morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2022-04-04
From: Campsite on Loudoun Heights

To: Bears Den Hostel
Miles today: 18.6
Weather: clear sky

I tried to start early. Fairly long day ahead, including the start of the ¢Roller Coaster¢, 14 miles of ups & downs, with a reputation for being some of the roughest Trail in VA.  Easy Trail at first, down to Keys Gap. ¢Will¢ passed me by then & disappeared. About 3 miles farther, I came to the David Lesser Shelter & stopped for a snack. I spoke briefly with a hiker who was there, but I don¢t remember his name. Every time I visit this shelter, they¢ve added something¢ pretty soon, they¢ll have to change the name from ¢Lesser¢ to ¢Greater¢.In another 3 miles, I passed the Blackburn Center. I didn¢t feel a need to stop, tho last time it had been a nice place to rest an injured leg. In the next 3-4 miles, the ¢Roller Coaster¢ began in earnest. The slopes were no longer smooth: the Trail was eroded with lots of rocks & some switchbacks. The path got very wide because hikers have used all kinds of maneuvers to make it easier. Yes there are a number of ups & downs, but it¢s the roughness of the Trail that makes it noteworthy.  At Raven Rocks, I had a view across the next valley & passed a day-hiker & a NOBO thru-hiker in deep conversation. Lots of nice houses visible on the hillsides.  Since it looked mostly downhill to Snicker¢s Gap, I called the hostel to say I could get there by 9:00. A little premature! Both going down & coming up the next smaller hill turned out to be slower than expected ¢ I¢m getting tired of dealing with the rocks.So by the time I got to highway, it was well after 9:00, totally dark, & I couldn¢t tell where the Trail actually crossed the road. I called the hostel to get directions. The caretaker said he¢d come pick me up at the parking area at the top of the hill. Before getting there, I saw the Trail going off to the South. Not obvious. It IS explained in FarOut, but there really should be a Sign indicating where to go.I quickly was taken to Bear¢s Den hostel & began to rush around trying to get my pizza, laundry, & shower all done before the curfew. They cut me some slack time-wise; there weren¢t very many other guests, & I left my ice cream till morning.  There was a couple from Arkansas, Nana & Pops, who had started in Waynesboro, heading North on their flip-flop. One other hiker downstairs, 1 upstairs, & 1 camped outside seemed to be all there were. I opened the packages awaiting me, but barely looked at them before getting to sleep.
Date: 2022-04-05
From: Bears Den Hostel

To: Buzzard Hill
Miles today: 4.5
Weather: clear sky

It¢s not that I woke up very late, but I sure got a late start. First, the pancake breakfast. Then sorting everything & repacking for mailing some out. And talking to hikers who were taking a zero day. Well, I got out on the Trail about 1:30! Remember, the days are still pretty short this time of year.More ups & downs ¢ what would I expect in the ¢Roller Coaster¢? Actually, the Trail-bed is much easier than the part I did last night. Or am I just getting better on rocks?  After a few miles, I stopped to eat at Sam Moore Shelter. It was a cloudy day, but I thought I had more time to walk. In less than an hour, it was beginning to rain, just about when I found a place to camp at Buzzard Hill. I got my tent up just before it increased ¢¦ with lots of wind.
Date: 2022-04-06
From: Buzzard Hill

To: Whiskey Hollow Shelter
Miles today: 13.8
Weather: light rain

Well, it seemed like a long night in the rain. I awoke at 6:45 & started hiking at 8:00. That¢s pretty good when everything is wet. I quickly discovered a better, more sheltered campsite just a little bit over the hill. It wasn¢t long before I passed the 1,000-mile marker on the Trail. Those markers sure do move! In 2013, it was North of Bear¢s Den [7-8 miles from here]! I can see it doesn¢t really mean as much to a flip-flopper as to someone who started at either end. I met one NOBO hiker who had started in February: ¢Moment in Time¢.Ups & downs, yes; but this Southern part of the ¢Roller Coaster¢ certainly is easier than the part North of Bear¢s Den. I stopped a bit at Rod Hollow Shelter to try to dry some things out. Too cloudy & humid, with no wind down in the hollow; so I carried almost the same amount of water in the afternoon.I remember stealth-camping along this part of the Trail in 2013, but I can¢t find the spot now. On the way down to Ashby Gap, there were a lot of trees down, many with vines. I only did a little trimming, reporting the rest to trail maintainers.Crossing into Sky Meadows State Park, the terrain definitely became easier [no steep slopes]. As the name implies, I was sometimes walking in open areas. Nothing much of interest anywhere near the Trail, including camping; so I just kept going. I must have been slowing down too because it was after dark when I arrived at the shelter. It had been raining, so the blue-blaze trail to the shelter was very wet & eroded. Everyone was already in their sleeping bags. I tried to keep as quiet as possible as I spread my stuff to dry under the shelter porch This is a well-built, new shelter to replace the poorly-but-imaginatively-designed Dick¢s Dome, which appears to have been removed now. This is a double-decker, rated for 10-12 people, but five of us made it seem crowded ¢ it¢s all in how we arrange ourselves.
Date: 2022-04-07
From: Whiskey Hollow Shelter

