morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2013-03-28
From: Damascus

To: Damascus
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Today was a nice relaxing zero day in town. I enjoyed some breakfast at dairy king with Dry Bones, Arrowhead and Flo. Since it also happened to be Flo's birthday I treated him to his breakfast. We relaxed at the Place (church hostel) after breakfast, then Flo and I set out to food city for some supplies. Afterwards Arrowhead, Dry Bones, and myself set out to Dot's Inn across town for some lunch. I got myself a burger, a solid choice for any hiker. But I will warn future hikers against Dot's Inn, as her prices are outrageous ($10 for only 3 chicken tenders). When we returned from our afternoon snack we found Flo on the back porch of the Place drying some stuff in the recently emerged sun. He said he saw Daypack while he was walking near subway in a car, headed to the Inn. Arrowhead and I ran over to the Inn just as he was pulling up, and we enjoyed a warm reunion. Daypack said he would stop by later in the evening, and that he also planned to head out onto the trail with us the next day..
Date: 2013-03-29
From: Damascus

To: lost mountain shelter
Miles today: 15.6
Weather: overcast clouds

today was a nice moderate hike with good weather. Arrowhead, Dry Bones, Flo, and Passing Thru stopped at subway for some breakfast and to get an extra footlong for lunch. We hit the trail around 945, following the creeper trail for a short way before heading back into the woods. We worked our way uphill, soon followed by a descent towards a small river with several feeder streams that had some waterfalls. We could see the creeper trail running alongside the river, which we followed for some time before eventually heading up a steep climb towards the first shelter. Right as we approached the shelter snow returned to the trail, and seeing that the elevation would mostly increase for the next several days we knew our feet were going to be in for some swimming lessons. After snacking at the shelter, we continued along the trail up and over several ridges, catching small glimpses here and there of the completely snowed in summits of Whitetop and Mt. Rogers. The rime ice on the tops of the distant trees combined with the snow gave the mountains a nice alpine feel and reminded me of the Adirondacks. Soon we found ourselves descending gradually, where we met up with the creeper trail for around a mile, crossing over a river before heading back into the woods. We climbed the short but steep lost mountain and arrived at the shelter. After cooking dinner ande climbing into bed, our hopes of seeing Daypack completely vanished. But to our surprise he showed up right at dusk..the team was back..
Date: 2013-03-31
From: Wise Shelter

To: Troutdale church hostel
Miles today: 16.1
Weather: light rain

Today ended up quite crazy and quite different than we planned.. We awoke to a light rain, and made our way across the slushy terrain up and down two mountains. We encountered several fields along the way where the rain and wind were quite strong and made travel not too fun. But we pushed onward towards Troutdale, where we hoped to get a nice hot meal and some resupply for Daypack and Arrowhead. Eventually we reahed the road crossing for Troutdale. Flo and I dropped our packs, while Daypack and Arrowhead opted to carry theirs down the mountain road. As we made ourway downhill we were passed up by many potential hitch vehicles, including lots of pickup trucks. It didn't seem to help that it started pouring rain on us, as many of the cars and trucks actually accelerated agressively as they passed by (so much for easter kindness). Flo made it slightly less than halfways down the road before heading back. We continued down the hill and after the 2.6 miles was up we were met by a dreaded site. The grocery store was closed down and we were left completely hopeless. We spotted some people nearby, who explained the store had closed recently and that unfortunately there was nothing nearby which would substitute. Luckily there was a church hostel right next door, and Arrowhead and Daypack decided it was the best place to stay for the night. Unfortunately for me, I had left my pack 3 miles up the road at the gap. By chance, hiker Rifle was staying at the hostel and had just returned from next door after some easter dinner. We said the old couple next door who gave him the food were the only people he knew and they may just give me a ride to retrieve my pack. We headed down to their house and were greeteed with a warm welcome and the woman offered me some leftover food. After eating, the man said he would be happy to give me a ride up to the gap....I soon found myself back at the hostel safe with all my stuff. Thankfully the hostel had provided some free food rations on a table, including some instant rice which daypack was able to eat for dinner. I enjyed some nice conversations about gear and shared trail stories with Rifle and Daypack before retiring to bed..
Date: 2013-04-01
From: Troutdale church hostel

