morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2004-05-06
From: Damascus, VA

To: US 58, Straight Branch
Miles today: 5.6

¢Called the friendliest town on the trail and the home of Trail Days . . .¢- From the ALDHA Thru-Hiker¢s CompanionThe end of my first month on the trail ¢ woo hee! I¢m ecstatic to be in Damascus, VA! This is indeed the ¢friendliest town on the trail.¢ Many of the people are already abuzz about Trail Days, which begins next week. The town is expecting 30,000 visitors ¢ 30 times the size of the year round population here! This morning Dingle, Wildman, Mr. Fix-A-Lot, and Blue Sky walk into town, and many will continue to come in during the day, which means The Place will probably be packed again.I definitely don¢t want to take a zero day today, but I do want to enjoy Damascus, catching up with some hikers, and celebrating my first month on the trail and the completion of 20 percent of the hike. So I¢m going to do another ¢nearo.¢ I¢m starting to like these, especially after big days, because I walk a bit (get some work done), but enjoy a full day and night in a trail town and don¢t feel guilty about not doing anything.So I talked to Jeff, at Mt. Rogers Outfitters, and concoct a plan to hike out 5.6 miles on the Virginia Creeper Trail, and then walk back into town on the A.T. And yes, I do it with a full pack ¢ I¢m not slack packing! I have a relatively light pack at 23.5 pounds. Instead, I decide to hike out on the A.T. and then try hitching back into town. And if that fails, I¢ll walk back on the Creeper Trail ¢ which is an easy rails-to-trails walk.By walking out this afternoon, I get the 1,200 ascent of Cuckoo Knob out of the way, and feel good about having walked, and can still enjoy the good company of other hikers in town tonight. The hike is relatively nondescript, despite the temperature being in the mid-80¢s ¢ it¢s a good, short 2 hour, 9 minute hiking day getting acclimated to the hot weather.And I¢m quite lucky at U.S. 58. I set my watch to count down 10 minutes, and if I don¢t get a ride within that time I¢ll walk back on the Creeper Trail. Within 3 minutes, a gentleman looking to photograph Painted Trillium stops at the trailhead and I¢m able to ¢yogi¢ a ride into Damascus. Bob Smith is a very nice man who lives west of Abingdon, VA., and has hiked many of the trails in this area. My ¢nearo¢ worked out quite nicely.I meet Hutch and Sparrow back in town, 2 great hikers from 2001. They¢re hanging out in town through Trail Days, and then caretaking the Hayes Campground for part of the summer. They¢re ¢excellent-good¢ people.After a couple of beers with Wildman, Milo, and Ski Bum at Sidetrack Caf©, I head over to The Old Mill Inn to spend a night on a soft bed. Tomorrow, I¢ll deal with my mail drop, re-supply, and break away from the Damascus vortex ¢ only to return in 8 days for the Trail Days Festival. What a great way to spend my first month on the trail ¢ I love this town!
Date: 2004-05-07
From: US 58, Straight Branch

To: Campsite at Virginia Mile 18.6
Miles today: 13.0

¢Finally escaped from the powerful, mystical, magical draw of Damascus . . . but, I will return for Trail Days . . . ¢- Scholar, from Saunders Shelter RegisterI left town late because I hadn¢t taken care of my bounce box and re-supply. I ate too much for lunch at Sidetrack Caf©. I hit the trail at 1:45 p.m. I almost upchucked the bacon cheeseburger pizza half a dozen times. Lost Mountain Shelter was a crowded madhouse so I pushed on at 8 p.m., and walked until 9:15 p.m. I¢m bummed that I lost my watch when setting up camp. That¢s all.
Date: 2004-05-08
From: Campsite at Virginia Mile 18.6

