morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2012-05-14
From: US 220/ Daleville VA

To: Daleville, VA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Upon waking today, we were excited by the prospect of a breakfast bar at the motel. We shouldn't have been. It was just doughnuts and cereal, but we still ate our fill. The weather was rainy and showed no signs of stopping. Since we were waiting around to meet up with Low's family, and had no desire to hike in the rain, we extended our stay by a night.We couldn't expect Low's mum and sister until 1:00 at the earliest, so we walked down to the outfitter to look around. It ended up being great, because we replaced a few bits of broken gear. The most impressive of which was getting a warranty replacement of our water filter, since the nipple broke off. Thank you Cascade Designs. After the outfitter, we got some drinks at a coffee shop & wandered around Goodwill, until our guests arrived. We ate a late lunch at Rancho Viejo. Went back to the outfitter so Low's mom could get us something for our birthdays (a dress for Sweet & a shirt for Low). Then back to the motel. The rest of the night we spent telling stories. Regaling each other with all that has happened since we left for the trail took a lot more time than anyone expected. When we realized it was time for bed, everyone was surprised the day had passed so quickly.
Date: 2012-05-15
From: Daleville, VA

To: near Curry Creek
Miles today: 9.5

The sun decided to come back out today! Though it was humid & a little muggy, the sun was out this morning. We skipped the continental breakfast , checked out and drove down to the Shoneys again. We really can't describe how how happy we have been with Shoneys at this stop. Decent buffet spreads at decent prices... what more could a hiker ask for? After breakfast, Low's mum & sister walked with us up the trail a small ways. It was difficult to leave one another. The parting was made slightly easier however, by their want to get away from the locust infestation we reentered. The miles passed, we made camp. Even though we stopped early, we made good miles since we didn't leave town until 11:30. Dinner was lasagna Helper, the desert course being thunder with a side of more rain. At least we were set up and dry inside our tent.Oh, we loved hiking in our new clothes! Sweet's dress is light and airy. Low's shirt is free of holes. Thank you for the visit Mum & Nay.
Date: 2012-05-16
From: near Curry Creek

To: Cove Mtn.
Miles today: 13.7
Weather: broken clouds

The rain came and went Quickly last night. In this little valley though, there is little wind and the trees block out the sun, so things are still a little damp. Low caught up on some journals before we started walking anyways.The trail had fine grades & a well maintained path this morning. The miles went quickly to lunch. After eating, we encountered our our first crossing of the Blue Ridge Parkway. We had several more BRP crossings, past a few scenic outlooks. We were slightly saddened when we realized all the cherries and peaches growing at the overlook pull-offs won't be ripe for a few more weeks. That's the life of a hiker, though. We got water at Bobblet Shelter, since our guidebook doesn't mention any more sources for several miles, but realized quickly we didn't need to carry the extra weight. Plenty of water on the trail. We finally made camp on top of Cove Mountain, & watched the sun set from inside our tent. Still happy but want to be out of VA.
Date: 2012-05-17
From: Cove Mtn.

To: near Black Rock
Miles today: 14.3

Waking on our little ridge was nice & peaceful. While packing up, we were passed by a few ladies from the National Bridge Trail Club, out for a day hike. Once on the trail, we passed some of them again & they called themselves the Thursday Happy Hikers, because yous weren't allowed to join their weekly hike unless you show good spirits.Descending the mountain, before Jennings Creek, we scared up what we guessed was a bear, by its size, and color, & noise, but bolted on our approach. Making our way to the creek for a lunch of cooling refreshment was lovely. We went up Fork Mountain, whose name was apt as it forked us up one side and down the other, but saw a box turtle on the climb. Stopping in at Bryant Ridge Shelter for a snack was nice. We weren't tempted to stop by this pretty, tri-level shelter though. Up Floyd Mountain we went. The climb was rough on us, fighting lows most of the walk. We made it to Cornelius creek by 7pm & pushed on for better camping. A happy day!
Date: 2012-05-18
From: near Black Rock

