morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2008-05-16
From: Fox Creek

To: Troutdale
Miles today: 8.5
Weather: light rain

I¢ve been lucky with the rain too many times now. The rain started last night after I was in my tent and stopped this morning just before time to pack up. The walk into Troutdale required going over Hurricane Mountain, a climb of about 900¢ but not too bad. The trail was mostly clear except for a few rocky stretches. Not very many springs making muck out of the path; for the most part, a pleasant walk up and over the mountain. For the past several days I have been hiking close to a guy named ¢The Breeze¢, who is crippled by shin splints and took 6 zeros in Damascus. He¢s taking it easy for a week, so I can stay within a mile of him on the trail. He got to the highway to Troutville before me, but hadn¢t been picked up for a hitch into town. Shortly after, we were picked up by one older fellow in a van heading for Trail Days. He had a cooler full of beer, which he shared with us, and took us into town. The ¢town¢, however, is just a few houses, a church, and a hiker hostel. We ate at a restaurant just out of town and walked to the hostel, which is run by a church. It offers an out-building for hikers, which consists of an almost empty building where hikers can crash. There is a front porch and chairs, which we are taking advantage of. There is also a shower that we have put to use as well. The plan is to walk back to the restaurant for dinner tonight and then head out. I bought enough food to last me for another 3-4 days. We are alone here, most other hikers having gone to the Trail Days. We are enjoying the feelings of being clean and dry for a change.
Date: 2008-05-17
From: Troutdale

To: Marion
Miles today: 14.6
Weather: clear sky

After spending the night on the floor of the Baptist Church hostel in Troutdale, the day dawned cold and sunny. After breakfast, I caught the shuttle back to the trail head. With the three downed meals rolling around in my stomach like bowling balls, I set off. Today the trail was benevolent for the most part. There were stretches of loose rocks, but mostly leaf or pine straw covered paths through a forest of trees or tunnels of rhododendron. The grades, both up and down, were quite manageable. At the end, the choice was staying at Partnership Shelter or go into Marion and I concurred. So tonight I sleep in a real bed after eating a real meal at a Mexican restaurant.
Date: 2008-05-18
From: Marion

To: Atkins
Miles today: 11.5
Weather: light rain

Whoever said ¢the worst day on the trail is better than the best day at the office¢ wasn¢t with me on the trail this morning. Breeze and I reluctantly left our motel rooms this morning after breakfast. We attempted to hitch back to the trail head, but had no luck after about 20 minutes. In that time the rain started, so we opted for a taxi. We got to the trail head about 9:00. The rain had stopped, so things looked promising. But about an hour into the hike, the rain started again and increased to a down pour. After starting at about 3,200¢ the trail climbed Locust Mountain to about 4,000¢ went back to 3,500¢ and back up Glade Mountain to 4,000 again. The rain turned into fog, and the wind roared as the cold front moved in. I was wet and getting cold. To add to my discomfort, the trail was a mess of loose rocks, turning my feet and knees into aching bundles of ligaments and tendons. My dismal condition was only emphasized by the control burns along the trail; creating vistas of blackened ash. The trail descended and the fog turned back to rain, but I was out of the wind and the air warmed. After getting down to 3,000¢ the trail turned friendly again, leading me through a tunnel of rhododendron. Then I broke open to field of grass with a picturesque view of farms below. The trail crosses a railroad track heading for I-81. As I approached the track, a train was coming. I must have waited 15 minutes for all the cars to pass. The objective of my hike today was a motel near the interstate. After arriving and showering Breeze and I walked up the road for dinner. We are warm, dry and out of the weather.
Date: 2008-05-19
From: Atkins

To: Lynne Camp Creek
Miles today: 14.3

Mercifully, the day dawned clear and sunny. After breakfast, Breeze and I set out across I-81 to find the trail. The day had three climbs of about 1,000¢ in store for us. We were surprised to find some rhododendron in bloom along the trail. Another surprise was the distance the trail took over pasture land. The cows all kept a wary eye on me as they munched away on the green grass. At one point, a bull seemed to be guarding the trail from intruders. Instead of confronting him, I bushwhacked off the trail to detour around him. The weather was perfect for hiking. I reached the campground about 4:00, just behind Breeze.
Date: 2008-05-20
From: Lynne Camp Creek

