morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2005-03-31
To: View Entry
Miles today: 13.2

march 31, 2005 Hello everybody. Today I did another backwards hike. After a good night's rest at Dave & Page's house, Dave dropped me off 13.2 miles up the AT at Spivey Gap. What I did was hike (backwards)the 13.2 miles Southbound until I reached Sam's Gap. At this point, Daved picked me up & took me back to his home again. Of course, I left my heavy backpack at his house & just hiked with a daypack (slackpacked). I got started at 815 am. The weather was nice in the morning. When I stopped for lunch at Bald Mountain Shelter, it started to pour down rain. It did stop raining, but got extremely foggy so I couldn't see 50 ft in front of me. The rest of the day stayed foggy & drizzly. Temps were in the 40's & 50's depending upon the elevation. I hiked up to 5516 ft.   Saw alot of other hikers today. I ran into Pace, which I hadn't seen in over 3 weeks. Today was a 6 hr hike.
Date: 2005-04-01
From: Spivey GAp

To: Erwin
Miles today: 11.2
Weather: overcast clouds

April fools day. Today Dave dropped me off at Spivey Gap. I hiked 11.2 miles into Erwin, TN. Stayed at Dave's friend Danny's house. Dave also drove over and stayed the night. Danny fed us well. We had steaks, bean soup, homemade cornbread, & lots of salad. I also ran into Not Yet in town & he joined us for dinner.
Date: 2005-04-02
From: Erwin

To: View Entry
Miles today: 10.8

Sat. April 2, 2005 Okay, today should have been April Fool's Day, because I was a fool to slackpack with out bringing some warmer gear. The weather can sure sneak up on you in the mountains. This time of year can be tricky. Not Yet, Traction & I were planning on hiking another southbound section today. We were all dropped of at inron Mountain Gap & were going to hike the 19.1 miles back to Erwin. Our plan did not work. It started to snow & sleet as soon as we got on the trail. Within 3 hours there were 5 inces of snow on the ground & it was freezing & blowing. All I had on was my rain pants, T-shirt, longjohn shirt & Rain jacket. It wasn't enough to keep warm. My backpack was in Erwin with all of my other clothes. To top it off, I fell 2 times today. Once, I fell face first & started sliding down the trail like I was headed for second base. That hurt!Traction is a very fast hiker, so he made it back to Erwin somehow. However, Not Yet & I got off the trail, found a road, & hitched back. A very nice man & wife with their 10 yr old Daughter had mercy on us & took us back to Erwin. We stayed at Uncle Johnny's hostel, glad to be where it was warm!
Date: 2005-04-03
To: View Entry
Miles today: 8.3

Sun, April 3,2005. Today I had to make up the 8.3 miles that I missed yesterday, so the owner of the hostel dropped me back off on the trail at Indian Gap & I hiked the 8.3 miles back to Erwin. It was a nice day for walking as opposed to yesterday. Not Yet stayed in town because he has already done that section of the trail. Saw Erica & Tim (trail name:Olive) today. Haven't seen them in a while. After hiking, I went with Not Yet & Traction to Dick & Anne Frazier's house to watch the last 100 laps of the Nascar race. For dinner, I went with a group from the hostel for Mexican. Stayed at Uncle Johnny's Hostel again.Only 100 miles from Damascus , VA. The weather report is looking good for the week, but I will expect snow at higher elevations.
Date: 2005-04-04
To: Bristol Motor Speedway
Miles today: 0.0

Monday, April 4, 2005The Bush race in Bristol, TN was cancelled on Saturday on account of the rain, so they are running it today. I managed to get 3 free tickets, so Traction, Not Yet & I are going for it! We have arranged to get a ride there. I guess we'll figure out how to back back later.
Date: 2005-04-05
From: Iron Mountain Gap

To: Roan High Knob Shelter
Miles today: 12.5
Weather: scattered clouds

Tues. April 5. Back on the trail today. Not Yet, Traction, & I hiked 12.5 miles today to Roan High Knob Shelter. It was tough getting re-acclimated to hiking & the altitude again after being in Erwin & Bristol for a few days. We climbed up to 6285 feet at Roan High Knob. It was nice today with temps in the 70's and nice views.We have adopted a dog, Not Yet & I. Not Yet is the father & I am the godfather. Well actually, he kind of adopted us. He would not leave our sides in Erwin, so we decided to take him with us. Not Yet carries his food & he seems to enjoy the walking, however, when we stop, he always collapses for a quick snooze. Not Yet's mom will be picking the dog up When we get to Damascus to find him a home in Alabama.The Shelter at Roan High was the best yet . It is enclosed with a door. In the shelter with us was Mr Magoo (a very loud snorer!), Erica & Olive.
Date: 2005-04-06
From: Roan High Knob Shelter

