morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2018-09-23
From: Vandeventer Shelter

To: Switchback Camp TN 91Hwy
Miles today: 11.4
Weather: clear sky

Sunday, Sept 23, 2018: Vandeventer Shelter (436.9 AT) to Switchback Camp on TN91 (448.3 AT) for 11.4 miles today. 29.5 miles total this trek.I forgot to mention yesterday that it started raining at 5:30 PM when we got to the shelter. It rained for several hours. We were thankful we were in a shelter so we wouldn't have wet tents in the morning. Since we were so tired last night, we slept well. We didn't get up today until 7:15 AM. We left the shelter at 8:50 thinking we would do a light day and hike only to Iron Mtn Shelter of 6.8 miles. We arrived at Iron Mtn Shelter at 1:30 PM. We made good time so we decided to go an additional 4.6 miles to Tenn Hwy 91. We would call the campground for a pickup. This way we could wash our clothes and take a shower. We left the Iron Mtn Shelter at 2:00. Along the trail we met thru hikers (hikers doing the whole AT) who were doing a flip-flop. They started in Harpers Ferry WV and hiked to Maine, came back to hike from Harpers Ferry to Spring Mtn GA. They have only 440 miles to complete the 2170 miles.Their names were Princess (from San Diego) and Low Gear (from St Paul). The third person we met was a guy from Chicago/ Switzerland in his 30's. He was hiking from Harpers Ferry to Springer Mtn too.There are not many people on the trail. We have been the only people in our campsite each night.Also someone asked if I have seen any bears. We have not. I have seen bear scat 7 or 8 times along the trail. Today I saw some that was very fresh - this bear had been eating blueberries and acorns, or Cliff Bar Crunch with blueberries like I had for lunch. We got to TN91 at 4:15. We covered 11.4 miles today and were on the trail 7 hours and 25 minutes. We got to the campground at 4:45, took showers and washed our clothes. Then we walked down to pay the owner (he was also our driver). He took us on a tour of his shop and the house he is building.  We cooked dinner (heated water for our MRE's). I had chiken and rice. We are heading to bed early.Thanks for following along.
Date: 2018-09-24
From: Switchback Camp TN 91Hwyc

To: Abingdon Gap Shelter
Miles today: 10.5
Weather: clear sky

Monday,Sept 24, 2018: Switchback Camp @ TN91(448.3 AT) to Abingdon Gap Shelter (458.8AT) for 10.5 miles today.We gotgoing this morning around 6:30 AM. Windy, the owner of the campsite picked usup at 8:05 to take us to the trail (2.5 miles). We hit the trail at 8:10 AM.About 2miles into the hike we met Whip, a 30 some year old from New Brunswick, Canada,a thru hiker who was hiking to Springer Mtn. He only had about 450 miles to go.AtDouble Springs Gap, 3 miles into the hike, we ran into 2 guys from Danville VAand Reidsville NC who were lying in at the shelter. They looked exhausted andone of them was smoking a cigarette. They left their car at TN91 (where westarted this morning) and were planning to hike to Damascus VA and back, about40 miles. They were planning on a 5 or 6 day hike. They gone 13 miles and spent2 nights out and were heading back to their car. They only had 3 more miles toget back. They said they had done a lot of hiking prior to this but did notrealize it would be so hard. On top of that their packs weighed 55 and 60 lbs.My pack with water weighs 34 lbs..Wearrived at our shelter, Abingdon Gap Shelter at 3:15 PM. We were on the trailfor 7 hours and 5 min (a short day). There are 2 people at the shelter, a 22year old guy from Mass who just graduated from UMass. He started in Maine onJune 3. His trail name is Hustle. And a lady from Cincinnati OH, about 50 yearsold, doing a long section hike of 500 miles. Her name is Chocolota and she talksnon-stop. I mean non-stop. I told her I was going to bed at dark (8 PM). She isstill talking. In 3 1/2days we have gone 40.4 miles and have done 10,700 feet elevation gain.We arelooking forward to getting to Damascus Va tomorrow. Damascus is one of thefamous trail towns. A goodday. Thanks for following.
Date: 2018-09-25
From: Abingdon Gap Shelter

