morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2013-07-19
From: Rockfish Gap

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Tom's Journal:Day 22 - Cunningham home,Afton VA. Today is our first 'zero day'. In hiker lingo that means a day in which no miles are hiked. It is a day to relax and the Cunningham home was the perfect place to do that. A unique home built with bales of straw located on a beautiful 75 acre property with stunning views of the Blue Ridge mountains. After 21 straight days of hiking, it feels strange to be apart from my backpack. Like missing an appendage. This is a great time to reflect on the past 3 weeks.This has been an overwhelmingly positive experience so far. Bringing me closer to my son, nature, and God. All the senses are in overdrive making me feel incredibly alive. The daily hikes are arduous but are leading me to be in much better physical shape (if I survive!) I¢ve met some wonderful people and have thoroughly enjoyed that aspect of the hike. There are definitely some annoyances like bugs, wet gear, and blisters, but these are minor in the bigger scheme of things.The Cunninghams drove us to Waynesboro about 6 miles away to get some items from the outfitter. We stopped for lunch at the Ming Dynasty, an all-you-can-eat Chinese buffet. All the NOBOs raved about this place, so we wanted to see what the fuss was all about. It is definitely a hiker's dream food stop. We probably ate as much as we had eaten the entire week on the trail. Later that evening the Cunninghams took us to a local pub called Wild Wolf. Great food, fellowship and folk band.Scott's Journal: I woke at 6:30am to worship. When I finished I found my dad in the Cunningham¢s courtyard journaling. It takes him longer. Mary cooked us eggs and blueberry pancakes. We cleaned and organized our gear, then Sami and I visited David¢s longhouse and he was stripping bark off trees to make baskets and backpacks. David is a unique outdoors person, and the Cunninghams have granted him permission to live on part of their acreage. David¢s longhouse is built from mud, glass bottles, wood and whatever he could find ¢ a very unusual-looking shelter.The Cunninghams then drove my Dad and me to the outfitter to resupply and then we ate at Ming¢s Dynasty ¢ all you can eat Chinese buffet. Many thru-hikers (and the guidebook) recommended it. For dinner we ate at Wild Wolf Brewery and heard live music by the Misfit Toys. For dessert, my Dad and I ate blackberry ice cream ¢ we could not get enough from the Wayside! The cunninghams hospitality is overwhelming ¢¦ I love it! My cousins Ben and Sami love each other like a sister and brother should.
Date: 2013-07-20
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Tom's Journal:Day 23 ¢ Another zero day at the Cunningham home in Afton, VA. We had initially planned to leave today, but after posting all the online journals and photos, it was too late in the day to hike. So we decided to spend one more night with the Cunninghams. Actually another night of sleeping in a bed was very appealing. Hikers have to be very careful with zero days. They can be very alluring, and too many at one time result in some hikers never returning to the trail. Had a great dinner outdoors at the Blue Mountain Brew Pub. Spectacular view of the Blue Ridge mountains.Scott's Journal:7-20: We recorded our journals on trailjournals.com and posted photos to the site. It¢s getting too late to start at the trail head, so we are staying over an extra night. I appreciated all the rest and restoration. I got to jam out on David¢s (from the back yard) classical guitar. Maybe I can play with Uncle Dave on the piano. We ate dinner with Uncle Dave and Aunt Mary and Blue Mountain Pub and Brewery. We played cornhole and ate 2 pizzas followed by chocolate brownie sundae. This extra zero day is appreciated. The Cunningham¢s house is built of straw bales like the 3 little pig story. I love it! I learned to be at peace with the conversation I had with Aunt Mary. Tomorrow we will leave after breakfast because the Cunninghams have more guests coming. I think a good guest does not outstay the welcome!
Date: 2013-07-21
From: Rockfish Gap

