morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2013-04-22
From: Whitetop Mountain Road

To: Damascus: Crazy Larry's
Miles today: 21.1

4/22 Lone Wolf, yes that Lone Wolf, picked up B-Rocket and myself for a slack pack from Whitetop Mountain back to Damascus. This allows me to spend another night in my favorite trail town, without taking a zero. The drive seemed to take forever making me wonder if I had bitten off more than I could chew. It got pretty cold up there overnight. I hadn't walked on frozen ground in a couple weeks. I'm just glad the winds were mild or it really would have been a cold start to the day, since the first miles were totally exposed. As it was the weather was prime for hiking. I had hiked most of this section before, but that time it was totally fogged in. This time I was rewarded with views around Buzzard Rock. Oddly I favored the time we were buffeted with high winds and chunks of clouds whipping over the ridge. We had to scream at each other being only a few feet apart. This shows that even hiking the same section of trail can lead to totally different experiences. It was a long day of hiking. Since we were hiking SOBO back to Damascus I got to meet some friends that are ahead of me. I was especially glad to see Java Man. He is less than a day ahead of me but I probably wouldn't have ever seen him on the trail again unless I had slacked. Friends give you some odd looks when you are hiking the "wrong" direction. I have been smiling and telling them "I forgot something". This was my longest hike ever on the AT but I have had several hikes of similar lengths. That said, I was totally gassed by the end of the day. Those last few miles took a LONG time. I plan on sleeping late tomorrow with an afternoon start. I hope I'm not underestimating tomorrow's hike. 10:31 duration 2884 ascent 5919 descent
Date: 2013-04-23
From: Damascus: Crazy Larry's

To: Wise Shelter
Miles today: 11.8
Weather: clear sky

4/23My stay at Crazy Larry's was a good move, comfortable bed, clean surroundings, nice and quiet, and a friendly environment. The guidebook says he has only "one room available", but he has two. You can't go wrong here.Had an opportunity to catch a real early shuttle to Whitetop but wanted one morning to just sleep in. My buddy JB could pick me up at 1pm so I jumped at that. The 2pm starting time was gonna make it tough to hike the 12ish miles to Wise Shelter before dark, so I resigned myself to night-hiking in under headlamp. The highlights of the day were Mt Rogers, the Grayson Highlands, and the ponies. There are wild ponies roaming about in this area. Most are not shy and are "8polite", but some are a bit aggressive. I trusted one to lick the salt off my arm til I felt teeth. We had to mildly defend ourselves and our packs with our trekking poles a couple times, when surrounded by about 8-10 of em. One got between B-Rocket and her pack and kicked at her when she tried to get her pack back. The interaction with the ponies was fun, but I was glad I had trekking poles. Gently tapping them with the tips of the poles was the only thing that made them keep their distance. Surprised myself and made it to Wise Shelter before dark. Getting in nearly 12 miles with such a late start felt good. Wise is at exactly the 500-mile mark on the AT making us sing that silly 80s song: "I have walked 500 miles and I will walk 500 more...." The problem with that song is, 1000 miles doesn't even get us out of Virginia. 6:26 duration 1637 ascent 2297 descent
Date: 2013-04-24
From: Wise Shelter

To: Dickey Gap: Troutdale Baptist Church Hostel
Miles today: 16.1

4/24Slept well in my tent and was on the trail by 8. The forecast for today was rain but the weather was perfect in the morning. The 2-day plan is to get to Partnership Shelter (more on this shelter tomorrow) Thursday night and to complete at least half that distance today. Weather would determine the stopping point. The miles were falling into place nicely. Moving at over 2mph, counting break times, is something impossible for me a month ago. We got to the highway at about 4pm and had a choice of pushing another 4 to the shelter or hitching into Troutdale and hitting the hostel. I smelled rain in the air and said we were gonna get whacked soon. We made the decision to hitch. I must stink at hitching as it took 45 min and 20 cars before someone stopped. During that time the rains indeed hit making us very thankful for car #20. Sunshine, Carpenter, B-Rocket, Minnesota Pete, and myself are out of the rain, well-fed (thanks to Sunshine and Carpenter braving the weather for pizza), and warm for the night. The weather should clear by morning making the 14 to Partnership a done-deal. Now we just gotta hitch back to the trail. I mentioned early in my journal that I had section-hiked a lot of the southern part of the AT in previous years. Today marks the end of those familiar sections. Starting tomorrow and every day forward will be new ground for me. Figuring out where to camp, where to resupply, etc. will be harder. 7:54 duration 3358 ascent 4349 descent
Date: 2013-04-25
From: Dickey Gap: Troutdale Baptist Church Hostel

