morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2007-03-19
From: vic of Spivy Gap

To: Beauty Spot
Miles today: 22.9

A very long day, but I felt pretty good until after Indian Grave Gap. There, I met a sheriff who was helping search for a missing person, probably dead. Not a hiker--I asked. After 11 miles or so from Spivy Gap, I arrived at Uncle Johnny's and bought a Platy and a hammock to replace my Zoid tent. On the other side of the Nolichucky, I met No Joke and hiked with him for maybe 1/4 mile. He turned off at the campground to resupply.Setting up the hammock proved very difficult until I worked out a grammatical ambiguity in the instructions. It started to rain, of course, since I had a new piece of equipment that I didn't know how to use. Still is raining, actually, but not too hard.
Date: 2007-03-20
From: Beauty Spot

To: Clyde Smith Shelter
Miles today: 14.6
Weather: overcast clouds

My legs were totally exhausted for uphills after yesterday's long hike, and there was nothing in today's portion of trail to inspire them. I hate to call any part of the AT boring, but this really was. Lots of PUDS (Pointless Ups and Downs). I did finally meet Zero, whose trail journal I had been reading even before I left Amicalola. He was feeling under the weather and zeroing at Cherry Gap Shelter; he told me Salamander and Fruit Fly intend to walk all the way to Overmountain Shelter today, Roan Mt notwithstanding. If they manage that, I'm unlikely to catch up anytime soon.This is a decent shelter, but a steep downhill to an unpiped water source. I set up the hammock, then noticed it was under a dead tree and decided to just sleep in the shelter instead. Hoping for a better hike tomorrow...
Date: 2007-03-21
From: Clyde Smith Shelter

To: Apple House Shelter
Miles today: 21.1

I was on the trail by 7:15 this morning, and reached Overmountain at around 1:00. Roan Mt was totally socked in with fog, and there were some very icy areas on the way down. At one point, my foot broke through some ice and fell into a cold stream flowing beneath it. The climb up Beartown was tough, Roan not so bad.I caught up with Ramblin' Rose and Gatorade at Overmountain, which is a big red barn that could probably sleep fifty. I left before them, and it was a long time before Ramblin' Rose showed up at Apple House, even though I stopped to rinse my hair at a cascade along the way. No sign of Gatorade at all, or of the two section hikers. Salamander is still ahead, of course. I got some excellent hammock-hanging tips from Ramblin' Rose when he passed by; he seems to know a whole lot about knots.
Date: 2007-03-22
From: Apple House Shelter

To: Moreland Gap Shelter
Miles today: 18.2
Weather: scattered clouds

A long, rotten day that I'm very glad is almost over. Only the weather was anything close to nice. First thing in the morning, when I crossed 19E, I saw that the two section hikers' car had been badly vandalized. Someone had smashed the driver's side window and tore up the inside--there were wires sticking out from all around the steering column, although the tires hadn't been slit. Poor guys. They didn't pass me yesterday, so they must have stayed at Overmountain last night and found their car around midday. After seeing what the notoriously unfriendly locals were capable of, I hiked at an uncomfortably quick pace for the next four miles or so. Wished I had Salamander or somebody else around.There was a picturesque section of trail along a river that put me in a better mood, but soon thereafter I managed to run very hard into a branch hanging at face-level across the trail (I was watching my footing, and my hat brim obscured my vision). An act of genius. It hit the cheekbone under my right eye particularly hard, and that part of my face hurt all day. Next, I slipped off a muddy log and soaked my right foot in water and goo.Abby's Place, the Laurel Fork hostel, is a long walk from the AT that includes a difficult stream crossing and a lot of following bits of yellow tape. Fortunately, I only intended to pick up a little food there (the place really creeped me out for some reason). Still, the trip to the hostel involved a lot of trouble, including getting stuck in rhododendrons, having to wade across Laurel Fork, and realizing that I had left some stuff behind and would have to do it all over again. I won't go into any more detail; suffice it to say that this day of hiking was just plain miserable.Mountaineer Shelter is brand new and hardly graffitied at all. There's apparently a special wash-pit for doing dishes and such, which I've never encountered at a shelter before. I ate the last of my peanut butter and went on to this place, Moreland Gap Shelter, which is small, dirty, and currently contains only me and the mice. The water source isn't very good, and of course there's no privy. Salamander probably reached Kincora tonight, and I hope to be there tomorrow. My legs and feet are hurting after two long days in a row.
Date: 2007-03-23
From: Moreland Gap Shelter

