morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2007-05-11
From: Chatfield Shelter

To: Davis Path Shelter
Miles today: 7.2

One of the wonderful things about the A.T. is that it exposes us to small town America. Going into town enables us to re-supply, but it also gives us the opportunity to sample the local culture, food, music, festivals, and people. Today, we had a great opportunity to meet some of the children from Atkins Elementary School in Atkins, Virginia. While we were in the grocery store, their teacher approached us and asked if we would talk to the kids about the trail. They were at the store on a post field trip ice cream run, and we assembled outside the store to talk about our hike and to field questions about bathing, eating, bears, etc. The kids were adorable, well behaved, and asked really great questions. It was a fun opportunity for all of us!Before hitting Atkins, we stopped by the settlers museum, a volunteer run establishment that is composed of a farm, house, and school. The trail literally runs right past the front door of this establishment and the dedicated volunteer director allows hikers into the museum for free. Neat place.There's a nasty virus loose on the trail. So far, it's taken out Two Dogs, part of the Maine Train, and a Texas boy or two. It sounds like a GI nightmare composed of puking and intense shivering. I'm crossing my fingers that I'll be able to avoid it since I'm not a huge fan of backcountry yakking.We were delayed in town due to a combination of hot weather, cold beers, and copious amounts of greasy food served up by a salty waitress in a John Deere apron. We spent a least 4 hours or so taking it easy in front of the Relax Inn, an establishment reported to smell like mildew in its every corner and crevice. Since we were sitting a mere 20 feet from the front office, the proprieters had ample opportunity to shoot fearful and suspicious looks our way. And I can't say that I blame them since we looked like a pretty trashy lot.We're here at Davis Path Shelter--"we" includes: Lala, Bad Influence, Moon Goat & Otto the dog, plus a few other folks. Among the other folks is Life Traveller, a budding guitar protoge' who's learning to play on the trail. He's at the picnic table tuning up right now (I here he's pretty good for a beginner) while a whiperwill sings its evening song in the background. The whiperwill's song makes me want to swing my arm back and forth like there's a beer stine in my hand. Picture a backcountry Saint Paulie Girl with a whiperwill back-up. Add a little strumming from Life Traveller, and it's an all-out dance party, A.T. style.
Date: 2007-05-12
From: Davis Path Shelter

To: Chestnut Knob Shelter
Miles today: 20.2
Weather: scattered clouds

Spring exploded on the Virginia country side. Everywhere the leaves have unfurled and the ground smells hot and loamy. Every so often, I walk past a flowering tree or bush and am overwhelmed by the potent fragrance of late spring. The air is hot and still, and the late afternoon skies threaten us with thunder heads. I'm changing my gear out in a few days, and I'm looking forward to a light load and cooler gear. My pack is at 30 pounds with a 5 day re-supply and water in the winter...my summer weight will be pleasantly lighter (light enough to enable me to carry more fresh fruit and maybe even a book. I'd love to have a paperback copy of Dillard's Pilgrim at Tinker Creek to keep my company as I walk across the Virginia countryside).I love this state. It's beautiful with pastures and rolling hills. It's like something out of a Hudson Valley School painting with its tamed wilderness and soft glowing sunlight. The term "God's Country" comes to mind, though I'm not a believer. The mountains feel powerful but yielding--old creatures that kindly allow us to tread near them. It's a heartbreaking gift to be able to experience Southern Appalachia in the springtime.Today provided proof that Virginia does, indeed, have some mountains. We woke at 4:30 and were out of camp by 5:00 in an attempt to beat the heat of the day and pull some miles. Walking so early allowed us to see some wildlife (deer, etc.) and fill our mouths with spider webs. We passed Spaceman and Forrest at Crawfish Valley where they were still in sleeping mode inside their tents. Lala, Bad Influence, Moon Goat & Otto, and I stopped at Knot Maul for a breather and the sleepy boys caught up. I decided to use inertia to my advantage and split after a decadent (but super early) lunch/brunch break, and I made tracks to Chestnut Ridge Shelter--a sweet stone hovel atop a 2,000 foot climb. Twenty miles and 2,000 feet later, I'm feeling pretty good. This girl sure earned her Ramen today.This shelter doesn't have a nearby water source, so I hauled 4 liters of water 1.8 miles uphill. On my way up, a turkey vulture circled my head for a good ten minutes. I had to wave my trekking poles in the air and beligerantly grunt at him before he moved off. Speaking of menacing things flying over my head, a black helicopter just buzzed the shelter, signaling that it's time for bed. Or perhaps war.
Date: 2007-05-13
From: Chestnut Knob Shelter

