morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2006-04-05
From: Mountain Harbor Bed and Breakfast

To: Moreland Shelter
Miles today: 18.0
Weather: clear sky

Despite what we had heard, today's terrain was NOT flat. It was pretty. There were rivers and streams, graveyards and farms. But it was constant up and down. This was Freckles' biggest day so far and I didn't want it to be his last. We hiked with Tucker and Sidewinder most of the day. The dogs did fine together. I want them to be friends. There isn't much to say about the day. It rally flew by. We saw 3 snakes (non-poisonous) and a lot of water, including a great waterfall. By the time I got to the shelter, i was ready to eat and crash. Some of the crew were planning on doing another 15 miles so they could get to Damascus sooner. I had no intention of pushing that far, not with the dog anyway. It turns out, they didn't either. They talked themselves into staying there and getting an early start. We'll see how that goes.
Date: 2006-04-06
From: Moreland Gap Shelter

To: Watauga Lake Shelter
Miles today: 17.3
Weather: overcast clouds

I woke up fairly early and hiked into Dennis Cove for my mail drop. It was an easy 6 miles downhill to the road and a short roadwalk to the Laurel Fork Lodge. It's a nice little fishing resort, though it isn't that common with hikers. Most people go to the Kinkora Hostel. Still, I got to shower and use the internet. The camp store left something to be desired, but it had Coke so I was happy. Treefingers and Ramble-On came in to grab some trail magic for Brian, another hiker who turned 23 today. I donated a birthday candle from my fire starter kit to the cause. I also got an email from Deja-Vu, who told me a sadly macabre story about his son's hike. You may remember them from earlier in my saga. In any event, when Goliath stayed at the Mt. Collins shelter in the Smokies, he shared it with an older hiker named Phoenix. Evidently, Phoenix had a coughing fit in the night and then went silent. I mean permanently silent. Goliath had to hike out to get a rescue squad to recover the body. In all seriousness, that's how I'd like to go. Out communing with nature, and then you just float off to sleep and never wake up.Back at the trailhead, I met Stogie and his girlfriend, Kaitlin. They both have dogs, so we hiked together a bit. The trail immediately twists and turns down into Laurel Fork Gorge past a gorgeous waterfall. The trail maintainers went to a lot of effort to build that section, I assure you. Kaitlin had some knee problems, so I moved on past them. We met up again at the Watauga Lake Shelter that night. Ironically, the shelter is nowhere near the lake. The trail passes within feet of the shore around the entire perimeter, except for where the shelter is. Still it was a nice cozy night. It seems to be warming up a bit, which is nice. I'll be able to send clothes home soon.Tomorrow, I'll have to decide how far to go. I've only got 40 to Damascus and if Freckles can handle it, I'd just as soon get there by Saturday. We'll see.
Date: 2006-04-07
From: Watauga Lake Shelter

To: Double Spring Shelter
Miles today: 21.3
Weather: clear sky

Biggest day (with a pack) so far. It was a steep climb up from the dam, but once you get to the first shelter it's flat. Allegedly. It isn't "flat" at all. It is relative to the Smokies maybe. But it was at least comparatively easier, so we made it in reasonable time, even taking a few long naps in the sun. I think Freckles is really getting trail hardened. He doesn't like to stop hiking for long. The nicest part of the trail was the last 5 miles. It cuts across an old farm and meanders through the fields. That part really was flat. For some reason, I started to feel really sick to my stomach for awhile. I hiked a bit without my hipbelt, which seemed to help. It never really amounted to anything. At the shelter, I saw Treegirl and mice. She is planning to finish the 40 mile challenge into Damascus, though the weather looks like it's getting bad. As for the mice, let them try to bother us. There's going to be three dogs in here tonight. Tomorrow, if Freckles isn't totally dead after today, we're going to VA and Damascus where we'll take at least one zero day.
Date: 2006-04-08
From: Double Spring Shelter

