morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2011-04-22
From: Wise Shelter

To: Dickey Gap (Troutdale Baptist Hostel)
Miles today: 16.1

05/10/11 - I'm going to add 5 days to the journal today (4/19 - 4/23) - So those of you following on a daily basis, make sure you start on the journal for 4/19. Mary Awoke after a shower around midnight to clouds and fog. Sometime last night a plan was formed that if we did 16 miles today we could stay at the Hostel in Troutdale, then do 14 tomorrow to the Partnership Shelter and 11 the next day to re-supply in Atkins; we could possibly have3 showers in 3 days and eat real food all 3 days. The Troutdale Hostel is real close to a restaurant and the Partnership Shelter has a shower and you can have pizza delivered there, so this seemed like a good plan that we started to put into effect today. We hiked the start of the day in a cold, wind driven rain with plenty of fog. There were no views, so we were thankful of our decision to do all of the Highlands yesterday. We hiked and chatted as a group today and the miles seemed to fly by. We played leap frog with the whole group that was at the shelter last night. Only Mammoth, Chainsaw, Sherpa and I were going to the Hostel, the rest were pushing on to the next shelter. The rain let up in the afternoon, but Mammoth had managed to fall twice today, once cutting his hand. He also seemed to get pretty dehydrated and by the time we reached the road looked pretty haggard. At the road crossing Breeze and Savage were trying to hitch a quick ride in for a bite to eat before they continued. Supposedly a guy would wait in the area with an old ambulance and shuttle people the 2 1/2 miles to town, but he wasn't around. Shortly after we arrived though a woman with a pickup stopped and offered us a ride; all five of us hopped in the back. About a mile down the road we saw Sherpa walking and we picked her up too. We all got dropped off at Jerry's Restaurant which was only 1/4 mile from the Hostel. The ambulance shuttle was there and the driver said he would be around to give us rides back to the trail tonight or tomorrow if we wanted. We all went inside to warm up and eat before heading to the Hostel. We found Rambo, Downhill, and Spoon already inside so we joined them. I had a bacon cheeseburger, garden salad, and peach cobbler with ice cream that was delicious. After Rambo, Sherpa, Mammoth, Chainsaw and I all headed to the Hostel for a hot shower and a dry bunk. Also at the Hostel was a southbound section hiker and a guy from England who is biking across the country. It is a good night to be inside as it is a cold blowing rain again as I write this. Back to roughing it tomorrow at the Partnership shelter with pizza delivery and a hot shower.note, Alan had 15.4 miles for today, I adjusted the total to 16.1 to agree with the Thru-hiker's companion.Mary
Date: 2011-04-23
From: Dickey Gap (Troutdale Baptist Hostel)

To: Partnership Shelter
Miles today: 14.5
Weather: scattered clouds

05/10/11 - I'm going to add 5 days to the journal today (4/19 - 4/23) - So those of you following on a daily basis, make sure you start on the journal for 4/19. Mary We didn¢t get a very early start as it was still foggy, but did walk back down to Jerry¢s Restaurant about 8:00 for a great breakfast before we were shuttled back to the trail. I polished off a ham, cheese, green pepper and onion omelet with hashbrowns and toast. Mammoth, Chainsaw, Sherpa, Rambo and I all planned to go to Partnership Shelter as the shelter is famous for being able to order Pizza for delivery. We all hiked together mostly in the morning chatting. I felt a little guilty today as I had a big breakfast followed shortly by trail magic from a local guy who had soda, Gatorade, and Little Debbie Oatmeal Cream Pies. He also told us about more trail magic at the next crossing. About an hour later we came to a cooler with sodas, apples, and Famous Amos cookies. A cold apple tasted delicious as the day was now sunny and hot. As we hiked today my right shin would become more and more sore. At every rest stop I would massage it and it would be better for a while. Finally, about 2 12 miles from the shelter, it was so sore I was limping and I noticed I had a knot in my leg. I stopped, rested, and made a call and massaged the leg for about 20 minutes and was able to make it to the shelter without further problems. Once I arrived at the shelter we all got down to the business of taking showers. As luck would have it my sister and her family were traveling to Florida for April vacation and their passing by coincided with my being at a shelter close to the road. So they got to stop by the shelter for a visit. They arrived shortly after the pizza was delivered with their subway sandwiches, so we all got to eat together. They also got to meet several of the hikers I¢ve been hiking with. Tonight we had Mammoth, Chainsaw, Sherpa, Rambo, Dog Brain, Rumble Strip, and a couple of other section hikers. We had a nice visit and it was great to see family while on the trail. They didn¢t get a good idea of what most shelters are like though. The Partnership Shelter is a two story log shelter with a shower, enclosed privy, running water, and a grassy lawn. The lawn area was so nice that 3 of us, Mammoth, Sherpa and I decided to cowboy camp as it was not going to rain. When you cowboy camp you just put your sleeping bag on your pad and ground cloth and just crawl in. It was a great night for it as the stars were brilliant and the air was quite warm. We saw several shooting stars and had a good sunrise. It was a great finish to a good day. I also lightened my pack by sending home my down bag, down coat, a set of long johns and some insoles. My sister had brought my old 40° sleeping bag along with an extra pair of shorts and t-shirt. The weight difference was noticeable, plus I lost some bulk which is a good thing.Again I adjusted mileage to agree with Companion - Alan noted 14.7, I put in 14.5Mary
Date: 2011-04-24
From: Partnership Shelter

