morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2016-10-21
From: Wilson Creek Shelter

To: Super 8 in Daleville
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: broken clouds

LB & Kurtis here,The guys are resting in a bed at the Super 8 in Daleville this evening. They have hiked hard this week. From Sunday to Friday they put 83 miles behind them. That's hard hiking. Monday and Thursday were way over 20 miles. Today they walked 11 then resupplied, did laundry, & are planning for the upcoming week starting tomorrow. 2 pics added for today. Congratulations to Budget & Buffalo for completing 2/3's of the AT! We got a chance to speak with BK on the phone for a couple minutes. He said that a couple days ago at Cornelius Shelter, there were 2 coyotes, & then felt a mouse scurry on his head. Keep going guys! 727.5 more to go!
Date: 2016-10-22
From: Super 8 in Daleville

To: Campbell Shelter
Miles today: 17.0
Weather: clear sky

LB here,Couple pics added of the guys waking out of Daleville this morning. Then later beautiful photos of the guys on Tinker's Cliffs. They walked 17 to Campbell Shelter. Tomorrow morning, they'll walk up McAfee's Knob!
Date: 2016-10-23
From: McAfee's Knob

To: Pickle Branch Shelter
Miles today: 17.0
Weather: few clouds

LB & Kurtis here,The guys started out early this morning, & watched the sunrise from McAfee's Knob. It's one of the best photo opportunities on the entire Appalachian Trail. Then they hitched a mile into Catawba,VA & had a big meal at The Homeplace Restaurant with fellow hiker friends Hiccup & Pumpkin. Buffalo described it as "Real southern food, family style." They got a ride back to the trail and continued to hike on. They then encountered the infamous Dragon's Tooth. The trail becomes very rocky, climbing multiple series of rock steps, the trail seemingly clinging to the edge of the mountain at times, near the top at two different places you will use a series of u-shaped iron bar steps embedded in the rock due to the steepness of the trail. The guys have 695.1 more miles to go!!!!
Date: 2016-10-24
From: Pickle Branch Shelter

To: Server Hollow Shelter
Miles today: 16.0
Weather: few clouds

LB here, The guys will finish a 16 mile day today. Buffalo said they are aiming to tent at Server Hollow Shelter for tonight. This morning they passed The Audie Murphy Monument. "On May 28, 1971, Audie Murphy, the most decorated US soldier in World War II, died in an airplane crash on the slopes of Brush Mountain, near New Castle, VA. Three years later, the Veterans of Foreign Wars placed a stone monument near the site of the crash."(www.virginia.org) When the guys wake up tomorrow morning they will walk closer to VA HWY 42 that leads to a little town called Newport, VA. Their buddy Todd will be waiting to intercept them. I'm sure he will bring some sort of trail magical-related food from civilization. Todd plans to hike with them for the day. Keep going guys! You will finish! 670 some odd miles left to go! It's the smiles, right?
Date: 2016-10-25
From: Server Hollow Shelter

To: Stealth Camping War Spur Shelter
Miles today: 14.0
Weather: overcast clouds

What a great day to hike while catching up with some friends. Todd & his wife Mary Heather pointed their car north early this morning & drove to Newport. As they're in route, they spotted two white-bearded guys on the side of the road! The Steinman's had coffee, & bacon egg cheese biscuits for them as I'm sure the guys started pounding immediately. Todd hiked along for awhile & got some pics made on top of Kelly's Knob. Todd said that he & Mary Heather brought up some subs for lunch, & BK asked if he could have more for later with a sad "puppy dog" look. I'm sure Todd knows a sad puppy when he sees one! He happily gave Buffalo & Budget the rest of their tasty sandwiches for supper at tonight's camp. Todd turned around from the Knob heading back to the car & the guys went on south...to Georgia.Hiking further closer to home, mentally I think, is a huge difference compared to hiking in the 100 mile wilderness in Maine. Budget & Buffalo are at home here down south. All he & Buffalo can do is keep their eye on the prize. It's alot easier to hike a little longer each day knowing you're family & friends aren't far from you. We're all at the finish line waiting for ya guys! Buffalo & Budget have huge support from all of us. After a day with The Steinman's, I am sure there were laughs, good food, hugs, & exchanging of unforgettable moments they have had together. All of this is the perfect recipe that gives our guys something special. Something other Sobo's may not have. An extra pump in their step, maybe a little more drive to actually finish this thing. To finish strong & to finish in it's entirety. Keep going guys!!! We're all so proud of you! 657 left to go. Thank you Todd & Mary Heather for feeding and resupplying the guys with everything from TP to batteries to a couple of brewskies.p.s several pics in photo gallery. They also passed Keffer Oak, over 300 yrs old! LB
Date: 2016-10-26
From: Stealth Camping War Spur Shelter