To: Damascus, VA
Miles today: 18.3
Weather: light rain

Wow, we had quite a storm last night. Freckles hid under the floor until the morning. The thunder was literally shaking the shelter. I was worried about Treegirl, hoping she found shelter before the storm really hit. But at least the mice were in hiding as well.It was a dank, drizzly hike into town, but at least it was mostly flat. Freckles doesn't much care for the rain, and I can only do so much for him. It's not like he can hold an umbrella. At least his coat is waterproof. We walked into VA around 2pm. There isn't much hoopla at state lines. there's just an etching in a tree or a post that says you've crossed. We didn't even stop to celebrate our 3rd state down. We rushed into town to find a place to rest up for a day or so. I looked around at some of the hostels, but ended up finding a dog-friendly house to rent for 65 bucks. Then I set out to find Stogie and Kaitlin, figuring that would bring the price down to just over 20 a piece. The cable tv is a little shaky, but we managed to find some stuff to watch. Animal Planet comes in clear, so the dogs are happy.Tomorrow, I am going in search of some Cinnamon Toast Crunch and Pizza. Other than that, I will do absolutely nothing. Some of the others are going to bike the Virginia Creeper Trail. I've done that before, and I'd prefer to rest up. Hopefully, Sarah will be hiking with me over the holiday weekend, so I have that to look forward to and plan for.
Date: 2006-04-09
From: Damascus, VA

To: Damascus, VA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Lazy zero day today. All I did was play with the dog and watch a little of the Masters. And eat, a whole lot of eating. Oh, and I almost got evicted.What?! Yes, I nearly got thrown out of my rental house. I was eating lunch at the local pizzaria with Casino and Ramble-On, when the house owner came in and yelled at me for having too many dogs in the house and using the washing machine. I was taken a bit off guard, and there wasn't any discussing it with him. After lunch, I went straight to their store, the Ole Barn, to talk to his wife. I explained that there had been a misunderstanding and that i had assumed that when she saw me last night with Caitlin, Stogie, and the dogs, that she knew that I had acquired two more furry friends. I also said that while I recalled being told that the washing machine had just been installed, i had absolutely no recollection of being told not to use it. I apologized profusely and she said that she understood and that she believed it was just a misunderstanding. She called her husband and calmed him down, and we got to stay another night in the house.So it all ended well, but it was a little crazy for an hour or so. I guess I'll get my mail drop and grocery shop tomorrow morning. Probably, I'll hit the trail after lunch.
Date: 2006-04-10
From: Damascus, VA

To: Campsite
Miles today: 12.0
Weather: clear sky

Well we bid farewell to Damascus today. We decided to take it slow out of town. I went over to Dave's Place after I checked out of the house. Incidentally, I worked everything out with the landowners and the invited me back during Trail Days. They are super nice and I recommend shopping at the Ole Barn. At Dave's, I found Casino and company chillin' after a night of debauchery. (Note to Casino's mom, I'm sure it wasn't terribly out of control.) They had set a departure time of 2pm and I didn't feel like arguing. We stopped by the Dancing Bear for some ice cream on the way out of town. (Waterboy, the owner of the Bear, helped me find the rental house in the first place.) By 2:30, we were actually on the Trail. The switchbacks in VA are quite nice. You almost don't even notice you're climbing. i would have liked to stay down on the Creeper trail for longer, but oh well. It was such a nice night that we opted to cowboy camp just past the first shelter. Though we stopped off at that shelter for dinner. We met a couple of section hikers who were generous with their water bag and small talk. They were retired teachers, so Iused the opportunity to talk shop. All in all, it was a nice short day. Stretch built a nice fire and we slept under a clear night sky.
Date: 2006-04-11
From: Campsite

To: Shelter near VA Highlands
Miles today: 18.0

I climbed over the highest two peaks in Virginia today, and barely even noticed them. Well that's not entirely true; it was 80 degrees out after all. Still, the switchbacks are in full effect, and I am loving it. i have noticed that my new shoes are much thinner all around than my last ones. i can really feel all of the rocks and I am rubbing quite a few blisters. I expect they'll wear through pretty quickly, but I have more so who cares. I was pretty tired by the time we found the shelter. I didn't feel like doing much other than going to bed. The last few miles were unnecessarily meandering, and Mt. Rogers wasn't terribly spectacular. The shelter was a nice two-story job with good views of the valley. It was a little too windy for me to sit outside. Actually, it was almost too windy to light my stove. I cooked the three-way chile again, and it was as bad as before. I shant make that mistake again. Live and learn. I ended up having enough room to roll out the double-wide pad since Stretch slept upstairs. It was a pretty uneventful night.
Date: 2006-04-12
From: Shelter near VA Highlands

