morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2004-04-19
From: Bailey Gap Shelter, VA

To: Day 41: Sarver Hollow Shelter, VA
Miles today: 21.0
Weather: clear sky

The evening before the start of AT Day 41 was marked by drinking lots of water every hour or so when I awoke (which of course prompted its subsequent elimination), so in the morning I had to reload my water supply in preparation for what the weather forecast predicted to be another hot, dry, shade-less trek across rocky ridges. To make matters worse the trail profile showed three climbs of more than 1,500-feet ¢ needless to say I was apprehensive, but excited by the challenge. So despite my early 6:50 a.m. start, I had to take numerous short breaks (especially at each of the shelters where I also ate a snack or lunch and drank at least a pint of water) and I didn¢t reach my Sarver Hollow Shelter target at 21-miles until around 7:30 p.m.The highlight of these latter activities came around 1:00 p.m., about halfway between the War Spur and Laurel Shelters (and a 1,500-foot climb), where the AT crosses VA 601. At this point I came upon an immense and greatly appreciated display of trail magic. It seems that a former AT through hiker, Super Dave, took pity on us hikers and left off a couple of coolers full of soft drinks and candy bars. He also had a trail register and a disposable camera for us to register our remarks and likenesses. He also gave his e-mail address and I definitely will follow-up my briefly scribbled note with a more extensive expression of sincere appreciation for his amazing display of kindness ¢ it sure reaffirms your faith in mankind.When I eventually reached the turn-off to the Sarver Hallow Shelter, I was tired and concerned since not only is this shelter at least 0.3 miles off the trail, it is also over 300 feet BELOW the trail. However, since I was nearly out of water and it was six miles to the next shelter and its guaranteed water source, I had no choice but to ¢voluntarily¢ loose the hard won altitude. In the end, this very new shelter turned out to be absolutely lovely (both architecture and views) adding to my curious list of the mixtures of pleasure and pain that makes the AT so memorable and frankly rewarding.
Date: 2004-04-21
From: Four Pine Hostel on VA 624, VA 

To: Day 43: Lamberts Meadow Campsite, VA
Miles today: 16.4
Weather: few clouds

After my hot shower and meal, I slept great and awoke somewhat refreshed at 5:00 a.m. on AT Day 43. I dressed quickly, cooked a hot breakfast and was back on VA 624 at 6:30 a.m. (before any of the other hikers had even gotten up) and on the AT by 6:50 a.m. With the rain of the afternoon and evening before I guess I shouldn¢t have been too surprised by the fog that greeted this day, making the multiple 500-600 foot ascents/descents and farm field traverses an almost surreal experience. One of the latter was particularly interesting as there was a small sign at the bottom of the six foot high stile announcing that the fence we were crossing was electrified ¢ and as I could plainly see, wet, as was the wooden stile¢¦Shortly after reaching the Catawba Shelter at around 8-miles, the AT begins a surprisingly gentle 1,000-foot climb to the McAfees Knob. I am glad it was so gentle, since to be honest after several days of 20-mile plus hikes up and down some severe hills in the heat, I was tired and my feet hurt from all of the pounding on the rocks. In any event, I took it relatively easy and reached the famed mountaintop around noon and took the ¢requisite¢ picture at easily the most photographed rock outcropping on the entire AT. From this exposed perch you have a terrific view of the surrounding Virginia farmlands and you can clearly see the long ridge the AT traverses on its way to the next highlight, Tinkers Cliffs.On my way to McAfees Knob, I was passed by the speedy Haiku, but I passed him as he rested at the Campbell Shelter and he returned the favor once again as I labored up the ridgeline to Tinkers Cliffs ¢ an all-to-familiar, but comfortable rabbit and hare pattern between this kilt-clad young AT hiker and I. In one of our meetings we discussed the pros and cons of stopping at the Lamberts Meadow Shelter or its near-by campsite, or hiking another 9-10 miles into the highways near Troutville. Both of us were bragging that we would probably do the latter, but in the end when I got to the Lamberts Meadow Shelter, there was Haiku soaking his feet in a nearby stream. He and I both admitted that our feet hurt and that we were tired after the previous several days¢ hikes so it made little sense to beat ourselves up more with the marathon hike. Besides, my plan with my wife, Hot Chocolate called for a pick-up at US 11 around noon the following day and give that I once again had no cell phone coverage, I saw no way to change our schedule. With these considerations in mind I finished up my comparatively short 16.4-mile trek with a hike of perhaps 0.3 miles to reach the lovely Lamberts Meadow Campground. In addition to being flat and relatively rock-less, this ¢deer infested¢ camping area is surrounded by several ¢babbling brooks,¢ that promised a wonderful sleeping experience.
Date: 2004-04-23
From: US 220 & VA 816 near Daleville & Cloverdale, VA

