morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2006-05-14
From: Chestnut Knob Shelter

To: Interstate 77
Miles today: 21.7

The three of us who had this high-mountain shelter to ourselves woke to a chilly morning. The rain that came in last night seemed to be traveling in ribbons where it rained and stopped and rained and so on, all night. By dawn the skies were clear and cold. All was going well despite the awkward seven miles until a switchback had us make a u-turn to descend a slope. That¢s when we got a glimpse of what was behind us¢¦ dark blue to the mountaintops. Then came the BoomBoomBoom. ¢Oh no!¢ It¢s amazing how these fronts can sneak-up on you. I immediately prepared for a gully washer. BoomBoomBoom. Darkness fell on my side of the valley quickly, but somehow, it stayed just to my south. No rain, well what ¢ya know! Always a treat when you get missed. That would be the theme all day. Dark cold clouds, then patches of blue and sun, followed by putting on all my raingear and pack cover only to strip and stow it again and again.At 3: p.m. I reached the road where Goose was waiting. Master Plan was already enjoying a Bud; I followed that decision too thanks to Dara (Goose¢s girlfriend) who was quick with the handouts.Goose looked good, hadn¢t gained a bloody ounce of body fat since his ¢04 thru-hike ¢ damn him! Before heading to his house for Mothers Day dinner, we did a quick treasure hunt for wine. Bland, Virginia apparently only has beer drinkers. With some extra car miles, we did find some and headed to the house.Steve (Gooses father) was busy in the kitchen cookin¢ up a feast for Betsy¢s day off celebration. They hadn¢t changed a bit; ever ready to be great hosts and my innkeepers for the night.We all enjoyed the wine, but mostly it was Steve¢s roast pork tenderloin and new skinned mashed potatoes. Yummy! Good fun and laughter was had by all. Why I even was able to call my own Mother to say Happy Mothers Day.This would be a quick stopover to meet old-new friends, tomorrow Betsy will drive me back out to the AT of course, after she and I have a big country breakfast
Date: 2006-05-15
From: Interstate 77/VA 612

To: Jenny Knob Shelter
Miles today: 12.0
Weather: light rain

To date, I¢ve fallen three times ¢ no injuries. I¢ve knotted-up a thigh muscle from pushing it to out run a thunderstorm ¢ it gave me a limp for two days. I¢m now getting pain in my upper tendon of my right ankle ¢ shin splints. It¢s annoyingly painful at times, but manageable. The toughest element I¢ve had to deal with is that of a single word asked of me when others, first time hikers, learn I¢ve already done one thru-hike and ask me ¢Why¢ a second? For them, facing all the physical hardships are dealt with through patience, the spirit of discovery that comes with each new day and naivet©¢. They simply, blessedly do not know all that awaits and what will have to be conquered. I too, during my first thru-hike could not imagine doing so large an epic journey more than once. All I did know was my own personal desire, a drive if you will, to complete and have a grand adventure. But now I¢ve stood atop The Greatest Mountain ¢ Mt. Katahdin.And, sewn to my backpack is a small patch with 2000-MILER on it. So, back to The question of Why, why another thru-hike??You can imagine how this question grows when you¢re in the middle of a 2000-foot climb, in the cold rain, dense fog and the winds are 50 mph and you¢re tired, cold, hell you¢re shivering. Or you¢ve spent the entire day on awkward, angled, pitched, tilted, wobbly, sharp, jagged slippery rocks and your feet would just once like to have something soft and flat.Is the answer found in the weight loss and athletic conditioning that comes as a fringe benefit? Why just today I went up a 500-foot rise with my 25 pounds on my back and didn¢t even breathe hard! I love being that fit.Maybe it¢s the community of great people of shared interest coming together, becoming friends? Or the vast land and its beauty and wildlife that surprise you daily? Maybe it¢s the freedom to move, live freely with all you need on your back, stopping in a pool of sunshine ¢ using your pack as a backrest to lounge with the breeze in your hair? Which brings me to freedom and simplicity in a world that is anything but.All I know is that another 2000-MILER patch will not be enough to get me to Maine. (Been there, done that.) A purpose, like that of writing a book to entertain or help future adventurers is not enough, not even a book sequel.Maybe if I make it again I¢ll have my answer, or maybe if the smile looking back at me in the mirror continues to grow wider, the question of ¢Why¢ will go away. Is it just the pursuit of fun? Selfish, pure fun? Can joy be a purpose?
Date: 2006-05-16
From: Jenny Knob Shelter