To: Wise Shelter
Miles today: 14.5
Weather: scattered clouds

¢What a great day ¢ deer, ponies, vistas at Buzzard Rocks, sunny weather ¢ that¢s why I¢m on the A.T.¢- Krispie Kritter, from Wise Shelter RegisterIt¢s the tale of 2 days really: the first, a beautiful day along some of the most spectacular looking part of the trail; and the other a day of violent thunder and hail storms.At first I was bummed out all morning as I walked up Whitetop Mountain (5,080 feet) because I couldn¢t find my watch this morning. But it all soon changed at Buzzard¢s Rocks. As I was enjoying the views, Spot caught up to me and after I mentioned that I had lost my watch, he produced it. He picked it up at the road crossing before the campsite.The rest of the day, into the early afternoon, was ¢excellent-good.¢ A partly sunny, breezy day with great views, and going through the Grayson Highlands ¢ a marvelous looking sub-alpine highlands meadow and rock outcroppings full of feral ponies, deer, and other wildlife. I alternately hiked with Spot, Doc (a doctor of internal medicine from Jamaica Plain, near Boston), Diesel, Tank, Dave, and Batch.By the time we get to Wise Shelter the rain starts, then gives way to a severe thunderstorm, which turns into a hailstorm. This process repeats itself over the next 4 hours, and well into the night. Most hikers push on during the lulls in the severe weather, but it repeats itself all over again. I decide to stay at Wise Shelter, after waiting until 7 p.m., and not pushing on to Old Orchard Shelter (which is smaller and would have been full), and if I don¢t have to set up my tent in the rain, I won¢t. There will be many days when I don¢t have an option so tonight, a dry shelter that is half full is the best option.A good group is assembled here tonight: Dave (from Naples, FL), and Treelady and Gabe, a couple of SOBO¢s from 2002, their friend Bruce, and their dog Baxter. I¢m happy to be dry and warm as this cold front comes through.
Date: 2004-05-09
From: Wise Shelter

To: Partnership Shelter
Miles today: 30.6
Weather: clear sky

¢Wow what a blast last night! It was like summer camp, what was that 30 people or so? All in good spirits, showered, pizza, all around good laughs . . . ¢- Jester, from Partnership Shelter RegisterThe word on the trail the last 2 days has been about Archaeopteryx¢s birthday party at Partnership Shelter tonight. Since I didn¢t move on in the severe weather yesterday, it means a 30-mile day. I guess I¢m up for a personal challenge, at least I¢ll try to get there.So I¢m up at 4:45 a.m., on a perfectly clear cool moonlit day, and am hiking by 5:20 a.m.   Today offers another landmark ¢ the 500th mile of the hike near Fox Creek. I meet a slew of new hikers: Lefty and Michigoose, Rooster, Hitch and Mojo and their dog Dexter, Coyote, Saltlick, Bluegrass, et al.The hiking is quite nice, mostly easy to moderate terrain. But the last 6 miles seem interminable, as I hit ¢the wall¢ around mile 24 past the Holston River, There are a few small PUDS (pointless ups and downs) about 4 miles south of Partnership Shelter that leave me feeling as if I¢m on a forced march.On the positive side, Wildman is out exploring the area around the shelter, and he¢s the first person I see about 1.5 miles out. The shelter is packed ¢ 35 people by my count ¢ it seems like a preview of Trail Days, tents all around me, people singing and playing guitar, plenty of food (Partnership Shelter is 100 yards from the Mount Rogers Headquarters, where a public phone allows hikers to order pizza delivered to the shelter are). It¢s a rousing good time, and Archaeopteryx is at the center of it all. The celebration goes on until midnight ¢ which is three hours past ¢hiker midnight.¢ It was well worth the long day.
Date: 2004-05-10
From: Partnership Shelter