To: Damascus VA
Miles today: 10.3
Weather: clear sky

Tuesday, Sept 25, 2018: Abingdon Gap Shelter (458.8 AT) to Damascus VA (469.1 AT mile marker) for 10.3 miles today and 50.3 miles total this trek.We slept in the shelter last night with Hustle. Chocolaca pitched her tent. She was a talker. We were up at 7:15 AM (sunrise is at 7:00) to get packed. We left for our trek to Damascus at 8:15 AM. The trek today was mostly in the trees so no great views of the mountain but some great views of nature. We met 3 SoBo (South Bounders) today. They only have 450 miles to complete the AT. This always amazes me. We met a couple, Machine and Squeaky, who have been together 5 years and they are in their 20's. They are from Boston and they started on June 3 (same day as Hustle, who they know). Shortly after that we met Dr Who, a SoBo from Memphis TN. He was in his early 30's, a big guy at 6'3" or 6'4". He was a physical therapist. We arrived at Damascus at 12:45 PM, so we covered our 10.3 miles in 4 hours and 30 minutes (a really good time) but it was mostly downhill.We went to Wood Chuck Hostel in town to check in. It is $25 for a bed, shower and a hot breakfast. Nice house. Wood Chuck owns the place. He is 60 some years old from Montana and moved here 4 years ago. Staying at the place tonight is:Production - 20 year old male from PhillyNo Doubt - 66 year old male from ChicagoKidsta - a 20 something year old female from Columbus, OH. She just graduated from Ohio State.Invisible Man - a late 20 year old male from .... Yacker - my hiking buddy, Mike PearceWhite Hat - meThey all have a story and its great to listen to them. Mike and I got showers and went to get lunch at Damascus Diner at 2:00 PM. I had a hamburger steak, french fries, side salad, and coconut cream pie. Plus about 64 oz of Diet Coke on ice. The bill was $15. We came back to the hostel and washed our clothes. At 5:00 PM Wood Chuck took all 6 of us to the local grocery store to restock. Mike and I went back to the Damascus Diner at 6:00. It was packed.That's it for now.(Editor's note: I try hard but I cannot swear the info here is accurate. Handwriting and wet pages make it difficult to decipher so there are a few blanks or wild guesses as to the exact words.)
Date: 2018-09-26
From: Damascus VA

To: Lost Mtn Shelter
Miles today: 14.3
Weather: few clouds

Wed, Sept 26, 2018: Damascus VA (469.1 AT) to Lost Mtn Shelter (483.4 AT mile marker) for 14.3 miles today and 64.6 miles total trek.We were up at 6:45 AM as breakfast was being cooked. Wood Chuck had blueberry waffles, fresh melon, bananas, fried potatoes, and a selection of cereal, orange juice, and coffee for us. It was great. The rest of the gang in the hostel got up around 7:30 for breakfast. (see the picture) We had a great stay at the Wood Chuck Hostel. We left at 8:15 AM.The walk to get out of town was enjoyable. Damascus is a town of about 900 people. The town is all about biking and the AT. There are 6 bicycle shops that each run 6 to 8 vans that can pull 12-14 bikes on a trailer. They would take riders 15-20 miles up the mountain and people ride back to town. The trail runs along all of this. Plus a creek that ran through town. The first 8 miles of today's hike we walked along Whitetop Laurel Creek which was 15 to 70 feet wide and had 2, 3 and 4 grade rapids. At times the rushing water sounded like a train. It was a gorgeous hike this morning. Very peaceful. As we hiked along the creek, we crossed over 21 trestle bridges that the trains used in the past. Some of them were long, all 20-100 ft long and 100 to 150 ft over the creek. (See pictures)We did have a steep climb to get to our shelter and we also walk through rain for about 2-3 hours. It didn't rain hard enough to put on rain gear but we did cover our packs. We arrived at Lost Mtn Shelter at 2:15 PM, 6 hours on the trail and we covered 14.3 miles. We made great time. We didn't have cell service all day. Just as we got to the shelter it started to pour down rain. We were glad to be at the shelter. I had lunch. As we were setting up in the shelter a hiker arrived who was soaked. He was Jeff from WV, out for a 9 day hike. He was with his brother-in-law but he had to drop out a few days back because of sore feet. Jeff is in his late 20's and owns a landscaping business. He is married with an 18 month old girl. He is ending his hike in Damascus, starting in Bland VA.About 6:00 PM Greg, a 54 year old from St Petersburg FL showed up. He had dinner and then shared my bear bag. We all talked briefly and went to bed at 8:00 PM.It was a very pleasant day since I got to reflect a lot in the quiet time. Mike has been a great partner. I am a very lucky guy. Thanks for following.(Editor's note: I cannot swear to the accuracy of this journal. I try very hard to decipher pages written lying down, in the dark on soggy pages. I have taken the liberty of hazarding a wild guess or leaving blanks .... where I can't possibly figure out a word. See photos for proof. And one more note I thought was interesting: Gordon's online trail journal has had 2000 hits in the 5 days they have been on the trail.)
Date: 2018-09-27
From: Lost Mtn Shelter

