morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2006-06-02
From: Matts Creek Shelter

To: Punchbowl Shelter
Miles today: 12.7
Weather: broken clouds

Got off to a slow start this morning out of Matt's Creek Shelter afterChardonnay¢s influencing that we all need to go into Big Island to get ice cream. Following her lead we all hike the 2 miles to US501 with thoughts of ice cream. Just before the road is an amazing 625' bridge (James River Foot Bridge) built in the early 90's for hikers to cross the James River. Waiting on the other side or the river was a little needed trail magic by Ken. He had a cooler of ice cold drinks waiting for use and shuttled all of us into Big Island for supplies, lunch, and ice cream. We stopped at H&H Food Market (well that was about all there was in Big Island) and picked up enough supplies to make it another 80 miles into Waynesboro before getting some lunch and ice cream. Once all done Ken drove us back to the trail head where Donkey and I went for a little swim in the river. Although not the cleanest river out here it sure felt good to wash all the sweat off before starting back up hiking. After the third carload was back from town we all hit the trail. Just past VA501 all the way to John's Hollow shelter was nice hiking mostly along John's Creek. The local hiking club has built a few really nice bridges that crisscross the creek. After the shelter it was mostly up hill to Big Rocky Row where Rip and I was greeted with a nice afternoon thunderstorm. We stopped to put our pack covers on and then hiked on enjoying the cool rain. Just before tonight's shelter there is a memorial on the hill honoring Ottie Cline so we stopped. Ottie was just under 5 years old when he disappeared from his school in the 1890's and was found sometime later on top of Bluff Mountain. On the way down from Bluff Mountain Rip and I discussed how a five year old could wonder some 7+ miles away from his school and end up on top of such a steep mountain. Later on down at Punchbowl Shelter we rolled in to find a nice little shelter with grassy area for camping that overlooks a small pond. If this wasn't a big enough treat for the evening everyone had pitched in a little bit while in town and bought snacks for the night. Rip had also arranged for Ken to pick up a watermelon in town and to meet us on the Blue Ridge Parkway just past the shelter. Hot Springs, Rip, and I run down to the road and pick up the watermelon, two bags of grapes and cold cokes for everyone at the shelter. Once back at the shelter we all pig out and have a really nice evening by the fire. When we all retired for the night it was starting to sprinkle and all the bull frogs around the pond were croaking with happiness.Tonight: Rip, Tree Hugger, Pillbox, Zoomer, Chardoney, Donkey, Hot Springs, Home Cooking, Double Zip, Clock Tower, Violet, Ork, Bean, and myself.
Date: 2006-06-03
From: Punchbowl Shelter

To: Seeley-Woodworth Shelter
Miles today: 25.3
Weather: overcast clouds

Departed Punchbowl Shelter around 8:40am to a mostly down hill morning all the way down to Pedlar Lake Dam. Actually the trail has been rerouted just before the dam to keep people off the dam but the new trail added a really nice suspension bridge over the creek below. The next little section into Brown Mountain Creek Shelter was really nice with many streams and waterfalls. When I got to the shelter the Konnarock crew had just finished roofing and painting it. I sat down to rest when Chardonnay and Hot Springs arrived. We were sitting around eating when off on the hillside we see two black bears chasing one another around. You kind of forget sometimes that you are truly in the wilderness when you live out in it every day. I may need to rethink sleeping with my food at night and go back to hanging it. We ended up eating lunch just past Cold Mtn. and staying for the night at Seeley Woodworth Shelter. When I got into camp Hot Springs had just gotten done with a little minor surgery. He removed his toe nail somewhere in the creek. It was already black and about to fall off. We ended up going to bed early since it was cool outside. At the shelter tonight is: Zoomer, Chardonnay, Donkey, Hot Springs, Rush Hour, Minnesota Smith, and a great group of kids from theDiscovery School.
Date: 2006-06-04
From: Seeley-Woodworth Shelter

