morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2014-05-17
From: Dennis Cove Rd mile 417.0

To: Wautauga Lake Shelter mile 427.3
Miles today: 10.3

Brisk and overcast day, but no rain; so a pleasant day for hiking. The first part of the day was particularly attractive following an old railroad right-of-way through some steep cuts through the mountain.   The descent to Laurel Falls was a long treacherous descent down a stone staircase. The Falls are spectacular. Just downstream the trail is a narrow shelf right above the river that goes under when the water rises. Lots of day hikers were on the trail to the Falls.The climb past the Falls to the top of Pond Flats took most of the day and made a 10 mile day seem as long as yesterday. I got to Wautauga Lake Shelter shortly before nightfall. A second hiker, Casper, an attorney from a small town in Texas joined me while I was eating supper.After we hung our food on the bear pole and were in our sleeping bags writing journal entries, I sneezed and Casper said "See the Bears." A mother and three large cubs were checking out the pole with the food bags. They hung around for several minutes while we shined our headlamps on them. I suspect I will be hearing sounds in the night regardless of whether they return. Bears came back. A cub climbed far enough up the pole to snag my food bag and pull it down. They carried off my steel mesh food bag and my stove. We could hear them off in the woods growling over it. I doubt there will be anything to retrieve in the morning. To ease the long climb I listened to the rest of The Souls of Black Folks. The book is well researched, carefully argued, and poetically written. The production quality is excellent. I will recommend it to several friends.
Date: 2014-05-18
From: Wautauga Lake Shelter mile 427.3

To: Vandeventer Shelter mile 434.5
Miles today: 7.2

The Bears did come back. They climbed the pole again and ripped the bottom out of Casper's sack. I slept pretty well despite the visitation and did not have dreams of a bear licking my face. We cleaned up the debris of bear torn food containers. I followed the track they had made through the underbrush and the trail of litter. From the amount of litter it was obvious that the bears had been following this routine for some time. The only thing I found Intact was my salt and pepper shaker. My wire mesh bag was at the bottom of a little gorge with holes ripped in it. I suspect my stove kit fell out and rolled down the hillside, but I could not spot it in the underbrush. We packed up our gear and all the litter we had collected and headed back the 1,2 miles to Highway 321 where we hitched a ride to Hampton. Before we left we added a warning to the trail journal and I taped a warning to the bear pole. The only thing open in Hampton was a Dollar General. I bought three days worth of food that does not require cooking and we had a late breakfast at a Subway. Walking back to the trail we saw Leatherman with the owner of a hostel where he had need staying and doing some work and got a ride with them. We did not get back on the trail until after 1:00. We hiked the 1.2 miles back to the Wautauga Lake Shelter then on 6 more miles over the dam and up the ridge overlooking the lake to the next shelter where we strung a very high bear line. To my delight Casper decided to hike with me until we get to Damascas. He is a stronger hiker than I am. The 6 mile climb really wore me out and having him to urge me on helped keep me going. His wife plans to come in from Texas and meet him Wednesday in The next few days. Perhaps her path will cross May Louise's. Just before dark Leatherman showed up and joined us in the shelter. We were all too tired for much conversation, but the view behind the shelter over the headwaters of the lake and the mountains that surround it is spectacular.
Date: 2014-05-19
From: Vandeventer Shelter mile 434.5