To: Paul C. Wolfe Shelter
Miles today: 5.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Tom's Journal:Day 24 ¢ Said our goodbyes to the Cunninghams. Wonderful hosts. Starting back on the AT after 2 days off left me wondering if it would be difficult to get back into the rhythm of the trail. But after a few minutes of hiking, it felt like I had never left. It was a moderately easy hike today, allowing us to reach the Paul Wolfe Shelter with plenty of daylight left. Beautiful shelter with nice level tent sites and babbling brook nearby. A couple of northbound hikers came through just as it started to rain ¢ Carney and Croation Sensation, and their dog Bella. Bella is a 4-year-old beagle, which of course reminded me of our beagle, Taylor, who we had for 17 years. Taylor wouldn¢t have lasted one minute on the AT, but he was still a great dog. The two hikers were from Georgia, and had section-hiked part of the AT every summer for one week. They¢ve been doing this for 7 years now.Scott's Journal:I ate a healthy breakfast of eggs, avocado, peaches and orange juice. Then Aunt Mary dropped us off at the trail head and sent us off with love. The hike was an easy 5 miles, but I started off tired. Dad allowed me to rest as long as needed. We stopped at Paul C. Wolfe Shelter. There was a bench there in memory of a 60-year old long-time AT hiker who died on the Pacific Crest Trail. After erecting our tent, it began to drizzle and Croatian Sensation and Carney came with their beagle, Bella. We sat out a full blown rainstorm in the shelter. The 3 of them were completing a 100 mile hike in 3 days ¢ from Apple Orchard Mountain to Rockfish Gap. I slept alone in the shelter next to a nice plexiglass window. I¢m already low on trail mix! Not good for the next 6 days ¢¦I slept very well ¢ Missed my Dad, who was sleeping in the tent.
Date: 2013-07-22
From: Paul C. Wolfe Shelter

To: Maupin Field Shelter
Miles today: 15.8
Weather: light rain

Tom's Journal:Day 25 ¢ I knew today would be taxing since we were hiking 16 miles. The hike began with some moderately uphill climbs, but quickly transitioned into very steep climbs as we ascended Humpback Mountain. We took many opportunities to stop and rest and take photos. Along the trail we coincidentally met several hikers who were also from GA. One was a professor from UGA and another hiker was from Buckhead and was a UVA grad who had his daughter with him, to show her parts of the AT he hiked during his college days. We also met a young Belgian couple who were archeologists visiting the US for the first time. They had just finished hiking in Norway and in Iceland before coming here. As the day progressed, it became apparent we would have difficulty reaching our destination before dark. I was growing increasingly tired and was inclined to stop and stealth camp. However, Scott was determined we not quit until reaching our planned destination. It finally got dark and we had to put on our headlamps for our first night-hiking experience! Scott¢s headlamp could light up a city, while mine hardly allows me to see one foot in front of me. Note to self ¢ get a new headlamp! As we entered our 13th hour of hiking, I told Scott I thought I was going to collapse if I had to take another step. I was literally weaving side to side down the trail. Finally at 9:30 we arrived at the shelter. I was beyond exhaustion. I told Scott he would have to do all the camping chores, since I couldn¢t move. However, I acquiesced and helped with erecting the tent, but that was it. A day I never want to repeat!Scott's Journal:We awoke early. Before I started my worship, my dad greeted me. Our hike today was demanding and about 5 miles up Humpback Mountain. The view from the top was panoramic! We hiked another 11 miles into Maupin Field Shelter and found a nice flat campsite next to Snake-Bait. Our last half-mile was a night hike wearing headlamps. We were very tired after our long hike. Cooked dinner in the dark and I dropped my Dad¢s food sack from the bear pole. I didn¢t fall asleep until well after 10pm. I am glad we hiked our longest day yet. My Dad is also tired. The moon is full tonight and I believe it looks even more beautiful.
Date: 2013-07-23
From: Maupin Field Shelter

To: Harper's Creek Shelter
Miles today: 6.2

Tom's Journal:Day 26 ¢ Thank God today¢s hike was much shorter. We slept a little longer to recover from yesterday, then made our way to Harpers Creek Shelter. We hiked through an area called Three Ridges with outstanding views of the surrounding countryside. We arrived at the shelter with plenty of time to relax and unwind from the day's hike.Scott's Journal:We woke up later than usual and began our hike around 11am. We left our site after a Belgian couple we met yesterday. We entered the Three Ridges Wilderness and began an arduous climb up over. It was very rocky. The difficulty of the hike had us stop at Harper¢s Creek Shelter. Our tent site was angled. The creek looked and sounded beautiful. We met Trail Dancer, Topo and 8 Mile Ma. Things are easier and I don¢t stress the long distances as much. I still look forward to Buena Vista where we¢ll stay in a motel. The Lord God revealed Himself to me and spoke to me ¢ He is very real to me now. My Dad and I are closer to each other, nature, and God. I love God with all my heart, soul, mind and strength. Tomorrow we hike up Priest Mtn ¢ 3000 feet to a 4000 foot summit. Amazing!
Date: 2013-07-24
From: Harper's Creek Shelter

