morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2015-05-05
From: Black Bear Lodge & Hostel

To: Black Bear Lodge & Hostel
Miles today: 0.0

My leg was still giving me a lot of problems in the morning so I decided to do a complete zero for the day. Usually my zeros involve laundry, resupply and other chores but today I would be doing nothing but sitting, eating, taking safety meetings as needed, and watching movies - of which they had a great supply of titles. The only time I got out was to soak my leg in the stream for about 20 minutes about 25 feet from the building I was in. At one point during the day I heard a child screaming so I jumped up and ran towards the river, heart racing thinking one of the children was drowning! I flew around the corner and saw a small girl wailing and pointing as her mother came flying around the corner and screamed at the top of her lungs that her toy net, which I could now see was at the bottom of the stream about 10' downstream from her, had gotten away from her. Relieved that there wasn't a real emergency I staggered back to my spot in the stream where I had been before to help my throbbing leg. My leg soon felt better from the icy water and I was soon back in the den with the Goodies/BC, Tylenol and Icy/hot watching movies for the rest of the day. Later in the evening one of the ladies running the hostel let me know that a group was planning to slack pack the next day and wanted me to know in case I was interested, which I was. I was wanting to get going and hiking 14 miles without a pack would be a great way to start the day and give my leg a break. We would start hiking in the morning with what we needed for the day and leave our packs where they could pick them up and drop them off to us when we reached our destination on the Dam Road past Watauga Lake, which was currently having bear problems. (It was good not to have a pack in that area and have that extra weight to deal with in case of a run in with the 2 juvenile bears (most likely siblings) that have teamed up in the area to scavenge for food. The pair had robbed hikers of their food who had ignored the signs and had camped at the shelter anyway in spite of the warnings. So, I made the arrangements to go and while I was out I met a hiker who was doing work on the Guthook's AT GPS App and talked to him for awhile at the campfire. I went to bed early with my leg feeling better and well rested.
Date: 2015-05-07
From: Vandeventer Shelter

To: Double Springs Shelter
Miles today: 14.4
Weather: clear sky

I was up at 5:00 and hiked out at 6:00 and luckily found a good water source 4 miles down the trail as the water at the last shelter was too far away - a half a mile round trip down a steep and treacherous trail! I saw Mushroom there drawing in her sketchbook and resting at the spring.(I later found that she had gotten sick and thus had decided to stay at that site due to the water) I also ran into China Rock further down the trail. When we met we heard a crashing in the woods as a young deer ran up to within 50' of her and then stopped, and then stared at her. She took a few pictures and videos before moving on and the deer followed for several hundred feet keeping it's distance before disappearing into the woods. China felt honored and excited about the whole thing as was I. Along the way was a memorial to Nick Grindstaff which was very sad. I reached the shelter around 3:00 and decided to call it a day. Many people who stayed at the last shelter decided to go further towards Damascus so they could be in town earlier on the next day. Shewee and her dog - Daisy Duke (a dog she had rescued at the NOC and was now hiking with her.) Passed through and are lunch. I was setting up my tarp and sleeping pad and Daisy decided to take a nap on it, liking the inflatable pad. Soon everyone passed on and I was left at the shelter alone which was a new experience for me. I cooked dinner and got my water for the next day and laid down to rest, Later I went to the water source and got cleaned up myself and my clothes. A pair of section hikers arrived and discussed staying at the shelter but one Said "No, son this shelter will fill up with stinky thru-hikers!" He then saw me and sheepishly asked if I was a stinky thru-hiker and I proudly declared that I was. They then said that they were going up the hill to a campsite and pitch their tents there and took off. It was about 7:00 so I held a solo safety meeting and laid down. I listened without headphones to the Bible on audio book and then to music for awhile before going to sleep. I thought about the grave and the saddest epitaph I have ever seen on a grave/monument of Nick Grindstaff which simply read - "Lived alone, Suffered alone, Died alone."
Date: 2015-05-09
From: Crazy Larry's Hostel

