morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2013-05-09
From: Lost Mountain Shelter

To: Thomas Knob Shelter
Miles today: 12.2
Weather: light rain

I woke up pretty early because people were packing up their stuff in the shelter. I made breakfast and before leaving camp, one of the hikers led a mindfulness activity of greeting the sun with a group of about 20 hikers. It was kind of cool activity and then we were off hiking again. I didn't feel very well in the morning and didn't have any energy to do the climbs. Although I wasn't feeling great, I made it to the top of the mountain and after taking a long break and eating, I felt a little better. Next we made it down to a gap where we saw our first pony. Davie Crockett and I fed the pony carrots and let him lick our hands. It was a pretty cool experience to get so close to a wild pony but later we found about 15 ponies that we walked up to. They liked to lick the salt off our bodies so I can now say I've had a wild pony lick my knee, leg, and arm. One of the ponies just had a baby that looked to be a few days old and one was very pregnant. It was such an amazing experience! We finally left the ponies and made it to the shelter near the top of Mt. Rogers. It's a really cool shelter on top of rocks and I slept in a shelter for the second time in two nights. It was such a great day with the sun finally coming back out and the ponies.
Date: 2013-05-10
From: Thomas Knob Shelter

To: Old Orchard Shelter
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: light rain

Before leaving the shelter this morning, a pony and her baby came up to the shelter in hopes of getting some food. I got many more pony licks and then we got started on the trail around 9 am. The hike today was absolutely gorgeous and we kept finding beautiful places to stop and hang out. We came across some more ponies and one tried to eat Grin's pack and platypus but he managed to get it back undamaged. A little after 1 pm we got to Wise Shelter and I passed the 500 mile mark on my 50th day. It's been an amazing 500 miles and I can't wait to see what lies ahead. Around 3pm it started raining and we happened to be near an overhang so we stood under it for a while until the rain let up and then decided to try to make it to the next shelter. About 5 minutes after we left, it started down pouring and lightening. The trail continued to climb and since we didn't want to be the tallest thing on the mountain, Orion and I went off trail to some rocks that had a hole underneath, which we sat in, for protection from the storm. It finally let up and we got to the shelter around 6 30 and were all just able to fit in the shelter. I dried off and put on warm clothes and then made a hot dinner. This cold rain is starting to get old but it makes me appreciate the sun even more. Hopefully I'll see the sun for a little while tomorrow.
Date: 2013-05-11
From: Old Orchard Shelter

To: Trimpi Shelter
Miles today: 14.1
Weather: light rain

We left the shelter a little before 9 am and within minutes it started to sprinkle and rain on and off. Although it was rainy, it was perfect hiking weather. The hike today was really nice and we stopped for lunch at a small waterfall and hung out for awhile. The hike continued to be beautiful today and we got to the shelter around 4 pm. We stopped to eat a snack and right before we were getting ready to leave to get about 4 more miles in, it started to rain again so we decided to stay at the shelter and avoid more rain. The shelter was fun tonight and we sat around telling stories and joking around until it was time to go to sleep. Tomorrow the plan is to get up early and go into Marion to resupply and eat an all you can eat Chinese buffet.
Date: 2013-05-12
From: Trimpi Shelter

To: Marion, VA
Miles today: 10.7

I kept waking up last night because I was excited to go to town and get some good food. Once it was an acceptable time to get up, I got my stuff packed up and headed towards town. The hike was fairly easy to partnership shelter and Orion, Davie Crockett, Grin, Saint Croix, and I got there around 2 pm. We hitched a ride into Marion and immediately went to the Chinese buffet. After eating way too much, we went shopping for resupply at Walmart. I actually made a list this time so I did much better at not getting way too much food. Next we headed to the laundry mat to wash our clothes and it felt so amazing to have clean clothes again, especially clean socks after so many days of rain. The laundry mat didn't have anywhere to charge electronics so after laundry we went to Wendys to charge everything up and get a frosty. By the time we were ready to go, it was starting to get dark and we didn't think we would be able to get a hitch back to the shelter so we decided to split a hotel room for the night. It felt great to take a hot shower and watch a little TV before falling asleep in a nice soft bed.
Date: 2013-05-13
From: Marion, VA