To: U.S. 11, Atkins, VA
Miles today: 11.6
Weather: light rain

¢Because of its year-round beauty, the white ¢Flowering Dogwood¢ is the state flower of several states, including Virginia . . .¢- From postcardToday¢s plan is simple: walk less than 5 hours, do a short day, get to the Relax Inn (the old Village Motel), and do just that ¢ relax (and recover). I¢m not in a terrible hurry anyway as I want to head back to Damascus, VA for Trail Days by Friday morning, and Bland, VA is only 45 miles north of Atkins ¢ with 3 and a half days to get there I can shorten my walking days in this area.At least half of the 36 hikers from Partnership Shelter are on the same plan, so it should be packed at the Relax Inn tonight. The 11.6-mile hike is enjoyably easy, including a cool stop at the Lindamood School ¢ an 1894 re-creation of a schoolhouse by the Settlers Museum on VA. 615. It¢s starting to get warm ¢ the fourth day of temperatures in the mid-80¢s ¢ 15 degrees warmer than usual, unseasonable according to the locals.My hiking day is over by 11:10 a.m., and after checking in, I buy some cold Cokes to pass out to hikers as they start to come in. And of course, take a desperately needed shower, laundry, and re-supply. And much needed rest.The place is full of hikers: Wildman, Spot, EZ Does It, Hitch, Mojo, Lumber, Ski Bum, Doc, Diesel, Tank, Bluegrass, Rooster, Lefty, Michigoose, O¢Henry, Dutch, Archaeopteryx, Jabberwock, and others.Tomorrow begins the push into Bland, VA, and eventually Trail Days.
Date: 2004-05-11
From: U.S. 11, Atkins, VA

To: Lick Creek
Miles today: 17.0

¢ . . . Loved those stiles! Anyone know why we do Brushy Mountain three times??¢- Little Tree, from Knot Maul Shelter RegisterI don¢t mind my late start today because I was on the phone this morning making arrangements to get to Trail Days 3 days from now. It¢s done now, and everything is set ¢ Bland by Thursday, and drive down to Damascus Friday morning.Today¢s walk is nice but quite warm again, with temperatures still 15 degrees warmer than usual, in the mid 80¢s. We do get some showers this afternoon, and they¢re quite welcome, as the cool rain keeps the heat in check, but the humidity is intense.We cross a number of farms today ¢ some beautiful valleys and green rolling pastures, and it seems we climb nearly a dozen stiles to get from one farm to another. We pass the ruins of a civil war era mill, still on a working farm, and we also climb Brushy Mountain (3,200 feet) the second of three times in 50 miles! How does that happen?! Interesting to note that many hikers have noticed.I hike a bit with Diesel and Tank today. I also see Doc, Archaeopteryx and Dutch, but it seems that with the exception of Wildman, Spot, and EZ Does It, everyone seems to get a last start out of town.I stop at Lick Creek, where I find Wildman walking south hoping to run into me ¢ just as he did at Partnership Shelter. Wildman is a real neat guy, avuncular with a great disposition and love of the trail. We¢re camping near Lick Creek with Spot, EZ Does It, and Nobody.Tomorrow, closer to Bland, VA, to set up a short day Thursday.
Date: 2004-05-12
From: Lick Creek

To: Campsite at Laurel Creek
Miles today: 20.7
Weather: scattered clouds

¢Climbed up to Chestnut Ridge. That sucked. Saw my first naked hiker . . . that was cool. First skinny dip of this trip this morning. That was also cool . . . ¢- Crash Bang, from Chestnut Ridge Shelter RegisterThis was one of my favorite days so far. I hiked with Wildman and Spot for most of the day, so the day passed quickly, telling funny stories and reminiscing about previous hikes.I spotted some great birds on the long ridge that we climbed (Chestnut Ridge), especially Gold Finches. Also, a black and white spotted bird with a luminent red crest on its chest and a vibrant call, but I¢m not sure what it was.At Chestnut Ridge Shelter, all of us who had been at Lick Creek campsite the previous night ¢ Wildman, Spot, EZ Does It, Nobody, and All Right ¢ dried out our tents, and afterwards spent most of the day walking as a group. These early ridge walks in Virginia are nice, but the tread way is quite rough ¢ mostly rooty and broken rock slabs and various rockslides.We spot Orange Flame Azalea, and in the unseasonable heat there is much talk of snakes and afternoon thunderstorms, but neither materialize. At Jenkins Shelter we meet Poojah Blue ¢ she¢s a great fan of Hindi movies and does some research work in India. Spot and EZ Does It decide to stay at Jenkins, and later Tank and Diesel show up.Nobody, All Right, Poojah Blue, Wildman, and I are pushing on to a campsite past VA.615, about 2 miles north of the shelter. Wildman and I decide to test which route is shorter ¢ the blue blazed high water route, or the AT, which crosses and fords Little Wolf Creek 22 times! I do the fording and mud slogging and we find that Wildman not only arrives at VA.615 15 minutes earlier than I do, but he also spots 4 Whitetail Deer. I got muddy, waterlogged boots, and a wet butt from a fall into the creek on my ass to show for it.Just past the road crossing, we run into 15 campers ¢ 3 counselors and 12 kids ¢ from the New Dominion School, and they offer us leftover mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, summer sausage, and Fig Newtons. It¢s like offering a wading cow to piranhas. We devour the trail magic in moments.Tonight, Nobody, All Right, Poojah Blue, Wildman, and I are camping about two tenths of a mile north of VA.615; tomorrow, into Bland.
Date: 2004-05-13
From: Campsite at Laurel Creek