To: Reed's Gap
Miles today: 22.2

This morning started off with Minnesota Smith giving the girls his point of view on life and basically what he thought about women in general. They pretty much told him to piss off in so many words and then began to ignore him. All this time Hot Springs was trying to get a fire started so he could finish up the gram crackers and marshmallows that we had gotten at the Punch Bowl Shelter during the feast a couple of days ago. To add a little amusement to his fire making skills Zoomer began to help. She squatted down at the fire pit an in about two minutes she had a fire going and he just stood there in amazement. We joked around with Hot Springs that his Girl Scout Leader sure could build a nice fire. We wrapped up breakfast and hit the trail. The next little landmark was a dirt road down to a town called Montebello. We had heard about the hostel here called the Dutch Haus Bed and Breakfast but decided to push on and not go down to it. Come to find out later that this was a bad choice because it was a nice place and the owner was very hospitable. Donkey and I did stop at Spy Rock just past Montebello, which yielded nice views of the surrounding Virginia Mountains. The next section of trail rolled up and down a lot including a summit over the Priest and back down to Cripple Creek. When we crossed VA-56 we stopped at the Tye River Suspension Bridge and went for a swim. The river was crystal clear and about waste deep in the center, but the water was very chilly and felt really good on such a warm summer day. The most exciting thing here was the copperhead that was seen swimming across the river. Since it was high noon and so hot we spent about an hour here eating and swimming hoping for it to cool off some. Also during this time we talked to a local ridge runner and he informed us that the next section ahead was just like the Priest with several steep ups and downs. We took this information and paced our selves during the next section over Three Ridges and had to stop at Maupin Creek Shelter to fill up on water. When it is this hot two quarts of water doesn¢t go far. At this point on the trail there was also a side trail to the left that many hikers take to stay at Rusty¢s Hard Time Hollow. It sounded like a fun place but we wanted to push on so we could make it into Waynesboro, Virginia by tomorrow night. We only went about two more miles for the day and set up camp in a field at Reed¢s Gap about 8:45pm. The sun was already setting low in the sky so after setting up our tents and eating what little supplies we had left for dinner Donkey, Hot Springs and I tossed a Frisbee for a while in the freshly cut field. Tonight at Reed¢s Gap; Donkey, Hot Springs and I
Date: 2006-06-07
From: Waynesboro, VA

To: Black Rock Hut (SNP)
Miles today: 20.0

Early this morning the doors of the church hostel opened so Donkey and I had to wake up. We slept last night on the couches in the main assembly room instead of the cots in the gym. Not only were the couches a little more comfortable they were also a lot quieter than the cots. With a room full of old canvas cots all you could hear all night was the creeks and pops of everyone turning over. After another shower we ate a little breakfast in the kitchen and stopped at the post office to mail ahead a few things ahead of the Shenandoah¢s. Zoomer called for us a ride to the trailhead and we were greeted just outside the post office by once again another retired citizen of Waynesboro. We were dropped off at Rockfish Gap on I-64 around mid morning to start our hike into Shenandoah National Park. Zoomer, Chardonnay, Donkey, Hot Springs, and I signed in at the ranger¢s station (Noting more than a sign with Backcountry Permits) and headed into the park. After about five miles we topped Bear¢s Den Mountain and tool a break just beside the radio towers. Not sure who thought this place up but here at this location were about five old metal tractor seats attached to post for hikers to rest on. We took advantage of the situation. The rest of the afternoon was spent crisscrossing the Skyline Drive on our way to Black Rock Hut for the night. On the way up to the hut the only real problem encountered was I had to stop to pop a few blisters that have formed on my heels from the new socks that I got in town. By now you would thing that blisters wouldn¢t be an issue but one slight change in gear sometimes causes major problems. The shelter ended up being really crowded but this is a good thing because it allowed us to spend the evening hanging out with Able Jack and Chain Saw. We have been reading Able Jacks entries now since starting at Springer and have wanted to meet him. The generally start off something like ¢I like my coffee like I like my women¢¦¢¦¢. Tonight at Black Rock Shelter: Zoomer, Chardonnay, Able Jack, Chain Saw, Donkey, Hot Springs, James, (1) south bounder, (2) Smelly Germans, Baldy Locks, Burner, Feng Shey, The Honeymooners, and I
Date: 2006-06-08
From: Black Rock Hut (SNP)