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

4/25Today didn't look that tough on paper so I slept in, getting up about 9. The big question was the hitch back to the trail. Sunshine, Carpenter, and MN Pete left about an hour before B-Rocket and myself. Unbelievably we got a hitch from the first car that passed. Jane Wallace and her brother that do hiking on the trail themselves had us on the trail by 10. Funny thing was, we passed the other three as the were walking the 2.6 miles back to the trail. They never did get a hitch. We took a break after the first climb and waited for the other three to show. There was that priceless, "How the heck did you get in front of us" look, until they figured out what happened. The hiking today was wonderful. GA/NC/TN tested and toughened our bodies. Mother Nature tested and toughened our resolve. VA and Mother Nature are rewarding us for our patience. There will certainly be challenges ahead but the trail right now is just flat-out enjoyable. There were no great views today, but I don't need to be entertained at every turn. The trail was 95% smooth allowing for a normal gate. Just being able to take normal strides was reward enough. Tonight there are a lot of familiar faces at Partnership Shelter: Hawkeye, Catch-22, Shaggy, Crow, B-Rocket, Sunshine, Carpenter, Minnesota Pete, Foxtrot, Cleveland, Wanderlust, and PumpkinHead. This is the famous shelter on the trail where you can order pizza and have it delivered. I chose to hitch onto town to resupply and eat a pizza right out of the oven. I shocked myself by downing a large Pizza Hut pizza like it was a snack. Getting a hitch back up the mountain was problematic but I had a backup plan. I called a cab, a concept somewhat uncommon to thrus....There is a full moon rising over my tent as I type. The winds are calm, skies are clear, light-jacket temps, and the sounds of tree frogs fill the air. What a great night for a night-hike without headlamp. The moonlight hits the forest floor, since the leaves are not yet on the trees. I love to do such a hike back home, usually in November. I am way too tired, and comatose from pizza, to do more than just think about it tonight. 6:41 duration 2638 ascent 2684 descent
Date: 2013-04-26
From: Partnership Shelter

To: Campsite near Crawfish Trail
Miles today: 17.9

4/26Since there is a Visitor's Center a few hundred yards from Partnership Shelter it allowed for some non-standard trail food. We could dump our garbage right after breakfast. I bought a can of pears last night and a 2-liter bottle of Diet Coke. The pears quickly disappeared and the remainder of the DC filled my water bottles. Virginia must read my journal. I think she took umbrage at my implication that she was easy. That was not my intent. She must have felt the need to show me she has a harsh side too, with some steeper climbs and rockier sections. I still love ya Virginia, no hard feelings. The highlight for me today was the initial descent into Atkins. With the lower elevation the signs of spring were strong. We got down to some farmland where someone was cutting grass with their tractor. I didn't realize how much I liked the smell of new-mown grass. Mix that in with the evergreens and a modicum of wild flowers and the nose was in heaven. Getting closer to Atkins I came to place where the AT crosses some railroad tracks. I could hear a train in the distance as I approached. Once I got to the tracks I could see a train, seemingly moving slowly. I went to cross til I realized this would be a real bad time to slip and fall. I pulled back. Turns out the train only had about 10 cars and was moving much faster than I thought. Trying to beat a train is just dumb anyway. The initial goal of the day was to eat at The Barn. At just under 12 miles we got there before 2. With all the hype regarding this place I can't say I will starting the Atkins Diet. Maybe they just had a bad day. Although not that tasty, it was filling and nutritious. I did like their chili. After a couple hours in Atkins, a quick top off of supplies at the convenience store, we were off again. Hawkeye ended his day here. The day ended at a campsite near the Crawfish Trail. This is a great campsite with the sound of a stream close by to lull me to sleep. As per usual there are many familiar faces here: Wanderlust, Pumpkin Head, Foxtrot, B-Rocket, Pushup, and a couple new faces, Powderpuff and Minnie Pearl. 11:36 duration 3537 ascent 4127 descent
Date: 2013-04-27
From: Campsite near Crawfish Trail

