morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2017-04-06
From: Roan Mountain Tennessee

To: Kincora Hostel
Miles today: 24.8
Weather: light snow

We crossed the 400 mile mark early in the morning of what turned into a marathon day of hiking. We hiked a good deal of the morning with Early Bird and Molasses. By noon the weather turned and the rain changed to snow as the wind really picked up.The temperature dropped rapidly and for the first time in my life I witnessed thundersnow. I'd heard of it, but had never before seen it.Around 2pm, Caboose and I reached the our place next destination, Moreland Gap shelter. The wind was blowing straight into the shelter and snow was beginning to accumulate. After seeing how quickly Caboose began to shiver, we decided to move on to the Kincora Hostel.The last 6 1/2 miles proved we might need new insoles...Wow, our feet hurt!!! Eventually we made it and got settled into?the hostel. We went to town for resupply with Dice, a SOBO completing his 2016 thru hike. Shortly after getting back to Kincora, Dice started cooking dinner and I went out to get some firewood for the wood stove. As I was walking back, Molasses came walking up the driveway. All of us enjoyed dinner and just after we sat down with Bob Peoples, the owner of the hostel, Jam arrived. He was exhausted after a very long day, but happy to enjoy dinner and have a warm-ish place to sleep.I should mention that Bob Peoples is a fascinating gentleman who is a wealth of hiking information and his world view is very refreshing.It was an epic day...But saddened somewhat by the fact Early Bird fell behind due to his bad blisters...
Date: 2017-04-07
From: Kincora Hostel

To: Vandaventer shelter
Miles today: 17.6
Weather: light rain

After enjoying an evening talking with Bob Peoples, Caboose made omelettes out of trail food and we headed out. The trail coming out of Kincora was really cool! It dropped down into a gorge and the views were awesome. It was an arduous morning, but we all kept smiling and pushed on through the day. With so many miles the day before, Caboose, Molasses, and I were all worn out early in the afternoon. The first Al miles to the shelter were a painful march. Since it was so windy, we pitched the tent behind the shelter for a wind break. I did find out why people complained about the trip for water at Vandaventer. It's a STEEP 1/3 mile to the spring, dropping hundreds of feet. I was worn out by the time I got back.After a quick dinner of crunchy Mac and cheese (undercooked), we jumped in our bags due to the rapidly dropping temps. It was a tough day.
Date: 2017-04-08
From: Vandaventer shelter

To: TN 91
Miles today: 11.4
Weather: clear sky

We woke up early still tired, neither Caboose not I slept well. I guess we just weren't used to freezing temps after the milder weather. On the bright side, we flew down the trail to the intersection of TN 91 and by 1pm we were comfortable and warm in Rachel's SUV while we waited for JAM. He arrived about an hour later and we drove to Abingdon, Virginia?. Caboose, Jam, and I shared a room at a nice hotel. That evening we went to the theater and we saw Logan, which Caboose and I both wanted to see. Afterwards, we all grabbed tasty gyros at a local restaurant and since we were so tired, we were quickly in bed.
Date: 2017-04-09
From: TN 91

To: Damascus
Miles today: 21.5
Weather: clear sky

Today was a great day of hiking with Jam! While Molasses was spending time with Rachel, the 3 of us covered the final miles into Damascus, crossing into Virginia in the late afternoon. That's 3 states down, only 11 to go. Virginia is 1/4 of the entire trail, so it'll be awhile before we cross another state line.We arrived in Damascus around 5pm and immediately we all noticed how cool the town is. Once at the cabin we all rented, the 3 of us got showered up, did laundry, and enjoyed a delicious dinner prepared by Rachel after Jam got back from the evening church service. It was a fantastic day!
Date: 2017-04-10
From: Damascus

To: Damascus
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

It was planned to be a zero day, but since Molasses still had to cover the 21.5 miles we did yesterday, I decided to keep him company.After a trip to the outfitter, where Lumpy fit Caboose for a new pack (due to weight loss, her ZPacks Arc Haul was no longer fitting correctly).We shipped her old pack home and I headed out to meet Molasses, while Caboose went back to the cabin and figured out how to pack her new Osprey pack.I met Molasses about 6 1/2 miles out of town and we flew back into Damascus where he got new hiking shoes and I broke down and bought some Superfeet insoles. The past few weeks my feet have begun to hurt earlier in the day, and I figured it probably had something to do with the fact I could see daylight through the bottom of the original insoles.
Date: 2017-04-11
From: Damascus

