morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2016-04-20
From: Overmountain Shelter

To: Mountain Harbour Hostel
Miles today: 9.2

Overmountain Shelter was good to me, and Geezer and I left on schedule into a cool windy morning. The Roan Highlands, consisting of Little Hump Mountain and Hump Mountain, reminded me of Lord of the Rings as Aragorn chased after his Hobbit friends.The wind was mildly ferocious, but not as bad as Max Patch. We crossed out of North Carolina for the last time today - two states down, 12 to go! We only went a short way today to stop at the Mountain Harbour Hiker Hostel. We did laundry, watched most of "The Fugitive" and "Meet the Parents" (both on VHS), ate a homemade all you can eat dinner, and called home. We plan to eat the breakfast provided tomorrow and then hit the trail to the next hostel.It's been five nights since we were indoors in a comfortable bed, so we are treating ourselves in preparation for the march on Damascus. I weighed in at 208 pounds here, which seems believable and consistent with other scales. That's roughly down 30 pounds since the start.Captain Crunch showed me how to properly use two bright orange straps to cinch my waist belt and give me many more inches to lose. 9.2 miles were hiked: 383.9 (Overmountain Shelter) to 393.1 (Mountain Harbour Hiker Hostel).
Date: 2016-04-21
From: Mountain Harbour Hostel

To: Vango/Abby Mem. Hostel
Miles today: 12.7

I really enjoyed Mountain Harbour Hostel. I was in a four-person bunk area. I only heard one person complain about a snorer, but luckily I slept through that. Don't neglect your earmuffs Longbottom!They served an excellent all you can eat breakfast for $12.50. It took me a bit to digest and face the reality of a 12 mile hike. Geezer and I were in about as good of a mood as we have been. The miles didn't seem so painful, and we both felt good all day. We had to take a sketchy trail beside a creek 0.3 miles marked only with some tape and some periodic blue paint. When we approached the man playing piano with the confederate flag flying high, we weren't 100% sure if we would get a bunk or get shot, but we got the bunk. The best things in life are a little scary at first.We also got showers, pizza, ice cream, and a little wi-fi. I played a little piano. Other people played better. We saw Sphagnum P.I., Dr. Perky, Boss, Samsquatch, Patches, Yosamite, Doc, Spoony, Jack, Buzzard, Alpacka, Whisperer, and we are bunked with Lieutenant Dan and Mud Puppy. Our list of friendly faces and places grows. 12.7 miles were hiked: 393.1 (US 19E) to 405.8 (Upper Laurel Fork).
Date: 2016-04-22
From: Vango/Abby Mem. Hostel

To: Dennis Cove Rd
Miles today: 12.4

Thank you to Vango/Abby Memorial Hostel - Don't judge a book by its cover. This was one of the best value hostels at which I have stayed. I don't sleep through the night anymore, even in comfortable beds, but that's ok.I got enough of a wi-fi signal to let people know I was ok, and we were off. The trail was closed (as expected) about 1 mile into our day's journey. We followed the pink ribbons on the forest service road for awhile, then it started raining.I thought it might be bluffing for about a half hour, but then it increased in intensity and I had to put my rain gear on. This was the first surprise rain storm, and I elected to save my rain pants for something dry to put on when I got to Black Bear Hostel. So I was warm up top and cool on bottom.7 miles or so in, a forest service employee in a truck told us the new reroute was simply another 4.5 miles along the same forest service road, and then a shuttle would take us to our hostel. He gave both Geezer and I some sort of tasty dessert like a brownie, and then we continued marching in the rain.I was a bit concerned for Geezer who was in a t-shirt and shorts in the 55 degree rain. His strategy was to keep moving and save the dry clothes for the hostel.With a quarter mile to go, we found that a creek had risen above the normally convenient stepping stones, and for the first time in 400 miles, we would have to ford a stream. Geezer, who was completely soaked, just went right in. I elected to perform the balancing act of the flamingo as I contorted my body + pack + poncho to unlace my boots and take off my socks before crossing the cold shin-deep water barefoot.I then elected to put bare feet into my boots to walk the remaining quarter mile where a pleasant U.S. Forest representative had us queue for the shuttle service to the hostels. Since this was the official reroute and miles hiked were almost the same as the original mileage, we are starting from the hostel tomorrow and not backtracking.The rain has helped the fires, and I understand the trail is reopening tomorrow morning. The shuttle delivered us to Black Bear Hostel. There is no cell reception or wi-fi here, so I volunteered to help bring McDonald's back for the connection to civilization. There is a courtesy phone, but I got the message out that all is well when I was in town. 12.4 miles were hiked: 405.8 (Upper Laurel Fork) to 418.2 (Dennis Cove Rd).
Date: 2016-04-23
From: Dennis Cove Rd