To: Apple House Shelter
Miles today: 14.7

Wed. April,6. Hiked 14.7 miles today. Very sunny & clear day. We walked over the most beautiful mountain tops with 360 degree views. (Hump Mountain & Little Hump Mountain) Stopped by Overmountain Shelter for a lunch beak & this shelter is ever better than Roan High. It is a big 2 story barn. I'll be sending pictures of it soon. We stayed in the Apple House Shelter.
Date: 2005-04-07
From: Apple House Shelter

To: Mooreland Gap Shelter
Miles today: 18.2
Weather: light rain

Thursday, April 7. Another nice day for hiking. It was cloudy but temps were 65 & we only got a few sprinkles of rain. I went 18.2 miles to Mooreland Gap Shelter. I saw 2 waterfalls today. One was right beside the trail & I hiked a short distance off the trail to see the other one. Not Yet & Traction continued on another 6 miles to a hostel. I figured 18 miles was enough for me today. Don't want to over do it. There's a long way yet to go. I had a nice view from the shelter this evening. The sky was bursting with color at sunset.
Date: 2005-04-08
From: Mooreland Gap Shelter

To: Kincora Hostel
Miles today: 6.1

Fri. April 8. Hiking today started for me at 730 am. I walked 6.1 miles to Dennis Cove Rd & then on to the incora Hostel. I was eager to get there for a much needed shower. This hostel is owed by a very nice couple (Bob & Pat Peoples) They are from Vermont & only charge $4.00 a night for a bed. When I got hter I was happy to find that Not Yet had saved me a bunk.   I got my laundry done, went to the grocery store, & am having red meat tonight. I will be cooking a big ole steak here in the hostel kitchen.
Date: 2005-04-09
To: Kincora Hostel
Miles today: 8.9

Saturady, Aril 9. I was dropped off today at MP 418.2 & hiked south 8.9 miles back to the Kincora Hostel. Hiked with Kodak(18) & Easy(25) all day. It was a gorgeous Spring day & the trees are starting to bud. We walked by an awesome waterfall that was right along the trail. We hiked down into a deep narrow gorge that sometimes you have to skirt around the rim with out going down, because it will flood at times. Today was safe to hike down & that is where we saw the waterfal (Laurel Falls). There are also some tent sites in the gorge. I would like to come back here in the future with my hiking club (John C., Jon B., Crystal,& April) & explore, camp, hike the AT & stay at the Kincora Hostel. They have got to see this place. Can you believe that I have been on the trail for 6 weeks now & only have slept in my tent once! And that night it was pitched in a shelter. All of my nights in the woods have been in a shelter, with exception to the dome. And of course when in town I have been at a hostel, motel, or at a friend's house. Well, now all of that is about to change. The weather is getting nice and the danger of sleet & snow is just about over. For the next few nights I will be putting up my tent for sure. And in a few more days, I will be walking into my home state of Virginia! 37.8 miles to the TN-VA border.
Date: 2005-04-10
From: Watauga Lake

To: mp 431.6 Tent site
Miles today: 13.4

Sunday, April 10, Great day of hiking today. Walked with Not Yet, Tea Break, & Kodak. We had beautiful views of Watauga Lake as we hiked around it & up over the dam. Later, we came across Vaneventer Shelter. Ok, the shelters keep getting nicer & nicer as we hike North. This one is truly the best so far. It has gorgeous views of the lake & the sunrise would be spetacular from there, but we could not stay for the night. We had to keep on going because we had only been 8 miles so far. Our camping spot was 5 more miles ahead. And guess what? I finally set up my tent this evening. The tent site was in a grassy level area that was wonderful for stargazing. I did not put the rain fly on the tent just for that purpose; falling asleep under the stars! Also, there was a rock ring for a fire, which we enjoyed. Right at dusk, the owls came out for their mating calls. And wow, was it something. It sounded like tons of them & they were hooting & screeching so much that it sounded like monkeys in the trees. Our poor little doggie friend (I call him Pork Chop) did not know what to think of all the ruckus. And last but not least, I have discovered stove top stuffing. I had a whole box of it with Ritz crackers for my dinner. I went to sleep happy.
Date: 2005-04-11
From: mp 431.6 Tent site

