morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2007-05-01
From: Pine Swamp Shelter

To: War Spur Shelter
Miles today: 12.7
Weather: clear sky

We hiked with Backyard on a roadway around a washed-out bridge, stopping at the home of Captain, who left us trail magic in the form of soda and brownies. Thank you, Captain. Our 9.5 hour hike then involved a 1800 foot vertical climb over a rocky footpath and some difficult blowdowns. (A blowdown is a tree which falls across the footpath, effectively blocking it, and necessitating a climb over, under, or more usually, around the obstacle.) We hiked through moist forest in the morning, past cutleaf toothwart and pinks, but later moved into rocky and dry terrain - in fact, the hiking turned to rock-slabbing after about 10am, and eventually changing to a path of chocolate-colored slate. Smoke from a US Forest Service controlled burn blew in our eyes much of the day, making us a bit nervous for our safety, although this did serve to keep off the black flies. We saw Bushwacker, Flick, Pegasus, CB, and Caboose who were leaving the shelter as we arrived, and who generously gave us three cans of cold beer from the supply some weekenders had given them. Was that beer good - dehydrated as we were, we were intoxicated for the rest of the night! Thanks, guys. Jake from Lanett, and Mr. Ed of West Virginia, joined Backyard and us at the shelter for the night. A nearby creek affored us a chance for a spit bath, which always makes Toesocks1 happy.
Date: 2007-05-02
From: War Spur Shelter

To: Sarver Hollow Shelter
Miles today: 12.2
Weather: scattered clouds

We saw beautiful pink azaleas, dogwoods, and irises in the morning hike. Thunderstorms started at about 1pm as we were coming down off an open meadow, and we found shelter in a shed behind a burned-out farmhouse. After a 10.5 mile hike, we were joined by Monkey and Coco as we made our way down a steep, blue-blazed trail to the shelter, where we found Jake and Backyard already set up. That night, Jake slept on the picnic table, and the rest of us in the shelter. It rained all night and into the next morning, but we were snug and dry as we slept.
Date: 2007-05-03
From: Sarver Hollow Shelter

To: Niday Shelter
Miles today: 6.0
Weather: light rain

Jake was up at 4:45, setting off by 6 in the rain, and the rest of us were off after breakfast, with the rain continuing. The trail took us over some harrowing rocks and cliffs, with steep drops on one and sometimes both sides of the trail, made ever so slippery by the incessant light rain. We cursed the trailgods - and the local trail club - for allowing so many blowdowns to block our way. Early in the hike, we saw a 50 foot tree which had been struck by lightening the evening before, and which was still flaming in the rain, with some 25 feet of trunk reduced to a mere line of ash. Lightening is awesome stuff! This rain is enlivening the forest, however, nurturing painted trillium, lily-of-the-valley, mountain laurel, azalea, and duthman's britches. We stopped for lunch at Niday Shelter, and decided to stay when Monkey and Coco shared some of their extra food with us before they left, making it possible for us to be in the woods an extra day. Thank you Monkey and Coco. We spent the night with Backyard, Beachbum and Caterpiller, dry and snug as it continued to rain.
Date: 2007-05-04
From: Niday Shelter

To: Pickle Branch Shelter
Miles today: 9.9
Weather: light rain

The trailgods were kind to us - or was it the Roanoke Trail Club - as the footpath was well engineered today, making faster passage possible. The morning temperature was a cool 50 degrees, with mist, and so we kept moving to stay warm. The forest canopy is really starting to leaf out with this rain, changing the character of the hike as we now have protection from the sun, although the views are reduced. We were able to get a phone signal today, and phoned our daughter Brittany at the workshop, as well as Eva and Joan, our sisters. At the shelter, Backyard Boogie, and Beachbum had started a roaring fire. Later, Iceman and Caterpillar came in. We dried our clothes by the fire, ever so carefully, especially after Caterpillar melted holes in his hiking shorts. We were treated to a bird viewing in the evening, as a flock of six scarlet tanagers flitted about in the trees above the shelter. We anticipate going to the restaurant in Cawtawba tomorrow.
Date: 2007-05-05
From: Pickle Branch Shelter