To: Davis Hallow campsite
Miles today: 13.5

We got a ride back to the trail with a past thru hiker whose wife, Dreamer, is currently on the trail, but before he took us back to the trail, he was kind enough to take us to Hardees for breakfast first. Once wet got back to the trail, we looked around the visitors center for a little bit and when we came out, Walmart was walking up towards it. It was great to see him again and I'm sure he'll catch us in a couple days after he goes into town to resupply. We say around and talked to him for a while and then finally started back on the trail around 1 30 pm. The hike today was absolutely gorgeous and there weren't too many ups our downs. We got to Adkins around 6 45 and went to the Barn Restaurant right off the trail. I ate the 1 lb hiker burger and it was delicious. After dinner we still had to hike to somewhere where we could camp, which ended up being about two miles from the restaurant. The last 30 minutes we hiked in the dark with headlamps and then I got my tent set up in the dark and quickly fell asleep.
Date: 2013-05-14
From: Davis Hallow campsite

To: Knot Maul Branch Shelter
Miles today: 11.9
Weather: clear sky

This morning we didn't get started on the trail until almost 10 am. I greeted the day with a large group of hikers and then headed up the first of many climbs of the day. The weather today was perfect and it was an amazing blue sky. The hike today was difficult and I didn't have my normal level of energy so the hike seemed even harder. Some days I feel great and like I could hike all day and other days, every step seems like a lot of effort. Around 3 pm we walked out into a gorgeous field and took at least an hour break just sitting in the sun and enjoying the scenery. We walked through a few cow pastures today and had cows on and next to the trail. We got to the shelter around 7 and although the shelter was empty, I decided to set up my tent because I sleep much better in my tent. A few more people came to the shelter but it was a nice low key night. Lately we have been in a bubble of about 30 people and it has been overwhelming at shelters and campsites, but hopefully that group is ahead of us now, at least for a little bit.
Date: 2013-05-15
From: Knot Maul Branch Shelter

To: Walker Gap
Miles today: 10.4

Today started off great and the weather was beautiful. It quickly got into the low 80s but with all the cold and rainy weather we have had, 80 felt amazing. The hike today started out with a 2000 foot climb over about 4 miles and it was definitely a challenge, especially with the hot temperature. Once I got to the top though, the climb was totally worth it because the top if the mountain was a gorgeous field and a little further up the mountain, there were views for miles and miles. It was absolutely beautiful and once we got to the shelter, we stopped to take a break and enjoy the amazing views. We started hiking again around 5 and ended up in a gap with a dirt road around 6 pm. Some people needed to get water so we chilled out for a little bit and waited for them. A few minutes later a guy, Tim, came down the road in a truck and offered us cold beer. After talking to him for a little while he invited us to stay at his friends cabin just up the road for the night and he went back to his house to get a cooler of beer for us. When he came back with the beer, Saint Croix, Davie Crockett, Orion, Aristotle, and I hopped in the back of Tim's truck and headed to the cabin. Once we got there, he asked us if we wanted to go fishing for dinner and so off we went to a private trout pond where we caught our dinner for the night. We caught four trout total, and I caught two of them, which I was pretty excited about. Saint Croix also found 4 morels mushrooms so we cooked those up with our grilled trout for dinner. It was some pretty awesome trail magic and Tim was a really cool guy to hang out with for the night.
Date: 2013-05-16
From: Walker Gap

