morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2013-05-04
From: Double Springs Shelter

To: Damascus
Miles today: 18.7
Weather: overcast clouds

Wind is the theme of the day. I am tired of the wind. It has been blowing incessantly since I left Kincora. Now I know how those dust bowl pioneers could go nuts back in the day. So, I made the decision quite early on to push to Damascus today. It meant another long day - 18+ miles - but the terrain was fairly even or downhill. I made it to town by 4:30 pm. The first sound to greet me was 'hey Little SAS! We have trail magic!'. It was the Aussies - Invisible Man and Jacko. They had mandarin oranges, soda and chips. There's also a shelter in the town park from when they replaced one and that's where we all sat to chat. We felt right at home. Sadly, Wilson is getting off the trail due to family obligations. I really like him and will miss his cheerful personality.While there, Army Ant called the Hiker Inn hostel for me to see if there was any room and there was one bunk. What a lucky break! I just came into town on a hope and a prayer that there might be a place to stay. The weather is getting bad and hikers are starting to hunker down in town waiting for it to pass. I am doing at least a zero tomorrow and then play it by ear.Tomorrow will be town chores - right now I am chilling from my big mile days.Note: we later heard that they had to rescue 14 hikers from Mt. Rogers. The wind was 70 miles/hr and they were having to crawl! Plus the wind was pelting them with ice shards. So glad I missed that!
Date: 2003-08-02
From: Island Pond

To: Hemlock Springs Campsite
Miles today: 19.0
Weather: light rain

      Sleep was elusive last night, just too much heat and humidity. Everything is damp and clammy despite my best efforts to keep everything sealed and dry. Hopefully I can take a break later and hang a few things in the sun. My first obstacle this morning was to get skinny going through the lemon squeezer, a narrow rock formation. I managed to get through, though the thought of the embarrassment of being found stuck there flashed through my mind.      New Jersey and New York have been a real surprise, nothing like I expected. Seeing so much rural undeveloped land, and so few people in such close proximity to major population centers is amazing. There is alot of traffic on the roads, but no one on the trails. The countryside, even in this weather, is enjoyable to pass through.       Upon entering the zoo at Bear Mountain, I felt like I was on display. Many people wanted to ask about my experiences on the trail, and offer their own anecdotes. For some reason, I found the zoo a sad and pathetic place, somewhat akin to touring a prison for animals. Just eavesdropping on comments and conversations, I realize how little most people know about wildlife and the outdoors.       I then crossed over the Hudson River on the bridge with low clouds and haze pushing up the valley. I get uneasy crossing these spans, perhaps it is the heights. I feel unsteady walking along the narrow bridge sidewalks. But if I stop to look around, this subsides. This is a very historic area, and I wish I had some time to stop and learn more about it. Some very dramitic views at this spot up and down the river valley, plus watching the boats passing, caused me to linger here despite my anxiety.       Eventually I climbed the ridge on the opposite side, and settled into a campsite for the evening about a mile from the road. Looks like another warm, humid night.
Date: 2013-05-08
From: Lost Mountain Shelter

To: Wise Shelter
Miles today: 17.3
Weather: overcast clouds

We woke to rain - what a surprise! Thru-hikers will procrastinate on rainy mornings as much as they can. Everyone ate breakfast, sorted gear, etc. It is Jack's birthday today so I got out the cookies Flame sent for a Birthday treat. Jack is the nicest guy. He is originally from Akron but now lives in Tennessee. He thru hiked in 1988/1989 and was out for a section to celebrate his b-day. He kept a good fire going all night and talked about his thru and how things have changed. Happy 63rd Jack!Our next topic of conversation was the snoring in the shelter. Everyone thought Spoon set the record for the loudest snoring last night but I think Orion may have set it the night we were at Overmountain shelter. I proposed a snore off which everyone found funny. You get used to the snoring the longer you're out here and are usually so tired that you can sleep no matter what.Today's hike was no fun! We were in rain or mist the entire day and, unfortunately, passed through some beautiful landscapes. On days like this you are pretty much hiking in a tunnel unaware of where you are or where you are going. We've had so much rain that the trail is a stream. So many people have wet shoes and socks, especially those with trail runners. ( Socks - I'm glad I didn't change my boots for trail runners. So far they are keeping my feet dry. And I was in a lot of water today.)I wanted to get to Wise shelter today and I made it by 6. This area is where you see the ponies that graze in the Grayson Highlands so there is a chance I may see some tomorrow morning. I was able to see two little wet one earlier today.There was the best surprise at the shelter. Wise shelter is at mile marker 500. Hamster and his wife Pumpkin hiked to it together from Massey Gap and brought cheesecake to celebrate. I had a piece of regular and a piece of chocolate. What a great way to end a difficult day.It is 8:30 pm as I write and the sky has cleared! I can actually see blue! Hurray!
Date: 2003-08-03
From: Hemlock Springs Campsite