To: Woods Hole Hostel
Miles today: 20.4
Weather: mist

In 1940, the Woods rented a farmhouse on 100 acres here in Virginia. Built in 1860, its log construction was with none other than the Magnificent American Chestnut Tree ¢ a tree that has been decimated by blight. Just two years later, the Woods learned that the charming house was to be sold. So in 1942, a sum of $300. bought them paradise in the mountains. Over the years barns faded away while bunk houses and extensions to the original house were added (thanks to the oak ruff-hewned logs of an 1820¢s homestead).Today, some sixty-five years later, Tillie Wood runs The Woods Hole Hostel for AT hikers and her charming grand-daughter, Neville Harris, who offers very reasonably priced foot massages, complete with a warm water soak. Simply bliss.Woods Hole is one of the best secrets of an AT thru-hike. It¢s a rainbow of texture to another era, a time when things were simple and uncomplicated. From its weathered porch posts to the stacked split rail fence, the centuries whisper to us to settle in to the place. To relax.A small brook follows the easiest route down the mountain slope bringing fresh water 60 feet from the front door. But for we city dwellers, it¢s the rushing water that serenades us to sleep that says escape and adventure.We add our names to the breakfast roaster, normally limited to the first eight, to keep the mornings manageable, but naturally they let a ninth join in.With such comfortable surroundings it¢s difficult to get started in the mornings, so at seven, Tilly rings a bell to help get the sleepiest started. At 7:30, the bell is sounded a second time announcing that breakfast is served. The bell is a classic triangle they strike with an iron bar the way they¢ve done it 100 years ago.We all gathered and Tillie and Neville asked that one of us say Grace. Then it was fresh biscuits, coffee and then a group photo for the album, on the front stepping-stones.When you leave Woods Hole you jump forward a century, fortunately thru-hiking allows you to travel in the simple life.
Date: 2006-05-17
From: Woods Hole Hostel

To: Pearisburg, Virginia
Miles today: 10.4

Postcard needs new shoes! This first pair have lasted 631.2 miles, and have served me well¢¦ however, the treads are now smooth, no gripping so makes for slippery footing.Pearisburg is a short 10.4 miles away with those much-needed new shoes waiting, along with my resupply box.I¢ll take a zero there and try all of the restaurants in town, once, twice¢¦ maybe even more!
Date: 2006-05-19
From: Pearisburg, Virginia

To: Pine Swamp Branch Shelter
Miles today: 19.0
Weather: overcast clouds

After a nice zero of ordering Italian food, not walking and staying off my shin splint right ankle, as well as hanging with LB and Stampede ¢ Stampede got his name when the ponies of The Grayson Highlands did just that through one of the campsites where he had his hammock up. The stampede clipped one of his guy-lines ripping it away ¢ it was a scene out of a John Wayne Western.The main event of the day was to just lay flat on the bed and let the TV tube entertain. Mission accomplished!At seven this morning, LB and I headed northbound into the Virginia Mountains. It was a frosty 40 degrees with a 34-degree wind-chill (Summer and June are still coming aren¢t they?)The ridge walk all day was down right frigid ¢ I had both jackets and hoods, plus my fleece cap on.For about 15 miles the shin didn¢t offer any pain. I found I could walk normal if I limited the distance of my stride. Smaller steps, instead of my longer ones. That is until a certain rock teetered under it, stretching the tendon, brought me to a painful halt. I limped the next four miles into this near empty shelter. Joining us are Birkenstock and Pokey.Throughout the day one thought kept making me laugh. While n Pearisburg, LB told me she was going to get one of those foil emergency blankets to help add warmth to her summer-rated sleeping bag. It¢s 45 degree rating was failing miserably to keep her warm during this unusual cold spell that¢s caught us.Anyway, I tried to warn her how the idea sounded good in theory, especially since it weighs a scant 2 oz., but that once you open the foil blanket, closing it is about as quiet as folding a bag of potato chips. Well, naturally she thought I was full-of-it and got one. And so back at the room she opened it and then tried to refold it back up. Some symphonies would be hard to hear over all that racket. Every fold is a crinkle and a crackle, not to mention once she slides inside it, her every toss and turn will announce to the world ¢I¢m moving¢. I can¢t wait to hear tonight¢s ¢Potato Chip Symphony¢ by LB.
Date: 2006-05-20
From: Pine Swamp Branch Shelter