To: Dennis Cove Road
Miles today: 6.1

I arrived at Kincora after a short but fairly steep in. Nice sunrise on the mountain above Moreland, but no clear views. Salamander was off slackpacking the next section when I got to the hostel, but Fruit Fly was there to greet me (with doughnuts!). What a wonderful place this is...I get to stay in the "executive suite" (a private room with a double bed) since so few people are here; I also have the run of a well-supplied kitchen, bathroom, and laundry facilities. I discovered Yogi's PCT Handbook in the living room area--it begins with "There IS life after the AT!". Hmm. There are hundreds of Katahdin photos all over the ceiling and walls, and a variety of amusing sketches by thru-hikers. Bob and Pat Peoples are awesome folks! Deserving of many exclamation points!
Date: 2007-03-24
From: Dennis Cove Road

To: Dennis Cove Road
Miles today: 0.0

Salamander, Mo Lasses and I stayed at Kincora another day to do trail work with Bob, trail club members, and some college students. We helped build a brand-new section of trail, something I'd never done before. Fortunately, the soil was nowhere near as rocky as in Shenandoah, or it would have been difficult going. The relo we worked on was south of Kincora, so we actually ran into Hawk and Alleycat where we parked. Took a couple of group photos.For dinner, we went out for Mexican (this seems to be a theme of my thru-hike...). I got a jumbo margarita that really was jumbo, and was able to walk in a straight line afterward only with great concentration. Otto--with Raven!--dropped by the hostel later on to say hello to Bob and raid the hiker box. Raven is a great dog, and I can tell Otto is very glad to have his trail companion back again. I heard that Ramblin' Rose is off the trail, at least for a while. The numbers sure are thinning out: Mr. Happy, El-Train, Walrus, Ramblin' Rose, and Sputnik are all off the trail either for good or for extended periods of time.
Date: 2007-03-25
From: Dennis Cove Road

To: Watauga Lake Shelter
Miles today: 10.7
Weather: clear sky

Mo Lasses and I slackpacked Watauga Lake to Dennis Cove southbound this morning, stopping to swim at a hidden hole in Laurel Fork that Bob and Otto had told us about. The water was COLD, and there was quite a bit of howling and shrieking when we got in. Later, Bob dropped us off at Watauga Lake again, and we hiked from there to the shelter. Weather was HOT. Unlike that water. Brr. Makes me chilly just thinking about it.
Date: 2007-03-26
From: Watauga Lake Shelter

To: Double Springs Shelter
Miles today: 21.2
Weather: clear sky

A longish day, but after the climb up from Iron Mt. Gap, not too hard. The lake was pretty with the sun just coming up, and was visible in the valley for a long time after we reached the ride. Stopped for 1st lunch at Vandeventer and 2nd lunch at Iron Mt Shelter, but injured my left calf muscle between the two. I took some Advil, but it hurts quite a bit.The epitaph at the Grindstaff Memorial was creepy: "He lived alone, suffered alone, and died alone." Made me want to know the man's story.I saw firefighting equipment and vehicles along the handicapped-accessible section of trail. Mo Lasses came along later, and the people there pointed out where the fire was in the distance. I didn't see it, although there was a section not far before that which had burned fairly recently.
Date: 2007-03-27
From: Double Springs Shelter

To: Damascus
Miles today: 18.3
Weather: light rain

The leg injury gave me a lot of trouble today, and it took several doses of Vicodin to complete the hike into Damascus. It feels better now, and I'm hoping that I'll be able to move on tomorrow. But another zero day seems likely. Ay.I'm staying at Dave's Place, across the street from Mt. Rogers Outfitters, and currently have a room all to myself. Got a shower and snacked out of my maildrop. Thanks for the junk food, Mom and Dad! There's plenty for me and any hiker friends who are in the hostel too. Looking forward to pizza at Sicily's tonight.The guy at the post office here was the same one who handed me my maildrop when I was here on a two-week hike six years ago! The town is very much the same, but there are subtle differences. I think the place is more prosperous than it was back then. It just feels that way.
Date: 2007-03-28
From: Damascus

