morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2013-04-25
From: Campsite, Elk River

To: Campsite in a meadow
Miles today: 14.4
Weather: clear sky

Wow - I feel GREAT! It rained off and on during the night but the thunderstorms never materialized. I must have a small hole in the bottom of my tent because the floor was wet under my torso. Thankfully I stayed dry on my air mattress. Obviously it didn't bother me too much since I slept nearly 12 hours. The last resupply place didn't have protein bars which is usually what I eat for breakfast, so I choked down some pop tarts. If any of you previous thru hikers have suggestions I'm open to ideas. Unfortunately I don't like oatmeal. I started out with granola and powdered milk but it seemed like I had to carry a lot of powdered milk. My feeling of well being continued on the trail. We walked along the Elk River for awhile and enjoyed the flat and scenic hike. Most of the morning consisted of hiking over small hills in between crossing multiple streams and an occasional waterfall. At one of the footbridges we realized we had passed the 400 mile point so we stopped and took pictures. The only hikers we saw in theorimg were Animal, Scarecrow, and City Slicker. For lunch we found a sunny spot so I could dry out my tent, sleeping pad, and sleeping bag. Pom came by and chatted us up. He is from London and explained that Pom is a term Austrians use for Brits. He is on trailjournals. com as Michael2013 if you want to read his journal. Actually, we took way too long of a lunch - almost 2 hours. After getting back on the trail I had a totally uncontrolled fall. No harm done other than a little bruising   The type of shoes I have use a single lace system and you pull it tight and then a small clamp holds it in place. You tuck the lace and clamp into a little net pocket on the top of the tongue. I had forgotten to tuck the lace in. We had no major climbs today, just constant ups and downs. The afternoon was similar to the morning but we went higher up on the ridges and then would drop down to cross the multiple streams and back up again. We tried something different today and stopped to cook and eat dinner and them continued to hike until we found a nice site with enough daylight to set up camp. I really like this method because the long break and dinner re energized me. We found another beautiful campsite - one of my favorites to this point. I'm set up in a meadow and Trouble hung her hammock on the edge of the meadow. It has been a good day and I'm so thankful that I'm feeling better. I hope I wake up and see deer in the meadow . . .
Date: 2013-04-28
From: Vandeventer Shelter

To: Double Springs Shelter
Miles today: 14.4
Weather: moderate rain

I'm a pretty positive person, but today was for the most part a miserable day of hiking. It started raining before we left the shelter and continued all day. We spent much of the morning on ridges with the wind whipping across. It's been awhile since I worried about hypothermia but it crossed my mind today. The only hikers we saw today were Crasher and Rocky. Everyone else was zeroing in their tents - we walked by a bunch of them. When we got to the water source it wasn't very good and it took nearly half an hour to fill our bottles. I was shivering and Trouble said if we came to a road she was ready to get off the trail. The irony of finding water in the pouring rain doesn't escape me. If I was desperate enough I would have set up my rain fly from my tent to funnel water into my water bottle. About 4 miles after the water we came to a shelter where I made some mashed potatoes and gravy with summer sausage chunks. Getting something hot to eat made a huge difference. As tempting as it was to stay in the dry shelter we decided to push on to the next one. The afternoon was better as we came down off the ridge and out of the wind. Unexpectedly we came upon a man in a bright yellow rain jacket standing beside the trail. It turned out to be Richard from Nelson Chapel Baptist Church in Mountain City, TN who was offering trail magic in the form of snacks and sodas. THANK YOU Richard and Nelson Chapel Baptist Church! We must have looked rough because soon after the trail magic we crossed a state highway and an older couple in a nice car pulled over and asked if we were ok. We assured them we were and they offered to let us use their phone if needed. Thank you whoever you are!The next section of trail was unlike any that I had hiked in that it was a short section that was handicapped accessible. It was a gentle grade on a very well groomed trail that went across a pasture. When the handicapped section ended we crossed over a fence and were literally in a cow pasture. The cows stared at the odd sight and then followed us from one end of the pasture to the next. I think they were lusting after our trail mixBy 5:00 we had reached Double Springs Shelter and hiked over 14 miles. I was ready to keep going but Trouble was cold, wet, and tired so we decided to stay. Even Melkie was shivering so I gave him my sleeping bag liner to cover up with and that seemed to do the trick. My favorite gear today were my mittens. They were soaking wet but kept my hands tolerably warm. There are 4 of us in the shelter and the wind is blowing right in the opening so we we are all hunkered down in our bags . . .
Date: 2013-04-29
From: Double Springs Shelter