To: VA 615
Miles today: 14.6

I have Guantanamo feet. I swear someone spent a good 12 hours slapping the bottoms of my feet with a ruler while I slept last night. The first few moments of bearing weight on them was sheer agony this morning. But, as with everything on this trail, I was able to walk it off in a mile or two. Any of the remaining foot complaints were taken care of with a foot soak in an icy spring, a delightful mutual hiker foot rubbing session, and a modest mileage day.As a change of pace, we decided that today would be "the day without trail names". What does this mean, you ask? It meant that our group consisting of Lala, Spaceman, Bad Influence, Forrest, Moon Goat, Otto the Dog, and myself turned into Sean, Rob, Mark, Gil, Walker, Otto the dog, and Michelle. It was super strange being called Michelle for the first time in a month and a half.After a long dry spell (of almost 200 miles?), we found ourselves in a deluge of trail magic today. Low Gear (AT 2006) picked the perfect spot to administer his magic at the bottom of Chestnut Ridge. I swear he was reading my telepathic requests to the universe, because he had a cooler full of cantelope, apples, watermelon, bananas, and other fresh goodies. He also had his 2006 thru-hike photo albums--they were filled with some amazing photographs, which got me really excited to hike New England. He told us about the once-weekly trail magic administered by the local church. Apparently, they pick up hikers at route 615, shuttle them to town, and feed them on AYCE breakfast. We'd originally planned a 24 mile day, but who can say "no" to AYCE? Certainly not Mark, Rob, Gil, Walker, Otto, or I.
Date: 2007-05-15
From: Helveys Mill Shelter

To: VA 606
Miles today: 16.3

I remember the first time I saw a group of thru-hikers. They looked dirty, hairy, hungry, and a little scarey. They were all beards and calf muscles. Sitting here behind Trent's Grocery, I'm looking like the quintessential thru-hiker. I'm in my rain suit and five days from my last shower. I usually get to see my reflection in a mirror every week or so, and each time, it's a surprise to see what sort of state I'm in. My reflection is always a little leaner, a little dirtier, a little more tan. I'm beginning to look like "the real deal".We're staying at the biggest junkyard of a campground tonight. Trent's Grocery provides showers, laundry, and tent sites for $6.00 a night. The campground is across the street from a logging yard and down a dirt road surronded by worm infested livestock, abandoned mobile homes, and coils of rusty barbed wire. It's shocking that this campground is located in a developed country! The mileage worked out for us to stay here, but I don't recommend it for other hikers. They're 7 of us unfortunate hikers here - Bad Influence, Two Dogs, Double Bird, Troil, Sleeping Beauty, Charles, and me.Tomorrow, we set off for Doc's Knob, our final shelter before we go into Pearisburh and hitch a ride to Trail Days. I'm starting to get really excited to meet all of the faces attached to the names and messages in the trail registers. I'm sure there'll be fun trail serendipity.We have a single thousand or so foot climb mid-day and we're belly aching about it already. Virginia has spoiiled us so! Today's 16 miles were ridiculously easy and pretty - like a walk or a nature trail in the city. I can see us getting soft doing these sorts of days, though I have no doubt that there are many more mountains to come in the next few weeks.Despite its gentle grades, the Virginia mileage is beginning to take its toll. A lot of injuries and mental fatigue are cropping up in the hikers around us. Rocks are claiming ankles and ribs, the heat has become demoralizing to the New Englanders, and soreness abounds. It's time for Trail Days - a "legitimate" excuse to allow our bodies to heal for a few days.I almsot forgot to mention the 2 instances of trail magic that we had today. Someone left a bunch of Capri Sun in a cool creek by VA 608. Also, right before 608, there was a downed tree across the trail. Someone left a note hanging from the center of it that prompted me to crawl into the tree's branches to read. The note was a warning that the tree was covered in poison ivy. Everyone I talked to had crawled into the tree to read the note rather than ducking around it...so funny! But it's the thought that counts.
Date: 2007-05-16
From: VA 606