To: High Top Hut (SNP)
Miles today: 21.4

This morning we were still in stitches from Able Jack¢s amusement last night. Between him and Chainsaw you could have awesome abs if you stayed around them long enough. See Able Jack by this time was proudly presenting a scruffy beard with and average build but Chain Saw was a Jerry Garcia look alike if I have ever seen one. He had white hair, a full white beard, and little round glasses and established his appearance early this morning when he said ¢Hey why don¢t we have a Jerry Garcia look alike contest¢ with a grin. They are hysterical! Not helping the situation was the two smelly Germans that stayed at the shelter last night. Both were sporting some foreign military outfits and walked around camp barefooted to show how tough they were. The only real tough thing about them was the smell. I set off on the trail with Donkey around 8:45am to a damp morning. The weather was nice for hiking but a little overcast with brief periods of sprinkles until mid morning. The trail traversed back and forth across the Skyline Drive several times and bordered Loft Mountain Campground for about a mile before reaching the camp store where we stopped for lunch. We dropped our pack on a grassy area just behind the store and went in to find a pretty good supply of items. I picked up a couple of things for may pack and checked out. By this time several others had caught up to Donkey and I and wanted to go eat lunch at Loft Mountain Wayside about 8/10 ths of a mile down a side trail. The waysides in SNP are little dinners along the Skyline Drive typically located around the campgrounds for hikers and motorist. Donkey, Zoomer, Hot Springs, and I walked down to Loft Mountain leaving our packs behind and met up with Bud and a few others that were already there eating. They had taken around about way from Waynesboro and had not stayed at the hut last night with us. We filled our gut and set back off for the trail. It was only 8/10 ths away but we hitched a ride from a park ranger back up to the store where we had left our packs. When we got there Able Jack and Chain Saw had caught back up with us and lounged around on the grassy area for a while before continuing on up the trail. Going across Weaver Mountain I stumbled across two white tail deer and stopped to watch them graze for a couple of minutes. Deer in the park are very tame and will typically not even flinch at the site of humans. Most others on the trail as soon as they know you are approaching they run off seeking shelter. This afternoon going through Powell Gap the rains returned for a short summer thunderstorm that lasted just long enough to raise the humidity to suffocating percentage. Around 8:30 pm I reached High Top Hut and decided to call it a night. On my way down to the water source to fill my bottles I noticed two owls in the trees above just getting started on a long night¢s hunt. Tonight at High Top Hut (SNP) Donkey, Hot Springs, Chardonnay, Eric, and I
Date: 2006-06-09
From: High Top Hut (SNP)

To: Fisher's Gap Trail (SNP) (mile 911.8)
Miles today: 22.0

Up to a good morning at High Top Hut after getting in around dark last night. I started hiking at 8:45am with Donkey and we didn't stop until the South River Picnic Area where we had our first break of the day. As soon as we got back on the trail there was a little bear cub that ran across the trail. We didn't see the mother bear but really didn't look hard for her either. Just before the Bear Fence Mtn. Shelter we crossed the 900-mile mark and took pictures of our creative numbers out of tree bark. When we got into Lewis Mtn. Campground for lunch and finally caught up with Jangles, Baro, and Silverfoot. We ended up taking a nice long break out in front of the camp store because the sun was out for once and there was a nice grassy area that we took advantage of for drying some of our gear that got wet yesterday afternoon on the way into the shelter. Our next stop was at Big Meadows and on the way passed a note that was attached to one of the trail markers warning us of a mother bear and her four cubs that were in the area. Even though I didn't see them the note indicated that she charged a few hikers earlier in the day but made no attempt of attacking them. We got to Big Meadows about 6:00pm and made our way to the tap-room for some cold beverages. We met up with Hot Springs and found out that earlier in the day he rolled his ankle and had to ice it due to the severe swelling. Upstairs was the Big Meadows Restaurant and after eating Baro, Jane, and Silverfoot came down to join the rest of us for the evening. At 9:00pm a band of three local park rangers played for a couple of hours and they were actually quite entertaining. After a few rounds and several songs later it was closing time and we needed to leave. Although we had already gone 21 miles for the day we needed to make it 3 more to the next shelter. We ended up hiking about a mile before finding a nice camp spot and calling it a night. After setting up camp and getting into bed it was nearly 1:00am. Man, it is going to be a rough morning tomorrow. Tonight: Zoomer, Baro, Jane, Chardonnay, Hot Springs, Donkey, Eric, Silverfoot.
Date: 2006-06-11
From: Pass Mountain Hut (SNP)

