morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2014-04-15
From: Erwin TN

To: Curley Maple Shelter
Miles today: 4.7
Weather: snow

Got up early and had breakfast. Margaret who worked at hotel gave me ride back t9 trail head where I caught up with Movin On. RW decided to slack pack so we left at 930. Just want to say staff at Mountain Inn and Suites were the best and I recommend people stay there. Despite rotten weather forcasted we wanted to get to beauty spot about 12 miles out. Had quite a spill as I tried to remove a branch from a foot bridge and ended up on my backside on a pile of rocks. Movin On who was helping was trapped under part of the branch was able to get out. My main concern was not about me bot my poles I thought might have gotten bent but both I and the poles were fine. As we moved along the rain came down requiring the frogg toggs jacket. Unfortunately I was too lazy to put on my pants and got soaked! Finally made it to Curley Maple at 1130 and had a bite to eat and tried to decide whether to go on. At that point it began to sleet so with that as our cue we settled in for the day. Prom Queen and Trail Wife passed through along with Wiley Coyote and Roadrunner. It was a hard but smart decision to stay despite the low mileage because as the day progressed the snow continued to fall and the temperature dropped to 15 that night. Fortunately the Professor was with us and kept us entertained with stories of his travels. Its interesting to note how important people you meet become even though you've only known them a short time.
Date: 2014-04-16
From: Curley Maple Shelter

To: Old Apple Orchard
Miles today: 17.2

Got out at 730 after very cold night. Climb good with ramps and switch backs. Trail Angel B.T. at Indian Gap with coffee, bananas, brownies and banana bread. Beauty Spot was just that - a giant bald with 360 degree view of snow capped mtns everywhere. God did a great job putting it together! Unaka mnt was a disappointment with no views. Got to Cherry Gap Shelter at 230 for water but it was too far away and moved on. Got to a Norman Rockwell setting in an old apple orchard with a spring right there. Movin On and the Professor also here. The walk into and out of Erwin have been the best! Hopefully there is more of this to come. Just want to give a shout out to Mrs. Mitchell, the Lovlies and the Burkes for being great neighbors and keeping an eye on my parents. I also can't say enough about the trail maintainers who continue to amaze me with what they do. A person asked me the other day do I think just good people come to the trail or does the trail bring out the good in people - I believe its the latter and only wish more people could experience the trail. Finally a great quote I heard the other day, "Making good time does not always make for a good time". Laura, I promise to remember this when I get home and we are traveling.
Date: 2014-04-17
From: Old Apple Orchard

To: Over Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 19.7
Weather: broken clouds

Cold crisp morning 20 with 15 mph wind. Day started with 400 ft climb of Little Rock Knob which was not so little and involved some very steep rock climbs. Top had some picturesque views of rolling mountains as far as the eye could see. Ran into girl named "Happy". Lunch wit Movin On at Hughes Gap and a 2000 ft. Climb of Roan mtn. After 2 hours of rock climbing and navigating ice covered trails I made it to the top only to be faced by a repeat of Rocky Tops stoney trail of rocks of every shape and size and to add insult to injury there were more ice! But things did get better as I headed over Round and Jane Balds where I was able to get pics of me by having some day hikers take the pictures. Ran into 2 southbound flip flop hikers Spoonful and Hotball who began in November and highly recommended Mnt. Harbour Hostel. The backside of the balds was very muddy and I barely avoided some nasty spills. Got to Stan Murray shelter and left note for Professor I was headed for Over Mountain shelter and meet me at the hostel tomorrow. Got to shelter to find Wet Dog. Shelter is old converted barn used in some movie. This put me 9 miles out for tomorrow. I made reservations for RW and I and got ready for bed. Looking forward to a shower and laundry along with some good food. Hopefully will have a nice sunrise in the morning.
Date: 2014-04-18
From: Over Mountain Shelter

