morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2010-05-14
From: U.S. 19E

To: Damascus, VA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

"We are pleased to welcome you to the 24th annual Appalachian Trail Days Festival!"-- Creed F. Jones, from "A message from the Mayor of Damascus, VA"Mary of Mountain Harbor B&B and Hostel made one of the most amazing breakfasts I've had on the trail this morning and I was lucky enough to chill for a few hours on the beautiful property while I waited for Enterprise to come and pick me up. The drive to Damascus, VA is only 63 miles away, and while it's odd to be driving again it's actually enjoyable to be doing something different for a change.Damascus is already filling up -- historically this town of roughly 1100 people can burgeon up to 20,000 for the weekend. There are numerous presentations, films, concerts, and vendors, manufacturers and outfitters are selling and giving away hiking swag. There is also a grand hiker parade full of thousands of current and former hikers, a hiker talent show, and some serious barbecues and other hiker feeds. And best of all one gets to see hikers one hasn't seen in weeks or months.Immediately I see Yahtzee, whom I hadn't seen since NOC. I see Dumpster Bear and Mountain Tattoo (formerly Pete) -- the Boston contingent. Warrior orchestrates an impromptu barbecue at The Place with Pappy, Yahtzee, Itchy Balls, McGuyver, Chef and Casper. I hadn't seen most of these guys in weeks.I look for new shoes, watch some of the film about trail angels at the Rock School, and visit with outfitters and gear manufacturers in Town Park and Tent City.I end up at Quincey's having dinner with Casper and Chef and luckily missing a severe t-storm while inside. Being one of the few hikers with a car I'm enlisted by Warrior to make runs to Food City and K Mart in preparation for tomorrow night's barbecue dinner.It was an "excellent-good" start to the festival.
Date: 2010-05-15
From: Damascus, VA

To: Damascus, VA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: few clouds

"Called the 'friendliest town on the Trail' and the home of Trail Days¢¦ activities include a hiker reunion and talent show, hiking related exhibits, arts and crafts exhibits, a trout rodeo, street dances, live music, and the popular hiker parade through downtown."-- from the 2010 Thru-Hikers CompanionOne of the best things about coming in to Trail Days is that I meet both hikers from the current hike and hikers I hiked with in previous years. And first thing this morning I run into three hikers from the Class of 2001, Stump, Hutch, Sparrow, Flash, and Grampy, while Leki repairs one of my hiking poles for free.I also meet hikers from my other hikes: Loon, Walking Home, Superman, Pat from Maine from 2000; Chile Pepper is the only hiker I run into from 2002; and Lint, Tapeworm, and Loon from 2004 are among the former fellow hikers I meet again. But most of the day is filled with visiting the vendor and manufacturer's booths and enjoying the programs and events. Even though the crowds seemed thinner, it always seems as there are thousands in the Hiker Parade, and this year is no different, the largest contingents come from the current hiking class, 2010, and the previous year's class, 2009.The Hiker Talent Show is always a hoot, among the truly talented performers are always some memorably, and comically, embarrassing moments and performers. Later in the evening Warrior, Pappy, and Chef cook up a great barbecue dinner at The Place. Also, Moped and I spend an hour looking at Loon's slides from his Camino de Compostela hike in Spain last year.And I finally got a new pair of shoes, so I can toss my blown out Merrell Pivots, and start out on new feet Monday morning. There is technically one more day of Trail Days left, but in actuality most former hikers and most of the regional visitors will leave at the end of the day today.Nonetheless, it was another "excellent-good" day on the A.T.
Date: 2010-05-16
From: Damascus, VA

To: US 19 E
Miles today: 0.0

"Today is a good day"--Warrior's daily refrain, Damascus, VA. The wind down from Trail Days always has a plaintive quality to it, that to which every hiker has been drawn to for the past weeks is over, and now it's back to the grind of putting in the miles. For some this will be the end of the journey, if the past holds true; some have run out of funds much faster than expected, and for others the novelty of hiking long distances is over. I spend most of the day in the rental car. Wallflower asked to be dropped off at Watauga Lake, which was en route to dropping off Husband and Wife at Carver's Gap. For me, driving fellow hikers back is a way to do a bit of trail magic while I'm hiking. After a hearty lunch at Quincey's in Damascus, and driving Warrior and Itchy Balls to the Food City, I drop off Wallflower, and Husband and Wife, and chill out one more night in Elizabethton, TN as I can't return the rental car until tomorrow morning. It's back on the Trail tomorrow.
Date: 2010-05-17
From: US 19 E

