morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2014-05-14
From: McQueens Knob Emergency Shelter

To: Damascus
Miles today: 11.9
Weather: broken clouds

It was fun to wake up in the little shelter. Happy 33rd Birthday to me!The sky was blue and the rain had stopped. It was a joy to not deal with a wet tent or gear. My shoes were still a bit damp.Smokey and I decided to hike together the 11-12 miles into Damascus. We walk at a similar speed and were both in the mood to chat. I donned a pink Birthday Girl sash to hike in for the day and off we went.I'm blessed to be hiking in a gorgeous forest on my birthday. It was like the butterflies were dancing in the wind just for me.At Abington Shelter, we had a leisurely breakfast with a bunch of cool hikers. I met a mother and daughter duo from France for the first time.The walk into Damascus was sweaty in the humid area. I hate uphills but I love the reward of a cool breeze at the top. Just what? I passed into Virginia! Buh-bye Tennessee!!! Yay a new state! When the town came into view, my heart started racing and I got really excited. Damascus..... Woohoo!The trail parallels a town park and we stopped at a water spigot to guzzle down water. I saw Baltimore Jack sitting under a tent so I stopped to say hello and drink a pop.Smokey and I both had no idea where we were staying for the night. I saw a big house across the street with a bunch if tents and hikers. I assumed it was a hostel. We walked over there and I introduced myself to a smiling lady named Dot Com. She said she previously hiked section of the trail with her husband Fidgit. The moved from Texas to Damascus two years ago since they loved the area so much. She was letting hikers tent on her spacious lawn for free provided they followed her rules of no alcohol or drugs on premise. She even had a port-a-potty on site. Sold! I thanked her for her generosity and chose a place next to Smokey's tent.We heard about a free dinner put on by One Way Ministries so Smokey, Lily and I walked to their church. They had a delicious spaghetti dinner spread for all the hikers. It was like a hiker reunion because I ran into people I hadn't seen since the early days of Georgia. After dinner, I went to the Blue Blaze Cafe for some microbrews and to continue celebrating my birthday. Thanks to Bloodroot and Lieutenant Dan for the birthday beers and special thanks to Smokey for the beers, snacks and dessert.Hiker midnight crept up (9:00) so Smokey and returned to Dotcom's house. On my tent was... A Mylar Happy Birthday helium balloon!!!! It was attached to the fly and was floating in the air. I started gushing.. Who did this!!!!Dotcom's came over to greet me with a small birthday cake. OMG! I started tearing up. I had just met this woman for a few moments and she went out of her way to make my birthday special. How unbelievably kind and thoughtful. This trail really is magical.It was really windy and big rain was coming so I put the ballon with me inside the tent for the night. It was a bit cramped but I smiled each time I looked up and saw it floating above me. Thank you again Dotcom. This is one birthday that I will never forget.
Date: 2014-05-15
From: Damascus

To: Damascus
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

It rained all night but I was warm and dry in my little cuben fiber tent. It was still raining in the morning so I slept in pretty late. My birthday balloon was still floating and bobbing above my head.Finally after getting put of the tent, I chatted for a bit with Dotcom on her porch. She also hiked the Grand Canyon rim-to-rim in the past.Smokey and decided to pick up tickets for the free Roast Pork dinner. We walked through downtown and got some of the last few tickets for the event. We walked around a bit more and browsed in Sundog Outfitters. I kept running into hikers that I hadn't seen for ages and it was fun to catch up. We had smoothies in Mojoes Cafe and ate a healthy lunch at Subway.Back downtown, We stopped at Front Porch Ministries. They were handing out over 800 handknit hat to hikers. I picked out a pretty green one that was badly needed to cover up my greasy, unwashed hair. I sat down and drank hot chocolate talking with the church members. They are washing and massaging feet for free tomorrow. That should be interesting!It was raining almost the entire day. It was still raining when I had to leave to get down to the bingo hall for the pork roast. I was dreading the long, wet walk. After a couple minutes, a van pulled up and offered me a ride. The fellow driving it was named King Tut ( from One Way ministries) and mentioned that he worked in Ghana. I told him I'd been to Ghana and I think it blew his mind. It was a short ride so we'll have to meet up and chat later about West Africa.At the bingo hall, I met up with some hikers I knew for dinner. Kinetic Girl told me she wanted to renamed me Cuben Fiber because I love it so much! I had my Zpacks purse, rain skirt and raincoat on when I saw her. I told her she could call me that. One Way Ministries served the hikers big plates of pulled pork, egg salad, beans and coleslaw. They also had an awesome assortment of desserts. Ninja Turtle sat across from me and she had since acquired a beautiful dog. She said she instantly connected with the dog offered to buy it from the owner on the spot.Today, my family is coming by from Canada but I don't know what time. There is no cell service in this town for my phone. I also only get wifi at a few local businesses or I can pick up the town wifi if near the park. About that, I have never heard of an entire town having free wifi. Mind blown.Yesterday, I told Daryl that I'd be at Blue Blaze Cafe waiting for them. They said they'd be coming in around 6:00pm but the showed up three hours later. Hooray family! We went to 'Hey Joes' for a beer then drove to Abington to stay at a motel.
Date: 2014-05-17
From: Damascus

