morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2005-02-27
From: Carver's Gap

To: US19E
Miles today: 13.7

Again, as if GreyFox hasn't already gone out of his way for this thru-hiker, he offers to slackpack me for the next day! (Slackpacking is walking w/o a full pack. This means I just have to carry lunch and water, and more importantly, I get picked up at a road crossing at the end of the day and whisked back to a heated home on another cold evening!)Going from carrying a 40lb pack to carrying 10 is a great freedom. I feel like I could run over the mountains, but today I can take my time walking through the Roan Highlands. The day is windy and cold, but there are great views from the balds and Hump Mountain. I take long breaks in each of the shelters. There is an abandoned tent full of trash at Stan Murray. Kind of creepy, wish I had a bigger pack so I could pack it out.Overmountain Shelter, a barn converted into an AT shelter, is something I've been hearing about for awhile. It is a unique place, but a bit drafty today as the wind is whipping through the large cracks in the walls. Would have been a cold night here! The last shelter, Apple House, has a history of vandalism. According to GreyFox, there are a few locals that resent the AT in this area (it used to be private land). Now they cruise their ATVs around the area and harass hikers using the shelter. This history, and the fact that someone has written "hauted" on the side of the shelter, makes me glad I'm going back to Boone again tonight!
Date: 2005-02-28
From: US19E

To: Moreland Gap Shelter
Miles today: 17.5
Weather: light snow

Last night was a great night to spend in a house. Wintery weather is here, there is about 6 inches of snow, and still coming down when GreyFox drops me off in the morning. It is hard to believe that it is cold enough to be snowing, and it soon changes to a light drizzle. Walking is slow and messy trekking thru this heavy snow. I pass another AT cemetery and then two domesticated horses on the trail. They look well fed, but are acting hungry (wait, that sounds familiar...), as they follow me down the AT for several feet, taking little nips at my backpack. This hike is about 17 miles to the next shelter and it is tonight's destination.By late afternoon, it is snowing again. Moreland Gap Shelter is dry and snow free when I arrive. After setting up and cooking, the wind shifts and the snow it blowing right in! I quickly set up my tent and move most of my gear and myself inside.
Date: 2005-03-01
From: Moreland Gap Shelter

To: Dennis Cove
Miles today: 6.1

March! It's finally March, one step closer to spring, right?!! These are my first thoughts in the morning, but ma-nature has a different agenda. There is a coating of two inches of snow on my tent and I am IN a shelter! The flurries are still coming down at 6 am and it is freezing! My sleeping bag, rated to keep me warm to -5, does not let me down. I am comfortable and not going anywhere for awhile. I spend three more hours in camp: breakfast, listening to NPR, reading...basically anything I can do without leaving the sleeping bag. By nine I break camp and I'm on the trail. The snow is just six inches deep, but there are drifts up to two feet. Up and over one mountain and then I descend into Dennis Cove where Kincora Hiker's Hostel awaits! I am in the wood-stove heated cabin by 1 pm. Dude, "the last SOBO," smiles when I open the door, then sends me back outside to brush the layers of snow on me.Bob and Pat, a retired couple, run Kincora Hostel. They are truly living their dream! It is no coincidence that they live so close to the trail. A $4 donation is asked for a nights stay (shower, shuttle to town, bed, kitchen facilities). Helping hikers is a hobby, with hiker donations they come close to breaking even. Bob and Pat are very hospitable, visiting throughout the afternoon and evening. The four mile drive into town is iced up and unsafe to drive. That is why Dude is temporarily stranded at Kincora. Good! The Dude is good company! "The Last SOBO," tells me tales of his AT adventure. He has been out basically the whole winter, saying that "exposure" was the hardest part of his hike. Random advise from the Dude: "If you are going to quit the trail, do it on a sunny day."
Date: 2005-03-02
From: Dennis Cove