To: Catawba
Miles today: 12.6
Weather: light rain

We started early today and passed through a magically transformed forest with a newly grown leaf canopy, with ground cover that included pink rhodadendron blossoms, pink lady slippers, pink laurels, and fire pinks. The footpath grew formidable as we went over Dragon's Tooth, which proved especially difficult - in fact, Toesocks1 slid down one rock into the arms of Toesocks2, and at another point, we had to toss her pack down the rock. We were so glad to get past this rockclimb. At one point we heard Caterpillar calling out to us, having lost the trail - we sang out to him until he was able to make his way through the labyrinth of boulders and rocks and get back on the AT. It took us 11 hours to negotiate this part of the trail, which was murder on Toesocks's sore left foot. We were delighted to find that Backyard Boogie had left us some trail magic at a road crossing in the final half of the hike - he had put two pepsicolas in the creek and left candy bars. We were short on food and water, and this was a lifesaver! Thank you, Backyard Boogie.
Date: 2007-05-06
From: Catawba

To: Lamberts Meadow Shelter
Miles today: 10.4
Weather: clear sky

The trailgods smiled on us today, starting with trail magic from Mary Lomax, the spouse of Arthur Lomax, of Charleton, Mass. She stopped at the grocery where we waited to resupply, and gave us a ride to the trailhead. Thank you, Mary. The trail to McAfee Knob was well engineered, graded and complete with bridges over the rock slabs, the last compliments of the eagle scouts. The view from McAfee Knob overlooking the Virginia valleys far below was magnificent, On the hike, we saw moneyplant, columbine, and azalea, and we saw scarlet tanagers, peewees, and a downy woodpecker. We met 3 hikers, 2 who had thru-hiked in 2002, the year of the drought, who took our picture as we sat on McAfee. At the shelter, we tented with Backyard Boogie, Beachbum, Golden Boy, his friend Dave, Iceman, 2 section hikers, and Amanda and Ben. Golden Boy was serving tequilla. It was chilly in the hollow, and we enjoyed a roaring fire, which Backyard Boogie stoked generously if somewhat unsteadily, which led to Ben getting a new name: flaming crotch. Ben didn't much cotton to this name, and vowed to hike 30 miles daily to outrun his new moniker. Three deer wandered among our tents, and the shelter, browsing persistently.
Date: 2007-05-07
From: Lamberts Meadow Shelter

To: Troutville
Miles today: 9.4

We awoke to a cool morning with temperatures of about 50, we ate breakfast cereal in our tent, and started hiking by 8am. We saw 2 rose breasted grosbeaks and a flycatcher near the shelter, and later we saw a downy woodpecker. The trail led us along Tinker Mountain with stunningly beautiful views of the Virginia farmland in the valleys below. On the east side of the trail, we looked down on the blue waters of the Roanoke resevoir. The trailgods turned ugly in the afternoon, sending us over rocky outcroppings, teasing us with views of the town we sought, but forever leading us up and over piles of rocks and ledges. Eventually, we came out at US 220, and walked .8 miles along a busy four lane highway to the Comfort Inn. There we found about a dozen other hikers, including Iceman, Backyard Boogie, 357 Magnum (who had a birthday tomorrow), Duckwalk (originally from Alabama and headed to Alaska for a fishing job), Blissful, her son Paul Bunyon, and her husband Skipper. We ate lunch at McDonalds and dinner with the whole group at Country Cooking.
Date: 2007-05-08
From: Troutville

