morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2004-05-09
From: Vandeventer Shelter

To: Abingdon Gap Shelter
Miles today: 23.1
Weather: clear sky

23.1 miles in 12 hoursA big-miles day, not planned that way. We had a great night at Vandeventer. On our midnight trips to the underbrushwe could see lights of the town and lakeside shining bright, and the cloudsstill lighting up with the afternoon's thunderstorm. By morning hollows inthe valley below were filled with fog and mist, slowly shifting and rising. Whata 24-hour show. Our same foursome hiked out early, traveling along an endlessridge, cool breeze, sun slanting in low, with views of the valley below. Thenicest time of day to hike!Negotiating a stileThe miles rolled by. We met new faces, whoseshelter entries we had read including Beater and Wife (no, no abuse here; athoroughly nice young couple) and two college girls, Leslie and Miranda, fromMichigan.Flowery trailside pasture Thoughts of mail drops, cleanup and milkshakes at Damascus pulledus forward. We had an early dinner at a road crossing picnic area, then hikedanother five miles. As with earlier in the day, we hiked along a ridge in coolair, gentle breezes, and low sunlight slanting in. Did I say mornings were the best time of day?The radio also pulled mealong, first with a wild, rough Irish fiddler on Jean Ritchie's "Thistle andShamrock", then some catchy salsa tunes, then a bluegrass program. Each musicalselection had exactly the right tempo to really boogie, pain-free. We pulledinto the shelter here feeling fine, but challenged for daylight. Just enoughtime to go to the spring and set up the tarp for a comfortable night. One of thehikers started a fire, which makes a good nightcap and opportunity to swap trailstories. G'nite!
Date: 2004-05-10
From: Abingdon Gap Shelter

To: Damascus, VA
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: scattered clouds

10 miles in 3.5 hoursAwoken by the birds earlier than ever. Last night a whippoorwill set up its repetitive call, over and over. I remember asking myself "What's the point?" until I drifted back to sleep.We left the site before 7 and farly flew down to Damascus.The trail led us down the center of a scenic, well-groomed little town, quite unlike scruffy Hot Springs. Banners welcoming us to Trail Days 2004 were hung across the streets.Everywhere we went we saw hikers we hadn't seen for a long time, and caught up on their experiences.First stop was "The Place," a hostel operated by the local Methodist church. It's in an old building across the parking lot from the church proper, and has a kitchen, porches, living room and many rooms upstairs and down filled with bunk beds. No mattresses, just bare wood.Hikers relaxing outside The Place, Damascus: Sargeant, Southern Boy, Raven.The place runs itself, that is we toss in dirty towels along with our laundry, and sweep up as needed. Maybe 16-20 hikers are here tonight. Some are hiking through while others are hanging out until the peak of the celebration hits this coming weekend.From everything I've heard, it sounds like a huge frat beer party, with a fair amount of nakedness. I enjoy my association with twenty- somethings on the trail, but I wouldn't relish three days in a town full of them all lit up. That was great in my college days, but I think I'll march on past this one. I visited the Mt. Rogers Outfitter and they did wonders adjusting and restoring my gear. They are the greatest. You just don't learn enough ordering out of the Campmor catalog.Whitebread AT: Why?I've been struck by the lack of minority groups on the trail. I've met only two of African ancestry, barely more Hispanics, and few Asiatics.Surely there must be as much yearning for adventure, or escape, or self-examination, or the other driving forces behind these walks in these groups. But something stops them.Could it be stronger family ties or commitment to family and career? Less exposure to outdoor activities as kids?One study Raven mentioned analyzed personality types of thruhikers vs. the general population. The amount of introverts among hikers was triple that of the general population. Are there fewer introverts among non-caucasians? At any rate, the trail's here for everyone, not just white folks.We had a ripsnorting thunderstorm in town today, typical of midsummer. This weather will last several more days, so we may meet more storms on the trail.It's late, we hike out tomorrow, so off to bed on my wooden rack. It seems more like a dormitory for penitent monks, not sore and achy hikers! G'nite!
Date: 2004-05-11
From: Damascus, VA

