morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2004-05-13
From: campsite

To: Clyde Smith Shelter
Miles today: 13.4
Weather: overcast clouds

"and where you are is where you are not." T.S. EliotWildlife: only about 20 millipedes, walking (slowly!) on the trailA really lovely day. I was just having lunch with Nana K., saying that we had been so lucky not to have to hike in the soaking rain; and then, less than 10 min later, it came: one of those beautiful spring showers that made the flowers dance with joy.It was a steady rain, changing in intensity, for about 40 minutes. I opted to hike in just my shorts and shirt, as I still had about 4 miles and several uphills before the shelter. At about 3 pm, after hiking since 8 am (w/only one break), I hiked as intensely as I could until I reached the shelter at 4 pm...I felt as strong as I have the entire trail! (and maybe as much as I have in several years!). I have missed that feeling - of working hard but having it feel effortless. My breathing was in synch with my poles and my feet..and every time I came to an uphill I charged it - ah! It felt sooo good to have beads of sweat mingling with raindrops, all pouring off my face. (of course it might have been nice to actually have a shower after all that, but here I am, in my 'clean' camp clothes).As the sun sets, there is a chorus of birds praising the day, the rain, and maybe all the worms that were yielded. Nite.oh, one more thing - just wanted to recap some of the really great moments (we remember moments; not days, weeks or years) that were missed when I was pocketmail-less:*told you already about being taken by tourbus into Gatlinburg by some wonderful Baptists*I stayed in Hot Springs at Elmers, and found out that Elmer was an Episcopal Chaplin at Duke and knew my uncle (I loved that place!)*the night we went to the party at Sam's gap, we met "OneLeg", the man with the bionic leg...nice guy. oh, and that was the night that we learned that Mosey was the 'chug-a-lug' champion of Cocoa Beach, FL in 1956..and Cali taught her how to open a bottle with a lighter!I guess that's it for now...
Date: 2004-05-14
From: Clyde Smith Shelter

To: Overmountain Shelter
Miles today: 12.9
Weather: broken clouds

"At night make me one with the darkness, and in the morning make me one with the light." Wendell BerryWildlife: 5 robins up near Roan High Knob, a wild veery calling at duskSuch a phenomenal walk...first up, up, up from 4400' to 6285' over 6.4 miles, then down, then up again to a beautiful bald called Round Bald @ 5826', then up and down the rest. The rain only came once today, just as I was leaving Round Bald. I was ready for it though, and put on my hat, gloves, rainjacket and pack cover, and off I went, trudging up a wet, muddy path. It was a good day. And this shelter is something else! It is an old barn, with two levels, converted into a shelter. We overlook a valley with abundant stars overhead. And I finally learned what that beautiful bird is, making such beautiful music at sunset: it's the veery. (Waukeelites, you know the line: "..wild veery)A friend of mine asked me if God has spoken to me yet. I thought about that question all day, and I think maybe in the wee hours when all I hear is the hooting of an owl, or the wind blowing a tree, making it squeak, or before the sun rises - that single, sharp note of a bird. I will keep listening.Tonight may be my last night on the trail until the 29th in Atkins,VA. I will miss the fresh breeze that's blowing on my face now...but I'll be back for more soon.
Date: 2004-05-15
From: Overmountain Shelter

To: 19E, Elk Park, NC
Miles today: 8.7

"Oh, I'm on my way, I know I am, to somewhere not so far from here." - Cat StevensWildlife: 9 Longhorn Cows (two bulls!)just grazing ON the trail over Hump Mountain (5587').What a day! The views were amazing for almost 3 solid hours. We could look back on our barn for the first hour, then we climbed more, able to have a 360 degree view from Hump Mountain. The wind was blowing, the tall grass was shining in the sun, the sky was a deep, rich blue and it was warm enough to only have a shirt and shorts on! And then there were the longhorns - how amazing that was to have them just hanging out on the trail. When I walked by, I nodded in respect, not looking the bulls in the eye (following the same guidelines as when seeing a bear), and moved on, chuckling all the way down the hill.We have been taken in by my college friend, Rita, and it's been our most relaxing day in town the entire trip. We showered, washed clothes, went to dinner in Boone (had my first glass of wine in 6 weeks), and will sleep on the world's most comfortable sofa in the world...and tomorrow I'll say good-bye to Mosey and Nana K. as they head off to Damascus. I'll meet them on the 28th or 29th in Atkins, VA. I'll be missing 149.5 miles...so I'll be coming back this way one day to complete that section. We were told the 3 to 5 miles North of 19E has an unfriendly section on the trail, so I hope Mosey and Nana K. will be safe. I'll miss them. I'll be in touch now and then, littlefish
Date: 2004-05-18
From: 19E, Elk Park, NC