To: Abington Gap Shelter
Miles today: 17.9
Weather: clear sky

Mon. April 11. Last night was a good night's rest. Way better than on a hard shelter floor. AT 6AM Team Vanity, which consists of 5 hikers (remember the ones who carry useless items?, well this is their new name)walked by. They had been hiking since 2am. Completely insane! They were doing a very long trek in an effort to get to Damascus as soon as possible. The sunrise was awesome from the tent this morning & it was another beautiful day of hiking. Spring is really starting to show. Today I saw wild turkeys, grouse, & lots of wildflowers that are in bloom. The hike was pretty much a gentle up & down all day. Also, I came across a monument to a hiker named Nick Grindstaff. There was a quote on the monument that stated " A gentle heart makes lots of friends". I thought that was nice.   Food today: Poptarts & coffee for breakfast. Oatmeal & peanutbutter crackers for lunch. Mom's fudge for dessert. I have been eating it, and sharing some, everyday since Easter. It gives a great sugar rush for hiking after lunch. It is finally gone & it has been greatly enjoyed. (Thanks again Mom!) Dinner was a whole package of instant Idaho mashed potatoes. (ok, so now you can see why I am craving red meat when I get into towns.)   We stayed in Abington Shelter tonight because the weather report was forcasting rain. Also in the shelter were Not Yet, Kodak & Mr Magoo. This is the last shelter in Tennessee going North.
Date: 2005-04-12
From: Abington Gap Shelter

To: Damascus
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: light rain

Tuesday, April 12. Awoke this morning at 430am. Couldn't go back to sleep because Mr Magoo was snoring too loudly. Not Yet & Kodak were also awake. Someone suggested that we might as well pack up & go. And then we heard Mr Magoo say, " yeah we might as well, since we're all awake." Ha-ha. Anyway, all but Mr Magoo got up & got moving at 430am. We hiked the first hour in the dark. We crossed the state line & then in 3.5 more miles we were in Damascus. We arrived there around 10am. We barely beat the rain.    In Damascus, I went to the library & used the computer to check this website, did laundry, had pizza for lunch, & checked into a hostel. The hostel I'm staying in is called The Place. It is Methodist sponsored and is situated behind the church. It has rooms with bunk beds, a common room for lounging, bathrooms with hot showers, & a backporch for cooking. Donations are accepted by the church.    I had dinner at Cracker Barrell with Not Yet & his parents in Abington.
Date: 2005-04-13
From: Damascus

To: Damascus
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Wednesday, April 13. Today it is pouring down rain here in Damascus. I am presently laundering towels for the hostel & also making arrangements to go home for a few days. It is Crystal's birthday, so I am taking a bus home to visit.   Attention to all of my journal readers: Don't forget to check this site this weekend because I will be posting a very special update. Bye for now.
Date: 2005-04-17
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Sunday, April 17. Well, I took a bus home from Marion, VA on Thurs. My wife Crystal & sister Linda picked me up in Richmond sometime after 10PM. They had bought me some sushi which I enjoyed. Friday, I went into the office with Crystal to check on things & sent off our taxes. Also, got my teeth cleaned since brushing has been sporadic on the trail. It is nice to be back in Middlesex. It's much greener here then at 4,000 to 6,000 ft above sea level.   I will be heading back to the trail early Tuesday morning with Wild Bill. Bill is from Cedar Point here in Middlesex. He will be hiking with me for 4 or 5 days. We will be in one of the nicest sections of the trial- Grayson Highlands State Park. We hope to get a glimpse of some of the wild ponies that I've heard so much about.   I would like to take this time to say what a great time I have been having on my hike. I also want to thank everyone for all of the encouragement & awesome messages on my guest book. It is alot of fun for me when I find a town with internet access and I get to check them.                                    NOW FOR SOME BREAKING NEWS!!!!!!!!!!!1st News: It seems that the Train here will not be gone as long on this hike as I expected. I had planned on hiking until the end of August or the middle of September, but now it appears that I will be coming off the trail some time in June.2nd, Really Good News: The Train will now have a caboose on the way. That's right, Crystal & I are expecting a baby! We didn't know this when I started the trail, & she informed my Easter weekend when she visited me in Hot Springs, NC. We are very excited and look forward to our new adventure.   So as of right now, the plan is to get back on the trail on Tuesday for about 6 more weeks or so. I'll work my way through VA, WV, & MD, then come back home to be with Crystal.    Until my next entry, Fair Winds & Happy Trails.                        Soon to be, Daddy Train
Date: 2005-04-19
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Tues. April 19,Today, Wild Bill came to my house & picked me up. He drove us to Damascus, Va in 6 hours. I'm going to be starting out on the 2nd leg of this hike with a lighter pack. I exchanged my warm winter sleeping bag for a smaller, lighter one. I also ditched my down ski vest, plastic hammer, an extra water bottle & a pair of pants. My pack seems to be about 5-8 lbs lighter. Bill & I will stay in the hostel in town tonight & start out hiking together tomorrow. Looks like we will have good weather for the next couple of days.
Date: 2005-04-20
To: View Entry
Miles today: 10.4

