morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2005-01-18
To: View Entry
Miles today: 8.5

Most of my conditioning consists of an hour plus at the fitness center with weights and at least 30 minutes on the highest setting of the stationary bike since I believe aerobic fitness is the most important aspect of getting in shape to hike. Weather permitting, I also run 3-4 miles in a local park.   I¢ve decided that part of my conditioning is to hike one full day a week. So on Tuesday, January 18, I hiked a circuit in Shenandoah National Park. While only 8 12 miles, the hike presented enough challenges, namely (1) a 14 degree day at start; (2) ice on several portions of the Trail; (3) several stream crossings over ice-encrusted boulders and/or logs with no room for error under these cold conditions; (4) 3,000 feet of gross elevation change; (5) the pressure of early darkness especially a factor when hiking on the east slope of the Blue Ridge. The hike was beautiful. White Oak Canyon, with numerous cascading waterfalls splashing amidst a myriad of ice formations made for rewarding sights, not to say photo ops. My four layers kept me warm if not sweating and 2 thermoses of hot water for hot chocolate and tea provided satisfactory nourishment. In ascending from the base of the Blue Ridge to Skyline Drive, I walked from a cold but snowless surface to a 2 inch snow covering. The only tricky part was the ice present in several stretches of Trail. One has to be careful where one places his hiking poles!
Date: 2005-01-21
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

My AT hking for 2005 begins, weather permitting, February 1 in Southwest Virginia. I plan to hike from Fox Creek, Rt. 603 to I81/US 11. A mere 34 miles - 3 days and 2 nights on the Trail. Weather? Snow and cold are preferable to frezing rain as long as any snow levels are manageable.
Date: 2005-01-27
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Last weekend, we received 6 more inches of snow on top of our 2-inch ¢base.¢ Unseasonably warm temperatures the last 2 days dissipated half of it but last night, a return to cold temperatures brought the mercury down to 18. However, today¢s bright sunny skies made hiking pleasant despite the frigidity.My day hike started from the closest point of the AT to my house - the Weverton Road parking lot where the Trail ascends the ridgeline to a magnificent view of the Potomac from Weverton Cliffs. I left home by 6:10 barely beating the D.C. area rush hour (more like a rush 4 hours) and was on the Trail by 7:30. The ascent isn¢t too bad but there were patches of ice on some of the rock steps. As I enjoyed the early morning glow on the Potomac from the newly-emerged sun, I reflected on my last hike here in the fall with Scarf (see my 2004 AT journal October 31 entry). It was almost the same time of day but in contrast to then when leaves still adorned the trees and other people were up at that hour, today was winter stillness and solitude.I could have stayed on these cliffs all day, gazing at the gaps created by the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers just before their confluence, noting the blue water of the Potomac replete with ice-encrusted boulders, basking in the warming sun, thinking and mediating about events both behind and facing me. But it was time to move on since I¢m conditioning for next week¢s 3-day foray in SW Virginia. After further ascents, the Trail leveled off but the fairly sparse patches of snow became larger and more prevalent until the entire forest floor was carpeted in white. Also, as I continued north, the snow became deeper but also more inconsistent; some parts of the Trail with only 3-4 inches gave way to drifts which began at 8 inches but after a few miles some amounted to nearly 15 inches. Before I had hiked a mile, I was breaking ground through snow ranging up to these 15 inch drifts.Last night¢s sub-20 temperatures, in following 2 days of warm weather, had left a crusty surface. Sometimes the surface actually supported my weight but usually I¢d sink. I learned to follow deer¢s foot steps - they seemed to know where the shallower snow was. About half-way to Brownville Gap where I ended the hike, I found myself in snow sufficiently deep to cover some loose rocks but sufficiently shallow that cause me to twist my ankle; it still hurts as I write this.I reveled in Ed Garvey Shelter whose eastern face rendered it comfortably warm in the morning sun. Having not hiked this section in about 15 years, I hadn¢t seen this shelter yet.I decided at Brownville Gap to take the side trail down the ridge to the road and walk back to my car which I arrived at by noon. Then it was off to the ATC office for more browsing. As soon as I approached the bulletin board of thruhikers¢ postcards, I spotted Northern Harrier¢s picture!
Date: 2005-01-31
From: Springer Mountain