To: Seg 10: Lower Blue Ridge Parkway crossing, Mile 74
Miles today: 0.0

AT Segment 10: April 24-26, 2004Starting point = US 220 & VA 816 near Daleville & Cloverdale, VAEnding point = Lower Blue Ridge Parkway crossing, Mile 74.9Total miles for this segment = 41.3 (3 days @ 14.4 miles/day)Total miles to date = 763.1 (47 days @ 16.2 miles/day) The highlights for this unexpectedly short AT hiking segment were nagging equipment failures (stove and right ankle/shin), the foliage turning from brown to GREEN, rain and another anxiety producing attempts for my ever-patient wife, Hot Chocolate and I to communicate with one another using our cell phones. My left knee continues to slowly improve, but now I have a new and frankly more painful injury to my right ankle/shin, so I continue to take vitamin I every day and try not to cause additional/further injuries.
Date: 2004-04-24
From: US 220 & VA 816 near Troutville, VA

To: Day 45: Just beyond Blue Ridge Pkwy Mile 91.8, VA
Miles today: 20.4

When Hot Chocolate drove me to the trailhead on AT Day 45 the plan was for me to hike for five days, being picked up at the intersection of US 501 and VA 130 near Big Island, VA, while she towed our recreational trailer to Denver, PA, where the Sunline Factory could perform the necessary repairs and upgrades, but once again, Mother Nature and the AT gremlins had other ideas ¢ about the schedule, not the work to be done by Sunline.In any event, despite our being relatively close to the trailhead, I was not able to start hiking until around 7:40 a.m. in relatively warm (upper 50¢s), clear, and humid conditions. Even though after about two miles, the AT included a 1,300-foot climb, the grade was so gentle that it was quite easy. Around 10 a.m., I stopped at the Fullhardt Knob Shelter to get a drink and discovering the shelter¢s interesting rainwater cistern watering system I couldn¢t help but wonder why these weren¢t used at some of the shelters that lack a convenient water supply. Shortly thereafter I met two SOBO ¢trail workers¢ who were checking on the health of a bunch of fruit and berry bearing native trees that they had planted the year before. It was sure nice to talk to these guys since they clearly knew a lot about the local flora, one benefit being their alert to keep an eye out for the wild azaleas just beginning to bloom ¢ an alert that paid off with a nice picture later on.When I stopped by the Wilson Creek Shelter around 1:00 p.m. for a quick lunch break, I finally had a chance to meet the through hiker, D©j vu (mid-20¢s, female from MA) who somehow had eluded me in the past even though we had leapfrogged trail locations several times during the past month or so. She was taking an extended break and was in no rush to move on in the lovely weather at this lovely shelter. Shortly after leaving D©j vu in her reverie, I ran into Mello doing another SOBO slackpack hike. He told me that he would return to the NOBO direction with his full pack tomorrow, leaving from Bearwallow Gap.Meeting both of these young hikers ¢taking it easy,¢ energized me so I sped along toward Bobblets Gap Shelter, my original finishing target for the day, with new vigor ¢ so much so that I got there by 5:15 p.m. Thus, despite the fact that I had to hike 0.2 miles down a step path off the AT to get to this shelter, I decided to leave as soon as I filtered enough water for dinner and breakfast. However, given my rather conservative mileage targets for this week, I had no intention of trying to go another 6 miles to reach the next shelter (which had no water). Rather, I decided to look for a nice spot to camp on the ridge a half-mile or so beyond Mills Gap Overlook, giving me a total hike for the day of 20.4 miles. When I found what I thought was an ideal site (soft leaf bed and flat), the wind had picked up and the sun was beginning to set, but it was a beautiful evening.
Date: 2004-05-02
From: Lower Blue Ridge Parkway crossing, Mile 74.9

