morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2008-05-29
From: Bald Mountain

To: No Business Shelter
Miles today: 10.6
Weather: broken clouds

Slepted in, moseyed around camp, and did not hit the trail until around 9:30 a.m. Nice to get a slow start for a change. Walked through a very nice Hemlock and Fraser Magnolia forest, and, several miles of trail that went through an area burned by a forest fire. At least that is what I thought at first. The ground was black, all the brush was gone, and the base of the trees had been burned. After a while I became convinced that the fire was set on purpose as a controlled prescribed burn, and was not the result of lightening, arson, etc. The whole area smelled like burnt toast. A couple of hours later I came across a sign that said it was a prescribed burn that was set this past March and April. Tomorrow I have a short hike into Erwin where I will re-supply, shower, do laundry, and get a good meal and a night's rest. Sounds good.
Date: 2008-05-30
From: No Business Shelter

To: Erwin
Miles today: 6.3
Weather: broken clouds

Pleasant day in Elmer. The Nolichkey Hostel run by Uncle Johnny took care of me today and provided a great atmosphere to relax and get myself ready for the next week's hike to Damascas,Virginia. Had four major meals which is good because I need the fuel for hiking. Well, it is getting late so good night.
Date: 2008-05-31
From: Erwin

To: Cherry Gap
Miles today: 16.4
Weather: scattered clouds

I basically gained elevation all day long today as I hiked out of the Nolichucky River valley town of Erwin, TN. The Nolichucky is a large river known for its excellent white water rafting. The most popular area of the river to raft is the part that passes through a gorge in the Pisgah Wilderness Area that I just hiked through this past week. I need to come back here again and take a rafting trip down the river. That would be fun. Erwin's economy depends on the railroad, which passes right through the middle of town. Trains come through every couple of hours 24-7. Mostly they are hauling coal from West Virginia to several coal-fired power plants in Florida. Erwin has a major railroad repair facility to take care of the trains and several other industries all dependent on the railroad business. The hiking today was really nice after an early rainstorm cleared out for sunny skies. I am entering a section of the trail known for having some great views due to the presence of balds. Tomorrow will include several miles of trail above the treeline. Hopefully it will stay clear. I saw an owl today fly off as I approached. It is the first owl I have seen on this trip, though I hear them quite often. Again, I don't know what type of owl it was because it was just a quick look as he was flying off, but it was probably a Barred Owl since that is the call I hear all the time. And another Wild Turkey startled me as I walked up the trail and made a fuss as she ran off into the woods. Just a couple of minutes ago a small Black Bear ran right by my tent while I was writing this journal entry. The folks staying in the shelter saw it and yelled out to me but the bear was long gone by the time I extracted myself from my tent. Oh well, that was exciting. I have pretty much concluded that my boots are just plain worn out. They are providing little foot and ankle support and my feet are just swimming around in them. I will need to replace them in Damascus, VA, next week. Well, after not getting much sleep last night at the shelter I think I will turn in early. For those curious about what time we go to bed on the trail, it is about 7:30 p.m. This way I will be in good shape for tomorrow's hike over the balds. Good night.
Date: 2008-06-01
From: Cherry Gap