To: Davis Farm
Miles today: 15.7
Weather: light rain

Today was the most grueling day on the trail I remember. It all started with the rain and wind last night. Again, we were lucky that the rain stopped before time to pack up. The trial started with a 600¢ climb up Lynn Camp Mountain. That got my heart rate up right away. Then the descent and another climb from 2,300¢ to 4,410¢. That climb culminated by breaking out of the woods onto a bald, much like Big Bald, but much bigger. A shelter is at the peak of the bald, a completely enclosed stone structure. The shelter needs four walls because of the wind. I had to lean sideways just to keep upright. A hawk was having a good time playing in the wind, flying into it to gain altitude and then banking to fly with the wind in a dive. As I exited the bald back into the woods, a doe ran up behind me just off the trail. She saw me and froze; we looked at each other for a long time. I took pictures and then march on leaving her staring at me. The trail then followed the rocky ridge line going from 4,000¢ to 3,900¢ and back for what seemed like eternity. I was tired before this exercise, but the rollercoaster hike exhausted me, I was out of water with 3 miles to go. To top everything off, where I reached the camp ground, I had to descend half a mile for water. And now, off to sleep, Bland tomorrow.
Date: 2008-05-21
From: Davis Farm

To: Bland, VA
Miles today: 14.7
Weather: few clouds

As usual, the rain came after midnight. I lay in my tent, hoping it would stop before I had to pack up. It did, but the temperature was in the mid 30¢s. There were two climbs, the first went almost straight up, and the second was nicely switched-backed. The trail was benevolent with no rocks. The bad part came when I left the trail to go into Bland for resupply and bed rest. The motel was 3 miles off the trail, and all attempts to hitch failed, so I walked. This made for a long day, and I am tired.
Date: 2008-05-22
From: Bland, VA

To: Kimberling Creek
Miles today: 18.6

The good news last night was that we would get a shuttle back to the trail head this morning. After a fast-food breakfast, we were walking by 9:00. Of course, the first order of business was to climb from road level (2,700¢) to ridge level (3,000¢) in a short distance (less than a mile). Once at ridge level, we stayed there all day, gaining and losing 100¢ periodically. The weather was perfect for hiking (between 60 and 70 degrees). The trail was mostly benevolent, perhaps my pay back for the 3 miles of highway I hiked yesterday. There was an irritating stretch of rocky trail top of Brushy Mountain, but otherwise little irregular terrain. There was a chance to stop at about 11 miles at Jenny Knob shelter, but there was too much daylight left, so I soldiered on to the next stop ¢ a road that led to a country store, offering camping and pizza. As I approached the road there appeared a wooden suspension bridge to cross the Kimberling Creek. Walking across, I experienced a swaying that reminded me why soldiers have to break step when crossing one of these. The store was a half mile down a paved road. I¢m camped near a horse pasture, whose inhabitants keep snorting, as if to tell us all that we¢re trespassing on horse-controlled property. The pizza was acceptable. The beer was excellent.
Date: 2008-05-23
From: Kimberling Creek

To: DocKnob
Miles today: 16.2

The rain started late last night, but this time almost didn¢t stop before pack up time. I packed up a wet tent, had breakfast at the store, and set out in cool, humid weather. The first part of the hike was fairly level, but there was a 1,200¢ climb starting about seven miles in. As I have written about before, trail designers are of two types: those that run the trail straight up the mountain (type A) and those that provide switch backs (type B). When I start a climb, it¢s interesting to speculate in advance which type designed this climb. Today, there was no speculation. I could see a long stretch of trail going straight up. The type A trail changes direction from point to point, but only to maximize the grade. Once on top, the type A designer has a problem, because the trail must go generally down (although inventive designers find a way to keep routing the trail back to maximum altitude). The designer of today¢s trail decided that if the trail couldn¢t be made harder by more climbs, at least it could be rocky. So, going down, the trail passed over every rock possible. Not small rocks, but large rocks, that require large steps up and large steps down to negotiate. The curious thing I noticed was that the only rocks around were on the trail. So I surmised that the designers (1)had huge rocks brought in or (2)saw the rocks and ran the trail over as many as possible. Option (1) is not likely from a logistics point of view, so I have to go with (2). So unlike the trail going up, which is a mostly straight segment, the trail going down veers wildly to catch every bed of rocks. Once down and out of the rock fields, the designer was not satisfied, and so routed the trail back up in search of more rocks. Having done all he could do with this rock field, the designer routed the trail across the road where he found the mother-lode of rock fields. This went on until the trail had to go in a generally northern direction and so the rocks disappeared and a normal trail ensued. The rocks, having cut my hiking speed in half, caused me to reach the shelter roughly an hour later than planned. But I was happy to be out of rock country, if only temporarily.
Date: 2008-05-24
From: DocKnob

