morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2018-05-17
From: Lickskillet Hostel, Bland, VA

To: Pond near Waipiti Shelter
Miles today: 13.0

Instead of the usual morning birdsong, I woke up to the sound of the fan blowing on the racks of drying hiker clothes.I (and others!) checked the radar and there were no rain spots nearby. The closest spots moving in our direction were in Missouri. About an hour into my hike - downpour! It was heavy but after about an hour it cleared up and it was the only significant rain of the day.The trail was slop today - muck and puddles, sometimes an actual stream. It was like an obstacle course, in a fun way. I was either in a dense forest with really tall trees or in rhododendron tunnels.About 10:30, I came to a swinging pedestrian bridge over the Kimberling Creek. It was my chance to put my pack down somewhere not muddy. I discovered I had put today¢s snacks in my giveaway pile - so sad. But I had my PB&J sitting on the bridge steps. Later I took advantage of a small footbridge to put my pack down and filter water.Right before the Wapiti Shelter where I planned to spend the night, the trail spilled me from the forest onto an open area with a pond. I looked across and thought it might be a campground but it was just Steady with his hammock and crap everywhere. He said he had been to the shelter but thought this pond would be a great place to camp and watch the thunderstorm (some dark clouds just then).I went up to the shelter but the shelter itself was one of the older types that are really low to the ground. A little forlorn. There were nice camping spots nearby but I figured if I was going to tent, the pond might be better.The weather stayed nice while I got set up. There were literally dozens of bees on my pack, sucking the sweat from the straps.A thru-hiker named Chance It showed up to camp here. He got a smoky fire going to help with the bugs and to cook his dinner. I asked him how he learned to make a fire because I¢ve tried and it¢s not that intuitive, and everything out here is wet. Chance said he can¢t remember, he¢s just always known. He¢s from near Cincinnati and has a cabin with a wood burning stove. He said he never realized there were people who COULDN¢T make fires until he got on the AT and would see things like the wrong kind of wood piled up next to the fire pit. He had a piece of pine with pine tar on it that he used as a natural accelerant.I finished dinner and hung my food bag. I threw the rope myself! It¢s kinda bad - the bag is too close to the trunk and not that high, but I did it.When I settled into my tent, we heard thunder. There have been a couple more peals since then - maybe further away? I hear lots of crickets and some frogs from the pond, and there is one owl who keeps hooting but gets no response.
Date: 2018-05-18
From: Pond near Waipiti Shelter

To: Woods Hole Hostel, Pearisburg, VA
Miles today: 7.5

Only a brief shower in the night. I got all packed up and on the trail before the rain began. It was windy, chilly, and raw. All in all, a great day to do only a half day¢s hike.I got to Wood Hole Hostel at noon. It is the oldest hostel on the AT and is now run by the granddaughter of the original owner. There is daily free yoga, nightly communal dinners with produce from the organic garden, and both the hostess and her husband are massage therapists - but they were at Trail Days so none of that was happening.I was met at the door by Purple Penguin, who was going to hike today. Instead, she ended up rescuing Pappy, an 87-year old thru-hiker, from the trail. (He is a Triple Crowner, meaning he has done the AT, the Pacific Crest Trail, and the Continental Divide Trail. This is his second thru-hike of the AT). He was setting up his tent last night and had his stuff spread out when a storm hit. His sleeping bag and all his stuff got wet and he shivered all night. He was walking back and forth across the road hoping someone would drive by and find him.Three Socks is a section hiker who was filling in as ¢innkeeper¢. I was freezing and glad to make it here. I took a hot shower and they had loaner clothes. Three Socks did my laundry, and since I had the loaner clothes I could have my hiking clothes AND camp clothes cleaned. Before this, I would wear my camp clothes while my stinky hiking clothes were being washed but the camp clothes were getting funky.I bought some homemade bread and some cheese while I waited for my laundry. The weather outside was wild and the branches were waving like crazy in the wind. I had arranged to meet Dreamcatcher here but didn¢t know if she would make the 16 miles today in this weather, but she made it with Peppermint and Achilles at 4 pm.Hikers are supposed to cook outside so I cooked dinner on my stove while holding an umbrella.While Dreamcatcher and I were eating dinner in the bunkhouse, a hiker with a backpack walked in and we both said, ¢You're so dry!¢ It was Mick who had just driven up from Huntsville, Alabama for a week-long hike.I¢m wearing my camp clothes with the loaner clothes on top. It is a little nippy here in the bunkhouse but I¢m glad to be indoors.
Date: 2018-05-19
From: Woods Hole Hostel, Pearisburg, VA