To: Banner Elk
Miles today: 220.2

It's raining hard, but I am only experiencing it from a sofa with a cup of hot tea in hand. Mosey, Nana K., M & M, Welsh Nomad, French Connection- they are walking in this, only getting to a shelter to attempt to find a place to hang those dripping clothes. At least it's not too cold up there. But this rain is to continue the next several days...so send all hikers from Erwin to Damascus positive energy.It's so easy to be sucked into "the world" again (what is really "the world"?) I am trying to hold on to the simple things-weather,light,sounds of nature . . . no excess. But it's too hard when everything is thrown at me . . . I am getting too comfortable being comfortable. So, I spent all day outlining the next 3 months . . . Here is the plan:Hike from Marion,VA on 5/29 to Harper's Ferry, WV by 7/3 (485.2 miles plus the 385.6 miles I have walked so far.) Then head back to NE and walk from Williamstown, MA around 7/6 and to Katahdin by Aug 20th. (606.3 miles) that's 1477.1 miles, I think...so I'll be having to chip away at the remainder (697 miles), but unless I walk faster, that's the way it will be.So, off to catch a bus tomorrow, and I'll be flying home on Thurs! Peace to all, Tina Transcriber note: No - those aren't actual miles for today! I've added in miles to catch the running total up to the actual total for the hike so far.
Date: 2004-05-19
From: Banner Elk

To: Roanoke
Miles today: 0.0

I was last in Roanoke in 1982, when I was teaching and coaching at Chatham Hall (in Chatham,VA). We would come here to play a rival school, to go to a mall, to see a movie. It is odd to be here 22 years later as I walk on the AT (or presently as I get off the AT). This trip, so far, has been like walking down memory lane: I was raised in the South and have not spent a spring here since I was 18 years old...I recall as we came in to Hot Springs, smelling pine in a way that I did in Pensacola, as a small child. And then to have these past few days with a dear college friend, now to be so close to my very first job out of college. I'm looking forward to being back in the South, but I am also ready to be in New England soon.Bye.
Date: 2004-05-23
From: Worcester, MA

To: nowhere today
Miles today: 0.0

I have been adjusting to being in New England, to "home". It's nice to be able to be chilly during the day and be warm and dry at night...but I miss green, I miss quiet, I miss simplicity. However, today I loved the richness of church, the music, the color, the rituals. I am looking forward to heading up to Maine and New Hampshire on this whirlwind visit. I ran into a new book by Mary Oliver and just had to share this poem with you:Where Does the Temple Begin, Where Does It End?There are things you can't reach. Butyou can reach out to them, all day long.The wind, the bird flying away. The idea of God.And it can keep you as busy as anything else, and happier.The snake slides away; the fish jumps, like a little lily,out of the water and back in; the goldfinches sing from teh unreachable top of the tree.I look; morning to night I am never done with looking.Looking I mean not just standing around, but standing around as though with your arms open.And thinking: maybe something will come, some shining coil of wind, or a few leaves from any old tree--   they are all in this too.And now I will tell you the truth.Everything in the worldcomes.At least, closer.And, cordially.Like the nibbling, tinsel-eyed fish; the unlooping snake.Like goldfinches, little dolls of goldfluttering around the corner of the skyof God, the blue air.-Mary OliverWhy I Wake Up Early, 2004
Date: 2004-05-26
From: Maine 