To: Damascus 
Miles today: 19.6

I woke up about 5:00 and put my wet clothes in my sleeping bag to warm up. Our plan is to go all the way into Damascus today and I considered wearing my only set of dry clothes but decided I should play it safe. We were up and out early in anticipation of a long day. We didn't see many hikers and most of those that we did see were SOBO section hikers. Trouble and I were focused on the task at hand so we hiked without talking much. We came across a really cool looking old shelter that probably wouldn't sleep more than two. We took some pics and were quickly back on the trail. The excitement for the day came when we reached the Virginia state line. I am now done with Georgia, North Carolina, and Tennessee. I will be in Virginia for around a month. The trail into Damascus was gentle and we made great time. The trail goes under a big sign welcoming hikers, through a city park, and right down the main street. We stopped at the Blue Blaze restaurant for some delicious food and then continued to Crazy Larry's where we will spend the night. The other hikers staying here are Dan-O, Opa, and Slim. Crazy Larry had a good time spoiling Melkie as we got settled in. Our plan for tomorrow is to go to the outfitter for new shoes for Trouble, resupply and be on the trail by noon. I'm exhausted after a long mileage day and Larry is serving breakfast at 6:00 a.m. . . .
Date: 2013-04-30
From: Damascus 

To: Whitetop Mountain
Miles today: 20.2
Weather: few clouds

First, let me say HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!!! Larry had huge pancakes, scrambled eggs, and bacon for breakfast. Over breakfast Dan-O, Opa, and Slim said they were slack packing for 20 miles today and we could probably catch a ride with them if we wanted. We had 30 minutes to make a decision, finish breakfast, and be ready to go. We decided to go for it. We started in the clouds on top of Whitetop Mountain (5,150 ft) and hiked toward Damascus. After almost 40 miles in two days I'm a little tired so I probably won't journal a lot today. The fun part of today's hike was seeing all the hikers we knew who were heading north while we were heading south. Parts of the AT and the Virginia Creeper Trail are combine in two places during this section. The Creeper is a rails to trail that has a wide path and gentle grade - much of it along a stream. It was fun to hike on for a short distance and is a very pretty trail. Unfortunately you can often see it taunting you as you climb the undulating AT. One of the more interesting features of today's hike was the complete Lorax story written out on the wall of the privy at a shelter. Someone must have been bored!When we arrived back at Crazy Larry's he had dinner ready and waiting. THANK YOU Crazy Larry! Larry has a reputation for treating hikers really well. I'm exhausted . . .
Date: 2013-05-01
From: Whitetop Mountain

To: Campsite near East Fork of Big Wilson Creek
Miles today: 11.9

Wow, what an interesting day! It started with another of Crazy Larry's hearty breakfasts at 6:00. Then a quick run to the dollar store to resupply. Next, a stop at the outfitter to get Trouble new shoes and me a new pair of pants. The shuttle driver arrived at 10:00 but Dan-O had to stop by the post office and another outfitter. The shuttle driver took us by an old log church (see pics) that had an outhouse. We didn't get to the trailhead until noon. We started in the clouds above 5,000 ft so it was chilly. After about an hour of hiking we came to Elk Garden where we saw our first pony (see pics). The ponies in this area were originally used to pull the mine carts in and out of the mine shafts. When the mines became mechanized the mine ownesr started killing the ponies. The miners, who had worked side by side with the ponies and had become attached to them, began sneaking the ponies up into the mountains and letting them go. They have now become wild, although they are very used to hikers. We began our climb of Mt Rogers, Virginia's highest mountain. The AT doesn't go to the summit but skirts along beneath it by about 300 ft. We entered Grayson Highland State Park and I was expecting a grassy highland, which it was, but the trail was also very rocky making for slow going. One of my favorite parts was Fatman Squeeze, a short rock tunnel. We saw a lot more ponies and long horn steer. Some of the little colts were so cute (see pics). The first shelter we came to appeared to the newest and the nicest one I've seen so far. Virginia seems to have very nice shelters. It was tempting to stay there, especially when I read in the log book about all the cute ponies, but we had only gone about 6 miles and we really wanted to get in more miles. When we arrived at the second shelter we took a moment to celebrate as we have hiked more than 500 miles. We chatted with Zen for awhile. I first met Zen at the GA/NC border but I haven't seen him in weeks. The shelter was full so we roasted hotdogs over their fire and then packed up to find a campsite. We are camped near a stream and it's a bit chilly - good sleeping weather . . .
Date: 2013-05-04
From: Partnership Shelter