To: Pearisburg, VA
Miles today: 8.2
Weather: few clouds

The cycle repeated; rain late but stopping about 6:00am. The shelter was full last night, so I hiked about half a mile down the trail and found a camping spot after filling up with water at the shelter. This morning was cold, mid 40s, but quickly warmed up. The trail climbed up about 800¢ to a ridge, which it followed for about 5 miles. Once the descent started, it went down fast. I felt some pity for the SOBOs going the other way. For them, it was surely one of the steepest ascents on the trail. Once down, I hitched into town with little delay. I checked into the motel, went for lunch, and am now doing laundry.While walking to lunch and laundry, I had a chance to see some of Pearisburg. The town looks like one of a hundred Tennessee towns. There was a main street with a court house. On the courthouse lawn was a statue of a confederate soldier with the inscription ¢Our Heroes!¢, At the historical museum, there were displays of Confederate Army equipment and a display of confederate flags. I guess the history of that time is a powerful influence around this area. Things I forgot to mention recently: the honey suckle is blooming with pink blossoms and spreading its sweet fragrance over the trail; the deer are out feeling in large numbers. Yesterday I came upon one deer that was very wary of me, but not panicked. The deer froze in place as did I. We faced each other for what seemed like a long time, the deer perfectly motionless and I trying not to move. I can tell you that you can¢t win a staring contest with a deer ¢ they don¢t move, they don¢t blink. After awhile, I gave up and moved on. Tomorrow I plan to negotiate and rest my legs and feet. I love having a day with absolutely nothing to do.
Date: 2008-05-26
From: Pearisburg, VA

To: Symms Gap
Miles today: 11.7

I got out of Pearisburg just before noon. I failed to find a UPS station to mail back my stove, pot, etc. so I¢m still carrying the weight. Luckily, I got a hitch with a guy that knew where the trail crossed the main highway, so I didn¢t have to waste time looking. It¢s amazing how spotting a blaze can set your mind at ease, knowing you¢re going the right way, even in a city on a paved road. Of course, there was a climb out of the city, going from 1,600; to 3,000¢ in about 4 miles. Not as steep as the knee crushing, toe crunching descent into the city, but it managed to get my heart rate up. After getting on top of the ridge, the trail followed it all day, varying by no more than +/- 100¢. The camp site is a broad meadow at the chest of one of the many peaks along the ridge. The view is beautiful, but the site is exposed to the wind. It¢s warm and calm now, but rain might come later.
Date: 2008-05-27
From: Symms Gap

To: Bailey Gap
Miles today: 11.5
Weather: light rain

It has been threatening rain all day. The weather is warm and humid. The high light of the trail today was the 1,100¢ climb in a mile and a half. I think I sweated more in that hike than I have in a day so far. By the time I got to the top, I was pretty fried, so I decided to stay at the shelter nearby. Today was a lazy day for me ¢ I wasn¢t in a hurry to get anywhere and took my time hiking. I hope to get my motivation back tomorrow and get my mileage back up.
Date: 2008-05-28
From: Bailey Gap

To: Laurel Creek
Miles today: 14.6
Weather: light rain

The day started off in the rain, which continued almost all day, ending just before reaching the shelter. The climbs were from 3,525¢ to 4,100¢, back to 2,000¢ and then to 2,700¢. Not too bad, actually. The rain was gentle and not cold, so almost pleasant hiking, but chilly when stopped. The higher elevations were clouded in fog, so no views today. Not a hard day, and sometimes quite pleasant.
Date: 2008-05-29
From: Laurel Creek