To: Campsite after Double Springs Shelter mile 451.4
Miles today: 16.9

Today's route was relatively easy and largely downhill, so we pushed hard for miles to make up for the time lost to the bear adventure and to assure I get to Damascas Wednesday when May Louise does. We had planned to hike 15 miles, but when we got to the shelter we had aimed for it had a crowd of young people still in the afterglow of their partying at trail days in Damascus. At Casper's urging we pushed on to a campsite three more miles downhill from the shelter. Now that he has shown me I can do 17 miles I am tempted to try to repeat the exercise and get all the way it Damascus tomorrow. Like all good stories, our bear story is evolving. A hiker who passed us asked if we were the two fellows who had our packs ripped apart by bears. We did not see many other hikers on the trail today, but one middle aged fellow who was walking south to make up a section he had skipped to get to trail days proudly announced that he was carrying his laminated California doctor's certificate that allows him to have a supply of medical marijuana. Casper's name is Tom Cate. His practice includes serving as City Attorney for a couple of small Texas towns and as City Judge for another; so we swapped some City stories. For most of the day the work of hiking was too strenuous for conversation.The hiking and the food I am eating cause me to pass a lot of gas. Tom advised that the expression in his part of Texas is "the bullfrogs are out".
Date: 2014-05-20
From: Campsite after Double Springs Shelter mile 451.4

To: Damascas, Va mile 467.6
Miles today: 16.2
Weather: broken clouds

When we woke up Casper and I agreed that we were so close to Damascas that we should push ourselves and arrive there today instead of spending another night on the trail and arrive Wednesday. The day started with a pleasant surprise   We thought we had camped a mile from highway US 421. We crossed the highway after hiking only a few hundred yards, meaning today's hike was about a mile shorter than we thought.After finding 11-13 miles to be my upper limit,I am both surprised and pleased that I have been able to hike over 16 miles two days in a row. Part of the difference may be that I am getting stronger, but most of it is the encouragement that comes from having someone hiking with me and the fact that the trail we covered over the last two days has been relatively easy with few sharp uphill stretches and long stretches of gentle downhill grade. Casper is a stronger hiker than I am. When he leads he pulls away from me, so I have taken the lead almost all of the time. I was surprised and pleased when Casper announced that we were hiking together to Damascas. The bear adventure may have concerned him more than it did me, but I think his primary reason for slowing himself down to stay with me is just that he likes the company. The day was a little muggy and overcast like it might rain, but the weather stayed dry and comfortable for hiking.We crossed paths with a good number of additional lone hikers and groups backtracking to cover ground they skipped to go to last weekends Trail Days event in Damascas. The groups included The Wolf Pack and The Swiss Family Robinson, two families with teenagers hiking together. Most of their descriptions make Trail Days sound like a kid's party that I do not regret missing. The woods we hiked through today were generally open with lots of trail side grass and occasional flowers, but without the frequent vistas we had yesterday. It was a good day but it left me again questioning whether I want to spend the next six months just walking. I will stick with it at least until I finish one quarter of the trail at mile 550. I called my son Marcus to wish him happy birthday. It is hard to believe that I have a 41 year old son. He said he would want to hike a day or two with me and that he would help arrange for each of the grandchildren to spend a day with me, but that he will not be able to free up the time this summer for an extended hike. I have made reservations at a Damascus B&B for May Louise and me for tomorrow night, but tonight Casper and I are staying in a hostel operates by the Damascus Methodist Church. We got here by 6:00 in time to take a shower, get our clothes washed, and have a good meal. I was disappointed to find that AT&T does not serve Damascus and that WiFi is not available at the hostel.
Date: 2014-05-21
From: Damascas, Va mile 467.6

To: Damascus,VA
Miles today: 0.0

Purchased replacement stove and pants with waist that fit my shrunken body. Walked around town, relocated to Victorian Inn and got a haircut. Met Vermont hiker Mary Blanton "Tenderfoot". who recognized me by description from Cantarroso Farm B&B owners and introduced herself in a coffee shop. We talked with her further when she stayed at the Victorian Inn where we were.May Louise arrived in time for supper. We had another good meal and big dessert at the Blue Blaze Restaurant and visited with Casper over dinner. Learned that his career included serving a term in the Texas Legislature until the Republican majority gerrymandered his district out from under him. While we were sleeping comfortably in the B&B, heavy rains fell. Great to hear them on a solid roof instead of on a tent. Nathan sent a note explaining his students have calculated that on reaching Damascus I have taken one million steps. I am impressed with both them and me, but their calculation of the angle of wag of Bombers tail seems a more interesting assignment.
Date: 2014-05-22
From: Damascus,VA