To: Crazy Larry's Hostel
Miles today: 0.0

I was up at 6 and ate the great breakfast that Larry made of Sausage, scrambled eggs, peanut butter and chocolate chip pancakes, coffee and juice. It was great and very filling food to fuel me for my day on the town. I started walking and looking for work to fill my time until I was needed at 3:00 and I found work setting up a yard sale across from the grocery store at an old gas station. I was offered 4 hours of work until noon at $10.00p/h which I was happy to accept. I began pulling boxes out of the garage and setting stuff out for her to put on tables and soon began putting stuff out myself and organizing things by tables and helping customers find things and then load them up in their cars after the purchase. We were going like crazy until I had to leave at 2:30 and they had fed me all day and gave me an extra hour for doing a good job. I then walked to the next job where I was making $8.00p/h and I helped set up their yard sale by setting up tables, cleaning up some items and organizing and setting things out on the tables. I worked for 4 hours before we wrapped things up and covered the tables in case of rain. He ended up giving me $40 for the 4 hours!I then returned to the last sale to see if they needed help putting things away for the night but they were done and gone so I started walking back to the hostel. On the way I passed the Methodist church and a hostel past it had a moving van and two men were slowly unloading it. I asked if they needed help and was soon unloading a great deal of boxes and a small fishing boat! In about 45 minutes we worked I was given $10.00 and began trudging my way to Larry's. I passed by and grabbed beer from the store, went across the street and ordered a Subway sandwich as I was starving. I ate my sandwich, which they loaded to overflowing after I told them I was a thru-hiker and they allowed me to drink my beer there. They were doing a March for Dimes fundraiser so I donated $1.00 and put a haiku on my clover for them to hang up. At the hostel I hung out on the porch and had a safety meeting with some of the hikers. The Texans had showed up and were staying the night and I talked with them for awhile. I showered up and went to lay down on the comfortable bed. It felt good to be enjoying town and not be eating through my money.
Date: 2015-05-10
From: Crazy Larry's Hostel

To: Crazy Larry's Hostel
Miles today: 0.0

I was up and ate the huge and delicious breakfast at the Hostel of hash browns, eggs, sausage, coffee and juice. I then walked downtown looking at the church schedules and ran into some hikers behind the 1st Baptist Church. I invited them to come with me to the store for coffee and ended up buying them breakfast while I got a Sobe to drink. We had some trail talk about our experiences and how we were all looking for some work to make a little extra cash. I said that I was going to be at the 1st Baptist church for service and invited them to meet me there. I then left and arrived just in time for Bible study where they were discussing an old testament prophet named Haggai and how the events there paralleled our current events in a very interesting way. Then at the service several families with newborn babies were brought forward for a dedication ceremony and the service was dedicated to the mothers in the audience as it was Mother's day. After church I walked to the river and relaxed there for awhile before heading back to the hostel where I met the Professor and several other hikers hanging out on the front porch. I went to the store and bought a 6 pack of Celtic beer with chocolate accents and a Subway Sandwich and returned back to the hostel where we talked late into the night with chips and dip, beer and great conversation, all safely around a fire pit. I laid down but didn't get to sleep until after 11:00.
Date: 2015-05-13
From: Crazy Larry's Hostel