To: US 321
Miles today: 8.9

Dude and I pack up our gear with hopeful expectations of getting into town and back on the trail. The Dude needs to pick up where he slackpacked from, and I need to resupply in town (Hampton). Bob gets us into town like a champ, even though the plows neglect the road to his house. I decide to walk the AT from Hampton, south back to Kincora Hostel. This way I can stay at this great hostel another night. Yes, it seems like I'm turning into a wimp with all this slackpacking and sleeping indoors, but the temps will be in the single digits tonight! Now what would you do...nine degrees or sleep in front of a wood stove?Again, I enjoy the freedom of not carrying my pack as I climb up Pond Flats. There are no ponds, but I get views of Watauga Lake to the north. Laurel Falls is gigantic with iced up sides today. Looks like a good swimming hole, come July perhaps. Bob is active in the TN Eastman Hiking Club and maintains the AT section north of Erwin to Damascus. Since I am passing through early, he has me report the downfall. I've got a digital camera and no pencil, so I take pictures instead of taking notes! Bob surprises me with a volunteer patch. Thanks Bob! It is the least I can do after all you've done for us hikers!I am back to Kincora in the early afternoon. The temp's are in the upper 30's, but the sun is out. I wouldn't mind walking a bit further, but this hostel is a great place to spend a wintery afternoon. I get caught up on phone calls home, my people have been watching the weather...
Date: 2005-03-03
From: US 321

To: Iron Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 15.4
Weather: scattered clouds

Bob shuttles me back to the trail by 9AM, telling me trail stories up to the end. "Just one more quick story," he says as he pulls into the trailhead, then he traces the ridgeline, showing me where I'm about to walk. The first miles are snow-free and easy going, skirting the shores of Watauga Lake, then crossing the dam. Vandeventer Shelter is my lunch break--what a great spot for a shelter! You can walk out to a rock ledge and there is a big view of the lake and surrounding ridgelines. As the trail climbs up to Vandeventer, the snow turns from a dusting to six inches with frequent knee-deep drifts. After the shelter, the trail stays up on the ridgeline and the snow gets even deeper. Freeman, a NOBO just ahead of me, is doing the work of breaking trail and FINDING the trail! I catch him by the end of the day at Iron Mountain Shelter. I must have been within 30 minutes of him the entire day. I thank him for making my day easier! I am in my sleeping bag minutes after I get to the shelter tonight. It is 35 degrees by 5:30.
Date: 2005-03-04
From: Iron Mountain Shelter

To: Abingdon Gap
Miles today: 16.3
Weather: scattered clouds

Thirty-three degrees this morning, and the sun is out! Rain is predicted for tonight, so I get an early start. Not earlier than Freeman, he jumped out ahead of me, again taking on the extra work of breaking and finding trail. I am slowed down this morning trying to deal with a frozen water filter. I am going to have to buy some chemicals for backup. I wonder if they make a morning after pill for drinking unfiltered water? Maybe I can retire early with that invention.I finally catch Freeman at noon where we dine at Double Springs Shelter, where there is barely a spring, certainly not two. I jump ahead of Freeman this time so I can break trail for once. Within two hours I start to see tracks in the snow, and later pass a group of professors from Virginia Tech out for the weekend. We all meet up at the same shelter tonight. It is a full shelter: 5 professors and 2 thru-hikers! All this chaos is better than TV. Someone is running around trying to get cell-phone service, another is screaming about the hanta virus, dogs are running wild---but they've got Scotch and Brats, and they share!The objective for tomorrow is to get to the post office in Damascus before 11AM so I can pick up my maildrop. Damascus is 10 miles, mostly downhill from this shelter. It will be a sprint! Had I a pair of cross-country skies, I'd be in town already!
Date: 2005-03-05
From: Abingdon Gap

To: Damascus
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: light rain

I was up by 5AM today, and on the trail just before 6 with a stomach full of mac and cheese (yeah, gross breakfast food, but I'm running low on supplies). I am in the dark for the first hour, but the trail is wide and easy to follow, even in the snow and rain. I am walking as fast as I possibly can just to get to the Post Office before it closes, otherwise I'll be in town until Monday. Since I lost my watch yesterday, I power walk the whole time. I end up getting to the PO before 10! But rewind a mile or three, because I crossed an important border today. Just before town, the AT crosses into Virginia. Starting with Virginia, all the states north of here I have never been too! I let out a loud whoop as I cross the border, but it's early, so I'm sure no one heard my little celebration.I'll be spending the rest of today in Damascus, then heading out tomorrow. The library closes at 1, so this was my second stop after the hostel. I haven't even showered yet...guess I better go do that.
Date: 2005-03-06
From: Damascus