To: The Priest Shelter
Miles today: 7.6
Weather: broken clouds

Tom;s Journal:Day 27 ¢ Wed July 24 ¢ Harper's Creek Shelter to The Priest Shelter ¢ 7.6 miles: This day may very well prove to be the most important day of the entire hike. We met 3 hikers named 8 Mile Ma, Topo, and Trail Dancer. They all had children Scott¢s age and had been hiking sections of the AT together for 7 years. I was telling them about my difficulty with uphill climbs. Trail Dancer, a yoga instructor, mentioned that I may be breathing incorrectly. She showed me yoga-type breathing similar to the type opera singers use. It allows more oxygen into the body and helps stop the gasping for air that I had been experiencing. Today was the perfect day to try the new breathing since we were climbing 3000 feet up Priest Mountain. It was a very difficult climb but I was amazed at what a difference the new breathing made. Fewer recovery stops and no gasping for air! This could be the tip that gets me all the way to Georgia. Thank you Trail Dancer! During the last couple of miles of today¢s hike, we got caught in a hailstorm. It felt like someone throwing rocks at us. Fortunately, we escaped unharmed. At the shelter tonight were the 3 hikers previously mentioned, plus a group of 7 female hikers who arrived later. A total of 2 men and 10 women ¢ Scott and I were definitely out-numbered. The log book for hiker comments at this shelter was very interesting. Many seemed to read like confessions since this was ¢The Priest Shelter¢. Hit the 200 mile mark today!Scott's Journal:7-24: We broke camp and filled our water reservoirs. Dad had a long conversation with Trail Dancer, Topo, and 8 Mile Ma. We hiked down to the Tye River and I gave Topo my trail angel coin because it was extra pack weight and she cut her knee on a rock. We crossed the Tye River Bridge and started the 4.3 mile climb up The Priest Mountain. It was groomed, but tiring. We were hit by a hailstorm after lunch. Ouch! We got through it and called my mom at the top with a beautiful view. We were rained on again and we met 7 female hikers ¢ Tit, Tat, Tot, Tater, Lost&Found, White Demon, and one more. They were a great team with great attitudes in the wet weather. I stayed in Priest Shelter and dad stayed in the tent.
Date: 2013-07-25
From: The Priest Shelter

To: Seeley-Woodworth Shelter
Miles today: 6.6
Weather: broken clouds

Tom's Journal:Day 28 ¢ The Priest Shelter to Seeley-Woodworth Shelter ¢ 6.6 miles:I continue to use my new breathing technique and I love it. We stopped along the way at Spy Rock. A great viewing area atop a wide expanse of 30-foot high rock. We somehow managed to scale the rock and were rewarded with spectacular views of the surrounding area. We stopped for the day at Seeley-Woodworth Shelter where we met Grey Goat, a thru-hiker averaging 30 miles a day! Got cold tonight and had to wear Polartec. Seems strange for summer weather.Scott's Journal:Hiking through The Priest Wilderness was nice and easy, consistently above 3,000 feet. We learned to eat oatmeal from the pouch from Topo. We hiked up Spy Rock, a rock climb requiring our hands. We witnessed tadpoles on top in puddles ¢ and ate blueberries off a bush ¢ 2 unexpected happenings. It was overcast with clouds surrounding us. We met Melissa and Edna, two aspiring hikers who were completing a short day hike. Seeley¢Woodworth Shelter took a couple hours. We have an awesome tent site. The weather is nice and dry and is forecasted to remain same on Friday. We are growing some serious trail legs. We will test them on a 10.2 mile hike tomorrow Friday. I meditated today with Christ.
Date: 2013-07-26
From: Seeley-Woodworth Shelter