To: Saunders Shelter
Miles today: 9.6
Weather: light rain

9.6 miles in 5 hours.Hikers kept piling into the hostel into the wee hours, some after "marathoning"over 32 miles that day. Everybody wants to get to Damascus! I had a toughtime stirring because of all the walking around town on errands we did the daybefore. I was bone-weary and footsore, even more than after a full day on thetrail. Today the place was like a frat house, with people, mostly the youngerset, lounging about in between their own chores. Another hot muggy summer day,with thunderheads building by late morning. Lyndsey and Miranda hosed down ablue tarp for a water-slide, which was generating some interest among the guestsas we headed out around 1 PM.The trail took us along a restored railroad bed called "The Virginia Creeper" which is used by bike-hikers, but soon turned offup a steep grade. The sky darkened and rumbles came from far ahead, but we onlyexperienced a light drizzle, quite comfortable to hike in without rain gear.We pulled into the shelter to find some older section hikers, and Julianne, a young thruhiker with an old dog, and Dingle, an unemployed optical engineer from Rochester, NY. Speak-Up rolled in toward dark after leaving town at 3 PM. Pets on the Trail: We've seen a lot of dogs on the trail, all shapes, sizes, and ages, all accompanying women. Not all are happy to be out there. Some are thrilled to be wherever their mistress takes them. Others get sore or tired and just want to be left alone, as when the day begins or a rest stop ends. It wasn't their idea to do this, and they don't share their owner's need to go 15 miles. We've seen pets "fired", and not only because they're excluded by law from the Smokies. There's the tale of a hiker who took a kitten along a few years back, perched atop his pack. It would stay in shelters with him and clean up the mouse problem. It's dark. Time for bed. I'm tenting out back of the shelter on a wonderfully soft bed of hemlock needles. I trust no more rain will fall. G'nite!"Now-or-Never"
Date: 2004-05-12
From: Saunders Shelter

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

18.6 miles in 10 hoursA thoroughly comfortable night tenting on a thick bed of pine needles. Up with the birds at 6:45 (earlier every week) and out by 7.The trail wound up and down hills until rejoining the Virginia Creeper Trail. This used to be a railroad line, with many trestles over river gorges. Now it's a gravel bike path that follows a roaring creek for miles. The AT follows it for a few lovely miles.Raven and I kept meeting hikers who were hanging out in Damascus for trail days, and slack-packing local sections by day. Trail Days is a big event, with thousands of hikers and retailers converging on tiny Damascus for a crazy week.We can't see how the town can handle it all, especially the traffic and parking. We saw a prison crew touching up the camping and performance areas as we hiked into town. They wore big striped pantaloons, like the lower half of clown suits.Resting on a flowery hillsideAfter leaving the railbed and the river, we climbed into grassy highlands, first up to Buzzard Rock, then White Top Mountain. Great views from both, including ominous clouds upwind.Approaches to Mt RogersOn we went to the base of Mt. Rogers as thunder rumbled in the distance. The trail broke out onto a huge field extending down the mountain where wild ponies graze, but we saw none.By now I was fairly flying to the shelter, and was within 50 yards before the rain started. Great timing!At the shelter were Good Spot, Sink, and Tripsalot (EMT's from Florida), and Just Amy, a nurse from Cleveland hiking with them.The rain passed and now a thick warm mist is blowing past the front opening of the shelter. It's getting dark and it's time for bed. The youngsters are up in the loft having a fine time chatting, and all is quiet down here. A new shelter design. Hope to reach Troutdale tomorrow for resupply, to get to Atkins two days later. That's where I'll change from winter gear to much lighter summer gear, plus take a full day off. My body's asking for it even though all's OK.Raven will return to Damascus for Trail Day Weekend. I'll hike on but I'm sure he'll catch up soon after. G'nite!Now-or-Never
Date: 2004-05-15
From: Trimpi Shelter

To: Partnership Shelter
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: scattered clouds