To: Davis Path Campsite
Miles today: 14.3
Weather: clear sky

5/11/2011 ¢ I am again adding 5 days to the journal today (4/24 ¢ 4/28)Mary Sometime during last night¢s discussion and planning someone realized that the restaurant that was at the crossing of I-81 in Atkins ran an AYCE buffet on Sundays. Today being Easter Sunday, everyone thought this would be a good thing to do to celebrate Easter on the trail. Everyone left with only one thing on their minds, Virginia baked ham for lunch. The only catch was the buffet ran from 11:00-2:00, and the town was 11 miles away. Most plotted their speed and realized we could make it, but there was no time to lally gag. The trail today was mostly one uphill (as always), followed by several small ridges, then down, ending in some pretty fields. It was getting quite hot, but the apple trees were in bloom along with lilies and many other things. This made the walk quite fragrant and nice. Sherpa arrived first, followed by Mammoth, me, Rumble Strip, Chainsaw, Rambo, and Dog Brain. We all had the buffet which was wonderful. There was salad, ham, meatloaf, potatoes, several veggies, rolls, berry cobbler, and Easter bunny cakes. They did have a 3 plate limit posted. I¢m sure it was for the thru-hikers, but everyone was full by the 3rd plate. Everyone either drank sweet tea or regular ice tea with bottomless refills; so by the time we left we were just able to roll out side and collapse on their lawn for about an hour. There was some talk about staying in town, but the accommodations didn¢t look great, so ultimately everyone did a re-supply for 4-5 days and pushed on for a few more miles to camp for the night. It was a nice way to spend Easter, now everyone is ready for another 4 or 5 day stretch on the trail. The weather is supposed to stay hot, with some thunder showers coming later, so we will see how it goes.
Date: 2011-04-25
From: Davis Path Campsite

To: Chestnut Knob Shelter
Miles today: 20.2
Weather: scattered clouds

5/11/2011 ¢ I am again adding 5 days to the journal today (4/24 ¢ 4/28)MaryUp and out early today, left camp at 6:45 with the thought of taking a long break in the afternoon because it was supposed to be hot. Hiked up and over Little Brushy Mountain, then Gullion Mountain; then it was a long way down and back up over Tilsum Gap. Once we came back down we crossed a series of farms and meadows that were beautiful. The lilacs, apple blossoms, and wildflowers were all in bloom. I wish ¢Peregrine¢ could have been with me because the meadow was full of all kinds of birds and I could only identify about half of them. Just when it started getting really hot we came upon a trail magic cooler with PB & J sandwiches and cool sodas. It was everything you wanted. It¢s amazing how good a cold soda can taste. We made one more big climb then descended to where a couple of streams converged. When I got to the streams I rinsed off and soaked my feet for about 2 hours. I was joined by Chainsaw, but Mammoth found a spot further up. By the time we were ready to push on a thunder storm rolled in, there was nowhere to take cover so we just hiked on. The storm didn¢t last long, so when it was over Mammoth and Chainsaw pitched their tents at the base of Chestnut Ridge and planned to do the climb in the morning. I chose to push on for the 2nd 20 mile day and sleep at the enclosed Chestnut Knob Shelter. It was an exhausting climb at the end of a day, but I know I¢ll be dry tonight. As a side note we have now officially gone over the 14 mark for completion of the trail.Alan didn't mention the cows that are pictured, however, when I visited him in Waynesboro he told me how they kept walking ahead of him on the trail, going faster as he got closer, all following one leader (He has some video). Eventually the cows all scattered off the trail. Alan also got a chance to read the entries in his guestbook while in Waynesboro, and appreciates the comments and encouragement. - Mary
Date: 2011-04-27
From: Helveys Mill Shelter