To: Keffer Oak, Tenting
Miles today: 22.2

For reasons other than hiking, or maybe its only that, I kept playing musical food bag last night. At least three times I woke to eat something. Each time I poked the campfire logs to awaken our sleepy fire, which they did beautifully to fill the shelter¢s interior with a flickering orange glow.Master Plan didn¢t stop in Pearisburg for a zero; instead he got resupplied and hiked out, moving ahead of LB and I. His folks were coming to Catawba for some R & R with their son. So any idea of catching him seemed remote, but as the day and miles grew longer, the two of us started to focus our sights on The Homeplace Restaurant and their down-home fried chicken. Said to have the finest food on the entire AT, the pull to get there, despite their short hours (Thursday-to-Sunday) to partake was powerful. But both of us have some nagging pain in our ankle or foot. Miraculously my shin splint was a total non-issue today. Complete strength and length of stride made for a nice day.Somewhere around lunch, we decided we¢d go big today, maybe a 30 miler? But fortunately we came to our senses and opted for a field campout right at the foot of Keffer Oak. Having already seen them all, this giant tree is the grandest! With its 18+-foot trunk and limbs larger than most trees, it was like seeing an old friend. Here with LB and I is Old Drum, we all have circled our tents into a tiny flat spot in the pasture. Our entertainment was a stunning sunset thanks to the high cirrus. Then we each found our corner (tent) of the Appalachian Trail to journal write and relax. Old Drum spoke from his tent, ¢I may never see you again with your speed and mine, it was great to share this time with you. Safe journey to you both.¢I then turned the headlamp off and the MP3 on and drifted off to Mary Chapan Carpenter¢s ¢10,000 miles¢. Above us was a sea of a trillion stars stretching from horizon to horizon ¢ it was a day of good weather, good mileage and good company. Good Night All!
Date: 2006-05-21
From: Keffer Oak, Tenting

To: VA 624, Tenting
Miles today: 25.3

What a day, what a day, what a day. The mileage may not fully capture the essence of the difficultly of today, so let me just say it was TOUGH!AT 5:44 a.m., I could hear LB moving around ¢ thinking she was out of her tent striking camp; I woke up and got busy. I crawled out of my womb at six only to find I was the only one out (jeez, I could have kept sleeping).By 6:40 camp was struck and we started up the ridge to help the sun to find us quicker. LB informed me that she likes steep, long climbs for breakfast, which we were smack-dab in the middle of. I nearly turned around to whack her upside the head with my hiking stick; only I was too tired and too wheezy from the ascent.It was to be the theme today. LB would out hike, out stamina, out climb me all day long. What was she eating I thought? After lunch she did it again by climbing a 1600-foot mountain ridge without ever stopping!! At about 1200 feet in the ascent, I stopped to let her catch up since I couldn¢t hear her. In one minute, she appeared and said ¢hi¢ as she walked right past me. (Bitch!... just kidding)We decided to take advantage of the favorable weather even though the optismisticmeter (barometer) said it was to rain. We thought we should get ourselves up and over Dragon¢s Tooth ¢ a knarly, rugged, rocky, nasty climb over huge boulders pitched up on near 80 - degree angles, which we¢re suppose to enjoy. Oh, and it meant another 1600 foot ascent of the stuff uncomfortable walks are made of.Just short of the top, I hit my wall hard ¢ somewhere around 21 miles. I was exhausted; of course, LB was still motoring up this endless, awkward climb. As we started the descent, we knew that water was ahead and once we had it, we¢d find a camp for our tents and crash for the evening. LB has perfected an unusual way down these rock shelves, she stops, looks, takes both hiking sticks and throws them down ten to fifteen feet to the next shelf and then slides down the rock on her ass. (Her coming down isn¢t quite as impressive as her going up!) Me, I¢m a mountain goat when it comes to footwork, so I got even with her.We made the road and although we¢re advised not to camp near a road, we¢re too tired to move farther, or at least I am. I pumped water from a creek, tents are up and then another hiker appeared reminding us of the small grocery store only three tenths down the road. So, instead of Lipton tonight, it was two cheeseburgers, a beer, a diet Dr. Pepper, chips and a cheese Danish. Can¢t ever beat town food, even when your legs are screaming after a TOUGH 25 mile day.
Date: 2006-05-22
From: VA 624, Tenting

