morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2011-06-14
From: The Peaks of Otter Lodge

To: Marble Spring
Miles today: 7.1

Day 85 - After visiting the doctor on Monday, he released me to continue this little venture with the understanding that I would take it easy. My doctor actually worked in a clinic in Hot Springs, NC so he was accustomed to seeing hikers and their maladies. I drove to Peaks of Otter on Tuesday afternoon, not really knowing where I was going to leave my car and how I was going to get back to the trail head. At some point, I remembered seeing a small pull off area on the parkway very near to where the trail crossed the parkway and where I got off on June 8th. I stopped by the visitor center at the Peaks and asked them if it would be OK for me to park my car in the pull off area. Greg and Rick made several calls to the parkway's law enforcement office and after giving them all the required information they said I could park there until Friday. This was a huge convenience because it eliminated the question of how I was going to get back on the trail. I did not feel like walking up 10 miles from the Lodge to the trail head. I was back on the trail at 3:20pm and passed Thunder Hill shelter at 3:25pm. I did not stop but there must have been 8-10 hikers at the shelter. This was a little unusual to have so many hikers at a shelter that early in the day. I never saw them again, so I do not know if they were south bound or just day hiking or just having fun. The weather was marvelous today, the temperature in my car said it was 63*F and it was low humidity, a great day to be hiking. I got to Marble Spring at 6:50pm after hiking 7.1 miles. After passing Thunder Hill shelter, I saw no one else on the trail. The terrain was fairly smooth today so I made good time. My total mileage is now at 768.9 miles.
Date: 2011-06-15
From: Marble Spring

To: Punchbowl Shelter
Miles today: 18.3
Weather: broken clouds

Day 86 - I slept OK but I really never get a total good night's rest while camping. Every time I turn, I wake up to readjust my sleeping bag and there are always noises. I recall the first 3 weeks or so in Georgia there was a void of animal life. Now, the night is full of animal sounds, mostly birds. There was some bird during the night that kept me awake calling out. Then around 9:00pm, there was a deer that grazed through the campsite. Early in the morning a flock of turkeys paid me a visit. I am not complaining because it could be bears, raccoons, or skunks, so I prefer birds. I got up around 6:20am after the turkeys walked through, I was actually shivering; it got down to the mid-50's during the night. I was on the trail at 7:00am and on my way. I got to Matt's Creek shelter at 9:30am having hiked 5.6 miles. I saw one day hiker going through, he would be the only hiker I would see until I set up camp later during the day. I stopped for 45 minutes and ate some crackers, smoked sausage and cheese. I am trying to find new items that I can eat without having to rehydrate everything plus be cooler. I got to the James River at 11:00am and crossed the longest, foot only bridge on the AT. After a short hike out of the river valley I arrived at John Hollow shelter at 12:00pm having covered 9.5 miles so far. It was not terribly hot but I decided to rest awhile, so I took off my boots/socks so that they would dry out and laid down in the shelter for a while. I tried to eat some hot granola and blueberries but I just could not handle it, so I had a little more cheese and crackers. I am carrying my crackers on the top pocket of my backpack in an attempt to keep them from crumbling, it is working so far. The afternoon was uneventful and I arrived at Punchbowl shelter at 6:55pm having done 18.3 miles for the day. Again, the cooler temperatures and lower humidity make this much more enjoyable. I have altered my water strategy as well. At every water source, in addition to filling up my containers, I am drinking between 700 - 1,400 ml, forcing myself to do it. So, I have move from a sipping strategy to a gulping one. Of course, this means I am having to get up 2-3 times a night but that is a better solution than cramping. There was a family from Chattanooga that had set up their tent near the shelter, they were section hiking. The mom and dad, both teachers, have done a lot of hiking and they do it with their two girls, ages 5 and 7. Each girl has their own pack and they carry their sleeping bag, clothes and stuff animals. The dad said it was much easier now because they use to have to carry the youngest girl, can't imagine that. They go 3-5 miles a day and the one girl that I talked to seems to enjoy it. Since the forecast called for rain, I elected to set up my tent inside the shelter since no one else was there. Over all, I had a good day, even with the nearly 2,700 foot climb out of the river valley. The James River is the lowest elevation on the trail in Virginia at 678 feet. My total mileage is now 787.2.
Date: 2011-06-17
From: On trail near Cown Camp Gap Shelter