To:  eventually Roanoke
Miles today: 0.0

I am about to head back to Virginia...These past few days have led me to Peak''s Island, Maine and Portland, Maine and now back to Massachusetts. The weather is so typical New England...rainy and in the 40's. Nice to be in a warm and dry space!!! I loved being on the island-got to see my two cats, having the time of their lives, and some dear friends, who are so supportive and wonderful. I had time with an old friend, CB, in Portland, and she was so genuinely interested in the hike! (We actually hiked for 6 days in the Presidentials in 1991~). I didn't make it to New Hampshire to see my transcriber (and friend), but I will be there, soon. And now, slowly, I make my way back to resume the hike: the hike of a lifetime, really. I am happy and scared, worried that I have lost my fitness, lost my rhythm...but I know what lies ahead, at least based on the experiences up until now. I meet "Shady" in Roanoke, he gives me a ride to the trail (I wait in a hotel in Atkins, VA), and Mosey and Nana K. will come....I will wait.I have one last Mary Oliver poem (from the new book) to share: (and I will copy this and bring it to Mosey!)Why I Wake EarlyHello, sun in my face.Hello, you who make the morningand spread it all over the fieldsand into the faces of the tulipsand the nodding morning glories,and into the windows of, even, themiserable and the crotchehety-best preacher that ever was,dear star, that just happensto be where you are in the universeto keep us from ever-darkness,to ease us with warm touching,to hold us in the great hands of light--good morning, good morning, good morning.Watch, now, how I start the dayin happiness, in kindness.
Date: 2004-05-28
From: nowhere today

To: back to the trail
Miles today: 0.0

[Transcriber's note: Tina titled this one "5/29 Slackpacker" but since she wrote BEFORE she actually hiked, I'm posting this for 5/28, just in case she writes more about today's hike. If she doesn't write more, I'll come back and update the mileage here.]I am having breakfast at The Barn, just off I-81 near Atkins, VA...my buddies, Mosey and Nana K. are sleeping in. They deserve that, too, after walking from Damascus in 6 days in stormy weather (an F1 tornado was spotted last Wed by the weather service). So, they are taking a zero day today, and I am taking advantage of walking with Welsh Nomad and her husband. We are being dropped off near Partnership Shelter (11.5 miles south of here) and walking North. My legs (and all of me, frankly) need a gentle re-introduction to the trail! Then, after church tomorrow (Methodist in Rural Retreat,VA), we'll head out. What trail magic yesterday! (off-trail magic, really) Weeks ago, I wondered how I might get from Roanoke airport back to the trail. About that time, I got an email from "Devon", a woman whose sister just graduated from Smith College. Here's the MAGIC: my cat, Thor, loves the music department at Smith. He loves Linda, he loves the students who pet him, maybe he loves the music...but, anyway, Linda told Devon's sister that "Thor's mom" is hiking the AT, and that started the ball rolling...Devon's sister told Devon, Devon told her boyfriend's parents, Randy (Shady) and Ann who live in Rural Retreat, VA. And they were the saints that picked me up yesterday in Roanoke! They took me to get fuel, the post office, and to get lunch, and to the Relax Inn. Now, today, they are dropping me and my friends off to slackpack! Tomorrow we hope to join them for church, too! So, Thor, thank you. Linda, Devon and Devon's sister, and Shady and Ann, THANK YOU!
Date: 2004-05-29
From: Partnership Shelter

To: Relax Inn
Miles today: 9.5
Weather: scattered clouds

"Thanks be to God."Wildlife: one box turtle, one garden snake and almost 3 bear cubs (gone by the time I arrived on the scene!)A really nice walk today...first in the woods, then some beautiful stream crossings, then past an old schoolhouse, and finally through some open meadows. Legs felt good; now I am a tired camper..Lucky us: another day of slacking tomorrow, this time 12 miles or so. Off to sleep..
Date: 2004-05-30
From: US 42

To: hotel
Miles today: 11.8

"...and the thunder rolls, and the thunder rolls."- Garth BrooksWildlife: a little deer, leaping across the trailI meant to comment yesterday how lovely VA is-gentle, rolling hills vs. the steep mountains of NC and TN. The earth here is more clay and the trees are more oak. And I also noted yesterday and today how much wind and water sound alike from a distance...ended up being wind, most times, but sometimes it was water (a stream).The storms came today around noon...lots of very loud and long thunder, but thankfully, no lightening today. But we are under a tornado watch tonight...hopefully all will be clear tomorrow. We head out towards Bland tomorrow, hoping to arrive by early Wed. (I may not hitch the 3 miles there, and just walk on, meeting up with Mosey and Nana K. later that night.) Plan on being in Pearisburg on Saturday, the 4th. Be well, everyone.
Date: 2004-05-31
From: VA 42 (2690')

To: Chesnut Knob Shelter (4410')
Miles today: 11.1

"...dismiss whatever insults your own soul, and your very flesh shall be a great poem and have the richest fluency not only in its' words, but in the silent lines of its' lips and face and between the lashes of your eyes..." -Walt Whitman (SJB put in my journal)Wildlife: a possum crossing a road with 3 babies on her back! 2 deer, grazingI spoke too soon about the gentle grades...today was a bugger of a climb. But the last mile was beautiful - open fields, almost a 360 degree view. The shelter here is perched up high, looking at a place called "God's Thumbprint". The privy has one of the best views so far. Nice rainbow, nice sunset. The moon is out, stars, too...it's been a while since I have seen them! Night.
Date: 2004-06-01
From: Chesnut Knob Shelter (4410')

