morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2005-02-27
From: Partnership Shelter

To: Groseclose(Relax Inn)
Miles today: 11.6
Weather: clear sky

   I made really good time to Groseclose and arrived there shortly after noon. Groseclose is not an actual town. It consists of two truck stops,a motel,and a Dairy Queen. I had planned on having a restaraunt meal,getting resupplied and getting back on the trail. After eating my meal at Dairy Queen I didn't feel like getting back on the trail. Spending a night in a motel seemed very tempting and that is what I ended up doing.   The Relax Inn is $40 a night. It is pretty old and could be cleaner but that seems to be the norm for motels along the AT. After taking a shower and doing my laundry I ordered a pizza. They do have pizza delivery here. If you're not too picky you can resupply here. The Shell station has more selection than the Exxon station attached to the Dairy Queen. This motel would probably be an ok deal if you had other hikers to split the cost with.   There was a snowstorm predicted for the evening and the next day. I decided if the snowstorm came I would take a bus home. I needed to make money and take care of other business at home. After Groseclose there isn't a bus stop reasonably close to the trail for about 300 miles. I knew I was going to have to go home at some point in my hike so I decided now would be a good time. When I get back I should have better weather and hopefully some more hikers around. I'm not very social but I still get tired of being the only one in the shelter night after night.   The snowstorm came and it dumped lots of snow. The motel owners shuttled me to the Greyhound station in Marion for $7. I'm back home now but will be back on the trail Tuesday, March 15th.
Date: 2005-03-15
From: Groseclose

To: Davis Path shelter
Miles today: 2.7

   Shady was nice enough to give me a shuttle to the trail from the bus station. He also gave me a little goody bag. Thanks for all your help Shady.It was late when I got on the trail. Even though I didn't have far to go I had to night hike about 15 minutes before arriving at the shelter. I'm tired from spending over 24 hours on the bus but I didn't want to spend $40 on the motel so I chose to hike to this shelter even though I knew I wouldn't make it before dark.
Date: 2005-03-16
From: Davis Path shelter

To: Knot Maul shelter
Miles today: 11.2
Weather: light snow

It was snowing when I left the trail two weeks ago. Today,my first full day back on the trail I was greeted with snow once again. I hiked in snow most of the day. I was tired and got a late start in the morning so Knot Maul was as far as I got. When I got off the trail I was hoping that there would be more hikers out when I got back on. I didn't think I would get back on so quickly though so there are still no hikers around me. I see from the registers that Hydro has passed me up while I was off the trail. I won't be able to catch up with her. She will just get further ahead of me as she hikes over 20 miles a day. Hopefully the weather will warm up soon and I will see some other hikers out here.
Date: 2005-03-17
From: Knot Maul shelter

To: Chestnut Knob Shelter
Miles today: 9.0
Weather: light snow

   I got another late start today. I just don't seem to have any energy. I've got to start hiking more miles or I'm never going to finish.   This is a nice shelter. It is fully enclosed with plexiglass windows which let in a lot of sun. I put my boots in the window and they defrosted so I didn't have to put on frozen boots the next day. There is a great view from here down into the valley. At this altitude though the snow is piling up and slowing my hiking down even more.
Date: 2005-03-18
From: Chestnut Knob Shelter

To: Jenkins Shelter
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: clear sky

   Still don't have any energy. Has a very slow start today hiking through deep snow drifts. By the time I got here the snow was mostly gone since this is much lower altitude. The companion says the privy here is a must-see but all that is here is a toilet. No walls or surrounding structure,I wonder what was here before. I'm thinking about going into Bland tomorrow. Since I'm making much slower time than planned my food is running low.
Date: 2005-03-19
From: Jenkins Shelter