To: Spy Rock Road
Miles today: 12.6

Day 88 - It never did rain during the night but I was glad I had put on the rain fly because I once again woke up shivering. My plan today was to hike to Montebello, go to a hostel and get a ride back to my car on the parkway and then take Saturday off. I was up early and on the trail at 6:45am. My main concern this morning was once again water. By not hiking the 0.6 miles to the shelter to get water, I was running a little short. I have been drinking an entire 750 ml every night and again each morning just to ensure that I am hydrated. This is in addition to drinking that quantity when I do obtain water. I did not have enough to drink that amount this morning so I just nursed what I had. My guide book showed several water sources so I was not too concerned. I just wanted to stay ahead of being hydrated and not get back into my previous predicament. However, the longer I walked none of the water sources materialized. Finally, after 8.3 miles I crossed the north fork of the Piney River. This was not really a river at this point, as I crossed it by stepping over 3 stones. But the water was so refreshing. I sat and drank 1.5 L and loaded up my two water bottles and rested for 15 minutes. Around 12:30pm it started raining a little but it actually felt good and at 1:00pm I got to Spy Rock Road. This was the spot that I was to call the Dutch Haus for a ride but since the road is gated one has to walk down a mile to the gate. Bob picked me up around 1:45pm and took me to the Dutch Haus and I took the very best shower ever. The Dutch Haus is a bed and breakfast but also has a bunk house for hikers, a very nice set up. So around 2:15pm, Bob and I head to the BRP and to my car. We arrived at 4:00pm, so I actually went back into Buena Vista and ate. I hiked 12.6 miles during the day and my total is now 814.9 and I did 53.1 miles for the week. I will take Saturday off and hit the trail, after climbing back up that rocky mile road.
Date: 2011-06-19
From: Spy Rock Road

To: Priest Shelter
Miles today: 4.5
Weather: broken clouds

Day 90 - I hit the trail at 6:10pm, after climbing up a mile along a rocky road. It was still fairly humid and hot so I was in a drenching sweat after 10 minutes. That first sweat after being in civilization is tough; it is like you are sweating out air conditioning, running water and clean clothes. Only 0.5 miles up the trail was a side trail to Spy Rock, I decided to go ahead and do that and I am glad I did. I took off my pack and climbed over rocks to reach the top, it was quite scenic and worth the 20 minutes. I was only going to Priest shelter tonight, which was 4.5 miles from where I started and I arrived there at 8:20pm. There were two other thru hikers there, Toto from Kansas and Griphin from New Jersey. The weather forecast was heavy rain later in the evening so I elected to stay in the shelter. With the short distance that I covered today my total now stands at 820.0 miles.
Date: 2011-06-21
From: Maupin Shelter

To: Paul Wolfe Shelter
Miles today: 15.8
Weather: overcast clouds

Day 92 - The night was uneventful and it did not rain but both set of clothes are wet. There is nothing more enjoyable than putting on wet underwear, wet socks and putting your feet into wet boots to start the day!! Oh well, one of the tribulations of this little journey. I was on the trail by 8:15am and after an hour I was so thankful that I had not attempted to go further yesterday. All I did this morning was ascend and descend on the rocky trail. Granted, there were some nice overlooks but I saw no suitable camping area so I would have been in a bind late yesterday had I continued. It was supposed to be in the low 90's today so I was pretty diligent on drinking water, at every water source I would drink between 0.75 - 1.5 liters of water. The day was pretty uneventful, just one step in front of the other. It did thunder around 4:00pm and got very dark and windy but it never rained. I arrived at Paul Wolfe shelter at 6:20pm, having hiked 15.8 miles. A day hiker, Dennis, was there so we struck up a conversation. He was testing out some new equipment. He was actually born in Erwin but does not remember living there. His dad worked in Johnson City. Once he learned my plans he offered to take me into Waynesboro on Wednesday, I immediately took him up on his offer. He had parked at the trail head at U.S. 250. I rinsed off in Mill Creek and we ate dinner. Tired of the shelter living, I elected to set up my tent. I am only 5 miles from Rockfish Gap and U.S. 250 into Waynesboro. My total mileage now stands at 854.0 miles.
Date: 2011-06-24
From: Blackrock Hut