To: Doc's Knob Shelter
Miles today: 16.1
Weather: overcast clouds

While we slept amongst poison ivy patches and bails of rusty barbed wire last night, Uncle Tom, Quero, and Rangoon got to attend a ridiculously fun party at Dismal Creek Falls. From now on, we need to find out where the locals party on Tuesday night. Bad Influence and I rolled in to check out the falls this morning and saw a pretty heavy after-party debris trail. And, when I got into Doc's this afternoon, Uncle Tom was laying in the corner on the floor looking like he might be dead. Man...we missed out on that one.I ran the first annual "Race for Shelter Space" today between Wapiti Shelter and here. The weather was turning to crap, and I didn't want a repeat of Iron Mountain Shelter when I was the last in and no room was left. My time was respectable, a personal best for me. And when I got in, there was one person there - the still drunk Uncle Tom. But, I did manage to beat the hard cold rain by 15 minutes.After most sports, people walk to cool off. I'm wondering what I should be doing after a day of hiking. Walk it off? I stretch, but I still get frighteningly stiff after sitting down to dinner. Squatting to use the privy after 6:00 p.m. is an exercise in slowly and mechanically folding and unfolding my knee, hip, and ankle joints. This exercise is accompanied by ah-oh-ech noises. Collecting water without bending my knee results in a series of spills and contortionist stances.
Date: 2007-05-17
From: Doc's Knob Shelter

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

Where did I wake up this morning? Was it Doc's Knob Shelter or Pearisburg, or Damascus? I'm sure there was a lot of hitch hiking involved. Some legitimate hiking too. Bad Influence and I woke with a mission - get to Trail Days! We'd been referring to this 100+ mile hitch as "The Odyssey", but actually it worked out simply and elegantly in typical AT trail magic fashion.The first phase was to get to Pearisburg in order to find a hitch into Damascus. We blundered out of the woods and onto the highway. I opened my guidebook and -- shazamm! -- a truck and trailer pulls up, and Mike the photographer offered us a ride into town, and a ride to Trail Days. Talk about the world's easiest hitch. Later in Damascus....Chaos and socializing everywhere! We were dropped off in tent city where we saw Torpedo and Nice E Nuff for the first time in hundreds of miles. Mysterious and Corrupt tent neighborhoods such as Billville were alive with hikers holding beer cans, and under one Tyvec circus tent, a hiker lay passed out with a "village idiot" sign propped near his head and hundreds of empty cans littering the ground around him. So... this is Trail Days? Bring it on!Bad Influence and I made our way into Damascus proper and found Spaceman, Forrest, Moon Goat, Miss Graceful, and Swampfoot. After setting up camp, we went to the church for a delicious home style dinner. Then off to Dot's, the ultimate chaos destination for the evening. Dot's is the size of a mobile home and there were a hundred hikers in there drinking, yelling, and singing karaoke. Snow Plow was sitting at the bar in his own magical Trail Days stupor and Poppy and Miss Janet dominated the social scene.I had one of those instances of trail serendipity. Some hikers were called vestage to sing karaoke, and I recognized one of their names. Uncle Silly was a hiker who stayed at my Brooklyn apartment in 2005 during his hike. I've put up thru-hikers in my NYC home and Uncle Silly was one of the members of the first group of thru-hikers I knew. He, Frick, Frack, Kong, and Noonin helped to convice me to do my thru-hike this year. So, it was amazing to see him after 2 years!After we closed down Dot's, I headed over to the river and helped Miss Graceful ring in her 31st birthday in style with Swampfoot. Then I headed over to the Place to hang out with Spaceman until the wee hours. And to think that I woke up in a shelter this morning. Whew.....
Date: 2007-05-18
From: Pearisburg, VA