To: Bland, Va
Miles today: 11.5
Weather: overcast clouds

   I finally get an early start today. Many people might not consider 9:15 an early start but it is compared to how late I've been starting. The lure of town gave me motivation to get going a little earlier.   I made a mistake and put my socks out on a line to dry. I didn't think it was going to be below freezing. This is the second time in three days I've had to put on frozen socks. At least this time my boots weren't also frozen. Putting on frozen socks and boots is not just uncomfortable it is painful. As soon as I had everything packed up I started running down the trail to warm up my feet.    The trail was much easier today and I made it to the highway quickly. I was able to get a ride into town almost immediately. I bought some groceries from the small grocery store and sat in front of the store and ate. After that I decided to stay in Bland for the night. The motel was about a mile away up by the interstate. There is a Dairy Queen and Shell station across from the motel. The motel cost $50 which ate up the money I had saved by not staying in Groseclose and then some. It was well worth it though as I felt much better after gorging myself with food and beverage and then laying in bed the rest of the day.
Date: 2005-03-20
From: Bland, Va

To: Wapiti Shelter
Miles today: 26.3
Weather: scattered clouds

   I woke up early this morning. I seem to wake up earlier in motels than in the shelters. I felt energized though so I ate breakfast and then hit the road. It rained some overnight and was cloudy when I started walking. Soon though the clouds went away and it was a beautiful day. Today was the first day of spring and it felt like it. I could have hiked in shorts and t-shirt today if I wasn't too lazy to stop and change clothes.   I took highway 42 out of town and roadwalked for the first half of the day. As the AT runs along the ridge top the trail parallels it in the valley. I guess I'm lucky someone left a map behind in one of the shelters or I wouldn't have known about this option. I got back on the trail where it crosses 608.   About a half-mile from 608 is a convenience store. It has enough stuff for short-term resupply and also a small grill where you can order hamburgers or pizza. I'd say it is worth a stop. It would allow you to carry one less day of food between Groseclose and Pearisburg. I wouldn't recommend stopping in Bland. I only stopped there because of my lack of energy. If you're feeling good you should easily make it from Groseclose to Pearisburg.
Date: 2005-03-21
From: Wapiti Shelter

To: Pearisburg
Miles today: 16.2
Weather: overcast clouds

   I got up early today and headed into town. I seem to hike much faster when I have a town as my goal.   I made it into town in time to catch the pizza buffet at Pizza Plus. It wasn't much of a buffet but I stuffed myself with what was available. I then headed into town to the church hostel. The hostel is a long way from the trail. They do have blue blazes on the street signs and telephone poles for you to follow to the hostel. I took a shower at the hostel and then made my way here to the library. I'll give you another update tomorrow if I decide to take a zero day. If tomorrow is a beautiful day like today though I'll head on out of town.
Date: 2005-03-22
From: Pearisburg

To: Rice Field Shelter
Miles today: 7.3
Weather: overcast clouds

I got up early today and had a leisurely breakfast at Hardee¢s. It was so leisurely that by the time I finished it was lunchtime. So I ordered lunch and had a leisurely lunch before leaving town. It was nice and sunny when I left but after a couple hours it became cloudy. I picked up my pace to make the shelter before it started raining. It still hasn¢t started raining but I¢m sure it is going to. Today was a short day due to the late start but from here to Catawba I¢m going to try to average high teens for miles. I see from the register a section hiker heading from Pearisburg to Harper¢s Ferry started today. I¢m going to try to catch up with him. I¢m hoping that will give me motivation to do the miles. Someone left part of a book here so I¢m going to read it for awhile before going to sleep.
Date: 2005-03-23
From: Rice Field Shelter

To: Bailey Gap Shelter
Miles today: 16.2
Weather: moderate rain

It was raining when I woke up this morning. I decided to wait for the rain to stop before hiking. I hit the trail about 9:30am. It was still sprinkling some but at least it wasn¢t coming down hard like before. My plans to make it to War Spur Shelter went out the window and Bailey Gap Shelter became my new destination.I passed a SOBO section hiker named ¢Cherokee Tears¢ and at the shelter there is Leo, who is hiking north to Harper¢s Ferry. Also here is one of the four hikers I met right before Pearisburg, VA. It is nice to have some company at the shelter for a change.The bridge over VA 635 was washed out last fall during one of the hurricanes. The local maintainers have a sign on the trail explaining how to roadwalk to avoid fording the creek. Since it had been raining all day I decided to do the roadwalk. This was a good decision as one of the section hikers missed the sign and ended up fording the river. He said it came up to mid-thigh. Glad I didn¢t do it.
Date: 2005-03-24
From: Bailey Gap Shelter