To: Cow Camp Gap Shelter
Miles today: 10.2
Weather: broken clouds

Tom's Journal:Day 29 ¢ Seeley-Woodworth Shelter to Cow Camp Gap Shelter ¢ 10.2 miles: Today was the first hiking day where we averaged more than 2 mph most of the day. The legs and the lungs are definitely getting stronger. We climbed a couple of peaks including Cold Mountain, which I believe was the setting for the book and the movie of the same name. Most of our hike on the AT so far has been through tree-lined areas, but today we encountered some large and beautiful meadows. The areas are kept purposely free of trees so that cottontail rabbits, grouse, and raptors can thrive. We arrived at Cow Camp Shelter late afternoon. Many hikers avoid this shelter for 2 reasons. It is 0.6 miles off the AT which means a total of 1.2 miles of hiking to and from the shelter. Most shelters are much closer to the AT. But I think the more important reason is that the murder of an AT hiker occurred here in 2011. I must admit it was a bit eerie staying overnight at this location. One other hiker named Jimbeau showed up. He is in the Army at Fort Lee and likes to do weekend hiking on the AT. He is a really nice guy and a very fast hiker.Scott's Journal:I woke up at 6:30am and worshipped, put up bag and mat, and then prepared to cook oatmeal for my father and me. We began our hike at 8:30am with the Lord¢s Prayer. A good way to start a morning hike. The miles seemed to come easy. We thought we were near North Fork River 2 miles away but found we were 3.8 miles away!We ate lunch at the top of Tarjacket Ridge and then hiked up Cold Mountain. There was a tree swing up on Cold Mountain that Dad swung on while I lay in the grass dying. Great view from Cold Mountain. We stopped at Cow Camp Shelter and did our chores. Dad washed our cleaning cloths in the spring and hung wet clothes on the line, while I rested for a moment and then put up the tent. It¢s nice here even though a hiker¢s body was found behind the shelter in 2011 in an FBI case. Today is my sister¢s 33rd birthday. I love her. Happy Birthday, Erica! Tomorrow we go to the Beach Music Festival in Buena Vista ¢ I love it. God is with us.
Date: 2013-07-27
From: Cow Camp Gap Shelter

To: Buena Vista - US60
Miles today: 3.8
Weather: light rain

Tom's Journal:Day 30 ¢ Spirits are running high today since we are headed to the town of Buena Vista for an overnight motel stay. It was a quick but rainy hike. At the trailhead we couldn¢t get cell phone reception to call for ride 9 miles to town. Fortunately another hiker name James ('Slim Jim') was nearby with his dog Buddy and offered to call for a ride. Randall picked us up in his truck. He talked about his bear-hunting experience. He¢s mostly a deer hunter, but for 2 years decided to go after bears. Gave up after realizing all he was doing was running up and down the mountain getting tired chasing his dogs and never once got a bear. Buena Vista is a very small town but was more than adequate in the area that mattered most to us ¢ food. We tried a Mexican restaurant Saturday night. I ordered the largest margarita available. Amazing how the smallest pleasures can mean so much when you have to do without. Once again Cassie was great with sending the resupplies for the next week. A hike is a lot easier when you have someone sending exactly what you need rather than wandering about town trying to find what you need. We ran into TrailDancer, 8 Mile Ma, and Topo who were just leaving the motel as we arrived. They are now a day ahead of us going south since we are slowpokes (hence the trail name Molasses). They gave us some good restaurant tips.Scott's Journal:July 27 ¢ We stayed at Cow Camp Shelter last night where I took a nap. We broke camp this morning and began our ascent of Bald Knob. It was raining. After 3.5 miles, we arrived to the highway and Slim Jim called us a ride from Randall. I really appreciated a local driving us to the Budget Inn. Our early arrival allowed us to do laundry, shower, and eat lunch at Subway ¢ and dinner at a Mexican place and hand-scooped milkshakes at Hardees. The bed was such a relief! We called Mom and tied up some loose ends. I read out of Psalm 17 and memorized it. ¢Hear the right, oh Lord. Attend unto my cry. Give your ear unto my prayer that goeth out not from feigned lips.¢
Date: 2013-07-28
From: Buena Vista - US60

To: Brown Mountain Creek Shelter
Miles today: 1.8
Weather: light rain

Tom's Journal:Day 31 ¢ On Sunday I had a great pancake breakfast then topped it off with lunch at Italian restaurant before leaving town. We ordered a large deluxe Stromboli and asked the waitress if it was enough for 2 people. She said it was enough for 6 people. We ate the whole thing. She said she had never seen 2 people do that. We are eating machines! Hitched a ride in back of a truck to the trail head and then hiked to the next shelter, Brown Mountain Creek, and set up our tent next to the creek.Scott's Journal:July 28 ¢ We explored Buena Vista. The PO looked historic. The library did as well. The park (Penny Park) had a gazebo we sat in and I read a magazine. We ate at an Italian place and ordered a deluxe Stromboli. I was truly satisfied for the first time ever. The server Sarah was sweet and asked interesting questions about our thru-hike. The locals waved our direction as we passed their cars. We were offered a ride to the trail by Jeff and Brett. We sat in their truck bed. We hiked 1.8 miles to Brown Mountain Creek Shelter and camped. I didn¢t eat much dinner because of the Stromboli. Freed slaves lived in the area a century earlier and signs of their life still existed. Four night hikers arrived after dark (Ike, Like, Lewis and Tina)
Date: 2013-07-29
From: Brown Mountain Creek Shelter