To: Hwy 600 and Grayson Highlands General Store
Miles today: 9.2

Thurs, Sept 27, 2018: Lost MtnShelter (483.4 AT) to Hwy 600 (492.8 AT) for 9.2 miles today and a total of73.9 miles so far.What a day!It rained hard all night and it continuedto rain when it was time for us to get going this morning.Our 2 shelter partners took off at 8:00 heading for Damascus VA.We left at 8:15 AM hoping to go to Massie Gap so we would get throught the 17 mile section that has no camping. Camping has been suspended in that area due to heavy bear activity. We also would go through GraysonHighland State Park where a herd of wild miniature horses roam.The rain did slow down as the morning progressed. The rocks, boulders, and roots were veryslippery and the rest of the trail was mud. It was hard to move at a fast pace.We were sliding with several near falls. We also had a 2500 ftelevation gain in the first 5 miles. We met 3 people, a mom, dad and boy fromChicago were doing a 3 day hike and we met a SoBo from RI. His name was Otis, he had started on June 5 and only had 500 miles to finish.We arrived at Hwy 600 after 9.4 miles at 1:30 PM, a little behind our projected time. We have not had phone service for the last 28 hours (since we left Damascus). We were concerned since our hiking speed in this weather wouldn't get us to Massie Gap until around 7:00 PM and it would be dark. We were trying to figure out what to do. Go for it? And if we had a problem stay in one of the "no camping" shelters or see if we could get phone service. After several attempts with ATT (Mike's phone) and Sprint (my phone), I got a call to go through to the Grayson Highland State Park. We asked for help and they gave us the number for Dennis, the owner of Grayson Highland General Store. Mike called and got Dennis and explained our situation. Dennis came and picked us up (took about 40 minutes). We were wet and cold waiting but glad he could come. He gave us a place in the wash room with cots. (pictures) Plus we could wash our clothes and shower. The General Store also has a food bar. We got to the store around 3:00 PM. They also had WiFi so we got to update everyone on what was happening. We had dinner - hamburger, pulled pork sandwich, french fries, beer, and ice cream.Things worked out great. We are still supposed to get rain tonight and tomorrow so tomorrow could be another wet day but we both have smiles on our faces tonight.
Date: 2018-09-28
From: Hwy 600 and Grayson Highlands General Store

To: Fox Creek VA Hwy 603
Miles today: 17.8

Fri, Sept 28, 2018: Hwy 600 (492.8 AT mile marker) to Fox Creek VA Hwy 603 (510.6 AT) for 17.8 miles today, 90.6 total trip.It rained a lot during the night. We were up at 6:55 AM. We prepeared for the day as we waited for the General Store to open at 8:00 AM. It looks like the rain may be over for a few days. That would be great.At 8 AM we got coffee and ordered a breakfast sandwich with eggs, cheese and bacon. We are going to slack pack the 17.1 miles today. Slack packing means we do not take our back packs. We will only need water and lunch so our packs are only about 5 pounds. The plan is to hike today's route and catch a ride back to the General Store since we can't camp in the park.Dennis was ready to take us at 8:30 AM. We were on the trail at 9:10 at Hwy 600. We hiked up to Grayson Highland State Park. We had about 1000 ft climb to the park. It was 58 degrees when we hit the trail. About 3 miles in we met Cheddar from Appleton WI. He is 28 and is thru hiking with 50 miles left. Throughout the day we met several day hikers enjoying the park. We did meet 4 men from NC, 3 of them NC State graduates, ranging in age from 35 to 45. They were out for a 3 day hike of 25 miles. They got a kick out of the fact they were all born after I graduated from NC State in '71. I wear a white baseball hat with an NC State logo while on the AT. We also met The Last Boy Scout around 1:00 PM today. He was about 30, started in Maine and was planning on hiking to Key West FL and back to Maine. This would be 6000 miles and he would not complete it until fall 2019.We stopped for lunch at Massie Point. There were great views (pictures) and we did get to see the wild ponies. They pretty much ignore humans.This weekend in Grayson Highland State Park they will auction off 20 ponies. They do this to keep the herd to about 120 so they do not over populate. It is a big festival, over 5000 will attend. We had a great day.We finished at 5:40 PM and went 17.8 miles. Mike's fitbit recorded 41,000 steps today. We were on the trail 9 hours and 30 minutes and covered a lot of distance. Dennis picked us up and we are back at the Grayson Highland General Store tonight. We had burgers, took showers, and washed our clothes. We are still in the laundry room for tonight.It is 9:00 PM and lights are out in our room. I'm looking forward to tomorrow.It looks like we might not have cell service for several days so we may go dark for a bit. Thanks for following.
Date: 2018-09-30
From: Trimpi Shelter