To: Laurel Creek Shelter
Miles today: 14.6
Weather: overcast clouds

There was a dense fog this morning when I woke up so I decided not to get an early start. Also one of the section hikers was a loud snorer so I didn¢t sleep well. I guess you have to take the good with the bad. The group of four section hikers is here tonight. Leo apparently decided to stay at the last shelter. I¢m hoping I sleep better tonight. I plan to do a big day tomorrow so I can take a short day into Catawba the next day.
Date: 2005-03-25
From: Laurel Creek Shelter

To: Pickle Branch Shelter
Miles today: 22.3
Weather: overcast clouds

I finally got an early start and got a decent mile day in. Had a good day hiking as I spent some time hiking with ¢Had¢ who was doing a weekend hike. Also passed ¢Cherokee Tears¢ again who was doing a flip-flop section hike. At Niday Shelter I conversed briefly with the four section hikers and a female hiker who hiked to Gorham, NH last year and is completing the trail this year.I left Niday Shelter with about four hours of daylight to cover the 10 miles to Pickle Branch Shelter. After the climb past VA 621 the terrain was easy and I made good time. I stopped briefly at the Audie Murphy monument but somehow I missed seeing the Keffer Oak earlier in the day. Everyone else I talked to saw it; I don¢t know how I missed it. About 2 miles from the shelter the rain started up again and I had to hike the last mile by flashlight since the rain ended the daylight prematurely. The Pickle Branch Shelter is a long way off the trail. Not something you like when you¢ve already hiked 22.9 miles. A short day into Catawba tomorrow.
Date: 2005-03-26
From: Pickle Branch Shelter

To: Campbell Shelter
Miles today: 16.1
Weather: mist

Started off slow this morning, the trail had lots of tedious little ups and downs. The climb down from Dragon¢s Tooth was fun though; I had to do a little rock scrambling like on Albert Mountain. The fact that the rocks were slick from rain made the decent a little more challenging. After looking at my data book and companion I decided not to stop at Catawba. The I-81 interchange is only a day away and I know I¢ll stop there. I was able to get a ride from the group of section hikers to Catawba, VA and back. I bought some junk food in town but no resupply. I¢ve lost 25 pounds since starting the trail. I needed to lose the weight but I¢m trying to eat more since that rate of loss is unsustainable.After crossing VA 311 I met a ridgerunner and talked to him awhile. I also talked to a young couple who are thinking of thru hiking next year. It was neat to share my experiences with prospective hikers. Unfortunately with the rain and fog I had absolutely no view of McAfee Knob. I think I¢m going to have to do several section hikes next year to see all places I didn¢t get to fully experience this year.
Date: 2005-03-27
From: Campbell Shelter

To: Daleville, VA
Miles today: 15.4
Weather: light rain

I had a hard time getting going today. I usually am motivated when I have town as a goal but it was raining again when I woke up today, the fog had left a layer of condensation over everything in the shelter. I hiked the Tinker Cliffs today but there was no view. It has rained every day since Wednesday and I am getting tired of it.The hike to Daleville was routine, drizzle, fog and plenty of tedious small ups and downs. I haven¢t found Virginia to be flat at all, and the mileage isn¢t coming any easier. On the positive side someone left Easter eggs with Snicker bars inside at Lamberts Meadow Shelter, thanks to who ever left them.In Daleville I checked into the Econolodge. They have a $45 hiker rate. I did my laundry and bought some food at the nearby convenience store. After that I just vegged out in front of the TV. It was good just to relax and be lazy.
Date: 2005-03-28
From: Daleville, VA

To: Daleville, VA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

I decided to take a zero today. More wet weather was predicted for today but Tuesday and Wednesday are supposed to be nice. I went to outdoor trails and used the internet. I then bought some town food and resupply at Krogers and had lunch at Bojangles, I can¢t really afford these town days but I need them right now to keep me going. I got some good news in the afternoon. My friend Daryn is going to meet me in Waynesboro next week and hike north with me. Having a friend to hike with should reinvigorate my enthusiasm for my hike
Date: 2005-03-30
From: Wilson Creek Shelter