To: Roan High Knob
Miles today: 15.2
Weather: light rain

I got a great night's sleep in my tent last night and started out early from camp. A deer jumped out in front of me and gave me the white tail business as she scurried off into the woods. I saw another doe later in the day feeding by the trail and was able to get some good pictures. Also, for the first time, I saw a ton of Red Newts crawling around on the trail. Within an hour of breaking camp, the wind picked up and thunder announced an approaching storm. I tried to ignore it at first because it sounded well north of my position but eventually rain began to fall. I stopped to put on my rain gear and of course it immediately started to let up. Murphy's Law seems to apply here as well. The rest of the day was pretty nice. Mostly cloudy with some periods of sunshine. Good hiking weather. The toughest part today was the final climb up to Roan High Knob. This may have been the hardest climb to date for us northbounders. The map says I gained around 2600 feet in elevation in less than 3 miles. Imagine walking up stairs for 2 hours straight. It was something like that. Part of the problem was that it was the last 3 miles of the day. I already had 12 miles under my belt so I was tired to begin with. I am staying tonight on top of Roan High Knob, elevation 6275 feet. This is the last time the trail goes over 6000 feet until Mt. Washington in New Hampshire. The shelter located here is the highest shelter on the A.T. The shelter was originally an old firewarden's cabin. It is dark inside, spookey looking and mice were jumping off the rafters.. So, I decided to stay in my tent tonight even though this spot gets some of the worst weather in the south. It is very chilly and the wind is gusting, but I will just button down the hatches and I should be able to stay plenty warm. Some milestones are approaching and some are here already like I have now been out on the trail for over a month. Tomorrow, I officially leave North Carolina behind and enter Tennessee exclusively for a while. And, I am now at the 371 mile marker which is more than 1/3 of the way to Harpers Ferry, WV. Getting there, one day at a time.
Date: 2008-06-02
From: Roan High Knob

To: Elk River
Miles today: 21.5

This was one of my favorite days on the trail. It started on top of Roan High Knob this morning after a wind and rain storm last night. Then it decided to get cold. Morning came and the sun was streaming in through the trees. The hike across a series of balds from Roan High Knob to Hump Mountain was easily the prettiest section of the trail I have walked so far. Unlimited 360 degee views under sunny and blue skies. My camera was very busy. Also saw some Turkey Vultures circling the skies. It was such a nice day that I got to my planned destination around 3:00 p.m. The shelter was near the main road and it looked like I would be staying there by myself. So for safety reasons, I decided to push on since there was plenty of daylight left. Besides, I felt pretty good. I think I have broken through to a new level of fitness after yesterday's monster climb up Roan Mountain. My endurance seems to have improved. This turned out to be my biggest mileage day so far. Also left North Carolina officially and now I am hiking in Tennessee. Tomorrow morning I break the 400 mile mark! The trail will now get much easier on the way into Damascus, VA, which is 68 miles away. I will try to get there in 3 days arriving late Thursday. I may take a zero day there to recover, re-supply, and purchase some new boots.
Date: 2008-06-03
From: Elk River

To: Hampton, TN
Miles today: 22.0

My appetite is going through the roof! I noticed that my lunch and snack items that I munch on during the day were low so I have jumped off the trail and gone into Hampton, TN for the night. Here I got the items I needed, had an amazing hickory smoked pulled pork barbeque dinner (when in the south, do barbeque), and got a private room for some much needed rest. The hike today was kind of uneventful. Just lots of woods walking. Did startle several deer on the way, but the one I wish I saw was one that came into my camp at the Elk River after I had fallen asleep last night. It was definitely a buck, because I have heard their call before. He must have smelled me and was warning the other deer of my presence. He probably also wasn't happy about me pitching my tent in his favorite pasture. He made a sound like "Shhhh...uck!", The "uck" sound was hard and fast. He did it about 5 to 6 times and the sound echoed through the river valley. Well he woke me up out of a deep sleep and ran off into the woods before I could even work my way out of my sleeping bag. So much for seeing my first buck. Did see and take pictures of two different kinds of frogs who were also hiking on the trail. Tommorow I am back on the trail. I am not sure if I can get to Damascus in two days or three. We shall see...
Date: 2008-06-04
From: Hampton, VA

To: Double Springs
Miles today: 27.9
Weather: scattered clouds

This was easily my longest day and I can honestly say that I don't want to do anything close to this amount of hiking in a day again. I came out of Hampton this morning after staying at Braemar Castle, which was not a castle at all but more like an old stone office building. It was built around 1900 to house the offices of the Pittsburgh Lumber Company. Eventually they went under and it was converted to a residence and lodge. The owner, Sutton, also runs adjacent grocery and hardware stores in town and is involved in the rafting business (everyone down here is involved in multiple things to make ends meet). Anyway, after hiking a couple of hours I caught up with Cornelous and Dr. Zais. I have been chasing them for days. Well the long and short of it is that I hiked with them until dark. It was a long, gruelling day but it put me within 18 miles of Damascus. Now I can get to Damascus tomorrow and attend the planned party at Conductor's house. It will be great to see everyone again. Most of my favorite people that I have met so far out here will be at the party. Should be fun.
Date: 2008-06-05
From: Double Springs