To: Chestnut Knob Shelter
Miles today: 16.7
Weather: overcast clouds

4/27 - Video added 4/23I gotta admit. I was concerned about today's hike from a couple days ago. The elevation profile looked nasty for this section. And it was, with well over a mile of climbing. Physically this was my toughest day in weeks. Ending a 16+ day with a 2000' climb just drained me. I had to stop and rest like 50 times on that last climb. It was frustrating, I thought I was passed that. I think I am in need of a zero. There were a lot of stiles to climb over today. Stiles are a type of steps to allow people to cross a fence while keeping livestock in. They take some getting used to. Spent much of the day flicking sticks off the trail with my trekking poles. It's amazing how dexterous one becomes at this as the miles pass. I especially like the behind-the-back-stick-flick. Dang near broke my wrist trying to launch what turned out to be a root. 10.17 duration 5617 ascent 3370 desent
Date: 2013-04-28
From: Chestnut Knob Shelter

To: Chestnut Knob Shelter
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

4/28Well, the zero day came sooner than I expected. I had plans on hiking 15 to a road crossing where I was going to be picked up by another buddy of mine, Nigel "Trubrit" Collins. The weather is just dreadful with rain forecast all day. There is no water source at this shelter so we are collecting runoff from the roof, and there is plenty of that. That had been working great. We have collected several liters so far. This is the first time ever that I have taken a zero while on the trail. This is kinda fun. Lots of great conversation, out of the rain, warm, and occasional 4G internet to boot. Along with the rain, I think a good nap is in the forecast too. I mentioned my shoes a couple days ago. I hope these babies hold out for another 55 miles. They are really falling apart now. When the trail is sloped to the left, my right foot wants to escape the shoe. I am putting duct tape on my foot for protection from rocks. Oh, the glamorous life of the trail......
Date: 2013-04-29
From: Chestnut Knob Shelter

To: VA 615: Fort Bastian
Miles today: 14.8

4/29Today started as a rough one. The trail was very rocky, which gives me the most trouble. On top of that the rocks were slippery causing many falls. Ever since I complimented Virginia several days ago, the trail has been very unpleasant for me. The zero day didn't seem to help my energy level either. On top of that I had a headache. I was basically hating the world. At one point I had convinced myself that this was my last day. I was breaking up with Virginia and heading home. I just was not enjoying this. I got to the first shelter, about the 10-mile mark, and took a break. It was the lowest point of my trip. I recognized the headache as caffeine-withdrawal. I don't drink coffee and hadn't been to a town in a few days. Along with eating lunch I took a Jet-Alert tablet (caffeine pill). The headache went away. My mood improved, the trail was smooth the rest of the day, and my energy level shot through the roof. It was like an old Popeye cartoon. I was getting beat up by Virginia (Brutus) until I got my caffeine (spinach). I was even humming "Popeye the Sailorman". The only thing missing was the corncob pipe. Many folks gotta have their morning coffee to function. It's a chemical addiction. I was in withdrawals and didn't recognize the signs. I have learned a lesson. Nigel "Trubrit" Collins picked us up took us to his place, Fort Bastian. He is in the early phases of creating his dream. Even though it is in the early stages it is wonderful for a hiker. He has about a 20-30 tarped area with a fire ring in the middle. You can enjoy the fire and just throw down your sleeping pad/bag. Got a big day planned for tomorrow. Caffeine on board, see how it goes. 8:37 duration 2444 ascent 4301 descent
Date: 2013-04-30
From: VA 606

To: VA 615: Fort Bastian
Miles today: 25.5

4/30Woke up this morning to Nigel setting a plate of bacon and eggs next to my sleeping bag. Breakfast-in-bag was a new one, and more than welcome.The plan today was to slack pack 25.5 miles back to Nigel's. I love slack packing back to a nice place. It also allows me to see friends that are a day ahead of me. The trail was reported to be "tame" in this section. I kept looking at those "bumps" on the profile map on the ridge lines and wondering "how tame". The first 13 miles were harder than I anticipated. I was behind schedule and wondering if I had bit off more than I could chew. I had never hiked this distance before. I had a back-up plan to shorten the hike to 18. That would create a 7-mile gap I would have to hike after Trail Days. Fortunately the trail got easier later in the afternoon, allowing me to stagger to the road crossing just before dark. I'm not sure I will plan a 25-miler again. I really don't have a need to. If a 25 just happens in the course of a day, fine. Staying at Nigel's Fort Bastian has been a blast. I'm glad I was able to slack so I could stay here two nights. Sitting around his campfire and listening to Nigel play the guitar is so relaxing. I am well-fed and content. I have to find a way to return once the thru is over. Tomorrow my plan is to make it to Woods Hole Hostel. I'm told there are new shoes awaiting. 11:21 duration 4961 ascent 4639 descent
Date: 2013-05-01
From: VA 615: Fort Bastian