To: Bearwallow Gap
Miles today: 10.5

   As many of you may have guessed by now I am off the trail. Hiking north from Wilson Creek shelter I had a nice sunny day to hike. The trail was easy, especially along the Blue Ridge Parkway. There were also beautiful views. Despite all this I just didn't feel like hiking. I went into Peaks of Otter and spent the night there. The next day I still didn't feel like hiking so I hitched to Bedford and caught a bus from there.   I apologize to all who were reading my journal but I had lost my enthusiasm for the hike. I didn't want to continue my hike if I wasn't enjoying it. I suppose some people could tell this was likely to happen since my journal entries were getting shorter and shorter. I'm not sure why I lost my motivation to hike. It just seemed to be getting boring and repetitive. I've been home for three weeks now and I still don't regret getting off the trail. That is different from last year when I wished I had stayed on the trail. I'll still probably get on the trail and do some section hiking. I definitely plan to complete the trail. I'll do it in sections though not all at once. My friend Daryn (Buzzsaw) is thru-hiking right now and I'm going to join him for a while when he gets to where I left off. I'm going to put up entries from that hike. That probably won't be until July though. Thanks again to everyone who helped me on my hike and to all who read my journal. Your support is appreciated.
Date: 2005-04-28
From: home

To: AT
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

I'm heading back to the trail for a couple of weeks. I'm meeting my friend Daryn (Buzzsaw)in Hot Springs this Saturday. We're going to head north to where I left the trail and hike for a couple of weeks before heading to Trail Days. I'm taking my car and we're going to do some key swap hiking. Since we'll be hiking along the Blue Ridge Parkway it should be pretty easy to plan. I hope to see some of you at Trail Days.
Date: 2005-04-30
From: Lemon Gap

To: Roaring Fork Shelter
Miles today: 0.5
Weather: light rain

   I arrived at Lemon Gap at about 2:30 in the morning. I left Missouri about 8:00 in the morning. It was about 11:30 at night when I got to Standing Bear Farm and asked if anyone knew where Buzzsaw was. Luckily Icebreak and another guy were still up and told me Buzzsaw had left that afternoon. I decided to go to Lemon Gap and wait for Buzzsaw there. Unfortunately I didn't have a map which showed where Lemon Gap was at so I had to guess. It took me about 3 hours to find it. It probably would have only taken an hour to get there if I knew where it was to start with.   I slept in my car for the night. In the morning I hiked to Roaring Fork shelter and surprised Buzzsaw who was still sleeping. We left for Hot Spring and then went on to Atlanta to visit my brother. I slackpacked JKA's backpack to Hot Springs for him. We should be back on the trail Sunday. We're going to do the section between Lemon Gap and Hot Springs. After that we're heading north to Bearwallow Gap in Virginia.
Date: 2005-05-01
From: Bear Wallow Gap

To: Parkers Gap Road
Miles today: 17.8

Since I am updating this long after I actually hiked I'm no longer sure of the actual dates I hiked. I did some key swap hiking in this section with Buzzsaw. We took it very easy. This 17.8 miles was covered in two or three days and we had restaraunt food every night. It was pretty nice but it is not the same as hiking on your own.
Date: 2005-05-02
From: Upper Blue Ridge Parkway mile 76.3

To: Petites Gap
Miles today: 5.0

Buzzsaw and I spent one night at Thunder Hill shelter with some thru-hikers. The trail was much more crowded than when I left it. I skipped the section between Parkers Gap road and mile 76.3. I'll have to make up those 2.3 miles later. I intended to hike that section but I had to meet Buzzsaw and I was hiking very slowly that day so I stopped at the road crossing and caught Buzzsaw as he drove by. I got out of shape very quickly, plus I wasn't used to hiking in the heat.   I should have no problem making up that little section plus more. I'm going to be attending law school at Washington and Lee which is only about 20 minutes from the trail. I know I'll be very busy during school but I hope to get out and do some sections at least a few weekends.   Section hiking is probably all I'll be able to do for a long time now. Of course it is also all I've done before even though I set out to thru-hike a couple of times. After I graduate law school I doubt I'll have much time for hiking. Also I am engaged so my fiancee has to take precedence over hiking. I'm glad I've gotten to do all the hiking I have. That's all for now. I'll update when I get another section done.
Date: 2005-08-12
From: Thunder Ridge Overlook