To: U.S. 21, Bland, VA
Miles today: 6.9
Weather: broken clouds

¢The secret of how the town¢s population climbs from about 1,000 to 20,000 in a matter of days rests with Trail Days¢ reputation with hikers . . . ¢- From the Bristol Herald CourierFor some reason, I awake at 2:45 this morning, and am unable to get back to sleep. So I lay in my bag for 2 and a half hours then get up to write and await enough daylight to get going. Once Wildman is up, we¢re off and hiking at 6:25 a.m. ¢ I¢m obviously ready to get back to Damascus for Trail Days.Today¢s short hike takes us over (yet again!) Brushy Mountain, and other relatively gentle terrain. It¢s quite humid but we move along well, talking politics, reminiscing about Wildman¢s 2001 hike, and other issues. We¢re done hiking in 2 hours and 40 minutes, and are able to hitch into Bland, VA quickly. We get a ride from Elmo and Virginia Stadler, a very nice couple who enjoy meeting hikers and spreading trail magic.In short order, we eat breakfast, move closer to the Interstate (in order to be picked up), and I make arrangements for a rental car. Wildman doesn¢t much enjoy sitting about waiting, so I suggest that he go into Damascus with Flash (GA-ME 2001) whom I see for the first time in a couple of years. I need to wait around for Doc anyway, since I offered to drive him into Damascus ¢ we Boston guys have to look out for each other.By mid-afternoon, we¢re in Abingdon, VA, just outside of Damascus, ensconced in the comfort of a motel, but after cleaning up, I head into town and immediately start meeting past and present hiking friends at the Sidetrack Caf© - Sleepy the Arab, Wildman, Hammockhanger, Roadie, Carrie (ex-Giving Tree), who is now Half Full, Cuppa Joe, Java, Trail Hippie, and many others; and at the Old Mill ¢ Hutch, Sparrow, Puck Finn, Oxymoron and Maine Dish (formerly Ruth), and a great band playing called Your Moma¢s Big Fat Booty Band. It¢s already quite festive in town, it seems as this Trail Days is going to be quite large.I drive Oxymoron and Maine Dish about 30 miles north to Marion, VA, as they want to continue hiking north tomorrow. What a great start to Trail Days!
Date: 2004-05-14
From: Damascus, VA

