morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2022-08-29
From: Pass Mountain Hut, Shenandoah National Park VA 945.5

To: Skyland Stables, VA 934.0
Miles today: 11.5

Oof. Climbed 3 mountains today (Mary¢s Rock, The Pinnacle, and Stony Man), increasing my daily elevation gain, and I can feel it! The Appalachian Trail has more than 464,000 feet of elevation change, the equivalent of climbing Mt Everest 16 times. I have barely scratched the surface. The party really starts in a couple of weeks. Hopefully I will pick up my trail legs by then. The trail was very quiet today, but I was treated to beautiful (although slightly misty) vistas of the Shenandoah Valley at each peak. Tonight I am staying at Big Meadows Lodge, one of two lodges in Shenandoah National Park. The room is pretty basic, but luxurious compared to my tent. My shower felt great!Some of you have asked about food on the trail. Here is a typical day¢s menu:Breakfast - oatmeal or granola with added nuts and dried fruit to boost the protein and calorie content, plus a chai tea mix (tea bags are less preferred because I need to carry out all waste, and wet tea bags are relatively heavy). Snacks - 2 morning snacks and 1 afternoon snack, targeting 200 calories each plus a 3:1 carb to protein ratio. Examples: trail mix, Clif nut butter bars, peanut m&m¢s, macadamia nuts plus dried mango strips, etc. Limited chocolate right now because it is hot and melted chocolate is a mess. Lunch - PB and honey, salami and cheese, or tuna fish salad on a flour tortillaRecovery drink - protein powder plus glucose immediately post hikeDinner - dehydrated meal from one of the major hiking meal manufacturers (Mountain House, Good to Go, Peak refuel, etc). I am typically eating half a packet, expect to ramp up to a full packet later in the trip. Optional addins are olive oil, cheese, hot sauce. I am continually balancing total caloric requirement, which gives me energy, total protein which helps to repair and build muscles, and weight/bulk. Of course, town/restaurant visits provide a great opportunity to catch up. Tonight I demolished a plate of osso buco and cheese grits with a blackberry cobbler dessert. Yum!
Date: 2022-08-30
From: Skyland Stables, VA 934.0

To: Bearfence Parking, Skyline Dr, VA. 920.0
Miles today: 14.0

Today¢s hike was notable for taking me over the 100 mile mark, almost 10% of of the southern journey to Springer Mountain in GA. I have been pretty fortunate so far, making many minor mistakes but no colossal ones. Learning each day. I traveled 14 miles, aided by a lighter pack as I am staying at Big Meadows Lodge for 2 nights and slackpacked today. The path was well groomed, with the exception of my first encounter with scree. Scree: [noun] an accumulation of loose stones or rocky debris lying on a slope or at the base of a hill or cliff : talusThe picture above shows the ¢trail¢ through a patch of scree - lots of rocks waiting to reach up and grab your toes and ankles. Fortunately, today¢s sections were relatively short, although I understand that this will be a common feature in some sections. There were more beautiful views of the Shenandoah valley along the way; one can almost become jaded after a while. Fortunately, many of the views are available without leaving the trail at all, a real consideration when one has a long day. I have been very lucky with weather so far, but got caught in a brief squall at the end of my hike. Happily, I had packed my rain gear just in case (and I was able to head back to my warm hotel room rather than set up my tent in the rain!).  But tomorrow I start a 6 day stint of tenting on my way to Waynesboro, so I will need to be ready
Date: 2022-08-31
From: Bearfence Parking, Skyline Dr, VA. 920.0

To: Hightop Mountain, Shenandoah National Park 907.1
Miles today: 12.9

I have been remiss on my trip to date not carving out the time to catch a good sunset. I am sitting now on top of Hightop Mountain after a strong push to get up here on my hike today. The view faces directly west, and sits about 0.5 miles up from Hightop Hut. Two hawks have been soaring by on the air currents.I was joined briefly by a freshman group from Washington & Lee on a pre-orientation trip. I was reminded of my own freshman trip (last century) and the enduring friendships formed. I hope they are as lucky. Hiking felt good today, but the focus on water continues. A picnic site that I had been counting on for a refill had all of its spigots turned off due to the low water situation in this area. Fortunately there was a ranger station 3 miles later and they were happy to let me fill up. There are some great stealth camping spots up here where I will spend the night, as I want to see the sun set but don¢t want to have to night hike down to the hut. It is my first chance on this trip to do my own bear hang (I have been hanging my food on the shelter-provided poles) and I am trying a PCT hang this time. It is a bit more secure than the technique I was using before, but a clever bear could still potentially get it. While I have seen no bears so far, I will switch to a more robust bear resistant container when I reach Waynesboro in a couple of days. The evening is peaceful. Dinner was beef stroganoff and apple cobbler (dehydrated varieties).
Date: 2022-09-01
From: Hightop Mountain, Shenandoah National Park 907.1

