morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2004-06-03
From: Atkins

To: Knot Maul Branch shelter
Miles today: 13.9
Weather: scattered clouds

I woke up and started getting my stuff togther by 8am. Navi got up and made coffee, I said goodbye and I was on the trail again by 8:10. I didn't think about it but I should've worn my rainpants because I had to walk through high grass. I was wet up to my hips in just 10 min. At less than 3 miles I got to Davis Path shelter where I met Doc Narley again. He got his new pack and managed to get it looking like the old one, tore off everything extra. What a character! I stopped for a short break and left Doc eating breakfast. The terrain was pretty good and the inclines weren't bad at all, but the temp was rising. I was in need of a break so I stopped for lunch under a tree in a meadow. The view was great. I kept looking back for Doc but no luck. As I got back into the tree line at Big Walker Mtn I saw another deer. I took another break at VA 42 then ascended back up to 3200ft to Brushy Mtn which left only 1.3 miles to Knot Maul Branch shelter. When I got there it was like a reunion, TT & CL, Santa, Shaggy Sticks and three other hikers were there, but I forgot their names. Most of them moved on except Santa. Then a family of 2 young girls and an 8yr old boy with their father and their dog came to the shelter. They had hiked 9 miles, good job! Not too long after Doc Narley came in. Inchworm put up his tent close by. We all had dinner and got ready to turn in. I made sure I hydrated myself well because tomorrow I plan to hike 19 miles. Doc once again took a few more items off his pack and gave them to Santa for his pack that was giving him problems. Doc is alays giving to someone in need. The weather report from Dan with the kids said it's supposed to be nice tomorrow but a little rain tonight. I'm done journaling now I'm going to bed.   LIFE IS GOOD Paul & Jaime
Date: 2004-06-04
From: Knot Maul Branch shelter

To: VA 623
Miles today: 15.2

So much for the forecast of nice weather. Last night it started raining and I think it's letting up just long enough for me to get on the trail by 7am. Inchworm just left and I'm right behind him. Once again dangerous trail with eveything being soggy and wet. I haven't gone a mile yet and the mud has put me on my butt once, with 19 miles today I will probably be on the ground a few more times. I passed up some hikers camped out and I think Crazy Legs & Tall Tales were probably there earlier. What a miserable day but to find something positive to say, it's nice for hiking because you stay cool. The fog was so bad that when I got to a meadow I could barely see the blazes and there weren't many of those. The wind was blowing so hard the rain was sideways. I was glad to see Chestnut Knob shelter. Crazy Legs, Tall Tales, Gaul and a few other hikers were there. It was a completely enclosed shelter but it was cold in there. I had a hot drink and someting to eat and continued on right behind CL & TT. It was another 10 miles to the shelter but after 5 miles at VA 623 to my surprize Navi & Ivey were there. When Navi asked if I wanted to go to a motel with her & Ivey I didn't hesitate. It felt good to have dry clothes. Today was very treacherous and I did end up on my butt a few times, but nothing broken! LIFE IS GOOD Paul & Jaime
Date: 2004-06-05
From: VA 623

To: Helveys Mill shelter
Miles today: 17.6
Weather: light rain

I went next door for breakfast while Navi got Ivey ready to go. The drive back to VA 623 goes through Burke's Garden, a beautiful bowl-like valley with lush farmlands surrounded by mountains. There was some fog hanging low but it only added to the enchantment. I hiked to Jenkins shelter and no one was there so I hiked on. Crossing Litle Wolf Creek turned out to be fun. At fist it was a litle difficult to cross, and then it became impossible to cross with out getting wet. Out of 18 crossings I didn't get my feet wet 6 times. One time I was up to my knees in water and one time I came very close to falling in. I had lunch near Laurel Creek. As I got back on the trail I saw a large cooler sitting there. I looked inside and it was filled with bottles of apple & orange juice I helped myself to an apple juice that I kept for dinner. Wonderful trail magic! I was at Helveys Mill shelter at about 5:30pm. Ohio Whistler was there. He told me that Navi had given him a ride after she saw him walking along a road in the wrong direction. It was nice to get here and relax a little. Nice hiking day.   LIFE IS GOOD Paul & Jaime
Date: 2004-06-06
From: Helveys Mill shelter