To: Tom Floyd Wayside
Miles today: 23.6
Weather: overcast clouds

Our goal today was to complete the last section of trail in Shenandoah National Park and stay tonight just before the next town of Front Royal, VA. This goal was very achievable but required us to hike just under 24 miles so we could stay at Tom Floyd Wayside shelter tonight. We left out of Pass Mountain Hut at 9:00 am and put in a strong 7-mile hike in to Elkwallow Gap on Skyland Drive where we stopped for lunch. This was our last change to get a good lunch while going through SNP and wanted to take advantage of the opportunity. We can always get a burger and fries in a town along the trail but the park is known for its blackberry shakes and this was the last stop to get one. I put my order in and looked around the souvenir shop while waiting. The rest of the gang ordered as well and we settled around the picnic table just outside to eat. By this time the weather was really nice so after finishing lunch we lounged around on the grassy area for a little while letting things settle while taking a couple of pictures. It was also time for Eric to head back home so he hitched a ride back to his car with another tourist in the park and we packed up to leave. This afternoon the trail was just another days walk with nothing really to speak of until mile 951 when we passed through the north entry of the park and finished the 102-mile section of the Shenandoah¢s. This was a huge milestone on our trip and encouraged us to push for our next, which would be to cross the 1,000-mile mark on our journey toward Mount Katahdin. Shortly after exiting the park the trail started going down hill and we stopped for the night at Tom Floyd Wayside. The shelter was nice but the tent camping was spread out and very limited. Baro and I set up just below the fire ring while Jangles and Silverfoot dropped off the hillside to a lover level of dirt tenting pads. Donkey, Hot Springs, and Zoomer stayed up in the shelter with a man and two boys that were out section hiking in the area for a couple of days. After eating and sharing stories with the section hikers, we enjoyed a fire for a while and then called it a night after a good long day of hiking. Tonight at Tom Floyd Wayside; Zoomer, Hot Springs, Donkey, Silverfoot, Jangles, Baro, The man with two boys, and I
Date: 2006-06-12
From: Tom Floyd Wayside