To: Moreland Gap Shelter
Miles today: 18.4
Weather: moderate rain

"Happy 400 miles (plus 6, actually) to all NOBO's!"-- EGHM, from Moreland Gap shelter register. 1. Drop off rental car.2.Wait 30 minutes at office for driver to shuttle me back to the trail.3.Get back to the trail and start walking by 11am.4.Spot 3 White Tail Deer about 2 miles into the hike.5.Starts to rain, and continues intermittently until 8pm.6.Spot an Indigo Bunting or Bluebird, not sure as sunlight was dim and it was raining.7.More rain.8.Take side trail to see Jones Falls in the rain.9.Walk by Elk River.10.More rain.11.Stop for late lunch at Mountaineer Falls shelter. Meet 3 new northbounders who didn't go in to Trail Days, but don't get their names.12.Start walking again in more rain.13.Consider going in to Abby's Hostel, 12 miles in, but change my mind when .2 miles on the side trail to hostel there is a creek fording. I turn around and move on.14.I spot a large Pileated Woodpecker in flight, tres cool!15.I don't like the camping spots I find, either too wet or badly placed. I move on.16.It finally stops raining.17.I arrive at shelter where a SOBO thru-hiker (2008) is studying for the medical boards exam, while her father is ensconced in his hammock. Again, I don't get names.18.Dinner and happy to be dry for the first time since 11am.19.I'm writing this.20.I'm done. Good night.
Date: 2010-05-18
From: Moreland Gap Shelter

To: US 321, Shook Branch Recreation Area
Miles today: 15.0

"The Braemar Castle was constructed to house the offices and company store for the Pittsburgh Lumber Company, which operated in the Laurel Gorge area from 1909-1925."--from the Thru Hikers CompanionMore rain, rain, rain. The rain brings out the red efts. Red efts are immature newts and they come out en mass when it's rainy and cool.The walking today is fairly moderate, with the exception of the 2,000 foot ascent of Pond Mountain. And the beautifully rugged Laurel Gorge and Falls are spectacular, even in the rain -- it's especially slow going in the rain over this terrain when the rocks are wet.I do get to walk over one day old, newly cut, trail as Bob Peoples and his post-Trail Days Hardcore crew just relocated a section of the Trail on the north side of Pond Mountain yesterday. When I arrive at the Shook Branch Recreation Area, that features Watagua Lake, I'm looking to dry out and give Sutton Brown a call. Sutton runs Brown's General Store and Braemar Castle Hostel in Hampton, TN.Braemar Castle has been in the Brown family since the 1930's. Sutton converted it into his home, and the other half of the large building is run as a hostel and guest house. Sutton's store is a mere 200 yards away, so resupplying here is easy too.It's "excellent-good" to be out of the rain for a few hours. The weather os supposed to improve over the next couple of days.
Date: 2010-05-19
From: US 321, Shook Branch Recreation Area

To: Iron Mountain shelter
Miles today: 15.7

"bright orange dogwoodnext to pink rhododendronbeautify the trail"--Haiku, from Iron Mountain shelter registerSometimes I just don't feel like waxing poetic, so here's the precis:-walked around Watauga Lake.-read about a bear "pouncing" on a tent and sending hikers scurrying, and probably the same bear knocking down a tree to get at a another hiker's food bag.-walked over a large earthen dam: Watauga Dam.-spotted a Bluebird (I'm sure this time)-spotted a Box Tortoise.-spotted many northbound thru-hikers hiking south, back to where they were before Trail Days.-walked up and down quite a bit.-despite being relatively early, I stopped walking when I hit Iron Mountain shelter: my "feets didn't wanna go-go no mo'!"-sometimes I'll listen to my "feets"¢¦
Date: 2010-05-21
From: Damascus, VA