To: Abingdon, VA
Miles today: 0.0

After buying some wooden art work in Damascus, May Louise and I switched to a motel in Abingdon for the day. We confirmed that Patty Newhart will not be available to host me when I pass through Troutdale, but May Louise will visit her tomorrow. We learned that two of our friends who are battling serious health problems had gotten additional bad news and gave thanks for our fortune. I laid out a schedule for the next ten days and packed food from the cache May Louise brought in the van. The resulting package is too heavy and not very appetizing. Tonight we treated ourselves to a delicious meal at Harvest Table, a "local foods" restaurant run by Barbara Kingslover's family. In honor of Garrison Keeler I had a rhubarb crisp for dessert.   We wrapped up the day with a marvelous production of Educating Rita at the Barter Theatre.
Date: 2014-05-23
From: Damascus, Va mile 467.6

To: Lost Mountain Shelter mile 483.2
Miles today: 15.3
Weather: broken clouds

Packed up and drove back to Damascus for a leisurely breakfast with May Louise. A note from Nathan almost convinced her to drive to Grayson Highlands State Park to walk with me a little and see the wild ponies, but to my regret she was anxious to get back home and decided not to take the time. I did not get started until 11:00 am, The trail followed to the Virginia Creeper bike trail in a couple of places and I was delighted with the large numbers of riders I met coming down it including one long line of happy children that seemed to go on forever. I remember news copy about the trail being built when we lived in Kingsport. I was really surprised to see the economic impact it has had on Damascus. The little town supports at least four bike shops. I met several groups of young day hikers heading South on section hikes, but only one hiker passed me going North.I made it to the shelter that was my target, but because of my late start I did not arrive until after dusk shortly before 9:00 pm. Happily there was room in the shelter; so I did not have to set up my tent in the dark. Trail included several lengthy uphill section, but refreshed by my two days of rest the did not give me much trouble. I listened to James Joyce's Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man as I hiked. I had started it years ago and remember loving the beauty of his language. Listening today I still found it to be elegantly crafted, but the long descriptions of Catholic guilt became tedious.
Date: 2014-05-24
From: Lost Mountain Shelter mile 483.2

To: Thomas Knob Shelter mile 495.4
Miles today: 11.2
Weather: light rain

Beautiful day with great vistas from treeless knobs.   Much more and much steeper uphill grade than I had expected made 12 mile day more than adequate. Hiked the last four mile climb with Deliberate, an Ohio Elementary School Teacher who was inspired to hike the trail by her experiences as a Girl Scout. I have not seen any of the wild horses yet, but we passed a couple who let us know that we had just missed a group.
Date: 2014-05-25
From: Thomas Knob Shelter mile 495.4

To: Old Orchard Shelter mile 506.4
Miles today: 11.0

When I woke up this morning the outside of my tent was covered with water. I assumed I was facing rain; so I packed inside my tent and out in my running pants. It turned out that the open meadow where I had tented just had a very heavy morning dew. Lots of ankle turning rock scrambles through the morning, but the views were so interesting that I did not bother with my book on tape. I was delighted with the large number of weekend and day hikers who were taking advantage of the Memorial Day holiday to get out and experience the beautiful area. Grayson Highlands and the area around the Park deserve their reputation. The weekend groups included several Boy Scout troops and lots of families including families with small children. My favorite was a charming little girl who had gotten out of momma's baby carrier and commandeered her hiking pole who proudly told me as she clambered over big rocks "I'm two and I have my own stick." The Grayson Highlands ponies are wild, but they aren't timid. While I was taking a break one wandered over to lick the salt from dried sweat off my pack and off my hands. A father hiking with his wife and infant was sitting beside me feeding the baby a bottle. His wife got some great pictures of the pony checking out the baby.One group of ponies included a couple of very young foals. Like many human infants they were cute, but not yet pretty. They reminded me of our friend Harold McSwain's strategy for proud parents who expected the preacher to comment on their new child. Harold would take the infant, hold it out to inspect it carefully, and then declare in a firm voice "Now that's a baby."Along with the ponies the park has some longhorn cattle. I got some pictures but did not get very close to them. I passed the 500 mile mark today. We made a rock 500 with Mecca and Center Field and took pictures to commemorate the milestone.Several of the weekend hikers I talked with explained that they were practicing before doing a through hike next year. A couple of ladies from Charlotte who had reached their car gave me some trail magic: an orange and a handful of fresh snap peas. Both were extremely delicious. I had never eaten raw snap peas before, but I will look for the opportunity to try them again. I have had no AT&T phone service for the last two days, so I have not been able to check in with May Louise. Although the Old Orchard campsite is full of hikers and a Boy Scout troop, I am the only one in the old shelter. It has a deserved reputation for mice. My food is hung, so I don't think I will have any problems with them. But a large flying beetle who is dive bombing my headlamp as I write is a nuisance.
Date: 2014-05-26
From: Old Orchard Shelter mile 506.4