To: U. S. 522 Mtn Home Hostel
Miles today: 15.2
Weather: moderate rain

I was up first & gathered my stuff, which hadn¢t dried much, to get out of everyone¢s way. I got to meet some of the others over breakfast [Spokes is the only name I remember] & then took off. Only the Trail was wet when I started, but soon there was light rain, which continued off & on till mid-afternoon. I met a thru-hiker who had started in February, plus an American who lives in Germany. Some names I met during the day were King-Kaka, September, & Double-Decker.  It wasn¢t long before I was overtaken by Vagabond [whom I¢d met earlier without a trail-name], a 17-year-old, who walked with me most of the day. I¢ve walked alone so much, it felt unusual to be talking while hiking. This is to help me prepare for hiking with grandchildren, I guess!  I had to stop occasionally for a breather, but I felt I kept up a reasonable pace. We stopped at Manassas Gap Shelter for lunch, during the heaviest part of the rain. Vagabond decided to stop for the night at the next shelter.Jim & Molly Denton Shelter is one of the first of the modern-style shelters, providing luxuries like a solar-heated shower [when sun & water are both available], separate eating pavilion, even horseshoe pits. In the 1930s, the Dentons were leaders in the Roanoke ATC, especially in re-routing hundreds of miles of the AT when the Blue Ridge Parkway took over much of the footpath. They later moved North & were active in Potomac ATC, which built the shelter.Since it was only about 4:00, I thought I could go 5 more miles before dark, pretty gradually, up & down a thousand feet, paralleling the National Zoo wildlife area for the last mile or so.  I wasn¢t off by much, but I would have had trouble seeing any exotic animals that might have been across the fence. At Highway 522, I turned left a few hundred feet to Mountain Home B&B & Hostel. Scott & Lisa Jenkins have continued to fix up their historic home, & she has retired from commuting to D.C. They had only one couple staying in the B&B section & I was the only hiker, so I ended up in the game room. That gave me a private half-bath & space to spread out my stuff to dry. I finished my lunch for supper. I didn¢t realize that that was the start of a bad habit.
Date: 2022-04-08
From: U. S. 522 Mtn Home 

To: North Marshall Mtn
Miles today: 10.9
Weather: overcast clouds

In the morning, I got to have the same breakfast as the other guests, only cheaper. I thought we were starting pretty early, but it was a big meal, & what with my slow eating & wanting to talk too, it was 10:00 before I got back to my room to pack.A beautiful day for hiking, I followed the trail up the South side of the valley, walking between various peoples¢ yards & more of the National Zoo¢s fence. Still no exotic animals. I met a woman running & a man with a dog. After being without them for a couple of days [must have been the soil or the elevation], I began to see wild flowers again: some dark blue hepatica & shiny white bloodroot [the flower of the day for the next week]. Passing the last road before the National Park [It goes to the 4H swimming pool & into the city of Front Royal (curious name)], I stopped to do some clearing on a blow-down too big for me to complete. Then up the Mtn to Tom Floyd Wayside [Shelter], where I fixed my lunch. Being a really slow eater, I¢m getting in the bad habit of eating my lunch as I walk, resulting in using it for supper as well. That means fewer total calories, but it seemed convenient at the time. Besides, there was a cold wind blowing into the shelter making it uncomfortable to just sit still there.  There is a kind of palisade of rocks guarding the North entrance to Shenandoah National Park. My camera didn¢t keep the pictures I took. Just past the top is a kiosk with forms to fill out for back-country camping. It¢s a 3-sheet carbon paper [!] form, each sheet of which says to attach it to your pack or tent. Nothing says to leave a copy, tho that would seem logical, but I couldn¢t find any slot to deposit it anyway. [When I got to the South end of the park, that kiosk had an obvious slot & and instruction on the board]. So I fastened the whole thing to my pack.From there to Compton Gap, the first of many crossings of Skyline Drive, is the most smooth & level Trail in SNP: an old road thru nice woods [no leaves yet, tho]. Then up Little Compton Peak & on to bigger North Marshall Mtn. The Trail thru the Park isn¢t always so smooth, but the gradients here are easier than farther South in Virginia.I had thought I might get to the next shelter for the night, but it was suddenly getting dark fast, with more than 2 miles to go. I thought of continuing in the dark, but after stumbling on something I didn¢t even see, I decided maybe I needed to stop & camp, preferably before the next road crossing [where camping isn¢t allowed]. I couldn¢t see anything at the viewpoint because of clouds. Someone was camped there, which confirmed that I ought to too. No more room there, so I went on farther down to what looked like a small level spot a bit off the Trail. Not quite level, but it worked all right. A little bit of rain came shortly after I got to bed. A tiny bit of snow or frozen rain on the tent in the morning.
Date: 2022-04-09
From: North Marshall Mtn 