To: Daleville
Miles today: 25.7
Weather: few clouds

Another night with rain all around, yet none of it fell on us ¢ Always nice when it¢s time to pack up the tent. For once it wasn¢t chilly when we started, in two hours we¢d crossed several pastures with Black Angus, climbed some low ridges and came to VA 311, the road to Catawba. Six miles were done, so time for a break at the trailhead. I had just thrown down the tyvek to rest when Frank pulled up in his pick-up to ask how the day was going. ¢Great. We were thinking of maybe going down to Catawba for fresh coffee¢. ¢Hop in,¢ Frank said. Moments later I was eating a sausage, egg and cheese and a slice of homemade apple pie. Sure beats a granola bar. If that wasn¢t easy enough, LB asked the driver of a limo if he¢d be heading up the hill towards the trail? Yep, we were sitting pretty on soft butternut colored leather, motoring back to the trailhead.For days now, we¢ve been edging ever closer, to two hikers who hadn¢t taken a break, one was named Marley. Marley¢s from Maine and is going home the slow way, by foot. Master Plan has out mile aged us, so we might not see him again. But the AT is surprising, you never know.Anyway, as you come upon a shelter, and its register, you check the entries and dates to see where others are. At the second shelter, Marley had been there that morning. We kicked the legs into a higher gear and made some miles. It seems that about four days ago, the trail led us to a river crossing where two years ago sat a bridge, but that was the year of my very wet first hike and the bridge was washed away later that year. So, Marley forded the river like we did; only his didn¢t go quite so smoothly. Wanting to keep his hiking shoes dry, he tied the laces together, laid them over his neck and forded in his camp shoes. All was going well until his camp shoe wedged between rocks, Marley tipped forward, kept his balance, but his high-and-dry hiker shoes were now floating-and-wet. Stuck, Marley stood in the middle of the stream as his hiking shoes became canoe¢s, with his socks as passengers. Dumbfounded into silence, Marley¢s shoes now followed the path determined by the Eastern Continental Divide and started their journey to the Atlantic with him waving good-bye (well, maybe it wasn¢t exactly waving and maybe The Goodbye was more like a few chosen harsh words).For the next five days, Marley made seventy miles in CAMP SHOES! Naturally we caught up to him to hear the tale from him personally, not just what we read in the registers.
Date: 2006-05-23
From: Daleville

To: Daleville
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Before catching up to Marley yesterday, LB and I climbed one of the most famous landmarks on the AT. Named McAfee Knob¢¦ Especially on the beautiful weather days, decades of thru-hikers, day-hikers and locals have sought out this magnificent rock cliff vista. Today, was such a day. From its 4000 - foot elevation, we could see a hundred miles.The classic photo pictured here does require a bit of nerve (or maybe stupidity) to inch out and dangle with faith that the rock is indeed solid. If captured on digital film, you have one of the finest visual memories of an AT thru-hike. I have mine; it¢s your turn.
Date: 2006-05-24
From: Daleville