To: US Rt.2 Gorham, NH
Miles today: 1442.0
Weather: clear sky

No, I obviously didn¢t hike from Springer to Gorham in one day and yes, there are more than 1,442 miles between these 2 points. This entry merely serves to incorporate the miles from my many years of section hiking so that the Trail Journals mileage counter reflects my total mileage. Springer is the southernmost point from which I¢ve hiked and Gorham is the northernmost point. In addition to still needing to hike from Gorham to Katahdin, I¢m missing Allen Gap to Damascus, Fox Creek to Craig Creek Valley (Virginia), Bear Mountain to Rt. 22 (NY), and Sages Ravine to Rt. 20 (MA). Hopefully, I¢ll finish this year. Maybe I¢ll summit Katahdin with the 2005 thruhikers. Tomorrow I start a 34 mile section hike in Southwest Virginia.
Date: 2005-02-01
From: Fox Creek/VA Rt. 603

To: Trimpi Shelter
Miles today: 12.4
Weather: overcast clouds

First of all, happy birthday to Sandra. My oldest daughter turns 26 today and is less than a year from completing her PhD in aquatic ecology.Starting a 3-day section hike on the stretch of Trail in Southwest Virginia that I haven¢t hiked before. Nearly one year ago when I joined Northern Harrier for the first 100 miles of his thruhike, I had trepidations about winter hiking. Now a year later, I¢ve got a new winter sleeping bag and better clothing and I¢m ready!A shuttle from the owner of the Relax Inn in Groseclose brought me to Fox Creek where I left off 15 years ago when hiking over Mt. Rogers. The snow seemed manageable from the car as my host assured me that the mountains didn¢t have much more snow than the valley. Was he wrong!Today¢s hiking was easy terrain-wise; the elevation changes were minor, enabling thruhikers to cover 20 mile days on a dry footpath. However, 4-5 inches of snow with a crusty top made for much more difficult walking. Ascents under these conditions require more exertion but being in reasonably good shape, I didn¢t fare badly. The problem was the stress on the feet from constantly sinking and lifting each foot out of the crust. Each step was an adventure ¢ I might sink 1-2 inches or I might not sink at all.Most of the Trail seemed to be slabbing the slopes which with snow meant walking at a more pronounced angle than dry ground. So by the halfway point, my feet were crying. I had decided to wear low-cut waterproof shoes instead of hiking boots, a decision I don¢t believe affected the foot strain (it felt like walking on sand) but did give me a heel blister on the right foot. All day the skies remained leaden gray with no perceived movement in temperature. But within 10 minutes of reaching Trimpi Shelter (with one fall into the snow from a particularly acute angle slab en-route), blue skies appeared. The sun then proved sufficient to melt the snow on the shelter roof ¢ fascinating to watch as ice shaped like the sine curve ridges of the roof slid down, veered over the edge before coming crashing down.All in all, a good day. Took more photos than expected with the myriad of stream crossings and rhododendron greenery which colored an otherwise monochrome landscape. Not unexpectedly, I¢m alone in the shelter. The last quarter mile provided the first bare ground of the hike ¢ a good sign for tomorrow¢s hike? And I wonder if I¢ll meet anyone tomorrow?
Date: 2005-02-03
From: Chatfield Shelter