To: Damascus
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

So here I am in the Damascus public library again, checking email, writing poetry, and updating my journal...I've decided to take a zero today, and have been soaking my leg in a bucket of ice that the people at the outfitter gave me. It feels a little better. Some farmer talked Salamander and Mo Lasses into digging fence-post holes for him, so the guys are off doing manual labor while I relax and eat lots of junk food. My breakfast at the Dairy King was deliciously greasy, and I'm on my way back to the hostel now (after about three hours of work on a poem!) to eat some chocolate. This is the life...
Date: 2007-03-29
From: Damascus

To: Saunders Shelter
Miles today: 9.4
Weather: light rain

We got a late start out of town, due to spending too much time at Dot's last night and our general disorganization. Salamander did the mileage calculation for today wrong and I didn't catch the mistake, so here we are at Saunders (rather than Lost Mt, which was farther than expected). Sharing the shelter with a couple and their dog, which has been digging holes all over the place. My leg hurt a little today, but not too bad.
Date: 2007-03-30
From: Saunders Shelter

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

Leg okay today; it hurt a bit in the morning, then was fine. There was a long climb up to Buzzard Rock, but it was fairly well gradeed. The sky was overcast all day, just kind of dismal, but there were still quite a few cyclists on the Creeper Trail below the AT, and also slackpackers on their way back to Damascus: Osprey (back from Montana, complete with kilt), FedEx (first of the March 1 crowd to catch us), Guthook (don't know the story behind the name), Kentucky Blue (another woman), and Mo Lassus. Someone had thrown trash all around the shelter, and the picnic table was actually inside the building. A particularly brazen mouse watched us cook, so I wrote Mouse Manifesto #2 in the register in its honor. The upstairs is nice and dry, just like the last time I was here, and not all that dirty. So we're staying up there. The hike here from Saunders was kind of disappointing, mostly because I know how beautiful this area can be when the weather is clear. Not as impressive as the Smokies, I suppose, but great for sitting on a boulder and watching the sun go down.
Date: 2007-03-31
From: Thomas Knob Shelter

To: Hurricane Mt Shelter
Miles today: 15.9
Weather: overcast clouds

(The mileage for today is appoximate--the shelter is not actually located where the Handbook says it is, but is around one mile farther north, I think. Not south of Chestnut Flats)I woke up at about 5 and went outside to use the privy, only to find that a very thick cloud had settled on the shelter. The cloud was swirling with a chilly wind, and it was almost as difficult to see through as the fog on Roan was. Back into the sleeping bag for a couple more hours...we didn't leave until 10:30 or so, after FedEx and Osprey (coming from Elk Garden) passed through. We did see some ponies in the fog, but the scenery of course wasn't much. FedEx and Osprey were snacking at Wise Shelter when we came in, and we caught them again at the end of the day. It's just the four of us in Hurricane Mt Shelter, which is new and hardly graffitied at all (two odd things about it: no roof on the privy, and no strings to hang bags from, at least none with cans to discourage the mice). Having composed a fake NC travel brouchure, I think it's only fair that I do something similar for my home state...Welcome to not-so-vertiginous Virginia! Where the rocks are pointed, the trout stocked, and the mountains all below average. Today's state special: check out our Clouds-To-Order Service and get one afternoon overcast for free! This Service operates on principles of reverse psychology. When you set out to put in big miles on any given day, we know that deep down you really want to take a zero. But don't worry about the effects all that repression will have on your mental health; we'll provide whatever weather your subconscious desires, whether it be blaze-obscuring fog or thunderclouds prepared to strike even the shortest hiker dead. In no time, our state will have you enjoying shelter graffiti like it's Shakespeare. 100% guaranteed, or we'll yellow-blaze you right back to Tennessee.
Date: 2007-04-01
From: Hurricane Mt Shelter

