morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2005-09-22
From: Cove Mountain Shelter

To: Fullhardt Knob Shelter
Miles today: 20.0
Weather: scattered clouds

The first day of fall¢¦are you sure? Mother Nature¢s thermometer was stuck in the mid-80¢s today; maybe she didn¢t get the memo. Today¢s hike was beautiful again. We saw a group of birdwatchers at one of the AT/Blue Ridge Parkway crossings. They were looking for hawks who are currently migrating to South America. Further down the trail, we saw a snake in the middle of lunch. He was almost ¢finished¢ when we came upon him and I think we gave him a pretty good scare. It didn¢t really phase us since we¢re used to seeing nature in her glory. We¢re staying at the Fullhardt Knob shelter tonight. It¢s on top of a ridge and there is a great breeze blowing. Hopefully this will keep us cool and comfy throughout the night. Tonight makes the 3rd night in a row we¢ve carried our water in from more than 3 miles. The springs at the shelters are all but dried up. Oh well, only five miles into town tomorrow where there is an abundance of water, Mexican food, and margaritas. Yeehaw for Daleville!
Date: 2005-09-23
From: Fullhardt Knob Shelter

To: Daleville, VA- Howard Johnson
Miles today: 5.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Town days - gotta love them! After a short hike from Fullhardt Knob Shelter, we crossed under I-81 and were in Daleville before we knew it.Del, the trail Angel, who signed our guestbook months ago, met us at the Howard Johnson. He helped us get a great rate on our room, took us to a place with internet access, and dropped us off at a shopping center a block away from our hotel. This allowed us to resupply at Kroger and at an outfitter. At the outfitter I got a replacement platypus (mine developed a leak) and a pair of long hiking pants. I've been paranoid as of late about getting poison ivy as it appears to be out in force along the trail. Whatever I¢ve got on my legs that's making me itch is not getting worse and I want to keep it that way! Hopefully, these new pants will be a good shield.Del offered to slack us tomorrow from US311 back to Daleville. We may take him up on his offer. We would be temporary NOBO¢s if we do¢¦Tonight we¢ll be dining at the Mexican Restaurant. We are pumped! Time to shower!
Date: 2005-09-24
From: US 311

To: Daleville, VA- Howard Johnson Inn
Miles today: 19.8
Weather: overcast clouds

When we awoke this morning, we decided to take Del up on his offer. He drove us to the AT trailhead at US 311 so we could slackpack North back to Daleville.The day itself was rather blah. There were lots of clouds and haze which presented us from seeing any views from McAfee Knob. However, Mark Richardson, a day hiker we met, took a picture of Samoa and I dangling our legs off McAfee¢s rock cliff. Then we walked along Tinker Cliffs and were really impressed with the rock formations - too bad we had poor visibility. But all in all, the slackpack was great. We managed to walk the 20 miles in 7 hours and had a hotel at the end of the day.Upon returning to the Ho-Jo, we met Super T and Don King just two doors down. They decided to find lodging in Daleville as well. There now 20 miles behind us, but they plan on catching us by Pearisburg.We finally have the opportunity to watch the UGA game tonight. It seems we¢re never around a TV when they¢re playing. We¢re so excited to watch the Dawg¢s take on Mississippi State. Go Dawgs!
Date: 2005-09-25
From: Daleville, VA- Howard Johnson Inn

To: Niday Shelter
Miles today: 22.5
Weather: overcast clouds

The weather is still a little drab in Daleville, VA. It¢s supposed to clear off by Tuesday. Oh well, we need the rain.Del, the super Trail Angel, picked up this morning and took us back to the trailhead. On our way back, we stopped at a local mountain general store where I picked up a hat. The store owner gave me a complimentary one which I¢ll be wearing to keep the rain out of my eyes. Hopefully it¢s red enough to stand out as hunting season is open.We climbed many wet rocks that were covered in leaves today. Again, we had no views as most of today we were in a misty, gray cloud.Our plans were to stealth tonight but the rain drove us to a shelter. We¢ll soon cook supper and crash.
Date: 2005-09-26
From: Niday Shelter