To: Crazy Larry's Hostel
Miles today: 0.0

Walking around town today I went to the public library and saw an invitation for the patrons to exercise their creativity by producing artwork on the sidewalk with colored chalk (provided in a basket)I spent some time coming up with a haiku and then putting it down in chalk. It took about a half an hour and was a fun way to spend the afternoon at the library. Then I spent a few hours on the computers using the internet to update on Facebook and Trailjournals. Heading back to the hostel I am beginning to see more familiar faces around town as friends are catching up or are coming back to town for Trail Days. I went down to tent city and sat and watched the drum circle and bonfire. A group of hikers invited me to their campsite where they hooked me up with pizza, chips beer and a safety meeting of a very high quality. It was a beautiful and cool walk back to the hostel and the stars were out in force.On a different note, a lot of discussion and debate goes into the topic of footwear on the trail. There are 2 basic camps of footwear followers 1. Trail Runners and 2. Hiking Boots. (These are broken down further but we won't talk about that today.)This is my limited understanding of the differences along with some pros and cons of each.Trail Runners are like lightweight sneaker like shoes that offer great comfort and are extremely lightweight. Pros: The lightweight materials offer good foot protection and can dry extremely fast when wet.Cons: They don't offer much in the way of ankle support which is important on the trail where footing is often treacherous.-Gaitors are needed to keep debris from getting into the low top shoes (and even high top boots wearin shorts.)- The soles can be thin so you can feel rocks and bumps through the shoes.- They tend not to last as long as boots.Hiking Boots tend to be heavier than trailrunners but are built with ruggedness and comfort in mind and are meant to withstand heavy use.Pros: More shock absorption with thicker solesMore ankle protectionMore durable materialsMeant to support heavier pack loadsCons: Boots are Heavier than trailrunnersBoots can be costlier than trailrunnersSome boots take longer to dry than trailrunners.I wear boots myself and the ankle support has helped me on many occasions where the terrain caused an ankle twist and the added support preventing injury.- This, by no means, is meant to end the debate, just to point out a few differences. A general guide is if you have a heavy pack you would definitely want boots, a light pack can go with lightweight shoes unless you need good ankle support. Well, these are my opinions and as we all know opinions are like armpits! Everyone has a couple and often think that other people's stink!
Date: 2015-05-14
From: Crazy Larry's Hostel

To: Crazy Larry's Hostel
Miles today: 0.0

My shoulder was giving me trouble this morning as I must have slept wrong last night. I was up early and was eager for and hungry for breakfast. I ate a huge breakfast of Coffee, Juice, hashbrown potatoes, sausage and scrambled eggs that Crazy Larry made. I went down to the vendor area to see which vendors had set up. I helped an older couple to set up their tent and was surprised when he gave me 2 puzzles as a gift. He then showed me how to do the puzzles and then I was off to the hostel and then tent city with my pack to get a repair done. I had been given a ticket to the hiker feast provided by the area churches at 5:00 and so was in the tent city area around 3:00. I checked out the vendors there and got my pack repaired. I also saw a huge display pack and had to have my picture taken while wearing it. It looks like my pack feels when I am leaving town after resupplying with food and water! Across the street I met the guys from Zero Day Resupply. This is a company that you can shop online while on trail and they will package up your food and send it as a mail drop to you as you hike at very reasonable prices. I loved the concept and made a video with them to explain their service to put on my YouTube channel. I then went to the Bingo hall where the dinner was going to be when a police officer came and informed us that 3 cars were going to be towed as they were in a paid area and hadn't paid the fee. I walked all over the grounds letting hikers know about it and to pass the word so the cars wouldn't be towed before heading back. Two of the cars had moved when the owners got the word but one remained. I offered to pay for its parking but it had to be moved as it was in a staging area so I don't know if it was towed or not. Dinner was great and we were blessed with prayer, encouragement and food. We were fed Pasta, salad, drinks and dessert. I was well fed as I walked back to the hostel feeling very tired and ready for bed. I was greeted with a cold beer and joined a safety meeting in progress and there was excitement in the air as Trail Days had begun. We heard how the police were being very tolerant from the story of a drunk hiker who kept offering a police officer a hit of his pipe. He then insulted the officer and it was only at this time that he was actually arrested and thrown in jail. I'm all for having a beer or two or a safety meeting, but be respectful and control yourself. People like this give the hiking community a bad name and can drive away trail angels and trail services. Everything in balance grasshopper! I stretched a little before laying down to work out some of the remaining kinks and put my headphones on and laid down for the night.
Date: 2015-05-15
From: Crazy Larry's Hostel

