morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2010-04-23
From: Partnership Shelter

To: Knot Maul Branch Shelter
Miles today: 25.5
Weather: overcast clouds

Today was the best day on the trail so far and that's saying a lot. After a great meal last night we went to bed stuffed. We both got on the trail early and started talking about extending our day. I told Trash if we took longer breaks I was sure I could do a longer day.Not long after starting it began to drizzle. It did this almost all day but the air was warm so it was not a big deal. After about seven miles we came to some power lines. They were hissing and popping and we could hear a humming noise for a long way. It's strange how things like that get your attention after being in the woods awhile.We stopped and visited the settlers museum. One of the volunteers showed us around. He was telling us the Pennsylvania Dutch are really of German decent.We hiked on to US11 where we had lunch at the Barn Restaurant. They like hikers there. The waitress even let me charge my phone. We ate with two other hikers Mischief and Ivy. The burgers were excellent. Across the road we picked up a few meal items at the Exxon station. They had everything we needed. Mostly we bought candy bars.In the afternoon we walked through big open pastures. The grass was so green it looked like a painted picture. There were old farms in the distance with silos next to red barns. Every direction was another picture. We passed through Crawfish Valley and ran into Bulldog and Hitchcock. We had not seen them since Georgia. We spent some time catching up on each other's adventures.Just before sunset we crossed the North Fork of the Holsten River. We were about to start our last climb of the day when we both saw a cooler sitting under a tree. It was Trail Magic. We each had a couple of sodas and some snack cakes. It sure made that last climb easier.It was almost dark when we reached the shelter. It was full so we set up our tents, ate supper and got ready for some much needed rest.Tomorrow will be a short day, only 19 miles.
Date: 2010-04-24
From: Knot Maul Branch Shelter

To: Jenkins Shelter
Miles today: 19.1
Weather: overcast clouds

Today was nothing like yesterday. Views were limited. The trail was steep. There were lots of rocks and roots to trip over. So much for complaining. Tomorrow will be better. Hopefully!I got a question about how Trail Trash got his name. Well, about four years ago he and I were hiking a section from Wayth Gap to Fontana Dam. We had hoped for good weather to view several balds but instead we go rain. It rained buckets on us the whole first day and into the night. On the second day the sun came out as we climbed down into the Nantahala Gorge. We still looked pretty rough when we sat down at the River's End Restaurant. The fall leaf lookers were also there and kept staring at us. I asked Martin if I should tell them we were Trail Trash or just let them figure it out. Martin said he was sure they already had decided that on their own.When we started the hike I already had a name given to me by my Scout Troop. Martin was given several suggestions for names but rejected all of them. While we were home with his foot infection I told him if he didn't come up with a name soon I would just call him Trail Trash. His response was that he liked the name Trail Trash.Everytime he meets someone on the trail the question always is ¢how did you get your name¢. Trail Trash is only too happy to give the details.
Date: 2010-04-25
From: Jenkins Shelter

To: Jenny Knob Shelter
Miles today: 23.8
Weather: light rain

The two men that were at Jenkins Shelter last night with us had thru hiked a few years ago. Now they go out and do section hikes. We both enjoyed taking with them.I left the shelter first and waited for Trail Trash to catch up at the summit of Brushy Mountain. We called Sydney, my granddaughter, to wish her a happy birthday. She turned five today! We also called Susan, my wife, to discuss her visit with us in Pearisburg. It will be great to actually see her instead of an e-mail or a phone call.We then headed north on the trail watching the clouds gather. I'm not sure who out there is praying for us to have good weather but keep doing it. The forecast has been rain and thunderstorms for the past few days. Instead we have had rain at night or a light drizzle. So again today we dodged a storm.We hit trail magic twice today. The first time was a cooler of Propel water. They were ice cold and the morning was already heating up. Then just before I-77 there were jugs of water sitting out on the side of the trail. The liter I took got me through the next nine miles.Tonight there are two young hikers at the shelter with us. Thinker has done some really big days as much as 50 miles. The other guy is Phantom. He seems more interested in the design of my stove.One thing we all are interested in is the AYCE Chinese restaurant in Pearisburg.
Date: 2010-04-26
From: Jenny Knob Shelter