To: Lost Mountain shelter
Miles today: 16.0
Weather: clear sky

Caboose and I had a great day coming up out of Damascus, and we enjoyed a nice lunch break along the creek as we spent most of the morning within sight of the Virginia Creeper trail.By mid afternoon it got much warmer than we were accustomed to and we both got a little quiet while contemplating what true summer would be like in a couple months. We're probably going to be starting very early and taking a mid day siesta when it gets really hot.We finished up the day tenting in a nice spot near the shelter with RockHound, Molasses, Jam, Jeff, Popcorn, Mary Kay, Sarge, Ringer, and a few others.It's always hard to hike the day after a zero...The legs and feet don't move very well.
Date: 2017-04-12
From: Lost Mountain shelter

To: Thomas Knob Shelter
Miles today: 12.3
Weather: light rain

Sometimes the elevation profile lies and it NEVER shows what the treadway is like. This was a tough day and after hiking all day with Molasses, we all agreed the 12-ish miles felt longer. We had some amazing views however and we finished up the day at the Thomas Knob Shelter, right on the edge of the Grayson Highlands. Shortly after arriving, as I was setting up our sleeping gear in the "attic" of the shelter, Caboose called for me downstairs. It turned out there were ponies visible from a few hundred yards across the open mountain side behind the shelter. We enjoyed the views for a bit and then I went down the hillside to get water. When I returned, there was much laughter coming from the front of the shelter. I found out why as I came over the large rocks and saw 4 ponies wandering around our group of amused hikers.Apparently, a fellow hikers, who shall remain nameless, thought sharing a Cliff bar with the ponies would be good. It turns out that Cliff bars are like an addictive drug to ponies. We couldn't get the shaggy guys to leave for a couple hours. While trying to cook dinner, Molasses was accosted by "Frank the pony", the leader of the pony mob.In the end, the ponies must have realized we had no more Cliff bars and they move on down the mountain to hustle some other unsuspecting hikers. Meanwhile, a large group of us took up variously comfortable positions on the rocks behind the shelter and we enjoyed about 90 minutes of lounging in the sun, listening to good music, and just enjoying each other's company.Today was trail life near it's finest!
Date: 2017-04-14
From: Hurricane Mountain shelter

To: Partnership shelter
Miles today: 19.0
Weather: clear sky

Today was the longest day in a while, but most of the trail was smooth and we made great time, getting to Partnership shelter by 3:30 in the afternoon.We really took our time too. There was lots of "flower smelling", and we spent 30 minutes soaking our feet in the river. Sometimes, something as simple as soaking our feet in frigid water is just priceless. After getting to the shelter, we ordered pizza from town and got cold sodas from the machine in the NRA (National Recreation Area, not the National Rifle Association...Lol) visitor center near the shelter.Afterwards, Rachel picked us up and we spent the evening in Marion getting cleaned up and eating at a tasty Mexican restaurant.It's tough being a thru hiker!
Date: 2017-04-15
From: Partnership shelter

To: Atkins, Virginia
Miles today: 11.6

After eating a relatively disgusting breakfast at our motel in Marion, we were dropped off at the Partnership shelter and immediately headed for Atkins. Jam, Molasses, Caboose, and I all made short work of the 11-ish miles and we were done by 2:00. On the way, Caboose and I enjoyed walking around an old 1890's farmhouse (now a museum). We also stepped into an old schoolhouse of the same era. Inside was box after box of thoughtful trail magic provided by a local church. The kindness shown to hikers sometimes makes me feel unworthy. This was one of those times...During the day, we bumped into Pudge at a shelter not too far from town, and I had an idea regarding paying it forward.I told Pudge that Jam would be along shortly and asked her to come into Atkins with him. When Caboose and I got to town, I shared my idea with Molasses and Rachel. It was settled immediately...We would "kidnap" Pudge and treat her to a couple days in an amazing AirB&B farmhouse and Easter dinner in Hillsville, VA.When Pudge heard our offer, she became a willing kidnap victim and we headed for the house. It turned out to be a fantastic place peacefully set in the hills. We all shared a delicious dinner of burgers and dogs with potatoes and other tasty items. Then we settled into the living room and enjoyed ice cream while watching a movie. What an amazing trip this has become!
Date: 2017-04-17
From: Atkins, Virginia