To: Beahm's Gap
Miles today: 10.9
Weather: scattered clouds

Tent, &c., had mostly dried off by morning; so I wasn¢t adding much water weight. Generally down-hill for the first few miles to Gravel Springs Hut [They call shelters "huts" in SNP], where I stopped to fix an early lunch. Very pleasant place with a convenient spring. Nobody around, but lots of bear warnings. Didn¢t see any [bears or hikers!].Lots of nice views, especially near road crossings ¢ not surprising since Skyline Drive ¢stole¢ the original route of the AT. Then a little light snow in the afternoon. No hikers on the Trail, but there were bikers & other types of visitors at Elkwallow Wayside. I¢d hoped to get a hot sandwich there, but the kitchen wasn¢t open till May except to make coffee. I bought a prepared sandwich & moved on. The Trail makes a ridiculously long circle around this area; it feels like quite a trip to get back up on the ridge again.  I wanted to stop at the ¢Open Arms on the Edge of Town¢ hostel, but by the time I got to Byrd¢s Nest #4 picnic area, I could see I wouldn¢t be able to do 4.4 miles to the Luray exit before dark. So I called Alison to see if she¢d pick me up at Beahm¢s Gap, only a mile from me. She would. We got there at the same time, just before dusk. I apparently got the last space in the hostel, with 2 guys from out West, who had been doing a bunch of day-hikes in the area. I got shower & laundry done, opened a couple of packages [more to carry!], laid out some stuff to dry a bit more, & got to bed.
Date: 2022-04-10
From: Beahm's Gap

To: Birds Nest #3
Miles today: 6.5
Weather: clear sky

I began the day with breakfast at a restaurant up the street. I figured I could eat pancakes pretty fast, especially if I ¢melt¢ them down with syrup, but I still had to hurry a bit to get up the street another half mile to be in church on time. In 2013, I stopped here & found that the pastor was off at a synod convention, while a layman read a sermon the bishop had prepared for all the churches. He had done a good job with the service, but this time I got to meet the pastor, who has been there many years & is hoping to retire soon. He is younger than I & has leg problems that make it hard to get around. I¢m thankful that God has given me good legs thus far. We talked about all the little churches that can¢t afford pastors & the bigger churches that can¢t find organists any more. As I started to leave, I found out that the Church Council had been meeting without him: I hadn¢t realized I was keeping him from that. One of the members took me back to the hostel, so that I wouldn¢t delay any more in getting back on the Trail.Alison returned me back to Beahm's Gap, & I took off on a pleasant, sunny afternoon. I stopped to eat at Pass Mtn Hut [the one with the kissing trees], meeting one thru-hiker [¢Eagle-Like¢] & 2 sets of section hikers during that time. Then down past the Thornton¢ Gap Park entrance & up the next Mtn. It¢s called Mary¢s Rock & had attracted a lot of day-hikers, all coming down when I was going up. This slope is steeper, with a number of switch-backs & some rocks. Good views at the top & along the way. I had to take a selfie with the rock & send to step-daughter Mary. Then I moved on. After a 1.7 mile climb & plenty of sun, the wind made it too cold to stay up there long.Only a mile from there to Byrd¢s Nest #3, a picnic shelter converted to camping, where I spent the night. As usual, no one else around.
Date: 2022-04-11
From: Byrds Nest #3