To: Hurricane Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 17.0
Weather: overcast clouds

I recommend seeing the VA Highlands if you get a chance. You feel like you're in another world. There are feral ponies running free and huge rocky outcrops amidst grassy balds and rolling hills. It is gorgeous. Unfortunately, the rocks hurt my feet, but I'll manage. We hiked down to the park road in the hopes of finding a hitch to the camp store. We quickly found a group of day visiters and AT enthusiasts to take us to both of the two park stores. Neither was open, but we did raid the vending machine at the second one. Soda is good.Back on the trail, it was a rolling up and down day. Again, I must stress that the rocks were a bit irritating after a while. We lost Treefingers and Ramble at the Old orchard Shelter. They are getting picked up Friday at Partnership, so they can take their time. We'll see them again in a few days though.They last four miles flew by. The rocks disappeared, and despite some serious chaffing, I was able to maintain nearly 4 miles an hour. There is apparently a mistake in the data books. There is no way on earth that the shelter is .2 miles from the top of the mountain. We all thought that we had gone too far. Thankfully, we had not and the shelter was brand new. No graffiti and a nice fire pit and picnic table. We chilled by the fire and tried not to eat too much food. We barely have enough to make it to Partnership, which will be a 21 mile day. I may be a little hungry during the day tomorrow, but I guess that will prepare me for the pizza delivery tomorrow night.
Date: 2006-04-13
From: Hurricane Mountain Shelter

To: Partnership shelter
Miles today: 20.7
Weather: light rain

Shangri-La. This shelter is absolutely amazing. It has heated showers, a wash sink, and a phone for to order pizza. Actually, we ordered everything on the menu from the Tuscan Restaurant. $110 plus tip for 4 people, and it was everything we hoped it would be. And that was on top of the cooler of fruit, soda, and beer that was waiting for us upon arrival. But I'm getting ahead of myself.The hike was typical VA terrain. I am getting a little tired of these switchbacks though. They take it to extremes sometimes.   There are points when you can literally step from trail to trail straight up the hill. But I guess it's better than shooting straight up un assisted. No matter how easy the terrain is, 21 miles is still a lot. i was on auto-pilot by the last four. It was a perfecstly flat rhododendron corridor. I probably did 4-5 mph without trying. And then I saw it.After stuffing our faces and making as many calls as we could home we turned in. Sarah is coming to meet us tomorrow at Groseclose for some slackpacking. i am very excited to see her and so is Freckles.
Date: 2006-04-14
From: Partnership shelter

To: Relax Inn, Groseclose, VA
Miles today: 12.0
Weather: scattered clouds

I guess it was all the pizza, but I had so much energy it was amazing. Casino and i left around 8, but on the first hill I just took off. I was afriad to slow down, for fear i might lose momentum. He caught up to me at the last shelter before the road and we hiked in together. The trail got very windy in the valley. Sometimes we would wing around for a half mile just to almost touch the trail where we had just been. At the road, we made a bee-line for the DQ for a chocolate shake. Sadly, it had closed. That happens sometime out here. The data books are outdated or just wrong. I turned around and headed for the hotel. In no time, I was flicking on the TV and dialing Sarah's number. She was right next door getting gas, so I saw her in no time.Freckles immediately jumped in the car and refused to get out. Then he proceeded to put on such a display of faux exhaustion for Sarah, well it would have won a doggy Oscar. I told him if he hated it so much, he could take a zero tomorrow. He won't like that, I can tell you.I had a wonderful evening. Dinner at Cracker Barrel, a movie (The Benchwarmers, don't bother), and a lovely time just being together. I am in heaven. Hiker heaven.
Date: 2006-04-15
From: Relax Inn, Groseclose, VA

