morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2019-04-25
From: Pearisburg 

To: Stonybrook Valley 
Miles today: 20.7

Thursday Day 67 , 20.7 miles Cross Avenue to Stoney Creek Valley.Bliss and pain,ups and downs, dry and wet. Today was a day of extreme opposites, the only constant were rocks on the trail and the birth of beautiful spring foliage,But contrasting still are pockets of forest with nothing but dead fallen limbs and trees that appear dead. Our day began early as we hiked to the trail head at the end of town. We walked a couple of extra town miles which of course do not count. It¢s been said thru hikers don¢t like walking town miles , indeed I agree however I need to be more bold and ask strangers for a ride when needed.Once again I felt strong hiking and was not feeling any pain when bam my head hit a limb with such force that the sound sounded like a good base hit in baseball. Yes this will leave a mark and a bump at least the bleeding was minimal. Here is the problem, the trail has tons of pointy rocks which are difficult to navigate through and requires laser focus. Unfortunately I was wearing a billed ball cap which in turn blocks my vision ,well you get the picture. After the pain subsided I turned the cap around ¢catcher¢ style and no more vision problems......so I thought , Stingray and I picked up some steam to catch up with Q and RG who were now a good bit ahead and had not witnessed my ¢base hit¢. I was in the lead when I heard Stingray gasp and point to one of the largest king snakes I had almost stepped on , I mean how in the world did I not see this thing! We stopped to watch this beautiful snake slowly slither into a hole under a tree, this is a great snake that eats poisonous snakes as well as rats. Now we were probably 15 minutes behind and Stingray and I cranked up the speed again to catch up, once again I decided to take the lead and I was gracefully navigating ,effortlessly gliding over jagged rocks like I was a gazelle....maybe Stingray will give me a cool new trail name to match my superhuman abilities?That¢s when it happened I tripped and started to crash hard onto the jagged rocks,on the way down I tried to find a soft landing but unfortunately rocks and more rocks was my only choice. I laid there in pain and again poor Stingray thought I was seriously hurt but after a quick examination only minor cuts and bruises , tribal markings as Q would call it.Well this is all part of it ,we all fall out here and yes I need to be more careful. But even with these minor setbacks we were able to click off twenty miles.  We had a beautiful weather day today except for the last 15 minutes the sky opened up with buckets of rain to soak us. It¢s great to be alive, wet bloody and feeling strong!
Date: 2019-04-26
From: Pearisburg i

To: Pearisburg 
Miles today: 0.0

Friday Day 68 Zero, We decided to forgo hiking Friday because thunderstorms were forecasted all day. It turned out to be a great decision as the temperature plummeted as well . Obviously we don¢t always have an option to dodge the weather but we were only a few miles out of town. We finalized our food resupply for four days and will head out Saturday morning. I¢m including a picture of the snake I almost stepped on Thursday .Hopefully Saturday will be a less painful hiking day.
Date: 2019-04-27
From: Stonybrook Valley 

To: Laurel Creek Shelter area
Miles today: 18.2

Saturday Day 69 Stonybrook Valley to Laurel Creek shelter 18.2 miles. Our back packs were extra heavy with four solid days worth of food packed. This upcoming section will be exciting as we will reach Dragons Tooth and Mcafee Knob two important landmarks on the trail.We had some very hard climbs the rocks on the trail are extreme in Virginia. I¢m extra cautious after my spill the other day.I forgot to mention, Friday on our zero day Q, RG,Stingray, P60 and I got a shuttle and went to the famous Home Place restaurant in Catawba which is only open Friday , Saturday and Sunday. They specialize in great southern cooking and they keep serving you until you are full.That was some of the best fried chicken I¢ve ever had!We got to see some of our friends that are a day or two ahead of us;Rooster, Old School, Judge, Scooch, Star Lord, Boomer, Storm Trooper and Timber. I¢ve said it before but it¢s always great to catch up to old trail friends and it¢s always part of the fun not knowing who you may run into.The trail is ¢thinning out ¢as many have dropped out for various reasons .Today we had two majestic viewsWindRock and Kelley¢s Knob the day started off very cold but warmed up nicely as it progressed.Tonight we are tenting near Laurel Creek Shelter ,we met a nice young man named Lounge Lizard already set up to sleep but he joined us for dinner. Q, Stingray  RG and I all gave the young man some of our bounty and he was very appreciative.All is good tonight!
Date: 2019-04-28
From: Laurel Creek Shelter area