To: Punchbowl Shelter
Miles today: 9.5
Weather: clear sky

Tom's Journal:Day 32 ¢ It rained again last night so packing up this morning was slow. The trail for miles followed a nicely flowing creek and finally ended at a large lake ¢ the first lake we¢ve encountered. The weather remained clear the rest of the day and we safely made it to the Punchbowl Shelter in the late afternoon. Legend has it that the ghost of Ottie hangs around this shelter. Ottie was a 4-year-old boy who many years ago went missing while searching for firewood in the winter in the mountains near this shelter site. They found his body the following spring. I didn¢t see his ghost but Scott thinks he did. They call the shelter site Punchbowl because of a large pond nearby, but trust me, no one would drink out of this punchbowl but the frogs.Scott's Journal:July 29 ¢ We broke camp on time and hiked over some beautiful streams and came to our first lake and ate energy bars. The ridge lines were beautiful. Our last ascent before Punchbowl Shelter took us over some arid parts. There is a ghost, a friendly one named Ottie, at the Punchbowl Shelter. I saw him and heard him shrieking all night occupying an amphibian. The water source beneath the pond had dirty water and clogged my filter cartridge. My stay at Punchbowl Shelter was peaceful and pleasant.
Date: 2013-07-30
From: Punchbowl Shelter

To: Matt's Creek Shelter
Miles today: 12.7
Weather: overcast clouds

Tom's Journal:Day 33 ¢ Listened to the frogs croak all night long but woke to a rare sunny day. It was a long hike today ¢ almost as long as the hike last week where I nearly collapsed from exhaustion. We saw some beautiful scenery today. A long stretch of the hike was flat with a soft base and followed along a creek. Perfect for hiking but very uncommon. Most of the AT we have hiked so far has been very rocky and definitely not flat. We crossed the James River via the longest footbridge on the AT. Some hikers have been known to jump off (about 50 feet) to cool off in the river. I wasn't quite up for that but thought daredevil Scott might do it. He opted out. We met a nice couple at the base of the footbridge and shared some of our tales from the trail. Finally reached Matt¢s Creek Shelter late afternoon.Scott's Journal:July 30 ¢ We broke camp and began a arduous hike 12.7 miles to the James River. We hiked up Bluff Mountain and saw the monument for Ottie, real name Emitt, at the top of Bluff Mountain. He hiked up the mountain with classmates to collect dry firewood and got lost. They found his body 5 months later. The James River footbridge is named after thru-hiker Bill Foot. It is the longest footbridge on the AT. Some hikers jump off courageously. We camped at Matt's Creek Shelter. The creek was close. The days are passing by fast in my mind. I can optimistically think about the hike ahead now.
Date: 2013-07-31
From: Matt's Creek Shelter

To: Thunder Hill Shelter
Miles today: 12.4
Weather: overcast clouds

Tom's Journal:Day 34 ¢ The crickets were out in force last night. So loud you couldn¢t even hear the roaring water right next to our campsite. We broke camp about 7am and began the hike to Thunder Hill Shelter about 12 miles away. We are starting to see fewer and fewer hikers each day. But we did run into a young couple from Wisconsin. The guy had just gotten back from serving in Afghanistan and he wanted some quiet time in the wilderness with his girlfriend. It started raining in the late afternoon. Daily rain has now become a regular occurrence. I think I can count on one hand the # of days it hasn¢t rained since the start of our hike! We made it to the shelter completely soaked. To our surprise we found Topo, Trail Dancer and 8 Mile Ma. They had initially planned to hike further but stopped due to the rain. We pitched our tent during a lull in the rain, ate our Mountain House dinners (just add boiling water and wait 8 minutes) and went to sleep.Scott's Journal:July 31 ¢ We broke camp earlier than ever at 7am. We approached a deer in the middle of the trail. Amazing! We did 4 hard uphill hikes making a 12.7 miles day impossible but doable. It rained late afternoon and kept the bugs off us. We arrived at Thunder Hill Shelter to find Topo, 8 Mile Ma, and Trail Dancer. Yeah! Earlier we met Aaron, a retired Marine from Afghanistan, and Amber on vacation. I love them. We found a tent site under a tree. We caught up with Topo, 8 Mile Ma, and Trail Dancer story-wise and enjoyed a good dinner together.