To: Lynn Camp Creek
Miles today: 15.8

We got a later start than usual, but since we had made gluttons of ourselves the day before, it was good to sleep a bit later. Caboose and I hiked alone all day, Molasses, Pudge, and Jam were later getting out of town.After hiking in the rain most of the day, we got into camp surprisingly early, covering 15.8 miles by 2:45 in the afternoon. All of our hiking Tramily arrived within a few hours and we all tented in the rain. It was a good day with a variety of terrain and interesting views.
Date: 2017-04-18
From: Lynn Camp Creek

To: Jenkins shelter
Miles today: 18.9
Weather: overcast clouds

We woke up refreshed after a night of intermittent rain. Since we had both vestibules closed on the tent there was considerable condensation inside. I t took a little extra time to pack up while valiantly trying to avoid touching the walls of our tent. Every time we brushed a wall it caused a mini rain shower inside.Molasses and Pudge got an early start with Caboose and I as we started what turned into an epic day. We overcame rain, wind, chilly temps and very rocky trail throughout the day. The highpoint of the day was seeing God's Thumbprint from the front of the shelter on Chestnut Knob. It's a beautiful valley filled with Amish farms that looks unchanged by the modern world.Eventually, we all limped in to the shelter, very tired and sore. It's hard to express how sore your feet can get on rocky trail! I'm not excited about Pennsylvania...
Date: 2017-04-19
From: Jenkins shelter

To: Jenny Knob Shelter
Miles today: 23.2
Weather: moderate rain

600 miles!!!Having good trail conditions makes all the difference. We covered 23.2 miles in a bit under 8 1/2 hours and with one exception, we did it with a smile on our faces. Due to the nature of the trail yesterday, Jam was very late getting to the shelter last night. He was completely exhausted and just looked beat up as he dove into his sleeping bag without eating dinner. Well, yesterday's wear and tear seemed to take a toll on Jam today. He got up with the rest of us at 6:30 but he was going to eat a big breakfast prior to heading out. We agreed that was probably a wise choice given his lack of dinner last night. Around noon we met Will, a good friend of Molasses, who came out to hike with us for a couple days. As we were hanging out and enjoying the amazing pastries Will brought for us, I received a text from Jam. It was bad news...he was going to get off the trail and go into Bland. He explained his energy levels were at rock bottom. We were all seriously saddened by the news, but we also knew it was a smart choice on his part.After we headed out, Will was asked if the pace was okay and he responded by saying he had fresh legs so it was okay. From that point on, his trail name became Fresh Legs, and he more than lived up to it by hiking a fast 12 miles with us to the shelter.Just before reaching the shelter, Caboose glimpsed a bear as it ran across the trail. First sighting of the trip! We all enjoyed each other's company around the shelter and Fresh Legs was trashed for his choice of a small tarp over his hammock. It rained overnight and he steadfastly refused to join us in the shelter while getting pretty soaked by morning. It was a good day, but I'm hoping Jam can catch us!
Date: 2017-04-20
From: Jenny Knob Shelter

To: Wapiti Shelter
Miles today: 14.5
Weather: overcast clouds

We enjoyed the best trail conditions of the hike so far. Smooth treadway and easy grades. After sleeping in until 9:00, we flew down the trail and celebrated with a 90 minute eating (gorging) break at Trent's grocery. When we walked up, Jam was there to greet us and announced his plan to hike on with us. We were thrilled to see him and excited to have our hking buddy back, but he still looked exhausted. After hanging out and realizing he still had no appetite, Jam smartly decided to meet us in Parisburg after a bit more rest. This was where Fresh Legs had his truck parked, so we parted ways after he dropped us off at the trail. He's a really nice guy and Caboose and I are looking forward to seeing him again when we visit Charlottesville with Molasses.We were also happy to meet Trigger, a young chaplain who is going to be starting a SOBO hike this coming June. He came out and hiked with us for a couple of hours after we left Trent's. After watching Pudge struggle to get her pack on, he volunteered to carry her pack for her while she carried his very light daypack. We all teased Pudge about this for the rest of the day. It was hilarious to watch her tell Trigger he didn't have to carry her pack while helping him get it adjusted at the same time. He carried Pudges pack for about 6 miles before he turned around... Very nice guy, we're looking forward to seeing him as he SOBOs farther north.We reached the shelter around dinner time and settled in. Pudge, however, refused to sleep in the shelter due to it's sad history. Many years ago a man killed some hikers at the shelter and was sentenced to prison. Almost immediately after serving his sentence and being released, he went back and shot some fisherman who were at the shelter. This very twisted story came to a close as the killer did not survive his encounter with the local police. It's a sad chapter of trail history.We managed to get some sleep, although a young lady who arrived after the rest of us snored like a chainsaw all night. How a tiny twenty-something can snore like that is a real mystery to me. Only 1 more day until we're in town for feasting and relaxation.
Date: 2017-04-21
From: Wapiti Shelter