To: US 522 Front Royal, VA
Miles today: 2.9
Weather: scattered clouds

This morning we only had a 3-mile hike to US522 where we planned to go into Front Royal. Donkey, Hot Springs, and Zoomer left out of camp around daybreak on their way into town so we decided to skip breakfast and pick up a hot meal in town. Jangles and Silverfoot left together while Baro and I followed shortly behind. When Baro and I made it to US522 and the girls were nowhere to be seen. By this time the rain that started around 3:00 this morning was beginning to pick up and become steadier. Trying to hitch a ride in the rain is nearly impossible but to our surprise a women on her way to town picked us up and dropped us off at K-Mart in the Royal Plaza Shopping Center. We had gotten word of a breakfast dinner out of the shelter journal last night but it was not listed in our guidebook and the lady that had given us a lift had not heard of it before either. Baro and I stood in front of the K-Mart taking turns asking people as they entered until someone was able to help. The dinner was only a couple of blocks away so we grabbed our packs and took off. Everyone else has already arrived and to our surprise Donkey, Hot Springs, and Zoomer were there too. They began to tell us that they left the shelter so early this morning because they were sleeping on the porch area last night when it began to rain and they had gotten pretty wet. After breakfast we walked down the street to the Quality Inn where Expo and Recess had gotten a room the night before. They were planning to stay tonight as well and told us we could stash out packs there for the day if we wanted. This really helped out because we wanted to spend a little time in town and being able to do that without having to tote around your packs is really nice. We all split up and a couple of us went to the library, post office, grocery store, and to grab a bit to eat while others washed cloths, visited the general store, and went to watch a movie. During my walk about the town, I took several pictures of the buildings and read up on the history of Historic Front Royal. After doing a couple of errands around town Donkey, Hot Springs, Zoomer, Baro, and I decided to catch the Disney movie ¢Cars¢ that had just come out in theaters. The theater here only had two screens showing at the time but the best part was it had cold air conditioning. After the movie we returned to the motel to found out that Jangles and Silverfoot had already returned to pick up their packs and returned to the trail for the night. Silverfoot¢s parents had met them in town and were able to give them a lift back to the trailhead. The rest of us by this time had already burned up most of the daylight and we flipped pennies and decided to get a room at the Quality Inn for the night and just stay in town. We ordered dinner and took a swim in the pool to complete the day before hanging out at the room getting caught up on some journals, gear maintenance, and relaxation.Tonight in Front Royal, VA; Zoomer, Hot Springs, Donkey, Baro, and I
Date: 2006-06-13
From: US 522 Front Royal, VA

To: Rod Hollow Shelter
Miles today: 23.5
Weather: overcast clouds

It was nice this morning getting up and starting that day off with a shower. By this I mean a hot shower not a walk in the rain. After going through my gear last night most everything was already packed and the only thing left to do was stop in the lobby and take advantage of the continental breakfast. Baro and I took turns checking our email and eating before checking out and heading back to the trail. Instead of having to hitch a ride we paid one of the maintenance men a couple of bucks and he gave us a lift back to the trailhead. We were left off around 10:45 am at the trail on US-522. The trail immediately started winding its way next to the southern boundary of the Zoological Park. From my understanding the park is home to many rare and endangered animals from all over the world. It also houses a facility to train dogs and agents for DEA duties. The trail though only follows the boundary fence of the park and never exposes any of the animals for viewing. Baro and I set pace and took our first break after just over 5 miles of hiking at Jim and Molly Denton Shelter. It was evident that we missed a feast last night because there were several empty coolers and one that still had some chicken brest on ice that were left over. We opted to eat some trail mix and leave the other for someone else. The shelter though was really nice. It had a front porch with plenty of sitting area, a covered picnic table, and flat green space out front for tenting. The caretakers of this site do a really nice job in accommodating the hikers. After a snack we continued on crossing some railroad tracks next to Goose Creek and then passed under I-66 at Manassas Gap. The next stretch of trail was relatively flat and a nice hike past Manassas Gap Shelter and then by Dick¢s Dome Shelter. My next landmark past these shelters was noted in the guidebook as a wooden bench. Low and behold there it was, a nice wooden bench sitting on the side of the trail. I stopped to take a break and Donkey, Baro, and Zoomer were shortly behind. We set up the camera for a quick picture on the bench and continued on to Ashby Gab at US-50. At this point to the left just under 1 mile was a Bar-B-Q shack detailed in the guidebook so we decided to check it out. On the way down to eat US-50 paralleled a stonewall that was laid out and surveyed by George Washington as a property boundary when he was only 19. This gave for interesting thinking while walking down to the restaurant. We were able to get a decent plate of food and cool off for while before returning to the trail to hike into Rod Hollow Shelter around 9:30 pm. It was already dark when we got to the shelter so we looked around and found Jangles and Silverfoot camped out to the side of the shelter. We quickly put our tents up and called it an evening. Tonight at Rod Hollow Shelter; Zoomer, Donkey, Hot Springs, Baro, Silverfoot, Jangles, and I.