To: Damascus
Miles today: 18.2
Weather: few clouds

After 3 straight 20+ mile days, doing "only" 18 wasn't that bad. The only difficulty was the heat. It has been in the upper 80's with high humidity now for days. We now long for those cooler nights in May. But it was still exciting to arrive in Damascus today around 2:30 p.m. I found a room at the Apple Tree B&B where they did my laundry and I could get a shower. Man, I was really grungy this time because of all the heat and resulting sweat on the trail. It was so nice to get washed up and wear some clean clothes. The party at Conductor's was a lot of fun. It was a barbeque/picnic and we all hung out on the porch drinking beer and telling stories until late in the evening. Who was there? Okay, with appologies to whoever I forget to mention, Conductor, Needles, Mule, Cornelious, Dr. Zais, The Triforce, Homeward Bound, Tailgunner, Smiley, Goliath, Hippa, etc., etc. Quite a crew. Made all the extra miles the last few days seem worth it. Hard to describe, but there is a wonderful feeling of friendship and comaraderie among those who hike the trail. We all have a similar dream and we all seem to rally around each other to that end. Since you are alone for most of the day while you are hiking, seeing and socializing with your trail mates in the evening keeps you going and re-energizes you for the next day. It is a very big and essential part of the Appalachian Trail hiking experience. Tomorrow? A welcome zero day of rest.
Date: 2008-06-06
From: Damascus

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Since the B&B was already booked, I am staying at the Hike Inn tonight. Again I have a private room so I know I will get a proper night of sleep. I picked up my supply package from the Post Office this morning and then I picked up a few things at the grocery store. After spinning my wheels for a couple of hours, I finally found a way to secure the new Salomon hiking shoes. The local outfitter had a dismal selection of footwear, so I had to go on-line to purchase the shoes. They are being delivered to my next re-supply stop in Rural Retreat. Sure will be nice to start using some new footwear. Tonight I will head out for a hearty town meal before getting another good night's rest in civiliztion. Boy, I really needed a break this time. Tomorrow morning I will head out early again and enter the Mt. Rogers National Recreation Area. Marie and hiked there years ago. It is one of the highlights of the A.T. In the south.
Date: 2008-06-07
From: Damascus

To: Lost Mountain
Miles today: 15.8
Weather: scattered clouds

Hiked out of Damascus early this morning to get a jump on the heat. It turned out to be a really nice day. Warm, but not as hot as the last several days. Within the first hour or two I saw a Black Rat Snake and a Box Turtle on the trail, and I startled another Ruffed Grouse family. By lunch I already had 10 miles in the bag so I just took my time the rest of the day. The trail eventually joined up with the Virginia Creeper Trail, which is a 33 mile bike path on an old railroad bed. The path began as a native American footpath and was later used by the pioneers, to include Daniel Boone. Lots of families were out for the day on the bike path which runs right through the woods and alongside a really nice stream called Whitetop Laurel Creek. I took a swim and hung out the rocks for a couple of hours. Really nice to just relax and not be pressured to do a lot of miles (like this past week). Tomorrow I have a really big climb to get up to the Grayson Highlands/Mt. Rogers area. Hopefully the Catawba Rhododendrons will be in bloom. The area is famous for them and the wild ponies which roam in the Highlands. Then for the rest of the day I walk on top of the world on 5000 to 5500 foot mountains. Should be really nice.
Date: 2008-06-08
From: Lost Mountain