To: Lost Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 15.8
Weather: clear sky

I leave Damascus with a full pack. I mean full! Supplies for 7 days, 7 well-fed days! I broke all the rules and went shopping on an empty stomach. I bought 48 candy bars. I am not kidding you. Alright, they were the "fun"-size...but 48 sure sounds remarkable, doesn't it?I'm hoping to get to Pearisburg with what I have, but I've also figured in a "pizza resupply" at Partnership Shelter in a few days!I met a retired thru-hiker in Damascus as I was leaving town. Willie was his name. He hands me his "business" card, which also has a functional use. His information is on one side, the other side can be folded in and clipped onto a beverage, it reads "Gone to Pee, Leave My Drink Alone." Oh, the people I meet...I buy a newspaper, drink a chocolate milk and I'm back in the woods by early morning. So far Virginia has easier rolling terrain and many more switchbacks making the climbs more gradual, taking less effort. I really love switchbacks, and I've been told I get plenty of them all the way through Virginia. The trail is busy with dayhikers as the sky is 100% clear with temp's in the upper 50s. The AT meets up with the Virginia Creeper Trail, a converted railway for bikers and horseback riders. This section has the heaviest traffic. I almost got passed up by a 70-year old woman, but I speed up so I can talk to her. She tells me about a helicopter rescue that took place during the last snow, from Thomas Knob Shelter, just below Mt. Rogers. Snow drifts were too high for the rescuers to get in, even with snowshoes. Hopefully the sun is doing its magic, because I'll be crossing over this area tomorrow. I get to Lost Mountain Shelter in the early afternoon. Freeman, to my surprise, is already there. I left town before him and assumed he was behind me. Apparently I was using the wrong side of the tree for the bathroom all afternoon. He took a side trail that ended up shaving off miles of the AT and avoiding some of the climbing. Freeman has already hiked this trail once, so he avoid the laborious climbs that don't have a view.Early to camp, early to bed. It now stays light out until nearly 7:00, but I am in my sleeping bag long before then.
Date: 2005-03-07
From: Lost Mountain Shelter

To: Thomas Knob Shelter
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

Now that I am shacked up, out of the wind and rain in Thomas Knob Shelter, this morning feels like days ago. The hike in the morning was a breeze, it was a wonderful three miles, really. Easy river-side walking on snow-free terrain. Snow-free being the key. There was only one minor glitch in the morning when I loose the trail for a few minutes. The AT crosses a field and an abandoned homestead and the white blazes are scarce in this area. Freeman, who was behind me, noticed that my prints were not longer in the snow, so he turned back to see me spinning in circles, looking for a white blaze. Nice gesture, but I really think he wanted me to break trail to the top of WhiteTop Mountain! This is where the snow really starts to get deep. Luckily, as we climb up the first peak, we can follow in someone's packed down snowshoe prints. If only we could be so fortunate for the rest of the day!We take a break at HWY 600 for lunch and let three dayhikers with one golf club (?!!) get ahead of us--to break trail. Well, they don't last too long and soon we are post-holing through the knee deep (with occasional thigh-deep high surprises) snow. The snow makes the scenery spectacular, but words cannot express how exhausting sinking in it is! In the end we break trail for four miles, four miles that take three hours to walk. There are a couple of sketchy areas where the trail was hard to find. It is a blessing to walk with a companion on a day like today. Parts of today felt more like a good challenge and adventure, by myself I would have been near panicking. Of course, we keep talking about the group that was rescued from this mountain just days ago. It looks like we are the first to blaze our way up here.From the south anyway. We are surprised to see a human figure sprinting from the privy to the shelter. Two spring-breakers, one a former thru-hiker, are hunkered down in the attic of the shelter, and make room for two more. We do a little trading: snickers, ibuprofen, apple cider. The shelter has windows held together with duct-tape and ice in the floor cracks, but the main thing is that we are laying perfectly still, bellies full, listening to the rain as it starts to hit the shelter roof. They inform Freeman and I that the snow is just as deep for the next 12 miles. "Does anyone know how to make snowshoes out of tree branches?" I ask. Apparently they unsuccessfully tried this idea in the morning. At least we have broken trail for each other.Today was only 12 miles, but it feels like one of my hardest days yet!
Date: 2005-03-08
From: Thomas Knob Shelter