To: Plaza Motel, Pearisburg, VA
Miles today: 11.6
Weather: moderate rain

Thought today would be a repeat of yesterday with the weather but it turned out to be a nice day!Peppermint, Dreamcatcher, Pappy and I had coffee on the porch while we waited for breakfast. We could see a little patch of blue sky. Then we had a fabulous breakfast made by Neville and Blue, with Achilles and Three Socks.By the time we started walking, the skies looked clear, and later there was sun. The trail was pretty good except for some mucky bits. Right before the town, which I could see it way below, there was a brief thunderstorm, but the weather didn¢t get cold and windy like yesterday.I had told Dreamcatcher that she could share the room I reserved at the Plaza motel because I thought it was a double. When I got close to town, I got a text from Dreamcatcher that all the rooms at the motel were full except for mine, which only had one bed. She ended up at the Angels Rest Hostel.The motel is full of hikers and a little bit of a dive, but I am loving it. My very own flush toilet! The location is great - across from the Food Lion where I bought dinner, breakfast and a few things I needed. It has been raining/thundering quite a bit this evening, but my maildrop is all sorted and I can enjoy some bad TV before I go to sleep.
Date: 2018-05-20
From: Plaza Motel, Pearisburg, VA

To: Campsite at mile 651.7
Miles today: 15.3
Weather: light rain

Misty/foggy morning. A mile or so road walk back to the trail. The sun burned off the mist and it stayed hot through the rest of the day. I took a water break and got water that was just running down a side trail. There was water everywhere (remember this for later). Dreamcatcher caught up to me right before the Rice Field Shelter. We had agreed to camp at the Symms Gap Meadow, which the AT Companion listed as a campsite with a water source. I mentioned that the Guthook app didn¢t indicate there was water there, but we talked about it and since there was water EVERYWHERE we should be fine. I had lunch in the shade of the Rice Field Shelter and Dreamcatcher passed me right after. A short while later I ran into Hills and Workhorse who were slackpacking south back to Pearisburg. They had seen Dreamcatcher right after she saw a mama bear and two cubs.The tree canopy has closed in and the underbrush is so high, when I see hikers coming toward me I can¢t see their legs. They look like they are floating on a sea of green. I figured I would get to the campsite at 3:30, and it was at the bottom of a descent. Right about 3:30, something didn¢t seem right, so I checked the app and it said I was 0.1 mi past the site (the app uses GPS so I can use it even when I have no cell phone signal). I went back and followed a side trail, and looked around, but no campsites and no water. There a Porta-Potty and a taped off area so what I think now is that someone is developing that land and it¢s now off-limits to hikers.Anyway, I went to the next listed campsite, and the next few. The hike from the shelter was on a ridge, and since water flows down, there was no water to be had anywhere. I got a text from Dreamcatcher that she must have missed Symm¢s Gap was headed for the next shelter, where there is water. At 5 pm I was almost 6 miles from the shelter and didn¢t think I would make it before dark, and was tired from the long day and the heat.I went to the next campsite and got settled in. I was stressed about my water situation and a little despondent about camping alone. I had a little bit of drinking water, but not enough to cook dinner. I also didn¢t want to eat since digestion uses up so much water. I wanted to get my food bag hung but as I was pulling it out of my backpack, the bottom seam ripped (I think it was weakened by hanging in the rain). I did a lame duct tape repair, and then a lame hang. Then onto setting up the tent. As I was driving the final stakes in, I saw 2 strong able thru-hikers came down the trail and I put on a brave face and casually waved to them. Then they decided to camp here! I told them I get scared camping by myself which they thought was funny. (I was dead serious.) They are Lone Wolf and Eva. I told Eva that we have to be rebels together since we use our real names, and not Trail names.And since I got in my tent, another guy came to camp! Now, instead of being a loser who doesn¢t have the legs to make it to the shelter, I¢m a trail blazer!
Date: 2018-05-21
From: Campsite at mile 651.7

