morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2003-03-03
From: Woody Gap

To: Neels Gap
Miles today: 10.7
Weather: few clouds

Luke called today from his first mail drop...Neels Gap, so he is a bit ahead of schedule. He has hooked up with a couple of other guys around 21 years old (did not leave their names on the voicemail). Said it was cold and windy last night, but dry. Got to Neels Gap just fine and his first mail drop box was there! Plans to spend the night at the hostel at Neels Gap and then hit the trail tomorrow with his new hiking buddies and BearKat.
Date: 2003-03-04
From: Neels Gap

To: Low Gap Shelter
Miles today: 10.6
Weather: overcast clouds

Laura and I received a phone call this afternoon from a Jimmy Scarr. Jimmy is the grandfather of 2 AT hikers who Luke has hooked up with. Jimmy went up to Neels Gap to meet his grandsons and took them and Luke out to breakfast and then hiked some of the day with the three of them. It was great to get the call and THANKS for the breakfast.
Date: 2003-03-05
From: Low Gap Shelter

To: Unicoi Gap
Miles today: 9.4
Weather: overcast clouds

Luke made it to Unicoi Gap by Wednesday, March 5th along with Paul and Zack. They got a ride into Helen, Georgia (about 9 miles off the trail) and checked into a hotel, which was a good thing as there was a heavy thunderstorm during the night. Managed to stay dry and avoid the rain on the trail. Took a shuttle back to the trail the next day.
Date: 2003-03-11
From: Glassmine Gap

To: Franklin, N.C.
Miles today: 6.3
Weather: scattered clouds

Luke called us today and he is in Franklin, N.C. and is pretty close to his schedule. Great to hear from him. He and Paul (from Marietta, GA) have been hiking together since the start; however, Paul has a friend joining him for a few days, so Luke plans to hike ahead and get to Fontana Dam by Saturday, March 15th. Laura, Carey and I plan to drive up to Fontana Dam and meet up with Luke for the day.Luke crossed his first state line Georgia to North Carolina and has gotten 100 miles completed...only 2,068 miles to go! He has not had to hike in any rain yet and weather is warming up just a bit. Several people are on the trail and he has met a nice group of hikers. He was surprised at the wide group of people hiking the trail from Denmark and Canada and several people from up north.He has some tough going this week from 3,700' to 5,200' back down to 3,000' and back up to 5,000' and then back down to 3,000'. Going down hill is tough on the legs and knees, especially with 50 pounds on your back.Will update again this weekend.
Date: 2003-03-13
From: Cold Spring Shelter

To: Nanthala Outdoor Center and Hostel
Miles today: 10.0

Luke made it to his second maildrop and treated himself to a stay at a hostel. Luke turned 19 today...Happy Birthday, Luke. Received a phone call from Bob Scarr, father of Paul Scarr (who Luke met on the trail)and said he had spoken with Paul today and he and Luke are doing great. Nice to get the call and will provide Bob updates as we hear from Luke.
Date: 2003-03-14
From: Nanthala Outdoor Center and Hostel

To: Brown Fork Gap
Miles today: 16.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Received a phone call from Luke this morning before he set out on the trail. He is doing great. Spent last night at the NOC hostel. Indicated the weather has been cooperative and he feels great physcially. Knees a bit sore from the downhills, so he is looking forward to getting to Fontana Dam and then taking a zero day on Sunday to rest. Indicated that there have been discussions about his trailname getting changed to "Shifty" but, it has not completely stuck, so we'll see.
Date: 2003-03-15
From: Brown Fork Gap

To: Fontana Dam, NC
Miles today: 11.6
Weather: overcast clouds

Laura, Carey and I along with Sue Hamm drove up to meet Luke at Fontana Dam. Got to the meeting spot at 1:15 or so and found Paul Scarr; however, no Luke. Paul indicated he had hike ahead a mile or so to the visitor's center at Fontana Dam. Took Paul and drove around looking for Luke. Found Luke walking up the road towards us. Luke looked great, though quite fragrant!!! The restaurant at Fontana Dam closed at 2:00, so we drove back to Robinsville to find a place to eat...all the restaurants closed at 3:00, so we drove another 20 minutes to Andrews and found a Mexician restaurant. Paul commented when driving back to Andrews on the fact that he and Luke just spent the last three days hiking this area. Laura and I were amazed at this section of the trail and the changes in elevation. After getting something to eat, stopped in Robinsville for groceries and knee braces. Both Luke and Paul commented on how sore their knees were, so hopefully the knee braces will help. We found a small motel just below Fontana Dam that took in hikers, did their laundry and provided shuttle service. As a birthday treat, we treated Luke and Paul to a night at The Hike Inn. Both Luke and Paul indicated they were going to take a zero day on Sunday, so they can get some rest before attacking the Smokies. Plans are to spend the night at The Hike Inn and then go to the Fontana Dam shelter and spend Sundady night at the "Fontana Hilton" before hitting the trail on Monday.It was great to see Luke, he is feeling great and really enjoying his experience on the AT. Also, was nice to meet Paul...easy going guy and a perfect hiking partner for Luke.
Date: 2003-03-16
From: Fontana Dam, NC