To: Stealth Campsite
Miles today: 14.8

Sunday Day 70  Laurel Creek Shelter to Stealth camp by creek 14.8 miles.This morning¢s hike took us through some beautiful farmlands. It¢s pretty amazing how the AT conservatory and the landowners have worked to develop a land trust to allow hikers passage through their fields.The trail led to a road and I saw a small church in the distance. I hollered at RG who was a bit ahead and let him know I was going to head down and check it out , Q and Stingray were already way ahead.The church was very welcoming and I got to meet many nice members. One of the very best part of my adventure is meeting local town people and churches have been a great venue . They never seem to mind that I¢m dirty ,smelly and wearing hiking clothes but have always made me feel like a guest of honor. After church I enjoyed talking with some of the old timers and met some of the Keffer family who own the land with the Keffer Oak the largest and oldest oak tree on the AT. Well I said my goodbyes to my new friends and took off up the trail , I was now a good 3 hours behind Q,RG and Sting Ray but no worries as I knew where we were camping this evening.When I got to the Keffer Oak, I stopped to eat lunch and admire this magnificent tree. It¢s over 18¢ around and over 300 years old. I stayed longer than I should and was tempted to take a nap but I pushed on instead.I had a super steep climb up to Bruisers Knob where I enjoyed a wonderful view of the valley. I ran into Lounge Lizard who had been picking ramps and he shared one with me. Ramps are similar to wild onions but have a sweet taste. After my organic snack, I left him and continued my hike to Sinking Creek Mountain and there I had to traverse the Ledges ,very steep rock face at 45 degrees or greater which slopes down the edge of the mountain. Super scary and exhilarating does not begin to describe this portion of the trail. After about 40 minutes of traversing the Ledges I got to a sign announcing the Eastern Continental Divide .https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wik...I¢ve attached a link above , all I can remember about the Divide from school was that the water from the eastern side of the divide flows to the Atlantic and from the western side the water flows to the Gulf of Mexico. I finally started making it down the mountain and stopped at a stream to filter water as I was completely out. I met two fine men from Indiana that were section hiking southbound to Pearisburg. I warned them about the upcoming  Ledges but they were both experienced hikers heading to the next shelter. I finally got hiking again and caught up with my crew just minutes before night fall. I enjoyed my solo adventure today but I¢m sure glad to be back with my friends.
Date: 2019-04-29
From: Stealth Campsite

To: Newport Rd
Miles today: 14.4

Monday Day 71, 14.4 miles from stealth site to Newport RoadWe looked forward to hiking to Dragons Tooth a popular day trip for locals, climbing the stone allows for tremendous views.But first we were going to take a short side trail to visit the Audie Murphy Memorial. He was America¢s most highly decorated World War II veteran and he died in a plane crash close to the memorial site. We were all touched by the gifts people have left at his memorial in his honor it was an emotional experience and we all left something as well . Truly he was a great hero. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wik...While were at the memorial, I received a text from Jerry Anderson ¢Coach¢ offering to pick us and take us back to his home in nearby Salem Virginia later on this evening. YES!!! Coach is an avid hiker and outdoorsman who we know through mutual friends. He had helped my friend Snuggs with gear advice etc before he came out to the trail back in March. After the great unexpected trail magic news ,we continued our hike toward the Dragon. When we stopped for lunch before the climb  we found more trail magic as someone had left soft drinks and water at the base of the mountain in  a stream. What a fabulous day this had become! On our way up we hit the 700 milestone Ooh Rah! The miles seem to be clicking away faster.Dragons Tooth was awesome as expected, what we did not fully anticipate was the degree of difficulty descending the mountain. We had to use embedded rebar virtually hand over hand climbing. Super fun actually!Coach was waiting at the bottom and took us to a great local restaurant. He and his wife Kay have a beautiful home and are magnanimous hosts. Coach will take us back to the trail in the morning and hike with us part of the day. Tonight I am in a super comfortable bed and very thankful for the generosity of others!
Date: 2019-04-30
From: Newport Rd