To: US Rt. 11 Groseclose, VA
Miles today: 4.5

On my 11 PM foray last night, I heard but barely felt the sound of sleet/freezing rain. Yes, that was what became of the predicted ¢snowstorm.¢ Not surprising I guess; I had noted last night that while uncomfortably damp, the weather was markedly warmer than my first night to the point where I didn¢t add a layer when I reached the shelter.No real hurry to rise today. Watch broke again at 5. After 6 years, I can¢t complain but why here and why now? Anyway, it was about 5:30 when I emerged from my new Marmot winter bag. My right heel is cut so badly I wouldn¢t be able to hike beyond today even if I had so planned. Fitting the shoe this morning sent shoots of pain.So what¢s worse ¢ having, for example, 7 inches of new snow or 14 inch (it appeared) of freezing rain. Both have their downsides. My downside today is slick glaze on top of crusty snow on top of dry snow. There are times and places where the poles penetrate only superficially or not at all, rendering them not merely useless but harmful.Also, the first mile featured bent and listing rhododendron. The green tunnel had become the green maze or green wall in some places. Pushing aside the branches emitted a sound similar to breaking crystal. Between the bent rhododendron and numerous blowdowns (the latter omnipresent all 3 days), much extra energy was exerted. I ended up making reasonably good time considering some of the normally routine downward slopes in open fields were made formidable by the ice. Of course, I had my crampons but didn¢t feel like putting them on. No pictures today ¢ the camera is stowed away in the dry pack. No precipitation was falling at the outset but subtly, freezing rain began to fall in sufficient intensity for mounting the pack cover. Probably the most slippery stretch, brief as it was, was the small rocks making up the railroad bed causing me to slip a few times. At least this signified the end of the trip. As the roar of I81 loomed louder and I caught the first glimpse of the Relax Inn below where my car awaited, I reflected in a celebratory way on this brief hike. Crusty snow, cold first night, cold wind the second day, and today¢s ice storm hadn¢t gotten the best of me. I felt unabashedly macho and would have felt wimpy if I had bailed out at Rt. 16 yesterday. The car was entombed under a solid quarter inch blanket of ice which took nearly 20 minutes to thaw. Then it was a welcome hot shower at the Shell station. Freshly laundered, I took off to visit a friend (helping to alleviate my Trail loneliness) and then would go on to Florida for a different type of outdoor recreation ¢ canoeing, birdwatching, biking and walking on the beach. I'll return to the Trail on March 1 to hike from where I ended today north to Pearisburg; 86 miles for which I'm allowing 6 days.
Date: 2005-02-22
From: Thornton Gap, Shenandoah NP

To: Stony Man Mountain & return
Miles today: 0.0

As a tuneup for next week¢s 87 mile section hike in SW Virginia (Atkins/Groseclose-to-Pearisburg), I hiked out and back today in Shenandoah NP from Thornton Gap to Stony Man Mountain - 18.6 miles round trip plus nearly 3,000 feet of elevation. Leaving home by 6:10 AM, I was on the trail in less than 2 hours. Starting in 3 layers including fleece plus gloves & hat, I shed nearly everything after the morning cold fog burned off into bright warm (for February) sunshine.Decided not to bring the camera, hence no pics. Big mistake! Not only were the views nice but for about a 100 yard segment at the top of Pinnacle, I missed a photo op of arguably the most beautiful and unique natural phenomena of the Appalachians: rime ice. In particular, the delicate white coating around the rim of the laurel leaves created a gorgeous design and color scheme that we humans could never emulate. NEXT TIME BILL, BRING YOUR CAMERA! I also missed photographing the sign at the Stony Man trailhead pointing out that this intersection at over 3,800' marked the highest point of the AT in Shenandoah. Maybe there¢s no official ¢mud season¢ in Shenandoah unlike New England but today could have disproved that notion. Trail¢s muddiness likely stemmed from last weekend¢s rains. As for snow, only a few isolated patches in areas with no sun exposure.By the end of the day, the body and knees were a bit sore but all-in-all, a good hike. Keeping my fingers crossed for good weather next week but if not, that¢s OK. This is the AT in winter!
Date: 2005-03-07
From: Rt. 615

