morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2007-04-04
From: Jerry Cabin Shelter

To: shelter
Miles today: 16.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Alright, so anyway the conclusion of the story to yesterdays arrival at camp is that one of the people in camp, who it was shall remain unnamed to protect the not so innocent, was experimenting with a new alcohol stove and did not realize that alcohol flames are extremely difficult to see in daylight and thought their stove was out and spirted more fuel into it. The stove was not in fact out and the picnic table and surrounding area soon became a fiery inferno of terror after the fuel bottle was thrown into the air in fright. Thank god the fuel didn't hit any people but several articles of clothing required rapid stomping and quick action by Grasshopper pouring water all over the picnic table mostly extinguished the flames. Needless to say this was quite a sight to walk in on literally just as I came into camp. Luckily, no people or gear were destroyed and all in all it ended up being a surprisingly harmless mishap, but a good education on alcohol stove safety. Later in the night I got a chance to live up to my namesake after I discovered that I had lost my headlamp sometime during the day, who know where or how. I response to this problem I created a small alcohol lamp from a jar of sunscreen with a hole drilled in the top through which a piece of cloth from my bandana acted as a wick. A piece of aluminum from my windscreen protected the plastic jar from heat and also acted as a reflector. This worked surprisingly well and seemed to impress most people which was gratifying as MacGyver is a name which leaves alot to live up to.That night my tent finally got tested in the rain and passed with flying colors so that makes me feel more secure. During the day the weather cleared up and was actually quite nice. Late in the afternoon Grasshopper and I came across two guys driving around in a four wheel drive Gator type vehicle. They stopped and started talking to us, telling us they were out picking ramps, a wild onion. They showed us what they looked like and we tried some, discovering that they are quiet good. The two guys were definately good ol' southern boys and soon offered us a couple beers as they got out and sat down to eat their lunches. We sat with them and ended up eating and entire watermelon between the four of us. Unexpected trail magic in the middle of the woods is definately some of the best trail magic...
Date: 2007-04-05
From: shelter

To: Erwin, TN
Miles today: 27.0
Weather: scattered clouds

It was very cold this morning so P-Hawk and I built a fire which everyone enjoyed before hiking out around 8:30. I was convinced to join the Goats and the others in a 27 mile slack pack for the day. At the road crossing 2 mile out we ended up waiting for about an hour before our shuttle driver finally showed up to pick up our packs. By then it was close to 11 AM and we still had 25 miles to hike. Needless to say the day went very quickly as we didn't have much time to do anything except walk. We did cross a very nice bald with excellent views where we had lunch and relaxed for 15 or 20 minutes before the death march continued. We arrived at the Erwin road crossing just as the it started to get too dark to hike without lights, which was very lucky as I no longer had my headlamp and the alcohol lamp would not work for me in this situation.    I managed to land one of the last overflow spots at Miss Janet's hostel, a legendary stop on the trail, meaning that I got to sleep on her couch which honestly was probably nicer than sleeping in the crowded bunk room. The Goats, ordered copious amounts of pizza which they shared freely and I slept very soundly.
Date: 2007-04-06
From: Erwin, TN

To: Curly Maple Gap Shelter
Miles today: 4.2
Weather: overcast clouds

This morning I discovered why Miss Janet's is so legendary as I woke to the heavenly scents of breakfast being prepared. Wandering into the kitchen I was given coffee and told to stay out of the way for a few minutes. After the few minutes passed I was invited back along with the 20 or so others who were staying at the hostel and proceeded to enjoy a massive breakfast of cheese grits, french toast, bacon, scrambled eggs, and pancakes. It was a delicous and truly wonderful experience. I don't know if I've mentioned it before but food has become essentially the primary fixation of my life. Walking on the trail I day dream of food, in towns, I eat food, my life revolves around food and when my next real meal will be. So a breakfast like the one at Miss Janet's comes close to a religious experience for a thru-hiker.After breakfast a shuttle was provided to Wal-Mart to resupply and where I also purchased a new headlamp for $10 which seems to actually be nicer than the name brand one for which I paid $25. Grasshopper and I started hiking late in the day around 5 and only walked 4 miles to the first shelter out of town. The temperature has dropped significantly and snow is starting fall as I write so we'll see what tomorrow has to bring.
Date: 2007-04-07
From: Curly Maple Gap Shelter