To: Partnership shelter
Miles today: 14.5
Weather: overcast clouds

Today was another long day of road hiking, but it ended sweetely with some delicious (but way over-priced) delivery pizza...We got up early in the morning and decided to try hiking up the road about 4 miles to the fox creek grocery store, which had a sign posted in the hostel. We set out around 8, Arrowhead and I carrying some stuff we wanted to mail home. the post office was not open yet so we instead started walking up the road towards the grocery store. It climbed uphill almost the entire time, and it didn't help that every car passed by us unwilling to give us a hitch. After the grueling climb seemed endless, we finally reached the store. We bought some supplies and a few breakfast sandwiches before deciding to head out. Arrowhead was eager to return and he headed out back towards the hostel leaving Daypack and I behind (we wanted to check our email at the nearby wifi hotspot). As we were just about to go check our email, the owner said her mom was headed into town and offered us a ride. We made our way down the mountain, but did not spot Arrowhead at alll along the way so we assumed he had gotten a ride. After sending my package at the post office Daypack and I returned to the hostel to find Arrowhead. He had gotten a ride from the man who had been eating at the grocery and spotted him walking along the road. He also gave Arrowhead some canned freeze dried food.."You shook my hand, and that goes a long way with me." We packed up our stuff and went down to the old couple's house to possibly get a ride up the hill. The man answered the door and was glad to offer us a ride back to the gap. Along the way he explained how he had come by looking for us earlier that morning and would have given us a ride into Marion where he had gone to get some work done on his car. He also told us a story of how a railroad used to run alongside where the road is, and how the town used to be booming with the timber industry. I am quite grateful for all the help the man gave us, and it was nice to share stories with him and to give him some company...After reaching the gap we made our way along the trail, loaded with breakfast food in our stomachs and junk food in our pockets. We climbed up and over a mountain to reach the Trimpi shelter which we had originally aimed for the night before. We continued the descent into a valley before climbing uphill again, crossing several streams before eventually reaching the partnership shelter. We arrived to find Flo, who had gotten there in the afternoon and recieved a ride into Marion from a local trail angel. We all enjoyed some laughs, and then we ordered some pizza from pizza hut and feasted..after dark we were surprised by the arrival of Skeetbutter, followed later by Sunny and Aloha. Skeetbutter had traveled 24 miles to reach the shelter, and Sunny and Aloha an impressive 30 miles! They of course ordered pizza, just in time as they cease delivery after dark..
Date: 2013-04-02
From: Partnership shelter

To: Atkins - Relax Inn
Miles today: 11.6

Today was a great day on the trail. Factors of weather, moderate terrain, sight seeing, and of course the promise of town made the day awesome! Each of us made our way out of the shelter and up the trail, soon following a rolling ridgeline for quite some ways. Eventually we descended downhill, stopping by the chatfield shelter for some lunch. There were numerous streams along the way, and the reflecting sunlight made for some awesome pictures. Soon we came across an old farm from the 1890's which had several old buildings and a small stream flowing through the middle of a green pasture. Shortly after, we came upon an old one-room school house and a nearby museum. We toured both and learned a little about the family which had lived in the farm. The trail continued along some rolling fields and over a few small hills before crossing some railroad tracks and soon arriving at Atkins. We checked into the hotel and I got my maildrop(s) from my parents and an extra gift of Trader Joe's almonds from my aunt. The maildrops are great and its nice to always have a steady supply of variety on the trail, and having the ability to future date my menus is pretty nice. I wouldn't be able to have such variety if not for the support of my parents at home...After settling in we headed up the street to eat some grub at "The Barn" where I got the one pound 'hiker burger.' This put me into a food coma and I soon was back at the hotel where I relaxed and watched Charlie and the Chocolate factory..
Date: 2013-04-03
From: Atkins - Relax Inn