To: Near Rock Spring Hut
Miles today: 10.8
Weather: few clouds

A sunny day, but quite cool in the morning, with wind from the East. Afternoon was better because the Trail moved to the West side of the ridge. Today, I came near the tops of two of the tallest mtns in SNP, The Pinnacle & Stony Man, almost 4000 feet. Lots of day-hikers around both mtns. Coming down a little, I passed Skyland Resort. I don¢t think the restaurant was open yet, but I stopped & fixed lunch nearby. There was a very confusing detour because of some construction. I ended up taking the AT anyway. Reaching the South end of the detour, I found that the signage there explained it much better for NOBOs [as commonly happens]. They were sending the Trail right thru the resort area, which is probably where most hikers would like to go anyway!In the course or the day, I met several thru-hikers: Bandit [Germany], S. O. S., Keystone [from PA], & a hiker from Thailand.  I¢d thought I might be staying at Rock Spring Hut, but ended up camping along the Trail near there. I wanted to use Zoom to attend a City Council meeting back home, & I wasn¢t sure what phone reception would be like down the hill. I got my tent set up & a place to sit just before the meeting; so that worked out well. I¢ll be doing a lot of this in the course of my hike. Just as the meeting started, Vagabond came by & headed for the shelter. Also some deer started grazing their way across the grassy plot toward my tent. I guess I had chosen their prime dining area. I¢m glad it didn¢t get very cold till I was done with my meeting.
Date: 2022-04-12
From: Near Rock Spring Hut

To: Lewis Mtn Campground ÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ Hostel near Elkton
Miles today: 12.3
Weather: broken clouds

A little warmer morning. In 3-5 miles I came past Big Meadows Campground, Lodge, & Wayside. The AT actually makes a big loop around the whole area, & I did a bit of obstacle-cutting along the way.  I met thru-hikers Foxtrot, Traps, & Two-step [a SOBO!].  I stopped at the Wayside to try to charge up my cell-phone. Ended up doing that mostly in the restroom! I had an important telephone appointment with my doctor [& my wife] so I needed adequate reception. A few miles South, it was better than at the Wayside, but then it started to fade as I went along. As the time approached, I reached a picnic area, set my pack down, & suddenly had no signal. So I hurried back up the Trail to get it re-established. When I had it, I didn¢t want to move. Fortunately, someone came along who was willing to go back & bring me my pack. Seems like a lot of people at each road crossing.Reasonably good news from the doctor ¢ nothing that will keep me from hiking.  Nice, smooth Trail this afternoon. I don¢t do much trash-picking as I hike, but I picked up a garish birthday balloon & hooked it to the top of my pack. Not enough helium left to lighten the load. I thought I¢d find a trash can at the next road crossing. While I was stopped to fix early supper, a day-hiker came by & offered to dispose of it. Fine.I continued on past Bearfence Mtn Hut, not thinking I needed to stop yet. I met Mama-san [SOBO] at the turn-off to the shelter. By the time I¢d gone another mile, I decided to stop at Small Axe Hostel, Elkins, IF I could get a ride. The proprietor gave me numbers for about 6 people, & eventually one called me back & picked me up at Lewis Mtn Campground. Not very good phone reception thru this area, but I made it work.Small Axe is a working farm, & hikers stay in an old barn, but not with the animals. It¢s rather primitive, but they don¢t charge much & take pride in good food. I was too late for supper [tho I still got some cake], but I told my shuttler to pick me up right after breakfast. Apparently, he works closely with the owners. Other hikers there were Crossword, Army Ant, Merger, & Mary. They were all slack-packing & NOBO.I
Date: 2022-04-13
From: Lewis Mtn Campground ÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ Hostel near Elkton