To: Bobblets Gap Shelter
Miles today: 18.5
Weather: broken clouds

The theme today was one of Carbohydrates. On the day into Daleville (25.7 if I remember correctly?), at about 21 miles I started t experience nausea and had to sit down to rest. I wasn¢t sure what was happening, I¢d been drinking close to six-liters of Gatorade water, and earlier in the day; I¢d had good food. But it was a long day that followed another long day. The rest helped, so I walked another mile and rested again for ten minutes. Marley wasn¢t in any great hurry, so he stayed with me and we sent LB ahead into Daleville to get a room, which we all shared. When we arrived I striped off my shirt and could smell ammonia. LB thought I¢d experienced acid-ketosis. It¢s a condition where there¢s no fuel (food) left in you, and so your body starts to eat itself ¢ going after your muscle.Not exactly ideal. Anyway, the Mexican restaurant and the entr©e for TWO I ordered helped solve that issue. The next morning, Marley, LB and I went to Kroger for resupply. LB shadowed me aisle after aisle saying ¢You need more carbs¢ ¢ apparently the carbs add endurance.The day was short for us, long for others, my legs truly enjoyed the shorter 18+ miles. To not repeat the same ill feelings of earlier, I made sure that carbs were the most important part of my day.Last weekend, back in Damascus, the town hosted this years Trail Days. Now that it¢s over, hikers who were up ahead of us have returned, and our mileage northward has run us right into yet another ¢bubble¢, unfortunately. So, there¢s only one thing to do¢¦ out distance them¢¦ and we¢re just the hikers to do it. These next several days will be Virginias hardest (biggest climbs).
Date: 2006-05-25
From: Bobblets Gap Shelter

To: Thunder Hill Shelter
Miles today: 23.6
Weather: light rain

Finally I¢m not cold. The temps have edged up towards 80, and although quite blustery, it¢s still just a hiking shirt and nothing else. Oh, and pants of course.Emerging with the heat are the thousands of tiny, inch-long green leaf-munchers. However, they seem to be more interested in hitchhiking than leaf munching. They silently lower themselves by the thinnest of silken thread and then perform a Cirque de Sole¢ maneuver to grab onto our hat, or shoulder, or in my case, my hair. Then it¢s a free ride (those rascals!) It seems every time I stop to talk with someone, they point out one walking around on me.The larger, tough climbing day did what we hoped it would. First, we left at least twenty-five hikers behind us. Second, we caught up to Marley again (he didn¢t zero in Daleville). Here at this shelter there¢s only eight ¢ a vast improvement.Tomorrow, another even bigger mileage day and that should take care of the crowds. Only it involves yet another large ascent, but it wouldn¢t be the AT if we weren¢t going up or down.
Date: 2006-05-26
From: Thunder Hill Shelter

To: Punchbowl Shelter
Miles today: 25.1
Weather: light rain

At 1:30 a.m. during a visit to the woods, I could see lightening flashes all over the southwest. The breeze was stirring which was pushing away the no-see-ums (which is another sign that summer is around the corner).I crawled back in the mummy and just watched the approaching drama, which moved over us an hour later.By pack up this morning, the winds were gusty and the clouds were dark, heavy with moisture. But as Marley, LB and I left a shelter of sleeping hikers at 6:15 a.m., no rain was falling. Most of the water was just falling from the wind blown wet trees.The miles came fast thanks to the long descent off Thunder Hill Mountain. Once I crossed the James River footbridge, I was greeted by Ken who introduced himself as a Trail Angel from The Natural Bridges Appalachian Hiking Club. ¢Would you like a soda?¢ he asked. ¢Would I!¢ He pulled out not a can of Dr. Pepper, but a thru-hiker size 20 oz. bottle, ice cold. That first swallow was bliss. ¢Have some candy too. And throw any trash you want in here¢ he added. Wow!By this time, LB and Marley were heading over the footbridge. I stood up on a rock holding up my Dr. Pepper and yelled ¢Trail Magic¢. Both of them took off into a run.All the goodies were not only desirable, they were practical too. The big ascent of the day started as we left, the next nine miles would eat up every calorie & carbohydrate we just enjoyed.Thank you Ken, we needed it and you found us when we were least expecting it ¢ which is when Trail Magic is at its absolute best!Tonight, here at Punchbowl is a pond. Surrounding the pond are creeks. Living here are about 100,000 frogs. Bulls, Leopards and Tree frogs are making such a loud racket that it¢s almost impossible to believe. The decibel level actually borders on ear splitting. A siren of a fire truck would have a run for its money down here in this hollow. Truly amazing, how deafening it is.   I SAID, IT¢S TRULY AMAZING HOW DEAFENING IT IS! GOOD NIGHT ALL¢¦ SO MUCH FOR THE PEACE AND QUIET OF THE WOODS!!