To: Hampton (US 321)
Miles today: 8.6

Black Bear Hostel was a great place to stay. No Wi-Fi or call service, but they had a courtesy phone and a computer with internet. We got an intentional late start for maximum rest and finally took off, back on the official trail after a 0.4 mile walk down a shoulderless (10 foot dropoff to a creek) road. The trail itself was beautiful today. It meandered by Laurel Falls and crossed a large stream several times. We took the white blazed trail as it passed around a narrow ledge of rock next to the water which was still a little high from yesterday's rains.Then it was up 1800 feet or so to Pond Flats and back down. I leap-frogged with Firecracker and Kodak all day before meeting up with Geezer and Alpaca at the bottom of the mountain.With no one from the hostel answering my call, I had no idea how to get 3 miles into town, so I sent a request for heavenly assistance. 30 seconds later we found about 8 thru-hikers from 2015 doing burgers/hot dogs/beer/coke trail magic. It was great talking to them and Doc (2015) gave us a ride to Braemar Castle Hostel. 8.6 miles were hiked: 418.2 (Dennis Cove Rd.) to 426.8 (US 321).
Date: 2016-04-24
From: Hampton (US 321)

To: Iron Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 15.9
Weather: clear sky

Thank you to Alex at the Braemar Castle Hostel. Not only did he run a tight ship, he gave us a ride to a diner for breakfast, and then from the diner to the trailhead.I felt like making a few bad decisions so I stayed up late watching Crimson Ride (after watching Red Dawn earlier). Both were on classic VHS with poor tracking. I didn't want to waste any ice cream, so that and a mountain was rounded out my bad decisions at breakfast. I didn't feel like eating anything at the diner for some reason. For the record, I had a healthy breakfast of fruit and orange juice yesterday.Geezer, Alpaca, and I stuck together for most of the day (after bunking together last night). We stopped at Vanderventer shelter, which is rumored to be haunted after a murder there in 1975. We didn't see anything unusual but water was down a steep climb, so we declined to refill there. Water was in shorter supply all day as we walked along a beautiful ridge with views in two directions most of the day. A long day of hiking later, we arrived at Iron Mountain Shelter. I think I know everyone here except one person, and I met some section hikers passing through, and a south bounder - Mountain Man who started in August in Maine and hiked through the winter. Looks like 2 days of hiking until Damascus. 15.9 miles were hiked: 426.8 (US 321) to 442.7 (Iron Mountain Shelter).
Date: 2016-04-25
From: Iron Mountain Shelter

To: Abington Gap Shelter
Miles today: 15.9

Camping was good. After I was already tenting, a bunch of familiar faces made it to Iron Mountain Shelter. Scavenger, who had been trying to sell a group night hike to everyone finally found a few takers, and they hiked off into the night. We found them this morning about four miles away from the shelter, one experience richer, but without a mileage advantage. Scavenger is leading another night hike tonight. We told him we'll see him in the morning.Hiking today was less uphill than yesterday, which means it was about 10% easier, but still 8.5 hours of solid effort. We received a well prepared baggy of trail magic, that Geezer and I split, sitting on a bench in a gated farm field. We weren't sure what animals were being fenced in, but we were on the lookout for bulls.We past a "disused" shelter that looked like it might fall over at any moment. Somebody wrote "Love Shack" on the front so it may be disused, but is still receiving some love.I am excited to be reaching Damascus. It's such an A.T. milestone, and I can't wait to see the sign. We also pass into Virginia tomorrow, and we've passed the 20% complete mark. 15.9 miles were hiked today: 442.7 (Iron Mountain Shelter) to 458.6 (Abingdon Gap Shelter).
Date: 2016-04-26
From: Abington Gap Shelter