To: Damascus
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

I tried to get my laundry done at Tent City. It was full and they stopped accepting more items. Gah! My hiker clothes will stay dirty! It was very disappointing.Daryl and I went to Mojoes Coffee house for delicious fruity smoothies. It was nice to have a bit of couple time together. I also grabbed a free hotdog outside Sundog Outfitters. We returned and relaxed in the cabin until the parade started. I lined up with my 2014 classmates and noticed many had rain gear on. I forgot that it was a tradition to soak participants with water guns! The parade would have been much better with music. My clothes and hair got a bit damp but I wasn't drenched.In the town park, I checked out the vendors and attempted to win some free gear in raffles, I was unsuccessful, but my brother's fianc©e Bella won a prize pack at the big Backpacker giveaway. Congrats Bella!My family and I went to the Blue Blaze Cafe for dinner. My youngest brother David is up for a challenge like me. He completed the 30 min hot hot wing challenge in less than 9 mins and had his photo takes for the Wall if Flame. I tried a tiny bit of the sauce and it was super fiery! We went to the first annual Hiker Prom at the Damascus Brewery. It was packed and not too many people were dancing. My family and I made our own little dance circle at the back. After the party, Miss Janet gave us a lift to the Tent City bonfire. Daryl and I only stayed for a short time before returning back to the cabin.
Date: 2014-05-18
From: Damascus

To: Saunders Shelter
Miles today: 9.2
Weather: broken clouds

My family had a 14 hour drive ahead of them back to Canada. The left in the morning and it was very difficult to say goodbye. As the car pulled away I felt really alone and empty.I had the cabin for a few more hours so I took a leisurely shower and watched a movie on TV ( Can't Buy Me Love). I was dreading having to leave to hike since I was already in a sad mood.Eventually, I got my pack on and started following the white blazes out of town. I stopped for a Turkey Avocado sub at Subway along the way. There was a table set up with trail magic at the end of the street from a hiker named 'Bone Man' or 'Bone Doctor'. I can't remember his exact trail name but he is an orthopaedic surgeon. There were a bunch of young section hikers crowded around him and I grabbed a handful of malt chocolates and offered a brief thank you before heading on.When the trail enters the forest there is an immediate steep up. I was angry with myself for leaving during the heat of the day. I was feeling crappy from lack of sleep and eating too much town food. It was a struggle to hike.As the afternoon progressed I started to feel better. I sat on a comfy rock in the shade and spent ten minutes enjoying the sights, sounds and smells of the forest. The forest is my home, town is a nice place to visit but I wouldn't want to live there! (Haha)I was offered some trail magic near a stretch on the Virginia Creeper trail in the form of a cold beer. I politely declined since I had imbibed enough the night before. There was a brief detour on the trail due to a washed out bridge. I lamented that I didn't want to leave the trail for the alternative route. Three German section hikers suggested I scout out the detour and report back to them as they took a coffee break. Oh ho ho.... Fat chance I was doing that!When I got close to Saunders Shelter, I ran into CAT. It is always a pleasure to chat with him. He is faster than me and zoomed up the hill.Saunders Shelter was not as busy as I imagined it would be. CAT already had his tent setup so her offered to get my water for me. What a gentleman! I will return the favour for him the next time it is possible.Some section hikers made a big roaring campfire and it felt relaxing to watch the flickering flames in the evening.
Date: 2014-05-19
From: Saunders Shelter