To: Partnership Shelter
Miles today: 10.3
Weather: clear sky

Sun, Sept 30, 2018: Trimpi Shelter (523 AT) to Partnership Shelter (533.3 AT) for 10.3 today and 113.5 total!We were the only people in our shelter last night. It was a nice, cool evening. We got up at 6:45 AM, had breakfast - peanut butter on toasted shell, and packed our gear.We left the shelter at 8:15. Most of the hike today will be in the woods. We had a 1000 ft climb to start the morning. The trail had dried out some so it was not as muddy. We met a couple of people on a day hike but we also saw a few thru hikers. The SoBo'ers we met were:Humas and Bolt: a couple in their 20's from Omaha, NE. They started in Maine and only had 520 miles to go.Mondamon: a guy in his late 20's from Danville VA.We also had Griz pass us today. He is only the second person who has passed us. Griz started in Waynesboro, VA, went to Maine, then flip flopped to Springer Mtn GA and will complete his trek in Waynesboro VA. Griz is 36 and lives in Maine.It was a lot of up and down today. We walk through a canopy of trees for miles. (picture) We got to Partnership Shelter at 2:00 PM. We are gaining speed. Partnership Shelter has a shower and is a double deck shelter. It can hold 16 people. We walked over to the Mt Rogers National Park Visitors Center (about .2 miles from our shelter) after we unloaded our packs.When we got back I took a quick shower; the water was really, really cold. It was quick, and refreshing. We are having dinner. It will be an early night. Thanks for following.
Date: 2018-10-01
From: Partnership Shelter

To: Atkins VA
Miles today: 12.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Monday, Oct 1, 2018: PartnershipShelter (533.3 AT) to Atkins, VA (545.3) for 12 miles today and 125.6 milestotal.Whata great shelter. It is the nicest one I have ever stayed at. We were up at 6:45 AM. After breakfast we packed to walk to theMt Rogers Visitors Center to get water and check for phone numbers for possiblelodging in Atkins VA tonight. They had a land line we could use since we had nocell service. We decided on the Comfort Inn so we could watch the Chiefs game.Some pretty good climbs todayfor the first 5.5 miles and then it was downhill heading to Atkins. The walktoday was mostly in the woods and through meadows. We met a few thru hikersheaded to Springer Mtn GA. They were Sonic and Puddles, a couple in their late20¢s. Sonic started on June 9 and Puddles started later in June. Both are females,Sonic is from ARK and Puddles was from GA. Also we met Blood Homey, a guy fromChicago. He was in his 20's, thin, 6'2" and had a man bun. He waswearing a tee shirt and his underwear (they left nothing to the imagination).We also met a couple of section hikers, Granddaddy Long Legs andGreg from Kentucky. They did a thru hike in 2014 and have been doing longsection hikes every year since. They were 59 and 60 years old. We have only met1 person who was older than Mike and no one my age.We got to Atkins VA at 2:45 PM. The AT comes out at a truck stopon US11 and I81. We stopped at the truck stop and called a taxi for a ride tothe Comfort Inn, 3 miles off the trail. Wayne, the owner of Bird Taxi picked usup at 3:30 PM. Wayne had some great stories.After we arrived at the motel, we showered and I wanted towash clothes (3/4 mile walk) and hit the Dollar General to restock our food forthe last few days. Mike arranged for dinner for us and went to get beer for Monday Night Football. We ordered pizza, a salad and bread sticksfor takeout. It was great. We only have 46.1 miles left on my leg of the trip to Bland VA.Now we are getting ready to watch the Chiefs.3 hours later: Wow! What a game! Go Chiefs!We turned off the lights at 11:45 PM. We have been in our sleepingbags between 7:30 and 8:30 PM every night on the trail.Thanks for following.
Date: 2018-10-02
From: Atkins VA