To: Partnership Shelter
Miles today: 19.8
Weather: broken clouds

(Again, mileage is approximate due to uncertainty about Hurricane Mt Shelter location)I hiked ahead of Salamander for most of the day and arrived at Partnership Shelter a little after three. The others--Sal, FedEx, Osprey--got in later, and there is a section hiker and a bunch of spring breakers from South Carolina here as well. The shower here isn't working, which would be a bigger disappointment if I wasn't planning on getting one tomorrow anyhow, and the room at the visitor center with the soda machines (or "pop" machines, as Salamander would say) was locked. The shelter itself is pretty nice, though, and there's a spigot by the parking lot we can use to get water. And the privy has a roof. Hurrah. Partnership Shelter is, for anyone reading this who doesn't already know, famous for being the shelter you can have pizza delivered to. The group of us spent an outrageous amount of money on pizza and other Italian food (I personally didn't spend that much, it just added up), and gorged ourselves until we couldn't do much but lie on our sleeping pads and groan. The spring-breakers are playing music upstairs, but fortunately they're keeping it reasonably quiet. A short day tomorrow.
Date: 2007-04-02
From: Partnership Shelter

To: US11/I81
Miles today: 11.6

Here I am at the public library in Marion, VA, one of the larger towns I've come through so far...Salamander and I are staying at the Relax Inn on route 11, which is both fairly cheap and clean; he had a mail drop there and I had one at Atkins (on the way to Marion), so it was a good place to do laundry and shower. He's trying to register for classes right now--judging by the sounds of frustration, without much success--while I update my journal.An easy hike in from Partnership...just Locust Mt and Glade Mt, which aren't much after the Smokies. FedEx and Osprey left before us, and it will probably be a while before we see them again, unless something slows them down. They've become obsessed with catching Woodstock, who is an ultra-marathoner or adventure-racer or something and is putting in really big miles. Although they'll have to stop long enough for Osprey to shower at the truck stop, since he somehow managed to stay in Damascus without ever showering and thus really stinks. A lot. Not that I usually smell much better.
Date: 2007-04-03
From: US11/I81

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

Exhausted. Really hot weather didn't help, although there was sometimes a breeze to push the humid air around. A BIG storm is supposed to come in tonight, but no sign of it yet--I can still see the stars. I hiked alone today, and Salamander arrived about 1/2 hour later than I did, followed in a while by Guthook. He (Guthook) says that Alleycat, Hawk, and Mo Lassus all got off the Trail!!! Something about renting a car and driving to New Jersey...I hope they get back on eventually. The intermittent spring here evidentlly does have water in it, but I haven't gone down to look. It was pretty hiking today through farmland easements--emerald green grass and lots of rickety ladders over barbed wire fencing. Puffy clouds that looked threatening but didn't make any lovely, cool rain for me. I can't wait for the temperature drop the Weather Channel is predicting!Walrus--thanks for the note. I'm sorry to hear about your ankle. You've been tough to hike on it so long...
Date: 2007-04-04
From: Knot Maul Branch Shelter

To: Jenkins Shelter
Miles today: 19.0
Weather: overcast clouds

I slept like a log last night and felt much better in the morning for it. There were a couple of significant climbs today, but they were generally well-graded. The footing has been at times very rocky, and my ankles quite a workout. No trouble from the calf muscle at all.Chestnut Ridge was fairly exposed, so I was glad that the heavy clouds didn't come with lightning. Chestnut Knob Shelter is made of stone and is more like a one-room cottage than a regular shelter. When I arrived, some section hikers, Guthook, and Jean & Comer were all inside taking snack breaks. The wind was chilly and howling, but I thought it felt great after a sweaty climb up. I'm sharing Jenkins Shelter tonight with those same folks (well, Jean & Comer are tenting, as they apparently always do). The privy here is--as someone pointed out in the shelter log--more like a publy, as it has no walls at all. Just a throne in the woods...
Date: 2007-04-05
From: Jenkins Shelter

To: Jennys Knob
Miles today: 23.6

Probably my longest day yet, although the relo (AT now follows the high-water route bypass) makes exact mileage difficult to calculate. Last night was COLD, and there were flurries throughout the morning. I was glad I had the hat I bought at the truck stop, but wished for gloves--my hands were too numb to open my Power Bar wrapper. I could hear Miss Janet saying "I told you so" about sending warm-weather clothes back from Damascus. In the unlikely event that she reads this: Miss Janet, you are a font of wisdom and I absolutely should have obeyed your every suggestion. And your omelettes rock.Along with the cold, there was a strong wind that almost blew me off the overpass onto the interstate. The blazing was kind of haphazard in places--I had to rely on a VDOT crew for directions at one point--and I wandered off-Trail twice. Still, it wasn't a bad day of walking at all, especially the six miles or so of easy ridgetop hiking after Helveys Mill.I'm now sharing the shelter with Guthook (we leapfrogged most of the day). Sal has yet to show up, and Comer & Jean seem to be planning on tenting. Sensibly. It's going to be even colder tonight, I think.
Date: 2007-04-06
From: Jennys Knob