To: Troutville
Miles today: 0.0

We enjoyed a fabulous breakfast at the Comfort Inn, and uploaded our photos and journal entries on the internet connection. (We highly recommend the Comfort Inn - ask for the hiker rate.) We caught a ride with Blissful to the outfitter and to Kroger, and paid a young man $10 to drive us back. We then ate lunch at Shoney's, and later walked to the truckstop to do laundr. We then called Verizon technical support to report that our Treo is turning itself on and running out the battery. We then came back to the motel and repacked for a slackpack tomorrow. Amazingly, we are hungry again, and are headed to an Italian restaurant.
Date: 2007-05-09
From: Bearwallow Gap 

To: Troutville
Miles today: 21.6

A trail angel named Del Schechterly dropped us off at Bearwallow Gap and we slackpackded south to Troutville in 12 hours. The trail was well graded, and the pink ladyslippers and one yellow ladyslipper were beautiful, as was the laurel. We met several new hikers today, including Booboo, Blowout, Fly Away, Trashbag and Rodeo Clown.We had lunch with Backyard,, Stoneage, Triple Deuce and CB. We met a lot of old friends, too, including Johnny Mud, Beachbum, and 357, all of whom looked hot, sweaty, and tuckered from the climb out of Troutville in 85 degree temperature. Backyard was waiting for us at the bottom, and we ate at a mexican restaurant. I picked off my first tick today. All part of the grand adventure.
Date: 2007-05-10
From: Bearwallow Gap

To: Bryant Ridge Shelter
Miles today: 10.2
Weather: broken clouds

The red eyed vireo regretted her last call, "Here I am, Where are you?", as soon as it left her throat. For it directed our gaze upward to her precious little nest, a thatched teacup suspended from a branch some thirty feet above our heads. It was the color and texture of a wasp nest and we never would have seen it. She remained in the nest with nervous defiance until we moved on. The day had started when Del, our trailangel, dropped Backyard Boogie and us off at Bearwallow Gap, where some ten ladies from the local trail club were having a flower count. They and we, saw dozens of pink ladyslippers, but they missed the single yellow ladyslipper we had seen a day earlier. The trailgods were kind today, allowing us to have a swim at Jennings creek. We climbed a thousand feet before dropping down to the shelter in under 8 hours. The shelter can hold 16 people, and tonight we were 11, including Backyard, Trashbag, Rodeo Cowboy, Stoneage, Triple Deuce, Walking Cowboy, Einstein, and Two Pack.
Date: 2007-05-11
From: Bryant Ridge Shelter

To: Thunderhill Shelter
Miles today: 10.3
Weather: scattered clouds

The loud, high pitched, hissing rattle was audible from 30 feet away, causing Toesocks 1 to leap straight backwards five paces. "Holy S---! Do you hear that?" I thought it was some insect, until we spotted it hidden in the leaf litter next to a tree more than 20 feet away. It was a rattle snake, fat, ugly and very agitated. We didn't know why it was so angry, but we skirted into the woods around it. Later' we went through areas filled with trillium, some in clusters of as many as ten - in whites, pink and red. We got to the shelter where we found Backyard, Whistler Triple Deuce, and Stoneage. Soon the boys left to hike a few more miles. Backyard slept in his hammock and heard deer walking in the night.
Date: 2007-05-12
From: Thunderhill Shelter

To: US Rte 501 Glascow
Miles today: 14.6

The woodthrush began to sing at 4;45, nature's alarm clock. We got up at 5;30 and saw Whistler off and left ourselves at 7;18. The morning was overcast but warm, and the bugs heated up by noon. We walked thru a forest filled with hundreds of trillium - white, pink and red - and beneath them, thousands of purple violets. Here and there were Jack-in-the-pulpit, pink and yellow ladyslippers, star flowers and showy orchids. We walked for miles amid fragrant azalea, pink mountain laurel, and purple rhodadendron. The last eight miles of trail were a tough downhill trek which merfifully brought us to the James River. We crossed the footbridge as the rain began to fall, and we met our trail angel, Ken, who carried us to The Tired Feet Hiker Motel. We had a Heineken with Backyard, Stoneage, Tripple Deuce and Cowboy before eating supper.
Date: 2007-05-13
From: US Rte 501 Glasgow