To: Trail Days - Damascus VA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

Damascus during Trail Days is the sort of small town I wish I had grown up in. Everyone knows everyone -- if not by name or reputation, then at least through the commonality of being a long distance hiker. It's a reunion, first date, homecoming, and Bar Mitzvah all rolled into one. The class of 2007 hikers are staggering around looking a little overwhelmed, while the members of the previous hiking years look on knowingly. Town is an expansion of gear vendors, trail magic, booths, and bustle.I had the opportunity to meet Boulder (AT 2006) at the Dairy King this morning. He's a Maine-based librarian, and as with most any librarian, is a kindered spirit. I was in touch with him last year during his hike and recognized him from his Katahdin photo that he sent to me during the holidays.Another great person sighting happened last night -- Vegas Jim, who I met at Hawk Mountain, is back on the trail after dealing with shin splint issues. I hadn't seen him since Gatlinburg, and it's great to see him out, about, bearded, and totally gung-ho about his trip. After 500 miles, he's still filled with the pure joy of being able to hike.Now it's time to sing the praises of Uncle Tom: I ran into Uncle Tom while walking to the vendor's booths. I had marked up my Trail Days brochure and created a flow chart of where and when different events were occuring. The only problem is this. I don't have a watch, so I had no clue what time it was. I told Uncle Tom about this, and he lent me his watch for the rest of the hike! Now, thanks to Uncle Tom, I know that I'm 29 minutes and 27 seconds late for tonight's dinner event.I had my follow-up exam with Dr. John of Alma College. I discovered that my legs are the same size as when I started, but I lost 3 1/2 pounds. Later in the day, I had to return to the Alma College Van with my urine sample in tow. I handed in my urine sample and got a free dinner in exchange. Good deal! On the walk to the van, I tried to con various hikers into holding my urine sample cup. I passed Uncle Tom, and while looking at my watch, I asked if he could hold my urine sample for me. He declined, but was pleased that I knew what time it was.In other news: Lala shaved his body from the neck to the waist, because Bad Influence said it'd make tick checks easier. Lala has a absurd fear of ticks. And a bad razor rash. Bad Influence prevails again...We saw Life Traveller crossing the bridge gorging himself. He looked crazed and announced that 4 places were simultaneously giving out free food to hikers. You can't walk 4 feet without being fed a hotdog or fatty dessert. Amazing!!
Date: 2007-05-19
From: Trail Days - Damascus VA

To: Trail Days - Damascus VA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

I woke up this morning in a partially collapsed tent nestled deep in the bowels of tent city. Last night was composed of train wreck hiker-style chaos. At one point, I was circulating the mill having people poke dollar bills into my gaiters. I ran into a bunch of hiker friends including Hungus. There was dancing, yelling, drum circle, man-hugs...all culminating with me waking up in a tent which was not my own.If Trail Days lasted longer than three days, it'd probably kill me. Time to hike.Moon Goat is on a quest to get a free 2-person hammock. He and Otto spent 3 hours at the Eno booth swinging in the hammock and providing great P.R. He "sold" 2 and will be returning tomorrow in the hopes that a complimentary hammock will be forthcoming.So, we've been living large tenting in the middle of town on a private lawn, owned by trail angel, Beth. Not only is she allowing us to tent in her yard, She's set out plastic chairs and comes out to offer up cake and ice cream on a fairly regular basis. Amazingly cool lady...Today was the annual hiker parade/water battle. Water balloons and water pistols were in full effect... it was all out hiker warfare and the towns people lining the sides of the street hosed us down with all manner of water wielding weapons of mass destruction. It was cafeteria food fight meets town meeting.And, I finally got to try some shine. Mission accomplished!I had the privledge of meeting Lief, one of the masterminds of trailjournals.com. He told me about how the site was started, and I thanked him for giving hikers the means to kill hundreds of hours of potential productivity at work.
Date: 2007-05-20
From: Trail Days - Damascus VA