Wed. 4/20. Bill & I got a shuttle to a point on the trail aboutt 40 miles North of Damascus. Our plan is to work our way South, back into Damascus. Today the weather was perfect for hiking & what a beautiful hike it was. We hiked through Grayson Highlands State Park. Some people say this park looks like the grasslands in Montana. It was spectacular with scattered rock outcroppings. Also,there are wild ponies that roam freely about the park. And, some of them are not so wild. They will come right up & take a carrot out of your hand. We made camp right outside of the park boundaries with great views of the rocks, grassy hills, & ponies. One pony kept nudging Bill as he was trying to eat dinner. For dinner I had instant garlic mashed potatoes. All night we could hear the ponies munching on the grass. I will send pics soon.
Date: 2005-04-21
To: View Entry
Miles today: 14.5

Thurs. 4/21/2005 Looked out of tent this morning to another beautiful sunrise on the grasslands with the ponies in the background. Starting hiking around 830am. The hike was nice in the open meadows however, it got a little tough because there were lots of rocks to stumble on. The weather was warm, but windy. We hiked upon an open bald with a natural rock tunnel called the Fat Man Squeeze. There was an alternate route for the larger hikers. Saw more ponies today. One tried to bite my hiking pole & nibble at my shorts pockets. I guess he was looking for carrots. The trail cut through alot of rhododendron thickets. This would be a good place to hike when they are in bloom (June?). We stopped for a lunchbreak at Elk Garden meadow. After lunch we climbed up & over White Top Mountain. We camped for the night at Lost Mountain Shelter MP 475.3. The shelter was packed with other hikers: Kitty Litter, Jeremiah (70 yr old lady), Biscuit & Cola (girl & her dog), & Way Point (guy form Arizona who snored all night & also carries a GPS). Also a few people were tenting outside of the shelter. Had slight rain showers that night.
Date: 2005-04-22
To: View Entry
Miles today: 15.8

Fri. April 22.Wild Bill & I were the first ones up and were hiking by 750am. We did 15.8 miles into Damascus, We pushed kind of hard because we knew it was supposed to rain. It was hot & sticky today before the rain. We hiked past a pond & also the trail followed along the Virginia Creeper Trail for a while. The Virginia Creeper Trail is a multi-use trail for horses, bikes, & hikers. It is built on the old "Creeper" railroad bed. 3 years ago, I was here along with Crystal's family & we all rode bikes down the trail for a day. It follows a creek/river for a some miles & also has alot of bridge crossings.The last hour of our hike today, we were on a tall ridge and that is when the thunderstorm hit! It was pretty violent with lightning all around, loud thunder booms, & we heard a large tree fall. Needless to say, we practically ran the rest of the way back to Damascus. Running is not a great idea on slick trails. I slipped & fell on my butt while Bill was laughing. I'm ok & we made it back drenched, but relieved to be out of the storm. Bill has earned a few nice blisters on his heels.I ran into a few people that I have not seen in a while. I saw Pace (haven't seen him since Erwin). Also saw Quarter of the Way (last sighting was in Neels Gap, GA). Not Guilty (attorney & former football player for Auburn U.) showed up in Damascus as well. He has lost 75 lbs since Georgia!We had showers & ate gigantic, delicious burritos at the Baha Cafe. After dinner, Bill slipped over to a bake sale/ auction? around the block & picked up some goodies. Back at the hostel, Bill, Pace, Quarter of the Way, & Jeremiah surprised me with Peacan & Chocolate pie for a baby congratulations party. We ate the pie with our hands, off of toilet paper, while they sang to me, " For He's A Jolly Good Fellow". What a day!
Date: 2005-04-24
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Sunday,April 24.Ok I am taking another zero day. It is snowing out & the wind is blowing very hard. I'm going to hang out in Damascus for today. Since I have been staying at the Methodist hostel, I decided to go to the 11am church service. They welcomed me with a bag of trail mix! Tonight I'm staying at the Hikers Inn Hostel because they have heat. The owner is cooking dinner for all of us that are staying there. I will be shuttled to the 500 mp tomorrow to get on with my hike where I left off.
Date: 2005-04-25
From: mp 500.2