To: Symms Gap
Miles today: 20.0
Weather: broken clouds

LB here,Below is an email from Budget:"We are presently camped under a cliff over looking Peterstown VA. Wind is very strong so we ducked out here . Did twenty miles today. No calls or text but internet ok." Picture from Buffalo of the cliff they're sleeping under.
Date: 2016-10-27
From: Symms Gap

To: Pearisburg
Miles today: 16.0
Weather: light rain

After spending the night on the edge of a cliff in West Virginia we made it to Pearisburg Virginia after about a 7 hour walk. We have spent the rest of the day doing laundry, taking showers and shopping. We have a single wide trailer all to ourselves. It's very nice inside. It was fun hanging out with a new bunch of southbounders. They are young and fast and we will lose them soon too.-Budget
Date: 2016-10-29
From: Pearisburg

To: Stony Fork Campsite in Nat'l Park
Miles today: 32.0

LB here, I didn't hear from the guys last night so here's an update from yesterday until now. They've hiked 16 yesterday,and 16 today already! Above you'll see daily miles 32. Ok so yesterday they hiked from the Angels Rest Hostel in Pearisburg, VA (resupplied some, did laundry while in town) then onto Dismal Creek Campsite. Today, SAT, 10-29, the Young's slacked Budget & Buffalo, so by 2:00 today, they have already finished their minimum daily mileage. Now it's time for some camaraderie with Scout Troop 442! The guys will be taken to Stoney Fork Camp in a Nat'l Park in VA for tonight.David Wilson has over 40 years with the troop and has planned and prepared diligently for this excursion. The scouts are going to show off their cooking skills, make campfires, food-prep, & cook dinner for our thru-ikers. A milkshake will be made specially requested from Buffalo! Have a great night guys! Keep going! 600 more to go!Below is an email from David Wilson:"I could not be more proud of our Scouts in their performance during our camping trip to Stony Fork Campground in Virginia. Former troop members John, Thomas and Tom Young intercepted BK and Mr. Schiemann on the Appalachian Trail and brought them to our campsite to an enthusiastic welcome. They started hiking the Appalachian Trail in Maine during June and have now hiked over 1,600 miles, with less than 600 miles remaining between them and Springer Mountain, Georgia.Our Scouts worked together in their patrols to practice cooking from scratch with fresh ingredients. They all worked well with their patrols and learned a lot in the process. Green Patrol prepared stroganoff (beef and vegetarian); Red Patrol prepared chili; and Gold Patrol prepared Irish stew. Everyone had the opportunity to sample everyone¢s cooking. Later that evening, the Scouts prepared Apple Cobbler and Cherry Cobbler on the campfire. The next day, each patrol cooked their own breakfast of sausage and French toast before sending BK and Mr. Schiemann back out to the trail.Congratulations to all on the success of this trip!"
Date: 2016-10-30
From: Stony Fork Campsite in Nat'l Park

To: Big Walker Motel
Miles today: 13.0
Weather: broken clouds

Budget here,We are staying at Big Walker Motel after 13 miles of slackpacking. We were slacked by Tom Young who drove our heavy equipment around for us. It was a great weekend with the Troop. Three patrols cooked great suppers and we got to sample all of it. In the morning they got up early to cook us breakfast. Former scouts John Haile and Thomas Young hauled us around Saturday. We will attemd Thomas's Eagle ceremony next Sunday
Date: 2016-10-31
From: Big Walker Motel

To: Chestnut Knob Shelter
Miles today: 22.0
Weather: light rain

LB here, the guys hiked 22 miles! They're at Chestnut Knob Shelter. It's a concrete block shelter, fully enclosed door. No water there, but I'm sure they filled up at the previous water source, Walker Gap 2 miles prior to the shelter. Pictures added of this morning's view and of tonight's shelter. Previous journal entry edited/updated of a recap from David Wilson & troop 442 from this past weekend! Buffalo has added more on his site: http://www.trailjournals.com/buffaloKeep going guys! 567 more to go.
Date: 2016-11-01
From: Chestnut Knob Shelter