To: Matts Creek Shelter
Miles today: 16.0
Weather: overcast clouds

We started the day with walking by an Air Force radar station on top of Apple Orchard Mountain. That was neat to see, but just after the facility was The Guillotine, an epic trail landmark. After the Guillotine, Low found some paw paws, & made Sweet try them for the first time, even though they aren't quite ripe left. We held off eating lunch until the Thunder Ridge overlook on the BRP. It came as a surprise when we showed up and were offered a ride to Trail Days in Damascus. We forgot that was this weekend. We decided to keep on trail though, as we will be taking time off in early June for a wedding.Highcock Knob in the James River Face Wilderness Area was a major point of entertainment this afternoon. Especially when Sweet pointed out that Highcock Knob was covered in green stuff that will make you itch, just like our buddy with the same name as that wilderness area. We love you James. We camped on the ridge before the shelter. Too dark to keep walking.
Date: 2012-05-19
From: Matts Creek Shelter

To: Salt Log Gap (south)
Miles today: 10.7

Camping where we did last night, we got up early and made tracks to Matts Creek Shelter before eating breakfast. It was different but nice to walk before eating.We kept moving, and quickly came to a walk on the bank of the James River. As we crossed the Foot Bridge, Low ran to get a photo of a train engine as it passed on Norfolk Southern rails. A local shuttler offered us a ride to town, & we accepted as we planned on going to Glasgow for resupply. While in town, we resupplied, ate, & checked our email. Email was nice to check, & odd. It reminded us how "connected" the world is, even though we haven't had access to to the web & phone service for sometimes weeks at a time.We got back to the trail by 1pm. Even though it was a smaller miles day, we were both spent by the time we made it to Salt Log Gap. We dry camped there, in a field of garlic mustard. Would have been amazing if there was water nearby, but still a nice place to stop for the night.
Date: 2012-05-20
From: Salt Log Gap (south)

To: Brown Creek Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 12.6
Weather: scattered clouds

Leaving the camp site this morning was difficult. Mabey we're hitting the Virginia Blues hard right now. A lack of motivation has been rampant with us lately. We are still enjoying the hike, but just having difficulty wanting to put the miles we "need" to.Anyways, we were offered lunch at a road crossing on the BRP, by Cricket. She was out visiting her son who is thru hiking, & brought extras. Thank God for Moms and their need to feed people.Later in the day, we walked part way into the Brown Mountain Creek Community. It is a town that was inhabited by former slaves from post Civil War to about 1918. Buildings have been reclaimed by the forest & little is left as evidence of it ever being there, but some ruins remain & tell stories to those with imaginations.We camped along the creek, just before the shelter. As we finished the day, we were treated by the sight of a barred owl. Majestic.
Date: 2012-05-21
From: Brown Creek Mountain Shelter

To: North Fork of the Piney River
Miles today: 13.9

We were up & on the trail by 9am, but stopped after 100yds to use the shelters privy. There was a line. We didn't start walking again for 30 mins. Wow!There were a few beautiful balds we walked over today. It is amazing every time we get views from on top of a mountain or ridge. Today we realized that we haven't mentioned Diabetes care for a while, so....We change out basals daily. Sometimes hour by hour depending on terrain difficulty. It's safe to say we average about 30% of our "normal" basals while hiking, though. Any time we stop hiking, we revert to 100% basal. We eat a lot, so Bolusing is constant. Our carb ratios have gone up, so that we're taking less insulin for each carb, but eat more food than in the real world. Town days are hard to predict how to basal & bolus, but we have a decent handle on all of it by now. We camped near another river/creek tonight. Both of us have the sniffles. Trying to push hard for Shenandoah, our next goal.
Date: 2012-05-22
From: North Fork of the Piney River

To: Dutch Haus B&B
Miles today: 0.0

It stormed on us last night. Hard. Sleeping was difficult due to the thunder, lightning, and torrential downpour, It was easier to sleep, even after we were wet, when the rain slowed near daybreak. So, we slept in.Once on the trail, it was obvious we both felt like heck. We decided to walk to Fish Hatchery Rd and get a half day of R&R at the Dutch Haus B&B.What can we say, feeling sick then getting rained on took it out of us. We realized today, we should be in Shenandoah National Park for Memorial Day Weekend. Not sure if that is a good thing or not. The tent has been dried and we are clean now. Looking forward to being back on the trail & away from town. We are starting to detest stopping in places with other hikers. Just too much showboating & BS. Without other hikers though, the services wouldn't be available for sorry souls like us. Hmm... cant wait to leave Virginia. We've been stuck here too long. The Storms are passing & we're going North in the morning.
Date: 2012-05-23
From: Dutch Haus B&B