To: Doc's Knob Shelter
Miles today: 22.6
Weather: light rain

Today started off pretty good. We were both filled with the excitement of hitting Pearisburg tomorrow and crossing 600 miles today. We climbed yet another Brushy Mountain. The creativity in naming these mountains is somewhat lacking. I think there are four Brushy Mountains in Virginia and they all seem to be right in this area. No, we are not going over the same one multiple times. I thought that was the case but Trail Trash found some information on it and indeed there are multiple mountains.Mid morning we were approaching Kimberling Creek. We went down a steep bank to get water. Just I was about to dip in my water bottle I see this slimy rock a few feet away. At first I thought it was a dead turtle so I poked it with my hiking pole. He was very much alive and annoyed by the stick. He crawled off a few feet and went back to just lying in the water.At lunch we stopped at Wapiti Shelter. Thinker was taking a break there. His plans were to head to Wood¢s Hole Hostel for the night. The weather was getting colder and I liked the idea but neither of us had any cash on us. We had used it all at Partnership Shelter on supper and had not had a chance to pickup any more. So Doc¢s Knob would be our stop for the night.As we were about to head out after lunch a couple walked up to the shelter. The man saw my Gossamer Gear hiking poles and started asking questions about how light our gear was.   I told not as light as I would like it to be. We were still carrying a lot of winter stuff because the weather keeps jumping back and forth. We talked a while and then he told us a cold front was moving in.The rest of the afternoon it rained. Not hard, just enough to keep us chilled. We stopped at an old camp and found an old spring to collect water from.   I saw an old piece of PVC so I positioned it so water could run out into our bottles.The trail was rocky and covered in small trigs that tend to trip you as you walk. Some of the rocks were not stable and rocked as you stepped across them. When we finally made it to Doc¢s Knob I told Trail Trash I was too tired to fix supper and I laid down and went to sleep.
Date: 2010-04-27
From: Doc's Knob Shelter

To: Pearisburg,VA
Miles today: 8.2
Weather: light rain

I felt much better this morning. I not sure if it was the rest, the thought of seeing Susan or possibly the Chinese buffet in town. I fixed the supper we were going to have the night before and quickly hit the trail. It was cold! Indeed a cold front had moved in and my hands and feet were numb. After about an hour of hiking we stopped at a power line. On either side of the mountain we could make out houses below.   On one side was the New River. Later I would see the same view from where Susan had booked us a room.We stopped at Angel¢s Rest but the view at the top was much better. As we continued down we met a hiker going south. His name was Dirt Road Dave I think. He was from Michigan and said he was glad to not be hiking in snow. He could do that at home. Finally we made the decent to the edge of town. I called Susan and she said she was about a half hour away. I told her we would be at the Lucky Star Chinese Buffet. About Lucky Star, it was not all I had hoped for but it¢s OK if you are a hiker and just want to fill your belly and you are not real particular. Stop in and eat at a real cheap price. On the other hand if you are a little picky about your food, keep walking. It was good but the variety is limited and everything tastes the same. It did take the edge off my hunger.We dropped Trail Trash off at the Holy Family Catholic Church Hostel. It is a ways off the trail but is very nice. It is in a barn behind the church and Trash was right at home. Then we went to get Susan some lunch. Yes, not being a hiker the buffet was not her thing. We stopped downtown at a place called Martha¢s. It¢s just a little corner restaurant but the onion rings were great.We then headed for our inn. This place was something else. All of the rooms face the view of the river. Eric showed us around so we would feel right at home. Our room had the same view of the river I saw from the top of the mountain.   We got unpacked and settled in but it wasn¢t long before food was back on my mind.For supper we went to the Palisades Restaurant on the other side of Pembrook. When I say the other side I mean way on the other side. We thought we were lost a couple of times on the way and we did miss a turn on the way back. Trail Trash really like the beers. Susan and I liked everything. It is in an old store and the food was excellent. Back at the Inn I slept on a real bed. Now you would think I would just fall asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow. Not so. I guess I getting too used to the hard floors of shelters.
Date: 2010-04-28
From: Pearisburg,VA

