morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2007-07-08
From: Paul C. Wolfe Shelter

To: Three Ridges Summit
Miles today: 18.6

Left the shelter at 6:30 as usual and as soon as I rounded the corner on the other side of the creek, the cool morning air disappeared and I was left hiking through a solid wall of heat and humidity. It's a long hike up to Humpback Mtn and before I reach Bear Spring I hear and see a bear run off to the left. The bear count is now at 16. Too many if you ask me. I take a snack break just before the summit and on the other side of the summit meet some hikers doing the same thing. The south side of Humpback Mtn has some real rocky sections that even rival ME and NH in "what were they thinking" factors. And I got to see something shocking - a nekkid hiker! See Buck and Roo, for some people every day is a naked hiking day. Of course, he was an old man, probably in his 70's. You know, if I'm gonna have to see a naked hiker why can't it be Matthew McCaunehey or George Clooney or Josh Duhmel? Some shriveled up old man with white hair is just gross!I eat lunch at Cedar Cliffs which has a nice view of the valley and Chief catches up with me. It is really hot and humid today and Chief is thinking about calling it quits early and having the Dutch Haus B&B pick him up. The heat is just too much for him. The four miles between Cedar Cliffs and Reeds Gap are really rocky and coupled with the heat, we are moving slow. At the Blue Ridge Parkway, he calls for a pickup and we meet some folks tracking butterfly species. Interesting. At Reeds Gap, Chief waits for his pick up and I continue on to the next shelter. It continues to be hot. At the shelter, I get some water and cook dinner, but it is too hot to eat my pasta. I have to wait for it to really cool off. There is another hiker there and we chat while I eat. Then I hike another 3 miles up to Three Ridges Mt. I had talked to some other hikers about campsites so I knew what to look for when I got up there. I found a nice spot and set up camp.   I successfully hung my food bag in a tree on the first try. No rope stuck in the tree this time. I plan out the next few days and watch the sunset through the trees.
Date: 2007-07-10
From: Fish Hatchery Road

To: US 60 to Fish Hatchery Road
Miles today: 16.3

I slept great last night despite a neighbor's dogs barking all night. Lois prepared a fantastic breakfast of french toast with a raspberry sauce, egg and cheese omelette with bacon and sausage, and fresh fruit. It was so delicious. And so filling. I felt full pretty much throughout all of today's hike. Chief and I slackpacked from US 60 back to Fish Hatchery Road (nobo) - which was nice because it meant that I did not have to climb up that gravel road back to the trail. We did have a big climb to start out with, but after that the hiking was pretty moderate and Chief and I were able to have some great conversations. We had some nice views from the top of Cold Mountain which is a bald, but we couldn't stay and enjoy it too long because it started thundering. A bald mountain is not where you want to be in an electrical storm. The hiking from here on was pretty uneventful and we were grateful for the thunder to keep us on our toes and entertained. But it never did rain. We did see some interesting trees growing on some rocks at a stream crossing. Chief tried to flirt with a deer but she was flattered by his sweet talking. We met one other hiker this day who missed out on staying at the Dutch Haus. He did tell us that it stormed at the Priest which suprised us since we had no rain all day. We called Earl and he met us at the end of the road. We showered when we got to the B&B and Lois prepared another wonderful meal. We dined with them and Lois's dad, Bill. She made baked chicken, corn fritters, grilled zucchini and squash and homemade chili rellenos. I know some of you think its funny that I talk so much about food, but when your daily diet consists of dehydrated food, anything prepared fresh and homemade is such a treat, it warrants mentioning. Went to bed a little early tonight. Back on the trail early tomorrow
Date: 2007-07-11
From: US 60 