To: Bailey Gap Shelter
Miles today: 8.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Even with people around, the noises kept waking me up - a deer doing that warning honk (I think it was worried about us, the campers). Got out of camp at 6:35 am - much faster when you don¢t eat breakfast. I came to water about an hour and a half later. I filtered some to drink right then. I didn¢t feel all that thirsty, but as soon as I drank water, I was really hungry. I kept filtering for my Camelback and for water to make breakfast. The place where I got water was muddy and not that nice, so I continued to the Pine Swamp Branch Shelter, which had a picnic table, and had breakfast there.I wasn¢t sure how far I wanted to go, but I wanted to go to the Bailey Gap Shelter and have lunch, then decide. It was SO muggy even after a light shower. Dreamcatcher was at the shelter when I got there, planning to spend the night. It started raining really hard and thundering, so I decided to stay put.I got the whole story from Dreamcatcher about the mama bear and two cubs from yesterday. The guy I thought was Workhorse was actually a guy who was walking south. Dreamcatcher saw the mama bear blocking the trail and the cubs were beside her. Dreamcatcher was clacking her poles and calling but the mama bear stayed put. Then that guy was trucking south and almost ran right into the bear and took off running on the opposite direction. Then mama decided to move on.The afternoon was a little boring just sitting in the shelter. I did a great mending job on my food bag with dental floss and Tenacious Tape. Around 3 pm, I made dinner just for something to do.The main entertainment has been all the hikers stopping by. About 3 dozen hikers have been through, and after a break they keep pushing on. Two foreign hikers - not sure what European nationalities - stopped to make dinner before getting some more miles in. They were speaking English to each other and I wasn¢t sure if it was their common language or if they were doing it just for fun. One was saying that ¢8 ounces is one quarter liter¢. Grim, from Yorkshire, was giving them a hard time for being so precise. Grim started at Springer Mountain in Georgia and is going as far as he can on a three-month visa. He seems to have American hiker cooking down - dump some boiling water right into the package of Knorr¢s sides, wait a bit, and eat it right out of the package.I was all settled in for the night at 5:50 pm, listening to my audiobook. Dreamcatcher, Workhorse (the real one), and Grim were in their sleeping bags, too. Jaybird and Chance It came in a little while later.
Date: 2018-05-22
From: Bailey Gap Shelter

To: Laurel Creek Shelter
Miles today: 14.6
Weather: overcast clouds

Good day of hiking. I had lunch at War Spur Shelter with Workhorse, Dreamcatcher, Trips and Wilt. That shelter was in a pretty clearing with mountain laurels just starting to bloom. The afternoon was hot, with blue skies. Until I was 1.1 miles from the shelter, when the thunder roared and the skies opened. Wah! I was so drenched.I wasn¢t the only one who didn¢t make it to the shelter in time. Workhorse was soaked, but decided to keep going. He said ¢I took two zeroes because of the rain, then I did a half day because of the rain. I am so disgusted with the rain.¢I decided to stay in the shelter just to make things simpler. All my stuff is so wet and there aren¢t enough places to to hang stuff. The mice have already been running around the eaves.Trails are full again after TrailDays! Shelter is full and lots of tents nearby.
Date: 2018-05-25
From: 4 Pines Hostel, Catawba, VA

To: LambertÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs Meadow Shelter
Miles today: 16.4
Weather: clear sky