To: Loft Mountain Campground, SNP, VA 892.2
Miles today: 14.9

I slept well last night, the wind in the trees making a gentle shushing sound that lulled me to sleep. Good thing, because today was a relatively challenging day for me with a 15 mile carry and 3300ft of elevation gain (an average day for a typical thruhiker). Shenandoah shelters are sometimes at awkward distances, so there was no convenient shelter in the 11-13 mile range. There was one at 9 miles, but there was a campground, with a **shower** at 15 miles, so I put in the effort. I still haven¢t seen a bear, but ran into a number of smaller creatures today that kept me entertained. The swallowtails clustered on the purple thistle were particularly pretty, and the fishing spider on the shelter ceiling particularly creepy. Fishing spiderFellow hiker moving about my speedLunar mothI arrived at Loft Mountain campground at 4. It was a hot day, so I went straight to the camp store and downed a milkshake, then hit the shower and laundry. Felt great. My big mistake was to count on the camp store for 3 days of resupply - I really struggled to put together food for one person that would not weigh a ton and have some caloric balance. I ran into several section/thruhikers today, some of whom I had crossed paths with earlier. Orange Pop is doing section hikes to finish his AT thruhike after throwing out his knee in Vermont. His wife supports him via RV, usually picking him up at the end of the day and dropping him off the next morning. We hiked together for a mile or so and chatted. Coach (who is a triple crowner, having already completed the AT, PCT, and CDT) is back in his 70¢s to walk the full Appalachian range from Alabama to Maine. He is at the campsite next to mine tonight. And one more couple, section hiking with their dog, were also at the campground. They gave me some of their extra food, a huge help. I am finding that there is a broader community out here hiking, and we bump into each other routinely.
Date: 2022-09-02
From: Loft Mountain Campground, SNP, VA 892.2

To: Blackrock Hut, SNP VA 884.9
Miles today: 7.3

trail magic [noun]: an unexpected gift to a thru-hiker that lifts their spirits or solves a problem (or both). Today was a short and easy day, only 7 miles with limited elevation gain to Blackrock hut. The next hut is 13 miles away and the next water is 11 miles. I am not strong enough to do a 20 mile day, particularly lugging an extra 5 lbs of water. I am also trying to avoid the ¢too hard, too fast, too early¢ trap that seems to sucker punch newbie thruhikers. However, today was notable for being my first trail magic! Trail magic on the AT takes many forms: barbecues at trailheads, lifts for hikers from trailheads to town, caching extra water at known dry points. It is most prevalent around the NOBO bubble, which passed through here 6-8 weeks ago. I had no expectations for trail magic on this year¢s SOBO segment. But, while passing a group of 6 day hikers, one of them stopped me to ask if I was a thru-hiker. On receiving the affirmative, he asked if I wanted a Snickers bar. A small tangent on Snickers bars. Snickers appear to be at the base of the thru-hikers food pyramid, along with peanut butter and ramen noodles. A bar has nuts (protein), fat and carbohydrates, and seems to be code for ¢reasonably balanced treat that you can¢t eat in real life but is guilt free when you are expending so many calories hiking¢. They are extremely popular for thruhikers, who are usually in calorie deficit. Of course, I could only say yes (remember my resupply situation from yesterday). He whipped out a bag from his backpack. Turns out he was a thruhiker 10-11 years ago, and still likes to occasionally dayhike. We reminisced for a couple of minutes and I moved on, but not before he shared that his trail name had been ¢Old Fat Guy¢, given to him by his kids. The encounter (and the Snickers) really lifted my spirits for the rest of the day!I also ran into a ¢ridge runner¢ hired by the local Appalachian Trail club to hike up and down the trail talking to and educating hikers. His trail name is ¢Tiny Ponies¢, but there was nothing tiny about him. We chatted briefly about my tent, which he spotted in my pack (it is a bit of a fad at the moment) and then he headed off. It looks like it is going to be a quiet night. Gearing up for tomorrow¢s big water carry!
Date: 2022-09-03
From: Blackrock Hut, SNP VA 884.9