To: Sugar Run Gap: Woods Hole Hostel
Miles today: 15.0
Weather: scattered clouds

5/1Entertainment at Nigel's went well past midnight. In fact I don't think I got to sleep until after 3am. Part of that was due to my legs being "restless". After that 25-mile day my legs just couldn't get comfortable enough to sleep. No matter what position I put my legs they were not content. Slept in til after 9am, which is real late in the hiking world. Nigel again had bacon/eggs ready for all of us. I had considered zeroing today since it was my birthday, double nickel, but thought it would be neat to get those new shoes as a birthday present. I didn't get to the trailhead til almost 1pm. It was gonna be tight as to whether I could do the 15 miles and the walk to the hostel before dark. My body seemed to have no ill-effects from the punishment I put it through yesterday. The highlight of the day was meeting Stonewall. It is thought he is the last SOBO from the class of 2012. I saw him come over a rise and just knew he was a thru. That beard and stride, especially the beard, and what a fine Stonewall Jackson beard it is, gave it away. The trail was pretty smooth and level until the last 6 miles. There was a steep up to the ridge and a very rocky section right at the end. I think the rocky section was a parting gift for my dying shoes. I almost needed my headlamp as I walked onto the Woods Hole property. Just like last night, made it sans headlamp. Neville (hostel owner) greeted me with a "Happy Birthday", which surprised me. Turns out "Happy Birthday" was written on the box my shoes arrived in. 7:35 duration 2982 ascent 1716 descent
Date: 2013-05-02
From: Sugar Run Gap: Woods Hole Hostel

To: Lane St, Pearisburg 
Miles today: 10.3

5/2Video added 4/29Really enjoyed my stay at Woods Hole Hostel. Neville and Michael run a great shop. After a wonderful breakfast I took advantage of the massages offered. I only had 10 miles to hike to Pearisburg so time wasn't an issue. I wasn't having any leg issues, which is odd after hiking over 600 miles, but my right shoulder has been sore. Neville found a couple knots in the right shoulder, one in my left shoulder, and one on the right side of my neck. After the 90-min massage I felt like I could throw batting practice. This is going to sound real gross to my non-hiking friends, but today was my first opportunity to wash my cloths and take a shower in 160 miles. Being clean on the trail is fleeting. It's tough to beat the massage as the highlight of the day, but something did. I finally got my new shoes. Things we take for granted I'm normal life are big news here. I definitely got my money's worth out of that pair. The 806s are dead, long live the 806s. The hike from Woods Hole Hostel to Pearisburg was mostly pleasant with some great views of the valley. I really took my time, managing to dawdle and expand the miles to fill given time. 7:01 duration 1568 ascent 3301 descent
Date: 2013-05-03
From: VA 635