To: Greasy Creek Gap
Miles today: 19.1

Woke up to temperatures in the teens so it was difficult to make myself get out of my nice warm sleeping bag. Outside of the shelter their was only 4-5 inches of snow which was not a problem, however as we continued walking and got up to higher elevations the snow cover increased to 6-8 inches with drifts 18 or more inches high. The winds also picked up and unfortunately my hopes of one day climbing Everest have been dashed as summiting 3000-4000 ft mountains in 20 degree weather with 30 mph winds was cold and unpleasant enough for my tastes. The worst of it was that on the way up you start to sweat regardless so you have take off layers and hats in order not to get soaking wet, then on the down hill and short flat sections you have to re-layer and zip-up jackets or you freeze. The day was unpleasant enough that we ended up staying at another hostel at Greasy Creek Gap. This hostel is essentially just a small house at the end of a dirt road way up in the mountains. It's not exceptionally nice but it sure is nice to be out of the cold and I greatly look forward to being able to pack up in a warm house even though I will be sleeping out in the non-heated or insulated bunk house.
Date: 2007-04-09
From: Stan Murray Shelter

To: Apple House Shelter
Miles today: 9.9

Slept late after yesterday's exertions and stayed in my bag even after waking just because it was still wicked cold. I don't mind hiking in the cold that much, it is the packing up and cooking in the cold that is unbearable as that is when you truly feel the cold, while hking I stay warm just from the work out. Started hiking about 10:30 and quickly arrived at Overmountain Shelter, which was our planned destination for yesterday. We quickly decided that Stan Murray was a better location to have been as, although Overmountain was a large barn, it was full of gaps and holes in the walls which had let in lots of snow and did not block the wind very much at all. Crossed over Big Hump and Little Hump Mountain which had great views of the snow covered mountains which looked beautiful in the bright sunshine.
Date: 2007-04-10
From: Apple House Shelter

To: Kincora Hostel
Miles today: 24.3

Mostly uneventful day but relatively long miles meant that I ended up hiking the last hour or so in the dark with a headlamp. Grasshopper and I showed up at the Kincora Hostel around 9:30 where an older guy with a big beard greeted us. This was Otto, who was apparently watching the hostel while Bob Peoples was out of town. Bob is evidently a big guy in the trail community and has done a great deal to organize and work with trail crews and the ATC to help maintain and preserve the trail. I don't know much about that but he does run a very nice hostel next to his own house on a donation basis. After the life necessities of ordering delivery pizza and taking a shower, I sat down inside where a large group of other hikers were - Renaisance Man, Many Names, Biscuit, Hellbender, and several others I hadn't met before.
Date: 2007-04-11
From: U.S. 321

To: Kincora Hostel
Miles today: 8.9

Today I took Otto's advice and decided to take it slow and did a nice easy slack pack back South from the U.S. 321 road crossing to return to the Kincora Hostel for another night in a bed. However, in the morning before hiking I helped Many Names and a couple other hikers cook a large communal breakfast. On the hike I spent a great deal of time chasing after bugs and insects in order to take pictures of them. It was very nice to take a leisurely stroll through the woods, taking almost five hours to cover slightly less than 9 miles, rather than feeling pressure to cover miles before dark. Near the end of the hike for the day I arrived at Laurel Falls which is a a spectaular 50 ft. water fall. However, the biggest surprise of the day happened just as I emerged from the woods at the road that lead back to Kincora where lo and behold, who should be there but Bowser! I hadn't seen him in weeks (since Fontana) and had not even seen register entries from him for a while so I had begun to worry that he had gotten off the trail. Anyway, it was a huge surprise to see him show up behind me as he had left Fontana ahead of me, apparently Grasshopper and I had passed him somewhere around Erwin during the snow storm in which everyone was hostel hopping.    The Goats also showed up later that eveneing along with Snack Break who did the major part of cooking a large dinner from leftovers that we found sitting in the refrigerator. This was greatly appreciated and was delicious.
Date: 2007-04-12
From: U.S. 321