To: Kimberling Creek Trailhead
Miles today: 7.7

All right, what¢s one more day of trouping through the snow? Today should be a snap, right? After all:(1) I¢m slack-packing(2) going only 7 12 miles(3) in warmer weather(4) at lower elevationAnd it was! I covered 7.7 miles in less than 3 hours (not that I¢m in a hurry, mind you). I followed Jerry, the Rendezvous manager to the Kimberling Creek trailhead, then he drove me to Rt. 615 where the Trail began in a pleasant rhododendron thicket. Liberated from a full pack and treading on bare dry ground, I practically sprinted the 500' ascent in the first mile. And my thoughts were: how much more difficult this routine ascent would have been with 10 inches of snow underfoot. Where¢s that snow-distance factor?! But of course, I couldn¢t escape snow completely (nor, for that matter, did I want to). After the first mile or so at ridgeline, the Trail stuck consistently to the west slope. Unlike all of the other ridgetop hiking on this trip in which the Trail lay on the literal ridgecrest or meandered from one slope to another, today I was consistent on the west slope and yes, walking through snow. But the base level was no more than 4 inches with 8 and occasional (and brief)12 inch drifts. I would have liked to cross the ridge for the benefit of the sun but it was plenty warm enough. And I thought how I and other hikers would appreciate this western exposure if we were hiking late in the day trying to make Bland NOBO or Jenkins Shelter SOBO.The real benefit of the west slope was the fascinating mosses exposed by the melting snow. Almost as varied as what I saw in the Smokies last October; different shades and hues of green mosses and lichen.Didn¢t break a sweat today - didn¢t need my bandana. If I had one more day, I¢d have time to head south and pick up the 26 mile stretch from Rt. 42 over Chestnut Knob and on to Jenkins Shelter and 615 which I had skipped on account of the drifts. But in this season of Celtic celebration (St. Patrick¢s day looming), I had tickets for tomorrow¢s performance of world-class Scottish fiddler Bonnie Rideout and the internationally-acclaimed City of Washington Pipe Band. So home was the next destination.Every day throughout this hike, my thoughts drifted (maybe I should use a different verb) back one year ago to Northern Harrier¢s and my hike - what did we do this time last year? On March 7, 2004, we left Deep Gap Shelter, bade good-bye to Scarf at the Blueberry Patch, and headed to Bly Gap where we tented on a day that began warm and sunny but rapidly degenerated into black clouds, strong winds, freezing temperatures, and snow flurries. My stove stopped working, I donned 4 layers for the first time, we survived, and we¢re better men for the experience (I think I¢m supposed to say that; it sounds good)!   Ah, such fond memories!Now it¢s time to look ahead: April 3 finds me back in the neighborhood to hike Craig Creek Valley south to Pearisburg. The bigger one comes in April 27 when I cover the aforementioned stretch southwest of here before heading to Allen Gap, NC and hiking to Damascus to arrive for Trail Days.
Date: 2005-05-03
From: No Business Knob Shelter

To: Erwin - Chestoa Bridge
Miles today: 6.2

Trying to be quiet after my 6:00 arising, Sam and I are the only ones stirring when Walt troops by ready to leave. ¢What time is it?¢ ¢This is the last time ¢ you get yourself a new watch¢ was my rejoinder. He and Sam moved out ahead of me but I still made it out by 7:10. Sunny but cool weather greeted me at the start. Very easy hike today, even the steep steady uphill out of Temple Hill Gap where I caught up with Sam having his breakfast on the Trail. Cloth Monkey and Blue Angel caught up with me on the downside after Temple Hill and strode effortlessly downhill while I did my normal cautious descent stemming from years of hurt knees. Open forest revealing occasional views on both sides including the Nolichucky River below.After an easier-than-expected descent brought me to Uncle Johnny¢s, I headed to the store to replace my pack cover and ran into Turbo Joe. Great to see him. And thanks to him, I heard about the advantages of staying at the Best Southern Motel tonight even though I had planned to stay at Miss Janet¢s. Walking down the road with my outstretched thumb, the first car picked me up and drove me straight to Miss Janet¢s. It was indeed chaotic with hikers coming and going. I had arrived at the time when many take off for day¢s slackpacking. Miss Janet greeted me and remembered meeting me at Elmer¢s last Fall. She advised me to get a cup of coffee, pick up my maildrop, and speak to Hawk about any available berths. After a few minutes at the computer during which I e-mailed Northern Harrier, I thought about today. Two things I like ¢ especially after arriving at a town or hostel early in the day ¢ is a good night¢s sleep and an early start the next morning. Neither will be attained here so I decided to try the Best Southern Motel. After walking the wrong way in town, a nice woman picked me up and drove me to the motel where Tina and Keith greeted me. They¢re rapidly building a hiker clientele and are very accommodating. Tina hurried to get my room ready (it was still only 11 AM) after which I settled in, did laundry next door, phoned Laurine, and walked downtown to use the library. They had good things to say about Turbo Joe who had stayed in the same room last night. Erwin is a trail-friendly town. All 4 times I hitched, I never waited long for a ride and I look pretty grungy now, even after my shower. And tomorrow, Keith will shuttle me early to the trailhead.
Date: 2005-05-06
From: Rte 19E