To: Loft Mountain Campground
Miles today: 6.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Day 95 ¢ I slept well but my feet hurt as I have developed several blisters during the past days. The whip-o-wills started calling each other around 5:00am and they appeared to be right on top of us. As a side note, the noise I heard several nights ago had been suggested that it was coyotes and not wolves. This was pretty well confirmed from others that I have talked to. Since I had only a few miles to do today I took advantage of that and stayed in my tent until 8:00am. I got up and was on the trail at 9:35am and immediately had a climb up Loft Mountain. I went over Blackrock Mountain which is just a huge landslide of rock, very interesting and spectacular. I arrived at Loft Mountain campground at 12:30pm, using a spur trail off the AT to the campground. I went to the site that I had reserved; I was not that pleased with the tent area but left my gear there anyway. I gathered up my dirty clothes and was going to go take a shower, eat and do laundry. I walked to the camp store to find that the shower and laundry area was closed from 1:00-3:00pm and it was now 1:15pm. So change of plans, the wayside restaurant was 1.3 miles down the road and I really did not want to walk, my feet were still sore. So, I asked a lady if she would take me down to the wayside, in the quick ride down the hill it was determined that her husband was from Erwin. That is the second Erwin connection in 3 days. I went to the wayside and had a turkey wrap and a blackberry milkshake. The waysides along the Skyline Drive are known for these milkshakes and it was good. After eating, I stood by the road going back to the campground and hitched a ride back to the registration station and was able to change my site. While sitting there a lady walked up and said that she knew me. I recognized her immediately; it was Pam who I had met in Woods Hole with Rainbow. I had slacked packed with Rainbow into Pearisburg while Pam took my gear into town. Rainbow had come down with shingles and had been off the trail for 10 days back home in PA. I had seen his name some time ago in one of the shelter journals and at that point he was 14 days ahead of me. He had just gotten back on the trail and was slack packing with Pam up the trail along the Skyline Parkway. I told her what site I was in and told her to come by that evening. From here, I went and took a shower and did laundry and moved my stuff from the original camp site and set up my tent. Megan showed up at 5:30pm with food and adult beverages. We grilled cheeseburgers and while eating Pam and Rainbow showed up. We visited for an hour and it was good to catch up with him. The night was cool with a good breeze. With the short 6 miles today my total is now 880.2 miles.
Date: 2011-06-25
From: Loft Mountain Campground

To: Ivy Creek Overlook
Miles today: 5.4

Day 96 ¢ The wind blew all night long and was probably in the low 60¢s. I got up around 12:10am to go pee and the night sky was unbelievable. The stars were so bright and the wind had blown the haze away. It was quite breath-taking. We got up and went down to the wayside for breakfast. My plans today were to slack pack 5.4 miles, while Megan went ahead, parked and hiked south toward me. This worked out well and I was able to get in some easy miles, quickly. On June 14, I had switched from my Oboz boots to a pair of Patagonia boots. The Patagonia¢s are much lighter weight and I thought I would try them for a while. The first week was okay but this week, particularly with the 20 mile day, really started to hurt my feet. I was getting blisters again, some underneath calluses which I could not drain. The Patagonia¢s would be good for day hiking but just do not provide enough stability for long miles. I hiked 118.4 miles in them. I have two sets of Oboz and went back to the original pair today. They still look good and really have little wear on them, so I will use them and then go to the new pair if need be. My total mileage is now at 885.6 miles.
Date: 2011-06-26
From: Ivy Creek Overlook