To: US Rte 501 Glasgow
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Today was a double whammy - Mother's Day and Toesocks' 35th wedding anniversary. And so we stayed in town for a zero day, doing all the usual chores, including laundery, washing our kitchen gear, drying our tent, and buying more supplies. We also phoned my mom, our daughter, all of my sisters, and most of Toesock's sisters. We also ate three meals at the Tired Feet restaurant with Backyard Boogie, storing up calories for the slackpack hike of 21 miles planned for tomorrow.
Date: 2007-05-14
From: US Rte 60

To: US Rte 501 Glasgow
Miles today: 21.8
Weather: clear sky

The morning was delightfully cool at 50 degrees when we got our morning coffee and eakfast from out the backdoor of the the Tired Feet Restaurant. Ken was early and dropped us off at 7:15am for a slackpack from Rte 60 back to the James River. The early hike was along Brown Mtn Creek, a beautiful cascading stream with a history dating back to the 1800's, when freed slaves share-cropped there. The stone fences they constructed were still in evidence. Later, we climbed Punchbowl Mtn, Bluff Mtn, Big Rocky and Little Rocky Mtn befor plunging down to the James River. We took 13 hours to hike 21 miles, and our driver, Ken was worried and came looking for us up the trail carrying a flashlight. Thank you, Ken. When we got to Tired Feet, Backyard had bought us two chicken dinners just before the restaurant closed. We ate and drank Heineken with Backyard and two new hikers, Stretch, (a gal from Philly) and Butter (from Chicago.)
Date: 2007-05-15
From: US Rte 60

To: Fish Hatchery Road (Dutch Haus)
Miles today: 16.3

This was a birder's perfect hike. After Ken dropped us off at 7:25am, we hiked through a dry forest with sparse, early tree cover, making the birds quite visible. The predominant species was the Tohee. We saw numerous nesting pairs throughout the day. We also saw more Scarlet Tanagers, as well as Peewees, Catbirds, Black and White Warblers, Bluejay, Buzzard, Coopers Hawk, and the b"flaming throat" Blackburnian Warbler. The most thrilling sighting, however, involved two male Redstarts attempting to mate with a female in a flash of color. For lunch on the hike, we finished off the fried chicken, rolls, and cole slaw from the previous night, as well as peanut-honey sandwiches. We arrived at Fish Hatchery Road in 9 hours, forty-five minutes, and phoned for a shuttle before walking down the rocky road where Earl was waiting to drive us to the Dutch Haus. After showering, we enjoyed a delightful supper prepared by Earl, that included a salad, nachos, roast beef stew, baked bread and fresh brownie a-la-mode. This is a wonderful B&B and we recommend it to all hikers.
Date: 2007-05-16
From: VA 56, Tye River

To: Fish Hatchery Road (Dutch Haus)
Miles today: 9.4

Lois fixed a fabulous breakfast today, rich in flavor as well as presentation. It included a quiche, two meat patties, fresh fruit, pecan roll, pancakes, orange juice, and coffee. Earl's dad drove Backyard and us to the Tye River for a slackpack back to the Dutch House that involved an immediate climb of 3,000 vertical feet up The Priest. We saw blue spider wort, yellow lady slippers, blue cohosh and Jack-In-Pulpit. The winds blew hard all day, and the rain came in the last hour of the hike, as we crested Maintop Mtn. Earl was waiting for us as we came down the rocky Fish Hatchery Road and drove us back to Dutch Haus where we had a shower and a beer while waiting for supper. A section hiker played the guitar as we waited for a father and daughter hiking pair whom we had met and passed yesterday. The rain continued but we were safe and dry.
Date: 2007-05-17
From: Dripping Rock