To: Relax Inn
Miles today: 12.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Slackpacking to the 1/4 way point today. I was right about the dog, he was very unhappy to be left behind. Serves him right though, and he could use a rest anyway. After a bit of confusion at the orad, we found the northbound trail. It was mostly valley and farm hiking today, which was good for Sarah. She hasn't been hiking for a month over hills and mountains. thanfully, Freckles was at the hotel. We must have climbed over twenty stiles. I would have had to carry him over most of them and some were 7-8 feet high. Also, we hiked through a cow field where I had to corral bovines off the trail. At the end, we got some Trail Magic from Treegirl's folks, down for the weekend. After stuffing our faces they shuttled us back to the hotel.I'm not sure what we're doing for the rest of the day, but i know it will involve Chinese food. Beyond that, I'm just enjoying Sarah's company.
Date: 2006-04-17
From: Knot Maul Shelter

To: Jenkins Shelter
Miles today: 19.0
Weather: light rain

A "must see." It seems that the ALDHA, the group that publishes the Companion Guidebook, is not without a sense of humor. What they mean is that the privy is merely a toilet seat atop an open platform, so that evryone in the vacinity may, and in fact, "must" see you attending to that most necessary of businesses. In any event, today I hiked through the second worst weather I have experienced so far. We left fairly early, and almost immediately I lost my sunglasses. Not that i would need them today, but still, a loss nonetheless. The sky grew steadily more foreboding as time progressed. As can be predicted, the front reached its most heightened point just as Casino and I exploded out off the wooded cover onto the completely exposed bal ridge. Suffice it to say, we got wet. It wasn't quite hailing, but it twas raining very hard. I felt bad for Freckles, as I had sent home his jacket with all of my winter gear. He was soaked and terrified of the storm. Thankfully, we were under a mile from the next shelter. It was an old stone structure, formerly referred to as The Cave before windows were installed. We hung up our gear and I dried off the dog as best as possible. We were soom joined by some section hikers, one of whom was a history professor, so of course, I interviewed him about education. We were in no hurry, so I was determined to wait for the storm to abate. While there, 007 and Seurhawk joined us. It was a drafty, damp lunch, but we survived and the sun reappeared. As it turned out, we were standind at the brink of a remarkably beautiful natural feature, commonly referred to as "God's thumbprint." It is the former location of a natural lake, long since vanished, and the first proposed sight for the Biltmore Estate. We would wind around the ridgeline at its fringe for the duration of the day. It was great hiking. There were a few to many rocks for my liking, but I managed to get to the shelter. Another exciting happening of the day was my first live deer spotting of the trip. It's not like I haven't seen deer before, but it's nice to say that you've seen a mammal larger than a squirrel during a nearly 600 mile trek through the woods. Freckles didn't even seem to notice them, which is good. Actually he was preoccupied with his own intestinal upset, spurred on by the aforementioned summer sausage incident. He began dry heaving on my sleeping quilt, which was brought to my attention by Casino. I yelled at him not to puke on our stuff, so he obediently walked over to Casino's bag and continued to vomit. Fortunately, he missed all of Casino's stuff my milimeters. I cleaned it up, along with the three subsequent piles. In order to make it up to Casino, who had trouble keeping down his own dinner after that regurgitant display, I made chocolate pudding for dessert. It's a nice treat out here in the woods.Tomorrow we are planning on either a 14 0r a 23. We would like to hitch into Bland for some Dairy Queen if convenient. Then we'll hit the trail and see where we end up.
Date: 2006-04-18
From: Jenkins Shelter