To: Chestnut Knob Shelter
Miles today: 23.0
Weather: clear sky

Today was pretty rough on the feet, and was my first day over 20 on the trail. It featured many ups and downs with plenty of rocks, but the sun and the views made up for it...We headed out in the morning after breakfast at The Barn and after crossing the interstate we made out way towards a chain of mountains. We climbed the first chain, crossing the site of a former shelter before descending to a pleasant stream where we stopped for lunch. I enjoyed a can of sardines with crackers for the first time on the trail and loved it! We climbed up another big mountain and down to some cattle fields for several miles. After crossing a pretty river and climbing back uphill over some more fields and then back into the woods, I reached the knot maul branch shelter. By this time I had become quite miserable, along with most of the other hikers. I slowly made my way down the mountain on my throbbing feet and reached a stream before heading back up a steep incline. This continued for a little over a mile, skirting the top of a steep peak before eventually heading back down the steep backside of the mountain. Eventually I crossed a large creek on a footbridge and shortly after ran into Daypack. My spirits turned around right away, as I had been hiking alone for most of the day and was miserable. I summoned some energy and started the 5 mile push up the mountain to the shelter. As I made my way up the trail got progressively steeper and steeper before eventually reaching a clearing with an old roadbed, where the slope became more gradual. There was a pond with a spring around two miles before the shelter at the start of a large clearing offering excellent views. It was the only good water source for the shelter, so I decided to fill up my bottles and boil up water as well and get a jump start on rehydrating my dinner. I started cooking and was soon greeted by Sunny and Daypack who decided to cook there as well. Arrowhead arrived just as I was packing my stuff up and he pushed toward the shelter. I strapped my poles to my pack and carried my meal inside the pot cozy while I climbed toward the shelter. As I neared the shelter the views became spectualar, and with the setting sun several of the mountain ridges turned red. I could see across to all the ridge lines I had crossed that day. It seems the terrain in Virginia consists of many long ridgelines, and the trail loves traversing between them...I soon arrived at the shelter, which is the best I have slept in yet. It is a fully enclosed stone structure with a door and picnic table inside, and has bunks just like in a hostel. And on top of that my meal turned out incredible (I mixed scalloped potatoes with Hungarian Goulash). I retired right to bed after some chatting with my fellow hikers. All the hiking group was at the shelter except Flo, who opted to tent at the stream before the mountain.
Date: 2013-04-04
From: Chestnut Knob Shelter

To: Helveys Mill Shelter
Miles today: 24.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Today was a long one, and we got surprised by what will hopefully be winter's final surge. Daypack and I set out at 6am hoping to log in 34 miles, and we knew that some rain was to be moving in that afternoon and continuing through the night. We figured logging in some big miles before the storm would be best rather than trying to log in our 30+ mile day the following day. Our day began atop a rocky ridge, and the trail continually went up and down along the right side of the mountain. As daylight approached, we were greeted by a pleasant sunrise, and although our view was partly obscured by the trees it was still very beautiful. The color was a dark redish orange, much like a grapefruit. After what seemed like endless rocks the trail eventually descended to the jenkins shelter where we stopped for a quick second breakfast. Along the way we spotted a medium sized bird traveling on the ground alongside the trail, perhaps some sort of grouse. I also came across a deer shortly before the shelter, who upon seeing me quickly darted down the mountain slopes and off into the forest. After the shelter we climbed back uphill and soon found ourselved following an old road for several miles. This made for some easy and pleasant walking, but little did we know that the weather was about to take a turn for the worst. We had seen the forecast indicating showers developing in the afternoon, but when sleet starting falling we knew something was up. We desceded to a stream and then went back uphill before encountering another road. Unlike the previous one, this road featured many ups and downs. As the sleet changed to snow, it began accumulating on the trail, and as we made our way uphill it got progressively heavier. It was also at this time that my feet started to develop some blsitering beneath my toes on the pad of my forefoot. I stopped briefly to put some kinesio tex tape on and then continued uphill. We reached the top of a ridge and after following it for a short time we descended to a road which led us further downhill and across I-77. We entered back into the woods and stopped at a stream to get some water and to cook some dinner. It was snowing pretty hard by this time, so I set up my tarp as a cooking shelter and we enjoyed a nice hot meal. It was an easy decision to hike only the remaining 1.7 to the helveys mill shelter rather than push the extra 9.8 to jenny knob. When we got there we encountered J-LO. He had hiked 33 miles the day before out of Atkins, and after stopping in Bland for resupply near I-77 the snow made him cut his hiking short. We settled into our sleeping bags and started napping. After no one showed up by 8 we gave up hope that the others would be coming to the shelter that night and figured they took refuge in Bland. Then Flo showed up around 9, after an incredible 29 mile hike!
Date: 2013-04-05
From: Helveys Mill Shelter