To: Seg 11: Rockfish Gap, US 250/I-64, Waynesboro, VA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

AT Segment 11: May 3-7, 2004Starting point = Thunder Ridge on the Blue Ridge Parkway, Mile 74.9Ending point = Rockfish Gap, US 250 & I-64, near Waynesboro, VATotal miles for this segment = 90.3 (5 days @ 18.1 miles/day)Total miles to date = 853.4 (52 days @ 16.4 miles/day) The highlights for this ¢return from vacation¢ AT hiking segment were slow hiking due to being out of shape and PAIN followed by a miraculous RECOVERY, a new green plant ¢ Poison Ivy, and more summer-in-spring weather. My left knee continues to slowly improve and, as alluded to above, the more painful injury to my right ankle/shin got worse before it got better, but by week¢s end I was finally able to stop taking mega-doses of vitamin I, even though I still need to be very attentive while hiking to not cause further injuries.
Date: 2004-05-03
From: Thunder Ridge Overlook on BRP 74.7

To: Day 48 - John's Hollow Shelter, VA
Miles today: 15.3

Even though Hot Chocolate and I got up at 5:30 a.m. on AT Day 48, the drive from Hagerstown, MD, to the Blue Ridge Parkway Thunder Ridge Overlook took longer than we expected and I was not able to start hiking until nearly noon. With this late start, I was worried about being able to make my rather conservative 15.3-mile target before nightfall. Exacerbating this fear was my concern that the injury to the tendons of my right ankle/shin had not yet fully recovered even though I had taken a full week off from the AT to attend and celebrate my youngest son¢s Ph.D. graduation. Unfortunately, whereas I was really trying to take it easy, it did not take long before my fears of re-injury were painfully rewarded. Going uphill wasn¢t so bad, but the constant pounding and hyperextension required of the down hills hurt pretty bad. The truth is that if my wife had happened to be waiting for me at one of the early Blue Ridge Parkway crossings, I would have gotten in the truck and aborted the hike until I was more fully recovered. In retrospect, I guess I¢m glad she didn¢t provide this temptation, but having to continue with pain at every step sure made this day¢s hike ¢memorable.¢ Adding fuel to these memories, the temperature never got above 50-degrees and it started to rain in mid-afternoon.Rest assured that it wasn¢t all bad since the hike across the James River AT Bridge was awesome. This bridge is also a tribute to the AT through hiker, Bill Foot who worked hard to get grants and the cooperation of numerous agencies so that the old railway piers could be used to its construction. The importance of this bridge was sure brought home to me by the news I received from a SOBO section hiker at the Matts Creek Shelter, who told me that another section hiker had drowned while swimming in the river just the day before. The James River is a big waterway so no one would ever attempt to cross it with anything other than a bridge or a boat, but since the current does not look dangerous I can see why someone might succumb to the lure of a cooling dip. This gruesome story was confirmed by another hiker a day later and by the continued presence of emergency vehicles at the north end of the AT bridge.When I finally got to the Johns Hollow Shelter it was nearly 7:30 p.m. and I thought I would have the place all to myself, but nearly an hour later another NOBO AT through hiker, Sugar Daddy (mid 20¢s male from Albany, NY) showed up carrying a rather large bag of ice. He told me that he had somehow injured right knee during his sleep in a shelter on the night before and his plan now was to use a bandana to construct an ice pack for his knee that he could wear while hiking ¢ until all of the ice was gone. Good plan, I wish I had thought of it as treatment for the injured tendons in my right ankle/shin.
Date: 2004-05-05
From: Brown Mtn Creek Shelter, VA