To: Laurel Creek Campsite
Miles today: 13.5

We all woke up rather hung over this morning and after cleaning up the cabin and locking up, we finally got on the trail around 11. The hiking was not the level terrain that the guide book made it look like. It was constant ups and downs over rocks and being hung over made it even harder. Every time we came across some flat sitting rocks, they became a great place to lay down and rest. By 3 pm we had only done about 5 miles and then we came to another great resting area with perfect rocks for napping. After relaxing and napping for about an hour, we figured we better hike again and make some progress so off we went to hike 4 more miles to the shelter. The nap must have energized us all because we got to the shelter in about 1.5 hours and cooked dinner near a stream and then decided to hike another 4.5 miles to a campsite. After dinner I felt amazing and had an excellent hike. The terrain was easy and I was thinking about how lucky I am to be out here and what an amazing experience this is. I also felt overwhelming feelings of love and support when I thought about all the people in my life who are helping me and supporting me on this journey. I actually teared up thinking about all this and feel so blessed to be out here. So basically, it was a fantastic hike and I felt great. I even enjoyed the 30 minutes of night hiking and managed to set my tent up with a super dim headlamp. Although the day started out a little rough, it ended up being a fantastic day. I also just want to say thank you so much to everyone in my life who has supported me or helped me in any way on this journey. I couldn't be out here without you all and I appreciate it more than I can express in words. I love you all!
Date: 2013-05-17
From: Laurel Creek Campsite

To: Helveys Mill Shelter
Miles today: 9.2
Weather: scattered clouds

We got a late start this morning and didn't leave camp until about 10. Walmart showed up while we were still at camp and he and Saint Croix headed out to try and catch a ride to Trail Days in Damascus. I decided not to go to trail days since I'm having such a great time on the trail and because thousands of people sounds really overwhelming after being in the woods for almost two months. Plus I'll be living about an hour and a half away from Damascus next year and can go as an alumni. The 7 mile hike into town was pretty nice and we got a hitch into Bland, VA after about 10 minutes. I sent a couple winter items home at the post office and then we walked a mile to get to Dairy Queen, which I had been thinking about for days. While I was sitting at Dairy Queen, Blue walked in the door and ran over to give me a hug. He and his grandpa stopped in to get some ice cream on the way to pick up Saint Croix and Walmart for trail days. It always blows my mind how small of a world it is and how often you run into people in places that you are not expecting it at all. After Dairy Queen, we went to the dollar store to resupply and then caught a hitch back to the trail around 6 30. We hiked about 2 more miles to the shelter and even though it wasn't completely full I decided to set up my tent so I would get a good nights sleep. It would be nice if the rain would hold off tonight but it's been so nice out that I really can't complain if it does.
Date: 2013-05-18
From: Helveys Mill Shelter

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

It rained a little but last night but nothing too bad, and I was pretty much able to dry out my tent before putting it away this morning. I got started on the trail around 9 and ran into Spoon, who had been off the trail for about 4 days with his wife. We talked about life, happiness, and what makes the trail such a special place and it made the time go by pretty fast. We caught up to Davie Crockett around 11 and took a break to eat. We then hiked on to the next shelter in light rain and got there around 1 30. The rain actually felt pretty good and it never rained hard enough to need my rain gear on. We took a long lunch at the shelter and then continued on to make it to Trent's Grocery around dinner time. We got there around 6 and I ordered a large pizza and got an ice cream. I couldn't quite finish the pizza so I shared it with Davie Crockett and Orion. We were planning to do a couple more miles but when we found out that we could camp, do laundry, and shower for just $6, we decided to stay. We ended up camping with Quaker and 15 which was fun and it was nice to be clean and have clean clothes. Overall it was a pretty great day and I also crossed 600 miles. It still seems surreal that I've hiked this far and have had such an amazing time doing it. I've been hearing about a lot of people dropping out and talked to people who aren't having any fun anymore and the most common factor is that those people are going fast and making everyday about the destination and not the journey. I still haven't had one bad day out here and I think it's because I'm going slow and actually enjoying all the beauty and amazing things around me. I also just heard about the tragedy in Damascus where and old man ran down hikers with his car during the parade. It appears to be an accident but it sounds like there are at least a few injured hikers and a bunch of hikers stopped the moving car to save one hiker from certain death. I'm sure I'll have much more information once I'm back on the trail tomorrow but I'm glad I decided not to go back to Damascus.
Date: 2013-05-19
From: VA 606 Trent's Grocery