To: Crawfish Trail Campsite
Miles today: 17.3
Weather: overcast clouds

BIG news. They got 547 miles left. They are now less than a quarter away of finishing this beast. It seems like it was just a few weeks ago I was typing that they have finished a quarter of the AT. We folks back in civilization look at weeks as days, months as a couple of weeks and so forth. In trail life, a day seems like it will never end. All you have out there is your mind, and the person you're hiking with. No driving, working, stressing, no music, no fast food, no pit stops. No stimulation what so ever. I'm so glad BK & Mark are doing this thing together. You know some folks hike from start to finish entirely alone. If you have a trail map, put your marker near the town Atkins, VA. They hiked 17.3 miles today. They plan on tenting tonight at Crawfish Trail Campsite. I'm so proud of these guys. They have impressively expedited their daily average from 8 miles a day back in August to 13 miles a day to today. You guys are a walking example of every day endurance.
Date: 2016-11-02
From: Crawfish Trail Campsite

To: Partnership Shelter
Miles today: 18.4
Weather: overcast clouds

LB here,The Young's are slacking our guys, so they can hike without all that weight. Probably until Damascus. Buffalo & Budget are so determined to get this thing done, walking every step of the way! They hiked to the Mt. Rogers Visitor Center. They ordered a pizza or 5 and got it delivered there. Walked 2 tenths to Partnership Shelter totalling 18.4 miles. They got to see what an 1890's one-room schoolhouse looked like today. Lindamood School. I took a screenshot of its description added in the photo gallery. Hopefully in a couple weeks me and Kurtis will get to do some trail magic for them. Can't wait! Think about you two probably every hour of my day. I'm sure I'm not the only one. Keep going guys. 532.2 more to go.
Date: 2016-11-03
From: Partnership Shelter

To: Young's House
Miles today: 14.0
Weather: broken clouds

LB here,Tonight's forecast calls for t-storms and rain. With the Young's at their aid, they hiked 14 today to Dickey Gap at USFS Hurricane Creek Campground mile 1,682.8. They're staying with the Young's tonight. Another pic added of their pizza feast yesterday at Mt Rogers Visitor Center in gallery. Keep going guys! 518.3 to go.
Date: 2016-11-05
From: Elk Garden

To: Damascus
Miles today: 23.1
Weather: clear sky

Ok the guys skipped a 23 section yesterday that they are doing today. Below is an email from Buffalo explaining why. They basically slacked via The Young's from Elk Garden to Damascus. Now The Young's are dropping them where they left off and will hike from Dickey Gap to Elk Garden. They will so (hopefully) find some trail magic today that my mom & sister left for them 3 weeks ago. :-)9 pictures added from yesterday's 23 mile walk. Again, below is Buffalo's email:"Buffalo had a migraine headache all night. He promptly regurgitated all the food he had eaten yesterday after his first sip of coffee. Suddenly feeling much better, he ate 4 slices of toast and the rest of the coffee. Meanwhile, uncertain of Buffalo's health, Budget and our host immediately started reviewing the day's plan to slack 26 miles. Instead of that hike, they decided we would be better off slacking the 23 miles we were going to do on Saturday. There are more road crossings in case Buffalo needed to be extracted. So we slack packed from Elk Garden to Damascus today for a total of 23 miles. Buffalo had no additional stomach issues. While we didn't step on mile post 1689.1, we did hike the distance; so our home bound distance is now less than 500 miles! The section we hiked today crossed the Virginia Creeper bicycle trail. Buffalo got to try out his new gaiters. We could see Grandfather Mountain. We crossed two section hikers, several day hikers, and a few bike riders. (Guide book miles 1696.1 to 1719.3)The plan for Saturday will be to slack 26 miles from Dickey Gap to Elk Garden. And we will have hiked 1700 miles. (Guide book miles 1670.8 to 1696.1) And we will be looking for a trail magic cache we have been given clues to locate from LB."-Buffalo
Date: 2016-11-06
From: Damascus