To: USFS Road 86
Miles today: 4.2
Weather: overcast clouds

It was a chilly night - perfect for sleeping in. I was in no hurry since I only had 4.2 miles to go prior to noon. I ate my hotdog tortilla wrap, cheese, and a fudge cookie for breakfast. I'm now down to two candy bars so I'm hoping the connection with Brian and Ann goes smoothly. I said my goodbyes to Trouble, Melkie, Crasher, and Rocky and headed up the trail. I could hear Melkie barking and whining as I began the climb. He has clearly become a trail dog. The trail was up and down and went by quickly. I arrived at the Forrest Service road slightly before 11:00, changed into my least stinky clothes, put on my down jacket, and found a comfortable rock to lean against while I wait for Brian and Ann to arrive. Every now and then a hiker will come by and we chat. One hiker told me about an all you can eat Chinese buffet in Marion. I could really go for that about now!It began to rain and I put on my rain suit. I began to calculate plan B in case Brian and Ann couldn't find me. I didn't need to worry, soon I heard a car coming up the gravel road and I held up my pieces of paper in which I had written Brian & Ann. We had laughs and hugs all around. We drove to the visitor's center and gave Trouble a ride to a hotel that allowed dogs. My friends really pampered me. They had made reservations at a historic boutique hotel. THANK YOU Brian & Ann!!!
Date: 2013-05-06
From: Atkins, VA

To: Atkins, VA
Miles today: 0.0

It was raining when I woke up so I put on my rain suit and walked up the road to the restaurant. Backtrack, Two Sticks, and Cub joined me. The rain is coming in bands and as we ate we alternated between looking out the window saying "it's not even raining, we should be hiking" and "man, I'm glad I'm not out in that!" The waves of rain would hit with intense rain and wind. Right then and there I decided I was zeroing for the day. The other factor that made me decide to zero was the creek beside the motel. It's a relatively small creek but it's overflowing today. The forecast for today includes flood warnings and watches. The only thing within walking distance of the motel is a convenience store and a restaurant. It was a pretty boring zero!
Date: 2013-05-07
From: Atkins, VA

To: O'Lystery Pavilion
Miles today: 11.7
Weather: broken clouds

I decided to get the motel owner to drive north and slack pack back to Atkins. That way I can meet Trouble's boyfriend and have dinner with them. Plus I get to spend another rainy day in a dry motel room. Bindash and his parents run the motel. He moved to the US from India when he was 14 years old. As he shuttled me north we walked about what it was like to move to a foreign country and culture at that difficult age. Unfortunately he had to endure racism during his formative years. He's an interesting and intelligent person and I enjoyed our conversation. The beginning of the trail was different than other sections in that I began and ended my hike in a pasture. It seemed like I had to climb over fence crossing about ever quarter of a mile. I climbed the first hill and 3 wild turkeys flew across my path. A little way up the trail I saw a deer. I was happy that I decided to hike today. After the pastures I crossed a bridge over a single lane dirt road and the water was up to the edge of the bridge. With a little more rain it looks like it will overflow the bridge. The rest of the stream crossings were doable but I got my feet wet on some of them. I climbed Walker Mtn (3,500 ft) and Little Bushy Mtn (3,300 ft). I felt a sluggish today and I'm not sure if its the 2 nero's and one zero that made me feel this way or the hangover effect of the Benadryl that took last night. Why did I take Benadryl? Because I think I have poison ivy across my cheeks . . . and I'm not talking about the cheeks on my face. I apparently sat or squatted in poison ivy sometime in the last few days - not fun!The rain started shortly after noon. Around 1:30 I heard the rumble of thunder and it motivated me to pick up my pace since I was walking along a ridge. Along the way I passed all the hikers who had been in the motel with me the night before. By mid afternoon the rain slacked off and I came across a mylar balloon beside the trail. It was so strikingly out of place I decided to pack it out. The trail gods must have been sending me a sign because at the next campsite I found a black garbage bag. I used the bag to collect cans, broken glass, and other trash. Since I was slacking today and only had about 3 miles remaining, I decided it was my duty to clean up this section of the trail. I'm sure I must have looked like a real hobo when I came out of the woods carrying my trash bag full of stuff!Even though I knew it was coming, it's always a bit of a shock to come upon an interstate highway. I came out of the woods and crossed under I-81. Trouble and her boyfriend arrived at the motel the same time I did. After showers we headed for the restaurant where we all had the 16 oz hiker burger. Zen was there so we invited him to join us. Zen wanted to stay at the motel but they are full so I'm sharing my room with him tonight. The milestone I accomplished today is that I have now hiked a little over 25% of the trail - hooray!!!
Date: 2013-05-08
From: O'Lystery Pavilion