To: Shenandoah Campsite
Miles today: 22.0
Weather: mist

      Managed to get up and going before the rain started. I thought about begging breakfast from the friars at Graymoor, even though I hadn't stayed there. This is a popular stop for many hikers, and the buildings and grounds are very attractive. I imagine they have seen many visitors from the trail.       In the thunder and lightning I continue along---once you're wet, you're wet. The rain persisted in varying intensity off and on throughout the day. Walking in the rain limits the number and length of breaks for me. It also takes away from the enjoyment of the day---no nonsense movement.
Date: 2013-05-09
From: Wise Shelter

To: Trimpi Shelter
Miles today: 20.0
Weather: scattered clouds

We are climbing our last 5000 peaker until New England today. Time to send the winter gear home! (Although my clothing system really doesn't have 'winter gear' as such. I'll be changing things as my size changes.)The day broke beautifully! No rain and lots of blue skies. I woke a bit troubled - my sleeping pad deflated last night. The shelter floor was hard as a rock and we were packed 7 in a six person shelter ( thanks for making room for me guys) so I really didn't sleep well. I was thinking about the sleeping pad all day. It is so inconvenient to be without and I paid a lot for this one. I kept trying to think where I bought it to know if I could return if it couldn't be patched or if I would have to call Thermarest. Well, as I write this at 9 pm, the pad is holding air. Fingers crossed- it may have been a fluke with the valve.Hiking was much improved but difficult for the first third of the day. The trail was a stream with all the runoff. One good thing was I only carried my 20 oz. bottle of water. Every spring was flowing full force. The cold spring water we drink in this part of the country is so good. I hear it isn't so plentiful up North but for now we are spoiled.There must be an Air Force base in the area? We had two fly bys that scared the heck out of me. They were close, fast and loud! And this from a girl that grew up listening to the air traffic from Wright Patterson AFB.I had planned to stay at a campsite at mile 17 but never did find the turnoff so I did an even 20. I'm glad I did - Trimpi shelter is a cool shelter with a nice piped spring (this means that there is a pipe stuck into the hillside that the spring flows from. Straight from the mountain with no contamination.) and a nice privy. Plus great camping sites. Everything a girl could want. I tried to clean myself the best I could, ate a big dinner, and then plan on making up for the lost sleep last night. Didn't see any more ponies..sigh. I'll have to come back and hike the Grayson Highlands during nice weather.Tomorrow I have a guest hiker arriving! Sandy is in my sculpture class and wants to hike for two weeks. I'm a bit nervous. My friend Odat had some friends come to hike, it was during the rain, and they went home after a day. Sometimes it isn't fun on the AT and I do want her to enjoy herself. Come on weather - play nice!
Date: 2003-08-04
From: Shenandoah Campsite

To: Telephone Pioneers Shelter
Miles today: 17.0
Weather: light rain

      Awoke to hard rain splattering the tent, so I decided to wait it out. I haven't been sleeping well, just dozing for short periods at a time, mainly due to the weather. This is how I passed the time until midmorning, when the rain stopped. The humidity remains very high.      Crossed many roads today. My major stop today was at Nuclear Lake, which was once contaminated with radioactive material. It was a peaceful but somewhat eerie spot in the heavy air and drizzling rain. I thought about camping here, but decided to proceed a bit farther because of my late start this morning.      I set up in the vicinity of the shelter between showers. Other than a couple of day hikers, I haven't seen anyone on the trails the past couple of days. I must be way behind everyone.
Date: 2013-05-10
From: Trimpi Shelter