To: Iron Mt. Shelter
Miles today: 15.4

Today again started with a large communal breakfast, this time prepared by Snack Break, and you know, any day that starts with a full stomach is always a good day. By the time the food was dominated and the dishes were done it was nearly 10. Otto drove me into town, where I mailed my boots home as I had recieved a mail drop with trail runners while staying at Kincora. I also sent my fleece jacket home in order to cut pack weight. It was nice to have the extra layer but I have been using my quilt as a toga under my rain jacket which creates a remarkably warm coat so I don't think I need the fleece anymore. I got on the trail around 11 in the morning and had gorgeous weather all day with highs in the low 60's, although it got a bit chilly on the ridgeline with a strong wind. The Invisible Man was at the shelter when I arrived, Hermes, Octagon, and the six members of the Riders of the Storm showed up later. Hermes put on quite a show by burning Acetone in his alcohol stove while cooking dinner.
Date: 2007-04-13
From: Iron Mt. Shelter

To: DAMASCUS, VA!
Miles today: 25.9
Weather: clear sky

Completed the Dso called Damascathon today all the way into town. Beautiful weather and trail grading almost all day long. However, the day started on a very depressing note as I soon came across a the grave of Nick Grindstaff, a hermit who lived on Iron Mt. His epitaph read, "Lived Alone, Suffered Alone, Died Alone." How's that for an uplifting sentiment to start your morning?Finally left the TN/NC border behind and have now entered the long stretch that is Virginia. So far the terrrain through the little bit of Virginia has been pretty easy just like the rumors circulating through the trail said. It still remains to be seen how long that will last though. I arrrived in Damascus around 6 and got a room at Dave's Place hostel, its a decent place, clean and semi-private rooms with locks but the beds are not beds, just a wooden platform with a camp mattress. Not so sure it's worth the $10 I paid when there is a the church run hostel just down the road. Town seems nice and is ideal for hikers as you can walk from one end to the other in about 5 minutes. Several restaurants, a dollar store, an outfitter, laundromat, and a good grocery store just out of town make up most of the businesses in town. I decided to go to the pizzeria for dinner where I had some surprisingly good chicken wings and pizza.
Date: 2007-04-14
From: DAMASCUS, VA!

To: Damascus, VA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Well, I ended up taking my first extended break of more than a day as Damascus sucked me in for three full zeros. It's been a good time though as a large number of hikers have filtered in and stayed as well. This is probably due mostly to the fact that the weather has been pretty miserable with rain and even a little snow. Spent a great deal of time and too much money in restaurants though. On Saturday night Hellbender had a huge group of hikers over at her parents house where we were fed fried chicken, biscuits, cake, and beer. Everyone was clearly having a great time and were reluctant to leave, so much so that I kinda got the feeling we may have over stayed our welcome a bit as it was past 1 when we finally allowed ourselves to be driven back to Damascus. Played Euchre for several hours on Sunday while eating and staying warm at the Pizza place in town as I had moved into the unheated church hostel after Friday night in order to save money. Despite this move I still spent too much money on food so on Monday I took advantage of an ad at the outfitter from a local farmer who was looking for hkers to do some work for him. I put in 8 or 9 hours along with Duckwalk and Sardine and made back most of what I had spent in town the previous couple of days.
Date: 2007-04-17
From: Damascus, VA

To: Elk Garden Bald
Miles today: 23.8
Weather: overcast clouds

After packing up all my gear and getting everything ready last night I was able to get up and get out of town to hke by 8 o'clock even after stopping for breakfast at Cowboy's diner. While eating I talked with several locals about the VA Tech shooting which happened yesterday. It is truly a sad and disgusting thing but I'm not so sure I agree with their solution, which was to give all the professor's guns and permits to carry concealed weapons. I camped on a very windy bald near Elk Garden.
Date: 2007-04-18
From: Elk Garden Bald

To: Hurricane Mt. Shelter
Miles today: 20.2
Weather: overcast clouds

Looked alot like rain this morning but no precipitaion ever materialized. Was on the trail by 7:45 this morning and was very surprised to catch up to Grasshopper and Bowser after just a few miles at the next shelter as they had left Damascus on Monday, a day before me. Grasshopper left almost immediately as he had to make it to Troutdale by 6 pm to get a mail drop so I will proably see him again tomorrow. I hiked the remainder of the day with Bowser through the Grayson Highlands which were incredibly beautiful with almost constant 360 degree views of the surrounding hills along with large rock outcroppings. Also, there were free-range ponies throughout that would let you pet them - very cute.
Date: 2007-04-19
From: Hurricane Mt. Shelter