To: Moreland Gap Shelter
Miles today: 17.5
Weather: scattered clouds

Starting my second week. Everything¢s been good thus far. No blisters thanks to my stopping at least once per day to dry out feet and socks. Of course, the near-perfect weather has been a Godsend. Mary fixed a wonderful breakfast and all us hikers dived in to pancakes, sausage, eggs, homemade coffee cake, hashbrowns, orange juice, coffee. There were 8 of including one who stayed in the B&B and others who camped.Arriving at the Rt. 19E after the short walk from the hostel, I met Crickett and Papparazzi. Didn¢t see Cricket again for several days but Papparazzi was taking his time as he shot videos of different Trail perspectives. Seemed like he passed me several times today although I only passed him once. Yes, it¢s another ideal day for hiking in the Southern Appalachians. How did I merit such wonderful weather?! After a steep early climb, the Trail emerged in an open area (I suppose a bald) with breathtaking views of Roan Mountain. On the next descent, I startled a snake. ¢Don¢t leave the path yet ¢ let me get your picture!¢   He (or she) complied. Most of the day¢s walk was through open forest with patches of rhododendron including some apparently prescribed burns along the trail beyond Sugar Hollow where I lunched on soft grass in bright sunshine. I made good time as the ascents and descents were easy until the final push up the White Rocks ridge leading to Moreland Gap Shelter. Steep with many false summits. Surprisingly no one at the Shelter when I arrived. Another unimpressive shelter with the water source straight downhill and with a slanted floor. 2 guys whose names I didn¢t catch stopped for water and pushed on. Papparazzi appeared (how did he get behind me again?) along with a middle-aged Scotsman named Vermont. How did he acquire his Trail Name? Early in his hike, he mentioned he¢d only hike as far as Vermont whereby the sobriquet was imposed on him. He didn¢t mind. The clouds at dinnertime failed to put a damper on another rewarding day; in fact, they contributed to a nice sunset. Again I feel so blessed for this weather and grateful for the AT¢s existence and the people who maintain it.
Date: 2005-05-12
From: Campsite on Garden Mountain

To: VA Rt. 615 near Bland
Miles today: 10.1

Up at 6, out by 7:12. Like my last night before Damascus, too warm last night and somewhat humid, but dry ground translates into dry tent and groundcloth. Another mile or 2 of Garden Mountain ridge walking up and down over and on top of rocks. Within half an hour, I met a SOBO ¢ another early riser.On the descent which would take me off Garden Mountain and to Jenkins Shelter, I met Maineiac and Eagle Eye by a stream in a rhododendron thicket. Turns out they had camped only a few hundred yards ahead of me and had arisen at 6:30 to ensure they wouldn¢t miss me. We weren¢t sure of our progress because although this steam appeared substantial (not ephemeral), it was not mentioned in Wingfoot¢s book. As it turned out, the Shelter was less than an hour away.After the dreariness of the Tennessee shelters, Jenkins was pretty nice. I ate lunch and dried my feet & socks while Maineiac and Eagle Eye moved ahead. Next it¢s the last ascent of this hike ¢ up Brushy Mountain, the same Brushy Mountain I had hiked along last March in the snow. I enjoyed the ascent because (1) the footing was dirt path switchbacks ¢ a welcome departure from Garden Mountain; and (2) part of the ascent was in shade, an important factor since today was a hotter, more humid day.Upon reaching the ¢high water¢ alternative, I stuck with the white blaze and reached the bottom where the Wolf Creek crossings began. En-route, I fell on (what else) an ¢easy¢ part where a small, leaf-covered rock on an otherwise dirt path proved my nemisis. I counted the creek crossings ¢ yes, there were 12 but also numerous small streams, tributaries of Wolf Creek. Also, the muck in the first 14 mile was more unmanageable than the creek crossings.Met one more SOBOer after 6 creek crossings who told me of Trail Magic ahead. Then after the 12th creek crossing, I made the mistake of continuing to walk while taking off my glasses to remove a bug from my eyelid. Down I went, the worst fall of the 2-week hike. Cut and bumped my left shin.As I crossed the bridge just before Rt. 615, I saw a very small snake wriggle away ¢ couldn¢t get a picture. Eagle Eye and Maineiac were waiting by my car with a cold bottle of orange juice from the Trail Magic providers.We managed to get everything into the car. I drove to Chilhowie, checked into the Knights Inn, showered, and took the 2 guys to Damascus. Back to Chilhowie for dinner. Virginia¢s now done. My remaining AT mileage is 45 miles in NY plus Rt. 2/Gorham-to-Katahdin. And I¢m ready for Trail Days!