To: Fontana Dam Shelter
Miles today: 1.1
Weather: overcast clouds

Spent Saturday night at The Hike Inn where we got our laundry done and got out of the rain. Jeff and Nancy (owners of The Hike Inn) took us into Fontana Village for a late breakfast and then over to Fontana Dam where Paul and I hiked a whopping 1.1 miles to the Fontana Dam shelter for a zero day. They call this the Fontana Dam Hilton shelter...very nice shelter. Felt good to rest before the Smokies.
Date: 2003-03-19
From: Silers Bald Shelter

To: Newfound Gap
Miles today: 12.5
Weather: overcast clouds

Heard from Luke tonight. He and Paul made it to Newfound Gap (200 miles completed)and hitch a ride to Gatlinburg, TN (about 15 miles from the AT)where they got a hotel room. Luke indicated the weather has been drizzly while hiking and heavy rains at night. He and Paul have stayed dry; however, the trail was very muddy today and high winds. Today, they past the highest point of the AT, Clingmans Dome at 6,643 feet. Luke indicated it was very foggy, so very poor visibility. The knee braces and Alive seem to have been the answer for both he and Paul. Plans are to be through the Smokies by Friday. Weather looks like rain for the next couple of days, so some challegnes ahead, but will be through the Smokies soon and some easier terrain.
Date: 2003-03-21
From: Tri-Corner Knob Shelter

To: Mountain Momma's Hostel
Miles today: 14.8

Luke called home and spoke with Laura. He and Paul are at Mountain Momma's and plan to spend the night at the hostel and to take a zero day tomorrow. Said the weather was great today...first day of spring. They got through the Smokies! Luke said some of his friends were planning on driving up to Mountain Momma's, hope they are able to hook up. Three weeks completed and 234 miles. He and Paul seem to be making some good decisions as to when to get off the trail and when to rest. Will update more when we hear from Luke again.
Date: 2003-03-23
From: Mountain Momma's

To: Groundhog Creek Shelter
Miles today: 9.6
Weather: broken clouds

Sue and Joey headed back to Atlanta...spring break ended for them. Luke and Paul took off for Groundhog Creek Shelter. Tough day of hiking, from 2,000 feet to 4,300 feet and back to 3,000 feet over 9 miles. Luke indicated he has gotten some bad blisters from the hike today.
Date: 2003-03-25
From: Walnut Mountain Shelter

To: Hot Springs, NC
Miles today: 13.1
Weather: clear sky

Luke called us this evening. He and Paul got up at 2:30AM and hit the trail, so they could beat the rest of the group to Hot Springs. There was a group just ahead of Paul and Luke who commented to them (when they were all at Mountain Momma's) that they would get to Hot Springs before Paul and Luke...oh, some friendly competion (even on the AT), so Luke and Paul decided to do some night hiking and beat the group. Said it was fun hiking at night and they now have all day at Hot Springs. Got into Hot Springs and ate a big breakfast and are spending the night at Elmer's Inn. When Luke called, Susan was home, so he was able to talk with his sister and get caught up. Indicated the weather has been great the past several days and he has been able to sleep under the stars the past three nights. Indicated he has some blisters and hopes they don't slow him down. There is a large group of hikers in Hot Springs today; several he had met earlier that have now all caught up again. He has completed 3 1/2 weeks, he sounds great...said he has lost 15 pounds and he seems to be really enjoying himself.
Date: 2003-03-28
From: Jerry Cabin Shelter

To: Sams Gap
Miles today: 17.1

Got to Sams Gap and a couple of the people in the group knew of a place to stay near Sams Gap. They were able to hitch a ride from a very questionable girl to a hostel that was just getting started. He spent the night in a tee-pee. Indicated this was by far the strangest day of the trip. They are all doing great. Blisters are healing up fine and he is enjoying himself.
Date: 2003-03-30
From: Bald Mountain Shelter