To: VA 606 (Trent's Grocery)
Miles today: 16.3

5/11/2011 ¢ I am again adding 5 days to the journal today (4/24 ¢ 4/28)MaryToday didn¢t start out any better than yesterday. Right from the get go both my quadriceps were sore; so I hobbled going down the trail. I actually took 2 Aleve this morning hoping that would bring enough relief that I could walk at a decent clip. I missed having Chainsaw & Mammoth for company today, because the company & banter helps make the miles fly by, and misery loves comfort. Of course just before I made the first shelter it rained, on top of the strong wind we were having. I chose not to put on my rain gear and sweat, so consequently I was drenched and chilled. I did warm up at the shelter and the rain stopped quickly. I also managed to clean my filter so it pumps much quicker. I pushed on and the pain was bearable if I took frequent breaks. It seemed like forever, but I finally arrived at VA 606, the junction for Trent¢s Grocery. When I arrived I found Haiku standing staring at his guide book. He had originally planned on attempting the 24 miles to the next shelter, but decided he¢d join me in a trip to Trent¢s. When we arrived we both decided that the $6 offer for a campsite with shower and laundry was a good deal. We each had the BBQ pulled pork special that came with coleslaw and baby potatoes. After we showered and did laundry and set up our campsites we felt much better and realized we had made a good decision. The facilities weren¢t much, but I¢m clean and so are my clothes; my phone is charged and my belly is full. I went back later for a chicken salad sandwich and chocolate milk before the store closed. This leaves me with 2 easy days into Pearisburg where I¢ll probably get a motel and hopefully start feeling better. I left a note in the log for Chainsaw & Mammoth letting them know my plans, so hopefully they will catch up, or at least I¢ll reunite with them in Waynesboro when I take a couple zeroes (or short hikes with Mary). It¢s funny how quickly things change on the trail. Two days ago 15 miles was enough and I pushed on for 20, today I felt like 10 would have been plenty. I guess I¢m paying my dues for a couple of big days; maybe I¢m not quite ready yet. Two weeks ago I thought I would break a tooth on a snickers bar due to the cold, now you can¢t carry them because they melt everywhere. Right now I¢ve put myself in between bubbles of hikers with quite a few both ahead and behind that I know, but relatively few hikers around me at all. I¢m sure this too will change in a few days. I think I¢ll sleep like a rock tonight. My only hope is it won¢t be raining in the morning when I break down my tent. You can¢t have everything though, so we will just wait and see.
Date: 2011-04-28
From: VA 606 (Trent's Grocery)

To: Doc's Knob Shelter
Miles today: 16.1
Weather: scattered clouds

5/11/2011 ¢ I am again adding 5 days to the journal today (4/24 ¢ 4/28)MaryHere we go again. I¢m getting used to different sounds rain makes on the roof of my Hubba tent. First there is the pitter patter of a light rain that makes you think ¢darn, I¢ll have to pick up a wet tent in the morning¢. Then there is a drumming noise of heavy rain that makes you think ¢I hope I set up in a good spot so I don¢t get flooded¢. Then there is the whacking of the roof that sounds like a baseball bat hitting it. This I¢ve come to learn is the sound of hail. This is what I had again last night, hail. It started as a light rain with a distant thunder shower, and quickly progressed to a howling wind with huge hail. When I looked out from under the tent it looked like it was hailing Chinese throwing stars! Thank you to MSR for making a sturdy tent, because I don¢t know how that stuff didn¢t rip the tent to shreds. Once it passed I did sleep quite well. In the morning we went to the store for breakfast, but the whole town was out of power and they thought it would be until noon. The store owner was quite concerned with us out in the field through the night and was impressed our tents were still in one piece. We were able to purchase re-supply but had to recite the UPC code on each item for them. After walking 12 mile back to the trail I started back up a very wet path with a lot of leaves and sticks down on the trail from the storm. A couple miles up the trail I took a side trip down to Dismal falls. The falls were nice, with lots of water coming over due to the heavy rain. I stopped at Wapiti Shelter where I found Haiku eating lunch, and I did the same. Cascade & his dog Sierra came in as I was leaving. He said Chainsaw & Mammoth were just behind me along with a big bubble of hikers. He said most were going to the Woods Hole Hostel. I met Hansel & Gretel, the brother and sister hiking team as I left. I made it to Doc¢s Knob Shelter where I decided to stay in the empty shelter rather than tent. The shelter filled fast as Haiku, Giggle, Humdinger, and another hiker came in. Before too long Chainsaw and Sherpa came in. Both gave me a hard time claiming I was trying to lose them. I was glad to see both again, and heard Mammoth and Enzed had gone to the Hostel 2 miles back. That means we will all be together again when we get to Pearisburg. My right shin was quite sore and swollen again. A couple of guys at the shelter convinced me that I have shin splints. Depending on how I feel tomorrow I¢ll decide what I¢m going to do.Earl Grey was at Brown Mountain Creek Shelter Monday night (May 9th) ¢ May 11, 2011 - Happy 26th Wedding Anniversary Earl Grey!Mary(maybe Lady Grey - which is also a tea)
Date: 2011-04-29
From: Doc's Knob Shelter