To: Punchbowl Shelter
Miles today: 11.3
Weather: light rain

I woke up early and tried to update some journals. I slept better last night as the dogs didn't bark, but during the night, the power went out causing the emergency lights to come on and beep. I kept hearing the vcr and tv come on during the night then the lights flickering. I thought it might be a ghost! This made for a funny joke as Chief and I were hiking to the Punchbowl Shelter today which is said to be haunted by a four year old. Lois and Earl prepared us another wonderful breakfast of egg burritos with bacon and fresh strawberries and bananas. It is so hard to leave such a lovely place as this. While we are hiking today, both Chief and I are feeling a little depressed to be away from something so wonderful and out in the heat and humidity of the trail. Earl dropped us off at US 60. We walked along Brown's Creek which has the history of being a freed slaves farming community. Pretty cool. We met a nice older couple out hiking, Flash and Hot Flash. They are so cute. We hiked around the Pedlar Dam which is a resevoir for Lynchburg, VA. We met a nobo, Mismatch, who has his facts so mixed up that we figure he must be smoking the wacky weed. We hike around Little Irish Creek and I walk up on some turtles doing the deed. I guess this proves that you can find love on the AT, that is if you are a turtle! The climb up Rice mtn just about took out Chief. And the climb up to Punchbowl Mtn wasn't any better. I got there about 4:30 and Chief drug himself in a little later. Then a Quaker camp group showed up and provided us with entertainment. They all talked like pirates during dinner and then they played games of tag and sang songs while a few played guitars. I wrote up some journals and turned in early. The earplugs I carry drowned out not only the pirate talking Quakers, but also the pond and tree frogs. Chief listened to his MP3 player. We are both worn out by the humidity.
Date: 2007-07-11
From: US 60 to Fish Hatchery Road

To: US 60 to Punchbowl Shelter
Miles today: 11.3
Weather: light rain

I woke up early and tried to update some journals. I slept better last night as the dogs didn't bark, but during the night, the power went out causing the emergency lights to come on and beep. I kept hearing the vcr and tv come on during the night then the lights flickering. I thought it might be a ghost! This made for a funny joke as Chief and I were hiking to the Punchbowl Shelter today which is said to be haunted by a four year old. Lois and Earl prepared us another wonderful breakfast of egg burritos with bacon and fresh strawberries and bananas. It is so hard to leave such a lovely place as this. While we are hiking today, both Chief and I are feeling a little depressed to be away from something so wonderful and out in the heat and humidity of the trail. Earl dropped us off at US 60. We walked along Brown's Creek which has the history of being a freed slaves farming community. Pretty cool. We met a nice older couple out hiking, Flash and Hot Flash. They are so cute. We hiked around the Pedlar Dam which is a resevoir for Lynchburg, VA. We met a nobo, Mismatch, who has his facts so mixed up that we figure he must be smoking the wacky weed. We hike around Little Irish Creek and I walk up on some turtles doing the deed. I guess this proves that you can find love on the AT, that is if you are a turtle! The climb up Rice mtn just about took out Chief. And the climb up to Punchbowl Mtn wasn't any better. I got there about 4:30 and Chief drug himself in a little later. Then a Quaker camp group showed up and provided us with entertainment. They all talked like pirates during dinner and then they played games of tag and sang songs while a few played guitars. I wrote up some journals and turned in early. The earplugs I carry drowned out not only the pirate talking Quakers, but also the pond and tree frogs. Chief listened to his MP3 player. We are both worn out by the humidity.
Date: 2007-07-13
From: Marble Springs