To: Campsite near Laurel Creek
Miles today: 14.6
Weather: few clouds

"If you see no reason for giving thanks, the fault lies in yourself."-TecumsehWildlife: only a few millipedes and snails, oh! and a pair of very, very tiny woodpeckers - almost as small as hummingbirdsPerhaps it was a mistake today to say I was going to take the AT vs. the "high water trail" for the final part of our walk. When asked "Why?", I said, "Because I wanted the adventure." Well, we got adventure! (My hiking buddies decided to join me.) The first 8 stream crossings were manageable...then came 1-2-3-4-5 crossings where the water came over our ankles! Plus it was quite dark (about 8 :30pm) and then it started raining! We are all safe and dry now (10:30), but by the time we set our tents up, it was well after 9. Dinner was a Balance Bar and a few dried apples - too dark, too wet, too tired to eat. But, a good day - a memorable day! My quads are screaming at me...hope to get my trail legs back soon!
Date: 2004-06-02
From: Campsite near Laurel Creek

To: 3 miles N of Helveys Mills Shelter
Miles today: 13.0

(camping on a ridge about 3 miles north of Helveys Mills Shelter)"Our life is a gift from God; What we make of it is our gift to God."-unknownWildlife: a few junkos. That's it! Where is everything?Good start to the day: Trail Magic in the first mile - someone had placed a cooler on the trail with iced cold orange and apple juice! A nice easy walk into Bland, VA (6.9 miles in less than 3 hours). Had french fries (which I have been fantasizing about each day) and a chicken sandwich and a Dr. Pepper!! Last time I drank a Dr. Pepper was in Dallas, 1985...and wow, was the one today delightful! (then I drank water and then a lemonade!) Just got toilet paper, oatmeal, Snickers and back to the trail we went (had a good hitching day!) Seemed like we might make it one day w/o rain, but - sure enough - at 8:30 pm, a big storm rolled by...it's 9:40 ish now, and it is still raining. At least it is not cold! Hoping to catch up with Redbeard soon !
Date: 2004-06-03
From: 3 miles N of Helveys Mills Shelter

To: Dismal Falls
Miles today: 14.0
Weather: broken clouds

"Every step of the journey IS the journey." - unknownWildlife: a deer is hanging around our campsite here; it doesn't seem afraid!I am aware that it is a huge challenge to be goal-oriented out here and still be open to what the day may bring. Some people I am travelling with start each day with the phrase: "We have to get here, to this point today, so that we can get to that point tomorrow." There are times we do need deadlines, but I don't want to feel that every day the rest of the trip. I am not sure what to do about this...we will see how things go in the next few weeks. Our mileage is starting to pick up- 14 miles used to be the longest day in several weeks; now it's becoming more the norm. Soon we'll be up to 20 miles...hope the feet can deal!   We had a first today: we walked across a suspension brige (that was the trail). Way cool! And I had a first: I read that there was a store .3 off the trail that had showers and food. I walked fast, had a long, hot shower, ordered a chicken sandwich and fries (and a Powerade), and ate it, got a ride back, and there came Mosey and Nana K.! I really needed that shower! Goodnight!
Date: 2004-06-04
From: Dismal Falls

To: Doc's Knob Shelter
Miles today: 14.6
Weather: moderate rain

"Virginia is for lovers." - bumper sticker (scratch that!; Virginia is for DUCKS!)--see comments belowWildlife: a frog, a squirrel and a pretty bird with spots on it's chestOk, so we are all in agreement (Mosey, Nana K. and the 3 guys with us in the shelter): Today was the worst weather day we have had since Springer! It began raining around 8:15 and continued, non-stop, until about 11:30 am. Then a break (only mist and fog) until about 4 pm, then again - more steady, heavy, cool rain until now (9 pm). I walked from 8:15 am until 11:45ish, took a 15 break to put warmer clothes on, use the privy, eat a few crackers, then back on the trail, non-stop, until 5ish...I was freezing and wet-dripping wet in a way my dog is when he swims - before he shakes! Nana K. was already here-making something warm to drink, as she was also quite cold. And then, 2 hours later, Mosey came. God bless her - she was smiling, happy to be here. I offered her some hot cocoa, and we got her all set. So, we survived, but I must say that when asked what I am most afraid of out here on the trail, it isn't the bears or the local rednecks; it's what the weather and the elements can do to me, to my body. Wet and cool, cold = hypothermia. Heat and lack of water (like yesterday when there was no water for 10 miles and it was 80!)= heat exhaustion/dehydration. So, anyway, I love shelters on wet days. Nice to be warm and dry--the rain is coming down hard again. Sadly, I'll have to go the bathroom soon... 'Nite In to Pearisburg tomorrow...a hotel (shower and hot crunchy food) awaits!
Date: 2004-06-05
From: Doc's Knob Shelter