To: Trail Days - Damascus VA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

The final day of Trail Days reminds me of Tom Waits song "Closing Time". It's a little sad, a little bit of a relief, and a lot of hikers slinking out of here with their tails between their legs looking to hit the trail and restore their pride after a tough 3 days of fun.I grabbed a hitch back into Pearisburg with Mike the photographer. Riding in the back of the truck made me realize why dogs love riding in trucks. 100+ miles with your face in the wind on a sunny day can be sweet.My married friends from graduate school, Luke and Amy, met us for dinner, then generously took Lala, Bad Influence, and I back to their apartment in Blacksburg for dessert, laundry, showers, and socializing. It was a great way to catch up with Luke and Amy...I hadn't seen them since their wedding a year ago. It was also neat to see my two world's collide...the hiker trash and the librarian/archivist crew. I used to balk at having my friends from separate groups meet. It was as if they would talk too much and too many facets of my personality would be on public display. Now, I find it amazing to see the vast array of people I keep company with.
Date: 2007-05-21
From: Trail Days - Damascus VA

To: Rice Field Shelter
Miles today: 6.7
Weather: clear sky

Out in the mountins once more perched atop the amazing ridgeline view at Rice Field. A large illuminous grey-yellow rain cloud is drifting across the skyline towards me. It's throwing off illuminated bands of gray precipitation. The valley below is shrouded in heavy damp air and the ridges stand out sharply from one another - like objects in a shadow box. I'm out in the mountains once more.Today I walked a little and thought about the two sides of my personality. There's the sociable, loud, vulgar, werewolf. And, there's the bookish and introverted self. My walk in the mountains has teased out both aspects in excess. Always in excess. Coming from town to the mountains and back again makes me feel like a swinging pendulum, because my surroundings effect me so much. I like both sides of the trip, and of myself, but only when they're kept in check, and they balance one another out. Damascus was an epically excessive 3 days, and I've been slammed straight back into an introverted and solitary frame of mind.As a response, I let the group walk on without me. I needed to think a bit; find some quietness. Spaceman, the only person in the group who understands solitary impulses on the same level as I do, opted to stay behind. His company was comforting and still allowed me the solitude I need. Perfect!....solitude without lonliness.I'd been looking for a copy of "Pilgrim at Tinker Creek": Lala randomly pulled it out of his pack the other day, and I thought he knew that I'd been wanting to re-read it and was giving it to me as a surpirse gift. In truth, he happened to randomly see a copy for sale and decided to buy it for himself. Needless to say, I stole it off him and am reading it while sitting on the ridgeline. On page 3, I ran across the line, "...the mountains are home" and sitting here not far from where Annie Dillard wrote it, I got a shiver -- a shot of complete transparency in what Dillard experienced and wrote during her time in Southern Appalachia.
Date: 2007-05-22
From: Rice Field Shelter

To: Bailey Gap Shelter
Miles today: 16.2
Weather: broken clouds

It's raining worms out here. Well, not really. But there are hoards of catapillars hanging from threads, dropping on the forest floor and on to us. It's a pretty creepy experience having dozens of these little suckers dropping onto one's face while hiking. I'm finding them all over the place -- in my hammock, hair, etc.I got to do my first stream fording today. The bridge was out, and I opted to wade rather than take the blue blaze around. Before the ford, there was an empty cooler of used-up trail magic courtesy of "The Captain". A sign said that there were cold drinks in the stream, but also, the steam had been emptied out by the previous hikers who had passed through. So, instead of trail magic, it was trail tragic. Strangely enough, the mere thought of trail magic gave me an energy boost.We're holed up here at Bailey Gap listening to the occassional growl of distant thunder. There was a brief storm earlier today -- enough to make the leaves sparkle and to raise humidity.I'm in sleep defecit mode. I woke at 5:00 a.m. this morning so I could avoid the heat and afternoon thunderstorms. When I got into Bailey Gap, I set up my hammock and instantly fell asleep in it. I was sleeping so hard that I was twitching like a dreaming dog. It was profoundly refreshing.