To: Bryant Ridge Shelter
Miles today: 17.2
Weather: overcast clouds

I started hiking around 7 this morning in the cool and breezy morning air and headed up Highcock Knob. For some reason today, I am moving like a slug - totally in sloe motion. As I climb up toward a thicket of brambles, I hear a rustling and I peer into the brambles to see a large black animal, a bear. Number 17. I stop a good distance away and say, "Hey, Bear." He turns his head toward me slowly, checks me out, and then turns back. He seems to take a deep breath like he's thinking "okay, I'll leave so so can hike by." Then kinda like he's moving in slow motion too, he turns away from me and leaves the thicket heading down the knob. I get up to a large rock clearing and check my phone for message and call home. I've only been 2 miles and I'm taking a break. What gives?Another mile and I'm at Petite's Gap and I sign out on the Forest Ranger's notebook, letting them know I have exited the region they are monitoring for wild fires. I begin the climb up Thunder Hill and stop at Harrison Ground Spring for water. I feel like I am stopping every mile for something. I pause at the Thunder Hill Overlook and speak with two tourists who have driven up the parkway to ths spot. I pass a section hiker who turns out to be from Brookhaven in Atlanta. His name is Norm Findley and I wonder if he is related to the Findleys we know in Avondale. I had lunch at Thunderhill Shelter - kind of a grody little place. Then I passed through the Guillotine - a boulder suspended above the AT. I had to use the self timer to get my picture as no one was around. Then I climbed up Apple Orchard Mtn, I believe the highest point in VA on the AT. It has an FAA radar dome on it. Trail was kinda rocky down to Cornelius Creek Shelter where I stopped for another break a!nd to use the privy. While I am there, the New Dominion School For Boys arrives. They are a wilderness school and there are 12 teenage boys and three supervisors. They are loud and rambunctious and I am glad I am not staying. But they are courteous and want to hear about my thruhike so I chat with them for a bit. Then I head down Floyd Mtn, a long downhill. The trail gets really pretty as I head into the cove near Bryant Ridge Shelter. The forest has opened up and there is this soft green foliage on covering the ground like a blanket. I arrive at this mansion of a shelter to find that I have it all to myself. The bugs are pretty bad (these biting noseeums) and I hear that a black snake lives upstairs, so I hang my hammock in the porch of the shelter. I do the usual chores of cooking dinner and reading the log and planning my destination for tomorrow and then go to bed.
Date: 2007-07-14
From: Bryant Ridge Shelter

To: Blue Ridge Parkway
Miles today: 17.5

Still so sleeping when I woke up. Did not hear my alarm, so got started late, ~8. Today was a long day with little opportunities for water. I left the shelter and climbed up Fork Mtn. Then I descended to Jennings Creek, getting there before 10. This is supposed to be a swimming hole, but I didn't see any places to go swimming as it looked very ledgey. I really didn't even recognize this as Jennings Creek until I had climbed up aways as the guide book is misleading. I got to the top of Cove Mtn and sat on a rock outcropping for lunch and called Charlotte and Andrea. I'm not feeling the trail. Ikm ready to go home and rest and see my family and friends. So it was good t talk to them and laugh a bit at their stories. It was a hot 6.5 miles to the next shelter that has water. I crossed the BRP twice and looked out at the overlooks. This is what VA offers for overlooks, parking lot views of the valleys. I get to the shelter blueblaze and its a steep .2 off the trail. Then I get there and the water source is pretty sucky. Oh well, I have to make it work as I might not make it to the next shelter and I am thirsty. I decide to cook an early dinner here. A section hiker, Cow Bell, arrives and gives me some info on the next shelter and the following water sources. I share with him the info for going north as well. I decide to get in a few more miles and cross the BRP again and this time there is a couple on a date having a picnic. They ask if they can get me anything and I ask for some water. The man fixes me two glasses with ice. It is the sweetest best tasting water I've had in a long time. I answer their questions and we have a nice chat and then, I move on not wanting to infringe too much on their date. I find a nice spot to camp with a view of the sunset through the trees. I hang my bear bag, but over throw the rope and it gets stuck in the tree. I start to panic as this is only my second time using the new bear rope that Chief gave me nad now its stuck in the tree where I can't reach to get it down. But then reason comes back to me and I get a stick and reaxch up to the bear bag rock bag and because the rope is waxed and slides easily over the branches, I am able to coerce it out of the tree and start over. The second time, there is no trouble and I successfully hang my ! bear bag. I listen to my phone messages before going to sleep to find out that Sourdough is not going to be able to hike with me the section south of Daleville like we had hoped. But he is arranging trail magic for me in the way of a zero day at his son's house. He gives me Sidewinder's number and I plan to call him tomorrow to arrange a pick up. A zero day is probably just what I need to get over these VA blues.
Date: 2007-07-15
From: Blue Ridge Parkway