To: Tennessee SOBO 26 Miles
Miles today: 26.0
Weather: light rain

LB here below is an email from Mark. They will into TN today!We started our 26 mile slack pack at 07:24 at Dickey Gap. We passed several deer hunters on the forest service road on the way to the trailhead. The trail was more rocky than I remembered. Also some parts were covered in layers of leaves which were slippery. We had walked 4 miles by 09:18, so we declared that we had hiked 1700 miles! I recognized Fox Creek trailhead after hiking the 1st 8 miles. From there it felt like we were on home turf since we have been on several scout camping trips in the Mt. Rogers recreation area. We had lunch at the Old Orchard shelter, since we needed the calories. We came across ponies several times, and they ignored us. There were quite a few cavalcades of people riding horses at Fox Creek and The Scales. Some people were also camping at The Scales near the corral gate. One jokingly asked us for the password; I responded with "Appalachian Trail SOBO thru hiker". We became instant celebrities as a small mob formed. They took pictures of us. And they offered us water, apples, and sandwiches; we topped off our water bottles and I accepted an apple. It is the 1st one I have eaten in over a month given my dental issues! There were a lot of day hikers and weekend campers so we spent time being trail ambassadors. Budget, always the youth educator, provided a group of young ladies information about the NC skyline of mountains they were viewing. The last 2 miles of the day were the best terrain to hike, as the sun set. John met us about a mile from the trailhead; he had his headlamp on but we had not gotten ours out yet. A half moon and Venus illuminated the sky and I observed some clouds that looked like a sword. Now that we have completed this section of mile 1670.8 to 1696.1, our actual miles are aligned back with the guidebook so we are actually at 1719. 469 more to go
Date: 2016-11-06
From: Tennessee

To: Young's House
Miles today: 1.0

The guys attended Thomas Young's Eagle Ceremony. The Young's were former members of 442, then moved to VA. The Young's have been very helpful slack packing the guys so they can get further on down the trail. Congratulations Thomas! The guys will be walking into Tennessee tomorrow. The longest state, Virginia is now behind them! Today is the shortest mileage day they've ever done. Below is a text from Buffalo:"We did an uno from the north to the south end of Damascus."
Date: 2016-11-07
From: Young's House

To: Damascus
Miles today: 2.0
Weather: mist

What a wonderful day Sunday was! Buffalo and I got to sleep in a little and after a great breakfast we were ferried to Damascus to walk the two miles between Damascus trailheads. It was nice to actually see the town in the daylight. This week (Sunday-Saturday) we logged over 135 miles on the trail with a 26 mile day yesterday. After the walk we met up the Youngs for Thomas Young's Eagle presentation. Thomas and family moved from Salisbury five years ago but both John and Thomas have attended many trips and Philmont with our Troop. Buffalo and I were very proud to join our Scoutmaster David Wilson in representing Troop 442 in this ceremony with Thomas's present Troop 222. How crazy is it that we would be here in time for this honor? Our scouting family is far and wide. Both Buffalo and I are very proud to be part of it.A special thanks to the Young family for hosting us, feeding us and shuttling us to trail heads. John Haile has been a great asset to our team and most of our extended mileage is owned to him. Thanks again to Trish, Tom, Thomas and John Haile. Your kindness is much appreciated.
Date: 2016-11-08
From: Damascus

To: Tennessee NOBO 21 miles
Miles today: 21.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Below is an email from Buffalo received yesterday:Today we did a NOBO slack pack from highway TN91 (Shady Valley, TN) back to Damascus, VA. So 21 miles from mile 1741.8 to mile 1720.6; remember that we walked the mile from the north end of Damascus to the south end yesterday. Significantly, we passed the VA/TN state line, mile 1724.0; officially we have finished the longest state and we only have 3 left!We crossed trail family Pumpkin, Hiccup, Moses, Little Foot, and Troubadour and chatted with each. There was a huge hornets nest above the trail at the Abington Shelter. Hiking this section NOBO allowed us to descend 3.5 miles into Damascus (rather than climb it) and also our host would be much closer to home. Hoping to get my flu shot on the way back to the house.
Date: 2016-11-08
From: Tennessee NOBO 21 miles

To: Hampton, TN
Miles today: 15.0

LB & Kurtis here,They're staying at Boots Off Hostel in Hampton, TN tonight. Budget is going to text us a campsite where we can meet them on Saturday. We're going to bring as much trail magic our out of shape bodies can carry. We're also bringing in hopefully Budget's last pair of boots. They have truely come into their own. There is no way the average person can keep up with seasoned hikers like these guys. They are crushing miles day by day. They have become super athletes, & their journey will soon be over. In our experience, they're biggest journey will be coming home and entering society with the rest of us once again. It just got weird for us for about a week, & then we got over it. Keep going guys! 426 more to go.
Date: 2016-11-09
From: Hampton, TN

To: Mile 1778
Miles today: 15.7

LB here!Buffalo & Budget hiked 15.7 today and are stealth camping at mile 1778. The Guidebook says where they are at, at mile 1778, there are several streams and footbridges. Kurtis & I are getting gear together tonight for our one night party with them somewhere out in the woods. Can't wait! 409 more to go.
Date: 2016-11-10
From: Mile 1778