To: Pearisburg,VA The Inn at Riverbend
Miles today: 0.0

Susan and I had a wonderful breakfast of stuffed French toast. The innkeepers here at the Inn at Riverbend are also wonderful cooks. Lynn is also a backpacker so he served breakfast with the newest copy of REI¢s sales catalog. He also asked tons of questions about the hike and of course I loved answering them all. I wish we had more time to talk but he had work to do and I had stuff to get ready. Linda was also very helpful. She had some salad dressing packets for me to throw in my food bag. I¢ll enjoy them at lunch. We picked up Trail Trash and headed to Blacksburg to get him new shoes. At the Blue Ridge Mountain Sports the guys were really helpful. He tried on about seven pairs while I talked to one of the guys working there. They were impressed at our pack weights. Still I wish they were lower.For lunch we went next door to the Bull and Bones. I had a dozen wings and a big salad. Did I say big? How about a monster salad? I think I am finally full.We washed clothes and picked up food at Wal-Mart. It¢s been a while since I¢ve seen one of these. The Trash headed back to the hostel. He was cooking out with Phantom. Susan and I had a pizza delivered. Amazingly I was not that hungry. I packed my pack and got everything ready for tomorrow morning.The second night sleep came a lot easier. I think sleeping in a real bed could become a habit.
Date: 2010-04-29
From: Pearisburg,VA The Inn at Riverbend

To: Pine Swamp Branch Shelter
Miles today: 19.3
Weather: broken clouds

Today went way better than I expected. I got up before 7 AM and started working on catching up my journal for the past few days. Susan got up and packed while I continued to write. I took a break to eat a delicious omelet that Lynn was preparing for the Inn guests. One of the other guests asked about the hike so I spent some time talking with her.By 10 AM the car was packed and we said our good-byes to Lynn, Linda and Eric. If you ever need a special place to meet your wife on the trail check out the Inn at RiverBend in Pearisburg, VA. Susan and I plan to go back real soon.We drove over to Holy Family Hostel to pick up Trail Trash. While he finished packing food I weighed myself on the scales. It said I have dropped over 10 pounds. Susan says I've lost more. We drove to where we got off the trail and Susan and I said goodbye until Maryland. I don't know if I was paying too much attention to her leaving or what but we both missed a turn into the woods and walked all the way to the bridge. When we got there we saw the other end of the trail and walked back up it so we would not miss any of it.About 2 PM we were approaching Rice Field Shelter. Sitting on the edge of the ridge was Bonnie Boy. We sat down with him and ate lunch. We could see West Virginia while we were eating. Bonnie said the zero day had him a little off today. He was looking for a short day. Trail Trash and I had agreed 160 miles in a week was a little much but today's plan was still ambitious at almost 20 miles. We took off to cover the next 13 miles. I walked into Pine Swamp Branch Shelter just before 8 PM. Not bad since we didn't start hiking until after 11 AM.It's after hiker's midnight so I'm off to bed.
Date: 2010-04-30
From: Pine Swamp Branch Shelter

To: Laurel Creek Shelter
Miles today: 18.5
Weather: clear sky

I'm usually up early and Trail Trash likes to sleep until the last minute. This works well. I wake him about 20 minutes before I leave and he starts packing. I get a head start hiking and that allows me to get into the rhythm of the day's hike. He catches me usually in the first couple of miles. We then hike together until late afternoon and I'm starting to slow down. At that point I tell him to pass me and I take my time getting to the shelter were we will camp. He likes to sleep in the shelter and I prefer a tent.Today was pretty much that routine. We did meet someone new today. Before the hike I participated in an on-line group called the Tenners. We were all starting the trail in March. Since starting I have tried to meet as many of the Tenners as possible. One that has been hard to catch is Quarter Pounder. We seem to just miss him by a day or sometimes even less. This morning we saw his name in a shelter journal indicating he had just left out after a break. Trash and I had planned lunch at Wind Rock. When we arrived there was another hiker having lunch. It was Quarter Pounder. We talked all through lunch and saw each other at War Spur for a break and tonight at Laurel Creek. Near the shelter is a small creek. The rocks are in just the right position so you can stand in the water and bathe without being seen. It has been a hot day and it felt so good to rinse off all the sweat and dirt. The cold water was so refreshing. I wish I could do that every night. Tomorrow will be a long day but in the late afternoon we will climb Dragon's Tooth. It should be a lot of fun.
Date: 2010-05-01
From: Laurel Creek Shelter