To: Pearisburg, VA
Miles today: 8.2
Weather: scattered clouds

5/12/11 ¢ Adding another 5 days to the journal (4/29 ¢ 5/3)MaryIt was a cold night last night getting down to the high 30¢s or low 40¢s. I sleep a little cold in my lighter bag, and needed to put my power stretch shirt, pants, and hat on. Everyone was up and going pretty early with the promise of an AYCE Chinese food buffet for lunch. I hiked with chainsaw the 8 miles into town where we got a room for the night. Most all the hikers from the shelter and the hostel are in town now, many staying next door at the Holiday Motel. About 15 of us met at the Chinese food restaurant for lunch. I talked to Booksmarts and Redwood who both dealt with shin splints over the last couple of weeks, and I¢ve decided I¢ll zero tomorrow, then try to take it very easy, and hopefully I can get over this too. I¢m sure my couple of bigger mileage days have aggravated my shins. Most guys have said with a little rest and some lower mileage they have gotten better. Most of us went to the Mexican restaurant for dinner. Mammoth said he¢ll be leaving in the morning, so hopefully I can catch up to him eventually. I hate waiting around in town because everything else is going well; if I could just get my shin to straighten out I think I can make good mileage.
Date: 2011-04-30
From: Pearisburg, VA

To: Pearisburg, VA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

5/12/11 ¢ Adding another 5 days to the journal (4/29 ¢ 5/3)MaryStill sitting in town, eating and trying to rest. I¢m pretty worried and discouraged today about my shin. I¢m hoping it won¢t hurt too much tomorrow when I head out.
Date: 2011-05-01
From: Pearisburg, VA

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

5/12/11 ¢ Adding another 5 days to the journal (4/29 ¢ 5/3)MaryAfter breakfast at Hardees we caught a shuttle to the trailhead. I was unable to get a canister in town, but the shuttle driver happened to have a half empty canister that was given to him that he let me have. I have hiked very tentatively this morning hoping I wouldn¢t feel the pain in my shin. It felt pretty good and once we got up the steep climb with the way too heavy pack that always accompanies you out of town the terrain became quite flat, following a ridge for 7 or 8 miles. Before I knew it Chainsaw and I had done 13 miles. We decided to push on to the second shelter and ended up doing 17.5 miles. My shin feels good, so I¢ll see how I feel in the morning. Tonight I¢m at the shelter with Chainsaw, Haiku, Calf, Wild Rain, Grad School, and two other section hikers.
Date: 2011-05-02
From: Pine Swamp Branch Shelter