To: US 220
Miles today: 14.3

Today began as a lesson in perseverance. As Sourdough says, right foot, left foot. There really isn't much to report about today's hike. I saw three hiker's and one camp group. I stopped at two shelters neither one of them spectacular. I went up a mountain, I went down a mountain. I did decide that I will give VA a new state nickname or rather something they should be known for. VA should be known as the gravel state. There is small gravel, large gravel, round gravel, flat gravel, skinny gravel, fat gravel, boulder size gravel, and miniscule gravel (I guess that's called sand.) It's everywhere on the trail and it makes hiking slippery. So when I got about 5 miles from US 220, I stopped for lunch and called Sidewinder. We set a time for me to meet him. The hiking from Troutville to Daleville is hot and noisey as it runs right next to I-81. I am so happy to see his SUV at the road. He takes me to his house and introduces me to his girlfriend, Marie, and then shows me to my room, the shower and the laundry room. The shower feels amazing, and there is conditioner for my hair. (While I have had four showers since being out on the trail, none of them had conditioner, only shampoo.) Ahhh, my hair feels so soft and silky and I no longer feel sticky or smell. We share some beers and stories about hiking the trail (he hiked last year with his dad and was part of the group that gave me my trail name) and grill hamburgers and zucchini and squash and have pasta salad and apple cobbler for desert. Then we watch Lifetime television. It feels so good to be in air conditioning and doing anything but hiking. I may ! never leave.
Date: 2007-07-16
From: Blue Ridge Parkway / US 220

To: Zero Day
Miles today: 0.0

Nice to be clean and sleep in a real bed. I woke up at 7 and started planning out the next week of hiking. Sidewinder and Marie got up about 8 and Sidewinder prepared an excellent breakfast of egg, cheese and bacon biscuits. So filling. He left me his vehicle to run errands, so Marie took him to work on her way to shop for furniture. She is moving on Wednesday to go to college in Wise, VA and needs a few things for her new apartment. I sort through my gear and pull out a few things to wash like my water bladder and cook pot. Then I go up to Walmart and buy some groceries and go to the outfitters for some fuel. It begins to rain and I'm thinking that I am glad that I am not hiking today. I make a few phone calls while I have cell service in town. When I get back to the house, I splurge and color my hair. I enjoy another cleansing shower and then watch a little tv and catch up on a weeks worth of journaling. Finally, Marie and Sidewinder get home and we cook pizza for dinner and enjoy some TV and conversation. Sidewinder is also moving and going to college and he starts to fill out his application online with Marie's help. Oh, he has made this stay too enjoyable. It is going to be so hard to leave tomorrow!
Date: 2007-07-17
From: Daleville

