morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2006-05-16
From: Pickle Branch Shelter 

To: Campbell Shelter 
Miles today: 17.0
Weather: broken clouds

It rained most of the night but when we woke up at 6:30 it was partly cloudy but still COLD. It was hard getting out of bed but it was going to be a hard hiking day so we wanted to get an early start. We were on the trail by 7am but we were not looking forward to hiking Dragon Tooth Mt. It was one of our most difficult hikes and our legs did not enjoy the horrible ups and downs. After getting down Dragon Tooth the Trail got a little easier and we even got trail magic, at around 12pm, by VA311. Jeff Williams, from Catawba VA had left food & drinks in a cooler. We had peanut butter & jelly sandwiches and Gatorade. THANKS JEFF! After a climb we walked in a couple pastures and along some streams. It was a nice change after all the ridge hiking we'd been doingfor the past 3 days. We then started the 4 mile hike up to McAfee Knob. It was an easy trail and we saw many day hikers along the way. McAfee has one of the best views in Virginia and we've been looking forward to having our picture taken there for years. When we got there we were not disappointed. It was fairly clear and there were only a couple of other people there. The view was fantastic which made it hard to leave. We finally got to the shelter at 5:30 and Identity Crisis was already there.   Later a new Thru Hiker to us, Free At Last, joined us. He's from Erie Pennsylvania and just retired in Jan. Our bodies were sore after walking 17 miles, on difficult terrain, and climbing 4,455 ft. As a result we made a quick dinner and were in our bags by 7pm. Cathy was asleep by 8pm and Craig was soon to follow.
Date: 2006-05-17
From: Campbell Shelter 

To: Fullhard Knob Shelter 
Miles today: 20.3
Weather: broken clouds

Even Craig was cold this morning! We only keep mentioning the weather because it is so unexpected and so uncomfortable! We had a beautiful, LONG day of hiking. After leaving the shelter at 7:20 am the sun came out, and we stopped 6 miles later at Lambert's Meadow Shelter for a quick snack and sponge bath downstream. Felt wonderful! Then we hiked another 9 miles toward Troutville. During today's hike, we saw beautiful flowers almost constantly. Craig must have taken a dozen pictures. We also walked up to Tinker Cliffs and then along Tinkers Ridge, which was much too close to the mountain's edge for Cathy. Just after this ridge, Cathy saw a bear. It was about 50 feet from the trail and was already running away when she spotted it. The trail in this area was also very fragrant-honeysuckle-and was very pleasant to linger through.   The trail goes right into Troutville so, of course, we had to stop, and a Wendy's was right there. Two hours later (3 burgers, chili, baked potato, 2 fries, 2 cokes, & a coffee later, that is) we headed back to the trail for a 5 mile hike to Fullhard Knob Shelter. On the way Craig saw 3 deer. About a mile before the shelter it started terrain and then HAIL! By the time we got there we were so cold we immediately crawled into our sleeping bags. we climbed 4,110 ft over some very difficult terrain. However it was really a good day overall-beautiful scenery, our bodies made it 20 miles, and now we're warm and dry, but all alone again at the shelter. We're feeling adjusted to being on the Trail and we're looking forward to another good day tomorrow.
Date: 2006-05-18
From: Fullhard Knob Shelter 

To: Cove Mt. Shelter 
Miles today: 20.0
Weather: light rain

Another COLD morning so we ate our granola cereal with hot milk while still sitting in our sleeping bags. This COLD has got to end soon! We left the shelter at 8:10 with plans to hike 20 miles again. We passed 4 hikers at the first shelter we came to, and all were headed to Trail Days in Damascus, which is this weekend. The terrain was relatively easy (climbed 3525 feet), but our bodies were tired from several long, hard days in a row, so it seemed difficult. The flowers along our route were fantastic. We had several arbors of pink rhododendrons, scattering of blooming azaleas, and multi-color wildflowers. Honeysuckle and Lily-of-the-Valley made our pathway very fragrant as well. We also completed a 1/3 of the Trail today. We had read that there was no water at tonight's shelter, so we stopped at a creek 3.5 miles beforehand and carried the extra 8 pounds uphill. Ugh! Then we nearly missed the shelter as there was no sign and we arrived the sooner than we had anticipated. We were so glad to get in after 20 miles and 9 straight hours of hiking. Our big dinner tonight was mashed potatoes, stuffing, and turkey chunks. We're about to fix dessert as we're hungry again (1 hour later!)-hot Chai and Girl Scout cookies from Jere & Steph. We were in our bags by 6pm enjoying our dessert and reading our books. Again we were alone at the shelter. However, in reading the shelter journals, there are many nights when no one stays at all.
Date: 2006-05-19
From: Cove Mt. Shelter 