To: VA 606
Miles today: 16.3

It was a little chilly but warmed up pretty quick once I was up and moving. It looks like it will be a great day for hiking and I was on the trail by 7am. The terrain was pretty nice and about 30 min into the hike I saw another deer. I guess I was real quiet because we were both startled and we stared at each other until I went to get a picture. Then she was gone in a flash and I continued on. Brushy Mtn should have been called Rocky Mtn but before long I was at Jenny Knob shelter. When I got there I saw Inchworm who was already napping. A hiker named Stumpknocker came by while I was having a snack. When I returned from getting water they were both gone. The hike from then on was nice but it felt like it was taking all day. My feet were starting to bother me. Then finally I could see the road but had to cross a bridge to get to it. Navi wasn't there so I had to walk another .8 mile to get to the Trent store where we planned to meet. Navi & Ivey came out to greet me as I walked up. First thing I did was to go inside and have a cheeseburger & fries because I was starving. Stumpknocker was also there eating. He does big miles, like 25-30 a day. This is his third thru hike. We were camping nearby for the night so we went there and made camp. Navi & Ivey slept in the truck and I pitchd my tent. Navi made a delicious dinner of salmon and shrimp with a big salad. Strawberries and blueberries for dessert. Thanks again Navi. My feet are still aching and I feel very tired today. It's been a pretty good day. Happy Birthday Denise.   LIFE IS GOOD Paul & Jaime
Date: 2004-06-07
From: VA 606

To: VA 663
Miles today: 13.9

I slept good in the tent as I always do, I should do it more often. The hike this morning was so peaceful. When I got to an area with tall pines the trail was cushioned with pine needles and a smell I can't describe how wonderful it was. I did pass up the .3mile hike into Disamal Falls because my feet were acting up and I didn't want to stop. I slowed my pace a bit and enjoyed the peace and serenity of the pines. I did notice there was no wildlife around which I thought was surprizing. When I reached the Wapiti shelter I had to make a nature call at the privy. As I sat there I heard steps and I thought it was another hiker coming to use the privy. I had left the door open because of the nice view so I got up and stuck my head out the door and was startled by a deer about 2ft awy from the privy door. He took off like a shot and I sat there trying to slow my heart down because that deer literally scared the s_ _t out of me! As I walked back to the shelter I noticed movement on the other side of the shelter. It was another deer but she didn't see me and I was able to take a picture. She was a beautiful animal and so graceful. I guess she didn't pick up my scent because she stayed around till I left the shelter. The next half of the hike turned out to be a pretty good pull up to 3800ft from 2600 ft but no worse than anything I've done so far. At VA 663, a gravel road, I met Navi & Ivey. They had walked .5mile to the gap to meet me. We walked to Woods Hole hostel. What a beautiful setting. A log home, bunkhouse, shower, outhouse, a stream, just perfect! The main house is over 100yrs old and the bunkhouse was built later from wood logs cut from the property and built to resemble the mainhouse. There is a solar shower which I used before the sun went down, it was very refreshing. The owner,Tillie, opens her home and her heart to hikers every May & June for the last 17yrs. She serves breakfast in the morning to the first eight hikers who sign up. We are on the list for breakfast. The gang started arriving and Gaul was happy to be number 8 on the list. Ivey of course is having a great time. This was a very nice day and a nice ending. LIFE IS GOOD Paul & Jaime
Date: 2004-06-08
From: Woods Hole hostel