I caught a ride back to the trail with Dreamcatcher and Workhorse. Catch It gave us a ride in one of the hostel¢s vans. He is taking a zero and doing work-for-stay.Another beautiful day of weather but maybe our last for a while. I sort of hiked with Dreamcatcher and Workhorse, except they were usually ahead and I would catch up when they took breaks.A long climb up to McAfee Knob. Since it was the Friday before Memorial Day weekend, there were lots of day hikers and weekend backpackers. I have noticed my sense of smell is changing - either it¢s more sensitive or I notice unfamiliar smells more. But I have noticed - and other AT hikers have commented the same - that when I walk past a day hiker I get hit with a blast of smells - like laundry soap, deodorant, and sunscreen. Which I guess means they are getting hit with a blast of AT hiker smell, or maybe they¢re less sensitive.This young couple came up to me and the guy said ¢You were right about that hike¢. It was the couple that I said ¢Are you joking?¢ to yesterday. I tried to explain the I was tired and crabby the day before.Passed the Germans. Heh heh heh.I got to McAfee Knob and the view was just gorgeous. We really had a perfect day for it. Prime photo op place.I got water at the next shelter and started the final six miles at 3:20 pm. Already so tired. The hike included Tinker Cliffs which I was afraid would be some horrible obstacle course but actually turned out to be just a walk along a cliff side with nice views.My dogs were barking when I made it to the shelter. I tried to find a tent site, but the only flat places were muddy, so I gave up. I just figured I¢d put on bug spray and stay in the shelter with Workhorse, two guys hiking the VA Triple Crown loop, and a couple that is thru-hiking. I had gotten to sleep quite late (after 9?) when later there was all this shining of headlamps and hullabaloo. I thought the other people in the shelter were freaking out about a mouse, but they said there was a copperhead on a sleeping bag. The two guys and the couple fled the shelter to set up tents, but I figured I wouldn¢t have any more luck finding a site in the dark then I had had earlier, so I went back to sleep. Workhorse stayed in the shelter also.
Date: 2018-05-26
From: LambertÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs Meadow Shelter

To: Howard Johnson Express Inn, Daleville, VA
Miles today: 9.4
Weather: clear sky

At breakfast, I saw photos of the snake and can understand why the people who saw it didn¢t want to stay in the shelter. Dreamcatcher thinks it might have been a pine snake, which looks similar to a copperhead except for the shape of the head. Anyway, I survived.A nice walk into town. I reserved a room in this motel a week ago since I was getting a maildrop here. Great location - right off the trail. Dreamcatcher and Workhorse split a room here. We had lunch at Pizza Hut across the street. It rained in the afternoon while I was doing laundry and cleaning up. Then we had dinner at a Mexican restaurant across the street. I have 133.8 miles left in this section and plan to do it in 10 days. It seems so close but I¢m not totally confident that I can finish. Every day feels a little bit harder. Aches and pains all over but my feet are what¢s bothering me most.Back on the trail tomorrow...
Date: 2018-05-27
From: Howard Johnson Express Inn, Daleville, VA

To: Wilson Creek Shelter
Miles today: 11.2
Weather: scattered clouds

I had the included breakfast at the motel and got ready to go. Dreamcatcher was at breakfast but she said Workhorse was still sleeping. The weather for this week looks terrible and last night we came up with a plan to hike 17 miles on Monday to go to a campground with a bunkhouse for hikers to get out of the rain that day. The more I thought about it though, I realized I would be too far behind Dreamcatcher and Workhorse to make it. I planned to go a little bit farther today so I could meet up with them tomorrow.I started out with blue skies and sunshine. I hardly saw any hikers today - maybe they got stuck in the town vortex? Dreamcatcher passed me about 3 miles before this shelter. There was thunder far away, then closer and closer but I made it to the shelter at 1:45, still under blue skies.It grew dark suddenly and then the storm finally was upon us - really heavy downpour with lightning, and thunder that shook the shelter. A few hikers made it before the storm and a few wet ones trickled in later. Ramble made this really fancy ramen with 3 flavor packets, and the packaging was passed around the shelter as we discussed the ingredients and nutritional info. That was our entertainment - too bad the hiker with movie projector wasn¢t there. The rain kind of stopped but it didn¢t clear up like I was hoping. Workhorse showed up about 3:30 and most of the hikers in the shelter moved on. By 4:30 the weather was still dismal but not raining, and I decided not to go on since I was dry. Since then it hasn¢t rained much, so maybe not the best decision.I¢m in the shelter with Workhorse, Lone Wolf, a father and daughter from Ohio, and Bilbo.
Date: 2018-05-28
From: Wilson Creek Shelter