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

5/12/11 ¢ Adding another 5 days to the journal (4/29 ¢ 5/3)Mary I felt pretty good this morning, a little sore in the hips and shoulders, I think because my darn pack has so much food in it that it weighs a ton. I was very pleased that my shin felt good. It is a little swollen but not really sore. Our plan today was to do 12.7 and see how I felt, then possibly the other 5.8 to the next shelter. The miles passed slowly today due to the rocky terrain. By the time we made it to the shelter it was 2:30 and we hadn¢t eaten lunch yet. Calf, Wild Rain, and Grad School all were there and had eaten and were ready to move on. Both Chainsaw and I were pretty beat, he had twisted both ankles on the rocks and my quads were sore from the downhills. We ate and I soaked my feet and ankles in the ice cold creek. After about 10 minutes my feet were numb, but they do feel better when they thaw. We both napped in the shelter for about 12 hour. When we awoke we had to decide whether to stay or move on. Ultimately we decided to move on the 5.8 miles, but we had to make a 2,000 foot vertical climb in about 2 12 miles. We sweated our way up and just about when we were out of gas we saw a tote left by ¢super Dave¢ a past thru-hiker. It had sodas and little Debbie treats. We each got a soda and got the last two brownies in the box. Our fellow thru-hikers were kind enough to leave two brownies because they knew we were coming. Thanks Super Dave, it really made all the difference, and is just what we needed to climb the last third of the mountain. When we reached the top Chainsaw went on to the shelter, and I stopped to call Mary because I finally had service. She informed me of the demise of Osama Bin Laden, this put a spring in my step for the descent to the shelter where I informed everyone else. Overall it was a pretty good day as I feel a little more confident in my shin, but I think I will try to do a smaller day tomorrow so I don¢t overdo it. While we were hiking today we came across two deer that kind of bounded just ahead of us for about 5 minutes. I haven¢t mentioned any of the animals I¢ve seen so here goes: Deer ¢ 15 or 20 in 5 different sightings; Bear ¢ 0; Black snakes ¢ 3 (I think these are the common black snakes, not the black racer as I originally thought); Garter snakes ¢ 4; turtle ¢ 1; several frogs and toads, and many orange newts, though this is just in the last couple days. Hundreds of squirrels and chipmunks, too many different birds to name, but my favorites so far have been the abundance of barred owls. I have learned that the barred owls not only have their normal call, but they get hooting at times sounding like a bunch of apes. Also worth mentioning is either millipedes or centipedes that are about 4 inches long and sometimes seem to be everywhere in the leave litter. I also saw one rabbit, but that was in downtown Franklin, so that doesn¢t seem like it should count. I¢m still waiting to see a bear and a rattlesnake.
Date: 2011-05-03
From: Laurel Creek Shelter

To: Campsite at Bench on Southern Crest of Brush Mt.
Miles today: 17.5

5/12/11 ¢ Adding another 5 days to the journal (4/29 ¢ 5/3)MaryI slept in my tent last night, so I managed to sleep in until about 7:10. I got up feeling well rested, ate, packed up and Chainsaw and I were on the trail by 8:00. Early this morning we crossed through several pretty fields, but it was getting hot already with no shade. We soon came to Keiffer Oak, the largest oak tree in the south, estimated at over 300 years old! We made our way up a tough climb of Bruisers knob; the last few hundred feet seemed to go straight up. We followed another rocky ridge which made for slow going for about 5 miles. Near the end I thought Chainsaw had dropped some webbing off his pack. It turned out he had stepped on, or nearly stepped on a black snake that coiled and flicked its tail like it was a rattlesnake. It seemed quite angry and was ready to bite so we didn¢t fool with him too much. I did get pictures though. This incident brought about quite a discussion about rattlesnakes and how it was getting warm enough, and a good thing that wasn¢t one. We soon started down off the ridge for a break at the next shelter. As we were going down the trail I heard this buzzing which I thought might be a snake, but quickly dismissed it thinking it must be a cell phone vibrating in Chainsaw¢s pack. Chainsaw later said he had thought he heard a locust, but quickly realized when he saw something move about a foot from him that he had just walked passed a large, angry, rattling, rattlesnake. He leapt forward and I leapt backward. We composed ourselves, and captured the menacing snake both in pictures and video. The snake didn¢t move, he just sat there loudly rattling. When it was time to go I walked well off the trail and gave him a wide berth. Chainsaw decided it was time for me to lead. I walked very slowly and watched the ground quite closely for the rest of the day. When we rested at the next shelter we recounted our great snake adventure in great detail to Calf and Wild Rain who were both in for the night, even though it was only 3:00. I convinced Chainsaw we should push on up the next hill today and camp up on the ridge. Again it was a long steep hill that was made that much tougher because it was late. We decided to quickly make camp at the top because rain was coming. I ended up cooking in my tent in the pouring rain. Still, it was a good day with the snake sighting. I¢m sure I¢ll know exactly what that sound is next time. (Alan had 16.7, I put in 17.5)(Tomorrow I will add 2 more journal entries, then there will not be any more until at least Monday, May 16th. Hopefully I will have more photos to add then also) Mary