To: Partnership Shelter
Miles today: 19.7
Weather: clear sky

Woke up to antoher overcast and foggy morning but the sun quickly came out and the fog was gone by 9 or so. Bowser and I hiked 5 or so mile to VA 603 where we observed two people in the process of erecting an awning, with hearts in our throats we approached and asked if we could help while secretly hoping for some trail magic. Answering our prayers it turned out that this was 357 Magnum, a current thru-hiker, and his family out to do some magic. 357 was very nice and gave us as many hot dogs, sodas, chips, and Little Debbie snacks as we could eat. Grasshopper showed up from town while we were eating. Hiking on a full stomach was pleasant until around 5 when the rain that the morning had threatened finally hit. A light sprinkle quickly turned into a down pour complete with thunder, lightning, and hail. This lasted a good two hours and only let up about a half hour before we arrived at Partnership shelter, the fabled sanctuary and the Mount Rogers National Forest Headquarters where hikers can have Pizza and Beer delivered. It also has a shower with almost luke warm water. The pizza was good but was definately not worth the obscenely expensive price. My advice would be to just go with the Pizza Hut that also delivers instead of the local place.
Date: 2007-04-20
From: Partnership Shelter

To: campsite
Miles today: 13.3
Weather: overcast clouds

Had a pretty easy day today of only 13.3 miles to a campsite just short of a shelter. However, the campsite had a water source and the shelter did not. Grasshopper, Bowser, and I stopped at the Virginia settlers museum, a small, one room museum detailing the early settlers who moved into the inland Virginia mountains and valleys. The curator of the museum and his daughter were very nice and gave us a personal tour of the musuem and the one room school house nearby. The weather was great sunny and enjoyable in the high 50's. I crossed I-81 and seemed to be going through a valley as we seem to be moving from one mountain range over to the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Date: 2007-04-21
From: campsite

To: shelter
Miles today: 17.0
Weather: few clouds

Got an early start and hit the trail by 7:30. I immediately had a 600 ft climb but rewarded myself with breakfast at the top. I've decided that I need to pack more cereal as it is my favorite food each day. The powdered milk is nearly indescernible from the real stuff when in cereal. I ended up taking a nap for an hour in a hilly field while waiting for Grasshopper and Bowser to catch up as they got a later start than I did. This (the nap) was very enjoyable and may become a habit for the coming summer months to avoind the heat of the mid-day. About 3/4 of the way through the day there was a 2400 ft. climb but I think that my trail legs must really be kicking in because as I was able to make it all the way to the top only stopping once to refill my water bottles at a spring. The top of this climb led up to a bald but it was a bit overgrown, somewhat blocking in the views. I got into a shelter just in time for sunset and it looks like there is a small chance of a sunrise view through a gap in the trees.
Date: 2007-04-22
From: shelter

To: Va 615/Laurel Creek Campsite
Miles today: 14.6
Weather: clear sky

Pretty short day of 14.6 miles despite a plan to hike 24 miles. I got 10 miles in and was going through my food bag when I came to the realization that I am almost out of food as I only have two bricks of raman and a snickers bar. However, the real clincher that made me decide to stop earlier than planned was that a local church left a binder in a shelter offering an all you can eat, homecooked, breakfast to hikers every monday morning. This being Sunday, I decided that it was fate and I could not pass up such a good opportunity if it only cost me ten miles. I hiked the 5 miles to the road crossing specidied in the binder and camped for the night along with Bowser, Nite Rider, Anonymous, and The Riders as we are all going for the breakfast. Grasshopper pushed on ahead.This means I'll have two big days if I still want to make Parisburg in two days. However, the campsite is nice as it's right next to a stream.
Date: 2007-04-23
From: Va 615/Laurel Creek Campsite