To: Chimney Rocks
Miles today: 13.9

Picture: Sweet climbing down Spy RockWe lucked out and got to eat breakfast in the second group. That meant eating at 8 vs 7. an hour more sleep. awesome. The walk back up to the trail was brutal, but had to be walked. The view from the top of Spy Rock was wonderful, though, & worth the climb.We ate lunch on The Priest, before descending to the Tye River. Sweet soaked her feet a while in in its cold water before it began showering again. Harper Creek Shelter was our intended dinner spot. There we met Cow Tail, before continuing. Low wanted to reach the next shelter before stopping for the day. But, still not at full health, we stopped near Chimney Rocks. Our site was beautiful & off trail, but poison ivy was nearby. (neither of us got rashy, but plenty of worry from Sweet.) We're still getting back to full strength. Tomorrow will be a better day
Date: 2012-05-24
From: Chimney Rocks

To: Bear Spring
Miles today: 16.0

Leaving our site early was the plan, but a pain because we had to continue up the Three Ridges first thing in the morning. Coming down the mountain was quite enjoyable though. We stopped in at Maupin Field Shelter, and found an odd site. Stacks of canned goods & other pantry items, sitting on a shelf on the exterior of the shelter. A local youth group has been bringing food here for hikers, but leaving it out in the open for animals & people alike to enjoy seemed odd. We found more "trail magic" at Reeds Gap: brownies, apples, & old Easter candy. Score! Then it drizzles on us a bit more and moistened all the rocks we had to walk across. In the rain we started counting Gilberts. That is, little, orange salamanders Sweet has been calling Gilbert, because they all "look like a Gilbert."We reached 23 before stopping just after Bear Spring for the night. Looking forward to getting to Wayansboro & seeing Sweets parents tomorrow. That means SNP is just ahead.
Date: 2012-05-25
From: Bear Spring

To: Days Inn, Wayansboro, VA
Miles today: 9.0

In the nigh there was some crashing nearby. Low insisted it was night hikers. He didn't reveal until morning that it was probably a bear. We were near Bear Spring, after all. Once on the trail, it wasn't 5 mins before we saw a small bear scurry out of a tree and run away. So, suspicion confirmed. We walked on Paul C. Wolf Shelter, checked the register & kept moving. We had out sights set on Wayansboro. The weather has been getting hot, so when we made it out of the woods at Rockfish Gap, we made our way to the tourism building, hoping for some AC. We found a cool room there but that's about it. A shuttle was arranged, though, so we got into the outfitter.We left the outfitter on foot, and made it to Ming's Garden, the best Chinese Buffet on the trail, & gorged ourselves. When leaving, we asked the owned where the best way to Days Inn, where we were to meet Sweet's parents. He said "Too far to walk", & insisted that one of his employees drive us. So, without too much, we found ourselves checking into our hotel. The man who checked us in seemed confused, as most hikers don't venture into this part of town. Then we showered & went across the street to Wal*Mart for some refreshments as we waited for Sweet's mom & dad. They arrived near 8:00pm, and we exchanged all sorts of stories from the trail and back home. We left the room to find somewhere to eat, and got lost on a goose chase looking a somewhere out of the way. We ended up back across the street from the hotel, at Waffle House near midnight
Date: 2012-05-26
From: Days Inn, Wayansboro, VA

To: Days Inn, Wayansboro, VA
Miles today: 0.0

At our request, Sweet's parents brought us some "normal" clothes to wear around on our zero day. The idea of wearing a cotton tee & sneakers was novel, but the shorts they brought for Low were just too big. He remedied the situation by cutting a length of paracord & tying two belt loops together to tighten the waist. Then, it was off to Monticello.The hordes of people out on Memorial Day weekend was mad, especially to us being used to the solitude we've become accustomed to. Visit the home of our third president was wonderful though. The beauty of his home and history of the setting was a wonderful aside from the trail. The hordes were not. After Monticello, we went to dinner at Edelwiess, a German restaurant. There we had great food, and all you can eat sides, an according player, & a wonderful setting. If closer to the trail, I know it would be a hit with more hikers. We returned to the hotel after dinner. The time off has been great, but back to the trail tomorrow.
Date: 2012-05-27
From: Days Inn, Wayansboro, VA