11 miles in 4.0 hoursA restless night from extreme damp, tossing and giggling from sheltermates, and critter noises. I kept hearing a heavy fluttering circling inside the shelter, then leaving: a bat. At least it was only after bugs. The mice, on the other hand, were after our gear. They must have worn boots, thundering back and forth across the floors and timbers. Such gnawing as only beavers could do, as well. No visible damage by morning though.The short miles flew by in close, muggy, summer weather. Got to Partnership shelter by 11 AM and immediately took advantage of its hot shower, the only one on the trail. Then I walked over to a modern information center that has soda machines, phone, and modern restrooms.As I basked in the sun on the front steps up came several hikers I hadn't seen in days: Speak-Up, Chill-Out, and Dacks. They're all headed for Atkins as well, and may continue on this afternoon (dark clouds gathering already). It's been a solitary hike so far today, and it's good to see companions again.Tonight I'll order a pizza take-out, for delivery here. That's this shelter's big selling point. Then more short miles on to Atkins and the Relax-Inn. No tenting permitted here, so hoping for a quieter night in the shelter.Pizza delivery near Partnership shelter: Speak Up, Dacks, and Chill-Out"Head music":"8 More Miles to Louisville," a joyful snappy tune about homecoming, and the Friskies Cat Food Jingle ("Meow meow meow meow, meow meow meow meow, etc.) and the Dirge part of Brahms' German Requiem.Food and the hiker: the other end of the story: I've mentioned the extraordinary caloric requirements of thru-hiking. That puts quite a task upon the digestive tract. Much rumbling and gurgling, and that's without beans. Sometimes hiker aroma can take on an intestinal quality causing one to keep a fair distance behind anyone ahead. Two major visits to the privy or the woods daily. As the saying goes:" A farting horse will never tire;A farting man's the man to hire!"Anon.Right now Park Law Enforcement is dealing with a vagrant who offered us whiskey, ogled the girls, and made strange comments. It'll be a creepy shelter scene if he stays. G'nite!
Date: 2004-05-16
From: Partnership Shelter

To: Grosclose, VA (Relax-Inn)
Miles today: 11.6
Weather: scattered clouds

11.6 miles in 5 hours Last evening after our big pizza fest on the front steps of the Information Center, six of us walked a little halfmile loop around a beaver bog in hopes of seeing the occupants at work. Plenty of old gnawed trees and branches but no activity seen. We raced back to the shelter in the teeth of a breaking storm.Another noisy shelter night. One of the older hikers snored terribly. Another hiker walked in around 3 AM, back from trail days and lit up a joint, stinking up the shelter.. He was preceded by his dog, who helped himself to a place already occupied by another hiker. Big ruckus. All this downstairs, while I was secure in the loft along with seven other hikers... Not my problem.I couldn't imagine having to sleep in shelters all the way up the trail as the no-tenters do.Was first out of the shelter by 6:30 AM. I marched towards the woods through a light mist, with everything cool and clean and fresh. The dew and spiderwebs barely bothered.NPR was playing a Handel Concerto Grosso. That plus the magical morning scene overjoyed me and choked me up at the same time. Music steps in when words fail.Another short easy walk, which took me over Brushy Mountain, then Glade Mountain, then through various woods and pastures. The trail came off the ridges down to an I-81 exit complex, where stands the Relax Inn Motel. Which is exactly where I'm going. Relax Inn at Atkins/GroscloseMade two visits to a nearby Dairy Queen and to a restaurant. Other hikers staying here are Chill Out, Speak Up, Dacks, Papa Boss, High Trailer, Slackerpacker, Mountain Mama and Whoopsie-Daisy.Critters noted: Speak-Up swears he saw an honest-to-God Lynx! It shot by 100 feet away. Longish tail and tufted ears. Others insist it must have been a big bobcat, since lynxes are exclusively a northern species.Dacks has seen several rattlesnakes and two blacksnakes. One was under a shelter, which it kept mice-free. I've only seen two garter snakes. Big deal. Trail Poetry: Wish I recorded some of the great entries in shelter registers. One I recall reading back in pony territory was an ode to a "cute little feral pony," and the many ways which the hiker would slice, dice and baste him into a savory hiker dish. In the last verse the poet said it was time to get started on the feast, but then, "cute little pony, where did you go?"Another well known hiker, Aswah, enters full-colored drawings in New Age or Grateful Dead style, with quotes from Thoreau, Emerson, and other writers and philosophers.10 PM, stuck in Atkins and time for bed. It will be SO good to get back on the trail, thunderstorms or not. I feel boredom and degeneration setting in. Raven catches up tomorrow, and I'll be in summer hiking mode by that afternoon if my mail drop comes through. Then it's time to boogie.G'nite!
Date: 2004-05-17
From: Grosclose, VA (Relax-Inn)