To: Rte 56 Tye River
Miles today: 15.3
Weather: overcast clouds

The breakfasts at Dutch Haus are legend, and today was no exception. Lois and Earl served egg burritos, biscuits and gravy, fresh fruit, oj, and coffee. Earl shuttled Backyard Boogie and us off at Dripping rock, and we slacked south to the Tye River, in a cool temperature, covering 15.3 miles in 9;45. Tth climb up Three Ridges was well graded until the last part, when we hit rocks. It was a challenging descent for the rocks as well. But we were rewarded with aclister of some 17 pink Ladyslippers, as well as horsemint, Columbine blossoms, and an unidentified white fringy flower. The rain came as we crossed thr Tye River footbridge, but Earl was there to shuttle us home to Dutch $aus, where some 12 hikers were served a delightful supper of meatloaf and baked potatoe. GUESTS INCLUDED Wetsocks, Sunshine, Maggellan, Hojo,and Tagalong.
Date: 2007-05-18
From: Dripping Rock

To: Paul C. Wolfe Shelter
Miles today: 9.6
Weather: light rain

After another fabulous breakfast, Eael dropped us off in the rain at Dripping Rock, which was really drippy today. We hiked furiously to stay warm in 47 degee temperature and made it to the shelter in 5;45. Backyard beat us there and was already sacked out. We followed suit after changing into dry clothes, and soon we were warm enough to cook a meal. The shelter can hold 10, but we had it all to ourselves. A lot of hikers have hitched to Traildays. The hike today was a fast one. After the challenging Staireay To Heaven, the trail got easier. We saw 19 yellow Ladyslippers in one cluster today,
Date: 2007-05-19
From: Paul C. Wolfe Shelter

To: Rockfish Gap, Waynesboro
Miles today: 5.0
Weather: scattered clouds

We slept in a shelter near a roaring, rainswollen Mill Creek, but nonetheless were awakened at 4;30 am by the Woodthrush. We ignored him until 6;30, as there was a chill in the air, and our bags were warm. And we were in no hurry, as it was just 5 miles to town, and our rooms wouldn't be available until afternoon. On the hike, we met Mr. Clean and Pugnose, who recommended the Tree Street Inn B&B, where we were heade anyway. We got a shuttle from the trailhead to the outfitter from a trail angel, Bill Gallagher. Then another trailangel Norman Anderson, drove us to the B&B. Thankyou to both. We got a tour from the proprietor, Bil Aldrige, after which we showered and ate Chinese.
Date: 2007-05-20
From: Rockfish Gap, Waynesboro

To: Rockfish Gap, Tree Street B&B
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: few clouds

The principle of relatedness in 7 degees was manifested at breakfast at Tree Street Inn this morning. The conversation started with grits, thence being southern, thence being from Kentucky, specifically Hazard, with the maiden name of Napier. It turned out that the lady across from Toesocks was a distant cousin who attended school with Toesocks1's sister, Clara. The lady is Karen Napier Conger, married to John Conger of Dayton, Ohio, where some of Toesocks relatives also live. Anything can happen on an AT thru-hike.
Date: 2007-05-21
From: Rockfish Gap, Tree Street B&B

To: Calf Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 7.0
Weather: light rain

After a scrumptuous breakfast at the Tree Street B&B, we made trips to the library to xerox our Lazy Daze RV order form, and to upload photos, and then on to the post office to mail the order forms, and a bounce box. Steve Orzech, our trail angel, then drove us to Rockfish Gap trail head for a leisurely 5 hour hike to the shelter. This would be a good time to commend all of the Waynesboro trail angels, who shuttle as a courtesy of the local chamber of commerce, and whose services are free. Get a list at the visitor center as you come off the trailhead at Rockfish Gap. We met Captain, a sobo section hiker who warned us of dry conditions in the forest ahead. We found Blowout and Sideshow ( Jeff from Virginia Beach) at the shelter. Later, Freefall, a 2006 thru-hiker, came in. All hammocked but us. We tried our new down sleeping bags tonight.
Date: 2007-05-22
From: Calf Mountain Shelter