To: Calf Mountain Shelter VA 871.9
Miles today: 13.0

Today was all about water. It was 13 miles from Blackrock hut to Calf Mountain shelter with no water source. I consume about 14 liter per mile, so in theory should have been carrying 3-14 liters (7 lbs). Instead I ¢cameled up¢ (drank a lot before I started out) and carried 2-12 liters. The good news? My pack got lighter as the day progressed. The bad news? It was 83% humidity today, so I was perspiring at a rapid rate. Fortunately I am carrying electrolyte tablets and they helped a lot. I walked into the shelter with 14 liter to spare.  Other hikers shared similar stories. This was the longest waterless section for me to date. It really doesn¢t compare with some of the very long waterless sections on the PCT, but was a new experience for me. Today¢s hike was the first in the park with no real views. It was a great opportunity to catch up on some audiobooks as the miles clicked by. There were many Labor Day hikers out, so it was also nice to chat with them in passing. Calf Mountain shelter was a good stop. It sparked memories of my trip with my oldest daughter 4 years ago (it was our very first night), and the other inhabitants, Lost and Found and Cardiac, were excellent company. This is my last night in Shenandoah National Park. Tomorrow I will continue hiking south into Virginia.
Date: 2022-09-04
From: Calf Mountain Shelter VA 871.9

To: Humpback Gap, VA. 856.8
Miles today: 15.1

I hiked out of the Shenandoah National Park today, from last night¢s shelter at Calf Mountain to Rockfish Gap (SNP entrance point) and then onwards to Humpback Gap. Having hiked the SNP 4 years ago, it has been a known entity to me, with the added benefits of a fairly well maintained trail and a number of food supply locations. That changes now as I enter an unfamiliar part of the trail that begins the increase in difficulty to the end. I suspect I will look back on this section, with its comparative ease and sunny weather, as the ¢vacation¢ portion of my hike.The hike itself was typical of previous days. I noticed that again there was relatively little birdsong, and hope that picks up as I progress. I passed the remains of a small homestead and rustic cemetery (with small slate unmarked tombstones) that were a poignant reminder of the families that settled and worked to make a living in a difficult environment.There was one humorous incident when I stopped for a break at a shelter where a clean cut family of dayhikers was eating lunch at the picnic table. I sauntered in, smelly, dirty, and sweaty - their hastily concealed reaction to sharing the same space with me was evident. They had a number of polite, slightly incredulous questions about thru-hikers¢¦I am not sure I made any converts.I was able to put together my longest stretch of mileage today, aided by an almost-empty food bag that lightened my load. I was picked up at the endpoint by ¢Listener¢, the shuttle driver for my hostel tonight. Listener is a ¢22 thruhiker who threw out his knee about half-way through his hike, and is remaining in the Waynesboro area while it heals. He was enjoyable to chat with and a great driver.I am staying at the hostel overnight, grabbing a shower and laundry before heading out again tomorrow. During the peak of the NOBO bubble, the hostel swells to handle up to 50 hikers at one time. Tonight there are only about 5.Since I am leaving the territory of the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club today, I want to express my sincere thanks for the outstanding trail and shelter maintenance throughout their section. Great job!
Date: 2022-09-05
From: Humpback Gap, VA. 856.8

To: ReidÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs Gap, VA 845.2
Miles today: 11.6