To: near Sawmill Run
Miles today: 10.1

We all slept late this morning. After breakfast & packing up, we spent nearly an hour looking for Sweet's glasses case, which had her contacts inside. We found it, after tossing the room several times, in the car, in a hard to reach area under the seat. We then resupplied at Wal*Mart. I don't understand how, but it was our most expensive resupply yet. We made one more stop, Arbys, for condiments, before returning to Rockfish Gap. Sweet's parents walked with us a ways into the woods before turning back so they could drive Skyline home. We found the walking nice today, and passed our intended stop. Shortly after the boundary for SNP, we saw a bear, who ran at the sight of us, & a few deer.To limit the food smells in camp, we made dinner at the Sawmill Run Overlook, and proceeded up the next hill. We camped on the ridge, & hung a bear bag as required by the park. Our second food hang while camping away from shelters. Spirits are high as we approach the VA/WV line.
Date: 2012-05-28
From: near Sawmill Run

To: Loft Mountain
Miles today: 22.6
Weather: few clouds

This morning we were packed & on the trail by 8:45. As soon as we stepped on the trail Strollin, stopped us to talk. We found out his daughter threw in the towel, before they made it to Rockfish Gap. So, Strollin is back to a single person unit. We walked on & encountered BLT, slack packing a section south, & spent too much time catching up with him too. Lunch was eaten trailside. We took a long break at Blackrock Hut, waiting for temp to start dropping. It was in the 90s without a doubt today.After it cooled some, we walked on. there was a deer on the trail this afternoon, that let us get quite near & photograph it. I suppose the wildlife in SNP are accustomed to people. We cooked dinner trailside, near Loft Mountain Campgrounds. The thought being we were limiting food smell near our campsite tonight too. Up Loft Mountain we went then, setting up just past the Frazier Discovery Trail. Our site was nice, but Low hung our bear bag directly over the tent. Not sure about that.
Date: 2012-05-29
From: Loft Mountain

To: Hightop Mountain
Miles today: 13.5

Strollin passed by as we were packing up again today. He commented that we "always find such great campsites." I guess we do. The secret is to walk until you find a good one. No point in stopping for the night unless it's a good site. We walked down to Ivy Creek Spring to collect water, & found a PATC building with privy in the process. Thanks PATC, use of the privy and germ-x was great.Not the day started to heat up. We stopped for a break & played a game of peek-a-boo with a mole. We ate lunch & got water at the ranger station in Simmons Gap. The heat was brutal, so walking was hard. We kept pushing, hearing thunder for hours with sunny skies. As we passed the Hightop Hut, thunder made itself heard again. We planned on stopping again for water at a spring after the hut, so didn't stop.As we filtered water it was clear a storm was comming. We found a place to pitch our tent quickly & set up just before the rain came. Oh, Happy Birthday to Sweet too!!
Date: 2012-05-30
From: Hightop Mountain

To: Hazeltop
Miles today: 16.2

The storm blew most of the night, but things cooled off a bit. Maybe that was the birthday present Sweet wished for last night. We slept in & packed slow. That seems to be a theme when it's still wet from rain for us. Soon after hitting the trail we passed the 900 mile mark, & kept walking. We lunched at the South River Picnic Grounds. As we were heading back to the trail, a car with 3 thrus, class of '11, pulled up. We sat with them for far too long, enjoying some of the treats they offered, like cherries and peaches. Later in the day, coming down Bearface Mountain, we saw another bear. This one did not run away, though. He just looked at us and watched us walk by, from 20ft away. Odd & very cool. Dinner was made in Bootens Gap We then camped on the downhill side of Hazeltop. Just after turning in our site was swarmed with deer. There was no scaring them off, even when they were within 5ft of our tent! Does that mean the bear aren't nearby tonight, at least?
Date: 2012-05-31
From: Hazeltop

To: Skyland
Miles today: 11.7

We woke and got on the trail this morning without eating. Our plan was to have breakfast at the Big Meadow Wayside. Talk about motivation in the morning!Along the way we saw a deer that didn't want to leave the trail. Upon closer inspection we understood why. She was minding a fawn, still wobbly on its feet, that was just on the other side of the trail. We cautiously made our way between mother and baby, with breakfast on the brain. We missed the best access to the wayside, but left trail at Big Meadows Lodge just the same, heading to food. After eating, we resupplied and headed back to the trail. The time passed Quickly between Big Meadow and Skyland from excitement. For her birthday Sweet booked a night at Skyland. We also had dinner in the dining room, after cleaning up. The food was exceptional, except for the mash, which was gluey & overly peppered, like they were trying to mask something. Sleep came quickly after returning to our room. Thank God for birthdays.
Date: 2012-06-01
From: Skyland