To: Parkers Gap Road
Miles today: 4.0

   I did a day hike to make up the section I skipped between Parkers Gap road and Thunder Hill shelter. Since I needed to park my car I hiked some of the trail I had already hiked since there is no parking near Thunder Hill shelter.   It was a pretty hot day for hiking. It wasn't too bad though since I was day hiking and didn't have to carry a heavy pack. I prefer to hike in the winter though when the weather is cooler and there are no bugs. There was some interesting scenery during the hike. I passed the Guillotine and the weather center. I hiked south because there was less of a climb that way. I can definitely tell that I'm out of shape though. The hike should have been easy because I only had a small day pack and I was going mostly downhill but I still became fatigued pretty quick.   On the way back to my car I was stopped by park rangers who thought I might have been stealing ginseng. I let them search my pack and they let me go on my way. I hope to do some more day hikes if I have time. I was going to stay out overnight this weekend but it is just too hot. Hope to get another section in soon.
Date: 2005-09-16
From: Petites Gap

To: Matts Creek Shelter
Miles today: 7.7
Weather: clear sky

I finally got back out to the trail for an overnight hike. The hike down to Matts Creek shelter wasn't too bad. Unfortunately I had to turn around and hike back up the next day. I need to find someone to give me a ride to the trail so I don't have to hike everything twice. I passed a couple of southbounders on the trail but I had the shelter to myself. I thought there might be some weekenders out since the shelter is only two miles from the highway but I guess the rain kept them at home. I hope I can continue to get in some small hikes on the trail.
Date: 2005-09-23
From: US 501

To: Matts Creek Shelter
Miles today: 2.2
Weather: few clouds

I got in a quick day hike this week. It was an easy hike to the shelter and back. Afterwards I gave a section hiker a ride to Glasgow and back to get a cold drink. I'll do some more hiking if I can find someone to give me a ride to the trail so I don't have to do out and back hikes.
Date: 2005-01-16
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

2005 finds me augmenting my AT mileage, perhaps finishing the Trail. Since I started back in 1977, it¢s about time!   I wonder if there¢s a record for the longest time taken to complete the AT?Still pending are the following stretches:NC-TN - Allen Gap to Damascus - 174 miles. Hopefully begin in late April/early May to arrive at Damascus for Trail Days. I¢ve already hiked the 18.5 miles Hughes Gap-to-Rt. 19E but I¢ll probably re-hike it.SW Virginia - Fox Creek Rt. 603 to Craig Creek Valley Rt. 621 - 173 miles. I¢ll probably break this into pieces. Weather permitting, I¢m covering Fox Creek to US 11/I81 February 1-3 and Pearisburg to Craig Creek Valley in March. Don¢t know yet when I¢ll cover the remaining 90 miles.NY - Bear Mountain to NY Rt. 22 - 46 miles - I may hike this in April, otherwise May or June.MA - Paradise Lane Trail at Sages Ravine to Rt 20 - 44 miles - I may hike this in April, otherwise June.NH-ME - Rt. Gorham to Katahdin - 298 miles. I want to end my AT mileage on the big K so I¢ll hike this starting in August if I¢ve finished everything else.Much will depend on what else occurs. I may not finish all my open miles if I spend time re-hiking some portions with friends. And there is recreational life outside the AT. I hope to backpack out west this summer and perhaps in Europe as well.So Katahdin can wait but I¢m saving a small bottle of champagne for the occasion. Some day I will summit and what will it feel like? Who will accompany me? Chances are, I¢ll ascend at the same time some thruhikers are completing their sojourn. Will our emotions run the same? How does one compare the astounding feat of a 2,174 mile thruhike with all the skills, planning, physical and mental conditioning with the culmination of a nearly 30 year quest? But does it matter? Each of us in our own ways will experience summiting commensurate with our unique persona. Here¢s hoping and praying for a splendid 2005!