To: Mt. Harbor Hostel
Miles today: 17.0
Weather: haze

Kurtis & LB here,The guys hiked 17 miles today. At 1:30pm, they were at mile 1,789.5 where the Guidebook says "stream". At that point they had exactly 399 more miles left. Buffalo texted me at this point with, "Mile 1789, RIP 400's!" It's obvious they are highly motivated to finish, & in fact have a great attitude in spite of 20° weather this morning. They hitched 3.5 miles west to Roan Mountain, TN to eat at the infamous Bob's Dairyland Restaurant tonight. Good pics added today. If you have an AT map, put your marker at "Roan High Knob". Kurtis & his brother Evan & BK first scouted that section of the AT, around 1998. Kurtis isn't really sure. The first thru-hiker they ever met was a man named Tim, a.k.a. "Dogman". He had a dog, a Chocolate Lab that would pick up firewood logs, throw it, fetch it himself, & throw it again. It was a snowy afternoon in April, Evan's pack was eatin through by mice, & the snow came through the slats in the barn (Over Mountain Shelter) like there was no walls. Kurtis,Evan, & BK found their way to Bob's Dairyland Restaurant & discovered the best burger the good Lord has to offer in this world. Troop 442 has continued this tradition ever since. We are so happy to see Buffalo eat "The Holy Cow" Burger in its entirety within 14 minutes. Budget scarfed down The Boss Burger like it was his job. The pictures are awesome! Every time Kurtis & I come to this special place, we must order "The Boss". Keep going guys,393 more to go!
Date: 2016-11-11
From: Mt. Harbor Hostel

To: Carver's Gap
Miles today: 16.0
Weather: mist

The guys passed the 1800 mark today around 11am. 16 miles today. There is 31 miles of the trail closed due to forest fires.http://www.wral.com/the-latest-forest-fires-force-new-evacuations-in-western-nc/16226515/ Buffalo said he & Budget can see smoke rising, like coming out of chimneys far away. Not sure yet what the plan is. I do know that Kurtis & I are seeing them tomorrow! They are staying at the Mt. Harbor Hostel tonight. We'll be meeting them there in the morning. Kurtis is going to hike with them from Carver's Gap to Indian Gap (15 or 16 mi). I will pick the guys up & we'll then have a night together in Erwin,TN.
Date: 2016-11-12
From: Carver's Gap

To: Iron Mountain Gap
Miles today: 16.0
Weather: clear sky

LB here,They crushed 16 miles today, but this time it was more entertaining than usual with Kurtis in tow! They knew before they asked him to tag along, that he would be a non-stop chatter box...and he didn't disappoint. It was hard hiking up Roan High Knob this morning. After that, it was a series of relatively small ups & downs as they ran a ridge for the rest of the day. Kurtis was able to keep up without any extra effort. He attributes this to his fresh legs & running 15 miles a week. As for me, my long days of hiking are over! I dropped the trio off at Carver's Gap, & spent the day easy hiking up to one of my favorite spots off the AT. The Over Mountain Shelter. BK & Mark had lunch here yesterday. My dog & I had lunch there today, & left some trail magic for possible future thru-hikers. We joined back at Iron Mountain Gap, & I fed them fried bologne sandwiches from a nearby deli that hopefully held them over til we got town. We checked in at the Super 8, went grocery shopping & returned with 4 pizzas for the guys. Tomorrow they plan to slack pack 21 miles starting at Iron Mtn Gap and walk into Erwin, TN. They will be staying at Uncle Johnny's Hostel. Lots of pics added for today. Buffalo also added pics from Wed-Sat. Keep going guys!
Date: 2016-11-13
From: Iron Mountain Gap

To: Erwin, TN
Miles today: 21.0
Weather: haze

Kurtis & LB here, the guys hiked 21 miles to Uncle Johnny's Hostel located right off the trail. The hostel is right outside of Erwin. Kurtis & I dropped them off this morning back at Iron Mountain Gap. 2 cubs & Mama Bear crossed the road on the way up also! Buffalo said that makes 14 bears so far. Oh & there's also a pic of Buffalo on Buffalo Street where our Super 8 was. On our way back home on I-26 & I-40, we saw nothing but a thick smokey haze. It was really sad & terrifying because we're not used to this on the east coast. We decided to check out South Mountain State Park, where we knew a large fire was burning. We were stopped at the gate by park rangers, as we expected. It's an absolute travesty what's happening to the western part of our state right now. It hurts, & there's no other way to describe it. There's rumor that there are 70 miles of the AT closed. We have designs to help the guys around this obstacle, as Budget helped us around ours during Hurricane Sandy 4 years ago. We will figure something out, & keep you updated as much as possible. Kurtis plans to be on standby all next weekend. 5 pics added.342 more to go, keep going guys!