To: Damascus, VA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

"You're back again?!"--Quincey's Restaurant manager, after my sixth visit over two weekends.There's not much to report today: a zero day. Didn't get much sleep at The Place hostel last night as a loud crowd was downstairs talking well into the night. And then, like clockwork, the door to the hostel kept banging, it has an awfully tight spring and some people can't grasp the notion of not slamming a door, and it banged closed seemingly countless times an hour well into the wee hours -- and it didn't help matters that a dog somewhere down the street wouldn't stop it's yappy barking.The rest of the day involved eating, laundry, eating, resupplying, eating, staying out of the rain, eating, hanging out at the Montgomery Homestead Inn, and eating again.Not to worry, I've lost nearly 30 pounds since the hike started¢¦ and now it's time to eat yet again.Berkeley Pete and Wiggles are also staying here tonight at the Montgomery Homestead Inn, and many thanks to Susie for being such a welcoming and hospitable host.
Date: 2010-05-22
From: Damascus, VA

To: Lost Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 16.0
Weather: light rain

"Northward one step, one mile, one day at a time."--Wingin It, from Lost Mountain shelter register.I enjoyed every last moment of comfort before checking out of the Montgomery Homestead Inn at 11am. I was done with lunch and back on the Trail, in the rain, by noon.The walk was as uneventful as it gets out here, but nonetheless tough as I'm laden with a fresh resupply of food and walking in the rain -- our packs are always at their heaviest when leaving town, and they feel even heavier if you really didn't want to leave town, but we always have to leave and start hiking again. And one rarely ever walks out of town on flat terrain, it's usually quickly up into the mountains. Although we do walk on the Virginia Creeper Trail for a little bit on a couple of occasions on the first 13 miles out of Damascus. Oddly, or not at all really, three hikers left the Trail this morning as the post-Trail Days/Damascus vortex continues to exact its toll. Two of them, C. and G., decided that road tripping is decidedly more fun and a whole lot easier than this 2,179 mile grind, so they left; and S. left because she no longer enjoying this experience. This certainly is not a vacation. It may be a "vacation-like" break from your regular life, i.e. weeks or months without working at your regular job, but it's definitely not a holiday. One works too hard physically and mentally on a daily basis in often adverse weather conditions keeping it together out here -- especially when the novelty wears off, and that's usually after Trail Days or somewhere around mile 700 when the "Virginia Blues" set in for some people.A vacation is thoroughly enjoyable: the beach, museums, visiting new places in comfort. Hiking the Trail is a very difficult endeavor that is rewarding, in the manner that going to the gym is rewarding: it's tough work physically, but you reap the benefits, and mentally you have to keep yourself on task to finish what you set out to do.That is the Trail in a nutshell. The trees, birds, and vistas will get you only so far, the rest is a tough daily grind, sometimes easier, and sometimes the hardest thing you've physically done. After the novelty of the first few weeks wears off this is what you're left with, a challenge you posed to yourself, and a challenge you're going to try to keep rising up to.As for the walking today: some up, some down; some wet, some dry; some mud, some less muddy. Some day! We make it as "excellent-good" as we're able.Tonight at the shelter I meet Llano and see Andrea again and 3 tents are set up behind the shelter. A couple of people inside the shelter leave and set up tents around 10pm, when two particularly loud snoring hikers begin an especially loud "call and response."
Date: 2010-05-23
From: Lost Mountain Shelter

To: Wise Shelter
Miles today: 17.3
Weather: 291.76

"Saw like 20 freakin' ponies today¢¦"--Wallflower, from Wise shelter register Very sleep deprived this morning and walking a bit ragged, but there are many highlights including the two tallest mountains in Virginia (Mt. Rogers and Whitetop), the alpine meadows of Elk Garden and Grayson Highlands, and the bands of feral ponies wandering the highlands. The weather holds out, despite being very humid, it's a mostly sunny day. And yes, I see about 3 dozen ponies in 3 different herds throughout the highlands. This is truly one of the highlights on the entire trail, and the second most beautiful section on the Trail (in my opinion) after the Presidential Mountain range in New Hampshire. The rocky outcroppings on the latter portion of today's walk saps the energy out of my legs and I stop at Wise Shelter for a rest, and then decide to stop walking at 6pm. I'm rewarded with my first solitary shelter stay. I have the shelter all to myself and have the best and most peaceful sleep at a shelter yet on this hike.
Date: 2010-05-24
From: Wise Shelter