To: Crazy Larry's Hostel
Miles today: 0.0

After a huge and delicious breakfast at Crazy Larry's Hostel and "tent city" I wandered down to the park with the goal of finding a new pack with a very narrow budget allowance as my pack was wearing out and the straps not holding tight anymore.This was making hiking very uncomfortable. I first went down to tent city to the gear representatives there without result and then I went to the main vendor area. I talked to all of the representatives of the pack manufacturers asking to test their pack on the trail and do a review on their product. I was greeted in a friendly and curious manner which usually ended up with - we don't have the authority to do this.. please submit.. No... But then I met Steve Herrick, Northeast Territory Manager of Kelty. He heard that I was a thru-hiker and in need of a pack. He asked what I needed in a pack and heard what my tiny budget was. He found a pack that fit my back and my needs and handed it to me. I tried it on and found it comfortable and asked "how much?" He responded, saying he only asked that I write a fair review of the product in return. So, I will be posting videos and updates on how the pack is working as I go. Thank you Kelty for helping a hiker out and for the honor of being asked to test and review your product. I went to the library again and spent some more time there using the Wi-Fi and chatting with my sweetie as I couldn't call her for lack of service in town. It was a very good day and I was tired when I made it back to the Hostel. There was a great deal to talk about with all that was going on during the day and we saftied up around the campfire with a cold one. Someone brought marshmallows and someone ran across the street to collect some sticks with his headlamp and soon returned with an armful. We then started toasting the marshmallows and having fun. I like to let mine catch on fire and get really caramelized before eating as I like the flavor better that way. It was way past hiker midnight but we were having a good time. Soon the days activities caught up with me and I went to lay down for the night with my headphones. Soon I was gone like a candy bar at a safety meeting!
Date: 2015-05-17
From: Crazy Larry's hostel 

To: Crazy Larry's hostel 
Miles today: 0.0

Many of the hostel's guests had left the day before, but I wanted to stay for Church as it doesn't often happen that I'm in town on a Sunday. Most of the tents in the back yard were gone and I was checking this out when Crazy Larry called me in for breakfast. I made a video about the hostel for YouTube starting with me out front and walking in the door and looking around as I walked down the hall where I met and introduced Larry. I then asked and let him talk about himself and his business. It turned out pretty good and he was happy with it. Sunday was an easy day and there was church at the town square which was good and inspiring. Later when I was stopping by the Adventure Damascus Outfitters looking for a summer sleeping bag and they surprised me and sponsored one for me after finding my meager budget. All they were asking me to do was to pass the word about their business. I recorded a video walking into their store and interviewing a employee who then gave me the sleeping bag as trail magic. They liked it and I would later post it to Youtube along with my other interview videos. I'm going to miss Crazy Larry, Bill Thomas and his wife along with the rest of the people in this great town. But the trail is calling and I must go. I got my pack together, moving all of my gear into the new pack. The first thing I did was give away the detachable day pack which I didn't need to someone who did. When I transferred my gear to the new pack I was surprised to find my hat, that I thought that I had lost before tucked at the bottom of my pack under my trash bag liner! I was going to sell my old pack, but then it to one of Larry's helpers after some thought. I thought about it and rejected the idea seeing how much trail magic I had received, it would be in poor spirit to charge for it and not pay it forward. It worked out well as I wanted to leave early and he agreed to mail my package for me when the post office opened so I didn't have to wait around. I spent the rest of the day walking around town and just enjoying myself. Evening was the same routine with fewer people as many had left the night before.
Date: 2015-05-18
From: Crazy Larry's hostel 