To: Damascus
Miles today: 10.4
Weather: broken clouds

Abingdon Gap camping worked out well. Another group night hiked out of the shelter last night after dinner (Samsquench, Boss, Yosamite, Patches, and Doc) for the psychological boost of only having a handful of miles into town the following day. We didn't find any night hikers sleeping on this morning. They all beat us into town.We passed into Virginia today! That's three states down. The trail itself was just about ideal hiking. It was a gently sloping downhill that did most of the work for you, without breaking knees and ankles like some steeper and rockier downhills.I was low on water, so I had to venture down a steep hill to get some with only two miles to go. I met back up with Geezer at the Damascus sign. Raw and Moose (from Kansas) took our picture for us. We did the town half mile and found just about everyone we have ever known in Mojo's Coffeehouse. I was looking for something quick and easy, so I went next door to Subway. Scavenger joined me and accepted all of the chips I couldn't finish.Geezer's wife Lee found us and they agreed to take me to Abingdon (about 15 min. away). We found my friend Katie who agreed to host me for two nights. It was a day of general relaxation after that. Showering and laundry took top priority. Then I opened up a pile of fan mail that I learned my mom orchestrated. My uncle's seventh and eighth grade students wrote letters from St. Joseph, Michigan. Those were fun to read. I also got a lot of cards and letters from family members. I won't be able to take much with me, but they were all appreciated.Katie's grandmother arrived and showed me around town. I didn't realize how historical Abingdon was. Damascus is a great trail town, so I don't think many hikers make it to Abingdon, but it is also worth seeing.We toured the lobby and halls and leaked in the ballroom of the Martha Washington hotel. We drove around to other notable sights before enjoying a hamburger, beer, and milkshake at the Soda Shoppe, a diner that used to be a drugstore. Everything has a story in Abingdon. Thru-hikers are less common here, so I am much more interesting to the people here, and they want to know all about the trip. You could classify this as a very good day. 10.4 miles were hiked: 458.6 (Abingdon Gap Shelter) to 469.0 (Damascus - Laurel and Shady).
Date: 2016-04-27
From: Damascus

To: Abingdon Zero Day
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

It was a zero day which is theoretically a rest and recover day. It's also a resupply, reconnect, and recreation day. After homemade muffins and orange juice, it was off to Kroger to fix my calorie intake deficiency. An outfitter supplied my freeze-dried food for the next few days and CVS sold me some contact solution.Dunkin Deli made me a great sandwich. People down here are very social. Just about all work stopped for about 20 minutes in the deli as four workers asked questions about thru-hiking in between bites of my roast beef sandwich.I caught a breather and a little daytime T.V. before my 2:00 haircut. Katie is good friends with the stylist and managed to turn my appointment into a joint appointment, so we both got our hair needs addressed.A little T.V. break preceeded dinner with Katie's Grandma and uncle at the Pepper Mill. The chicken balsama was a beautiful experience. Following dinner I was also treated to a couple beers down at The Brewery where Billy Strings was playing. There was a guitar, banjo, and bass player. I would call it bluegrass music on steroids, basically lots of instrumental solos played extremely well mixed into bluegrass music.The group was much better than a warehouse down by the railroad tracks would indicate, and the place was packed. I had a lot of fun and got a feel for the Abingdon way of life. I should also mention Katie and I visited the Art Center and met a woman doing some really interesting three dimensional tapestries. If you're interested in something that's part fabric and part sculpture, I encourage you to check it out.Thanks to excellent call reception in Abingdon, I managed to call home for the second night in a row. It's always a morale boost to hear my wife's voice. Then I watched a generic crime show on T.V. I don't want to ruin it, but the killer is the former Mexican priest, working as a security guard, who lost his son in an earthquake and is bitter that an American boy survived. For the record, I slept the sleep of a thousand sleeps last night. Everything about today was great. 0 miles were hiked, and that's just fine.
Date: 2016-04-28
From: Abingdon Zero Day