To: Lane St: Pearisburg
Miles today: 21.7

5/3I followed my pattern of doing a slack pack back into town. I didn't want to do big miles but the shortest option was over 21. Oh well, here we go again. When will Iearn? The starting point was a low area leading to a long climb up to the ridge. But before the climb came the highlight of the day, "The Captain". The Captain is this man's house, about 30 yards off the trail, across a small stream. He has a "zip line", basically a "pull line", set up to allow dry crossing of the stream. He allows camping on his property and supplies sodas to hikers from his covered porch overlooking the stream. I'm telling you, this would be my dream property. I was in awe. The climb up to the ridge (over 1000') was fairly uneventful. It is when you get to the ridge is where the "fun" begins. Ridges in Virginia are like a box of chocolates, to steal a phrase from Forrest Gump, you just don't know what you are going to get. They all look the same in the guidebook. Will it be the smooth/rolling ridge, the steep up/down all day ridge, the minefield of rocks ridge? Today was the minefield of rocks for starters. This is the most unpleasant surface for me. It slows me down to a crawl. My ankles scream "Uncle" with every loose rock, but since I was slack packing I had no choice but to try to make time. If these rocks continued for the whole ridge I might not get done til way after dark, maybe midnight. Fortunately the next chocolate out of the box was the smooth/rolling ridge. I could walk. It was so nice. Since I was traveling south I got to see all my friends, even the ones that were a day ahead of me. I particularly like this about SOBO slacking. It is great to have this added social aspect every once in awhile. The trail leaves the ridge for a long descent into Pearisburg. Once down to Pearisburg things get goofy. The trail meanders along/passed/through this awful chemical plant. I'm sure this plant is wonderful for the local economy. I just don't want to smell it. I got "lost" for my first time on the trail at this point. I'm on this gravel road near dusk and I think I see a white blaze down and to my right. Once I get there I see what looks like another white blaze to my left. Turns out it was just a white sticker. Now where am I? I turn on my phone and open my AT app. It has me right on the trail, but that could mean I am just close to the trail. I think the trail is to the left but there are lots of "no trespassing" signs in that direction. I open Google Maps and realize the. AT had to go over the bridge right in front of me. I walk towards the bridge and see a pedestrian crossing. I just happened to look to my left and I see a real white blaze. OK, I'm back. The AT takes me to a side road that goes under the road I was just on, which leads to some stairs, that takes me almost right back to where I was before. Oh well. I guess this is no different than folks trying to follow the trail in snow. You're going to be off the trail at times, often without even knowing it. 10:48 duration 3793 ascent 4511 descent
Date: 2013-05-04
From: VA 635

To: War Spur Shelter
Miles today: 10.3
Weather: overcast clouds

5/4Leaving Pearisburg today, the driver almost drops me off at the wrong spot, which would have added a couple miles. The good news would be I get to visit The Captain again. Nah. We find the correct crossing. I had loose plans to hike to Keffer Oak, a very large, 300-year-old storied oak. Even before starting my thru attempt I had this idea of sleeping under this oak, a tree that sprouted from an acorn before George Washington was born. It would call for a 19+ day so things would have to go well. The climb up to the ridge again was uneventful. The first chocolate out of the box was the dreaded minefield of rocks ridge. It went on and on. My plans of getting to Keffer Oak were thwarted. This was not gonna be a 19-mile day. My ankles made that very clear to me. Once I settled on the notion of doing two shortish days to Keffer, the next chocolate was the rare smooth/flat flavor. My those are tasty. The box doesn't contain enough of these.I arrived at the midway point to Keffer a bit after 4. I realized I hadn't stopped that early too many times. It was enjoyable just chilling out, greeting friends as they showed up, and just generally taking it easy. This wasn't so bad. At the shelter this evening are Hawkeye, Beacon, Humen, Caribou, and Crazy Frog. There is a saying out here, "It isn't about the miles, it's about the smiles." My choices today led to more smiles. 6:42 duration 2110 ascent 2192 descent
Date: 2013-05-05
From: War Spur Shelter

To: VA 42
Miles today: 8.2
Weather: scattered clouds

5/5Everyone was gone by the time I stirred at 9am. I heard the gang talking at the shelter just after sunrise. I was tented maybe 100 feet away and had no intention of getting up that early. I put in some earplugs, turned over, and fell back to sleep. My mileage plans were mild today so I was in no hurry. What a beautiful day to wake up to, sun shining, birds chirping, creek babbling, and wonderful temps. This would not last as a nasty stretch of rain is in the forecast. I still wanted to camp at Keffer Oak , rain or no rain. The climb out of War Spur was reported as rocky/tough by SOBOs, but I found it to be on the mild side. Temps dropped into the 40s by mid day with biting winds. I was glad I hadn't switched out to my summer gear. This still had that late winter feel. As the day went on reports of 3+ inches of rain started to filter in. Late in the day I said, "Uncle". I called a friend of mine from White Blaze, HikerMom, and she picked us up at VA 42. Keffer Oak would have to wait for another day. This next section of trail is legendary for its beauty/interest. I don't want to hurry through it dodging rain. I have a plan that I am working on for the next few days.HikerMom drove us to Daleville where I found Flip, Lady Gray, and Java Man. These folks vary from being 50-90 miles in front of me, even though I have been doing some pretty good miles. It was great to see them all again, if only for a brief moment. 6:44 duration 2172 ascent 2385 descent