To: Warspur Shelter
Miles today: 18.2
Weather: light rain

The skies were an ominous gray this morning. However, it was not raining, so we set out for the day expecting it to come anytime.The trail led us up and over mountains today and also through several pastures. We had a run in with some cattle - a bull stared Samoa down. I mooed at him and he turned away alleviating Samoa¢s concerns¢¦ Afterwards, we passed the infamous Keffer Oak. This tree was huge! It¢s over 18 feet in circumference and estimated to be older than 300 years. At a stream before VA 630, we found our first VA trail magic. There were sodas on the trail. Then at VA 601/Rocky Gap we found a cooler with more sodas. Wow, trail magic twice in one day! Thanks VA Trail Angels!We¢re now at Warspur Shelter where we are watching the rain fall. Glad to finally be dry in our camp clothes. We've got our nasty, wet, stinky hiking clothes hanging from a rope in our shelter. Looking forward to a hot Lipton side to be washed down with our orange sodas we lugged in from Rocky Gap!
Date: 2005-09-27
From: Warspur Shelter

To: South of Sym's Gap
Miles today: 20.0

The weather broke overnight. This morning we woke to partly cloudy skies with no rain. Yeah!!! As soon as we left our shelter, we climbed about 2000 feet which culminated to a spectacular vista at Wind Rock. The clouds continued to dissipate allowing us a beautiful view into the valley and the mountains of West, VA.The AT bordered VA and WV for the better part of our hike today. We were mostly on mountain ridges which afforded great views and breezes. After Sym¢s Gap, we slightly ascended up a hill that wound us by many apple trees and Muscadine vines (a little natural trail magic) on our way to the campsite we had planned on coming to today.Our stealth site tonight is under a beautiful red oak tree that has a surreal view of the surrounding valleys and mountains. We¢re currently enjoying a campfire and a gorgeous view of the sunset. We will be up in the morning to greet it again.
Date: 2005-09-28
From: South of Sym's Gap

To: Pearisburg, VA- Holiday Motor Lodge
Miles today: 12.3
Weather: broken clouds

At approximately 2 AM this morning the wind picked up and it was still howling when we awoke. These winds are blowing in a cold front which should be here by tomorrow. The sunrise was magnificent as expected, and we enjoyed it as we drank our hot coffee. Since the rustling winds made it a bit chilly this morning, the views were abundant. Just before we began our descent into Pearisburg, the trail led us through an old rice field. We were basically on a bald and the views were, you guessed it, phenomenal. Once we reached VA 460, we got a quick hitch into Pearisburg. At the P.O., we picked up several packages. First, we must reiterate that we are as fortunate to have such caring family and friends! We are so THANKFUL AND APPRECIATIVE for the packages that Heather and Troy, The Mann¢s, and my Mom and Step-Dad sent. The food, magazines, and snacks hit the spot! Thanks to Paul and Emily Gray for a thoughtful anniversary card. Although our anniversary isn¢t until 10-4, we appreciate your acknowledgement. On an unfortunate note from the P.O., our memory card that my Dad sent was inadvertently lost during transit ~ at least there were no pictures on it! But given the fact that my Dad is ¢Johnny on the Spot¢ he raced to Wal-Mart, purchased a new one, and over-nighted it today to our hotel. Thanks Dad, you¢re the best!Glad to be clean and looking forward to eating a feast tonight!
Date: 2005-09-29
From: Pearisburg, VA- Holiday Motor Lodge

To: Doc's Knob Shelter
Miles today: 7.8
Weather: overcast clouds

We picked a fine time to be in town as the rain came last night and continued on into the morning. However, the front that came through brought with it much cooler air. The mountains, which is where we¢ll be tonight, could see temperatures down in the low 40¢s or high 30¢s. Wow - fall may finally be here!After lunch at Pearisburg¢s local Hardee¢s, we hiked back to the trail and had a LONG climb up to Angel¢s rest - elevation gain of 2000 feet in two miles. At the summit we were able to look back at Pearisburg. There were several clouds that cast their shadows onto the landscape below, and the air was noticeably cooler. The rest of the hike from Angel¢s Rest to Doc¢s Knob was a cakewalk. Rhododendron and Mountain Laurel held their limbs and leaves over the trail like swordsmen at a military wedding. It was cool walking through their natural tunnels as we made our way here.Once at Doc¢s Knob, we met a fellow SOBO, Wanderer. He¢s doing huge miles and is only carrying 7 pounds of gear, food, and water. He says he¢s freezing at night so he is going to hike then and sleep during the day when it¢s warmer. Hmmm - that doesn¢t sound very appealing, but to each their own. Oh well, I¢m fixing to climb into my 10 degree bag and snuggle up.
Date: 2005-09-30
From: Doc's Knob Shelter