To: Trimpi Shelter mile 520.5
Miles today: 14.1
Weather: few clouds

Ridge Runner came by while I was packing. I did not know that the AT Conference hired Ridge Runners outside the Smokies, but now understand they work the whole trail. It is a demanding job to hike the trail every day stopping at each shelter to record conditions and clean any trash left by irresponsible hikers. This fellow has through hiked all thee of the national trails, has been doing this job for a half dozen years, and plans to quit next year so he can do moe hiking next year. I may or may not finish the AT, but regardless hiking will not become a life obsession. I like my creature comforts too much. Relatively easy day. Uphill sections were not too steep.Finally got cell service this afternoon and checked in with May Louise. She got home OK and has gone out with new friends from church including an event at the Appalachian Trail Museum. Again in there is little traffic in the trail. Only a couple of people passed me throughout the day, but there is a dozen folks at and around the shelter for the night.I am feeling grubby and am looking forward to a shower and non-trail meal in Marion tomorrow. Deliberate is at the Shelter and for Memorial Day recited the Gettysburg Address to the group at the picnic table.Retired Army Officer smoked a big cigar at the table explaining that it was his field vice. He was not allowed to smoke them at home. Listened to The Scarlet Pimpernel while hiking today. I was familiar with the title of the book, but I did not know anything about it. It is an early spy novel set in England and revolutionary France. It held my attention well,
Date: 2014-05-27
From: Trimpi Shelter mile 520.5

To: Mount Rogers Visitor's Center mile 531.2
Miles today: 10.7

Short hike on an easy trail to reach Mount Rogers Visitor's Center before Marion Transit bus picks up hikers for ride to Marion. Arrived with an hour to spare.Took time along the way to enjoy a coke and cracker from an unmanned trail magic box provided by the youth of a local Baptist Church. Rain started while I was halfway through the day's hike. Rain was not heavy, but wearing my rain gear on a humid day assured my clothes became soaked with sweat.We got to the Marion Motel in time for a shower and clothes washing before a delicious Italian supper. The motel is full, so I am sharing a room with Solo Amigo or Mike Robbins, a through hiking retiree from Maryland State Government who lives in Westminster. Supper with Deliberate and Billy Goat, an emergency room physician from San Francisco was entertaining as we swapped experiences and stories. I plan to return to the trail tomorrow, but I am not very enthusiastic about it. Weather prediction for the next three days is 50%, 70%, and 50% chance of rain. When I add the food we packed and May Louise left for me in Marion with the leftovers I already had, my pack will be disturbingly heavy.
Date: 2014-05-28
From: Mount Rogers Visitor's Center mile 531.2