To: Partnership Shelter
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Today is Sandy day! In the way of introduction, Sandy has been in my clay sculpture class for seven years and is right about my age. When I told the group I was going to do this hike, she asked if she could join me for a couple of weeks. She has no previous experience in backpacking. It's the blind leading the blind.I had a quick hike to Partnership shelter today. In fact, when I met Wooden Spoon at lunch I asked if it could be true that a sign back said there was only 4 more miles to the shelter. I made it in by 1 pm. When I first started hiking, I was lucky to average 1 1/2 miles/hr. Now I am pretty consistent at 2 miles/hr. Not even close to what the kids can do but, hey, I'm happy with it.Partnership shelter is known as the place where you can order pizza and have it delivered. The shelter is right next to Mt. Roger's visitors center not far from Marion, VA. I had a maildrop for Sandy to bring and it was a six day resupply. Before I started this endeavor I thought six days was the way to go. Now I would never do more than four. It is way too heavy and there are plenty of places to resupply. So with way too much food, I should have eaten some. Instead I ordered a pizza. I had plenty for Sandy and me plus we got to offer some for hikers that didn't get a chance to order.Partnership also has showers...yes! Really needed that! The only thing lacking was laundry. I hand washed some things but doubt they will be dry. Hopefully the rain will let up tomorrow and the sun will do the job.Sandy met a lot of hikers today. The shelter was full and about 9 camped nearby. I think she is getting a sense of the whole hiker thing. I am glad we decided to stay here rather than hiking a bit today. Otherwise we would have gotten soaked. Tomorrow will be the beginning of her hiking adventure.Until then.....
Date: 2003-08-06
From: Schoghticoke Mountain

To: Silver Hill Campsite
Miles today: 13.4
Weather: light rain

      I looked out of the tent door and saw absolutely nothing this morning. The whole mountain was engulfed in a thick cloud. Visibility was maybe 50 feet as I started out. This gradually burned off as the temperature rose. I aggravated my foot injury coming a steep grade, and I had to stop and soak it in the river for awhile. The cold water and a large dose of ibuprofen allowed me to hobble slowly along. I polluted a couple of streams today wringing out my shirt. It was icy cold to slip it back on, but that didn't last long.      I didn't get very far, very fast limping up the trail. It became apparent that continuing would accomplish nothing. I found a spot to set up the tent, and put my foot up on my pack to elevate it. As usual, it began raining in the evening. It was a light, drizzly rain initially, then an intense thunder and lightning storm with storng winds followed.
Date: 2013-05-12
From: Atkins, VA

To: Knot Maul Shelter
Miles today: 13.9
Weather: few clouds

Happy Mother's Day to all mothers.I had a good night sleep at the Relax Inn, in spite of its shortcomings. That place is universally considered the worst place to stay on the trail but they have a captive audience in hikers that want a hot shower and clean clothes. What can I say...Aunt Sand, Bluebird and I walked down to the Barn restaurant for breakfast. There were a lot of hikers there including some I haven't seen in a while such as Blimey and Whistler. We took a seat with Sparky and placed our orders. I then went outside to call my children. I couldn't get hold of my girls but I did get to speak with Brian. I love this AT experience but it is very hard to be away from my family. I think they understand me though - just another crazy thing their mom is doing. Who knows what she'll think of next!Breakfast was very good ( lots of protein) and we all got a surprise when we went to pay the bill. The local shuttle driver had bought breakfast for our table! Can you believe that? I'm not sure how many tabs he picked up but it was quite a few. I've heard of such things happening but this is the first time it happened to me. The kindness of people to the hiking community is sometimes overwhelming.The weather today is sunny but brisk. This is perfect for hiking. The section I'm doing today has special relevance - I slack packed Socks from Atkins for 19 miles during her thru-hike in 2011. I thought of that often as I hiked today. She did the miles in about 7 hours and there were a couple of pretty good climbs. I only did a part of it today. Tomorrow I can point out to Aunt Sand where Doobie and I walked back to meet her and where we put the cooler with the trail magic for the hikers. It's fun being in familiar territory.We made it to the shelter around 6:30 where I had a very pleasant surprise. Pathfinder was there! I haven't seen her since Hot Springs. She is hiking with Black hawk (from Florida). I found out they were part of the group that was rescued off Mt. Rogers during the recent weather crisis. I'm happy that all turned out okay. It is going to be very cold tonight. There are freeze warnings. Then in two days we have temperatures forecast in the 80's. Again, what a wacko Spring. I'm glad I haven't sent home my winter gear. And I am not alone - there's several people holding out.
Date: 2003-08-09
From: Jug End