To: Pearisburg
Miles today: 7.6
Weather: scattered clouds

"Help us to be the always hopeful Gardeners of the spirit, Who know that without darkness nothing comes to birth, as without light nothing flowers."- May SartonWildlife: a cute little mole, popping out of one hole, and into another!A nice day, good to be warm, clean and dry...had a great meal with friends (Caveman - whose dad is okay after having the heart attack) and Smokey and Polly... will go to church tomorrow - Christ Church here in Pearisburg...then back on the trail!
Date: 2004-06-06
From: Pearisburg

To: Rice Field Shelter
Miles today: 6.8
Weather: overcast clouds

"I believe a leaf of grass is no less than the journey-work of the stars..." - Walt WhitmanWildlife: two stunning young bucks (you could see nubby little antlers) grazing in the field at sunset (photo to come)Ok. So I take every negative thought or statement about VA back - this shelter, set in the woods, just feet away from a grassy knoll, looking due West over more hills...perfect temperature (as I type about 10 pm, it's in the 50's), no rain, no bugs--only pefect tinkerbell fireflies...heaven is here. Will try to hold moments like these for ones when the sun don't shine.
Date: 2004-06-07
From: Rice Field Shelter

To: Campsite near Stony Creek
Miles today: 14.7

"And it goes on and on, watching the river run, further and further from things that we've done..." - song by Kenny Loggins ('cause I'm sleeping right next to the river/creek).Wildlife: A BEAR! I SAW A BEAR! Actually, it was a mother with her two cubs (who really looked like large cats, climbing trees like they had just learned how!) It was in the middle of the day, around 1 pm, and I had just gone past the junction of the Allegheny Trail, and I saw a big black "log" which was about 30 meters ahead, slighty to the left. Then she must have heard me and ran right across the trail (at which point I stopped and stood still). She stood up and looked me straight in the eye (and I think she must have smelled me, too!) I think I spoke to her, something calming, reassuring...and then I saw the little ones, they were frolicking still where she had been--then she must have beckoned them somehow, because after climbing a few trees, they also crossed the trail, and all three scampered away. It was an amazing experience. Maybe it all happened in less than 2 minutes, but I'll remember it for a lifetime. How often do we get to make eye contact with something wild? Truly a gift.Off to dream...
Date: 2004-06-08
From: Campsite near Stony Creek

To: Warspur Shelter
Miles today: 10.3
Weather: light rain

"To be extraordinary, you must do extraordinary things."- Kickstand's wrestling coach (Kickstand is a thru-hiker from Clarksville, TN)Wildlife: a bird on a nest, attached to the shelterForgot to mention yesterday that I hit my 500 mile mark! (very close to the spot where I saw the bears)! Tomorrow I'll hit the quarter mark (541). I can't see how some folks do the trail in under 5 months!Time is going by fast, but Virginia is not--one BIG state ...nice walking, though. And much better weather, for now!
Date: 2004-06-09
From: Warspur Shelter

To: Sarver Hollow Shelter
Miles today: 12.2
Weather: scattered clouds

"And I will make all my mountains a way." - Isaiah ?Wildfife: a scarlet tanager (at shelter) Also a cat. There is a beautiful cat here at the shelter. Seems healthy, but in need of more food. Hope someone will take her before winter.I thought today would be fairly easy. Hah! Wrong!! It was in the upper 80's and we went from 2340' up to 3800' (where we had TRAIL MAGIC in the form of soft drinks and candy bars (at 10 am, it's a hiker's breakfast of champions). Then back down to 2100' and ending at 3400'...hard on the heart and lungs up, hard on the knees down. Either way, it was a tough day! Mosey was strong today!Sleepy-hope the cat will choose my sleeping bag-there are 7 of us here.