To: Thunder Hill Shelter 
Miles today: 17.1
Weather: overcast clouds

We woke up to another COLD morning, 38 degrees with strong winds. Needless to say, we ate breakfast again in our sleepng bags. As a result it was difficult for us to start our walk today. We finally got on the trail at 9:30. While trying to get ourselves motivated, we admitted to each other that the Trail continues to be more difficult, mentally and physically than we would like. After some discussion we decided that we'd try to take more breaks during the day to see if that might help, and more zero days. We stopped at two shelters along the way and had lunch and snacks. At the end of the day, we thought it helped some but agreed that a zero day would help more! We plan to take one once we get to Waynesboro but, sadly, that's still 6 days away.. All in all the Trail was fairly easy today given that we climbed 5,635 feet. The last couple of miles were more difficult, because of the ROCKS and the 1,000 ft climb. However after reaching Apple Orchard Mountain shortly thereafter we came to the famous "Guillotine". Seeing something that we had seen in AT books was inspiring. Also, when we reached the shelter two couples were there who are section hiking the AT, and they had a campfire going. Cathy couldn't have been much happier given that the temperature never got much above 50 degrees and the wind was strong all day. After a good dinner and conversation around the campfire, we finally went to bed at around 9pm.
Date: 2006-05-20
From: Thunder Hill Shelter 

To: Johns Hollow Shelter 
Miles today: 16.3
Weather: scattered clouds

We woke to our warmest morning since returning to the trail (45 degrees) and the sound of a crackling fire thanks to Early Fire who was sharing the shelter site with us ( see pic). After cereal and hot spiced cider, we were on our way at 8 am. We came to the most beautiful field of Trillium-(ss pic) usually they are quite sparse-followed by a field of May Apple.   We met several weekend hikers. People from Virginia really enjoy the mountains. The terrain was quite easy today despite a couple of steep declines. We climbed 2350 feet in just over 16 miles. We cossed the James River crossing which is the largest foot bridge on the AT. It was built on the foudation of an old railroad bridge. We arrived at Johns Hollow Shelter at 3-and it was 75 degrees-so we were especially happy to arrive early and relax at the shelter, where we are surprisingly alone again.
Date: 2006-05-21
From: Johns Hollow Shelter 

To: Buena Vista VA
Miles today: 20.1

It was our warmest night for sleeping but we had to quit reading earlier last night because our headlamps were attracting bugs. It was OK, though, because we needed to get off to an earlier start. We wanted to hike 20.1 miles so we could go into Buena Visa VA for the night. We were on the Trail at 7am starting out in shorts for the first time. During today's hike we saw deer, a turkey and a 3 ft Black snake on the trail. When we reached the top of Bluff Mountain we took a break after looking at the Ottie Powell Monument, (see pic). While doing so, we we greeted by the two couples we stayed with the night before. They had flip-flopped and were now heading south. We had a nice break together and hope to hear from them again in our Guest Book. We stopped for lunch at the Punchbowl Shelter which is located by a pond. What a great setting especially for our lunch of peanut butter and honey on tortillas. The mountain views were beautiful and, towards the end of the day's hike, we followed the Brown Mountain Creek for about four miles. The creek's sites and sounds were fantastic. We arrived at US 60 at 5pm but we weren't able to get a ride until 6:15. After shopping and laundry we're finally in our motel at 9:00. We ordered Pizza, watched TV and fell asleep reading, with no bugs!! We both thought that today was one of our most enjoyable hikes. This was surprising given the 20 Miles and 5310 ft climb. Our mood was much improved today and we remain optimistic about reaching Katahdin.PS: Thanks to Tim Giles who looked up the name of rhe reservoir we saw on 5-17 and informed us of it's name by writing in our Guest Book. Also Craig finally was able to upload the picture of the Martin's who gave us a ride from Wendy's to VA 42 on 5-14. Thanks again!
Date: 2006-05-22
From: Buena Vista VA