To: Saunders Shelter
Miles today: 9.3
Weather: overcast clouds

I can't say thank you enough to Katie for hosting me in Abingdon. I had a great time seeing the sights in town as well as hanging out and resting my body. There are no alarm clocks in my world, so when I woke up around 7:15, I had an hour and a half before my ride arrived.Normally this would be plenty of time, but I was pretty busy loading food into my pack, filling my Camelbak, etc... My ride came and I said goodbye to Katie. Her uncle Rusty drove me to Damascus, and dropped me off at an outfitter where I got some fuel (The last item on my mental resupply list). Then I realized I forgot my hiking poles back in Abingdon! A quick call to Katie got them from the bedroom to the outside porch, and then I called Geezer and he agreed to reroute through Abingdon and pick them up for me! It was an extra 10 or 15 minutes to their trip, and I really appreciate the favor. Now I owe him and I'm sure he'll remind me the next time one of us has to carry trail magic trash.We met up at Mojo's Coffeehouse. I enjoyed the shrimp and grits, and enjoyed the company of Geezer's wife Lee and their friends Theresa and Max. Geezer had a couple errands to run to complete his resupply. We saw Rich there. Kalil is now done with his section hike, but Rich is just a little bit behind us. He was the third person I knew with identical boots, but he swapped them out because after 300 miles he finally got a blister. It was good to see him. He's always a burst of personality.We also saw Scavenger. He's taking a double zero in Damascus today because he got dehydrated hiking through the relatively waterless area south of Damascus while night hiking. I'm sure he'll be back with us in no time.We didn't hike that far out of Damascus today. Geezer would have pushed on, but I just wasn't feeling it. I called it a day at Saunders shelter. It's just the two of us and a billion gnats. We're chance-ing the shelter tonight. It has a solid log cabin style construction, so hopefully that translates into fewer mice. 9.3 miles were hiked: 469.0 (Damascus - Laurel & Shady) to 478.3 (Saunders Shelter).
Date: 2016-04-29
From: Saunders Shelter

To: Whitetop Mtn Rd Camp
Miles today: 12.3

Saunders shelter was pretty nice. Sometime during the night we heard what sounded like a pop can being drug across the tin roof on a string. Our best guess is that this is some sort of raccoon game.We saw plenty of southbound section hikers today, but no northbound thru-hikers until we stopped at the first shelter and found Raw and Moose hanging out while drying their gear. We found out the reason we didn't see anyone last night is that most people either intentionally or unintentionally stuck to the Virginia Creeper Trail, which is a 1% grade gravel path that used to be a railroad. It runs parallel to the trail, and a minor detour adds to the confusion by utilizing another portion of it, not normally a part of the A.T. Basically, you have to opt for the more difficult trail, and then follow a 10 step detour to get off and back on the more difficult trail.It was a 2000 foot climb up to Buzzard Rock. The views there were spectacular, but we were largely out of steam. We stopped at a campsite just beyond a pretty decent water source. Later in the day some fast thru-hikers (20-25 miles per day) arrived to camp near the water.We are slightly further, camping with Spoony, Star Brother (Jack), Moose, and Raw. I'm hoping for energy to do bigger miles tomorrow. 12.3 miles were hiked: 478.3 (Saunders Shelter) to 490.6 (Whitetop Mountain Road Camping).
Date: 2016-04-30
From: Whitetop Mtn Rd Camp

To: Camping
Miles today: 15.4

Camping was satisfactory. 12.5 hours in the tent should have restored me to perfection, but I guess it doesn't count if you're tossing and turning, debating if you really need to water a tree. At least I'm staying hydrated!It was Saturday in Grayson Highlands State Park. If it was a movie, it would be called: "Dawn of the Muggles: Pony Mountain". Muggle is an affectionate term I've heard used for dayhiker, and they were everywhere, typically in packs of 10, mostly too nervous to make prolonged eye contact with thru-hikers.Before I saw any ponies, I saw several bulls. First I saw one just before going through a gate, on my side of the fence! Then I saw three more on the side I just entered. Thankfully, I wasn't wearing my red rain jacket yet, and I escaped down the trail.The Grayson Highlands were beautiful, and I saw quite a few wild ponies, some up close. I saw a sign that said petting the ponies can result in a fine, so if you're asking, I don't recall. Wise Shelter tempted me to stay, but it was within the limits of the state park. U.S. Forest Service representatives were actively enforcing the many rules nailed to the shelter walls and discussing ways to more effectively display their list of rules. Suddenly I found the energy to hike on. It's not that I'm a rulebreaker by nature, but I think selective enforcement is the oil which allows the machinery of society to function most efficiently. So, although the ponies were cool, I found myself stressed out by people and the state park. Moose and Raw seem to be the only familiar faces we see daily now. We can't seem to get on the same pace as anyone we know. But to wrap up the day, we found ourselves some trail magic providing dinner, Mountain Dew, and beer.I guess these guys started doing this 10 years ago, just looking for a free campsite and unwittingly set up by the A.T. When they found the thru-hikers drank all their beer, they found out about trail magic, and decided to keep doing it. It was tough to leave, but we did. Geezer and I found a great campsite with a water source, not on AWOL's guide. We think we're at MP 506.0. The rain held off until I was ready to get in my tent and had been steady since then.   15.4 miles were hiked: 490.6 (Whitetop Mountain Road Camping) to 506.0 (Semi-Stealth Camping). 500 miles hiked!
Date: 2016-05-01
From: Camping