To: Thomas Knob Shelter
Miles today: 18.6
Weather: broken clouds

I woke up on my tent and thought to myself, "I'm going to hike some big miles today!".The first part of the day was easy, winding down the mountain from the shelter and walking on the flat Virginia Creeper trail. At the Lost Mountain shelter, I ran into the couple from Alaska with the two big dogs I met on Day zone of my hike. It was great to see they were doing well and their dogs have stayed healthy and happy. . They now go by the team trail name 'Iditarod'.The climb up Whitetop Mountain was manageable. Uphills aren't easy but it helps when there are many switchbacks. I took a short break every 0.5 miles until I reached the highest point on the trail. The trail didn't go to the summit, but took me to a big grassy area with amazing views of the surrounding mountains. Many hikers were resting and enjoying the day up there. There is a big rock outcropping called 'Buzzard Rock' in the area. CAT caught up to me and asked where I was planning to stop for the night. I hadn't really thought about it until then - I was just hiking North!The trail descended through forest and field to a large highway crossing. Some members of a Riffraff were in the parking lots and were offering beers to passing thru-hikers. I politely declined since the day was getting late and I wanted to pump out some more miles. It is all about the trail today!The path after the road crossing, when through a field with several large cows. They were pretty close to me and a couple loudly MOOed as I passed. The climb up Mount Rogers started very gradually and I had energy to enjoys the surroundings as I climbed. Mount Rogers is the highest mountain in Virginia. Halfway up, it got rocky and muddy. My pace slowed down as I navigated over jumbled boulders and deep mud puddles. I got my first glimpse of the wild horses during the climb. The area was used as cattle grazing land in the past. The forest service brought in ponies to manage the grasslands years ago. The ponies are wild, but get rounded up and checked by vets once a year. The forest service also sells ponies if the herd sizes get too large.It was late in the evening when I finally reached Thomas Knob Shelter. I had done two tough climbs and I was exhausted so I chose to sleep in the shelter rather than find a tenting spot. I had a bad night sleep because it got really cold when the sun went down. The shelter log said it had snowed a few days earlier! Future thru- hiker: don't sent your winter gear home until after Mount Rogers!
Date: 2014-05-21
From: Hurricane Mountain Shelter 

To: Partnership Shelter
Miles today: 19.7
Weather: broken clouds

I got an early start because I wanted to do my longest day on the trail to Partnership Shelter.The first five miles flew by as the terrain was really nice. I met some elderly day hikers from Ohio that were struggling to get up a big hill. I though to myself, that was me in Georgia! I am definitely much quicker than I used to be.Comers Cascade was a pretty waterfall spot. I lingered to enjoy the sound of the crashing water and watch the water spill over the rocks. At the Dickey Gap road crossing I saw a sign for a free hiker picnic at the baptist church in Troutdale. I didn't have time to check it out as the picnic did not start until the evening. I had a snack break with Homestretch.I had heard the the water at Trimpi Shelter was down a steep hill so I decided to skip it. I would need to ration my water until the next stream a couple miles ahead.I crossed a field and the trail went down an old road for a bit. Then I saw it- a big trail magic tent! There was drinking water, fruit, snacks and hiker supplies (eg. First aid). It was unexpected and a great treat. Thanks to the local baptist church that maintains it,The trail for the rest of the day rolled up and down hills on a ridge line. Some area were pancake flat, others were stony and steep. I persisted and made it my goal - partnership shelter!Partnership Shelter is located beside the Mount Rogers visitor center. It is a large two story structure with an attached hot shower and laundry sink out back. I didn't bother with the shower or laundry since I was going to town the next day.Train had ordered Pizza Hut from the telephone outside the visitor centre and the delivered right to the gate. I chipped in on his order to have a couple slices. Pizza on the trail at a shelter is totally amazing.I slept on the second floor of the shelter since the first floor was already full. It was dark up there, but the space kept me dry during a thunderstorm. The thunder was deafening and the structure rumbled. I did not sleep well!
Date: 2014-05-22
From: Partnership Shelter