To: Day 50: Spy Rock, VA
Miles today: 18.6

I hit the AT around 6:40 a.m. on AT Day 50 with the temperature in the mid 40¢s under partly cloudy skies. Since the tendons in my right foot still hurt, I was very pleased that the 2,600-foot climb up Bald Knob (the same mountain that Sugar Daddy pledged to summit on the evening before) was so well graded with lots of easy switchbacks that I made to the summit without much pain. Not so on the down hills, however¢¦ During a pain/rest break on one of these descents, I met a SOBO section hiker (mid 60¢s male, retired mechanical engineer) who surprised me by announcing that he had met my wife at a highway intersection on the day before as she prepared to leave for a day hike. Unfortunately, he also got the impression that she wanted to reach me about something, but as usual I had no cell phone transmission so I was unable to follow-up on this possibility ¢ other than worry that is¢¦Despite its name, Bald Knob is not a ¢bald,¢ whereas the near-by 4,022-foot Cold Mountain summit reached by a subsequent 600 foot climb, is a bald, albeit one that was created and is still maintained by the Forest Service to provide striking vistas of the local scenery. This Cold Mountain should also not to be confused with the ¢real¢ Cold Mountain, of Civil War book fame, found in the Pisgah National Forest of North Carolina.Somehow even with my continuing and still painful injury, I passed Scorpion en route and made it to my original target for the day, the Seeley-Woodworth Shelter around 4:45 p.m. The shelter was empty, but I wasn¢t alone for long as both Scorpion and Einstein arrived shortly thereafter and announced that they were staying for the night. In contrast, even though I did not want to appear inhospitable, since I knew that I had a difficult 20 plus mile hike planned for the next day, I only stayed long enough to load up on water for dinner and breakfast. My plan upon leaving the shelter was to hike for another three hours, but in less than half this time I arrived at the lovely turn off to Spy Rock (at the 18.6-mile mark for the day) where I decided to pitch my tent and enjoy the promise of a spectacular sunset and sunrise ¢ a promise that I am pleased to say was rewarded, and documented in a series of digital pictures.
Date: 2004-05-06
From: Spy Rock, VA

To: Day 51: Maupin Field Shelter, VA
Miles today: 17.7
Weather: clear sky

Although my hike on AT Day 51 began as usual around 6:30 a.m. in cool windy conditions, I soon found out that this day was going to be different. It seems that somehow during the night a ¢miracle¢ had occurred as the now two-week-old injury to the tendons of my right ankle/shin no longer hurt! I had a hard time believing my good fortune so I continued with the vitamin I therapy and careful walking, but the bottom line was that I was not in any real pain. Early in the hike I summated The Priest rather easily and then made it to shelter named for this 4,063-foot mountain where I had a snack before leaving for the Harpers Creek Shelter for lunch. This pattern of eating is not unusual, but I knew I was going to need lots of energy for the afternoon since starting at the 8.9-mile mark (where the AT crosses the Tye River via a beautiful hiker-only suspension bridge), the trail begins a long, hot, 3,000-foot climb up the summit of the north ridge of the Three Ridges.Unfortunately my caloric intake regimen was apparently not sufficient since I still found this climb to be embarrassingly difficult, causing me to take several breaks. Perhaps another factor contributing to my relative lack of energy was that all week long, and as I type this text at week¢s end, I have been dealing with the classic nasal and sinus congestion signs of plant allergies (without any appropriate medication). To further add to my sense of physical inadequacy, despite the fact that I had at least a two-mile head start, on the way down from the Three Ridges summit I was rather easily passed by the long-legged Einstein who then led the way all the way to the Maupin Field Shelter, making his hike over 20 miles whereas mine was a ¢mere¢ 17.7 miles. Regardless of the distance, all I know is that the soles of my feet hurt ¢ a personal assessment that I was ¢pleased¢ to learn was shared by the much younger Einstein.At the shelter, Einstein and I (and shortly thereafter, Scorpion) were greeted by the fascinating, and quite talkative, 75 year-old, NOBO, shelter-to-shelter section hiker, Keystone Sarg. As you might expect it was clear that he had lots of stories, but since we were all anxious to eat and tired we hustled through our evening routine and went to bed as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, Mother Nature once again had other ideas about our sleeping and this time the challenge was not weather ¢ it was mice! Brazen little beasts they were indeed and even though we all carefully hung our food from hooks, throughout the night we could hear them rummaging around anything they could get to. During one of these noisy investigations, I awoke and happened to put my hand down next to my sleeping bag where I promptly was bitten ¢ an act that sure got my attention. Luckily it was more of an ¢investigational¢ or ¢fear¢ bite as the skin was not broken. Nonetheless, after this murine encounter I got little sleep for the rest of the evening, and I made a silent vow to once again try to stay in shelters as in often as possible.
Date: 2004-05-09
From: Rockfish Gap, US 250 & I-64, near Waynesboro, VA