To: Thomas Knob Shelter
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

¢I¢m covered in snow!¢ is the yelling that woke everyone up at 6:00 a.m., and I was the one doing the yelling. During the night, the rain turned to snow and began blowing through the cracks in the shelter. Buried inside my mummy bag, I was warm and dry, oblivious to my snow-covered exterior. I was shocked to realize with every gust of wind, more snow drifts in. The two spring breakers pack up, fight to put on frozen boots, and head out for their car, six miles away. This gives me space to set up my tent and Freeman moves to a snow-free corner.We aren¢t going anywhere today. The ¢high-country¢ radio predicts wind gusts up to 60 mph, a wind advisory until midnight, and six more inches of snow. That sums up the conditions we have right now. Visibility is 50 feet. The wind is strong enough to shake the entire shelter. Temps must be in the single digits.Our footprints have been erased from yesterday, likewise heading south.We spent a long day in the loft of Thomas Knob Shelter, leaving our sleeping bags only when absolutely necessary. I did a lot of reading: ¢100 Years of Solitude¢ (Marquez) and listening to an audio book ¢Prodigal Summer¢ (Kingsolver).We are shocked at the evening arrival of two more spring breakers, a couple. The girl is having trouble getting warm. Their car is only four miles away. I find it remarkable that they left their car to camp out in this storm at the base of Virginia¢s highest peak.
Date: 2005-03-09
From: Thomas Knob Shelter

To: Hurrican Moutain Shelter
Miles today: 15.3
Weather: broken clouds

All four of us woke up in the middle of the night to make water bottle heaters. This is the first night I am uncomfortably cold in my -5 degree bag. I am anxious to hike just to get warm.Frozen boots, shoelaces frozen into antennae-like curls, iced up tent crammed into my pack, we are walking by 7:30 a.m. I begin the day in a sour mood, sleep deprived, damp sleeping bag, and I am nervous about route finding. Spending 36 hours in a sleeping bag is rough! Freeman and I stick together, finding the AT is a real challenge up here with the snow drifts and lack of visible white blazes. Many times we lose the trail, then split up and wander around looking for evidence of a trail. Meanwhile, the wind is still fierce and the temps are in the single digits. We end up taking a blue-blaze horse trail that is easier to find. This shaved off several AT miles - beautiful miles, I¢m sure, walking the ridgeline of the Greyson Highlands. We were focused on evacuating the high country and getting warm. Any nostalgia of hiking every mile of the AT was secondary to our safety.The scenery from the horse trail was still spectacular. The morning light was real unusual. The sky is all clouds, the snow reflects blue, the sun is the brightness of a full moon. The wind is blowing fog and snow across the landscape. That, combined with the jaw-dropping views of the highlands made me forget about the ice bricks I was wearing on my feet!Then we see the wild ponies! A dozen or so of these tough ponies are casually chomping at the ground. Their ice-coated fur doesn¢t seem to bother them one bit. The ponies show no fear or interest to our human presence, ignoring any attempts I make at conversation.We come across an area called the ¢scales¢ where we can orientate ourselves and get back on the AT again. We by-passed one shelter by taking the short cut. We get to Old Orchard by late afternoon, still tramping through knee-deep snow. The shelter is far from weather proof and is snow and ice covered. It is too early and too cold to stop anyway.Good news is posted in the shelter: Hurricane Mountain Shelter, just built in May, is six miles away. Yes! I don¢t have to spend the afternoon in my sleeping bag! We are out of the highlands soon, less snow and the sun comes out. It was an enjoyable stroll to the shelter. It is a great shelter, still having that ¢new shelter¢ piney smell, and fully equipped with a broom so we can sweep the snow out.I am far from the pessimistic mood I was in this morning. Temps are still low. Freeman has spotted me some white gas so I can continue making water bottle heaters. I have gone through nearly 22 oz. in 3 12 days in this cold weather!
Date: 2005-03-10
From: Hurrican Moutain Shelter

