morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2011-04-15
From: Erwin

To: Cherry Gap Shelter
Miles today: 17.6
Weather: overcast clouds

DecisionsWeather--when you are living outside, it becomes so critically important. Last night there was a lot of conversation among the thruhikers about the weather forecast. People had heard different things, but we thought the best information was thunderstorms coming in sometime later on Friday, rain continuing on Saturday, clearing in the afternoon and sunny on Sunday. So then the question is what to do with that information, knowing it is only a weather forecast--not necessarily what will happen. Our original plan was to hike about 13 miles and camp in between two shelters. We got an early start and made it up to the first shelter by 10 am. It was a beautiful, newly renovated shelter. If we stayed there, we knew we would not have to tent in the rain. But it was only 10 am. If we kept hiking, we would either camp as we had planned, and probably be in our tents during the thunderstorm or we could try to make it to the next shelter before the rain started, which would mean a 17 mile day with a lot of uphill. We decided to keep hiking. We thought there was a good chance the shelter would be full by the time we got there, but if we were going to be tenting in the rain, we wanted to have a shelter where we could at least cook and eat under cover. The trail took us over a beautiful bald mountain--one we would have enjoyed more if we weren't looking at the approaching storm clouds and wondering when the thunder and lightening would start. The next mountain we went over had a dense and magical spruce forest on top--something we had not yet seen on the hike. And something we could enjoy more than the bare mountain. We got to the shelter around 3:30 and were amazed to find only one person in this six person shelter. Again we thanked the trail goddess who is looking out for us. There are now six of us in the shelter and the wind is blowing. We expect the rain to be coming soon. We had a great day of hiking and are exactly where we want to be. Our decisions may not always work out as well as today, but we are both feeling pretty good right now.
Date: 2011-04-16
From: Cherry Gap Shelter

To: Clyde Smith Shelter
Miles today: 9.2
Weather: light rain

Almost Shelter SolitudeThe rains did come last night--heavy and constant. It is such a good feeling to be listening to the rain on the shelter roof and to be completely warm and dry inside. The rain continued through the early morning. But because we had done bigger miles yesterday, we had a short day planned for today. So we just stayed in the shelter, watching the rain and waiting for it to clear. We took off around 9:30, on a trail that went, as usual, up and down and up and down (and up and down). We got to the shelter early afternoon. There were a few hikers eating lunch, but they soon left. We kept waiting for more people to come. By 5:30 we decided that the shelter was going to be ours for the night. We spread out, enjoying the space and the solitude--until two weekend hikers joined us. About a half hour later, three more we knew came in. So now there are seven of us in our shelter. No solitude, but very good company.
Date: 2011-04-17
From: Clyde Smith Shelter

To: Overmountain Shelter
Miles today: 14.3
Weather: clear sky

Over the Top(s)Today's sign of spring--snow on the ground when we woke up. Today was our last day in the high mountains of Tennessee/North Carolina and, although sunny all day, it was cold and windy. Perhaps not such bad weather, though, for what we had to do.Today we climbed over Roan Mountain, the last 6000+ foot mountain until we reach Mt. Washington in New Hampshire. Of course, Roan Mountain was not the only mountain we climbed today--just the tallest and steepest. Before Roan, we went over Little Rock Knob and High Bluff. After Roan there was Round Bald and Jane Bald. It was a day of challenge and a lot of climbing. It was also a great day. The sun and clear skies meant lots of views. The cold and wind meant we didn't get too hot with all of our uphill work. And at the end of the day, we are staying in what may be the coolest shelter on the trail--a Revolutionary War era barn renovated to be a shelter for hikers. We're sleeping in the loft area, fully enclosed and protected from the wind. And very satisfied with all we did today.
Date: 2011-04-18
From: Overmountain Shelter