To: Shaker Campsite
Miles today: 23.0
Weather: light rain

      Clouds hung down in the valleys this morning. I got a very early start, even earlier than usual. The woods were eerie and still, as I walked in the fog. Even the birds were quiet. I could hear traffic, and then suddenly a road crossing would appear, and then disappear again. The sun came out, and as it got warmer, it felt quite tropical. Just as it got almost unbearable, I reached Benedict Pond. This was a glacial pond. I kicked off my boots and dove right in. I floated there for a long time, and I'd be floating there yet, except I still had a ways to go to get to my camping area. The scenery is slowly changing. There are more evergreens--and hopefully more of these lakes.       Road crossings remain frequent. I settled into a nice campsite with a stream and a small waterfall. Now if it was 70 degrees, with a dewpoint of 50, it would be a great spot. As it was, it was damp and a little gloomy. Still it was better than most recently. And the sound of the rain-swollen stream was cheerful. A very bold chipmunk kept me company until dark.
Date: 2013-05-15
From: Laurel Creek

To: Brushy Mountain Stealth Camp
Miles today: 16.5
Weather: light rain

Aunt Sand is a good influence for early rising. She is definitely a morning person. I need to work on that more. Early morning is a great time to hike and you have the best chance of viewing wildlife.We had a quick 6 miles to Rt. 52. Bland, VA is just east of here but we won't be going in. Instead, we will be going to Trent's Grocery to resupply ( I just need a couple days), do laundry and take a shower. We crossed over I-77 today and it was so strange to see the cars zipping by. I like the slow pace of hiking - out here you really are away from it all.I knew from when I met Socks here during her thru-hike that there was a nice camp area just as you reentered the woods and so we had made plans to eat lunch there. But there was the weirdest guy there - he was a serious nutcase. He had a backpack but I think he must be one of the homeless. He was talking to himself about Nazarenes and frantically cleaning the campsite. I mean he was sifting through the ashes, throwing firewood that had been stacked into the woods, throwing the fire ring rocks into the creek, etc. We needed water in the worst way. The next 7 miles were very dry and temps were in the 80's. I very quietly filled my water filter, cooked lunch (we have dehydrated meals so you have to put the food in boiling water and then let it sit for 10 minutes) and told Aunt Sand to be ready to move. Once the chili had been added to the pot and all water bottles were full, we hightailed it out of there - me hiking with the hot pot of chili. We walked the ten minutes then sat right in the middle of the trail and ate our lunch. Both of us kept a watch on the trail - that was without a doubt the strangest person I've seen out here but I think he was relatively harmless.We had originally planned to camp in this dry section to keep the mileage low for Aunt Sand but I was very uneasy about running out of water. I asked her if she would be able to push on to the next spring and she agreed. She is a real trooper - the AT is not an easy trail and Aunt Sand has really jumped into the experience. She has my respect.We rested from 2 - 3:30 to try and avoid the worst of the heat and then started hiking away. The terrain wasn't bad but there are still plenty of ups to contend with. After a couple of hours and drinking most of our water we made it to VA 611. The spring was just .3 miles further but was marked as unreliable in our guidebooks so iffy. But, what to our wondering eyes should appear at the trailhead but a cooler with trail magic! Someone had stocked it with bottled water, Gatorade and candy bars! How did they know I had been craving chocolate? How did they know we were almost out of water? Magic! Thank you kind trail angel!And so here we are camped in a nice little flat area of the woods. Rehydrated, fed, tired but most content. We had a little visitor during dinner - a doe. She wasn't afraid of us and just hung around for a bit. Another day on the AT...
Date: 2003-08-10
From: Shaker Campsite