To: Jenny Knob Shelter
Miles today: 23.0
Weather: clear sky

The hike today was the most luxuriously graded so far. We had one climb over Brushy Mountain, which incidentally we've crossed umpteen times thus far, then a gentle 7 or 8 miles to Bland. It took a while to get a hitch, but eventually we did. We checked out the grocery store and deli, but weren't terribly impressed. Casino bought a Dr Pepper and some Trailmix for Seurhawk and then we got a lift to the DQ. I scarfed down a mushroom Swiss cheeseburger meal with a hotdog appetizer. The chocolate shake really hit the spot. After another hitch back up the mountain, we did the short road walk over I-77 and the ludicrously steep climb back up to the ridge. We were at the first shelter by 4:30pm. Neither of us wanted to quit that early, so we snacked a bit, talked with 007 and Seurhawk, walked the half mile roud trip to the water source, and hit the trail. The next 9 miles were even flatter than I could have hoped. We made it to the shelter just as darkness was completely setting in. We never even turned on our lights. After filling our bellies and perusing a gossip magazine left at the shelter, we went to sleep pondering the viability of Brad Pitt/Angelina Jolie and the mysterious saga of Jessica Simpson's bust size. Along with a local bluegrass radio show, it made for some good bedtime entertainment. Tomorrow, Casino wants to knock out a 24 miler, so we can get to Pearisburg that much sooner. I'll have to see how Freckles feels in the morning before I decide.
Date: 2006-04-20
From: Doc's Knob Shelter

To: MacKenzie Residence, Blacksburg, VA
Miles today: 8.5

A sweet civilization. The hike down was predicatble rocky, windy, and steep. Such is the way into towns. There were some great views and opportunities to hang glide, hade I a glider and the knowledge of how to use it. Soon we were stuffing our faces at the Hut, and I with my buddy Allen on the way from Blacksbburg to get me. A mere hour and a half and a trip to the SuperWal-Mart later, Allen arrived to get me. I haven't seen him since we graduated from high school, but short of putting on a few pounds, we each look pretty much the same. We caught up for a lost decade on the ride to his house. After a brief tour, and dog introductions, I cleaned up and awaited the arrival of his wife, Becky. She proved to be the most generous and thoughtful hostess I have encountered thus far. I have wanted for nothing in her house and both Freckles and myself feel right at home. They are allowing me to stay through Saturday, and may even pick me up again where the trail crosses VA42 north of them. A bonus! Allen had several episodes of The Daily Show TiVo'd, so I could catch up on my political satire. I then watched a new episode of Smallville. I even found a great popular science book on Allen's bookshelf. Suffice it to say, i am very pleased with this chain of events. Tomorrow I am going to sit in on Allen's 8am recitation class, which he describes as Electrical Engineering for Non-Believers. It is a course designed for Structural, Mechanical, and Civil Engineers, so it may or may not be terribly interesting to them. It wasn't so long ago that I was enrolled in 8am classes, so I have some predictions as to how it will go. We shall see.
Date: 2006-04-21
From: MacKenzie Residence, Blacksburg, VA

To: MacKenzie Residence
Miles today: 0.0

A thoroughly enjoyable zero today. I began by attending Allen's recitation class and as I suspected the students were none too enthused. I managed to follow about half of the stuff on the board. It's been a decade or more since I worked out the power or voltage of a circuit. It was fun to be in a classroom setting though. I am really looking forward to going back to school.After class, I hung out in his office, caught up on journaling, and read the book he loaned me. I met a few of his coworkers, and they were all nice enough to show interest in my expedition, whether it be feigned or sincere. Later, I got my grocery shopping done, including Freckles food.We had steaks on the grill with corn on the cob for dinner. Corn is better later in the summer, but it was tasty nonetheless. After dinner, it was straight to Ben and Jerry's for dessert. Two scoops of Chocolate Therapy in a waffle cone. We also went to see American Dreamz, which was everything I wanted it to be. I recommend it. I really don't feel much like hiking tomorrow, but I will anyway. Sometimes you feel that way, or at least I do. I will be back here on Sunday, so I don't have to carry that much food. I have enjoyed my stay here in Blacksburg. But I guess, it's time to move on.
Date: 2006-04-22
From: MacKenzie Residence

To: er....MacKenzie Residence
Miles today: 0.0

Don't judge me. I can just hear you out there, judging. Well don't. I had good reason for not hiking today. My dear, old friend Allen is expecting a new edition to his lovely family soon, and he has a honey-do list longer than the AT. I decided to stay around another day and help him.And it was raining when I woke up.It's true that I spent most of the day doing home improvement projects. Painting, spackling, sanding, carpentry. I feel as though I made myself useful. I promise to hit the trail tomorrow. I will have lost Casino for sure, but I will probably meet up with someone I know.I said stop judging.