To: mp 512.6
Miles today: 12.4

Mon. April 25.Today, Lone Wolf shuttled me up to mile post 500.2 for the start of my hike. Today was windy, but pleasant. I only had to walk through snow when I hit elevations of 3500 ft or more. The snow was about 5 to 8 inches deep. I made it to mp 512.6 which is at Trimpi Shelter. I, however slept in my tent near the shelter. Today I encountered some hikers: Galloping Gourmet & husband, Happy Wanderer. Also Yard Sale, Quarter of the Way, & a section hiker named Gregory.
Date: 2005-04-26
From: mp 512.6

To: Partnership Shelter, mp 523.2
Miles today: 10.6
Weather: overcast clouds

Tues. April 26.Everyone in the Trimpi Shelter got up early & left before me. It's strange that I am always the first to leave in the morning or the last. I'm never in between. Anyway, I had a very easy day today. The weather was clear with a few clouds that moved in later. Athough part of the trail was fairly rocky, I made it to the shelter in good time. I did see an unusual sight; there was a dead cow lying right beside one part of the trail. I checked it for gun shot wounds but found none. I wonder what happened to it?I arrived at the Partnership Shelter which is right beside the Mount Rodgers NRA (National Recreational Area) Head Quarters. The shelter was nice & equipped with a shower that had hot water! At the Head Quarters, there was a phone in which I was able to call out and actually order pizza. Wow, pizza delivery right on the trail. This is living!
Date: 2005-04-27
From: Partnership Shelter, mp 523.2

To: mp 534.8
Miles today: 11.6

Wed. April 27.I was the first person today to leave the shelter at 730am. Hiked to the Chatfield Shelter and stopped for a lunch break of ritz crackers, dried italian style sausage & momma's fudge for dessert.The ground was wet from a heavy rain last night. At one point, when I was going downhill, I slipped and fell backwards right on my backpack & slid for a way. I was ok, but I know it looked ridiculous (like a turtle on it's back), so I immediatley looked behind me to see if anyone was back there. Luckily, I was all alone. Tonight, I ran into Quarter of the Way & he told me he saw the big skid mark where I had fallen. I crossed railroad tracks & a river today & saw an osprey which reminded me of home.Staying at The Relax Inn Hotel 2nite.
Date: 2005-04-28
From: mp 534.8

To: Knot Maul Branch Shelter
Miles today: 15.2
Weather: broken clouds

Thurs. April 28.Shared a shuttle with Throw & Fetch to mp 563.9. This is 29 miles North of where I stayed last night. I will hike South for 2 days & then get a shuttle back to this point. Throw & Fetch continued North because they had already hiked this leg of the trail.The views were spectacular today. I ran into Ranger & Miles McDuff. They were going North. Ranger told me that one of the views is called God's Thumbprint. I took pictures. I hope they turn out. Also, when I saw Ranger & Miles, they told me that they had just saw a bear! I guess I "bear"-ly missed seeing it. Ha-ha.All day was very nice and clear. I lucked out because as soon as I arrived at the Knot Maul Branch shelter, it started to rain.Also in the shelter tonight are Kitty Litter, Boston & Cubby, Galloping Gourmet & Happy Wanderer. The Galloping Gourmet cooked a beautiful trail dinner of dehydrated chili with beef, corn, & rice. Meanwhile, I ate my package of stovetop Stuffing. It rained all night long.
Date: 2005-04-29
From: Knot Maul Branch Shelter

To: Relax Inn-again
Miles today: 13.9
Weather: overcast clouds

Fri. April 29.Awoke to a steady rain. I was the last to leave the shelter. One more day of hiking south. Everyone else who was in the shelter last night were headed north this morning. There was rain & fog for most of the day today.I had quite an interesting, if not scary experience today. The trail passed through alot of private property. Most of this consisted of pastures with cows. I had to go through turn stiles or either climb small ladders to enter & exit these fields. One pasture contained a very large bull up on a hill. When he saw me, he started heading towards me a little to quickly for my comfort zone. Although he was an impressive looking animal, I did not stop for pictures. But on the other hand, I did not want to run because I might have slipped and fallen in the wet grass like the other day. I was thinking of all of the senarios of what might happen to me & had decided that if he tried to ram into me that I would let him hit my backpack. Luckily, I made it to the other side of the pasture before the bull reached me & was able to climb the ladder & get out of there before an encounter with him. Whew.I hiked 13.9 miles in 5&1/2 hours, so I made it to town by 230pm. I stopped at the Dairy Queen for lunch then checked in at the Relax Inn.