To: Skyland
Miles today: 0.0

included in our room, as part of the hiker special, was breakfast in the dining room at Skyland. Low enjoyed his greatly. Sweet excused herself after a single bite bite of pancakes. She proceeded to vomit for several hours. So, with crappy weather rolling in & a sick hiker, we extended our stay. Our Wallets didn't like it, but Sweet was feverish & in no condition to walk this morning. Low passed the day with reading, naps, puzzles, & radio, as our room had no TV. Sweet shivered and slept until four o'clock. When she woke, she felt well enough to try eating. By six, she was hungry & insisted on dinner. We cooked in the room and enjoyed listening to the radio as we dined. Not quite the experience of last nights dinner, but still nice. It stormed some more after we ate, but we're both feeling strong. It will be nice to eat breakfast again, & move on tomorrow morning.
Date: 2012-06-02
From: Skyland

To: past Byrds Nest #4
Miles today: 14.8

Upon waking this morning, Sweet was feeling better than yesterday. Well enough for breakfast at least. So, we ate, packed up, & returned to our daily task of walking. While recovering yesterday, Sweet read the entire book, October Sky, first published by Rocket Boys, before the movie came along. To pass the time, Low asked all sorts of questions about the book. Talking makes us walk slower, but can be more enjoyable. Before noon we walked into the Pinnacle Picnic Grounds, & met a family who wanted to feed some hikers, so we let them. One daughter had thru hiked in'10, so now yearly, they want to make burgers for hikers in SNP. After our surprise lunch, we walked up to wonderful views of the Shenandoah Valley from Marys Rock. Next, we stopped for water and dinner at Pass Mountain Shelter. Then, kept moving. We stopped a few miles shy of Elkwallow Wayside (hoping for some last chance ice cream tomorrow), after the side trail to Byrds Nest #4. Good day back.
Date: 2012-06-03
From: past Byrds Nest #4

To: North boundry of SNP
Miles today: 18.4

We were up and excited this morning to get to the Elkwallow Wayside. We pushed hard, & when we arrived the flush privys were a welcome site. That was the only luxury we were afforded though. The grill was out of order, and we weren't enticed by a $7 cold cut sandwich. (All they were offering. Le sigh.)Stopping in at Gravel Spring Hut to get water was nice. We met the Greatful Green-Peace Guy, who was sitting at the hut after shuttling a hiker around. He runs the Hostel at the northern end of the park, & swapped a few stories. It rained a bit in the afternoon. Low found a Honda key on the trail, & a worried owner about a mile later. There were some rangers monitoring a cliff where peregrine falcons have been reintroduced to the park. Thankfully they nested off trail this year. We were pushing to get out of SNP tonight, but with it getting dark, we set up a few tenths of a mile before the boundary. Back into town tomorrow for a resupply.
Date: 2012-06-04
From: North boundry of SNP

To: Front Royal
Miles today: 4.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Waking today was odd. We had no wildlife encounter except for large insects that scurried over leaf litter all night, startling Low awake a few times. We were tired, and had a violent color of mucus seeping from both of our noses. The walking today was exciting, because we found ripe berries. For months we have been seeing raspberry bushes & green berries. Today we had them fresh from the bush. Just before the road into town, another hiker asked us for a ride into town, thinking er were probably section hiking. Apparently, our new, bright clothes don't make people think we are thru hiking. "you can usually ID a thru by their drab colors." was his explanation.Once at the road, we started walking into town, but Greatful GG stopped & gave us a ride. What luck! We resupplied & headed for lunch. While at lunch, looking at each others tired faces, we decided to get off the trail earlier than planned. Sweet is a bride's maid for a friend in AL this weekend. So, we made the call to Sweet's parents. They were able to come tonight.We spent the rest of the day walking around town. At the bookstore, Library (for internet access), & had dinner at Joe's Steakhouse, waiting for our pickup. The rest of the week will be odd, not walking. R&R will be nice though.