To: Pickle Branch Shelter
Miles today: 22.5
Weather: overcast clouds

Okay, I said Dragon's Tooth today but it will actually be tomorrow. I looked at the wrong page. Bonnie Boy showed up at the shelter this morning. We hiked together some before lunch. I think he plans to catch us tomorrow at Catawba. We are going to the Home Place. It is an AYCE restaurant that caters to hikers. I'm looking forward to a lot of vegetables. A hiker named Hollywood heard us talking about it and he picked up his pace to get there too.This morning's hike was through a few pastures and then up Sinking Creek Mountain. The problem with climbing up high is there is usually no water. To keep from carrying so much water we use a technique called cameling. At the last water source we drink a bottle of water. Then refill the bottle to drink later. As soon as we get to another source we drink another bottle and refill again. On the climb this afternoon we saw the Audie Murphy Memorial. He died in a plane crash near the site. A couple of you have asked how I manage to keep this journal updated. Well there are two main parts to keeping it going. The first part is an HTC Touch Phone on the Verizon network. It allows me to enter the information as a Word document and then e-mail it when I have a signal. If I can see a town I usually have a signal. The other part is my wife Susan. She copies the e-mail to Trail Journals. Most of the time the system works well. Tonight there is no signal so it will be tomorrow before she gets this one.It's late so I'm going to crawl under my quilt an get some rest. Tomorrow is always a big day on the trail.
Date: 2010-05-02
From: Pickle Branch Shelter

To: Campbell Shelter
Miles today: 17.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Virginia has jumped from winter to summer. In a period of about a week we've gone from cold weather to soaring temperatures. Of course with the heat comes the bugs. They were so bad last night Trail Trash slept very little. I had stayed in the shelter because it looked like a storm was building. With him swatting bugs all night I got almost no sleep. Tonight we are both in tents and I plan on some serious sleep.The first climb of the day took us to Dragon's Tooth. We both climbed to the top but my daredevil son had to stand up. It didn't take him long to decide the wind was a little brisk and he started back down.The thing I had looked forward to today was a trip to The Home Place. It is an old plantation house that has been converted into a restaurant. The meals are family style with unlimited refills. Sad to say Trail Trash and I could not finish off the second serving. My two favorites were the fried chicken and the pinto beans. Bonnie Boy was there and he introduced me to a guy riding a unicycle. He said he thru hiked last year and his name was Sideshow. I looked at Sideshow and asked "how did you get that name and don't give the same answer you did last year?" He grinned and replied "I thought you looked familiar." We met in Shenandoah when the Scouts were at Hightop Hut. Back on the trail the plan was to hike to Catawba Mountain Shelter. When I arrived Trash wanted to hike on to Campbell Shelter. The advantage he explained was we would see McAfee Knob near sunset. I agreed and we hiked on. At McAfee there were two girls taking each other's picture. I got one of them to take one of me and Trail Trash. She started asking about the hike. Then she asked where we were from. When I told her she said she had just started a residency in Winston-Salem. She is a doctor. This was too good to pass up. I had to play the meddling parent and responded "let me introduce you to my son." See thought it was funny.When we got to Campbell Bonnie Boy was there and we all caught up on the last couple of days. We'll all be going to Daleville in the morning. It's time to resupply again.
Date: 2010-05-03
From: Campbell Shelter