To: October Mountain
Miles today: 20.0
Weather: light rain

      During the night it rained steadily until just before dawn. This whole trip has had a Water World feel to it. I haven't really kept track, but I would be willing to venture that it has rained at least 4 out of every 5 days since I started. Today it rained off and on throughout the day. If it had been a nice day, I would have been tempted to take a day off at Upper Goose Pond. I did go for a swim there, which was very refreshing. The cabin is a comfortable looking place--looks like a good place to hangout.       I grabbed a snack and then headed up the trail. With it being the weekend, alot of day hikers were about. October Mountain on the other hand was deserted. I had just finished getting the last tent stake set, when the rain resumed.
Date: 2013-05-16
From: Brushy Mountain Stealth Camp

To: Dismal Creek Camp
Miles today: 14.5
Weather: clear sky

Another early morning. We broke camp in our little glen and hiked 2 miles to Jenny Knob shelter where we had breakfast. This shelter is the first shelter I ever saw - again during Sock's thru-hike. I wanted to see what they were like and made her go back about a mile to show me. Only now do I understand that thru-hikers NEVER like to go backwards; only forwards.We divided our day hike by a detour to Trent's Grocery for showers, laundry and resupply. That place is the pits - caution to current or future hikers - just skip it if you can. The shower was disgusting and basically a drip of water. The laundry took 2 hours to do because of the aforesaid issue with water pressure (it took forever to fill the washer). The resupply was a joke - nothing to choose other than junk food. We've had two really bad places since Aunt Sand has been hiking with me (Trent's and the Relax End). She had a great suggestion - the guidebooks should either drop them or let hikers know how bad they are.After leaving the pit hole of VA, we stopped by to see Dismal Falls. Very pretty and I bet nice when hot because you can sit in the stream on the rocks. We didn't dally long because we wanted to camp at a place 4 miles distant. Our walk there took us through the most enchanted forest! The trees appeared to have been spared past logging and pine needles from giant conifers blanketed the path. Elk used to roam in these woods. It would have been so cool to see one now.We are camped next to a rippling stream and I think I'll sleep well listening to the sound. Tomorrow is Aunt Sand's last day on the AT. We figured out she will have hiked 90 miles after tomorrow. What a rocking hiker! I tried to get her to stay to break 100 but she said no thanks - hiking the AT was too hard. She has had such experiences good and bad (today she fell in the creek). I hope the good out weighed the bad in the long run.Oh - we found out more about the wacko we saw yesterday. I have heard of that guy but never actually saw him until yesterday. He hikes with a bucket and duffle bag. When people try to engage him, he speaks in Spanish or Russian. He first surfaced around Watauga Lake in TN but is working his way north (seems not to be hiking but only at spots close to roads). Everyone agrees he is not all there but he doesn't seem to be threatening - mostly keeps to himself. I hope I never see him again.
Date: 2003-08-13
From: Long Trail

To: Bennington, VT
Miles today: 12.0
Weather: light rain

      Got an early start, wishing to get to town early. I was able to hitch a ride right to the Autumn Inn. I had heard that hikers ofter stay there, and they actually made me feel welcome, a pleasant change from recent experiences. It is a very nice, clean place, plus they have a pool!!       I took a quick shower, changed clothes, and headed for the library. After a couple of misdirections, I finally found it, and was able to check my email. In my wanderings I passed a Chinese take-out restaurant. I loaded up with way too much food and headed back to my room for the feast. I did the laundry while I ate. Nice to have a washer and dryer right there.      Next on the agenda was some serious pool time. I did the deadman's float until I got pruney. I had paid my dues, I deserved this. I sat in my air conditioned room, naked under a clean sheet, and sipped iced tea while watching a baseball game on TV. And to top it all off, I managed to choke down a pint of Cherry Garcia. I was starting to feel better already, especially since I was someplace cool and dry.