To: High Top Hut
Miles today: 9.8
Weather: overcast clouds

Day 97 - I was able to slack pack again today, which is really a treat. Megan let me out at Ivy Creek at 3:00pm and I hiked 8.6 miles until 6:00pm. At this last stop, I ate a left over sandwich and loaded up with what food I would need for the balance of the week. There were 2 lodges and one wayside (rest area on the Skyline Drive that has food) along my route this week so I did not need a full load. I headed into the woods at 6:30pm and hiked the short 1.2 miles to the hut and arrived at 7:00pm. There were already 3 other hikers in the hut and one tent camper. It was suppose to rain that evening so I elected to stay in the hut as well. My total miles today were 9.8 and my overall total is 895.4 miles.
Date: 2011-06-28
From: Big Meadows Lodge

To: Pinnacles Picnic Area
Miles today: 12.3

Day 99 - I got up and had a good breakfast and packed my pack. When I went to the front desk to check out the clerk did not really say anything so I asked if she is supposed to ask me how my stay was? She said, ¢How was your stay?¢ and I responded that I had hiked 915 miles on the AT and had more trouble with mice last night in the lodge than I have had the entire hike. She was apologetic but went on to say that the National Park Service will not allow them to catch or poison the mice in the lodge. I thought about all kinds of politically incorrect comments but did not share them. I was on the trail at 9:40am which was late but I had slept until 8:00am and had breakfast. Plus, I was not going to push myself today after hiking the miles I did yesterday. I arrived at Skyland restaurant at 2:20pm and had a good lunch. My plan was to get to Byrd's Nest hut which was 6.4 miles from Skyland Resort. I was ready to hike around 3:30pm but it got very dark, windy and thunderstorm clouds were looming in the distance. I decided to just sit tight, since I had enough daylight to get to the hut. It started raining around 4:00pm and rained hard. After the front moved through, I was on the trail at 4:30pm headed north. The trail today was tough, a lot of ups and downs and rocky. I was glad that yesterday was easier terrain because I would not have been able to do the miles that I did given today's terrain. After hiking for an hour, I called Megan and she offered to come get me since it was supposed to rain again this evening. I immediately accepted her offer and she met me at Pinnacles picnic area. Even with the late start and terrain, I still covered 12.3 miles for the day and my total is 928.1 miles.
Date: 2011-06-29
From: Pinnacles Picnic Area

To: Elkwallow Wayside
Miles today: 13.8

Day 100 - With Megan's schedule we decided that I would be able to slack pack for the remainder of this week and on into next week. This will allow me to pick up some easy miles without the wear and tear on my shoulder and neck plus be able to shower every night. I drove up to Pinnacles Picnic grounds and parked, it was 63*F and extremely low humidity with blue skies. I was on the trail at 10:30am and stopped at Mary's Rock for lunch. This was quite a vista but I only had my phone camera. I don't think it got above 75*F today and was an absolutely gorgeous day. I arrived at Elkwallow wayside at 4:50pm after hiking 13.8 miles. Megan met me there and took me back to get my car. My total miles now stand at 941.8 miles.
Date: 2011-06-30
From: Elkwallow Wayside