To: Cambell Shelter area 
Miles today: 10.3

Tuesday  Day 72 Newport Road to Cambell Shelter area. 10.3 miles.We absolutely enjoyed our stay withCoach and Kay ,they even fixed us a fantastic breakfast before shutting us to the trail such wonderful kindness ! Coach hiked with us for the first six miles. He is an unbelievable hiker,none of us could keep up with his strong Virginia bred hiking legs. He did indeed slow down and gave us wonderful local insight and history of the area. Unfortunately Coach had other obligations and could not continue on but he might join us again up the trail.Q, RG, Stingray and I continued on up to McAfee Knob and we all took turns getting our picture made at the most photographed location of the trail. Truly a phenomenal view.I want to point out that the temperature is rising and the hiking is getting tougher. I heard of four hikers quitting for various reasons but I believe the heat has a lot to do with it. Our crew is now getting up an hour earlier to beat the upcoming summer heat. Tonight we are all tucked away in our tents and we will visit the famous Tinker Cliffs tomorrow!
Date: 2019-05-01
From: Cambell Shelter area 

To: Daleville 
Miles today: 15.4

Wednesday Day 73, Cambell Shelter area to Daleville VA 15.4 miles .Waking up one hour earlier gave us a nice edge against the heat, the problem of course is I have a hard time getting to sleep earlier so I lost an hours rest... The night was actually warm and my 19 degree mummy bag is quite warm.I plan on picking up a summer weight quilt when we get to town.Our first stop this morning was the Tinker Cliffs. The views were spectacular , one great advantage of a bright sunny day .  Hydrate, hydrate,hydrate is the key to surviving these warm days , I use powdered Pedialyte when I can find it , if not the powdered propel additive. We lose so much salt when we perspire it¢s critical to replenish the electrolytes . My good friend Haymitch had to take off a couple of days due to dehydration. Despite the heat we all had a great time hiking today, when we got to Haystack Rock ,Q skillfully scrambled up to the peak RG followed suit and climbed up as well. I decided I would climb this monolith and boy was it technical and scary. Q made it look so easy, I believe he¢s part mountain goat. I made it almost to the top and decided to head back down and that¢s when the fear factor began.The foot and hand holds I used going up did not seem as safe going down , well eventually slowly but surely I ungracefully scrambled down and managed to make it back to earth in one piece.We all got back on trail and headed into the town of Daleville  where I resupplied and I got the new summer quilt I mentioned earlier.Tonight I¢m in a nice hotel bed and guess what¢s in the forecast? Actually I miss my old friend rain.
Date: 2019-05-02
From: Daleville 

To: Blackhorse gap
Miles today: 13.6

Thursday Day 74, Daleville to Blackhorse Gap 13.6 miles.The morning started out beautiful and quickly got up into the 80s in the heat of the day. Many of the Rhododendrons are starting to bloom and they are amazingly beautiful. In a blink of an eye the forests are full of foliage and the green leaves are providing a great canopy to protect us from the sun. I¢m beginning to understand why they call the AT the Green Tunnel.We stopped at a pool below a gentle stream to eat lunch. There we saw a handsome water snake, tons of minnows and several crawdads Q discovered that they like to eat Cheezits and we created a mass feeding frenzy for all the creek critters. Later in the day we got caught in a strong thunderstorm which actually helped cool things off. The rain brought out unusual very bright orange salamanders all along the trail, I have seen pictures of these but never one in person.At the end of our hike , our dear friend Jimmy picked us up at Black Horse Gap and took us back into town . It was so good to see him again. I also was able to reunite with Gopher and Peach you may remember the father and son team I started with way back in Georgia. They are a day behind us but tonight we are all staying at the same hotel in Daleville. It¢s hard to beat a great family reunion!
Date: 2019-05-03
From: Blackhorse gap