To: Pearisburg
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: light rain

It was a great night for sleeping and I was up by 5:30. I made some coffe and patched the feet up for the day. My feet have managed to get a few more blisters so I guess this hike will be remembered as the hike of blisters. Tia, a volunteer who is helping Tillie, rang the wake up bell at 7am sharp and then again at 7:30 for the call to come and get it. What a great opportunity to see the inside of a 100 yr restored log home and have more time to talk with Tillie. She has alot of stories. The breakfast was wonderful and she said we had to eat all the biscuits. I ate 5 of them myself. Thank you Tillie for everything. We all had our picture taken for her album. Tall Tales, Crazy Legs and myself prepared to leave for our hike into Pearisburg. We planned to meet Navi at the Diary Queen. The hike started out with a climb that wasn't too bad but within 30 min my feet were aching. I caught up with TT & CL at Doc's Knob shelter after the IB took effect. We had a pretty nice hike once we got on the ridge. At a great overlook we took a break to enjoy the view. The descent into Pearisburg was slick. About a 1/2 mile from the road there was a cooler with ice cold sodas right on the trail. Thank you whoever you are. That was truly some trail magic. At the road we hitchd a ride to the DQ. Navi & Ivey were there. Navi said she had been there for a couple of hours. Ivey had fell asleep on the bench so she just stayed there and let her sleep. We had lunch at the DQ then headed over to the Holy Family hostel. A nice hostel on the grounds of the local Catholic church with a great moutainview from the deck. Bill the caretaker takes great care of the place. We had dinner at a AYCE chinese that was very good. We saw Ohio Whistler there and later Gaul came in. Ivey is loving her hiker friends. Tomorrow I plan to go to an outfitters to take care of some pack issues and leave around 4 or 5 to hike about 7 miles. LIFE IS GOOD Paul & Jaime
Date: 2004-06-09
From: Pearisburg

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

The day started out pretty good with me up early as usual and making a pot of coffee to drink while I catch up on journaling. It is so peaceful here and when the sun burns off the fog it will reveal the moutain range. Bill, the caretaker, is very nice. He is retired from the Army after 26 years and he tries to run the hostel in somewhat of a military fashion but hikers are a different breed. The hostel is Bill's project And he says the church does not financially support the hostel. He appears tough but he turned to mush with little Poison Ivey. He just loved having Ivey at the hostel. We went into Blacksburg to the outfitters to see if I could get a smaller hip belt for my pack. Since I've lost 18# the pack is constantly riding down. But we had no luck except for a suggestion to use padding and duct tape. I'll give it a try. Back at the hostel I took a nap with Ivey. I was still planning on leaving by 5:00. That didn't happen because when Bill came by the hostel he told us a terrible storm was coming our way. So Navi & I went to plan B which was not leaving today and hiking 19 miles tomorrow. Crazy Legs & Tall Tales offered to keep Ivey while we went for dinner. Thanks guys we really appreciated it. Doc Narly showed up as we were leaving so we waited for him to clean up and he went with us. When we got back Ivey was playing hard with her "friends" and she was wound up tight. Navi got her calmed down and we were soon off to bed. Today was an interesting day and I'm glad I decided to stay.
Date: 2004-06-10
From: Pearisburg

To: Pine Swamp Branch shelter
Miles today: 19.1
Weather: broken clouds

I was up and ready for the trail by 7am, Whistler was up also but not ready. After 3 cups of coffee and getting my feet ready woke up Navi so she could drive me back to the trail. As we were leaving Whistler was heading into town so we gave him a ride. I said see-ya to Navi and off I went over the bridge and under the overpass then I was back on the trail. It wasn't long before we hit a good incline and Whistler fell back. I was at Rice shelter by 10:50. While I was there I met Mapmaker. As I was getting ready to leave a deer came from the left side of the shelter, jumped a fence then ran into a meadow. I could hear thunder so I moved on. As the second half of the hike started I really thought it would rain but the storms passed over and it was nice all the way into Pine Swamp Branch shelter. I got in around 5:15 and just relaxed. After awhile Whistler, Shaggy Sticks, CL&TT, the Sheriff and Cado came in for the night. My feet have held up real well and I hope they will tomorrow.
Date: 2004-06-11
From: Pine Swamp Branch shelter

To: Laurel Creek Shelter
Miles today: 21.5
Weather: scattered clouds

I was up and out by 7am. The climb out wasn't too bad and my feet are doing fine. Then it turned into a rock garden! Small rocks sticking up out of the path about 3-4 inches high just waiting for someone to stumble on them. Well, I did about 5 times. Luckily my big toe sticking out of my right boot didn't sustain any damage. If this toe survives this hike it will be a miracle. I did make good time and was at Wind Gap about five minutes before Navi & Ivey pulled up. They were both wearing dresses and looking fine. I will miss Poison Ivey when she goes home tomorrow. I had a nice break with them and as I was leaving Cado, Tall Tales and Crazy legs started arriving. I headed out after saying goodbye to Ivey. I saw a white blaze about 100ft ahead of me so I followed it. The trail wasn't as good as I thought it should be but I saw footprints. After an hour things started changing. There were less blazes and then the trail came to an end. That meant I had to backtrack about 1.5 miles. What a pain! It took an hour to get back to Wind Gap, I was flying. In a while I passed Whistler he was surprised to see me. He told me he had fell and hurt his elbow. I hope not seriously. After passing him I heard thunder and it was coming fast. I covered my pack and in 5 min I was puting on my rainjacket. Man did it come down! I was drenched. The rain let up when I reached the shelter. There was just enough room for me. The gang was all there. I got off the wet clothes and made something to eat. I journaled a little but I was soon ready for bed. What a day!
Date: 2004-06-12
From: Laurel Creek Shelter