To: Spivey Gap
Miles today: 5.7
Weather: light snow

Woke up to snow! Hiked in the snow to Spivey Gap where we were picked up by Miss Janet who took us to her hostel in Erwin, Tenn. Fun to hike in the snow, but felt better being in the hostel. There is a large group of us that have hiked together since Hot Springs. Plans are to spend the night at Miss Janet's hiker's hostel; she will give us a ride back to Spivey Gap, where we will slack pack the 11 miles from Spivey Gap to Erwin, Tenn.
Date: 2003-03-31
From: Spivey Gap

To: Erwin, Tenn - Miss Janet's Hikers Hostel
Miles today: 11.2

Heard from Luke this morning. He and Paul and the group from Hot Springs spent the night at Miss Janet's hostel. She had picked them up yesterday at Spivey Gap and brought them to Erwin. She will give them a ride back to Spivey where they will slack back the 11 miles from Spivey to Erwin. He plans to spend the night, again, at Miss Janet's and then hit the trail Tuesday morning. Had some snow on Saturday, so he plans on holding onto some of his warm weather gear for a few more weeks. I have updated his journal indicating the stops he made since our last phone call. He sounds great, says he feels healthy and knees and blisters are not bothering him. His next mail drop will be in Damascus, VA!He has completed one month of his trip and 339 miles.He has sent home some film to be developed, I will post some of the pictures when I get them developed.
Date: 2003-04-04
From: Overmountain Shelter

To: Campsite near Walnut Mountain Road
Miles today: 18.5

Section of the AT beyond Overmountain Shelter was re-routed, which involved a few more miles and no shelters, so Luke and Paul found a campsite and set up their tents. Looked like rain was coming in for the night. Got a ride to a restaurant and had great fried chicken dinner.
Date: 2003-04-05
From: Campsite near Walnut Mountain Road

To: Dennis Cove
Miles today: 11.7

Laura and I received a call from Luke this afternoon from a hostel near Dennis Cove. They were able to hitch a ride to a nearby town and found room at the hostel. Luke is still hiking with Paul and a few others. He indicated that his appetite has increased and he needs more snack food for during the day, so we will adjust his mail drops and get more protein to him. They slept in their tents last night; it rained throughout most of the night and most of the morning today. He is drying out his gear at the hostel. Indicated it had been 10 days or so since his last shower...felt good to shower. He plans to get some groceries and do laundry this afternoon. Paul's mom is planning on meeting Paul and Luke in Damacus, VA on Tuesday and treating them to a couple of nights at a cabin...nice break.Luke indicated the area he has been hiking through the past 2 days has been incredible..."like a fairyland." Rolling hills of green.Luke has been on the trail 36 days now and completed 407 miles. Still having a great time and looking forward to crossing another state line next week.
Date: 2003-04-08
From: Double Springs Shelter

To: Damacus, VA
Miles today: 18.3

Laura received a phone call from Luke today. He is in Damacus, VA, which is his fourth state. Paul's mom met them in Damacus and they have rented a cabin for tonight and tomorrow night, so they will take a zero day on Wednesday.Luke indicated that they have had a lot of rain the past couple of days and the forecast indicates snow in 2 days. The weather in the eastern states has been colder than normal.On Sunday, they hiked the longest day so far...23.2miles. Luke indicated that the trail was in great shape and it was an easy hike. They hiked 18 miles today and got into Damacus around 8:30PM. Damacus, VA is a great trail town (it is labeld Trail Town USA), the AT actually runs through the middle of the town. Every May (May 10th this year) the town holds a weeklong Trail Days celebration, so Luke and Paul are planning to get a ride back to Damacus for the celebration. From my calculations, they should be around Front Royal,VA by the 10th of May (which is almost 500 miles out).Mail drops have all been on time. In addition to his Damacus mail drop, Luke received a card and money from his Aunt Chris (thanks for the card and money!!!) as well, he and Paul received a care package from their hiking partner back in Georgia and Tenn, Jim Marshal. Marshal was the one who changed Luke's trail name from LAWNBOY to SHIFTY. So, I have changed his trailname in the journal to SHIFTY. He is looking forward to a day off and enjoying the town of Damacus tomorrow.Until our next update...
Date: 2003-04-09
From: Damacus, VA