To: Lost Mountain Shelter 
Miles today: 15.8

I woke up early and relished my last Crazy Larry breakfast. I plugged in my iPod for a last minute top off before I left. It felt good to be back on the trail after over a week in town. Soon after leaving town I took a detour and blue blazed for a few miles on the Virginia Creeper Trail before rejoining the AT. I felt the effect of town life as the miles dragged on and I climbed Iron Mountain. My new Kelty pack was feeling great but I had to take off my Astral Shoes halfway through the day due to them giving my heels hot spots, which are the prequel to blisters. I threw on my old boots which I kept just in case these new shoes fell apart in the middle of nowhere. There were numerous foot bridges including a long and tall one dedicated to Luther C. Hassinger. I made it to the Lost Mountain Shelter exhausted and laid down after taking off my pack. My heels were ok with no blisters so I rested for awhile and then set up my sleeping mat, pad and bag and stowed my gear and food. It then rained for awhile before I went to sleep. When I woke up from my nap the shelter area had filled up along with the shelter. I looked for my ipod but couldn't find it so I thought I'd look for it in the morning. Some of the hikers had packed out beer and even though I'd have to pack out a bottle, I partook of a bottle of Coor's beer. I put on my most authoritative voice and said that after looking at the conditions around the shelter that "As a non-affiliated, non-member of OSHA" I declared that we needed to have a manditory safety meeting of the willing to ensure continued safety conditions! At first you could see the confusion on their faces and then laughter broke out and we proceeded to a more safe condition as I sponsored a safety meeting! I felt pretty good about the miles for the day even though they were pretty tough conditions. I missed my nightly ritual with my iPod and it took longer to get to sleep.
Date: 2015-05-19
From: Lost Mountain Shelter 

To: Thomas Knob Shelter
Miles today: 12.2
Weather: light rain

I had to keep the zipper down in my new mummy bag in order to sleep as I felt a bit claustrophobic with it zippered all the way up. I was horrified to discover that I had lost my iPod the day before. I searched all over the shelter area and around and even looked down into the privy for it but it was nowhere to be found. I thought that it may have fallen out of my pocket during a call of nature during the day. It was a great blow and I realized how much I depended on it to motivate me while I hike. Disheartened I made breakfast and took to the trail. It was a very humid day and the trail was slippery from the rain. The sun soon came out and soon it was hot and sweltering. I felt like I was struggling to keep up a steady pace and had to take frequent breaks throughout the day. The day's climb started right away at US 58 as I climbed up Whitetop Mountain. Then at VA 600 I met up with a hiker called GORP Gobbler, and we started across the cow pastures with the bench sitting in the middle of the field where we stopped, rested and admired the wild flowers that flooded the fields like a blanket. We crossed more fences and were back into the woods and entered the Lewis Fork Wilderness and began our climb of Mt. Rogers which had the highest peak in Virginia. I passed up on the peak as I am not a "Peak bagger" and there wasn't a view from the top. I was exhausted and discouraged when I saw the Thomas Knob Shelter but my mood improved when I saw my first "wild" ponies! A mare and her foal stood, blocking the narrow trail among the brush and I had GORP Gobbler take my picture with the ponies which was pretty exciting. Then the had to be shooed out of the way as they just stood and looked at us. I felt better as I arrived at the shelter and even gave a few hikers a back adjustment who were hurting, including Cruise control and GORP Gobbler. Cruise control expressed his thanks with a welcome and needed safety meeting and soon I was pain free and in a better frame of mind. I liked the two story shelter with its good water source and views. There wasn't a firepit as there was an endangered newt in the area and they didn't want us to disturb the rocks where they took cover and nested. I the didn't feel like setting up on the second floor so I claimed a spot against the right wall. The water source is a fenced in enclosure a little ways behind the shelter. You have to find the trail over the boulder pile along side and behind the shelter. I had cellphone service for a brief time and called my wife to see how she was doing. I then called Crazy Larry and was soo happy to find that I had left the ipod at Crazy Larry's hostel where I had plugged it in that morning, and that he would mail it to an inn down the trail so I could get it on my way by. I thanked God for answered prayers before I went to bed. Both my Kelty 65litre Perfect Fit backpack and my Astral Aquanaut shoes were doing well. It took me longer to get to sleep without my nightly routine.