To: Atkins
Miles today: 11.6
Weather: light rain

I checked out the visitor centre before leaving in the morning. Many displays were about Smokey the Smokey the Bear. Some of the exhibits had interesting information about the local forests.Homestretch and I decided to share a motel room in Atkins. I had a maildrop there and I wanted to do a smaller mileage day. The trail to Atkins only went up one big incline, Glade Mountain. I was glad to get it out of the way. Otherwise, the terrain was lovely.Homestretch and I stopped at Chatfield Shelter for a snack break. I was really hungry so I ate a larger number of snacks than usual. A ridge runner named Jonathan stopped by and said there was trail magic ahead.Homestretch and I zoomed down a gradually descending path through the shady forest towards the Settler's Museum. The Settler's Museum preserves the culture of the local residents from the late 1890s. Inside the old school house was a smorgasbord of hiker treats! Pop, fruit, candy, snacks, supplies. It had everything! I had an orange pop, banana, snack cake and small bag of chips. It was fun to sit at a desk in the schoolhouse and eat. Thanks to the local Methodist church for the trail magic!It was only a few short miles to Atkins. The trail dipped in and out of forest and field. I knew Atkins was close because I could hear the ugly noise from the highway.We shared a motel room at the Relax Inn for $25 each and sorted out our gear in the room. I figured I needed about five days of food to get me to my next stop.In the evening, Homestretch and I met up with Captain Dan and Medic to go for dinner at the nearby restaurant called 'The Barn'. Yes, it is inside a barn structure! I had a Hillbilly burger with mashed potatoes, breaded mushrooms and green beans. Yum!I checked my email and I won another prize! A $1750 ski gear package from Nordica. Hooray! I phoned them and successfully answered the skill-testing question. It is a great surprise and I'm looking forward to learning how to ski this winter.
Date: 2014-05-23
From: Atkins

To: Lynn Creek Camp
Miles today: 15.1
Weather: broken clouds

Putting on clean hiking clothes in the morning was a real treat. I hadn't done laundry since Erwin!Homestretch stopped at the gas station on the way out of Atkins to pick up a Gatorade and we ran into Bamboo. He is one of the hikers with the YWAM group.The trail was fairly flat coming out of Atkins. This a great way to start a hiking day. The first big climb was up Little Brushy Mountain. Lots of bushes were blooming with bright pink-purple blossoms. There was a surprise near the top- someone had spelled out '25%' in rocks. It meant the Northbound thru-hikers had completed 25% of the entire trail. Hooray!The incline on Walker Mountain looked a lot scarier than it actually was. It had gradual switchbacks which made it feel much easier. After coming down Walker Mountain, the trail opened up into open pasture land. There were multiple wooden stiles to climb over. At the stile near the bridge, there was a bit of trail magic in a cooler. It was an awesome treat to have a Dr. Thunder pop.That pop helped to fuel the climb up Brushy Mountain. That was a tough, steep climb up to the Knot Maul Branch Shelter.I kept wanting to call the shelter 'Darth Maul' instead of 'Knot Maul'!Bamboo was up at the shelter and told me that Homestretch had recently passed. We had made a plan earlier to camp a mile ahead at the Lynn Camp Creek. It was a short, pleasant walk down to the footbridge. It is always preferable to camp near a reliable water source rather than carry water to a dry camp. I messed up and spilt my water twice by accident and I glad it was only a one minute walk back to the footbridge!Lots of other hikers had also chosen this spot including Sleepy Hollow, Lovis and two Albertans named Firefly & Groundhog.
Date: 2014-05-25
From: Jenkins Shelter