To: Campbell Shelter
Miles today: 15.4
Weather: scattered clouds

I woke up around 5, but was determined to go back to sleep as five hours was not enough. Why did I stay up past 12? But when I woke up again on my birthday, 6:23, I knew it was time to get out of bed and start packing. Sidewinder let me pack some leftovers out for breakfast and lunch and then we were on the road. He and Marie were such nice hosts and again, it is so hard to leave a place so nice and get back on the trail. Sidewinder made me laugh so much, it will be hard to go back to being all alone. Not that I don't love being on the trail. It's just a tug-of-war between two lifestyles that are good, but right now being clean and basically not sweaty has a stronger pull on me. I'm on the trail by 8. By about 8:15, I'm drenched in sweat. It was so nice to be clean for all of about 24 hours. I pass under a lot of powerlines today and go by a bunch of named rocks: Hayrock, a large tilted sandstone upthrust with grafitti all over it, Lunch Box Rock, The Well, Tinker Cliffs, Rock Haven, which looked like a huge beached shark, and Snack Bar Rock. I have views of Carvin Cove Resevoir pretty much all day as the trail horseshoes around it. Its nice to have something to look at while hiking, a view! VA has been pretty miserable in the view department so far, so today is a treat. Unfortunately, about 6 miles into today's hike it starts to thunder and lightening. I'm not too concerned because I'm in the trees and its not that close. Then it starts to rain and within 2 minutes, I am drenched. As much as I hate being wet, it actually felt pretty good and things cooled down for a bit. I stopped at the Lamberts Meadow shelter to dry out and for lunch. I only have 6 miles left, so a nap is looking good too. But a nobo shows up and the nap is out. He's a bit strange, asks the same questions over again, tells me the same information again;I think he speaks with a stutter too. Anyway, the thunder seems to be subsiding, so I decide to push on and take my chances with the Cliffs. I don't want to be up on Tinker Cliffs during an electrical!storm, but I don't want to waste this hiking time or spend too much time with this hiker. I made the right decision. The thunder goes away as does the rain and the air is cool and not humid. The Cliffs are pretty cool with some nice views of the surrounding mountains including McAfee Knob. I will climb it tomorrow. Leaving the cliffs so goes the cool breeze and it begins to get humid again. 3 hours later, I am at the shelter. Before I get there I pass Big Cat, another hiker I had met in TN. He's taking it one day at a time. A good attitude to have on the trail.I have the shelter all to myself. I've camped many nights alone, but its always a little weird to be in a shelter alone. Its a nice shelter to be alone in though. I check in with Chief about meeting up next week, fix dinner and actually write this journal entry on the day that it happened. Now, if I could just get those 3 missing ones written. Will have to wait until another day. My eyes are drawing close with sleep.
Date: 2007-07-19
From: Pickle Branch Shelter

To: Cabin Branch
Miles today: 10.6

So tired after yesterday's climb up Dragon's Tooth in the heat of the day. Got up around 7. The air is so still and stagnant. Enjoyed breakfast with the Indiana family and then took off around 8. About a mile into the hike, I crossed Trout Creek that looks like it has some nice swimming holes. Why do I always pass the swimming holes in the morning? From here it's about 4-5 miles of uphill. It's along a ridge and fr some reason, there is an awesome breeze blowing. I take a long break at the Audie Murphy Memorial, mostly because there is a bench to sit on and because the breeze feels good. Audie ia the most decoratd veteran of WW2 and he died in a plane crash near this site. Then its off for a long steep downhill. I pass a turtle - ha, someone who hikes slower than me. I also pass lots of lizards. They dart on and off the trail so fast. I arrive at the Craig Creek Valley and most of the creeks are dried up. I sit n the bridge at Craig Creek and it some candy and drink some water and watch a doe and her fawn watching me. The doe wants to go for a drink but is wary of me. Then they bounce off away from me. It's just another mile to the shelter but it's a lo! ng hot one. I pass three guys heading north, the first people I've seen today other than the Indiana family. They give me some info about the shelters and water sources ahead. I arrive at the shelter and get some water and eat lunch. The radio says that there is a chance of thunderstorms this afternon. The Indiana family shows up and we all take a siesta. Then about 5 we eat dinner and at 6:30 we decide to hike on a bit. I don't know why I decided to do this; it's now thundering and looking like rain. But I only hiked 10 miles today which means I need to hike 18 tomorrow. I don't want tohike 18 tomorrow, so I head up the Sinking Creek Mtn hoping the rain holds off. It doesn't. At 7 we get a 15 minute shower - long enough to get everything wet while we set up our tents/hammock. I could have been nice and dry at the shelter, near a water source and a privy, writing my journals. What was I thinking? Probably: do more miles, be near people, just go for it. I real! ly don't think the extra .5 mile I hiked today was worth the trouble o f getting wet, but this is this stuff that makes memories.