To: Narrows, VA
Miles today: 18.9
Weather: light rain

Pudge and Molasses joined us for what turned into one of the toughest days we've had on trail in weeks. At this point, anything under twenty miles is not usually overly difficult, but today was rough. Lots of rock strewn trail and we were all feeling a bit less energetic than usual. Most of the day we hiked in shade or cloudy weather, with occasional light rain. But we did see some sun in the early afternoon, which lifted our spirits somewhat. Molasses and I grabbed a quick water refill for everyone just before Angel's Rest, then the thunder started to close in. The 4 of us picked up the pace and got down the long, painful descent into town. As we got to the trail head, Pudge's shuttle to the hostel pulled up and we parted ways. She headed into Pearisburg and we grabbed a shuttle with "Mustache Guy" into Narrows, Virginia. Rachel met us at the MacArthur In and we enjoyed a nice evening together. It was a very tiring day, but it was a good time!
Date: 2017-04-22
From: Narrows, VA

To: Pearisburg, VA
Miles today: 0.0

We took a badly needed rest day in Pearisburg after moving from the MacArthur Inn to the Holiday Lodge. This moved us into the same location as many of our friends. We enjoyed everyone's company so much that the manager paid a visit to one of our rooms and asked us to tone it down a notch.Good times with good people!
Date: 2017-04-24
From: Pearisburg

To: Pearisburg
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: moderate rain

Egads...The horrible weather just won't quit. The street in front of the hotel was flooded when I got up and headed for coffee at 6:30. Given the fact we faced many creek crossings, it was an easy decision to give Caboose another zero day to eat and put some weight back on.3 days in a hotel was way too many!
Date: 2017-04-25
From: Pearisburg

To: The Captain's Place
Miles today: 20.6
Weather: broken clouds

After 3 days in a motel, Caboose and I were both chomping at the bit to get back to the trail. She was feeling better by morning and seemed to be eating without discomfort. Her excessive weight loss has been a serious concern. On top of that, her ulcer acted up a few days prior to Pearisburg, and she got nauseous every time she ate. In addition to having her eat more, we managed to get 10 bottles of Boost into her while waiting out the weather. Today, she drank the last 2 bottles and ate something every hour while hiking. We're really hoping this approach solves the issue.The hiking today was relatively easy for the most part. There were only a couple stretches of rocky trail, and very few steep climbs.We had hoped to use the "zip line" to the Captain's, but the river was raging still and he had it closed. Instead, we pitched our tent about 20 feet above the raging river and settled in for a nice evening with Jam camped next to us.Unfortunately, Molasses was unable to join us today. He had gone to a concert last night and the car keys were lost, so hopefully he'll be catching up tomorrow.
Date: 2017-04-26
From: The Captain's Place

To: Laurel Creek shelter
Miles today: 17.3
Weather: clear sky

Who said Virginia is easy? Today was miles and miles of mud, endless rock fields, long steep climbs, and knee busting descents. At least the sun finally came out again.After saying goodbye to Jam in camp, we started the first hard climb right away. The trail was a combination of muck, flowing water, and rocks. After cresting the top, a 3 mile long Boulder field was next on the list. We were exhausted by noon, and finally stopped for lunch at War Spur Shelter around 12:30. We ate a couple of wraps, and dried our feet in the sun, then we headed out. The climb immediately after leaving the shelter seemed endless, mostly due to the temperature and full sun.About 1/2 mile before the top we spotted Kentucky Straight laying beside the road. He looked pretty well worn out. After making sure he was okay, we headed up and finished our last long climb of the day.Caboose led the way down to the shelter we had tentatively decided to camp near, and we arrived just before 4pm. By 8pm we were getting concerned. Molasses and Jam had not shown up, which was unusual. Around 8:20 Caboose heard voices and it was our friends dragging in late. It turned out that Molasses had badly turned his ankle, but he limped on it for nearly 10 miles. Hopefully, tomorrow it'll be better.
Date: 2017-04-27
From: Laurel Creek shelter