To: Seeley-Woodworth Shelter 
Miles today: 14.0
Weather: broken clouds

Getting out of a warm bed in a motel room to hike 14 miles-the first 5 of which are uphill (2,700 ft) is not easy! Hence, we didn't leave until 11:00 am. We had to pay for a shuttle back to the trailhead after trying to hitch a ride for over an hour. We would not recommend this town for a resuply. It's too spread out, no one will give you a ride and the motels are way over priced. As a result we didn't get back to the trail until 12:30 in order to begin our long climb. Although the sun was shining, there was a strong breeze all day and the temperature never got above 65 degrees. Again we saw beautiful flowers everywhere and the mountain top views were great. Atop Cold Mountain is a man-made bald-created and maintained by mowing the grass to provide a 360 degree view. The first climb, as mentioned, was straight up 2,700 feet and tough! The rest of today's hike was a more gradual climb for a total of 4510 feet elevation. We passed the 800 mile mark just before reaching the shelter at 7:15 pm. It seemed like the temperature plummeted the minute we got here! By the time we had our water filtered and dinner cooking, we were putting on the warmest clothes we've got! IWe were in bed and reading by 8:15, and hoping for a warmer temperatures in the morning.
Date: 2006-05-23
From: Seeley-Woodworth Shelter 

To: Maupin Field Shelter 
Miles today: 20.5
Weather: clear sky

When we went to bed we were all alone then three thru hikers arrived between 9 & 10 pm. Junco came in first, followed by Swiss Miss and Sumo. In the morning it was good to sit around and talk to them about the trail and other hikers we hadn't seen in awhile. Swiss Miss said her friend, Merritt, reads our journal, so we wanted to be sure to say Hi! We had hoped to get an early start, because of the 20 mile hike ahead of us, but we didn't get on the trail until 8 30. The trail difficulty was moderate to very difficult. We climbed 5,740 ft and much of the final 6 miles was done in a steep climb. The weather was great, and we had some beautiful views. However, because of the distance and difficulty we didn't get to the shelter until 7 30 pm. Bunny was already there but was happy to no longer be alone. Sumo, Swiss Miss and Sweet Tea arrived just before dark. In that we were exhausted and the temperature was below 50, we made a quick dinner and were in our bags by 8:30 pm. PS We want to thank you again for writing in our guest book. We enjoy your messages and hearing from you. We find the readings both enjoyable and encouraging.
Date: 2006-05-24
From: Maupin Field Shelter 

To: Paul C. Wolfe Shelter 
Miles today: 16.1
Weather: scattered clouds

Our full shelter didn't begin to stir until 7 am. We weren't on the trail until 8:30, and yet there were still three hikers still sleeping when we left. Basically, we were all tired and no one really wanted to start walking again! We only had 16 miles to walk, and it really looked like an easy day. About an hour into our hike, we ran into Goliath. We had last seen him at the Holly Family Hostel in Pearisburg (see pic). His backpack had broken so his mother was helping him slackpack until his new pack arrives in Waynesboro. To pass her time she was doing Trail Magic from her car. This was good for us in that she still had Magic left when we arrived. (see pic). After having some great treats, we were back on the trail. The next 5 hours had some difficult climbs up to Cedar Cliffs and Humpback Mountain. It was while approaching Humpback Mountain that Craig slipped on a boulder and fell breaking our smart phone. This was not a particularly good moment! We have insurance on the phone, but were uncertain of beginning the replacement. When we reached the top of Humpback Mountain we met other hikers with a cell phone who let us use it. We were successful in reaching Verizon and the insurance company and, surprisingly, should have a new phone in two days. We really appreciate both companies' responsiveness. The next 6 miles were easy, and we were still able to reach the shelter by 6 pm. We climbed 2,920 feet but because some of it was more gradual, it seemed like only a 1,000. We're all alone again; everyone else at the last shelter chose to hike the last 5 miles into Waynesboro. The shelter is very nice and is located next to a large creek-definitely a shelter you shouldn't miss. We ate our dinner while sitting by a campfire, and the temperature was so warm that we were able to sit and enjoy the fire until well after dark. Not the best day we've had, but bad things will happen wherever you are. However, laying now in our sleeping bags listening to the creek and looking at the stars, all is well with the world.
Date: 2006-05-26
From: Waynesboro VA