The morning dawned misty after considerable rain the prior night. I decided to reverse my route for the day, starting further south and hiking back north, so I could tackle a tricky bit of rocks first thing while I was fresh. The shuttle driver dropped me off at Reid¢s Gap and off I went back to my finish point from yesterday, Humpback Rocks.Hikers talk a lot about gear, but the gear I hear most about is footwear. The AT is approximately 5 million steps - I am currently averaging about 27,000 per day. Foot related issues (blisters, lost toenails) and injuries from slips, trips, and falls are a major concern, so most thruhikers give a lot of thought to shoes (boots vs trail runners, heel to toe drop, stack height, toe box width), insoles (arch support, flexibility, heel stability) and socks (height, material, thickness, layers). This is complicated by the fact that shoes typically last only 300-500 miles plus hikers¢ feet expand in size, sometimes up up to 2 shoe sizes, over the course of their hike.I spent a reasonable amount of time tweaking my setup, and ended up with zero drop trail runners with moderate cushioning (Altra Timps), Superfeet trail insoles, and low cut merino wool socks. The trail runners are lighter and dry faster, and I feel like I have more ankle stability than I do with boots because my heel sits lower. The only downside is that, while these shoes have great grip on dry rock, they do not hold well on wet, lichen covered rocks¢¦.which is what I started out with today.There were a number of rock falls to be crossed over the first 4 hours this morning, with large flat rocks at angles. An early slip and fall reminded me of the importance of judging those angles very carefully, as well as the need to deploy my trekking poles adroitly.  I had heard, and can absolutely attest to the truth of, that hikers on the AT develop 5 foot tunnel vision, with a singular focus on watching where and how they place each foot. Each of the 5 million steps has the potential to end a hike. I am sure that this skill will become second nature over time, but for now it has a real impact on my speed of forward progress.As I was going in the reverse direction today, I crossed paths with a couple of hikers I had seen at previous shelters and we stopped to chat. The day finished with a brief sprinkling of rain - I am happy that tomorrow is a day off so that I can dry out.Dinner was a special affair tonight as one of the hikers at the hostel had just finished her AT thru-hike (she had to finish a stretch of trail that ended at the hostel). A group went out to dinner at The River Burger bar in Waynesboro to celebrate. I am starting to see more SOBO and flip flop hikers catch up. All of them have already hiked the toughest parts of the trail (NH/ME), so are strong and confident about their southern half. I enjoyed their stories over dinner.
Date: 2022-09-06
From: ReidÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs Gap, VA 845.2

To: ReidÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs Gap, VA 845.2
Miles today: 0.0

More lingo:Zero day - a day with no hiking at all, typically in a town and as part of a resupply visit (can also occur due to bad weather conditions or illness/injury)Nero day - a low mileage day, typically from the trail to town for resupply or from town to the trail.Today I had a zero day in Waynesboro, my first of the trip, at a very nice bed and breakfast. I am using it to restock/resupply (my trusty spouse had sent a mail drop), catch up on some business commitments, and eat normal food. I stepped on a scale yesterday and discovered that I had lost 10 pounds in two weeks. This is a slightly unwelcome surprise - while delighted to tone up in general, I need to make sure that I do not lose weight at a rate that will cause me to lose energy. So I am compensating today. :). Between phone calls, cleaning gear, and planning the next couple of weeks, it turned out to be a very busy day. Another rain storm passed through, glad to be snug inside.
Date: 2022-09-07
From: ReidÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs Gap, VA 845.2

To: Tye River stealth site, VA 834.5
Miles today: 10.7

The day dawned misty but dry and my Uber driver dropped me off at Reid¢s Gap at 7:45am following my zero day. My gear was clean and my pack reloaded with the food I need for the next section. The day involved a climb up Three Ridges mountain and a long, steep and rocky descent that had received some shade from other hikers. I had planned a shorter mileage day to leave myself the opportunity to take my time on the way down, but still needed to be focused as there was rain in the forecast. Happily, the conditions were perfect for the descent. The rocks were dry and the ground just damp enough to provide traction for poles and shoes. I made it down to Harper Creek shelter for lunch, through the worst of the rocks, without incident. Three other thruhikers (Float, Trailmix, and Early Bird) were there as well. One of the hikers had his pole fail on the descent and had tumbled partly down the hill, twisting his ankle, but was shaking it off as I arrived. The rain, which had held off for our descent, gave a 1 hour burst, during which we hung out at the shelter and rested. Once it eased, we all set off again. They pushed on to the Priest shelter (experienced hikers, this would give them more than 5000 feet of elevation gain for the day). I settled for another 90 minutes down to a stealth tent site next to the Tye River, which was beautiful.  I had no sooner set up my tent there than it started to rain again, and continued on and off for the rest of the night. The tent I am using is a 2 person trekking pole tent that uses dyneema cuben fiber (DCF) for its material. It was eye wateringly expensive but is remarkably light (21 oz). I have been very happy with it so far, but this was the first real test of its storm worthiness. It passed like a champ and kept me dry throughout the night. Paraphrasing the commercial:Idyllic tenting spot by the river - lovelyWarm cup of tea - soothing Waterproof tent - priceless
Date: 2022-09-08
From: Tye River stealth site, VA 834.5