To: Thomas Knob
Miles today: 12.2
Weather: few clouds

Woke up this morning feeling like I had a head cold coming on, so I decided to stick with the plan and end early today. I am writing this journal entry as I sit in the shade under a Frasir Fir tree. My campsite sits on the edge of a huge bald with clear views for miles around. Just beautiful here on a bright sunny day. Keeping me company are a couple of the wild ponies which inhabit this area. I am going to have to keep an eye on them because they like to chew on your gear to get some salt in their diet. Hopefully the skies stay clear and I can get some star gazing in. This is the perfect spot for it. Also saw a really tame deer today which allowed me to get close enough to take some good pictures. Oh yeah, after all the miles I did this past week I noticed in Damascus that my ankles were swollen. I took a bunch of Ibuprofen during the next 24 hours and the swelling has gone away completely. Whew! I thought that was the beginning of the end. So many hikers out here are fighting off injuries it is scary. Couple of the guys have shin splints right now which is a result of hiking steep downhill trails. One had to take some time off (Hippa) and the other has had to cut way back on his miles (Smiley). Meanwhile, hopefully I can get a ton of sleep tonight and fight off this cold. Tomorrow I should be able to crank out some more miles.
Date: 2008-06-10
From: Trimpi Shelter

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

Today was fun. We got to Partnership Shelter around lunch time and took a bus into Marion, VA. All six of us hikers converged on the Pizza Hut all you can eat buffet and put a big hurt on their monthly profit figures. We then hit the local Ingles Supermarket for some re-supply items. To get back to the trail, we had to split a cab ride. Needless to say, it was a nice relaxing day. My legs felt heavy this morning. Probably were a little hung over after yesterday. Plus my right boot blew out so I am now just trying to get to Atkins tomorrow without having to duct tape my shoes together. Heavy rains are forecast for this evening so I plan to stay in the shelter. This is a very nice shelter with a shower, bathroom, and sink. Pretty fancy for a shelter. It is right next door to the Mt. Rogers National Recreation Area Headquarters building. Tomorrow to Atkins!
Date: 2008-06-11
From: Partnership Shelter

To: Atkins, VA
Miles today: 11.6
Weather: overcast clouds

Rained a bit last evening so it was good that I was in the shelter. The downside was that the bugs are coming out and they ate us alive. Another good reason to always opt for the tent when possible. Left camp fairly early knowing that I had a relatively easy, downhill hike into Atkins. Got into "town" just before lunch and checked into The Relax Inn. I was delighted to find that both my re-supply package from home and my new Salomon XA Pro 3D XCR shoes were waiting for me at the front desk. The shoes fit nicely and should be a huge improvement. Hopefully the break in period goes smoothly. A small private funeral was held for my old Nike Air Tallac Zooms. They did serve me well. Also of note is that my re-supply package contained more than enough food to get me to Pearisburg. I apparently figured on 7 days to cover the next 88 miles. It really should not take me more than 5 1/2 days, which puts me in Pearisburg by next Tuesday the 17th. So, I mailed some of the extra food and my heavy duty fleece jacket back home. No way I need the jacket anymore. It has been in the low 90s all week and is suppose to be in the mid-80s for the next couple of days. Once you are north of Mt. Rogers, which I am, you can go with summer weight gear. Tonight I will seek out a healthy meal for dinner, watch some sports on TV in the motel, and then get a good night's sleep.
Date: 2008-06-12
From: Atkins, VA

To: Lick Creek
Miles today: 17.1

Walked out of The Relax Inn in Atkins this morning around 7:30 a.m. The folks at The Relax Inn were very nice and accomodating. They even offered to mail a package for me. And The Barn Resturant in town, which they recommended, was pure homestyle southern cooking. Just what I needed to get some healthy food in me. The best part of the hike today was walking through the Virginia farms. The corridor which the trail passes through around here is very narrow. The Appalacian Trail Conservancy has negotiated easements with the local landowners which allow the trail to pass through their property. First of all, a thanks to all the landowners who have agreed to let us walk across and enjoy their land. It is absolutely gorgeous. Big open fields, wildflowers and butterflies everywhere, and lots of close encounters with herds of cattle. The cows look at you as you approach wondering what you are going to do next. Generally they just want to stay away from you. A couple of times they stampeded across the pasture to get away from me. Pretty funny once you get use to the fact that they are so big. Also had a close encounter with a Black Rat Snake. He was on the trail and I walked right over him before I even noticed he was there. Oops! He didn't move but he sure made me jump. My mind was obviously somewhere else. The new shoes are pretty nice. Very lightweight, nimble, and supportive. I should know in a day or two if they are going to work for me. So far, so good. Tonight I am camped by a good size creek, which is a nice and peaceful place to end your day. I took advantage and went for a swim to freshen up after the hike. Also took a one hour nap after lunch today in a picnic area and avoided hiking during the hottest part of the day. That was real nice too. Tommorrow I have an early morning climb up to 4000 feet. Then I cruise at that altitude for a good part of the day before coming down again to camp. I should be in Pearisburg on Monday or Tuesday.
Date: 2008-06-13
From: Lick Creek