To: Mountain Harbour Hostel
Miles today: 9.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Odd night. Bed at 8 awake at 11 until 1. First time I couldn't sleep. Up at 6 and out by 745. Big climb out of Yellow Gap of 800 ft. Sure got my heart pumping. Little Hump was next then a number of balds which are part of the Roan Highlands. Then it was down, down, down the rootiest and do rockiest trail I've encountered yet. Stopped at North Carolina/Tennessee border for a quick pic. This is the lazt I'll see NC on this trip. Made it to Mt. Harbour Hostel around 1130. RW and I are sharing loft room over top of horse barn. Frank the Sleeper, Mack and AYCE are also here. Met Davinci and JJ who are staying in the main house. At 5 we shuttled into town and ate at Bob's Dairy where I had a huge fish fry with some nice hush puppies. Back at hostel I loaded pictures onto journal photo gallery so people can see some of the pictures I've taken. On a different note I want to say how grateful I am truly grateful for every ones support. You can really appreciate family members and friends. I want to say hi to Jack and Carol, Phil and Carol, Jason and Lisa to name just a few. I will give out a shout to others in future entries so don't think I've missed you. Well 9 and time to hit the sack. There's a big breakfast in the am.
Date: 2014-04-19
From: Mountain Harbour Hostel

To: Moreland Gap Shelter
Miles today: 18.9
Weather: light rain

Did some quick journaling and then sat down to a spectacular b fast of potato egg and cheese casserole, french toast w/ pecan maple syrup, chocolate strawberries, ham and melon. Had to be real careful not to eat too much given the climb out of 700 ft! Foilage is getting greener everyday with buds on trees starting to pop. Passed another milestone of 400 miles. Sometimes it's hard to wrap my head adound it. Was going to stop at mile marker 409 but it was damp and wet and the water source was poor. RW and I made the shelter at 545 to find RED DOG, WET DOG, and others there. Also met Caveman and Sprout. Had dinner of ham and cheese on bagel with dark chocolate for desert. Im so lucky to be out here with some great people and wonderful terrain and views. There are some great places near home that I'm going to make an effort to partake in and share with my grandsons. There is so much out there that is overlooked.
Date: 2014-04-20
From: Moreland Gap Shelter

To: Watauga Shelter
Miles today: 16.6
Weather: clear sky

This was an especially hard day for me given it was Easter and I was away from my family. I realized I would miss them and be lonely at times but today was the hardest so far on the trail. Thankfully the trail was an easy meandering one and I got some great pics thanks to day hikers and thru hikers. Took a lunch break before climb to Pond flats which ended up a disappointment given lack of sites and h2o. Got to Watauga lake beach and met Dirty Harry and Fran from London. Ran out of water mile and a half out and really thirsty. Last mile seemed to go on forever and then thank God the shelter appeared with a stream right next to it! Was able to skype with family having Easter at my sister's Jean Marie's. It was great to see my parents, my wife Laura and the kids. RW, RED Dog and Cave man here alzo with Caveman getting a great fire started!
Date: 2014-04-21
From: Watauga Shelter

To: Double Springs Shelter
Miles today: 21.6
Weather: clear sky

When a hiker leaves in the am, its usually up hill - it's the law of the land. That a.m. still blue missing my family on Easter I was sorting thru emotions when I realized I had taken a wrong turn out of the shelter! I was so pissed at myself - no one wants to take even ONE UNECESSARY step & here I was 2 miles out of my way. Mad at myself I headed back w/ the mindset I was going to catch up and literally ran up the trail blowing steam from my ears. That didn't last long and after a mile or so I heard a voice inside say slow down, I have so much to show you & you should take time to enjoy this adventure. Realizing this & the rest were too strong a hikers to catch, for the rest of the day I enjoyed the sights & sounds of the trail & had a nice re-energizing conversation w/ my wife & a 10 minute cat nap in the sun. I had dropped into the mind set of how many miles can I make & how fast can I make them & I was putting my body under a lot of stress & open to injury. The next 14 miles & 2200 ft of elevation drifted by. However, given the mileage and lack of water I was getting both thirsty and hungry when I came upon trail magic from the Nelson Chapel Baptist Church 3rd - 6th grade "Girls in Action" who had left soda and sweet cakes. Thank you for this and your prayers. W/ 2 honey buns & a Sprite in me I made Double Springs Shelter by 6 with Sprout & Flats also there. Northbound
Date: 2014-04-22
From: Double Springs Shelter