To: Jenny Knob Shelter
Miles today: 22.6
Weather: overcast clouds

Last night was the coldest it has been since we started this endeavor. When we woke up this morning, my thermometer read 39 degrees F. We didn¢t take our time getting ready since we wanted to head out ASAP to get our blood pumping!The hike from Doc¢s Knob the Jenny¢s Knob Shelter was very modest. The trail followed an old woods road for the most part, and we continued to see more Mountain Laurel and Rhododendron tunnels. Seeing all the familiar flowers reminds us of home. Tonight we¢ll be dining on our first Mountain House Meals of the trip. Thanks again to The Mann¢s; we¢ll be eating gourmet dinner compared to our Lipton staples! The only problem tonight is limited water. We won¢t be able to enjoy our usual 32 oz. bottle of lemonade w/ dinner tonight. Water is scarce and we had to cart up our supply from VA 608 -a mile or so north of here. Such is life on the trail...
Date: 2005-10-01
From: Jenny Knob Shelter

To: Jenkin's Shelter
Miles today: 23.6
Weather: overcast clouds

Today is the first day of October. So let¢s see...we¢ve been out here for almost four months now. Where has the time gone?The hike today was a lot of small ups and downs, there was a short roadwalk up VA 612 up and over I-77, and a semi tropical rainforest walk towards the end. The latter being that the trail crossed Little Wolf Creek 12 times in 2 miles. Therefore, we were river walking through a dense, dark, and green tunnel of flora. While we thought cool temperatures were here to stay, it seems that summer hasn¢t given up quite yet. The temperatures reached 80 today and the sounds of summer are back; i.e. the crickets, cicadas, and whatever else that¢s out there making racket. Oh well, it was a great day nonetheless.
Date: 2005-10-02
From: Jenkin's Shelter

To: Knot Maul Shelter
Miles today: 19.0
Weather: clear sky

We began our day with one of many climbs. Once we reached 4000 feet, the views we saw made it appear as if the mountain tops were floating on clouds. As the day progressed, the low lying clouds burned off.For lunch we stopped by Chestnut Knob Shelter. This building was centered in a meadow at 4400 feet, consequently, the views were astounding. When we went inside, we learned that this four walled stone structure was once a fire warden¢s cabin.After lunch, we headed south through at least a mile of rolling meadows and marvelous views.** Thank goodness Blaze left a note in the trail showing us that the AT forked left off the old woods road. Otherwise, we would have missed the turn completely. Apparently many other SOBO¢s did as the Knot Maul Shelter register indicates!Shortly before reaching Knot Maul Shelter, we had another snake encounter. Fortunately, this time it was not a poisonous one, but rather a mere imitator. It was a five foot blacksnake who was coiled up and fluddering his tail in the leaves in an attempt to sound like a rattler. It was pretty funny!We just finished our Liptons and night is upon us. On a side note...Samoa had quite the time cooking her Liptons this evening. She just couldn't seem to keep the temp regulated on her Bud Light stove. Must have been the elevation:-)
Date: 2005-10-03
From: Knot Maul Shelter

To: Chatfield Shelter
Miles today: 18.4
Weather: clear sky

Today reminded us of VT. We started the day with (and Samoa counted) 7 ups before lunch. During those climbs we walked through beautiful pastures while crossing the Holston River twice. At the crossing of the middle fork of the Holston river, a plaque commemorated the settlement which came to be SW, VA in 1748. It was neat visualizing people living among these waters some some 250+ years ago. Also, somewhere between an up and a down we passed the 34 mark - Yahoo!!Later the AT skirted us around Atkins, VA, which put passing a Shell station at US11 on the map. Since we don¢t see these very often right on the trail, we opted to go inside and purchase a few incidentals. After our short break at the truck stop, we made the 4.5 mile hike into the Chatfield Shelter.It was funny reading the NOBO Shelter register entries here; remember at this point they haven¢t reached the 14 mark yet! Wow, seems like yesterday we were in that same position!Time for dinner!
Date: 2005-10-04
From: Chatfield Shelter

To: VA 16- Virginia House Inn
Miles today: 7.0

After I journaled last night, Trek, a SOBO AT thru-hiker showed up at dusk. He¢s on his 3rd thru-hike in a row - ¢03, ¢04, & ¢05. And, he was quite the character. This is his daily schedule: Wake at 3 AM and hike until dusk. Like clockwork he was packed up and gone by 3 AM this morning.Even though Trek wasn¢t too noisy leaving this morning, I wasn¢t able to go back to sleep. Finally at 5 AM I was able to coerce Samoa into getting up and starting our hike for the day.Today is our 2 year anniversary, so we hitched into Marion from VA 16 to celebrate! Once in town, we checked into the Virginia House Inn, washed our wretched clothes and took showers. Ahhh, time to relax!
Date: 2005-10-05
From: VA 16- Virginia House Inn