To: Partnership Shelter
Miles today: 20.2
Weather: clear sky

An early start on another cold morning! From using both of my water bottles as heaters (boiling water)they seemed to be ¢canned¢ and will not open. They can¢t be frozen. This is odd, I¢ve done this so many times. A day without water bottles¢this should be interesting. I use my collapsible plastic bag, even though it is a bit clumsy.A few day hikers and section hikers are out today. I¢m already being warned about the rocks of Pennsylvania. Alright already!!Terrine wise, today was pretty unchallenging. I am able to make it to Mt. Rogers Visitor Center before they close (4:30 p.m.). It¢s a small place, just a few interpretive panels and books for sale. It is only 1/10 mile from Partnership Shelter, my home for the night. I have been hearing about this shelter for weeks, famous because you can order pizza from the Visitor Center¢s payphone.So of course the thought of a warm canadian bacon, pineapple pizza crosses my mind a few times during the day. By the last miles, I am completely fixated on pizza! I burst into the Visitor Center and pretend to be interested in the interpretive panels. Then I blurt out ¢what is the number for pizza delivery?"Bad news! They have stopped delivering! I guess it¢s another night of noodles. At least I made use of the soda machine and bathroom. I am ecstatic to be able to dry my boots and socks with the hand dryer. No frozen footwear in the morning! Ironically, the forecast calls for snow or rain in the AM. Oh well, it¢s nice to start the day off dry.Trail magic in the shelter! White gas, exactly what I needed! Then my water bottles open. No pizza, but life is still good!I call home and am informed about a rescue from the Smokies. My mom got a couple concerned phone calls ¢ no I did not get rescued!Freeman shows up at dusk, power walking and fixated on one thing¢pizza. Poor guy. 20 miles on a sore foot, motivated by unattainable pizza. He thinks he may have a minor case of frostbite on his foot.
Date: 2005-03-11
From: Partnership Shelter

To: Davis Path Shelter
Miles today: 14.3

It was a comfortable night sleeping in the loft of Partnership. The dry footwear made the morning even better. I swing open the shutters to see a winter wonderland once again! 12 inch of snow and more still coming down. This shelter has a frost resistant pipe for drinking water and also has a shower in the warmer months.It snows sporadically all morning. The trail crosses through some urban/developed areas today, including a historic site, Lindamoods one-room school house (1890¢s). Seven grades, with only one teacher paid $30/month. I pop in the museum, but no one is there and it is dimly lit. It is a nice place with carpet and I am dripping water and muddy. This is no place for me.The trail then zigzags through fields and small patches of trees for several miles. My eye catches something rare, something beautiful in the distance. It is bright red and shaped like a turtle. It is Dairy Queen and you can see it from over a mile away! US11 ¢ a truck stop along the AT. After waiting for a train, I make my way across the muddy fields to the oasis.Walking into the store, the blast of unfamiliar heat is uncomfortably hot! People are blatantly staring at me and my backpack as I order a burger and ice cream, paying out of my ziplock wallet. I take my time eating and watching the flurries come down. There is a motel next door. I could wash my socks and sleep in heat. I shop around the gas station, buying enough junk food to get me to Pearisburg. Hard to believe, but I resist the very strong pull of the motel and I decide to walk the three miles to the next shelter.I see Freeman just coming out of the trees. He pats me on the back, saying my decision is ¢hard core¢. Hopefully, I won¢t regret it. It¢s supposed to snow 4-6¢ tonight. I luck out with a great shelter. Someone has even hauled a lawn chair up here.
Date: 2005-03-12
From: Davis Path Shelter

To: Chestnut Knob Shelter
Miles today: 20.2
Weather: light rain

It snowed, it rained, and then it snowed some more. I am writing this at night from Chestnut Knob Shelter and I am completely exhausted. The last three miles had knee-high snow as I¢m back at 4000¢. I am good for nothing but eating and sleeping tonight! There are panoramic views up here. I should mention that my last three exhausting miles were the most scenic of the day as the sun set! I¢m not sure how far my raw feet will want to walk tomorrow. I¢m back on the Vitamin I, I haven¢t taken any since the Smokies!   Hiking will be a breeze once the snow is gone!The wind is really howling, but this shelter has four sides, so we are protected. Freeman makes another late night appearance. Today was much easier on him. He is full of energy as I am half asleep. He walks in the shelter and extends three fingers while I extend one. Since he usually walks behind me, he can ¢track¢ my daily adventures through the snow¢where I lose the trail, take breaks, etc. The three fingers is referring to the number of falls I¢ve taken today. He missed a few, but who am I to correct him!