To: Damacus, VA
Miles today: 0.0

Paul's mom treated us to a cabin Tuesday night. There was concern of snow coming in, so Mrs. Scarr and her friend decided to leave to avoid getting caught in the snow (remember, we are southern's and don't know how to drive in the funny white stuff).Luke and Paul took a zero day today and plan to spend the night at the INN hostel. Luke said Damacus is a very trail friendly town and is enjoying his time there.
Date: 2003-04-10
From: Damacus, VA

To: Damacus, VA
Miles today: 0.0

Luke called this morning and said it was still raining, so he and Paul will most likely hang out in Damacus and take another zero day.Indicated that the trail through Virginia was easy and some of the people on the AT had done 30+ mile days. The trail does go along the Blue Ridge Parkway and there are a lot of restaurants, so meals should be fun during this stretch of the AT. He did ask that we increase the number of mail drops, so will have to work on that and get the revised list to him, so he can have more frequent drops with more food. Says he is always hungry.
Date: 2003-04-13
From: Thomas Knob Shelter

To: Troutdale, VA
Miles today: 21.2

Luke called this evening. He is in Troutdale, Virginia (507 miles). He and Paul did take another zero day on Thursday (4/10) in Damascus; there was still a lot of snow on the ground. Several hikers took off from Damascus on Thursday and ended up hitching rides back to Damascus as the trail was covered with snow.Friday (4/11) Luke and Paul did 9 miles, Luke said there were patches of snow on the trail and the trail is "sloppy." Saturday (4/12) they hiked 18 1/2 miles. Weather over the weekend has been very nice, clear and sunny. Today, Sunday (4/13) Luke and Paul hiked 21 miles. They passed through Grayson Highland State Park where there are wild ponies. Luke said they saw several wild ponies and he tried to feed one of them some trail mix...pony did not go for it. Have seen several deer along the trail during this section of the AT.He and Paul hitched a ride into Troutdale and are staying at a hostel run by the Troutdale Baptish Church. There are a couple of other AT hikers staying there also. Showered and doing laundry. Luke is doing great, though he did say he is still getting blisters but it has not stopped him. He seems to be really enjoying himself and enjoys all the hikers he runs into either on the trail or at the shelters.
Date: 2003-04-18
From: Bland, VA

To: Va 606
Miles today: 18.6

Luke called tonight and it was great because everyone was home for Easter, so Luke was able to talk with Susan, Robert, Carey and Randy.Since his last call from Troutdale, Va, Luke and Paul have hiked 90 miles and they have now completed 595 miles. Here is an update since our last call...Monday (4/14) hiked 14.5 miles to Partnership Shelter, which is near the Mt. Rogers National Recreation Area Headquarters where you can order pizza, which is delivered to the headquarters, so Luke and Paul ordered pizza for dinner.Tuesday (4/15) hiked 14.3 miles to Davis Path Shelter. There was no water at this site and both Luke and Paul were low on water, so they got up at 4:00AM and hiked to Crawfish Valley (3.7 miles up the trail) and got water and cooked breakfast and slept for a few hours.Wednesday (4/16) hiked 20.2 miles to Chestnut Knob Shelter. Saw a lot of deer and the weather had been nice these past couple of days.Thursday (4/17) hike 21.5 miles to Bland, VA. Went up to a house located near the trail and offered the lady $10 for for a ride into Bland. Said the lady was very nice and was happy to drive them into town. They went to the grocery store and loaded up their cart with food, etc. only to find out the store did not accept bank cards or credit cards and both were short on cash, so they ended up having to put most of the groceries back. There was a park behind the grocery store with a pavillion with pinic tables...this was home for the night.Friday (4/18) hiked 18.6 miles. Met two section hikers at Jenny Knob Shelter who were hiking to Va 606 and then were getting a ride back to Bland. The weather was cold and rainy today, so Luke and Paul asked if they could join them and get a ride back to Bland. The hikers were very agreeable and offered to take them back to the trail on Saturday. So, they got a ride back to Bland where they got a hotel room at the Big Walker Motel. Luke said his pack was wet and he was drying things out at the hotel and taking a shower. Said it was a cold and wet day today. Indicated he would be sending back some of his gear from the next mail drop (Pearisburg). Wants to get his pack weight down. He and Paul have hooked up with a couple other hikers (A-Train and Grunt) and have been hiking with them over the past couple of days. Pop-Tart, who had been hiking with Luke and Paul over the past several weeks, flew home for Passover and plans to get back on the trail Sunday afternoon; so, Luke and Paul will probably not see her for awhile. It is a small world...turns out that Grunt attends Auburn University and is in the same fraternity as one of Luke's high school friends.They are only 24 miles out from Pearisburg, so they will take it easy over the next couple of days and will be in Pearisburg on Easter Sunday where they will pick up their mail drops on Monday morning.They are really starting to pick up their pace. Luke said the trail is easy through this section and they have been able to put in 20+ days with no problems.Until our next call..
Date: 2003-04-19
From: Va 606