To: Mountain Harbour Hostel
Miles today: 9.3

Spoiled AgainLast night was the full moon. It was so bright that we didn't see any stars, but the moonlit valley below the shelter was simply spectacular. Sleeping in the barn and having it be warm enough that we did not have to bury ourselves completely in our sleeping bags was another marvelous experience. It's pretty wonderful that, as a thruhiker, the bar for being delighted is pretty low. We had a relatively short but very picturesque day, hiking over what may be the last of the Balds--Little Hump Mt. and Hump Mt. Going over the Balds was like being above treelike in the White Mountains. For over two miles, we were in the open with amazing views all around. We got to the Mountain Harbour Hostel around 12:30. We spent a lazy afternoon sitting in the sun, connecting with friends, taking showers and putting on our clean clothes that the hostel owners washed for us. Dinner was in town with ice cream for dessert. All in all, a very good day.
Date: 2011-04-19
From: Mountain Harbour Hostel

To: Moreland Gap Shelter
Miles today: 18.3
Weather: broken clouds

Transitioning We had heard from several hikers that that breakfast at the hostel was amazing. We were not disappointed this morning. There was homemade banana bread and cinnamon rolls and strawberries and cantaloupe and marinated tomatoes and French toast and baked eggs and biscuits--and more that I'm not remembering. We left feeling completely well fed. We have left the mountains behind--at least for the next few days. There were certainly knobs and bumps to go up and over today, but the hiking was so different than it has been. As we passed a cemetery and a church, we both felt like we were hiking in someone's back yard. The trail did get more woodsy later on, but we are clearly transitioning from the mountains of Tennessee/North Carolina to the upcoming mountains of Virginia. We have been told the Virginia terrain is different from what we have seen so far, but neither of us has hiked in Virginia so we don't know quite what to expect. Our packs were heavy today with the food we bought yesterday when we resupplied. We did a lot of miles today and are both tired. However, in addition to the terrain transition, we are also in a weather transition. It is warm this evening as we lie in our unzipped sleeping bags and watch the sky darken. The owls are awake and hooting in the distance. All is good tonight.
Date: 2011-04-20
From: Moreland Gap Shelter

To: Watauga Lake Shelter
Miles today: 16.4
Weather: broken clouds

The Phantom and moreI woke up last might around 1 am to see a hiker just arriving at the shelter and crawling into his sleeping bag. Although the moon was out, as I looked around, I was pretty convinced that night hiking is not for me, as much as some people love it. I prefer the security of seeing clearly where I'm going and where I'm putting my feet. The late night hiker was gone by 6:30 am. I might have thought I dreamed him up, except Clutch had heard him leave. We called him the Phantom. People hike this trail in so many different ways. We met one guy who said that his pack weighed close to 100 pounds with all the food and comforts he carries. He only hikes to the next shelter each day, and will see how far north he gets. Then there are the ultralight hikers. We met one whose pack has no frame at all and is made out of some kind of durable material. His pack weighs about 18 pounds with food and water. He hikes many miles a day. We have met hikers who start the trail with a schedule of where they are going to be each night until they finish the hike--and are sticking with the schedule. And of course there are those who don't know where they will end the day until the day is over. Not surprisingly, Clutch and I are right in the middle. We are not ultralight, but have managed to keep our packs just below 30 pounds with food and water. We plan our schedules from one resupply town to the next, but we try to remain flexible, depending on how we feel any given day. The mantra of the AT is HYOH--hike your own hike. Clutch and I feel so lucky that our hikes match up so well so that we can each hike our own hike with each other.
Date: 2011-04-21
From: Watauga Lake Shelter