To: Seg 12: US 522 near Front Royal, VA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: few clouds

AT Segment 12: May 10-14, 2004Starting point = Rockfish Gap, US 250 & I-64, near Waynesboro, VAEnding point = US 522 near Front Royal, VATotal miles for this segment = 107.1 (5 days @ 21.4 miles/day)Total miles to date = 960.5 (57 days @ 16.8 miles/day) The highlights for this mega-mileage AT hiking segment were completing the entire Shenandoah National Park (SNP) section and just how BORING a hike it turned out to be, a continuation of the unseasonably hot and humid summer in spring weather, near complete recovery from my chronic leg injuries, and the onset of the dreaded biting gnat (black fly) attack. As alluded to already, my leg injuries are now nearly completely recovered and as such I only needed to take vitamin I once or twice a day at most. By week¢s end my morning body weight was still around 130 lbs, so I think by eating more (including three energy bars a day) I have finally stabilized and am no longer in danger of ¢wasting away.¢ However, despite changing to a lighter sleeping bag, at the beginning of the week my pack still weighed in at 53 pounds (with my normal starting water load), so it continues to represent over 40% of my body weight. Finally, except for my sore (and chronically numb) feet, the heat rash on my back and the front of my shoulders, the occasional back spasms and growing number of tick and other the insect bites, I feel great!
Date: 2004-05-10
From: US 250/I-64 at Rockfish Gap, VA

To: Day 53: Blackrock Hut, VA
Miles today: 20.0
Weather: clear sky

Since my wife and I stayed at a lovely motel in Stanton on the evening before AT Day 53 (read more about this in Hot Chocolate¢s journal), we were able to get me to the near-by Blue Ridge Parkway / Skyline Drive Rockfish Gap trailhead for the AT by 8:00 a.m. Because the previously injured tendons in my right lower leg appeared to be nearly completely healed and my left knee no longer hurt, I decided to begin the hike without taking any ibuprofen. I realize that this gesture was more symbolic than anything, but it sure felt good to know that even as I rapidly approach my 60th birthday, I can still recover from fairly significant ¢sports¢ injuries.One of my first duties during this day¢s hike was to complete the Backcountry Self Registration forms at the entrance to the SNP less than a mile from the trailhead. The trail was pretty rocky to begin with, but later it smoothed out a bit with fairly easy 500-1000 foot climbs and descents, in fact it got rather boring. I ate lunch along the trail and just as I was leaving I noticed water was running down the backs of legs. Upon investigation I discovered that the tube that drains my water bladder had become dislodged and the entire bladder was now emptying onto the top of my pack. I repaired the bladder, cleaned up the mess and began to look for a water source along the trail since with the expected heat and humidity I couldn¢t go long without refilling my supply. Luckily I found a small creek less than a mile away and thus my water worries were soon over, except for the fact that it was now nearly 85-degrees and quite humid ¢ ugh!At the 20.0-mile point when I got to my preplanned destination for the evening, Blackrock Hut, I was surprised and pleased to see that my partner for the evening was going to be Keystone Sarg, the 75 year-old retired military, shelter-to-shelter, NOBO section hiker I had met the week before at Maupin Field Shelter north of Waynesboro. Keystone Sarg told me that he had hiked 13 miles that day and even though he had been at the shelter for over an hour he was still very tired. Despite these complaints I must admit that I really admired his fortitude and good humor ¢ I sure hope I can do as well when I get to be his age. My original plan had been to camp at the shelter, but we had already had some rain and thunder storms were rumbling around, so I stayed in the shelter where I could be assured of staying dry. The most distressing memory of the day was the outbreak of the nasty ear-biting gnats. These tiny black flies were a real nuisance as they drew blood not only from my ears (clearly their favorite target as was noted by many of the hikers I met along the trail), but also from the hairless sections of my exposed arms, legs and my forehead. From now on, I pledged to smear on the effective, but somewhat dangerous DEET cream to ward off this abuse.