To: Trimpi Shelter
Miles today: 20.0
Weather: light rain

"Had a little 500 mile dance party."--The Professor, from Old Orchard Shelter register.500 miles! Woohoo! It happened just about 90 minutes into today's hike. it rained most of the early morning, and by the time I hit some Trail Magic at 10am. The Mayor, a former thru-hiker '98 and his parents Walter and Sandy, had sodas, beer, and tortilla chips with salsa; and more importantly camp chairs to sit on -- that's magic!I ran into Ups, Restless, and Indiana throughout the day, and enjoyed the relatively gentle terrain for most of the day. I witnessed a fight or a rather brusque mating ritual between two yellow swallowtail butterflies. I had no idea butterflies could make noise from in air dogfights, go figure.Mostly just walk, walk, walking and hoping to avoid the rain, and I did quite deftly getting into the shelter just 20 minutes before a 30 minute deluge started -- that's "excellent-good" timing.There's a nearly full shelter here at Trimpi tonight: Restless, Ups, Indiana, Aqua Man, Hawk, and Boston George are here as well, and we're all dry.
Date: 2010-05-25
From: Trimpi Shelter

To: Atkins, VA
Miles today: 22.2
Weather: Trimpi Shelter


"This is were I leave the Trail¢¦"--P., from the Partnership Shelter registerHikers begin hearing stories about Partnership Shelter at the Mount Rogers Headquarters fairly early in the hike. The novelty, outside of being one of the two shelters that sleeps over 20 people, is that it features a shower, wash sink, enclosed bathroom, but more importantly a phone nearby where one can order Italian food from two Marion, VA restaurants. Hikers don't pass up the opportunity to have "town food" delivered for lunch or dinner, let us say it's a "destination" shelter. Although I merely take a two hour break there and recharge with an Italian sub, curly fries, and 40, yes 40!, ounces of Mountain Dew -- this caffeinated kick goes a long way to powering my long day. The only really nice vista today comes at a clearing near the top of Glade Mountain where the large valley and rolling hills to the northwest are visible, and the same said view features a peek at Atkins and Rural Retreat along I-81 and tonight's ultimate destination. The rhododendron up here on Glade Mountain is in full bloom and there is a profusion of pink and fuschia all about.I stop at the Lindamood Schoolhouse, an historic schoolhouse that is part of the Settler's Museum. For me it's always a contemplative stop to sit here and wonder what going to school with 1-7 graders in this one room in 1894 would have been like. It's also a good spot to consider that we've completed one quarter of the Trail -- to think about what has transpired and what's to come over the next 1600 plus miles.Four more hikers left the Trail in the past two days from Partnership Shelter: one ran out of funds, and the three others found the "difficulty v. fun" quotient to be skewed beyond their liking, i.e., this hike being lots of hard work punctuated with too few good experiences, views, and just plain fun. I'm still plugging away. I'm enjoying a motel night, featuring laundry, shower, air conditioning and a soft bed... "excellent-good."
Date: 2010-05-26
From: Atkins, VA

To: North of VA 42
Miles today: 12.0

"The Trail generally follows a footpath across high, wooded terrain and often passes through rhododendron thickets, with few views."--from the Appalachian Trail Guide to Southwest Virginia, detailing today's section.My body was certainly feeling the effects of having hiked 42 miles in the last 2 days today. My legs were sapped and my feet were in pain throughout the day. I got a late start, I checked out at 11am, had some lunch and was on the Trail, hiking north by 11:40.It was one of the warmest days yet, with temps in the high 80's, and when walking through the open pastures leaving Atkins it felt a bit like walking in an oven. But soon enough we were climbing mountains again and afforded tree cover.I've run into Yahtzee again, and met a new group of hikers: Birdy, Wrong Way, Big Ooh and Koopa. We all camped in a hollow about two-tenths of a mile north of VA 42, near some Trail Magic left by Lumbermack '06.I'm too exhausted tonight to elaborate further, but some types of exhaustion are "excellent-good" just the same. I'm done for today.
Date: 2010-05-27
From: North of VA 42