To: US 11, I-8, Atkins. VA mile 542.7
Miles today: 11.5
Weather: overcast clouds

Solo Amigo decided to slow his hiking pace and walk with me today. I really appreciated the company. It made the day go much more quickly. As part of his State government job he worked in a local health department, so we swapped garbage and septic tank stories. He told about visiting a woman in rural Maryland who was burning her garbage instead of using the county's collection service. She explained that the county service was not provided in her neighborhood. The county truck had a sign on its side announcing their exclusion. It read "Refuse Collection".Mike Robbins had planned to do his through hike with a good friend, but before the two amigos got started his friend experienced some serious health problems that kept him off the trail. As a consolation he had a hat made for Mike with the name "Solo Amigo" Mike and I took time for a big McDonald's breakfast before taking the Marion Transit bus back to the Mount Rogers headquarters and visitor's center. We did not get back on the trail until noon, but the trail was fairly easy and we completed the 11.5 miles to the I-81 crossing just before 7:00 pm. A 40% chance of rain was predicted, but we lucked out and stayed dry all day. Anticipating rain we made reservations to stay at the small Patel Motel at I-81. As a result I had the luxury of getting to take a shower two nights in a row.The Mt. Rogers Visitors Center had a scales; so I checked out my pack weight before starting. With food for 5 days and reserve water it totaled a disappointing 40 pounds We hiked through lots of poison ivy gardens today. Although I wear long pants and long sleeve shirts and try to stay in the middle of the trace away from trailside greenery the oil from the poison ivy has to get on my boots, hiking poles, and pants legs. If I do not end up with a case, it will indicate that I really have developed a modicum of immunity. We saw lots of wildlife today. In addition to the rabbit, turtle, chipmunk, and hawk we stirred up along thee trail, Mile, who has more experience and better ears than me pointed out a turkey's "chuff" and a barred owl's screech.We took time to wander through the 1890 farm and the Lindamood School at the a settlers Museum of Southwest Virginia. All the staff was gone by the time we arrived, but the facility welcomed through hikers to stop and look around and even provided some trail magic in conjunction with a local Methodist Church.We had a surprisingly good supper at the only restaurant at the Rural Retreat, VA intersection with Deliberate. Chance of rain goes up to 80% tomorrow. I think I will see if I can get a ride to slack pack from an intersection 12 miles up the trail back to here.
Date: 2014-05-29
From: US 11, I-8, Atkins. VA mile 542.7

To: VA 42, O'Lystery Pavilion mile 554.4
Miles today: 11.7

After inquiring at filling station and The Barn restaurant I located Linda who took me to State Route 42 intersection for day of southbound slack packing for a $45 transportation charge. The charge seemed high, but the drive from I-81 to the trailhead was long. She will take me back to the same spot to start tomorrow's hike.Linda had another set of hikers to transpire before me, so I did not get to the trailhead until noon. I completed the 11.7 miles and got back to the motel before 6:30 leaving time for a shower before supper.As always, hiking without the weight of my pack felt wonderful. When we got to the trailhead a Methodist Church had set up a full service trail magic station. In addition to hot dogs, hamburgers, cold drinks, fruits, supplies, chairs, and rain cover, they had a guitarist playing and singing my favorite Chet Atkins song: "If You Haven't Been Frog Kissin', You Don't Know What You've Been Missin'".Trail had some steep climbs that I was glad to miss hauling my pack over, but was delightfully varied with open views from field walks, flat ridge walks, boardwalks across swampy areas, and a section following a branch of the Holston River.The anticipated rain that was the excuse for my slack packing day only fell for a brief period in the afternoon. Humidity was high all day; so I was happy to be able to take a shower and wash my soggy clothes at the motel at the end of the day. Solo Amigo decided to continue normal style. We passed each other the middle of the afternoon. I was surprised by the number of hikers I met while walking south. I did not keep a count, but the number was high. Solo Amigo gave me a horticulture lesson about the flowered sticker bushes we passed anytime we were in open fields. They are not the flowers of blackberry bushes as I had assumed. They are Multi Floral Roses, an exotic brought to The US to make living sticker bush fences like those found in Europe as a natural alternative to barbed wire. The plants propagated out of control and have become a costly headache for farmers, the open field equivalent of Kudzu. Deliberate took a zero day today, but she was impressed with my slack packing experience and will ride with me to the trailhead tomorrow to try it herself. I completed a fourth of the whole trail today. Some hiking artist commemorated the quarter with a rhododendron petal sign that I photographed.