To: Woods Hole Hostel
Miles today: 30.2

Today will go down in history as an epic but grueling hike! Daypack and I set out around 615, after awaking to a light rain. It had stopped snowing overnight and hadn't accumulated too heavily, but the rain made for awfully slushy conditions. We knew the moment we set out that the day was going to be terrible for our feet, not to mention our morale. But we had decided we wanted to challenge ourselves physically and push to the limit and see if we could pull off a 30 mile day. As we made our way along the trail, we went up and down some steep inclines and declines. The trail worked its way uphill despite all the downhill sections, reaching a ridgeline which featured more of the rolling terrain. As light approached in the sky the rain stopped and the clouds slowly gave way. At first we could only see down into the valley at eh mist of clouds below, but by shortly after 10 the sun emerged to make its full debut. The shining rays made all the difference for our morale, and depite increasing the slush levels on the trail it was a welcomed guest on the trail. Eventually we descended to the jenny knob shelter for a quick snack before continuing uphill to another ridge. This one luckily was slightly less rolling, but the slush on the trail soaked our feet by this time and made travel slow. Eventually we reached the road for trent's grocery .5 off the trail, where we stopped for some snak food reupply and a burger. We headed back onto the trail and continued our journey, eventually reaching the Wapiti shelter where we stopped to cook a hot dinner. There we found Dry Bones, who had been ahead of us for several day and finally decided his knee needed some rest so he took a short day. We pushed onward up the mountain and then reached another flat section. Luckily on the flat most of the snow was melted off the trail and it made for some faster travel. We had also entered 'zomie' mode by this time and no longer cared about weather or terrain, we simply just kept walking. The final descent to the road was slippery and snowy, and by this time the sun had set and we almost lost the trail a few times. Eventually we reached the road and hoofed the .5 to the hostel to complete our epic hiking day. We arrived to find a cold bunkhouse with no heat, but we climbed in our bags anyways and dealt with it..
Date: 2013-04-06
From: Woods Hole Hostel

To: Pearisburg
Miles today: 10.4

Today was a nice pleasant and easy day, and it ended getting to see my Dad and recieve the gift of my hiking pal Buddy the dog! We woke in the morning and I headed into the heated house for some coffee, where I was told breakfast would not be served that day. I was dissapointed and the woman there said she would make some afterall. I apparently had develped quite the hiker stench, and she had me shower upstairs (only because the outdoor one was broken-thankfully). Then I woke up Daypack and he showered too then we ate breakfast. It was a nice meal of cheesy grits and eggs with toast, a welcomed meal after 30 miles the day before. We relaxed for a bit on the porch, then headed out on our sore feet towards Pearisburg. We climbed uphill to the top of a small mountain before hitting a road and descending back down. At the bottom of the valley there was plenty of slush and rhododendron branches to slow things down, but once we started heading back up the trail cleared of snow. We soon reached a ridgeline which we followed for several miles before reaching a viewpoint on a rock outcropping atop a cliff band which offered views of Pearisburg. As we descended the now muddy trail we ran into several groups of day hikers. One group had a dog which was afraid of men and would not pass us. As we hiked by it would bark and run back down the mountain. Chaco the dog did this for almost a quarter mile before we were able to cut him off on a switchback. We ran down the mountain and eventually reached pearisburg. We checked into the hotel and soon after my dad arrived with Buddy. We hopped in the car and spotted J-LO and we went to WalMart for some supplies. After returning I sorted through a resupply box my dad brought and got a nice demonstration from my dad on Buddy's new hiking pack. My dad had to leave shortly after, and I said my goodbyes. Daypack, J-Lo and me went to AYCE Chinese buffet for dinner then headed to relax at the hotel then sleep...it was nice to see my dad, despite such a short visit. And now the adventures with Buddy the dog begin.
Date: 2013-04-07
From: Pearisburg