To: Mile Marker 467.0
Miles today: 18.0
Weather: light rain

First a Happy Birthday to my son Joel! Left Double Springs 715 & as I had said my food bag was getting low & I didn't have any b'fast that a.m. When I got to Low Gap at 9 there was Tennessee Tom (thru hiked 1500 mi. until he got a stress fracture), the Colonel (thru hiked in 2011) and Hannah doing trail magic. I always believe God will provide & that a.m. he did w/ 2 dogs, baked beans, a banana & a soda. Thanks guys & good luck Hannah who is thru hiking next year. Met Gray Ghost & Thankful @ Abingdon Shelter. Gray Ghost slack packing w/ wife's help & Thankful staying as he didn't need to be in Damascus until Wednesday. That afternoon I left Tennessee into Virginia. 3 states down & 11 to go. OH YEAH! I was going to stay at mm 468.3 but when I got there, there was a guy with a big fire going but when I attempted to draw him into some conversation it was apparent he wanted to be left alone. Let's just say my Spidey Senses were tingling. So off I went in search of another tent site where I could pull up short of Damascus in order to get in early. Finally, just about a mile before Damascus, I spotted a place 2 others had stopped & pitched my tent. Called my wife to let her know where I was, Joel to wish him a Happy Birthday, talked to my son Kris about his job interview and my parents to see how they were. Had supper with the gnats and then off to bed.
Date: 2014-04-24
From: Damascus, Virginia/Hiker's Inn

To: Hiker Inn
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

To Mojos w/ RW for breakfast for great food and coffee. Hung up tent to dry and off to Post Office but no package yet. To library for journaling and researching equipment. Went to local drug store and was able to get scripts filled. Had leftovers for lunch and then a few beers with Wet Dog. Hung out at Hiker Inn for a while and then went to Food City for re supplies. Had sub from Subway for dinner and then repacked gear for tomorrow. Talked awhile with RW about his Achilles injury. It sucks when something like that happens and you have little control over it. He says he'll be off of it for 5 to 7 days. Told him to pace himself and start back slowly maybe with slack packing. Have to look for new shorts. Only pair I have are held up with 2 safety pins. Still holding at 163. Being in town is nice I.e. clean body and clean clothes along with nutritional food but I can't wait to get back on the trail ran or shine.
Date: 2014-04-25
From: Hiker Inn

To: Lost Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 15.6
Weather: moderate rain

Up at 7 and breakfast with RW. He's still talking about slack packing Monday but I think he's pushing it but he has to make the call. I will miss our conversations and told him RW should stand for "Really Worthy" today. I hope he gets back on the trail as he's worked hard to get where he is today. Finally got maps at Post Office and left Damacus at 945. Mother Nature enjoyed herself starting with rain that soon turned into a deluge! After leaving the Creeper Trail, a rail to trail effort thunderstorms came. For about 45 minutes they followed me through a ravi e but fortunately they never caught up with me. Davinci, Rain Pants, Jo, English, Thirsty, Ranger and others here sharing the shelter to avoid the rain. Meals still consisting of pepperoni and cheese on a bagel, raman noodle soup and a piece of dark chocolate for dessert. Also some crushed potato chips if I have them.Someone asked me about the trail and was easy to walk on. The trail has more personalities than you can count. One moment it will be hard packed stone then it will change to leaf debris covered mud and then a minefield of rocks in assorted shapes and sizes. Then you throw in the grade of the trail I.e. is it a nice 15 to 25 degree incline or drop or is it a staggering 45 to 60 one and is it straight up or down or made of switchbacks or side cut trails? You definitely need to make sure your focus is on your foot placement. If you don't, one of those whack.a moles called roots or stones will poke their *&^/# heads up and you'll either trip and hopefully catch yourself or stub your toe so hard it feels like your toe is sticking out the back of your foot and painful doesn't even come close to describing how it feels. No wonder some hikers lose toe nails!
Date: 2014-04-26
From: Lost Mountain Shelter

To: Wise Shelter
Miles today: 17.3
Weather: clear sky

Morning was entertaining with Rain Pantz on Mio's shoulders trying to gef their stuck food bag. Loooong climb up to Buzzard Rock. I think they call it that because people feel like dying by the time they get there. It was an 1800 ft. climb. Great pics with Davinci, Jo, Thirsty, Eyore, Ranger and Burned Boots. Top of White mtn. more great pics. Trail magic from Boomer at Thomas Knob Shelter. Had tangerine& rice krispy treats, banana and drink. Man they were so good. Ran into Rocky Mountain Grandpa and his son Josh and got some pics with them. There were lots of ponies and got both pics and video. Got to Wise with Honey Bear, Davinci, Ranger , Jo and Mike here also. Nice shelter and quiet evening.
Date: 2014-04-27
From: Wise Shelter