To: Docs Knob Shelter
Miles today: 17.1
Weather: light rain

It rained on and off throughout the night but I finally bought some seam seal and fixed the small leak in my tent so I stayed dry all night. We got a late start in the morning because we slept in and then we went in to Trents Grocery to get some breakfast. Orion, Davie Crockett, and I finally got on the trail around 11 am, and the hike started out really nice. There were a couple climbs in the first 8 miles but it was mostly flat until we got to the first shelter. We stopped for lunch and then immediately started climbing after leaving the shelter. I felt great for the first climb but I quickly ran out of energy and the rest of the day was a challenge. Today I was very sore and the rocks and slippery ground didn't help. I think I'm going to take a zero in Pearisburg to relax a bit and let my body have a break. Davie Crockett was having a rough time because he found a tent that someone was going to throw away and he liked it better than his tent so he's been carrying two until we get to town and he can send his tent home. Orion and I got to the shelter seconds before it started raining and it rained for the next few hours and then stopped at some point during the night. I was too tired to even cook tonight so I just ate some food out of my food bag and then went to sleep. So happy to be in a shelter tonight. Davie never made it to the shelter but I'm sure we'll catch up with him tomorrow. We still don't have a ton of info about the Damascus accident except that a few people were helicoptered to the hospital, some were taken in an ambulance, and the rest were treated at the scene.
Date: 2013-05-20
From: Docs Knob Shelter

To: Holy Family Hostel Pearisburg VA
Miles today: 7.8

Orion and I got started on the trail around 9 am and headed to town. We still hadn't seen Davie Crockett but figured we would catch him in town. The hike was foggy and although we were suppose to have some great views, all we could see was white. Because of all the rain, the trail was very slippery, and the steep down into town was pretty much a slip n slide. I made it down without actually falling but I came very close a few times. Pearisburg was close enough to the trail that we just walked into town and headed immediately to a pizza plus to eat the buffet. The buffet was pretty bad but I still managed to eat way to much food. After lunch we waited around for Davie Crockett and eventually we saw him walking up the hill to where we were sitting. We decided to make the trek across town to the Holy Family Hostel because it would be much cheaper than a hotel. The walk there was about 2 miles and then we got lost in the residential area that the church was in. A man noticed that we looked lost and gave us a ride to the hostel. No one was at the hostel so we had the whole place to ourselves, but since it was so nice out we decided to bring our cots out to the porch and sleep there. The rest of the evening we spent relaxing and enjoyed a few beers at a nearby park and then headed back to the hostel to go to sleep.
Date: 2013-05-21
From: Holy Family Hostel Pearisburg VA

To: Holy Family Hostel
Miles today: 0.0

For a zero day we still ended up walking about 6 miles around town. First we went to the Chinese buffet for lunch and then went to food lion to resupply. After that we went to Quaker and 15's hotel room for Davie to pick up a box and we ended up staying to chat for a while. Quaker had bought a bucket and Epsom salt so we all took turns soaking our feet which felt amazing. Afterwards we headed back to the hostel and I organized my food bag and then took a nap. After the nap we walked to Walmart and I bought some bug spray so that hopefully I don't continue to go crazy with all the gnats that constantly fly in and around my face. Next we got done dinner at McDonalds and then headed back to the hostel. We decided to play a game of monopoly and I realized that playing monopoly was one of the most stressful things for me out here. After monopoly, which Davie won, it was almost midnight and time for bed. I enjoyed my much needed zero day but am ready to head north again tomorrow.
Date: 2013-05-22
From: Holy Family Hostel

To: The Captains
Miles today: 21.2

We called a shuttle to get us back to the trail, so we actually got started on the trail a little after 9 30 am, which may be a record for me. The day started with a big climb and I was not moving very fast. The weather was hot and sunny the first half of the day but the second half was chilly and rainy. We really wanted to camp at the captains because we had all heard a lot about it and you have to zip line across the river to get there, so we hiked over 21 miles out of town and got there right before dark. The Captain had a fridge full of soda for hikers, and although it was too late to use it, he had a sauna for hikers to use as well. He was a very generous guy and it was definitely worth the 21 mile day to get there.
Date: 2013-05-23
From: The Captains