To: Laurel Creek
Miles today: 20.7
Weather: few clouds

What a crazy day. The early morning climb up to Chestnut Ridge was over by 9:30 a.m. I gained over 2000 feet over a distance of 6 miles. Ended up marching through these fields of wildflowers just before the summit. Really nice. But I also did something I haven't done on this hike yet. I crashed. Yes, I took my first fall after 500+ miles. I was chugging with a full head of steam up to Chestnut Ridge when I walked right into the trunk of a large tree that had fallen across the trail. The trunk was about 5 feet off the ground. Normally, I would just duck under and keep going. But this time I had my head down and my mind was somewhere else. My head smacked right into the log and next thing I know I am on my back looking up at the sky. Stunned, I checked my head for bleeding and looked around to see if I was seeing any stars. No on both accounts. Once I realized I was okay, I just started laughing uncontrollably at the stupidity of the whole thing. About 5 minutes later I decided that I might as well get up. Fortunately I was alone or I might have picked up a new trail name. The remaining hike was kind of uneventful, that is until a monsoon rain came down. Thunder, lightning, and a trail that turned into a river. My new shoes got baptized today. Totally soaked, I dashed to the next shelter and waited for the weather to clear. Then I hiked another 5 miles down to Laurel Creek. Cornelious, Dr. Z, and Hippo are somewhere around here but I did not find their camp. I will probably see them during the morning hike. I have been trying to catch them for the last two days. Saw lots of deer today. Two does let me pass then bolted at full speed down the hill and across the trail behind me. Wow! They can really move through the woods when they want to. Very fast, huge strides. Weather cleared, hopefully it will hold for tomorrow. Looking forward to another good night's rest in the tent.
Date: 2008-06-14
From: Laurel Creek

To: Jenny Knob
Miles today: 19.0
Weather: broken clouds

Today was easier because the terrain was not too severe. No serious climbs and some rather smooth sections made the going not to bad. I also elected to take a country road walk over the trail path for about 5 miles. So that was nice for a change and made the hike more interesting. The rain came on again this afternoon. Only this time I made sure I put on my rain pants right away. Yesterday I made the mistake of relying on my gaiters. Well the water just slid down my legs under the gaiters and into my shoes. Today the rain pants worked great. They are made by Go-Lite and are called their "Reed" rain pants. I would highly recommend them. The rain stopped, I took off my rain gear, and then of course it started to rain again. I hurried into the shelter to avoid the worst of it. No tenting tonight since it is still raining. The shelter will be nice and dry (and crowded with other hikers). Not sure how far I will go tomorrow. I usually just wait and see how it is going during the day. The amount of miles I hike depends on the difficulty of the terrain, on how I feel energy wise, and the weather. If it is all good tomorrow I will go far enough to hike into Pearisburg on Monday. We shall see...
Date: 2008-06-15
From: Jenny Knob

To: Doc's Knob
Miles today: 22.6

Today was a beautiful day for a hike. The sun was shining and the forest was wet and sparkling from all the rain last night. So as I walked I picked up a lot of water off the trees and plants along the trail. It kept me cool and comfortable as I chugged along. The walk up Dismal Creek was through tunnels of Rhododendrons and Mountain Laurels. I crossed numerous feeder streams and a really cool suspension bridge over Kimberling Creek. The only downer was my feet. They are hurting pretty bad. My body is talking to me again (but will I listen?). I need to slow down a bit. Tomorrow it is a short 8 miles into Pearisburg for some R&R and re-supply. I may take a zero day as well to give my feet a break.