To: Trimpi Shelter
Miles today: 16.4
Weather: clear sky

May entered like a raincloud. It started raining when we got in our tents and continued for 13 hours until 7:30 or so this morning. It was pleasant being dry, but the large drops from the trees above maintained the illusion of rainfall when I poked my head out.It was blue skies and a wet tent while packing up. First stop was Old Orchard Shelter, where we found Moose reading to Raw who wasn't feeling well. She thought it might have been the communal trail magic food, but who knows.Spoony and Star Brother stopped in for naps and that's the last I saw of that group today. It rained throughout the morning, and I fell twice, one just a knee touchdown with a groin stretch, the other my boot lost traction on a slanted rock and I found myself sprawled on my left side over a boulder. But no significant injuries!Geezer and I temporarily parted ways for the first time. He wanted to do fewer miles today. I wanted to do fewer miles today. I wanted to make it to Trimpi Shelter instead of stealth camping. We plan to meet at Partnership Shelter tomorrow. It's a small but friendly group here: Jag Happy, Lambo, Spirit, Snake, Nesquik, Tick, and his German Shepherd, Berkely. 16.4 miles were hiked: 506.0 (camping) to 522.4 (Trimpi Shelter).
Date: 2016-05-02
From: Trimpi Shelter

To: Partnership Shelter
Miles today: 9.8
Weather: overcast clouds

Trimpi was pretty nice. I elevated onto a narrow bunk with no rail. Through careful rolling, I managed not to fall off. I channeled my childhood bunk bed experience. It rained during the night, and I was thankful to not have to pack up a wet tent again.After running a little low on water yesterday, I took advantage of the close water source and overcompensated, carrying too much water today. The hiking was pleasant, not overly difficult and meandered along a modestly scenic route. I made it to Partnership Shelter by 12:15 PM, had my fill of vending machine Mountain Dew, ordered a pizza to split with Geezer, who treated himself to a hostel last night. He and I were both happy with our decisions. I am in the loft tonight. I took an ice cold shower, just for the experience, and managed to get a few texts out.So far Virginia has great shelters and privies but pretty poor cell service. We are about 1.5 miles away from a major interstate, but are in the dark cellularly. It's frustrating because I pass an occasional mountaintop with service, but the timing is rarely right to call home. 9.8 miles were hiked: 522.4 (Trimpi Shelter) to 532.2 (Partnership Shelter).
Date: 2016-05-03
From: Partnership Shelter

To: Atkins VA
Miles today: 11.6
Weather: moderate rain

Partnership Shelter was everything that way it is. If the shower had hot water and you didn't have to hike a quarter mile to a hill to send out a text message, I don't think people would leave. Some people zeroed there according to the shelter log book. The mileage was easy. The highlight was probably Lindamood School, built in 1894. It was open to look around and had extensive trail magic inside. I got a Coke and a travel toothbrush to counteract the sugar from the Coke. Geezer called his wife and misinformed her that we were one mile away. We tried to hike the 2.3 actual miles to Atkins as quickly as possible but were unable to double our speed. Fortunately, Geezers wife Lee has the patience of a saint and was still waiting.A short drive and a Wendy's large size meal later and I was at Geezer's house. I took care of laundry (including sleeping bag), money (Why has no one heard of Chase Bank?), a phone call home, toured a bit of Radford University, resupplied at Wal-Mart, ate steaks and potatoes with salad, and watched the movie, Prefontaine, while having some beers.It was a busy day, but I am ready to go another week in the wilderness. 11.6 miles were hiked: 532.2 (Partnership Shelter) to 543.8 (Atkins, VA).