To: Atkins, VA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Zero day in Atkins, VAHow slowly the time passes when you can't keep moving! At least I picked up my mail drop and refitted myself to summer pack, sleeping bag and shoes, and sent the rest of my winter wear home. My Go-Lite Trek Backpack easily holds my reduced gear, but still is a bit heavy at 18 pounds minus food and water. It has no internal frame so won't be as comfortable, even if far lighter.It's great to receive mail and goodies from unexpected people. The delicacies are always enjoyed, and usually shared with friends at hand, but the thoughts and enclosed materials really comfort and inspire. The very best trail magic of all.So many hiking friends left early this morning! So many strangers have checked in here! Gotta get off and catch up!Raven hiked in this afternoon after a stimulating weekend at Trail Days. He benefitted from the technical talks he attended and plans to make some changes, namely new shoe inserts and more stretching. Good advice for me too. He had time to bike along the Virginia Creeper Trail, and marched in the Sunday hikers'parade. Spectators there tossed water balloons and squirtedwaterpistols at the hikers. Tents were packed everywhere, especially on a public field covered with poison ivy. Festivities continued through the night, with a "Drumming Circle" and much liquid refreshment. One girl told Raven that as she lay in her tent, she heard sounds of vomiting coming from the tent on one side and sounds of lovemaking coming from the one on the other side. We plan to be off bright and early tomorrow, probably 7, after a big breakfast at the Red Barn eatery nearby. We'll be dodging thunderstorms in this summer weather pattern for at least the next 5 days.Itching to try out my New Balance 806 Trail Runners, and see how well the Trek pack rides. I sent back the Hennessey hammock for use later, since I like my Henry Shires tarp tent too much to pack it home yet.I'm already sleeping better on an ultralight Thermarest 3/4 length mattress gotten in Damascus. And Raven plans to make me a copy of his Photon pressurized alcohol stove,far hotter and lighter than my slow but sturdy Trangia. Change is Good!Here's a neat little verse by the mystic Sufi poet Rumi, received today from a young friend of the family:Drumsound rises on the air, Its throb, my heart.A voice inside the beat says,"I know you're tired,But come. This is the way."Thank you, Meredith. It speaks to life on the trail. Do you suppose Rumi was a hiker?Time to turn in. Some hikers on the porch outside my window are deep into a bottle of wine, so once again, here's to sleeping under challenging conditions! The AT from Atkins to Waynesboro, VA
Date: 2004-05-18
From: Atkins, VA

To: Chestnut Knob Shelter
Miles today: 24.0
Weather: clear sky

Goodbye Atkins and the Relax Inn! Raven and I hiked out at 7:30 after abreakfast at the Red Barn. We still have to get used to the southern greeting"Y'all OK?" or "Are you OK?" as if we were injured or in distress. Also thepersonable "hon" or "babe" the waitresses of all ages use so naturally.PC-conscious northerners would run straight to court over that sexistsalutation.We soon caught up to Speak Up and hiked together the rest of theday. We made good time by Knot Maul Shelter, so decided to do more miles toreach this place. We came upon Slacker-Packer, Mt. Mama, Whoopsie-Daisy andfriend Chunk camping at Lick Creek And had an early supper with them beforemoving on. They were doing well and in their usual good spirits. Then came a long tough climb up to Chestnut Ridge, racing an oncoming rainstorm with some thunder thrown in. Raven started later. Climbing Pond Mtn.The trail broke out of the woods onto a wide pasture running along the top of the ridge, with views of neighboring valleys, mountains and ridges and an angry cloud approaching. Made it to the shelter just as the rain struck, with Speak-Up only minutes behind. The shelter is a stone fire warden's house on the ridge top almost overlooking Burke's Garden, a remarkable geologic formation. More about that tomorrow, since I arrived here at dusk in a brisk rain shower, and I'm really tired. Lots of familiar faces here tonight: Minus One and No Worries, Southern Boy, Achilles, and Papa Boss Bob. Raven must have pitched a tent short of this place. We'll meet again tomorrow.Now to take my hikerpills, stretch, and turn in. G'nite!Now-or-Never
Date: 2004-05-19
From: Chestnut Knob Shelter

To: Camping along Little Wolf Creek
Miles today: 14.7

The wind howled all night and we heard bursts of rain. We were wrapped in a warmblowing mist in the morning. We were obviously up in the cloud ceiling. Wehad no view of Burke's Garden down below. It's a craterlike depression among thesurrounding ridge in which farms and fields nestle. It's also called "God'sThumbprint." Sounds rather like Ngorongoro crater in Africa, which has its ownlittle world of wild animals. We hit Jenkins Shelter for lunch in a summerrainshower. Our summer weather is hanging over us with thunderstorms,rainshowers, and 100% humidity. Makes for clammy, sweaty hiking conditions andthe desire for a total weather change.We pulled up early at a campsite alonga stream and hope it doesn't pour on us tonight.Pink azalea, VERY frangrant The Weight of Fear:Everyone's obsessed with pack weight. Even after the first major trimming atNeels Gap three days after the start, packs seem to weigh too much. Someoneexplained it as "the weight of fear." How so?- If you fear being cold, you pack too much clothing. I did, but sent most backlast week after getting past Mt Rogers.- If you fear hunger, you pack too much food. I still end up with unused foodafter being on the trail for over three days. And food's the heaviest item inyour pack.-If you fear thirst, you carry too much water. Every extra liter adds over twopounds burden. I'm getting better at this. So lighten up Now-or-Never, take some risks and hike light! It's barely 8 PM but I'm ready for the sack. My new gear (pack, shoes,sleeping bag) are working fine. I really want to do some consistent big miles,but my legs and feet say "not yet!" So we'll plan each day on the run.G'nite!Now-or-Never
Date: 2004-05-20
From: Camping along Little Wolf Creek