To: Blackrock Hut
Miles today: 13.0
Weather: scattered clouds

We left at 8AM and made the next hut in 8 hours. The trail was well-graded, but had some uphill pulls and rocks in a few areas, and we were tired and hot when we arrived at the hut. Jeff (Sideshow) was there, but McQueen, Unbrella Lady and Perpetual Hiker (and dog,) Bad Influence Ground Hog, Blowout, Froggie and Roast Beef (from Grenobel he is English, she is French), and Wiley Coyote and Racerunner(?) arrived later. Many of them saw bears today, but we did not.
Date: 2007-05-23
From: Blackrock Hut

To: Pinefield Hut
Miles today: 13.2
Weather: broken clouds

We bagged our first bear today, a snall adult who was browsing in a nettles patch beside the trail, a few hundred yards south of a spring near Ivey Creek Maintenance road. We also resupplied today at the Loft Mtn camp store, spending about an hour with Jeff, Roastbeef and Froggie, Stealth Blew and two section hikers. We met them later at Pinefield shelter, stopping after 8.5 hours. The last 2 miles of trail were lined on both sides with beds of white fringia phorselia.
Date: 2007-05-24
From: Pinefield Hut

To: Backcountry tent
Miles today: 15.4

The first hiker out this morning was Stealth Blew at 5:50AM, with the rest of us leaving at about 8AM. The day was warm but rewarding, in that we saw a Scarlet Tanager, an Indigo Bunting and a Pileated Woodpecker, and we even heard a Barred Owl hooting, at noon, no less! We also saw some six deer and a flowering Columbine. The forest which we moved through today was rather dry and stark-looking, with a lot of broken limbs and blowdowns littering the forest floor. We filtered water and cooked a hot lunch at Hightop Hut, just after another hiker had spotted a large bear. We didn't see it. We met two brothers from Tampa, Lucky and Packrat. Focus also stopped for lunch. As we left, Froggie and Roast Beef arrived, and we felt compelled to tell our European friends that almost any other part of the AT is more beautiful than the southern section of the Shenendoah, in our opinion. We alsp tried to describe poison ivy to them as they were unfamiliar with it. We hiked for more than 15 miles today, but couldn't quite make it to the next hut. Instead, we stealth camped next to an old roadbed, the only level place not infected by poison ivy that we could find.
Date: 2007-05-25
From: Backcountry tent

To: Backcountry tent #2
Miles today: 15.0

We were up and moving by 7AM, and reached Lewis Campground Store by 10AM. We took showers and did laundry, stocked up on supplies and ate lunch. The tampa brothers were just leaving as we arrived, and later Caveman of Ohio, Jeff, Wetsocks, Freefall, Shadow and Focus came in. We left at 12:20PM, and made 15 miles, having stopped for an early supper at Big Meadow Campground. We were able to phone Brittany, our daughter in both the morning and evening. During the day, we saw a Scarlet Tanager, an Indigo Bunting, a Redeyed Vireo, a Raven and a Tohee. We tented in the backcountry on a spot overlooking the Shenandoah Valley. The evening was hot, and so we left the fly off until well after the beautiful sunset.
Date: 2007-05-26
From: Backcountry tent #2

To: Pass Mountain Hut
Miles today: 17.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Today we saw three deer, a Veery, and loads of squirrels and ground squirrels. The trailgods were unkind today, giving us a very rocky footpath for most of the day. We saw picnicers from PA today, and a lady with 2 kids and a dog even gave us some icewater. The day was hot, I was very hungry, and we had to hike past a Memorial Day Picnic ground filled with overweight people eating hamburgers and drinking beer - none for us - must work on my Yogi skills. I got hypoglycemic late in the day, but a Cliff bar got me thru to the next hut. The hut was quite full but we found room on the upper deck. The tenters included a Catholic U. Swim Team bachelor party, a boyscout group and numerous hikers. It was a noisy night, although we were in our bags by 9PM.