To: Jennings Creek
Miles today: 14.6

Friday May 3 , Day 75, Blackhorse Gap to Jennings Creek, 14.6 miles.Friday¢s Hike was a lot of fun, Jimmy provided trail magic all along the Blue Ridge parkway. We would basically come out at all the road crossing and Jimmy would have snacks and cold drinks for all of the hikers on this section.We were hiking pretty fast when we were overtaken by a young lady named Rabbit. She is probably the fastest hiker I¢ve seen, we caught up with her at the next stop and found out she is a world class CrossFit athlete ranked 18th in the nation ,pretty amazing !That evening we made it to Jennings creek campground which we shared with RV families enjoying the great outdoors . It¢s really neat that everyone can enjoy God¢s beautiful wilderness no excuses.
Date: 2019-05-04
From: Jennings Creek

To: BRP 76
Miles today: 13.7

Saturday ,May 4 Day 76Jennings Creek to BRP 76 13.7 miles .All we had today were climbs, no downs just ups . What goes up must go up... well at least tomorrow we should come down and have an easier day. We had lunch on a log very similar to the one in the picture. Check out this beauty of a rattler. Those things are amazing,fearless,resident guardians of the trail. So cool to finally see a rattler from a safe distance. I think we make too much noise to ever see a bear but hopefully we will soon. Today we passed through the famous Guillotine a boulder that is wedged in a crevasse. I¢ll try to include a picture in my picture section as well.A tough day but very rewarding!
Date: 2019-05-05
From: BRP 76

To: Glasgow 
Miles today: 15.1

Sunday May 5, Day 77, BRP 76 to Glasgow VA, 15.1 miles.Today we ended in the very small hiker friendly town of Glasgow. The city provides a shelter with two privies, tent area , bunks and an outdoor shower. It¢s right in the middle of town and there is a laundromat, restaurant and resupply store all within walking distance. Oh and legend has it a dinosaur lives in town.Great place to stay but you need a shuttle from the trail. Jimmy was at the bridge and took us all into town.I certainly recommend this town for future thru hikers. Tonight our tents are pitched behind the shelter in this cool little town, Thank you Glasgow for your generosity to hikers!
Date: 2019-05-06
From: Glasgow 

To: Stealth Camp Reservoir Rd
Miles today: 15.0

Monday May 6Glasgow to Reservoir Rd 15 miles.Jimmy took us to a little store that had breakfast sandwiches and then he dropped us off at the trail head. Jimmy had to get back to Nashville and we will certainly miss his generosity and trail magic he does for so many hikers every year!Today we climbed the very challenging Bluff Mountain. A very sad story , In 1871 a young boy Ottie Cline Powell a little under five years old got lost and climbed this mountain. A memorial stands exactly where they found his little body. It was an emotional visit to this site.https://blueridgecountry.com/a...The rest of the day went very well, we hit 800 miles today Ooh Rah!We stealth camped near a stream a short distance from the entrance to the reservoir. If I could I would always camp by a stream as there is nothing more relaxing the the sound of water cascading over the rocks.Tonight we are all in our tents safe and sound . Best sleep ever guaranteed!
Date: 2019-05-07
From: Stealth Camp Reservoir Rd

To: Hog camp gap
Miles today: 13.1

Tuesday Day 79 Reservoir Rd to Hog Camp Gap 13.1 Miles.I slept great last night by the creek, actually we all did . And it was a good thing because we had some serious climbs today.The trail took us through Brown Mountain Creek,ruins of an abandoned community of freed slaves lined the trail. We then climbed up 4,000 feet to a beautiful bald with magnificent views, the climb was long and tough but extremely rewarding. Someone in the guest book had asked how my health has been thus  far. Other than minor aches and pains I have been very fortunate. The pollen is heavy and it¢s affecting Stingray but he seems to be handling it well. I give credit to my Injinji sock liners for zero blisters 800 miles in. Supplements I¢m taking a multivitamin,fish oil, garlic oil, Turmeric (capsule,teabags, spice) . I add olive or avocado oil to my food to help battle the weight loss. As a preventive measure against Lime Disease, I¢ve sprayed my clothes and equipment with permethrin to help battle the the ticks and I¢ve been applying bug repellent to my legs and arms everyday .Well that¢s my health update for now. Us old folks like to talk about what ails us!Tonight we are camped in a large meadow, the wind is blowing keeping everything nice and cool. All is good!
Date: 2019-05-08
From: Hog camp gap