To: Damascu, VA
Miles today: 0.0

¢Trail Days¢This is about as relaxed and care free as hiking gets ¢ because we¢re not hiking. Sitting for a couple of hours on the chairs outside of Mount Rogers shooting the breeze, catching up with hikers we haven¢t seen in weeks, talking trail stuff. There is a bit of hiking involved, but it¢s to visit the outfitters, gear manufacturers, food vendors, and trying to find hiking friends ¢ this, simply put, is ¢excellent-good¢ stuff.From 2000, I see Freespirit Fran, Silver Fox, Grampie, Pog, et al. From 2001, I run into Hutch, Sparrow, Gnome, Texas Jack, Baltimore Jack, et al. From 2002, Chili Pepper, Papa Smurf, and others will be arriving. At 3 p.m. on Friday, it¢s still early, many former hikers are driving here and will be arriving tonight and tomorrow.Obviously, the town is full of the 2004 hikers that have come in. Leki just replaced the tips on my poles, and replaced the two lower segments that were bent on my hiking poles. MSR, Granite Gear, Gregory, Montrail, Mountain Hardware, and every outfitter within a 600 mile radius ¢ from Boone, N.C. to Harper¢s Ferry, W.VA. seems to be here. Add to that countless artisans, independent lightweight gear manufacturers, and food vendors, and it¢s every hiker¢s ¢excellent-good¢ dream here. There are also a number of ¢backpacking type¢ lectures and presentations being produced by everyone from Backpacker Magazine to Warren Doyle ¢ it¢s just fantastic here, and the festival isn¢t nearly in high gear yet. It seems auspicious. The weather is especially good. Having an ¢excellent-good¢ time!
Date: 2004-05-15
From: Damascu, VA

To: Damascu, VA
Miles today: 0.0

¢Trail Daze¢Check out the gear manufacturers and get free stuff . . . check out the vendors and talk gear stuff . . . check out the food vendors and eat much foodstuffs . . .hang out at Sidetrack Caf© and the Old Mill and have good libation stuff . . . dazed and stuffed . . . and march in the hiker parade, dazed and stuffed.
Date: 2004-05-16
From: Damascu, VA

To: Wytheville, VA
Miles today: 0.0

¢Trail Haze: Towns make you soft.¢Oh the sloth of not hiking for 3 days! More food, food, food . . . some bands . . . the hiker talent show . . . and finally, pulling out of the vortex.It was fun, memorable, and well worth the interruption of hiking momentum. I¢d do it again, although Wildman is dubious about the festival, despite enjoying Bill Irwin¢s (the blind thru-hiker from 1980) presentation.We stop in Atkins, VA for dinner at The Barn (again) and run into Chill Out (who I haven¢t seen since North Carolina), Speak Up, Dax, Andante (now going by a new name which I unfortunately forgot) and a couple of other hikers.We eventually push on to Wytheville, VA, where we¢ll return the rental car tomorrow and then be driven back to the trail.
Date: 2004-05-17
From: US 21, Bland, VA

To: Dismal Creek Falls Trail
Miles today: 20.5

¢No rain, no pain, no Maine.¢- From bumper stickerThe long hiatus comes to an end! After 3 and a half days of not hiking, and becoming ¢soft and slothful¢ it¢s time to hit the trail again. I drop off the rental car at Enterprise, and we¢re given a ride back to the trailhead at Bland. The forecast is for severe weather this afternoon, and it doesn¢t take long to get it. There¢s also a dense humidity in the air ¢ the humidity was 98% when we left Wytheville this afternoon.Wildman and I meet Scholar near the trailhead this morning. She¢s a strong hiker, with plenty of experience, as she works for the park service out in the U.S. southwest. The three of us hike together for part of the day, past Flame Azalea and budding Mountain Laurel. Then the skies spit down marble sized hail and torrents of water over a couple of hours ¢ at one point I have to cup my ears because the hail is quite painful upon impact, although I can tolerate it on my shoulders and arms. At least it¢s cool in the rain, it tamps down the humidity, but the trail itself becomes a stream, and shoes are quickly waterlogged.At Jenny Knob Shelter, we find a lucky crowd ¢ Archaeopteryx, Mojo, Hitch, Dexter, Jabberwock, Yippie, Dave and another hiker ¢ warm and dry sitting out the storm. I¢m surprised to find that Wildman wants to stop for the day. He didn¢t enjoy what he called his ¢baptism¢ to his first bad storm of the hike. Dutch also shows up at the shelter just as I¢m moving on ¢ I feel confident that the thunderstorms will pass.I¢d love to camp at the 600 mile mark, so I move past Brushy Mountain (the fifth time we¢ve climbed this ridge in 75 miles!) and get some trail magic at VA606 ¢ some trail anger left a liter of Aquafina water by the side of the road. I have an ¢excellent-good¢ and dry tent site on the trail to Dismal Falls. I¢m planning on heading into Pearisburg, VA tomorrow so I can switch to my warm weather gear that¢s waiting for me at the post office two days from now.
Date: 2004-05-18
From: Dismal Creek Falls Trail

