjoyed a cup of coffee while sitting in the sun on the sidewalk. I forgot to mention early in this entry that it's friggin cold in Virgina and I had to sleep in all of my clothes last night and was still cold. The temperatures are perfect for hiking but not for sleeping. After the coffee Trashman and I both enjoyed a pint of ice cream while we talked with two section hikers Dr. Dick and HOI. They both seem to know the shennies well and gave us lots of great advice on campspots and water. Thanks guys. Safari soon arrived at the store and we agreed to split a campsite at Big Meadows. As I was at the campstore I had been debating if I wanted to hike anymore today as I haven't been feeling well and I think I am coming down with a cold. Since Safari was willing to hike to Big Meadows I decided to keep hiking as the weather is beautiful. Safari and I hiked the 9 miles to Big Meadows together and soon we caught up to Trashman so the three of us hiked together. As soon as we arrived at Big Meadows we went to the wayside for food. Bacon cheeseburgers, onion rings, shake and a beer. I enjoyed all the food but was so full my stomach hurt. The food was good but it was pricey. Oh well I had decided earlier that I was going to enjoy the Shennies so I am not going to worry about the cost of food or lodging. After dinner I did some resupply in the store and then Safari and I walked over to the campground and setup camp. Shower, laundry and then Safari and I spent the rest of the evening talking while we both enjoyed a few beers.
Date: 2010-06-09
From: Big Meadows Campground

To: Big Meadows Campground
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Woke up to wind and rain around 5:00 am in the campground so I rolled over and went back to sleep as I had no intention of walking in the rain. Finally woke back up around 7 ish and it was still raining. I waited for a break in the rain then decided to make a break for the bear box so I could make some coffee in my tent while I waited out the rain. Safari woke up and asked if I wanted to hike today and I responded not really. We decided to walk up to the lodge for breakfast and to check out room prices. We found out we could get a room so we decided to take a zero day and go for a nice breakfast. We had a great breakfast in the lodge and then went back to the campground to pack up. Moved over to the lodge and checked into our room and found out we really had two rooms and two bathrooms so we offered the other room to Tom Thumb and No Tech and they agreed to take it. Safari and I took it easy all afternoon and then decided to go down to the tap room for a few beers. A few beers turned into many beers when Krispy Kritter, Sherpa and Dragon Tail showed up in the bar. It was great to catch up with them since I haven't seen them in a few days. The guys hung out for a few hours and then they decided to hike out to the next shelter. No Tech, Tom Thumb and the Canadian Geese also came into the bar and then the live music started. A fun time was had by all.
Date: 2010-06-10
From: Big Meadows Campground

To: Byrds Nest #3
Miles today: 15.4
Weather: broken clouds

Didn't get a super early start this morning due to last night's festivities and the comfy hotel room. Once we got moving we walked down to the wayside for breakfast and then back down to the trail. It was a quick and easy hike to the Skyland resort and restaurant where I had lunch with Safari and Tom Thumb. After lunch we were treated to some great views from Stony Man Overlook and the ridge we walked to the Pinnacle Picnic Area. At the picnic area we met a family who was hiking the entire Shenandoah section southbound with their two daughters "Flowers in Hair" and "Cow Girl". The girls were pretty young and I thought it was awesome that they were doing the hike as a family. Flowers in Hair gave me a bracelet and I told her I would carry the bracelet to Maine for her. We finally decided to leave the picnic area and hike up to the pinnacle where there was another great view. On the way up to the Pinnacle, Safari told me his 9/11 story which was incredible to hear but scary and also very sad. Safari and I arrived at the Bryds Nest shelter and decided to stay the night although there is no water here. I am still not sure about the bite on my buttocks which appears to be a bulls eye rash. It's possible it's a tic bite which might mean I have Lyme's disease. I will keep an eye on it to see if the rash spreads. If so I will go see a doctor.
Date: 2010-06-11
From: Byrds Nest #3

To: Gravel Springs Hut
Miles today: 17.5
Weather: broken clouds

Great day on the trail with Safari and Rabid. Rabid showed up late last night and it was great to meet her and hike with her. She's a riot. The three of us spend the morning hiking together and for the most part laughing the entire way. There were a few nice views of the Virgina countryside on the way to Elkwallow Wayside and all three of us were anticipating our arrival at the wayside for lunch. When we arrived at the wayside the Canadian Geese and Little Aspen and Toothpick were already there hanging out. Rabid, Safari and I had a great lunch and spent 3 hrs hanging out at the wayside digesting lunch. While we were there Coon Cat and Yule the Mule also showed up. It was cool to see both of them again as I haven't seen them in a few weeks. We finally decided to leave the wayside and hiked the remaining 7 miles to the shelter. When we arrived at the shelter No Tech was there with a buddy Johnny Walker who had brought some beers in for all to enjoy. I enjoyed a nice night chatting with everyone at the shelter and it was nice to have the support of fellow hikers who are concerned that I might have lyme disease. I am still not sure about my bite but feel fine so far. I am starting to look forward to finishing Virgina and making it to the psychological half way point, Harpers Ferry.
Date: 2010-06-12
From: Gravel Springs Hut

To: Front Royal Hostel
Miles today: 9.6
Weather: scattered clouds

I hiked the last 9.6 miles of Shenandoah with Safari and Rabid. We had a great morning of hiking as all we seem to do is laugh and make jokes. There were some nice views on top of Marshall Mountain and from Compton Peak. During the 9 miles we also hiked with Yule during which time we spotted a bear. Although Safari and I had previously decided not to stop at the hostel, Rabid needed to stop there so she could pick up a package. Safari and I decided to change our hiking plan to Harpers Ferry and spend the night at the hostel. The three of us had a great night at the hostel hanging out with two other hikers Skat Tracker and Achilles. The hostel owner Mike took us into Front Royal for dinner and resupply. Oh.. I forgot to mention that I got to watch the US vs England world cup soccer came. Great AT day.
Date: 2010-06-13
From: Front Royal Hostel

To: Dicks Dome Shelter
Miles today: 19.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Yum, ice cream for breakfast. I managed to leave the hostel and be back on the trail by 8. Not much to say about the terrain today as the trail to Jim & Molly Denton Shelter was not very exciting. Although the terrain wasn't great Rabid, Safari and I had a great morning chatting and laughing. Both Safari and Rabid have great senses of humour so it's been great to hike with them. The three of us stopped at Jim and Molly Denton shelter for lunch. At the shelter we meet up with Just Blue Skies and Web Walker. I haven't seen them in a few weeks so it was great to chat with them again. During lunch Yule, 2 Rings and Chicken Feathers arrived. We enjoyed a long lunch on the patio of the shelter in the sun. Very nice shelter and I wished I could have stayed for the night but our plan was to hike another 10 miles today. We hiked on in hopes of stopping at a convenience store which we thought was near the trail but were disappointed when we figured out the store was a few miles down the road. A little depressed that we couldn't enjoy a nice cold soda on this hot and humid day we hiked on. We had a 1000 feet to climb which is normally not that difficult but the heat and humidity made it very challenging. We found a great spring at Manassas Gap Shelter and although all three of us were tired we decided to press on another 5 miles to the next shelter. I am camped at Dicks' Dome Shelter tonight with Safari, Rabid and the The Canadian Geese. It's funny how news passes up and down the trial. I got a text message from a hiker friend behind me who heard I had lyme disease and was wondering if I am off the trail. I am still not sure if I have lyme disease or not but I feel fine.We are headed into a roller coaster tomorrow and I am ready for the ride.