To: Trimpi Shelter
Miles today: 20.0
Weather: clear sky

Trying to keep up with journal hard given spotty reception and need to hike 9 to 10 hours a day. Forgot to mention huge number of people yesterday on mtn, scouts, section and day hikers from state park. It seemed like a festival was going on. Left Wise 715. Ponies were out and around shelter before daylight. Kinda of cool. Saw the Scales where they do round up of horses. Made great time to Old Orchard even though trails were terrible. I think the rock gods and root gods were competing to see who could make the trail the hardest. Water still an issue at times. Need to make myself drink more often especially when going up hill. I don't know if I'm getting cocky or more confident but I'm covering more miles in less time. Rough terrain spanked my feet and only reason I didn't do more miles. Davinci Jo Mike Ranger Red Dog here. Rain pantz Thirsty and Eyore stayed for dinner and moved on. Weather turning nasty next couple of days and I need to plan my resupply. Still a balancing act between weight and nutrition and being able to access it at the right time. I can't wait to get rid of some winter gear to lighten the load also especially if I am going to keep putting more miles in. Otherwise it will wear me down after a while.
Date: 2014-04-28
From: Trimpi Shelter

To: Partnership Shelter
Miles today: 10.6
Weather: light rain

Up at 6. Actually woke up at 5. Getting lighter everyday so I can get an earlier start which is nice. First few miles nice with a change of scenery from mtns. to pasture land and cattle. Crossed VA 670 which started out as a short climb but quickly turned into a huge climb on crap rocks! AGAIN! Made it to what I thought was the top but turned out to be several false summits leading to quite a few ups and downs! Finally made the ridge and of course the thunder started to roll and continued to get closer and closer as I moved down the trail. About 3 miles from the shelter if started to rain so I picked up the pace and got within 200 yards of the shelter when the skies opened up and the rain just POURED down. When I got to the Mt. Rogers Visitors Center I realized I was in time for the shuttle into town where I could grab a bite to eat and resupply. Jo, Movin On, Ranger and Davinci also went in. It was really nice because it cost only .50 to take. Ranger and I ate Mexican and of course I had a margarita, but it wasn't nearly as good as the ones my favorite bartender Steve Zeh makes! Then it was off to Walmart and Ingles for food. WHILE outside Ingles I was approached by a woman who had hiked the AT in 1999 and asked if I needed a ride back to the trail and of course said yes. Her trail name was KINNICKINNIC and she was a real nice person. When we got to the trail she gave me her card and said call if I needed anything. A true trail angel. It was great to get back before the shuttle because with the bad weather the shelter was going to be crowded and this way I made sure I got a spot on the first floor. By the end of the night there were about 20 people in the 2 story shelter. Thanks to Ranger who contacted a local trail angel we were able to order pizza and even had a couple of beers to boot! With a full belly and a couple of toddies I was off to sleep and slept like a baby.
Date: 2014-04-29
From: Partnership Shelter

To: Crawfish Trail
Miles today: 17.9
Weather: light rain

Out of Partnership at 730. Day started out with drizzle and tree rain. Made Chatfield Shelter by 1030. Came across some power lines that I could hear before I could see. When I got close you could hear them crackle and pop and you could feel the hairs on your body tingle! Thank goodness it wasn't raining. I made a video to show my nephew Dan who works with power lines. Came off the mtn to a cool one room school house museum called LINDA MOOD and was built in 1894. They had some trail magic there also provided by the West End Methodist Church. I got an apple and soda along with some zip lock bags. Things were going great after that and I was almost to Aiken when I spotted interstate 81 and thought it would be great to get a picture and reached for my phone and realized i had left it at the museum! I immediately dropped my pack and RAN a mile and a half back and fortunately it was still there. Took the pic of 81 - wow what a feeling thinking this would take me almost home! Some days are hard when you think of your family at home and how you miss them. But then again if it was easy everyone would do it. Made my way to Aikens and had something to eat at the Barn. Charged my phone and made some calls. While there Jo, Davinci and Movin On came in along with Blue Jay to eat. Wet Dog also came in and we shot the breeze while he ate. It's funny how people move along the trail splitting up and reconnecting. We headed up the mtn together with the threat of storms again tonight. Made it up on the ridge with only a little drizzle and tree rain to deal with. Made camp at 6 had dinner and crawled into bed. Tomorrow is a big day with a crazy climb to Chestnut knob and a 16.7 mile day.
Date: 2014-04-30
From: Crawfish Trail