To: Campsite
Miles today: 17.1
Weather: overcast clouds

The main attraction of the day, besides some beautiful views form 3,000¢ over the valleys below and the nearby mountain ranges, was the second largest tree on the AT. It was an oak with an 18¢ girth, reckoned to be about 300 years old. The largest is in NY and is slightly bigger around. There were two major climbs, the last one taking us to the campsite just short of the Andie Murphy Monument (which we¢ll see tomorrow). For the past several days I¢ve been hiking with Cool Breeze and his sister from Connecticut. We have been starting about the same time and ending up at the same camp sites at night. An objective tomorrow is to get in to Catawba for resupply. Doesn¢t look like there¢s any place to stay there, so it will be an in and out quick affair ¢ maybe stopping at a restaurant for dinner. The weather is getting warmer and warmer and I need to carry more water. My feet and knees don¢t appreciate that.
Date: 2008-05-30
From: Campsite

To: Catawba
Miles today: 18.4
Weather: scattered clouds

It seems like forever since I¢ve had a shower and laundered my clothes ¢ I guess it was Pearisburg. Today¢s hike was an especially sweaty one, so my odor is getting to me. My tent smells like a huge foot. No shower available in Catawba. As I mentioned yesterday, last night¢s campsite was just short of the Andie Murphy Memorial, which we visited today. It is the site of the airplane crash that killed Murphy, a WWII hero and, subsequently, movie star. Wreaths had been laid for Memorial Day and flags decorated the site. The main attraction of the day was Dragons Tooth, a huge rock on top of Cove Mountain that is shaped, roughly, like a giant tooth. The climb up to the tooth was arduous, steep and rocky. The obligatory photos were made, and we ate lunch in the shade near the tooth. The trip down was simultaneously arduous. The weather was hot and humid, and no water sources were available up or down. I took about 2 liters and didn¢t quite run out. But we made it down to Catawba Grocery just in time ¢ my energy was flagging badly. We got a ride from there to the Home Place Restaurant, and noted AYCE, home-cooked meal, restaurant which caters to hikers as well as locals and tourists. The meal was good (not the best I¢ve had) but very filling. We camped on the lawn of another store where we will buy supplies in the morning. Tomorrow maybe a short day due to the rough day we had today and inclement weather expected afternoon. Tomorrow we visit another well known natural phenomenon, MacAfee Knob.
Date: 2008-05-31
From: Catawba

To: Lambert's Meadow
Miles today: 10.4
Weather: broken clouds

The high lights of today were McAfee Knob and Tinker Cliffs. The climb up to the Knob was steep and rocky. Once there the view was magnificent, being limited by the haze in the air. The knob and other sites around it are rock out cropping hanging out of the side of the mountain. They afford a 180 degree view of the valley below. And they are not for people with fear of heights ¢ when you¢re out on the knob, it¢s like being suspended in space. The cliffs are flat rocks also protruding out of the mountain side. The protrusions are generally big enough for two people to have a picnic. The views are equal to McAfee, in my opinion. We could see rain in the distance coming our way, but the storm never got to us. The campsite on the meadow was a serene, open area ¢ a pleasant place to spend the night.
Date: 2008-06-01
From: Lambert's Meadow

To: Daleville
Miles today: 9.4
Weather: few clouds

The route today was rocky. The rock formations in this area are huge boulders. Some appear as very large stone tablets, which at some point in the ancient past were laid on top of one another, some in what appears to be a precarious balance. There are lots of boulder climbs along the trail, making for a very tiring day; but again, beautiful views. After walking into town, we went to an AYCE, which was surprisingly good. The best part of a town trip is the opportunities for showers and laundry. It¢s so nice not to be able to smell yourself or your clothes. The extra rest of a real bed is pretty good too.
Date: 2008-06-02
From: Daleville