To: VA 16- Virginia House Inn
Miles today: 0.0

Don King and Super T showed up in Marion yesterday. They have been a day behind us since the Shenandoah¢s, so it was good to see them again! Last night we all went out for Mexican food and a great time at the bowling alley.Samoa and I haven¢t zeroed since Harper¢s Ferry, so we¢re taking one today. It will be so nice to take our time with town chores, visit the library, and just relax. Peace!
Date: 2005-10-06
From: VA 16- Virginia House Inn

To: Troutdale Baptist Church Hostel
Miles today: 14.6
Weather: light rain

Taking a zero in Marion was just what we needed. This morning we woke up feeling refreshed and ready to hit the trail. After our huge breakfast at the Pioneer restaurant, we hitched back to VA 16/NRA/AT Trailhead. Tropical storm Tammy appears to be making her presence as the skies are an ominous gray and the rain is setting in.Shortly after beginning today¢s trek, we passed the most elaborate shelter on the trail, the Partnership Shelter. This baby was HUGE! It had 2 stories, hot and cold sink, shower, and sweet privy. Too bad this shelter didn¢t fall into our schedule¢¦Once we finished drooling, we pressed on to meet the day.The 14.6 miles from VA 16 to Dickey Gap seemed to fly by. Most of that section was well maintained which allowed us to get to Troutdale¢s Baptist Church hostel before the bottom fell out.All members of the JHP are present and glad to be reunited. This hostel has a laundry facility, showers, and a well supplied hiker box. We¢re all thankful to be indoors tonight and out of the rain.
Date: 2005-10-07
From: Troutdale Baptist Church Hostel

To: Wise SHelter
Miles today: 16.1
Weather: light rain

Thanks to the remnants of Tropical Storm Tammy, we enjoyed our first full day of walking in the rain in VA. While hiking in the mountains during inclement weather isn¢t our favorite, sometimes it does allow a different appreciation for the woods. Although the mountains were mostly covered by clouds, we still saw lots of beautiful views. The leaves at 4000 feet and above are finally starting to turn. Their colors are brilliant; neon orange, fire red, and school bus yellow leaves scatter the landscape while contrasting with Christmas tree green frazier furs. It was an awesome sight even in the rain. Also, we¢re on the outskirts of Grayson Highlands State Park which is the home to incredible vistas and tons of feral ponies. As we were crossing a bald, just after the Scales, we saw about 30 ponies - too cool!Now we¢re at the Wise Shelter watching the rain fall. The JHP is present and dinner is calling!
Date: 2005-10-08
From: Wise SHelter

To: Saunder's Shelter
Miles today: 23.2
Weather: overcast clouds

The forecast for today called for rain; however, we were pleasantly surprised with just a thick layer of clouds and mist. Even though this weather inhibited the views that would normally be seen on a clear day, at least we didn¢t get soaked from head to toe.Approximately 12 way though the Grayson Highlands, we had our first close encounter with the feral ponies. They were so friendly and approachable. One even tried to drink from Samoa¢s bite-valve that is attached to her Platypus. And since most of Grayson Highlands are above 5000 feet, we also enjoyed smelling the sweet aroma of Frazier Firs. Smelled like Christmas!Near the end of today¢s hike, the AT intersected with the Virginia Creeper Trail. The ¢VCT¢ is an old railway bed that has been converted into a bike, hike, and walking trail. We saw tons of families out biking and enjoying the day. We¢ll definitely revisit this area again!We¢re camping tonight at Saunder¢s Shelter, just 9 miles north of Damascus, VA. We¢ll be out of VA soon - Holy cow! Only 459.4 miles to go from Damascus. Perhaps we should to slow down, haha! There is a section hiker here tonight from Orlando, FL so I'm going to sign off and enjoy his company.
Date: 2005-10-09
From: Saunder's Shelter

To: Damascus, VA- The Place
Miles today: 9.4
Weather: broken clouds

After a good night¢s rest, we packed up this morning to make our long anticipated trek into Damascus, VA! The walk from Saunder¢s Shelter to town today was a breeze.Damascus is another town that the AT goes through. So, on our way to ¢The Place¢, a hostel, we stopped by the laundry mat before we began our tour of the Big D.Today is full of town chores - I need shoes, a resupply is in order, and we have to pick up our mail drop at Mt. Roger¢s Outfitters. Glad to be here! Tennessee, here we come!!!
Date: 2005-10-10
From: TN 91