To: Garden Mountain
Miles today: 13.8
Weather: 2010

"Despite my total urge to stay after 9 miles I am hiking on¢¦"--Radar, from Chestnut Knob Shelter register I hiked on from Chestnut Knob Shelter myself but not much farther, just an extra 3 miles. It was a tough day, between the heat, high humidity, and afternoon thunderstorm. Again, today I felt thoroughly enervated as if all my energy were sapped by the high humidity. I drank copious amounts of water to avoid dehydration, but my energy level never peaked anywhere near normal. Every once in a while I'll experience a couple of days like this, so I'm not worrying about anything being amiss. It is frustrating, though, to plod along all day feeling as if you're expending as much energy as if you were walking 20 miles, but your body will only allow you 13 very slow miles. I must not have been the only one feeling like this as I didn't see any other NOBO's until Big Ooh and Koopa caught up to me as I waited the thunderstorm out underneath a rhododendron thicket near Walker Gap. I moved on to the southernmost section of the ridge on Garden Mountain, to a spot that wasn't too muddy or waterlogged, but just a bit exposed to the winds coming across the valley at Burke's Garden. I can hear the cows below in the pastures. I hope I'm feeling sharper tomorrow.
Date: 2010-05-28
From: Garden Mountain

To: Jenkins Shelter
Miles today: 7.2
Weather: 289.64

"I just wasn't feeling it yesterday. Only did 10 miles from the last shelter. Partly lack of energy, part dehydration¢¦"--Babalu, from Jenkins Shelter registerI believe I've been mildly malnourished and dehydrated the past couple of days, that would explain the funk. And apparently I'm not the only one having these symptoms and plodding of late.Today was more of the same. The major difference is that I stopped for lunch at 12:40 and decided to sit out a severe thunderstorm. At 6pm I was still sitting out the storm, but by then 6 more hikers had joined me in the shelter and 4 others in tents. Now I can claim that I've stopped walking at midday. I did drink copious amounts of water and cooked my largest dinner on the trail yet, so let's see if drinking and eating more has a positive effect. I'm also in no hurry as I realized that Monday is Memorial Day and the post office won't be open so walking in to Pearisburg as planned on Sunday or Monday won't work out. I'm switching over to summer gear and sending back my cold weather gear and need to use the post office in Pearisburg, VA. So it really doesn't matter much that I sat out the weather this afternoon.These funks happen, and these funks pass.
Date: 2010-05-29
From: Jenkins Shelter

To: Bland, VA
Miles today: 11.7
Weather: light rain

"I'm leaving the Trail when I get into Bland¢¦ "--H., from Jenkins Shelter registerProper hydration and a big dinner went a long way to helping me feel much better today; it also helped that the high was in the low 80's and humidity was around 45% at noon.I covered nearly 12 miles by noon, and decided to try to hitch into Bland for a hearty lunch, and if I didn't get picked up after 10 minutes I'd just move on and have ramen for lunch at Helvey's Mill Shelter 2 miles north on the trail.I stuck my thumb out when I heard a car coming around the bend and it stopped, in less than a minute Lee Haye offered to take me in to Bland. That's a new record for me, 30 seconds of hitching to score a ride.It turns out Lee is a parishioner at the church whose pastor, Alan Ashworth, drove me in to the Bastian Medical Clinic back in 2002 when I came down with giardia in this section. So I have good luck with rides in this area with the folks from Round Mountain Methodist Church.Lee offered to drive me wherever I wanted in Bland and mentioned he was headed to Subway, which was good enough for me, and I bought him lunch for being such a good and fast trail angel. I didn't intend to stay in town tonight, but with the proximity of the Subway to the Big Walker Motel, and the tough time I've had physically and mentally of late, I couldn't resist the temptation of a shower, a soft bed, and staying out of the thunderstorm this afternoon. So I stayed, but feel much better as my body seems to have reacted well to better nourishment and hydration. I'm a bit bummed that I haven't broken 15 miles since I left Atkins, VA, but I know I could have easily done that today. In any case, as I mentioned yesterday, I don't want to get to Pearisburg, VA before Monday as the post office won't be open for the Memorial Day Holiday. I have summer gear to pick up and cold weather gear to send home. I'm going to rationalize my lack of big mile days in this manner, not that I really need to, but stopping walking 2 consecutive days by 12:30pm seems to need some rationalization in my head¢¦ whatever. I'm feeling better and that's all that really matters.Also here tonight are Yahtzee, Big Ooh and Koopa, and Birdy, and undoubtedly more hikers will come in. So, better eating and more water from here on out. That's simple enough, or "excellent-good."