To: Stealth camp
Miles today: 14.8
Weather: clear sky

Okay, so I could have chosen a flatter tent site last night. I spent the night trying not to roll over into Caboose. On the bright side, we slept well and awoke refreshed and ready for the day. Since Molasses's ankle was feeling better, we decided to tentatively set a goal of 22+ miles. That would put us very close to Catawba, and pizza at the store.We filled Jam in on the plan and headed out. We hiked through rolling forest and pasture for an hour and then we came to the Keffer Oak. This tree is considered to be the largest oak on the AT in the south. What an amazing tree, it must have already been old during the civil war.After passing the tree, the climb up to the ridge was steep, gaining 900' in less than a mile. But, one on the ridge line, we were treated to 5 miles of amazing trail. Constant views, some rock scrambling, and about a mile of huge old cairns thought to have been left by early settlers.The descent from the ridge was steep and Molasses mentioned his ankle had started to hurt again. We decided to eat lunch at the Niday shelter and asses our plans for the rest of the day. While eating, we decided to just go a couple more miles and tent next to a creek at a stealth campsite mentioned in Guthook's guide.It turned out to be a great decision. The spot was really nice and we enjoyed a tasty dinner by one of Molasses famous fires.It's funny how a day of hiking nearly 15 miles feels somehow like we're being lazy now...
Date: 2017-04-28
From: Stealth camp

To: Catawba, VA
Miles today: 14.3
Weather: broken clouds

We slept really well in the rain all night, and awoke to heavy fog. I hollered across the river bottom to Molasses and provided his wake up call at 6:15.We were on our way shortly after 7am. It was an amazing morning and we all basked in the fantastic views. Caboose and I were really touched by the Audie Murphy monument. Judging by the amount of gifts left by hikers, many others were as well.By noon, it had really begun to heat up and we were all wishing we had grabbed some extra water on the way to the Dragon's Tooth. Once we got there, we enjoyed a 30 minute break and explored the area. There was a scary moment when Molasses took a bad fall about 20' from the top into a crevasse. Thankfully, he suffered only a severe bruise to his leg. It could have been far worse.The technical descent heading into town was not very welcome by any of us. On any other day, it might have been fun. But, we were all tired and very thirsty, so only a cooler full of water and Gatorade was going to make us happy. Thankfully, Rachel met us at the road with just those items! After getting cleaned up, we headed to the Homeplace and ate way more than we should have. What a day... Life's good!
Date: 2017-04-29
From: Catawba, VA

To: MacAfees Knob
Miles today: 9.7
Weather: clear sky

We decided to Nero and enjoy the day with Rachel, Molasses, Pace, Beast, Monkey, and Jam. It was Rachel's first longer hike and she really enjoyed the views from the knob.The temperature heated up today, it was almost 90 degrees. We all really paid attention to staying hydrated and it made the day a good one. During the day, we ran into a bunch of friends, including Pudge, Scoutmaster, T-REX, and Buddy Al.It was a good day!
Date: 2017-04-30
From: MacAfees Knob

To: Daleville, VA
Miles today: 16.1

After re-hiking the trail up to the knob, we got a good photo courtesy of Jam. We then got started on today's stretch of trail. Today was a gift as far as weather and trail conditions go. It was beautiful all day with amazing views and a trail that almost couldn't have been any better.Caboose and I had a great time joking with one another, almost as if we were school kids on spring break. The day flew by and before we knew it we were in Daleville. We had hiked nearly 20 miles by then, but only 16.1 miles actually counted. The only real sign of our long day was 4 dirty legs, very sore feet, and 2 hitchhiking ticks that Caboose picked up. It's definitely time to do daily tick checks now...We had a great time at dinner with a long list of friends, including Sarge, Popcorn, Pudge, Jam, Pace, Beast, T-REX, Tiptoe, Scoutmaster, Sugar, Peanut, and a few more who's names escape me at the moment.It was a good day...