To: Middlecreek campground, Buchanan, VA
Miles today: 17.0

I woke up to heavy rain during the night but by the morning the rain had stopped. I was determined to try and make it to the campground so I got on the trail at 6:20 am! Yay for me!But then after about 5 minutes I realized I was going in wrong direction and headed back to the shelter. On the AT northbound at 6:30 am - still yay for me!The walk started in heavy fog and the mosquitoes were so unbelievably fierce - I put bug spray on at the shelter and then two more times as I was walking. They were biting through the repellent and multiple layers of clothing. Three hours later, the sun burned off the fog and the mosquitoes disappeared. They were driving me insane. About two miles into the hike, there was a sign saying that the next 90 miles are maintained by the Natural Bridge Appalachian Trail Club. Based on what I¢ve seen so far, they are doing a great job. The trail is really well groomed, blazes are plentiful and clear, and blow-downs are cleared away. I saw three groups of volunteers out doing trail maintenance. Many of the AT clubs have Memorial Day picnics that double as Trail Magic, and every time I came to a trail crossing, I would hope to see tables set up. But the good trail itself was magical. Also - we have started to criss cross the Blue Ridge Parkway. Where the AT crosses the road there are scenic pull outs for car - AND - (exciting for hikers) - trashcans!So - even with lunch, a snack, and two water breaks, I was done the 17 miles by 4 pm. That¢s fast for me, and I have to say it was an easy 17 miles. The campground has a free shuttle for AT hikers so I called the campground when I got to the road crossing. Dreamcatcher was already there and got us a cabin. By the time the shuttle came, Workhorse had popped out of the forest. The shuttle was actually a little shuttle van like rental car companies have at the airport. It had started to drizzle and there was light rain this evening. Tropical Storm Alberto has hit the Florida Panhandle and will be affecting the weather here in Virginia. The bunkhouse here is full (that¢s why we¢re here in a cabin). There are a few hikers here that ended their hikes but their flights home were cancelled. We called a hostel north of here in Glasgow, VA to see if they could pick us up off the trail tomorrow but they are already too busy with shuttles. We arranged with another shuttle service to pick us up at a road crossing and take us to the hostel in Glasgow. Not quite sure how I¢m going to get the rest of the hike done but taking it one day at a time.
Date: 2018-05-29
From: Middlecreek campground, Buchanan, VA

To: Thunder Hill Shelter
Miles today: 14.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Change of plans - thinking things over during the night. If I did the shuttle, the logistics of trying to complete the missed section would be so complicated. I told Dreamcatcher and she decided to hike 17 miles today to a campsite near a spring. Then she would have a short hike tomorrow to where the shuttle would pick us up for Stanimals hostel. I only wanted to do the 14 miles to this shelter. And Workhorse seems happy to follow along with Dreamcatcher¢s plan.We had breakfast at the campground and had to wait for breakfast serving to be done before we could get our shuttle. (The owner Susan was doing all the cooking and driving and her son was doing the register.) We didn¢t get dropped off until 9 am, which I just hate. I do my best hiking in the morning and that meant today I would be doing most of my miles in the afternoon.Dreamcatcher and Workhorse went loping off into the mist. Tough day with 6000¢ of climbing. Fortunately, the storms and rain held off. The weather was hot and muggy, with precipitation that was in between a heavy mist and a light drizzle. The trail was good at times, but there started to be some of the rock jumble that slows me down.I saw Dreamcatcher and Workhorse around 2 when they were finishing their lunch, and Dreamcatcher was still gung-ho on the campsite, which was 8 miles away, but Workhorse was thinking about stopping at the Thunder Hill Shelter because it was only 5 miles away. When I got close to the shelter around 5:30 pm, I found the two of them next to a road crossing. They had called for a shuttle to Stanimals, and although they invited me to come with them, I said no because of the logistical mess it would cause. Dreamcatcher really hates to be hiking in thunderstorms and there are storms predicted for tomorrow. They plan to take a zero tomorrow and slackpack the following day to miss out on the storms. (Coincidentally, we just entered a new area of the Jefferson National Forest called the ¢Thunder Ridge Wilderness¢. And I¢m staying at Thunder Hill Shelter.)So I lost my hiking buddies - they were fun company and hiking partners.I made it to the shelter which has a bubbling box spring and a bear box. I am poised for an early start tomorrow. Even if it storms, I¢ll be at the hostel tomorrow night for my final laundry and resupply.7 days, 92 miles to go.