To: VA 611
Miles today: 20.7
Weather: light rain

I walk down to the bridge with Lt. Dan & Medic in the morning. The miles seemed to fly by on the easy, gradual terrain. At the bridge, I met Trud Brit. He told us about tenting at Fort Bastian. The cost was $7 for shuttle, resupply shuttle, tenting and breakfast in the morning. It was a great deal but I still wanted to hike more miles, True Brit said he could pick me up a road crossings further up the trail.Lt. Dan & Medic zoomed ahead on the trail as they needed to resupply in Bland. I still wanted to somewhat keep pace with them so I was hiking at a speed much faster than normal. I had the eye of the tiger! I felt like superwoman flying on the ridge.The was little water in the stretch that day do I told the guys if there was no trail magic ( water jugs) I'd meet up with them in Bland. At the road crossing, there were two separate water caches so I hiked on past the highway.Crossing the highway section was really confusing. It is not well blazed. I had to turn on my GPS app to make sure I was going in the correct direction.The climb up towards the shelter was really steep. There is one tricky tree to manoeuvre over that really should be removed for hiker safety.I got to the shelter turn off after 14 miles and made the decision to go onto the road crossing. I was low on water but the water was 0.3 miles from the shelter and questionable if it was flowing.The trail rock and rolled over hills towards VA 611. I was counting down the hills until I got to the road. There was a huge pile of empty jugs. No water for me. I had walked my longest day (over 20 miles hurrah!) and did not want to go further. Luckily, I had cell service and called True Brit to pick me up.True Brit picked me up 20 minutes later and we drove to Fort Bastian. There is a port-a-potty, no running water and a generator provides a bit of electricity. I set up my tent and socialized with other hikers for the rest of the evening.
Date: 2014-05-26
From: VA 611

To: VA 611
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

At Fort Bastian, True Brit serves up a great breakfast of eggs, pancakes and bacon. I ate it in my tent!I had stayed up way too late the night before so I decided to zero. I was with a fun group of people like Tomahawk, Eskimo, Breezy Spice, Dr., Miss America, Greyhound, Bones and Ladybug.A bunch of us went into town to do errands like laundry. I went to Walmart to buy a new hiking shirt since my Icebreaker one had holes in the back where my pack had rubbed. I've also been wearing shorts over my Capris/tights since it help with wear and tear. Those shorts were falling apart so I grabbed a new pair. Walmart brand is not durable but it is cheap!I also enjoyed pizza and Chinese food in town. True Brit took the carload of hikers up to a General Store with ice cream and amazing views. It had a big viewing tower that you can see five states from the top. It also had a suspension bridge that bounced when a bunch of hikers ran across. It was hilarious- pure, clean fun!Back at Fort Bastian, I lounged around, sat by the creek and socialized. The evenings around the firepit can go pretty late but I got to sleep at a reasonable hour to get ready to hike the next morning.
Date: 2014-05-27
From: VA 611

To: Wapiti Shelter
Miles today: 17.3
Weather: thunderstorm

After enjoying some pancakes I was dropped back off at the trail. The moment I got out of the vehicle, it started to rain. I quickly pulled on my rain gear before getting soaked. I was really annoyed that I had to start the day in a Thunderstorm!The rain lasted for a couple hours then stopped. The trail was super easy for most the day and I felt like I was strolling along. At the big bridge, there was some trail magic in the form of Oreos. It was a delicious treat. In the nearby parking lot I saw the Van Clan YWAM van and knew it was from them. I stopped to say hi and I also refilled my water with their big jugs.Tricks and Aquaman passed me on the trail. They were heading to camp at Dismal Falls. I wasn't in the mood for swimming so I pressed on.I met two section hikers and one of them recognized me from Trailjournals! He had checked out blogs of thruhikers that he might run into during his section.The trail was a bit confusing due to a reroute near the shelter. I was about a mile away when another thunderstorm started. I had just dried out from my morning shower and I was getting drenched right before reaching the shelter! The trail travelled along a large pond and I saw another couple running through the rain on the other side. They had accidentally taken a horse path ( old AT trail) and were furious because the mistake caused them to get caught in the rain.Wapiti shelter is the site of a horrible double murder. The shelter was full and I didn't really want to stay near a former crime scene so I set up my tent. I caught a brief break in the rain to get set up so all my stuff stayed dry. It was a pretty cold night.