To: US 522 (Front Royal)
Miles today: 19.3
Weather: clear sky

Day 101 - I got an earlier start today, Megan drove me back up to Elkwallow wayside and I was on the trail at 7:40am. This was going to be a long mileage day, 19.3 miles, going all the way to U.S. 522 outside of Front Royal. Luckily it was a repeat of yesterday's weather, 63*F and low humidity so it was a good day to do this mileage. In addition to the 19.3 miles, I also had to hike 0.8 miles to obtain water two times. Attempting to be very disciplined to stay my course on my water consumption strategy I had to do the extra miles. Actual water sources on the trail today were scarce. Today I was able to pick all the red raspberries that I wanted if I took the time. They had definitely ripened over the past couple of days, so I stopped 3-4 times and helped myself. At one patch I saw that had been beaten down, I am sure that it had been visited by a bear. Around 1:00pm while going up a slight grade I saw the tail end of a bear running up the trail. I marked the spot and it was about 40 yards in front of me. When I got to that spot it was now about 20 yards above me, standing on a fallen log. I attempted to get my phone turned on, after I got my pepper spray out, but it moved out of range before I was able to get a shot. It was not a huge bear but it still gets your attention. I officially exited Shenandoah National Park at 3:10pm. My week long trip through the park has been fun. The majority of the trail is on good terrain and it is well maintained. The balance of the day was uneventful and I reached U.S. 522 at 4:55pm, having covered the 19.3 miles in less than 9 hours of hiking. My total mileage is now 961.2 miles. I plan to take tomorrow off, get a new camera and rest my feet for a day.
Date: 2011-07-02
From: US 522 (Front Royal)

To: VA State Hwy 55
Miles today: 8.2

Day 103 - Megan was able to hike with me today and we were on the trail late in the day because we were only going to do 8.2 miles. The terrain out of Front Royal was fairly level with only one gradual climb. We exited onto VA State Highway 55 at 7:20pm. I plan to take tomorrow off and hit the trail again on Monday, July 4th.
Date: 2011-07-04
From: VA State Hwy 55

To: VA US 50
Miles today: 11.7

Day 105 - After taking yesterday off, I was on the trail this morning at 9:30am with a relatively easy day planned. I started where the AT goes under I-66 and only had one up hill climb of any substance. There was an abundance of red raspberries today, so I supplemented my sandwich with fresh fruit. Today's travel took me through Sky Meadows State Park, which was nice. Other than the initial climb this morning the terrain was fairly flat and not too rocky. I arrived at U.S. 50 at 2:30pm after slack packing for 11.7 miles. My total mileage is now at 981.1 miles.
Date: 2011-07-05
From: VA US 50

To: VA US 7 at Snickers Gap
Miles today: 14.0

Day 106 - I once again started slack packing at 9:35am. Next week is going to be a rude awakening as I have not carried my full pack since day 99 on June 29. Even though I have not covered a great number of miles while slacking packing, it certainly has reduced the stress on my neck/back and feet. I am still carrying 5-6 pounds but a far cry from the mid-40 pounds in my regular pack. I was particularly glad I was slack packing today because I was to tackle the notorious "roller coaster" section of the trail today. Due to lack of available land around the trail, the trail has to transverse 10 tight ascents and descents over 13.5 miles. If more land was available, the trail could use more "switchbacks" or take a more gradual approach over this terrain. Switchbacks are like "S" curves driving up a mountain road verses just going up straight up the mountain (like they do in Georgia!!).Today was going to be hot, I believe it got between 88*F-90*F and quite humid. I was in the shade most of the day which kept the direct sun off of me. I arrived at Rod Hollow shelter at 11:00am, it was 0.2 miles off the trail but I needed to load up on water and this was the only water source. I started up the "roller coaster" at 11:40am and initially it was actually not as bad as I had envisioned. Again, slack packing helps tremendously. There was some steep climbs but as a whole not too bad. The meanest one was just south of where I was going to exit onto VA 7 at Snickers Gap. The trail got very close to the highway; you could hear the traffic and listen to the trucks gear down to make it up the incline. I am sure if the leaves were off the trees I could have seen the road. So, you mentally are shutting down and ready for the day to be over when all of sudden they take the trail away from the road and up a dang mountain again. I finally exited the trail at 4:40pm having hiked 14.0 miles for the day. I still have 3.3 miles of the "roller coaster" left but it will be there for another day. My total mileage is now at 995.1 and I am one day away of passing through the 1,000 mile mark.
Date: 2011-07-06
From: VA US 7 at Snickers Gap

To: VA US 7 at Snickers Gap
Miles today: 0.0

Day 107 - Early in the morning, I decided to take the day off today for some several good reasons. It was raining, my stomach had been upset off and on for a week, plus where I had sweated so much yesterday I had chafed my thighs again. So I spent the day downloading pictures and recouping.