To: US 460, Pearisburg, VA
Miles today: 22.5
Weather: light rain

¢ . . . what the hell, nobody told us it was going to rain like this on the trail!!¢- P.P. and HR, from Doc¢s Knob Shelter RegisterIf there is one thing that is never ¢excellent-good¢ and always keeps me on edge, it is hiking with waterlogged shoes and socks. I hate putting wet socks and shoes on in the morning, and within an hour I¢m walking in ankle high water around Dismal Creek. It doesn¢t take much, just 2 days in wet footwear, before my feet prune up badly and the tough outer layer of skin on the bottom of my feet sloughs off. This is quite uncomfortable - so this is what I¢m looking forward to today.Despite the gentle grade, and soft pine needle covering the treadway, around Wapiti Shelter the trail is a bog ¢ walking over washed out log bridges and in ankle high mud. The trail is a veritable tributary to Dismal Creek on the climb up to the ridge, and once on the ridge, the thunderstorms begin again.Despite the rain, it¢s an ¢excellent-good¢ day for animal siting: 2 Turkeys, a Grouse, 3 White Tail Deer, 2 Cotton Tail Hare, and a 5 and a half foot Black Snake. Later in the afternoon there¢s another brief thunderstorm. I just grind out the day with painful feet thinking only of getting into Pearisburg and drying out.I make it into town by 8 p.m. and am lucky to get the last room at the Holiday Motel which is full of hikers: Rising Sun, M, Doc, Goodtyme & Blueberry, Poojah Blue, Polar, Pilot, Hot Rock, Eagle Eye, Puka, O¢Henry, Ace, Fire, Meanderthal, and a handful of others. I just may end up taking the day off tomorrow ¢ my feet look and feel like ground meat.
Date: 2004-05-19
From: Pearisburg, VA

To: Pearisburg, VA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

¢Feet ask for a day off.¢Simple. Painful feet, picking up new shoes at the post office (and new sleeping bag), much rain forecast, laundry and massive rationalization leads to a recovery day or an unjustified zero day. Lots of new faces in town: Wildman, Waterloo, Machine, Beatbox, Scholar, Epiphinaius, the Honeymooners, Mojo, Hitch & Dexter, et al.Out tomorrow ¢ regardless of feet or weather.
Date: 2004-05-20
From: Pearisburg, VA

To: Bailey Gap Shelter
Miles today: 23.0
Weather: scattered clouds

¢Apparently I forgot to bring Indiana Jones and his machete for this part of the trail . . .¢- Pooja Blue, from Rice Field Shelter RegisterI broke away from the Pearisburg, VA vortex, after an unwarranted zero day. It was sad to say goodbye to Wildman this morning ¢ he's going to move about 40 miles on the trail, enjoy the Homeplace Restaurant, and visit a friend in Salem, VA. There is a chance he may come back further north, but it seems like he¢s done for now.It is intensely humid again ¢ 98% at 7:15 a.m., and most of the trail is in need of a bit of maintenance in this section. Much of the understory is overgrown and blocking the treadway. I run into a number of hikers today: Sunrise, M, Lefty, Michigoose, Rooster, Pooja Blue. There¢s a bit of rain, but luckily the heavy stuff stays away.At Pine Swamp Shelter, I find out that Mala has set up some trail magic just down the trail, and sure enough, even though Mala is nowhere to be seen, his treats are ¢ cold sodas, hot dogs, bologna and cheese ¢ that¢s an ¢excellent-good¢ turn. I stop to talk to Sunrise and M for a while. They¢re camped about a half-mile beyond the magic.I eventually push on to Bailey¢s Gap Shelter where Rooster, Mushroom, Lefty, Michigoose, and Tom are staying. So am I. I¢m tired.