To: Daleville
Miles today: 15.5
Weather: light rain

Destination: Daleville Start: Campbell Shelter Mileage: 15.5 Last night the wind was really strong. By early morning it had calmed down and a gentle rain was falling. Bonnie Boy was leaving when I crawled out of my tent. I was ready to hike at my usual time and Trail Trash caught up before I made it to Tinker's Cliffs. There is supposedly a great view of McAfee Knob from here but not this morning. We continued hiking into Daleville and arrived just after 2 PM. Trail Trash had talked about going to Subway which I thought sounded great, but when we came out off the woods and saw Pizza Hut just across the street. Well Pizza Hut won out on location, location, location.After eating we got a room at the Howard Johnson back across the street. Turns out there are a number of hikers here. I told one the best way to meet other hikers is head to town. On the trail you may hike several days without meeting a hiker that is only a mile ahead of you. A hiker I had wanted to meet is here. Her name is Second Stage. She started in February in the cold and snow. We traded notes on where all the Tenners are now. She told me Longhaul is off the trail after a fall. I hope he's doing okay.While towns are full of pluses like food and showers and food and did I mention food? There is also a lot of work. Clothes have to be washed, groceries have to be purchased, and I am still making decisions about gear.I also called a couple of people that have agreed to help us with resupply up the trail. Mark, a friend from college will be picking us up at the Tye River so we can resupply. I also called Sam, a man I met at Elk Garden. He had offered to help us here but I explained everything we needed was within walking distance. I thanked him for his offer and agreed to let him know when we make it to Katahdin.Well, tomorrow we push on and will actually pass the halfway mark of Virginia. That's a big milestone since this state has more mileage than any other. A fourth of the trail is in Virginia.
Date: 2010-05-04
From: Daleville

To: Bobblets Gap Shelter
Miles today: 18.5
Weather: clear sky

Getting out of trail towns is always hard. It's like a vacuum sucks you back and will not let go. This morning was just that way. It took forever to get on the trail. To make matters worse I needed to go by the post office to send a couple of items home. The one in Troutville was .8 miles from the trail. No luck hitching a ride so I ended up walking both directions. The humidity was low today as the walk started out across green pastures. It quickly ascended into a thick forest as we made our way to Fullhardt Knob Shelter. While there we met Vish. He is a little older than Trail Trash and is from Boston. We hiked with him off and on the rest of the day and he's with us at the shelter tonight.At lunch we stopped at Wilson Creek Shelter. There was a hiker there that was going to be on the trail for about a month. He had every electronic gadget you can image including extra speakers for his Ipod. Since he didn't have a trail name, I gave him one. He is now Inspector Gadget.During the afternoon we crossed the Blue Ridge Parkway several times. We'll see more of it as we get closer to Shenandoah.Tonight we are at a shelter with Second Stage and two of her friends. They are headed south back to Daleville.
Date: 2010-05-05
From: Bobblets Gap Shelter

To: Thunder Hill Shelter
Miles today: 23.6
Weather: clear sky

Today was full of magic. As Trail Trash and I approached the road to Buchanan I saw a cooler next to the trail. But when I got closer I realized this was special magic. On top of the cooler was a note to Quarter Pounder, Traveler, Bonnie Boy, Hollywood, Trail Trash and me. It was from Danny and Coyote, two section hikers we had been hiking with off and on. They had left plums, bananas, apples, melon and cokes as a thank you for their time hiking with us. This was the best trail magic ever. It was completely unexpected but came at a perfect time. Thanks Danny and Coyote. Just before lunch two section hikers met me on the trail. They had thru hiked a couple of years ago and were passing out homemade cookies and muffins. They also told us there was a bag of cookies at Bryant Ridge Shelter. I told them the cookies would go great with the lunch we were about to eat.We stopped at Jennings Creek for lunch. Vish stopped with us. We sat by the creek watching dozens of yellow butterflies flutter around the water. I don't think I've ever seen so many butterflies in one place.The afternoon was a long walk uphill. We arrived at the shelter just before dark. I'm hoping an earlier start tomorrow will get us to camp earlier.