To: Chestnut Knob Shelter
Miles today: 11.3
Weather: moderate rain

Trouble, Michael, and I went to the restaurant for breakfast. I had the hikers breakfast which consists of 2 slices of bacon, 2 sausage patties, 2 eggs, hash browns, 2 pancakes, and a biscuit. Trouble decided to zero today so they drove me to the trailhead. It was raining steadily as I headed up Bushy Mtn (3,300 ft). The trail was slippery and I had several near misses but no falls. The streams were overflowing after 4 days of rain and it wasn't long before I could feel the water squashing between my toes. At times the trail looked more like a creek than a trail. I have concluded that rain suits don't keep you dry in a steady downpour. You either get wet from the rain or from your own sweat. The best you can hope for is that they will keep you warm. At about the 2 mile mark I came to Knot Maui Branch Shelter. Barbarosa and Green Blaze were napping and waiting for a break in the rain before they head on. My next climb was Lynn Camp Mtn (3,024 ft). I miss my hiking buddies Trouble and Melkie, but I'm also enjoying the solitude of hiking alone and being lost in my thoughts. In the first 4 hours of hiking I have not seen another hiker on the trail. These small climbs were just preparing me for the big climb of the day - Chestnut Mtn (4,410 ft). As I climbed it became noticeably cooler and windier. I leapfrogged with Doc (PhD in Chemistry) and Nory. They are a father and son team from New York. Barbarosa and Green Blaze also passed me. Near the top I ran into section hikers from Montana who are here visiting and hiking with their daughter who is attending UNC. They seemed like a very nice family. The shelter was a welcome sight to my cold wet body. This is an unusual shelter because its fully enclosed and even has a door. The shelter is entirely full and others are camping outside. I was craving something warm so for dinner I had Ramen noodles with 3 hotdogs cut up in it. People are very creative with their Ramen on the trail. Green Blaze swears that Ramen with tuna fish and peanut butter is the best thing ever . . . I think I'll take his word for it. It wasn't a lot of miles today but they were tough miles and I feel good . . .
Date: 2013-05-12
From: Campsite