To: Waynesboro VA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: few clouds

Today was our first zero day since being back on the Trail, a long awaited pleasure. We slept in until 10 am and then had a delicious breakfast out on Mike & Lynne's pool deck. Then they generously let us use their car so we could run some errands. When Lynne got home from school we sat on their sun porch having refreshments. They then took us us out to dinner with their two children and daughter's friend. It was another great evening of conversation and getting to know one another. We couldn't have created a more pleasurable day. As much as we would love to stay with Mike and Lynne for another day, we really need to get back to the Trail. We plan to leave by 11 am and will hike to the first shelter north of Waynesboro. This will put us in the Shenandoah National Park. We expect it to be quite busy due to it being the Memorial Day weekend. Hopefully we'll still be able to find room in, what will be, a crowded shelter.
Date: 2006-05-27
From: Waynesboro VA

To: Calf Mountain Shelter 
Miles today: 7.0
Weather: overcast clouds

We slept in until 8:30 and then enjoyed a wonderful breakfast with Lynne and Mike. We had such a good time talking that we didn't get off until 11 am. It was very hard leaving them not just because of the comfort of their beautiful home, but because they're such loving and giving people. We will miss them! We were back on the Trail at 11:30 and had planned for an easy day. We hiked only 7 miles and only climbed 1820 feet. The Trail wasn't particularly beautiful but there were some pretty wild flowers along the Trail. We passed some trail maintenance volunteers from the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club (see pic). Thanks again for all you do, volunteers! As we hiked, we ran into several day hikers but no Thru Hikers. However, when we reached the shelter at 3 pm there were 7 Thru Hikers taking a break. What was best was that Miss Parkay one of them (see pic). It was so good to see her and talk about what's been going on for the past month. Her group was still going to hike to the next shelter, 13 miles, and won't get there until around 10 pm. This didn't sound good to us, so we hope to see her again in a couple days for her birthday. We were joined at the shelter later by 4 weekend hikers. We enjoyed a nice evening talking with them, and were in our sleeping bags reading by 8:30.
Date: 2006-05-28
From: Calf Mountain Shelter 

To: Blackrock Shelter 
Miles today: 13.0

Today was an early, somewhat humorous start. Before dawn we could hear two of the men we had shared the shelter with trying to take down the food bags. As additional hikers had arrived the night before, they just looped their food bag on top of those already hanging from the bear pole. It had become a tangled mess. Soon the third then fourth man joined the group, and they were cussing up a storm. Fearing our heavily laden bags might break or fall, Craig joined the foray. He realized there would be no untangling the mess from twenty feet below and climbed the bear pole and lifted the bags down one by one. Cathy tried to take a photo of the activity but it was too dark. Everyone from the shelter as well as a few neighboring tenters were awake as a result of this unusual activities. Needless to say all were very surprised and appreciative for what Craig had done. We fixed our breakfast, and we were on the trail at 7:30 with all of our food bags in tact. The hiking day was uneventful.   We walked 13 miles and climbed 2810 feet. There were pretty flowers but few rock formations or mountain views along the Trail. We crossed Skyline Drive seven times. (Skyline Drive is the highway running north/south through the Shenendoahs.) We arrived at the shelter at 2 o'clock and washed our clothes and bodies after the day in the hot sun and 85 degree temperature. Then we snacked and read until bedtime, talking with other hikers as they joined us at the shelter.
Date: 2006-05-29
From: Blackrock Shelter 

To: Hightop Shelter 
Miles today: 21.4

Almost everyone at the shelter was stirring at 6 am. As a result we were on the Trail at 7 am. We had a long day in front us, but we were also looking forward to having lunch at the Loft Mountain Wayside on Skyline Drive. Lunch was great especially because we met up with Miss Parkay and several other Thru Hikers. We had multiple wildlife sitings including a frog, a 3+ foot rattler, a doe with her fawn and an especially beautiful butterfly (See pic). It was very warm all day, 84 degrees, and we climbed 4,740 feet in our 21 mile hike. It wasn't our hardest hike, but we were very happy to arrive at the shelter at 6 pm. There were already 6 hikers there and by the time we went to bed, there were 15 in all. We all agreed that it's the most hikers we've ever had at a shelter on one night. It was Miss Parkay's Birthday so we had bought a brownie cake with a sucker on top. We she arrived all the hikers sang Happy Birthday. It was a fun time. We went to bed early expecting that we'll be on the Trail by 6 am in that we have 24 miles to hike and two camp stores in which to eat food.
Date: 2006-05-30
From: Hightop Shelter 