To: Campsite near stream
Miles today: 12.4
Weather: light rain

We got started pretty late on the trail today because we hung around the captains for a while since we got in too late to really experience everything. Once we did start hiking, we were all a bit tired from the previous day and had trouble motivating ourselves to hike. We decided to do a shorter day so we could soak our feet in the creek and do a little laundry, but as we for close to the campsite we were planning on staying at, it started to thunder. We actually passed the campsite first and by the time we realized that we passed it and turned around, it started to rain. Right as we got back to the campsite it starting pouring so Orion, Davie, and I stood under Davies tarp/poncho until it let up enough so we could set up our tents. Instead of playing in the stream, I ended up sitting in my tent until almost 8 due to the rain and then it stopped just long enough for me to cook dinner before it started raining again.
Date: 2013-05-24
From: Campsite near stream

To: Niday Shelter
Miles today: 17.3
Weather: scattered clouds

The plan was to get up at 7 so we could hike the 17 miles with out trying too hard, but instead we all slept in. It dropped down into at least the low 40s if not colder, so I had no desire to get out of my sleeping bag. I finally got up around 9 and we got on the trail around 11. We had a big climb first thing, and the extra sleep must have helped because I felt great hiking. When we were almost to the top, we ran into Special K, a trail angel who was restocking a bin full of soda, beer, oranges, apples, and other snacks. He was a really cool guy and stayed to chat for a little while. I drank a soda and ate an orange and then packed out a soda, beer, and orange for later. Soda and fruit are two of the things that I crave most out here, so it was a amazing to be able to have them twice in one day. After the climb we took a long break for lunch and then decided we would stop to cook dinner around 7 and then hike to the shelter and get there late. The hike after dinner was gorgeous and the trail followed a rocky ridge line. I was definitely glad the day had been dry because I'm pretty sure I would have slipped and fallen off the mountain if it was raining. The weather today was cold and windy but it was much nicer than the rain that has been following us. I ended up hiking for about an hour in the dark and since I was hiking faster than the guys, I was hiking by myself which was a little creepy at night. The terrain was rocky and definitely not suited for night hiking but I made it to the shelter in one piece and luckily there was tons of room in the shelter so I didn't have to set up my tent. So tired tonight! The rocks are already getting old and making me dread Pennsylvania.
Date: 2013-05-25
From: Niday Shelter

To: VA 624, Four Pines Hostel
Miles today: 16.8

Last night was really cold and I hardly slept at all. My body seems to want to ache and throb all night which makes it impossible to get comfortable. I actually got up at 7 with my alarm that I set and I woke up the guys so that we could get an early start and make it to the hostel in time to catch the shuttle to The Home Place, an all you can eat family style restaurant. Today's hike was very challenging and had a lot of climbs. The afternoon consisted of climbing up a lot of rocks to dragons tooth and then climbing down rock scrambles, some of which had ladders and some that needed them. Again, I am so happy the weather was nice because today would have been extremely dangerous in rain. We finally made it to the road with the hostel around 6 30, about 1.5 hours after we planned, and then walked the .3 miles to the hostel. I have never felt more deserving of an all you can eat restaurant and hostel. Today was definitely hard but it did have amazing views. The Four Pines Hostel is really chill and laid back and Dan, the owner, shuttled us to the Home Place for dinner, which was one of the best meals I've had in a long time. After dinner I just hung out at the hostel and and relaxed. Tomorrow we should get to McAfee Knob, one of the most photographed places on the trail. Of course it's also probably going to be packed with day hikers since it's the weekend but hopefully I can still get a good picture there. After today I hate rocks even more. They make your feet hurt twice as much and slow you way down because you have to pay such close attention to your footing. Hopefully tomorrow is a little easier because my body needs a little break from the rocks.