To: Double Springs Shelter
Miles today: 21.5
Weather: clear sky

The Most YetWe got up early this morning so we could be on the trail by 7:30. We had a target of having our first 20+ miles day. We weren't sure we could make it, so we had a back up plan--a place we could camp at about 18 miles. This was an ideal day to go for 20 miles. Although the trail had many smaller ups and downs, except for the first climb of the day, none were particularly steep, and there were many flattish sections. We have done some 18 mile days and it seemed time to challenge ourselves and see if we could do more. For me, though, the biggest reason was wanting to get to Damascus tomorrow. It's my birthday and Denise is flying to Roanoke, renting a car and coming to celebrate with me. Although she would meet us wherever we are on the trail, I really am wanting to get to Damascus to be able to relax and be with her in this renowned hiker town. We did those miles and now have only 18 miles to go so we will be meeting her there.We are both tired after this long day of hiking. Our general pace over most terrain is two miles per hour. We can go a little faster if the terrain is favorable. However, we think we may be getting to the limit of how fast and how far we can go in a day. Fortunately, it is a limit we feel very good about.
Date: 2011-04-22
From: Double Springs Shelter

To: Damascus
Miles today: 18.8
Weather: moderate rain

Birthday ThanksIt was chilly and blustery all day-- very much like the weather generally is in Boston on my birthday. But this has been one of the few days in which I didn't care at all about the weather. All we had to do today was hike the 18 easiest miles so far on the trail and get to Damascus--where I would find Denise. As I walked, I thought of how much I am thankful for. Throughout the day I checked for email and text messages (I was in the land of great signal). Thanks to all of you who sent birthday greetings. I hope you know how special it is to hear from each of you. (And, friends of Clutch, please feel Cree to contact her thru this site. I love getting messages for either or both of us.)I am so thankful to have Clutch as a hiking partner. I woke up to a very small, thruhiker-sized birthday card and special plastic beads to wear for birthday hiking from her. Some would say it was a bit of a risk to plan a thruhike with someone I had never backpacker and barely ever hiked with, despite our long friendship. I don't know if it was a risk, I only know I am hiking with the best partner I could imagine. And, of course, I am so thankful to Denise for flying down and driving two and a half hours to see me. As we were walking up the street (which is part of the AT) to our inn, I saw her walking down to meet us. I just burst into tears--I was so glad to see her. There is much more I am thankful for. But for now, I am ready to enjoy my two days off in Damascus.
Date: 2011-04-23
From: Damascus

To: Damascus
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Damascus DelightsA double zero-- two days to relax and eat and be with Denise with no hiking. I think my body is very grateful for the rest. Damascus is a lovely trail town. In addition to the AT, it is also the midpoint of the Virginia Creeper Trail, a 34 mile bike trail. So there is a lot of outdoor activity here, along with several outfitters and places to eat and places to stay. Denise got a chance to see what thruhikers do on days off-- eat and sit around talking about food. Particularly exciting was the free ice cream sundaes for thruhikers event on Saturday afternoon.   It has been so wonderful to be with her and I will miss her so much when she leaves. Clutch and I have now left three states behind--Georgia, North Carolina and Tennessee. We have hiked over 450 miles. Now we are in Virginia which has over 500 AT miles--more than any other state. We will be here for over a month. They say Virginia is for lovers and it is now time for us to start loving Virginia.
Date: 2011-04-25
From: Damascus

To: Lost Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 15.5
Weather: few clouds

A Bit of EverythingAfter a great breakfast at Mojoe's Coffeehouse, we said goodbye to Denise and started our first full day of hiking in Virginia. The trail out of Damascus starts on the bike path, which makes for some very easy hiking. However, we soon left the path and headed up into the woods. Both the trail and the day were wonderful. The trail went up, but at a pace that we call SBG (sustained but gentle). After gaining some altitude it leveled off. It was then that I realized that the trees we were seeing had started to leaf. We no longer had views through the bare branches of trees--the green was coming out. The day was warm and sunny. In fact, as it go closer to lunch time, the temperature moved from warm to hot--especially as we started to climb again. This climb transitioned from SBG to what we call a character building climb or an SNG (sustained not gentle). Once we got to the top, we hiked a little further to find a shady place for lunch. We needn't have bothered, as the clouds rolled in as soon as we sat down. Soon the thunder started. At that point we had one wish--to finish lunch before the rain started. We did--just barely. First drizzle and then a downpour, all accompanied by loud cracks of thunder. And then it all stopped. The sun came out and our rain gear started to dry. We found ourselves once again on the bike path, doing some easy distance. And then the rain and thunder came again, stopping when we reached the shelter. Everything is dry now. We don't know what tomorrow will be like, but Virginia is beautiful and we are ready to find out.
Date: 2011-04-26
From: Lost Mountain Shelter