To: Niday Shelter
Miles today: 12.4
Weather: overcast clouds

Had a pretty good night sleeping. Only a short day today. I can't do another day like yesterday. I put on my wet shorts and my "same shirt, different day" shirt that already reeks and hit the trail. Going the right way! As I got about 200 ft on the trail I looked a my watch and the date and day were wrong. I went back to the shelter to get the right time and everything. I hope the battery isn't going dead. After getting back on the trail the terrain was pretty good. When I came to Sinking Creek Valley I could see my destination covered in clouds. It was so beautiful I took pictures. The climb was nice going through fields and meadows. The next mile of the trail was along a rocky ledge. Some of the rocks were slippery. I fell once but didn't get hurt. The next 3 miles to Niday shelter was uneventful. I didn't see any wildlife today. No water on the trail either. I saw CL & TT at Sawer Hollow shelter where they were taking a break. They are going another 10 miles so they can get to Catawba early tomorrow to eat at the Homeplace Restaurant. I told them I couldn't do another day like yesterday but I hope I'll make it early enough to eat at the Homeplace with Navi also. At the shelter a southbounder has a radio. It's great to hear the oldies playing. It feels good just to sit around and catch up on my journal.
Date: 2004-06-13
From: Niday Shelter

To: VA 624
Miles today: 15.9

Up early and on the trail by 7am. Another wet day in store for me again so I'm starting out with the packcover. The trail has taken me through some beautiful farm lands and meadows. After passing through Craig Creek Valley it was time for the climb to find the Audie Murphy monument. He was the most decorated WWII veteran who died in a plane crash at this site. It was a long and steady 1600ft ascent. Then I finally saw the path off to the left. I took a picture and continued on. Dragon's Tooth was the next obstacle in front of me. First I stopped at Pickle Branch shelter for lunch and to dry out my camera. I made a cover for the camera out of a piece of pack towel after I got it dried off. Then on to Dragon's Tooth. The elevation change was 1500 ft this time. I didn't find the trail over the rocks to be so bad as I had heard from other hikers. It was kinda fun. Of course there were no views because of the clouds passing thru. On the descent I got a little confused of how the trail came off the mountain. I followed the signs that said north so I figured I couldn't go wrong. I was making good time once I got to the flat trail but still wasn't sure of myself. After taking the wrong trail at Wind Gap it tends to make you second guess yourself. As I got down the trail I saw a sign to the 311 parking lot and that's where I headed. When I got near the end I spotted the truck through the trees. I couldn't believe Navi was there! She was as glad to see me as I was to see her. She had hiked up the trail to see if she'd catch me and had waited there for two hours. She had just got back to the truck and was geting ready to leave. I had been right behind her. Talk about luck. She has just started to hike and said she did well with the three miles she had done. We went to the Four Pines hostel so I could shower then we went to eat at the Homeplace Restaurant. This is a restored farmhouse that serves AYCE brought right to your table in bowls. We saw other hikers who had gotten there a little earlier. It was good and we all left stuffed. Four Pines hostel was crowded and Navi suggested a room with a jacuzzi tub and thats all she had to say. We drove to Salem and got a room at the Holiday Inn Express and in no time I was in the hot tub. After the hot tub I enjoyed some Ben & Jerry's ice cream. What a treat! Navi enjoyed the hot tub also. After some discussion we have decided to jump ahead to Harpers Ferry, WVA after I get to Troutville. This will put us back on our original time schedule. We want to be at Katahdin before October so this will take some pressure off. We will finish VA after Katahdin. Navi will be able to hike with me at that time. She also is hoping to hike the 100 mile wilderness and Katahdin. We talked this over with Two Step and he thinks it is a good idea. He is trying to plan to hike with me in the next few days. Today turned out real nice.
Date: 2004-06-15
From: Lamberts Meadow shelter