To: Bear Garden Hiker Hostel
Miles today: 12.5
Weather: broken clouds

Tues, Oct 2, 2018: Atkins VA (545.3 AT) to Bear Garden Hiker Hostel @ VA42 (557.8) for 12.5 miles today and 138.1 miles this trek.Before I start off with the activities for today, I wanted to mention a few things that I have been thinking the last few days.Mike P, Yakker (his trail name), has been a great trail partner. He has lead us almost the entire hike since he is slightly faster than me and that allows us both to hike our own hike. I am amazed that he can continue up the steepest inclines without stopping. He calls it plodding along. He can do this because of all the training he did the last several months. In May- August he recorded the following # of steps: May: 651,301, June: 712,129, July: 804,023, and August: 800,687. (That is almost 1500 miles.) We have been great support for each other.Also being the 12th day on the trail (counting our Day 0), I am really missing the family, especially Marilee. She has been a great support. I am a really lucky guy to have the support and love from all my family.Now to today's activities. It was hard to get to sleep last night after the Chiefs game but we were excited to get started today. We were up at 6:30 AM. We went to get coffee and have breakfast at the Comfort Inn and watch the highlights of the Chiefs game.Wayne, the taxi company owner, picked us up at 8:50 AM and we were on the trail at 9:05 AM.We passed under I81 heading back out the the trail. It rained a litlle on and off but it was a very pleasant day to walk.We met 7 SoBo'ers. A couple named Squeaky and Blackbeard. They were in their 20's and were from a small town outside of Reading PA. We then met a group of 5 SoBo'ers who were spread out about 1/2 mile. All guys in their 20's, Little Foot, Moose from Johnson City TN, Pony Express from Bristol, England, Animal from Indiana, and Toons from Boseman MT.Most of our hike was through the woods but we also hiked through several large meadows. It was a good day. We arrived at Bear Garden Hostel at the intersection of the AT and VA Hwy42 at 3:00 PM. We were on the trail for 6 hours and 55 minutes and covered 12.5 miles. We are getting stronger.Staying the night at Bear Garden Hostel that is owned by Bob and Bert Langham. They opened this place in March. We will hit the sack at 8:30 PM. Thanks for following.
Date: 2018-10-03
From: Bear Garden Hiker Hostel

To: Chestnut Knob Shelter
Miles today: 11.2
Weather: overcast clouds

Wed, Oct 3, 2018: Bear Garden Hostel (557.8 AT) to Chestnut Knob Shelter (569 AT) for 11.2 miles today and 149.3 total.What a day! Today was one of those days that you do not have time to reflect on your life since you have to focus so intently on the next step. We did 11.2 miles with 4200 ft elevation gain. I think this is the most I have ever done in one day.Also I forgot to mention that on Tuesday I clocked over 400 miles on the AT (for 2017 and 2018). When we finish on Friday I will have 445 miles on the AT completed. We were up this morning at 7:15 (we slept in today). We did our morning chores and had a ham, egg and cheese croisant heated in the microwave. We also made coffee. Bert, one of the owners, came down around 8 AM. She had some great stories. It was $20 for the room and a few dollars for the breakfast sandwich, a coke and an ice cream sandwich.We hit the trail at 9:10 AM. We had a big climb today - 4200 ft elevation gain. We met a few SoBo'ers today. They were all in their 20's. 3 were hiking together: Mr T from Nashville, Dozer from Lexington KY, and Rico Sauve from New Hampshire. We also met Big Al from Mississippi.We arrived at Chestnut Knob Shelter at 4:20 PM. This shelter was once the Forest Warden's cabin. Plus the view is great. (picture)After we had dinner a thru hiker heading to GA showed up at 6:30 PM. His trail name is Happy. He is in his early 30's, from NY. This is his 3rd attempt at completing the hike.Then shortly after that a group of 5 from DC came into camp. They pitched tents. We will hit the sack at around 8:00 to 8:30 PM. I am tired tonight. Thanks for following.