To: Wise Shelter
Miles today: 17.3
Weather: broken clouds

Hiking the HighlandsWe woke up to clouds and the question of how far we could hike before the rains came. And whether it would just be rain or would there be thunder storms. We started hiking up to something called Buzzard Rock in our guide book. Although the AT guide book is full of useful information like where to find water, where to camp and the elevation of various landmarks, it tells you nothing about whether the trail is smooth or rocky, what the vegetation is like or, indeed, what to expect when you turn a corner. We turned a corner today and found ourselves out of the woods and hiking across a large, open bald. The views were incredible, as were the dark clouds we saw rolling in. The wind was intense and, along with making it hard for us to stay upright, also blew the storm clouds by without any rain. More hiking and we found ourselves in a piney forest like we would see in New England. Then it was back to the open highlands. It was windy, rocky, challenging terrain with the threat of rain ever present. And, as before, the views were amazing--in every direction.We entered Grayson Highlands State Park, and once again found ourselves in a different world. It was almost like being in the west, surrounded by dry, open areas and wild ponies in the distance. We knew there were wild ponies in the state park and were thrilled to see them. It was, perhaps, less thrilling when we got to the shelter and found it had been adopted by a group of ponies who were very interested in seeing if they could steal the food from any of the hikers. So tonight, instead of hanging our food away from the bears, we are hanging it so the ponies don't get it. Life is so full of the unexpected.
Date: 2011-04-27
From: Wise Shelter

To: Troutdale
Miles today: 15.9
Weather: overcast clouds

Trail MagicMany magical things have happened to us on the trail, but few of them have been about food. This morning, before we left the land of the wild ponies, we saw a group that included a young colt--all gangly on her spindly legs. The group walked across the trail right in front of us as we stood and watched. As it got closer to lunch time, we came to a road crossing and there, for the first time in weeks, was food trail magic. Grunt was there with his portable grill and a supply of drinks, bananas, cookies, candy and pringles. Clutch had a hamburger and I had a grilled bun with cole slaw, pickles, tomatoes, ketchup and mustard--along with some of everything else. We left feeling happy, well fed and extremely grateful. We had planned to camp in between two shelters, as one was too close to stop and the other a little too far. However, we kept hearing reports of severe weather expected for this evening. When we checked our guide book, we saw there was a hostel in Troutdale, a town about 3 miles east of an upcoming road crossing. When we got to the crossing, we saw someone had left a note--severe weather predicted; call this number for a ride to the hostel. Our joy was short-lived as there was no cell phone service. After about 20 minutes of hitch-hiking on a not very busy road, we were picked up by a guy who knew exactly where the hostel was. And, we got to ride in the back of his pick up truck. The sky is full of dark clouds, although we don't know what tonight's weather will be like. But we had a great dinner and we are inside so anything can happen.
Date: 2011-04-28
From: Troutdale