To: campsite 
Miles today: 4.6
Weather: clear sky

Today was an easy and very short hiking day. I chose to hang around town for most of the day to work on my journal and watch some TV, and I would have taken a zero day but Buddy the dog was anxious to hit the trail. I finally got back on the trail around 430 and made my way across several bridges and back towards the woods. By now the hot weather was starting to settle in, and as I hiked over the railroad tracks I went past a chemical plant which was emitting some very strong odors. This made the first two miles not so fun, and the chemicals even gave me a mild headache. Eventually I started heading uphill and I soon came to the decision that since the water availability at the shelter was low I would instead camp short of the shelter at a spring part way up the mountain. I reached the site before too long and set up my tent (footprint and rainfly setup now until the bugs become bad-saves a whole pound) and constructed a tarp tent for Buddy as well. We ate our dinners and I climbed into my tent and read a few pages of No Country For Old Men before hitting the sack.
Date: 2013-04-08
From: campsite 

To: Pine Swamp Branch Shelter
Miles today: 14.7
Weather: broken clouds

Last night there was a lone coyote crying out all through the night. The calls were coming from fairly close by, but they were not the typical hooting sound. Instead it sounded more like a whine, but I assume it was coyote as it had a dog-like quality to it. As I awoke in the morning my tent was filled with the pleasant rays of the rising sun, and after cooking up some grits for breakfast I noticed two southbound section hikers heading down the mountain. They stopped by the spring for some water and we chatted for a few minutes before they continued on. I packed up my stuff and headed uphill, soon finding myself at the shelter on top of the mountain. There was a small clearing atop the bald and the shelter was just off to the side in the woods over a small fence stile. I stopped to take a break in the shade and to leave some notes in the shelter log for Daypack, Flo, Arrowhead and the others hiking behind me. I came across thru-hiker Jonny Blaze int he shelter, still relaxing in his sleeping bag. Soon a retired hiking couple with two dogs came up over the hill and stopped by the shelter to relax in the shade a little. They called themselves the 'four Montanas.' They starting their thru-hike at the end of February and have been blazing through towards Maine at a pretty fast rate. They wrote in the log then headed back onto the trail, followed by Buddy and I who soon caught up. As the trail began working its way up and down across the ridge line, the sun too began working its magic. I soon found myself sweating profusely and seeing that Buddy was panting quite heavily I decided to find a shady spot to rest for a few minutes. The terrain in the section was easy hiking, but since there was no water for 11 miles it made it hard to stay well hydrated in the heat of the afternoon sun. Eventually the trail headed up the final incline before the descent to the shelter, traversing many rocky sections and crossing over the eastern continental divide. After the divide the trail made its way downhill to the shelter, running into a few surprise water sources which made good respite for Buddy and the other dogs.The shelter was constructed of stone and had a fireplace in the middle with wood bunks on either side, exactly identical to the Trimpi shelter. I couldn't resist the fireplace and since I hadn't started a good fire in quite some time I decided to stay at the shelter for the night rather than push on. The Montanas had thought about camping a mile down the trail at "the captains" but since they knew nothing about it they decided to tent next to the shelter... Buddy and I ate our dinners, and as I was cleaning up Jonny Blaze showed up. He cooked up his dinner as well, and then waited for the sun to set before setting out on a night hike. Right at dusk thru-hiker 11 showed up and she had a small reunion with Jonny Blaze before he set out on his hike..