To: Hightop Hut
Miles today: 11.7
Weather: broken clouds

Slept well & had to eat breakfast very fast for me, but the shuttler waited & still got me out pretty early. He dropped the others off at various places South of me; so I met them all in the course of the morning. I was passed by SOBOs Mama-San & Two-Step. Not many other hikers till late afternoon.This was my hottest day yet: 90o & still no shade. Slack-packing began to look more & more attractive. I¢ve always eschewed slack-packing in the past. Now I was reminded of Jenny Joseph¢s ¢When I am an old woman, I shall wear purple.¢ I began to think, ¢When I¢m past 80, I shall try slack-packing.¢ Only problem is: today was the day I should have been doing it, getting picked up somewhere South & returned to the same hostel. Otherwise, it gets more complicated & more expensive. I just hadn¢t caught on to how easy it could be in SNP now that it isn¢t considered illegal for shuttlers to pick up hikers at any road crossing in the park. With the heat, this really was the day. I thought about it all day as I hiked ¢ someday, I¢ll actually do it. At least, there was a lot of down-hill Trail. By the time I¢d crossed the highway at Swift-Run Gap & started up the next Mtn, it was beginning to get a little cooler. I met a NOBO named Crunchy. After crossing Skyline Drive again, a young man hiked up Hightop Mtn with me. He does it every day after work! The name ¢Hightop Mtn¢ seems like an oxymoron.  Just over the high top [a bit of a view], I stopped & stayed at Hightop Hut. Two-Step was camped nearby. 3 NOBOs were staying in the shelter.
Date: 2022-04-14
From: Hightop Hut

To: Loft Mtn Campground Store
Miles today: 14.0
Weather: broken clouds

I can see I¢m a little behind on my plan to get to Waynesboro tomorrow evening in time for church [Good Friday]. Well, I¢ll just have to do what I can.  Hightop IS the last high or steep peak in the Park; so I¢ll be generally downhill, but there are still ups & downs. I stopped for lunch at Simmons Gap picnic area & got to watch park employees cleaning out trash cans & restrooms.Long process! Earlier, I met 2 sawyers, out cutting blow-downs across the Trail. I told them about all the stuff down North of Swift-Run Gap. That would be someone else¢s territory; I hope they¢ll pass it on. Hikers I met today included Stretch, Sure-foot [AT¢92], Samonamong, Silva, Spoon, Lifeguard Louie, Buttercup, Finch, & Tyvek.The heat yesterday & lower elevations today have brought out more flowers: 3 colors of violets, the first azaleas, & bushes with yellow flowers. I stopped at Pinefield hut to get started on supper & carried it along. Five more miles brought me to Loft Mtn campground. The campground isn¢t open yet, but I had heard the the store might be. Actually, it appeared to be getting ready to open, but no one was around. The restroom there was open. Since it was getting colder & darker, I decided to stay there. I found a clear space near the showers & set up for sleeping.I couldn¢t get all the lights to go off. Eventually, I figured out they were on motion sensors. Even while sleeping, I move enough to keep turning them on!
Date: 2022-04-15
From: Loft Mtn Campground Store

To: Skyline Drive, mp 92.4
Miles today: 14.0
Weather: clear sky

I got up early & started on the Trail just before daylight. The Trail winds around behind the campground, then off on a gradual downhill. More views ¢ it¢s easier to see that this was all farmland a century ago. I met Mega, Poppins, Pioneer, & a couple of other hikers, especially around Black Rock & Black Rock Hut, where I stopped for lunch.I was trying to make enough time to get picked up sometime in the afternoon so that I could get to the hostel by 5:00. I settled on the crossing at Skyline Drive mile 92.4 [AT 878], & got picked up by a driver from Stanimals 328, in Waynesboro. The place was fairly full, but I got checked in & showered in time to shop for some snacks in the area before heading for church at Grace Lutheran. They have a hostel at the church in May-June, but I was way too early for that.I didn¢t allow quite enough time for the walk ¢ it must be a mile & a half ¢ but it was a good service.
Date: 2022-04-16
To: Stanimals Hostel
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Zero day in Waynesboro. Getting to know some of the people at the hostel. A couple decided to use some of the ¢hiker box¢ stuff & made pancakes for me and others. Otherwise, hikers haven¢t left much useful stuff [I did find some thread] ¢ not that I needed more to carry! I had time to do a little shopping in the area and to do some sewing on my equipment ¢ especially, my shorts have gotten too big in the waist. I was surprised to learn that the Waynesboro post office isn¢t open at all on Saturday. I certainly had stuff to send out! The hostel had some kind of connexion with UPS, so I was able to do it that way, but it was pretty expensive.This is the day for picking up my granddaughter to hike with me for several weeks. Ellen¢s flight was delayed more an hour; so the shuttle driver adjusted, except that he wanted to stop to visit someone in Charlottesville ¢ I got to sit in the car [in the shade] till it was time. Ellen was almost the last person off the plane, but it was good to see her. They gave her a bunk at the hostel right next to mine, which was convenient for sorting our stuff. Then we went to eat at the Italian place on the next block. That was good. She fits right in with the other people at the hostel; so I felt OK taking off again to go to the Easter Vigil service, also at the Lutheran Church. The pastor gave me a ride back.