To: Chestnut Knob Shelter
Miles today: 16.7
Weather: clear sky

Up at 530 and out by 630 to be the rain to keep the tent dry. Saw wild strawberry and apple tree blossoms. Had 3 big ups with the last one over 2000 ft. Also saw 4 deer and a skunk! Its nice to have a change in the terrain with rolling hills and open meadows with cattle. Got to shelter around 4 and what a view! The whole valley below is ringed by mountains and is about 36 sq. mi. and covered with farms. I could count 17 silos. I set up my tent on the edge of the knob and can see all of what they call BURKES GARDEN. An interesting thing about the mountains is how they interact with the weather. For an hour or so the sun was shining with a nice warm breeze when off in the west we watched rain clouds build and move up the valley towards us. Within a matter of minutes of it reaching us we were quickly socked in with cold wet clouds followed by rain. We all scrambled to our respective homes away from home and watched as it totally enveloped the whole valley! With that I was in for the night to read and have some more food to eat. My hiker appetite is really starting to kick in and I had to add another pin to keep my pants up. Headed to Fort Bastion, a hiker hostel to get a shower and some laundry done. My guide book also says he has breakfast. Sounds like a hikers trifecta to me. Hope to post more pictures soon.
Date: 2014-05-02
From: Fort Bastian - Laurel Creek

To: Jenny Knob Shelter
Miles today: 19.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Up at 6 and started packing right away. Breakfast called and consisted of pancakes, bacon and eggs which were partially burnt. Understandable given the stove top he cooked them on. Fortunately I was one of the first to go through line and was able to get 4 pieces of bacon and 3 pancakes. I've never been a scrambled egg person and wasn't that hungry to make myself eat them. Those who came late to the table had little to pick from and there were defintitly no seconds. Got back on the trail at 830 which is a bit late for me and I had a lot of miles to cover. I walked with a guy named Mike who I've seen from time to time. He is an interesting person with a background in public health and had a career in the military. The trail was real good with views to the valley below and some roller coasters thrown in to remind us where we were. Mike dropped down into Bland for resupply and I caught up with Movin On and TDK as we crossed I-77 and had a hard time figuring out whether to turn left and go up hill or right and go down hill. There was little to no markings and we felt like we were on a scavenger hunt. After a bit we were able to spot some old and very faded white blazes and were quickly back on track. The weather continued to be nice with a lot of sun but not too warm. Talked to Laura who said it was still raining back home and cool. Made Jenny's Knob Shelter by 430 which was pretty good considering it was a 19 mile day. The outside of my left foot by the small toe is pretty bruised and sore and had me limping the last few miles. A look at my insole and boot show they are pretty worn and have served their purpose. I can't wait until I get to Pearisburg to pick up my mail drop which includes my summer gear and my trail runner shoes. Davinci, Movin On, Stray Wet Dog, Cromwell and crew, and Section Hikers Twill, Skittles, Mike and Tip Toe are all here for the night. As I've said before my appetite continues to grow. Breakfast was a PBJ on a bagel, 2 payday bars, 2 breakfast bars and assorted candy. Dinner is pepperoni, chesse, chips, ramen noodles and a chocolate bar for desert. My shorts are now held up by two safety pins and are still loose. I will have to wait until Troutville to stop at the Outfitters to get new shorts. Seranaded to bed by a whippewill that went on like forever without even drawing a breath. At first it was kind of neat listening to him but he quickly became annoying. Fortunately he finally stopped around 915 so we could get some shut eye. I'm going to need it as I am going to shoot for Doc's Knob Shelter which is 23.6 miles away and will be my longest day yet on the trail. I can only hope the trail fairies are good to me and make the trail soft and smooth. Ha Ha ha! Especially with my foot being as sore as it is. Oh well nothing a little Aleve won't hurt.