To: Jenny Knob Shelter
Miles today: 19.0
Weather: clear sky

I got picked up by the church people at 9:15 and taken to a small church a couple miles from the trail. In the basement five older women were cooking up a gloroius storm. They served us several egg casseroles with various fillings such as sauasage, ham, bacon, and even spinach for the vegetarians. They also had biscuits, pancakes, grits, homemade jams, O.J., milk, and coffee. I had everything at least once and once again ate too much leading to a comatose fifteen minutes sprawled on the church lawn. The wonderful church ladies then handed out goodie bags with cookies and granola bars. They also offered postcards to send to family and friends. I wrote home to Renee and then these wonderful people shuttled the group back to the trail. Truly wonderful kindness.I hiked seven miles to the next road crossing where I was lucky enough to get immediately picked up and taken in to the town of Bland in Bland County, Virginia. I was able to resupply at the grocery store and also use the internet for an hour at the library. I finally got back to the trail after another easy hitch at about 4:30. I was proud of myself for having gotten out of a town after only spending $1 beyond ressupply costs. I got to Helvey's Mill shelter at about 5:15 but decided to make the 10 mile push to Jenny Knob Shelter at 5:45 after a water fill up and a snack. Luckily the trail was very gentle and I was able to get to the shelter just after dark.
Date: 2007-04-24
From: Jenny Knob Shelter

To: Doc's Knob Shelter
Miles today: 22.7
Weather: overcast clouds

Today was mostly uneventful, although I did catch up with Grasshopper as his legs have been bothering him so he slowed down a bit. We decided to stop at Doc's Knob shelter despite plans to push all the way to Parisburg today. An extremely rocky section sucked all the energy out of me and I just didn't feel like pushing and additional 8 miles to Parisburg. I felt a bit dehydrated as well. I should be able to hit Parisburg in the tomorrow as the map shows the 8miles in are all down hill.There was a small amount of rain around noonbut it stayed warm - around 70 degrees all day. Stopped at a very nice waterfall on Dismal Creek and got some mice pictures. I arrived at the shelter by 6:30 and had two Lipton side dishes and a bowl of cereal.
Date: 2007-06-25
From: Ten Mile Lean-To

To: Stuart Hollow Brook Lean-to
Miles today: 16.3

Alright, so I realize that my blog is obscenely far behind and I apologize for that. So anyway, I am still on the trail and crossed into Connecticut yesterday. My girlfriend Renee has most of my previous journal entries and hopefully will be adding them soon, whenever she finds time. I am still greatly enjoying the hike and all is going well for me, physically and mentally. I did manage to upload most of my pictures through mid-May which you can view at the following website: http://www.flickr.com/photos/kgreszle/ Well, once again my alloted time on this computer has run out so I must go.
Date: 2007-08-11
From: Stuart Hollow Brook Lean-to

To: Katahdin Summit
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Five months and one day after leaving Springer I summited Katahdin. I hope to some day up date this journal a little more but within a week of arriving home from the trail I got a job teaching seventh grade English and so I have been rather busy as a first year teacher. However, I can say that hiking the trail was far and away the most fantastic experience of my life. It is indescribable how the trail can effect a person. I can't wait to return to the trail again this coming summer as a section hiker. Happy Trails.
Date: 2007-04-04
From: Springer Mountain

To: View Entry
Miles today: 7.5

My flight out of dallas was delayed this morning, so I didnt land in atlanta until 1. Mom and dad were there to meet me, and we drove straight to springer. Dad walked to the summit with me, where I signed the book and posed for pictures. Mom plied me with baked goods and venison jerky from montana, and I was on my way. My knees grumbled a little but im not trying to hear that. I made it to hawk mountain shelter just as night fell tonight. 7.5 miles in about 3 hours - not a bad pace, but I figured I should make the most of my health and good weather.Tomorrow im going for 18 miles to make woody gap. That would put me in neels gap day after, ahead of schedule.Its beautiful. Spring is just starting up and there are bright green tips on all the trees.
Date: 2007-04-05
From: Hawk Mountain

To: View Entry
Miles today: 16.0

I got an alpine start with temps to match - it was well below freezing and windy. I enjoyed my frozen snickers as I hustled down the trail. I am happy to report my knees are fine, sore but not bad. We will see how the descent from blood mountain feels... Thats right, ill make neels gap by lunch tomorrow, having done 16 miles today. 1% of the way there!