To: Docs Knob Shelter
Miles today: 22.6
Weather: overcast clouds

I was tired from yesterday's long hike, and today's section seemed to go on forever. My Achilles tendons have been giving me a little trouble, and I seriously considered stopping at Wapiti. But the P.O. hours in Pearisburg are dictating my mileage right now, alas...I'm glad that I made it to Docs Knob now, though, since the snow is coming down hard; there's already about a half-inch on the ground, and I expect it will continue to come down all night. Guthook--he's as crazy as FedEx and Osprey--decided to walk all the way into Pearisburg. Hopefully he doesn't freeze to death somewhere along the Trail. Jean & Comer tenting again, don't know exactly where, but I'm sharing the shelter with a father and son out for three days. They gave me food, ergo they are friends, Virginia Tech clothing notwithstanding. Salamander still hasn't shown up, and it's getting dark (I'm writing by headlamp); I don't think he'll be able to make Pearisburg in this weather, so hopefully he hasn't gone insane and decided to try it.
Date: 2007-04-07
From: Docs Knob Shelter

To: Pearisburg, VA
Miles today: 8.2
Weather: overcast clouds

Salamander and I got up early--4:30--to make sure we'd get to town before the post office closed. (He paid me 1 candy bar last night to make sure he actually got out of the sleeping bag on time this morning). It was still snowing, and there were about 3 inches on the ground when we started out. On top of Pearis Mt., though, there were drifts that came up to my knees and a strong wind that had me worrying about frostbite. Sal loaned me a balaclava, or I might not have any ears left. The hike seemed to go on forever, with snow-buried rocks twisting my ankles and weird snowballs forming on the bottom strings of my gaiters. I had one foot in a grocery bag, which kept it dry, but the other sock got damp near the toes. Finally, after a long, steep descent involving lots of slipping and sliding, we arrived in Pearisburg and headed to the place I've been dreaming about for days...Hardees. Then onward to the P.O. and the Holy Family Hostel, which is quite a distance from the Trail. The pipes there are frozen, so we have to use the Wal-Mart bathrooms tonight unless someone can get them to thaw. I helped Father Prinelli arrange flowers in the church for the Easter Service, and he let us wash up in the bathrooms there. There's one other hiker here, but I can't remember his name, only that he's from Kentucky.This internet cafe is great, but I just about froze trying to find it! In non-trail news, I've decided to accept Oregon's offer for graduate school. West Coast, here I come! Complete with a liking for grits and an overwhelming tendency to say "y'all".
Date: 2007-04-08
From: Pearisburg, VA

To: Pearisburg, VA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: few clouds

Easter Sunday. Sal went to church and took me out to lunch at the Friends and Family Restaurant (pretty good food). By the time we finished eating and organizing our gear, it was really too late to hit the trail. Besides, the pipes have unfrozen, so it's shower time!
Date: 2007-04-09
From: Pearisburg, VA

To: Rice Field Shelter
Miles today: 6.7
Weather: overcast clouds

We got a late start coming out of town, as usual; waiting for the P.O. to open delayed things, as did breakfast. The Trail spent forever wandered around Celco, a celanese acetate processing plant which gave the air a nasty, sulfurous smell. When we stopped for snack, my started bleeding and wouldn't stop, resulting in the waste of precious TP. Either chemical poisoning or the very dry air...The climb up was long and tedious, so I was glad to have Sal's company. We reached Rice Field Shelter before 2:00, but were too lazy to move on--the next shelter is 12 miles or so in a cold wind away. After a lengthy trip downhill to a muddy water hole, we spent the rest of the day wrapped in our sleeping bags. A nice shelter, maintained by VA Tech. There is a great view nearby, and I made a brief foray out of the warm bag to take pics of the sunset. If the wind would just stop, I would really be enjoying my stay here.