To: Priest Mountain 
Miles today: 14.3

Wednesday Day 80 Hog Camp Gap to Priest Shelter 14.3 miles.Last night and this morning was interesting as some how several cars were able to make it up on an old rutted dirt road to the Gap and from there they hiked up the mountain we descended earlier to watch the sunset and sunrise. It was cool to see the college kids enjoying nature but man were they loud hooting and hollering. Was I ever like that? Today we are making our pilgrimage to The Priest. The Priest marks our Last 4,000 foot mountain till the whites. Well we do have the 3937 ft Ledges tomorrow . A funny tradition hikers confess their AT sins in the shelter log book. Let¢s just say it was by far the most interesting log book on the trail. Did I write down a confession? Hmmm a short 4,000 ft  hike up the mountain will tell. We tented as there are several great spots near the shelter. The rain started to come down right after supper and just as we got into our tents . Perfect timing!
Date: 2019-05-09
From: Priest Mountain 

To: Devils Backbone 
Miles today: 15.5

Thursday Day 81, Priest Mountain to Reeds Gap (Devils Backbone) 15.5 Miles. Virginia.Wow did it storm all night, the rain never stopped.My tent actually flooded because my sleeping pad slid over the bathtub floor of my tent and my tent was in the middle of a mini flash flood. Luckily my sleeping bag stayed dry as it was on the pad safe from the water. Oh what a night!We hiked in the rain off and on throughout the day but really it was the humidity and the fog that was the most challenging. Well not exactly true we had to cross the infamous challenging Three Ridges which indeed is probably the hardest climbing/hiking day we have had so far. Virginia is tough but so very beautiful, my favorite state to hike in so far.Our goal today was to make it to Devils Backbone basecamp brewery and restaurant. They allow thru-hikers to camp, use their bathhouse all for free, they also served us a wonderful breakfast for only five dollars. The restaurant is fabulous at this place and I highly recommend their baby ribs that they smoke on properly, delicious!Q tripped and fell very hard today and busted his shin. He¢s super tough,no tears but said he might let a doctor check him out. We met Sarah ( Cushy Life) from Sarah Hikes You tube channel at the campground .She¢s thru hiking as well but is taking some time off to heal an injury and she offered to take Q to the doctor and have him X-ray¢d. She is so wonderful to help and truly is an Angel. Check her out on her station she¢s very informative and actually helped me prepare for my hike many months ago.A couple of random hiker tips I want to share. Two came from RG which I¢m not sure if I told you stands for Roaming Geezer. He and Stingray are both retired law enforcement from Alabama and with Q are three of the finest men you could ever meet. When you back flush your filter tap it hard on the sides and flush it again, You will be amazed at how much dirt stays lodged in unless you do.When filtering water always pour at a 45 degree angle to keep unfiltered water that may leak from around the bladder into your clean filtered water.Simple tips that thankfully I picked up from RG and hopefully you can use as well to prevent sickness on the trail. And the last tip that I just learned from a young hiker is to bring powdered milk to make nice cold cereal on the trail . Why did it take me over 800 miles to learn about this culinary miracle?Tonight we are all safe and sound in our tents, hopefully no more floods!
Date: 2019-05-10
From: Devils Backbone 

To: Stealth Picnic Area
Miles today: 6.0

Friday Day 82, Virginia,Reeds Gap to Stealth camp picnic area near parkway, 6 miles.RG, Stingray and I hung out at the Devils Backbone campground waiting for Q to return from the horse doctor. Fortunately his leg was not fractured and although the doctor recommended rest, ice and elevation ,Q said he was good to hike . Q comes from the ¢play hurt¢ generation and once he found out it wasn¢t broke he was ready to roll. We ate a fine lunch at the Devils Backbone restaurant and headed back to the trail around 3:30 .Our plan was to hike a few miles and camp and the hike into Waynesboro Saturday as Stingray is expecting a package.We will probably take a Zero Sunday.Monday we start the Shenandoah Park  I can hardly wait!Ps: if you know what type of plant this is please let me know in the guest book.