To: Rock Spring Shelter 
Miles today: 23.9

We planned to walk 24 miles today so we were on the Trail by 6 AM. Today was a day of sweating and eating out. The temperature hung around the low 80's and the humidity was very high. We also climbed 4,690 feet which made us sweat even more! We drank twice as much water as usual and in time our clothes were all wet. To deal with how uncomfortable we were, we tried to remember how horrible it was during the first month when we had head colds and the weather was brutally cold. It helped some but Craig said a swimming pool would do more to make him feel better. Cathy says she'll take this weather any day. As for the eating, we stopped two times to eat along the Trail. For lunch we ate at the Lewis Campground Store, and for dinner we ate at the Big Meadows Lodge. There were 6 to 9 other Thru Hikers at each place. It was a good time, and it gave us breaks from the heat, which we really needed. We finally got to the shelter at 7:30 PM. Sanford, Hamburglar, and Rightway were already there but before we went to bed at least 10 more Thru Hikers joined us. It was another tough day at times but with all the food and relation we had a good time!PS: Thanks again to Mrs. Ross's students for the trail mix they gave us. We finished 1/2 of it today and we mailed the other 1/2 to ourselves in Harper's Ferry, so we're looking forward to trail mix again whenwe arrive there on Monday!
Date: 2006-05-31
From: Rock Spring Shelter 

To: Pass Mountain Shelter 
Miles today: 15.7

Today was a day filled with trail magic! We got an early start-6:25-even though we had a short day ahead. Craig found a restaurant serving breakfast right on the trail and, knowing how much Cathy loves going out for breakfast, he had no trouble getting her moving. As we approached the Skyland Diner, we met Alton Pitts, who just leaving. Alton is the Georgia teacher we met as we hiked into Hot Springs.   He and his friend Mike Stephens are section hiking and have been following our journal. Ashton bought our breakfast-a real Trail Magic treat! We lingered at the restaurant for two hours and then began hiking toward Pass Mountain. The trail goes through Pinnacles Picnic Grounds, where a school group was having a picnic and invited us to join them. Trail magic again! And again we relaxed for nearly an hour, before starting toward Pass Mountain again. We got to the shelter at 4 o'clock after hiking 15.7 miles and climbing 2970 feet. At the shelter, there was more trail magic as hikers shared brownies, fudge, and hot dogs. Later we had a fire and listen to some Banjo playing. We went to bed full and happy.
Date: 2006-06-01
From: Pass Mountain Shelter 

To: Tom Floyd Wayside Shelter 
Miles today: 23.4
Weather: broken clouds

Of the 10 of us sleeping in the shelter, 7 were hikers over 50, and all 7 of us were up and moving by 5:30. Today was a long hike, but the real motivation was breakfast at the Elkwallow Wayside six miles away. All of the hikers from our shelter were there except for 4 Southbound Section Hikers. After breakfast and a 1 hour break we continued north on a path which was a demonstration of Virginia's "green tunnel". The trees and undergrowth were lush with foliage blocking out views and breezes. When we did have a view it was worth taking a picture because the high humidity was causing a thick haze. We did see a bear and were even able to take it's picture. Pretty cool! After reaching 84 degrees most of the afternoon, the temperature cooled to around 75 as a storm moved in, at around 2 PM. We about to take a break when it started raining. After raining for about an hour the skies cleared again and in no time it was in the mid 80's again. We continued to hear thunder at times in the distance. Then about a 1/2 hour before reaching the shelter the downpour began. We reached the shelter at 5:30 and there were already 6 hikers there. It was full! This particular shelter has an overhanging porch with a storage shelf. Lunchbox and Yoshi volunteered to sleep overhead so there would be room for us. Once we discovered there were spiders up there we made room for them down below! A tight night but warm and dry. Tomorrow we only have 3 miles to hike until we reach town. We'll probably get another early morning start so we can have breakfast in town. Oh the life of a HIKER!