To: Damascus, VA- Dave's Place - NOBO SLACK DAY
Miles today: 19.9
Weather: scattered clouds

Once I finished journaling yesterday, the Pilot Production crew rolled into ¢The Place¢. They are a PBS affiliate based in London, and are filming their show called Globe Trekkers. Currently, they¢re doing a piece on the Southeastern US. Their feature for today was Damascus, VA and its integration of the AT through the town. So, they filmed 2 scenes, with us depicting town life for thru-hikers. You may see us on International TV in January - check your local PBS listings. After the taping, they treated us to drinks at the Baja Caf©. Thanks!Today we slack packed north from TN 91 back to Damascus. So, we¢ve completed 11 states and have 3 more to go. Thank you to the Mt. Roger¢s Outfitters for slacking the JHP.Tonight we¢re staying at Dave¢s Place, a hiker hostel, across from the outfitter, since there is a grill, we took advantage of it by grilling chicken and kielbasa with a side of green beans and a salad. Also staying at Dave¢s Place is Gantz, a fellow SOBO, who we met for the first time tonight.We¢re just enjoying the evening and sitting on the front porch! Another awesome day on the trail!
Date: 2005-10-11
From: TN 91

To: Griffith Branch- Watauga Lake
Miles today: 18.2

After a LATE (04:00) and enjoyable night at the Baja Caf© with the owners Becky and Jared, we got a shuttle back to the TN 91/AT Trailhead. It was a little difficult getting out of bed and leaving Damascus today, but we were motivated by knowing that our first full day of TN hiking lay ahead.The trail began as a slightly up hill ridge walk culminating at Vandeventer Shelter. While most shelters are surrounded by vegetation, this one had an open, magnificent view of the TN Valley and Watauga Lake. From here we enjoyed our descent towards Watauga Lake.At the dam maintenance road we had a clear Black Bear sighting. Approximately 75 yards ahead stood a black bear in the middle of the road. Both parties were equally surprised and the bear soon scurried off into the woods. Then we hiked the short distance from our sighting to the dam where we marveled over the grandeur of Watauga Lake. Sure wish we had a boat!We opted to pass up the shelter and stealth at Griffith Branch near the water. As I write this entry I¢m enjoying the sounds of boats slicing the water. Sombody must be night fishing...
Date: 2005-10-12
From: Griffith Branch- Watauga Lake

To: Kincora Hostel
Miles today: 10.2

This morning we enjoyed our coffee and breakfast from the shoreline of Watauga Lake. After a brief walk from our stealth spot, we came to the Shook Branch Picnic area near US 321. Here we filled our platypus and stated what a great swimming spot it would be¢¦but it was too early and rather cold!We enjoyed a beautiful hike that led us to Laurel Fork Gorge. This time the cascading mountain stream was just too tempting. The water was icy cold but the warm day allowed for an invigorating swim. Who would have thought you could be swimming in a TN mountain¢s stream on October 12 - isn¢t this supposed to be fall??Shortly after the gorge, we came across Laurel Creek Falls. It¢s been a Long time since we¢ve enjoyed one of these. Then we made the short hike to Dennis Cove Road where we hiked to Kincora Hostel. Bob and Pat Peoples, the owners, quickly welcomed us and showed us the ropes. This facility has everything you need and a rich AT history to boot! There are a few section hikers here tonight along with the JHP, so I¢m going to go participate in the trail talk outside.
Date: 2005-10-13
From: Kincora Hostel

To: US 19 E.
Miles today: 24.8

Bob Peoples shuttle the JHP from Kincora to US 19 E. where we slackpacked North back to the Hostel.Not far into today¢s hike we encountered two feral horses. As we were admiring their beauty, Super T got a little too close to one of the horses hind end¢¦and then it reminded him of it. A quick laugh before we proceeded on.Another highlight of today¢s hike was Jones River Falls; the highest water fall on the AT. The rest of the day¢s hike was mostly a sawtooth ridgewalk. Once back at the hostel, we cleaned up and ate tons of spaghetti that Samoa and I made. Then Samoa placed a call to her Great Aunt, Leona, who lives in Hampton, TN. Bob and Pat Peoples graciously drove Samoa and I to go visit her for a few hours. Samoa really enjoyed seeing her and I was glad to finally meet her. Leona is 86, independent, and a joy to be around!Now we¢re back at the hostel and just finished having a great conversation with Bob Peoples. What a great end to a great day!