To: Seeley-Woolworth shelter, VA 823.1
Miles today: 11.4

Today was a big day for me. When I was planning this trip, I knew that there was a Day 3 challenge (the Roller Coaster), a Week 3 challenge (The Priest), and a Month 3 challenge (the Smoky Mountains, more on that another time). Today was climbing the Priest Mountain, an elevation gain of 3200 feet in 4 miles (and a total day of 4700 feet in 12 miles). My previous highs had been a max of 1200 feet in one climb and 3200 feet in one day. Bridge to the start of The Priest climbI am happy to report my trail legs reported for duty, and not a day too soon. Like the Roller Coaster, I did not set any speed records. By pacing myself slowly up the mountain I was able to complete the climb by 10:30, then take my time on the rest of the hike. Tired at the end, to be sure, but I do not expect any soreness tomorrow. I did stop off at The Priest shelter, which is famous for its logbook in which hikers write their (often very entertaining) confessions. Unfortunately, the logbook was missing, so I did not get any more insight into my fellow travelers. I finished off at Seeley-Wordsworth shelter, where Float (a flip flopper who I had met previously) was already ensconced for the evening. We chatted briefly as I ran through my evening camp chores, then both headed off for early nights. I feel both relieved and excited about future sections.
Date: 2022-09-09
From: Seeley-Woolworth shelter, VA 823.1

To: Buena Vista/US 60, VA 809.1
Miles today: 14.0

It was a beautiful day for hiking. The sun shone, but temperatures were mild. I was heading towards the junction with US 60, with the objective of catching a shuttle into Lexington, VA to meet up with my husband. Float was also heading for US 60 to meet up with his wife, so we hiked together the majority of the day. The trail was well groomed and relatively easy compared to prior days, and we made good time, covering the 14 miles in 6 hours. The woods were dappled with sunlight and we also crossed through some lovely meadows. We ran into volunteers from the local ATC club who were weed whacking a portion of the trail that had become overgrown, which was a big improvement. We stopped and chatted a bit to thank them for their efforts. A big surprise came when we emerged from the trail to discover Gangster, NOBO 21, with a cooler of beer and sparkling water offering trail magic. We accepted the drinks with gratitude. While this can be a common experience for NOBO¢s, it is unusual this time of year in the South¢¦ which made it all the sweeter. The shuttle driver whizzed me into Lexington, which is a charming small town the boasts both Washington & Lee and VMI. My husband and I had a lovely dinner (he actually let me choose all the items!) and we caught up on 3 weeks of domestic details. He is handling a lot in my absence and I am so grateful for his support on yet another one of my wild hare adventures. Over 40 years there have been many. It was a great break and left me energized.
Date: 2022-09-10
From: Buena Vista/US 60, VA 809.1

To: Punchbowl shelter, VA 797.8
Miles today: 11.3

The forecast for the next 3 days was for rain and, sure enough, at 11:30 it started up. I am now sitting in the Punchbowl shelter, which appears fairly weather worthy, watching the storm continue. I will sleep in the shelter instead of my tent tonight - setting up a tent in the rain is not high on my personal list if I can avoid it. It is a classic 3 sided lean-to that can sleep up to 6 hikers and 4 of us have arrived, wet and cold. The hike itself was downhill/flat for the first 8 miles, running along Brown Mountain Creek. There was a section that showed remnants of a farm community that was composed of freed slaves, who were sharecroppers of tobacco, oats, wheat and corn. It would not have been an easy life - the land was sharply sloped and very rocky, with 14-12 of the crop proceeds due to the landlord.  The community was disbanded in the 1920¢s when the US Forest Service acquired the land. All of today¢s elevation came at the end (not a desirable combination), so I was very glad to see the shelter sign. I will finish climbing Bluff Mountain tomorrow (in the rain) before descending into Glasgow. There is a classic thru-hiker saying, ¢No rain, no pain, no Maine¢. After the first two weeks of great and sunny weather, I am now learning how to adapt to a much damper expression of Mother Nature¢s moods.