To: Wilson Creek
Miles today: 9.2
Weather: scattered clouds

Because of trips to the supermarket, post office, and outfitters, todays hike didn¢t really start until after 2. The climb out of the city was not bad, and the day was a pleasant walk. The humidity was the only problem, but not so bad after reaching 2,000¢. A profusion of flowers are blooming in the woods now, even at the higher elevations. The deer are out in droves, eating the new, tender grass and leaves. Butterflies also abound. There are lots of the orange variety, with dark blue being the next most populace. Even a turtle was sighted.
Date: 2008-06-03
From: Wilson Creek

To: Jennings Creek
Miles today: 16.9

Today we began the dance of the AT with the Blue Ridge Parkway. The two intertwine for many miles, the AT crossing the parkway several times a day. The crossings usually occur at an overview pull-off on the parkway. This gives travelers on both the opportunity to see the valleys with the Blue Ridge Mountains as a backdrop. The overlooks were the only good views. The rest of the day was spent traveling over rather benign terrain, with no extended climbs and hardly any rocks. The descent to Jennings Creek was steep in places ¢ steep enough to make the toes complain. I chose to go to a National Park Service campground for the night. The guide advertised a tenting opportunity under a covered pavilion. Since rain was coming, this sounded good to me. I think I missed the intended site, but found a covered pavilion annexed to a swimming pool. I¢m the only one here, so I¢m sure this is not the advertised place. But it is dry, had a drink machine, power receptacle to charge my phone, and even lights if I need them.
Date: 2008-06-04
From: Jennings Creek

To: Marble Spring
Miles today: 21.4

First day over twenty. I was planning to stop sooner, but I couldn¢t find a spot. This was a memorable day for both mileage and climbs. The trail peaked out at 4,225¢ starting from 951¢. There were three intense climbs and one more gradual but much longer. At the peaks, the trail was all rocks. The last climb was the most exhausting of all, climbing 700¢ in less than a mile with no switch-backs. I thought I was in Georgia again. The Virginia climbs are not over yet although we won¢t get to 400¢ again. The flowers were beautiful today. The rhododendrons are thick and beginning to drop flowers. The trail sometimes resembles a bridal path. The air was so thick with moisture, all views were obscured. The weather last night was severe, with high winds and lots of rain. Everything stayed mostly dry except for getting doused by blowing rain. I am tenting without a fly tonight because of the heat; I am hoping that I won't have to wake up and put the fly on tonight.
Date: 2008-06-05
From: Marble Spring

To: Little Irish Creek
Miles today: 22.7

Another long day with exhausting climbs. The big long climb was from 678' to 3,375' over ten miles. Superimposed on that long upward trend were four shorter but intense climbs. These were almost repeats of the last climbs climbed yesterday. I think Virginia is throwing everything at us before it eases up. The heat and the humidity are brutal. The sun is unrelenting, but there was that nice walk along the banks of the James River. There were more flowers, deer, turtles, butterflies, birds - bear cubs. I saw my first today. As I walked along a steep embankment I heard a rumble in the leaves far below me. I looked and saw a bear club climbing a tree. The other bear cub on the ground. No mother to be seen. The treed cub scampered down and both ran off into the underbrush. I looked around for the mother, but then moved on. Tonight I am camped under a bridge over the Little Irish Creek listening to the frogs. I came further than I would have in anticipation of going into town tomorrow morning for resupply. I'll be staying overnight in Buena Vista. It's a 10 mile hitch, which I hope is not hard to get. Also today, the monument to a four year old boy who was found dead atop Bluff Mountain(3,372'), apparently lost. And an air show by military jets roaring over the mountain top with not much clearance.
Date: 2008-06-06
From: Little Irish Creek

To: Buena Vista
Miles today: 6.8

I got going early - about 6:15. I got to the highway about 9:00. There was already a hiker there trying to hitch. For about an hour we had no luck - mostly logging trucks coming by. After another hiker came by and we were just about to call for a paid shuttle, a car pulled up with two hikers headed for a slack pack day. They offered us a ride back to town after they were dropped off, so we took it. I spent the day shopping for food and doing laundry. I also took some of my last cold weather clothes to mail home. The PO was a good hike downtown. The temperature was in the 90's and I was grateful to be in air conditioning most of the day. I've rescheduled a shuttle back to the trail head tomorrow morning at 8:00.