To: Troutville
Miles today: 10.9

Woke up to no rain this morning and the chorus of birds saying it was going to be a nice day once I took my earplugs out that is. I did some journaling and wrapped my feet, not really rushing around to get out since I only have 10.9 miles to do today. I guess my friends Spirit & Goose did decide to move on to Lambert's Meadow campsites after all. As I was packing up to move on all of a sudden I heard a scream from Clueless. She had encountered a snake on the trail about 30 ft from the shelter. It was a copperhead snake about 2ft long and not moving very quickly. I'm glad Cluelese didn't get bit as she walked past it, Copperheads can be aggressive. We all managed to take pitures before I poked him with a walking stick and he moved on into the bushes. I finally got on the trail between 8:30-9:00. I don't expect to see Navi until 3 or 4 today. As I was hiking through Lambert's campsites I saw Spirit and Goose. They said they got caught by the storm last night but made it through okay and managed to get their tent up anyway. I gave Spirit our email and address because they want to keep in touch. I'm sure Navi wouldn't mind going to Prince Edward Island for a visit in the furture. I told them of our plans to jump ahead to HF and that I hope to see them somewhere on the trail again. I noticed how humid and thick the air was. I knew I would drink my water pretty quick but I had to keep in mind that there is no water source for 10 miles. The terrain was a little rocky and seemed like I constantly was on an incline, but finally started the descent into Troutville. Most of the hike this morning I could hear the noise of traffic below. It seemed to take forever to reach the road. I found a note that Navi had left on the trail that said she had a room at the Comfort Inn. So I headed to the left for a short distance and realized I was going in the wrong direction. As I stopped to look at the map I heard a Toyota horn blow and sure enough it was Navi!! She made a u-turn and picked me up. Last night Navi shared a room with Tall Tales, Crazy Legs, Shaggy Sticks and the Sheriff. Tonight we will share a room with CL & TT. After taking a shower we went to eat at Country Cookin,an AYCE buffet. Navi didn't eat much but I made up for her. Our daughter Kim called from Europe while we were eating. I ate for an hour or more which included 5 deserts while Navi talked with her and I ate. I talked to Kim for a short time and she said she and Jarrod were having a great time. We spent the evening watching the basketball finals with CL & TT. It was a good day. I will miss everyone that has been on the trail with us. I hope that our paths will cross again.
Date: 2004-06-16
From: Troutville

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

zero daysI will summarize the last four days. We have had a great time of relaxation, good food and wonderful friendship. We spent the first two nights in the home of Pat(Footnotes) & Rita Chiles in Charles Town, WVA. We had met Footnotes on the first day of our hike. He was heading up Springer as we were going down. We had looked forward to meeting Rita and the steak dinner ever since we said goodbye in GA. It's funny how you can meet people for a day or two and feel like you have known them your whole life. Rita is a real sweetheart and we enjoyed our time spent with them. The next two nights we were at the home of Ken & Susan Jones in Lutherville, MD. I had met them in GA in Oct 2001 while they were section hiking. They have been section hiking the AT for 16 years. We exchanged email addresses & phone numbers at that time and we have talked on the phone and exchanged emails but we had never seen each other again. We had hoped to see them last year during our travels but the timing just didn't work out. They had extended the invitation to call them when we were in HF. I was looking forward to seeing them again and having them meet Navi. I am so glad we did! They made us feel very much at home and Susan is a wonderful cook. I'm sure I put on a few pounds while there. Once again new friends that feel like old friends! Thank you all for opening your homes to us and inviting us into your lives. While in Harper's Ferry Navi talked to Laurie about volunteering for a week at the the ATC.. She will be working in the shipping dept. A volunteer apartment was available for her to stay in for the week so this will work out well for her. She loves to help out so I know she will enjoy this. I was able to get a new hip belt from Gregory with some help from Baltimore Jack. He was working at the outfitter's in HF. He is always willing to help fellow hikers. Also while in HF we met up with our friend Shawn(Giftgiver). He was staying at the hostel. He may have Lymes disease, he was waiting on the results. Hope you get better soon, Shawn. Well, all good things come to an end and it is time to head north but actually I'm ready to get back on the trail. I feel great! Life really is about the journey!