To: Partnership Shelter
Miles today: 14.7
Weather: overcast clouds

Pizza confusionThe storm was intense last night with lightening and pelting rain. We were very happy to be inside the hostel bunk house. We had breakfast at the restaurant down the hill, got a ride back to the trail and were off again. We have only been hiking in Virginia for a few days, but already feel how different the countryside is. We spent part of the day up on a ridge. To the west were views of hills and distant mountains, but to the east were fields and farms. We are frequently going over or through fence stiles designed to let us pass, but to keep the cows and horses where they belong. We have known there were shelters close enough to a road for pizza delivery, and today we reached one. We got to the shelter around 2:30 with the plan to order a pizza, eat as much as we could and then hike a few miles further and find a place to camp. We weren't that hungry since we had had lunch at noon, but we just couldn't pass on the pizza opportunity. Then life got complicated. One place only delivered for a $25 minimum order and the other didn't deliver until four. A hiking friend was at the shelter with his visiting family and offered to drive us to town for pizza. Other thruhikers were planning to get pizza a little later but not right now. After weeks with very limited choices, all of these possibilities quickly became overwhelming. We did reject the ride to town since the point was not the pizza as much as the shelter with pizza experience. We finally decided to simplify our lives by staying at the shelter and getting pizza with the others there. It was a good decision--and very good pizza.
Date: 2011-04-29
From: Partnership Shelter

To: Crawfish Trail Campsite
Miles today: 18.1

A Brief Celebration Time OutShortly before we stopped for the night, we did it--we passed the 545.25 mile mark. That means we have done 25% of the 2181 miles of the Appalachian Trail. It is such an exhilarating feeling. There is no question about whether we feel like real thruhikers. Now when people ask us where we are headed, we confidently say Maine. We have both known from early on in the hike that we love this life we are living. We love being able to hike through all the beauty to be found outdoors in the woods. We love living outside for days at a time, and we love the small towns we stop at and getting to meet the people who live in them. And we love learning and experiencing what are bodies can do. Neither of us expected we would be this far along at this point in the hike, nor that we would be doing as many miles as we now seem capable of.We are not focused on what we have left to do, but rather on what we have already done. We have done a lot and are happy, grateful and proud. I hope all of you will take just a moment and celebrate with us.
Date: 2011-04-30
From: Crawfish Trail Campsite

To: Chestnut Knob Shelter
Miles today: 16.4
Weather: clear sky

From Canopy to Cows to Chestnut KnobWe camped last night in the most idyllic spot--a beautiful, flat site next to a stream and under a canopy of rhodadendrum leaves. Although we usually camp where there are shelters, those nights when we camp on our own are very special--quiet and peaceful in the most lovely way. These southern Virginia hikes continue to be amazing with the extraordinary variety of terrain we go through every day.   We started the day in the woods, with two deer-sightings. They are so graceful as they leap through the woods. Then we spent a good part of the morning going up and over fence stiles--primarily because we were walking through various cow pastures. The cows we passed mostly gave us baleful stares as we dared to enter their territory. But the calves were cute in the way that almost any baby animal is. The day ended with a long climb up to the most beautiful Chestnut Knob Shelter. It is a rare four-sided shelter on the top of a knob on an open ridge with spectacular views all around. The wind is blowing outside, but we are inside, warm and protected and very satisfied with our day.
Date: 2011-05-01
From: Chestnut Knob Shelter

To: Bland VA
Miles today: 21.8
Weather: overcast clouds

Lightening Scattered thunderstorms, heavy at times. That was not the weather forecast for today, but it is the weather we got this morning. The day started with a sudden burst of hail as we were packing up and getting ready to start hiking. The hail pounded on the metal roof of the shelter, sounding much worse than it actually was. It soon stopped and we took off, under dark, somewhat threatening clouds. It wasn't long before the rain started--first as scattered showers. Soon, though, came the thunder--and the lightening. We had dropped about six hundred feet in elevation from the shelter, but were still on a ridge. It was not an exposed ridge, but there were many little knobs to climb up and over. As the thunder and lightening continued, we considered about our options. There were really only two--keep hiking or bushwhack our way off the ridge to lower ground. With some trepidation, particularly on Clutch's part, we kept hiking--and the thunder and lightening soon stopped. I don't know if that was the best decision. I tend to minimize the possibility of harm, while Clutch is more aware of possible danger. As we move into thunderstorm season, we will have ample opportunities to revisit this issue.