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

Got a ride from Bland back to the AT at Va 606. Both Luke and Paul have mail drops at Pearisburg, which that cannot pick up until Monday morning, so they had 2 days to cover 24 miles. Went 16 miles today to Doc's Knob Shelter.
Date: 2003-04-20
From: Doc's Knob Shelter

To: Pearisburg, Va
Miles today: 7.8
Weather: overcast clouds

Easter Sunday. Luke called Sunday evening and sounded great. Said last couple of days have been easy and weather has been pleasant. We are hoping to get up to see Luke and Paul the first part of May.Since we had a long call on Friday (4/18), not much to update other than Luke got his mail drop today; we had filled it with Easter grass and candy, which he enjoyed. They had a easy day today, only 7.8 miles. Got into Pearisburg, Va this afternoon and got a room at a motel. Luke used the afternoon to go through his pack and to send some of his gear and unneeded items home.
Date: 2003-04-25
From: Campbell Shelter

To: Daleville, Va
Miles today: 15.4
Weather: mist

Luke called us tonight from Daleville, Virginia. He is with Paul and A-Train and Grunt (an Auburn student). They have completed 711 miles. Luke said it has been raining hard the past couple of days. When he called us, we were at Auburn University participating in the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life and there were toronado warnings in Auburn, so I hope it wasn't as bad in Virginia.When Luke called, I did not have my AT Data book, so have updated the past couple of days in the journal based upon estimations...it will give you a good enough idea of the miles covered over the past five days.Luke sent home a box of gear and film. We will get developed and post some of the pictures to this web-site in the next next.The four of them have been hiking together for the past week or so and are staying in a hotel tonight. Several restaurants and laundry, so give them a change to get cleaned up, rested and some good food.Enough is healthy and doing fine. Luke continues to comment on how nice the trail is through Virginia. I wish they would get a few more dry days, but it's the trail and you have to deal with what Mother nature dishes out.Until our get call.
Date: 2003-05-05
From: Waynesboro

To: Blackrock Hut
Miles today: 20.0
Weather: light rain

Luke and Paul's plans were to hike 20 miles today and to meet up with Paul's dad and brother on Tuesday. We ate breakfast and then dropped Luke and Paul off at Rockfish Gap around 10:30. Luke and Paul headed north on the AT and Laura, Carey and I headed south on I-81.
Date: 2003-05-08
From: Bearfence Mountain Hut

To: Hughes River Gap
Miles today: 18.1

Received a call from Luke this evening. He and Paul had just finished eating dinner at the Skyland Diner. Today they crossed the 900 mile mark!!!!Paul's dad, Bob, and brother, Andrew, met up with Luke and Paul at the Blackrock Hut on Tuesday and hiked with them to Pinefield Hut. Luke had left some trail magic at Pinefield Hut last Sunday when we were with him, but it was all gone by Tuesday afternoon. Bob and Andrew spent the night with Luke and Paul and then they hiked back out and Luke and Paul continued on to Bearfence Mountain Hut Wednesday night and then will tent camp tonight at Hughes River Gap.This part of the AT runs right along Skyline Drive and there are restaurants, etc. along the way and it is relatively flat, so Luke said the hiking is easy and the weather has been very nice; however the bugs are getting nasty!We had the last three rolls of film developed and have posted several of Luke's shots to this website. The newest pictures posted are dated 05/05/03.   Looks like Luke will hit the half-way point around May 17th, which would put him close to his initial schedule.
Date: 2003-05-09
From: Hughes River Gap

To: Pass Mountain Hut
Miles today: 9.5
Weather: light rain

Rainy day today. Got to the diner at Thornton Gap, but it was closed. Paul and Luke got a ride from a Forest Ranger into Luray (about 10 miles off the trail) where they were they ate at a restaurant. Got a ride to a K-Mart where they picked up some supplies and then hitch a ride back to the trail. Person that gave them the ride back was a '96 thru hiker. People are so nice along and around the trail. They hiked a few more miles, afer getting dropped off at the AT, to Pass Mountain Hut.