To: Woods Hole Hostel
Miles today: 12.8

Happy Mother's Day! As I hiked I reflected upon all the awesome mothers I've know. I truly believe that being a mother is one of the most challenging responsibilities that a woman can have. I have the utmost respect for mothers. It started raining soon after I woke up. I laid in my bag eating my breakfast and dreaded packing up in the rain. Luckily, it only rained for about 10 minutes. I couldn't stand the thought of putting on wet clothes again so I decided to wear my dry sleeping shirt since I knew I'd stay at a hostel tonight. I put on my wet pants, socks, and shoes and packed up my wet tent. Wonder Woman got up and talked to us while we packed up. We were on the trail by 7:30. Dan-O is in his 40's and OB is in his early 50's and they are very much into the physical challenge of speed and distance. After about a mile and a half I let them slip away and hiked at a pace more comfortable for me. By 10:00 I had hiked over 5 miles and stopped at Wapiti Shelter for a break. Dan-O and OB were there taking a break and Smiley Virgin and Smokes were packing up from the previous night. I really enjoy these guys - they are so full of life and happy. Smiley Virgin came out of the privy laughing and I asked him what was so funny and he said "I love that privy". Unlike most of them this one was fully enclosed and on the inside was a mailbox with a sign that said "Mouse proof toilet paper holder". Wood's Hole Hostel has an outstanding reputation on the trail but the hostel is first come first serve and almost everyone I talked to was headed there. I intentionally kept my pace up in hopes of getting a bunk. By 1:45 I had hiked the nearly 13 miles to the hostel and was able to snag one of the two remaining bunks. The temperature has dropped significantly and will be in the mid 30's for the next two nights. The outdoor shower was a little chilly but a least the water was hot. I got my laundry done and got settled in before I participated in the yoga class lead by Neville, one of the owners. Hmmm, this old body doesn't flex so well anymore! Lying on our backs, she said to reach up and grab your feet but I could only get to my ankles. There are 32 people here and there is no way the owners could do it by themselves. They hire thru hikers who are willing to stay a few weeks but it still takes others pitching in to pull it all together. They built a pizza oven outside and we cooked 42 pizzas for 32 of us. We also had a delicious huge salad with vegetables and fruit in it - it was more popular than the pizza! Plus, there was pasta, freshly baked bread, and ice cream cones. Some of the people here are: Dan-O, OB, Olive Oyl, Wolfman, Janberwalky, Six-7 (he's that tall), Grey Cloud, Scout, Shaman, Apa, and a lot more. After dinner we all sat around and talked. It's such a comfortable atmosphere here. The hostel doesn't have heat so it's a great night for sleeping. I'm snuggled down in my bag . . .
Date: 2013-05-13
From: Woods Hole Hostel

To: Woods Hole Hostel
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: few clouds

What a great night of sleep. There is nothing like a cool night and being clean, dry, and full for a good night's sleep. I laid in my bag and dozed off and on until I heard the breakfast bell ring. For breakfast we had peach crisp with a yogurt topping, scrambled eggs, biscuits, sausage gravy, fresh fruit, freshly baked bread, and homemade jams and apple butter. Apa and I are moving into a shared room in the house today so I packed up my stuff and moved. In addition to me and Apa, Sherry will be the third person in the room. She is here visiting her daughter (Rainbow Braids) who is a thru hiker. They are from Georgia. Most of today was spent resting and relaxing. Neville gave me a fantastic massage and is was nice to have the time to nap afterward - a gray way to zero. Neville and Michael are the owners of Wood's Hole Hostel and today Neville told us the story of how it originated. Her grandparents were looking for a place to live in the 1940's while her grandfather wrote his PhD dissertation on managing elk habitat. In their exploring, a neighbor living near this place offered to rent them a tenant house. They asked if there was anything else and the neighbor said there was an abandoned log cabin a little further up. They fell in love with the log cabin, bought it and started fixing it up. One day a hiker wandered up so they invited her to sit with them on the front porch and have cookies and milk. They had traveled in Europe and had experienced hostels and her grandfather got the idea to make a hostel for hikers. Her grandmother was opposed to the idea but eventually gave in. Neville grew up coming from south Georgia to spend the summers with her grandparents and has fond memories of meeting all the hikers. One day Neville's sister overheard the grandparents talking about what to so with the place when they could no longer run it because their children weren't interested in it. Neville and her sister started crying because they didn't want it to be sold. Her grandfather died and her grandmother continued to run the hostel. When her grandmother died she left it to Neville's mom who gave it to Neville to continue to run. Michael was a thru hiker. They have been running the hostel since 2007. Neville is the more outgoing of the two but Michael has all the ideas about how to make it better. They have organic gardens, they are both massage therapists, and they only use locally grown meat. They also have pigs, chickens, guinea hens, cows, and goats. They can a lot of food and make a lot of their own stuff like soap and honey. This is the type of place I would like to stay whether I was hiking or not.Tonight at dinner I met a hiker who lives in the same town I do in Maine. We calculated that he lives about 2 miles from me. What a small world!