To: Jenny Knob Shelter
Miles today: 18.9
Weather: scattered clouds

18.9 miles in 8.5 hoursWhat a damp,"jungly" night at the campground! No rain, but we had this sticky underwater feeling on waking up. Raven, Speak-Up and I hiked out in the mist along the squishy, muddy path. After a good climb we found ourselves on a long ridge, Brushy Mountain, looking out on mist-filled valleys below and endless ridges farther away to the west. We were now ridge-running in a straight northeast direction, in contrast to the aimless meanderings the trail led us through in Georgia and the Smokies.The trail today was mostly soft dirt, flat or with gentle inclines except for road crossings. It'll be much easier to crank out major miles now. Little inchworms are dropping everwhere on silken threads, which of course we walk through. Everyone had their web-complaints by the end of the day.We pulled into this shelter with plenty of daylight left, so in no time had our tents and sleeping bags hanging out to dry.Jenny Knob Shelter: No Worries, Minus One and Raven Cast of characters: Raven, Speak-up, myself, Minus One, No Worries, and three young college NOBO's from California: Monk, Gold Rush, and Forester. Monk is trying to finish in August and must average 22 miles a day with no zero days. So far so good. Some people are born to hike. Wildlife seen:- Two big blacksnakes, one on the trail, one on the road.-Countless little orange newts lying on the trail waiting to be squished. I stopped for every one and lifted them off to the side.-One skunk, by a stream. -Blueberries blooming all along the trail (native high bush). -Rhododendrons blooming purple here and there.- Lush poison ivy all along the trail, and stinging nettles. Speak-up caught a good dose.It's nearly 8 PM but the sun's still up and the air is dry. What a total change from this morning! Everyone's spirits are up even though our legs and feet are complaining as usual, after a respectable-mileage day.
Date: 2004-05-21
From: Jenny Knob Shelter

To: Woods Hole Hostel
Miles today: 20.4
Weather: overcast clouds

20.4 miles in 12.5 hoursUp with the birds at 5:40, ever earlier. Raven, Speak-Up and I were out by 7 AM for more ridge walking above the mist in the valleys below. Around 10 AM we descended to a road which took us to a general store across from a sawmill, both in the middle of nowhere. We chowed down on cheeseburgers and other grill items and stocked up for the two trail days remaining until Pearisburg.We soon found ourselves hiking along Dismal Stream: fast, clear, noisy, and as un-dismal as you can get. We had a lunch break and swim at the falls. The water was quite chilly, probably from running its full length under dark rhododendron tunnels except for open spots like the falls. We experienced the pleasure of hiking in wet freshly rinsed clothes as they dried on our backs.We came to Wapiti Shelter by 3 PM, but then heard of a hostel just six miles further up. After a snack and a catnap we hiked on. Speak-up has been having big problems with footwear and was behind some distance. We left a note saying where we were headed. On the ridge run to the hostel, we smelled pink azalea everywhere. Once we noted the scent of a single blossom around the bend of the trail. Orange and white azalea blossoms have no scent. Why not?This place, Woods Hole Hostel, is a barn modified nicely for hiker use. The owner, Tillie Wood, is the widow of the assistant Secretary of the Interior under Jimmy Carter. They bought the cabin, which dates from the 1880's, to study a herd of elk, called wapiti by the Indians.It's been a long productive day, but we arrived at dusk and there's barely time to cook supper, clean up and turn in.Miss Tillie's Hostel at Woods HoleCritters noted: Minus One saw a bear cub in the road to the general store only minutes before we came along. Tomorrow: Pearisburg! I'll miss the post office and darned if I'll hang around until Monday. After Atkins, never again!G'nite! Now-or Never