morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2005-04-30
From: mp 563.9

To: mp 579.2- Bland, VA
Miles today: 15.3
Weather: light rain

Sat. April 30.Took a shuttle to the trail mp 563.9. I had an opportunity to give some trail magic today, so I did. In town, I picked up a 12-pack of Coke & lots of fresh bananas. I put all of this in two smiley face bags and hung them on a sign on the trail along with a note. Hopefully some hikers today were able to partake.   The weather was drizzly at first & then it cleared up. On some of the view points, fog could be seen lingering over the vally. Some of the trail was easy & parts were challenging. The trail ran beside Laurel Wolf Creek for a while. There were some pretty foot bridges that went over stream. Also, there were picnic tables in some spots right beside the stream. At one point, there was a sign for an alternate route. Of course I was stubborn & took the hard way, not knowing what I was getting myself into. For the next 2 miles, the trail crossed the creek 12 times. It took me 2 hours to go 2 miles. The first 6 crossings were easy. But, the last six I had to take my shoes off & wade through barefooted. Boy, was that water ice cold! The rest of the trail was easy hiking. I saw some bright neon orange salamanders right on the trial. Shot some photos of them. They looked cool. Ran into The Garland Five (a man & wife hiking with their 3 children. I think the kids' ages are from 9 to 13 & they are being home schooled while hiking).Ran into two instances of trial magic. I passed a styrofoam cooler with individual bottles of apple juice. It also contained a printed weather report for the 7 day forcast. Good idea! Also, towards the end of the hike, there was a five gallon bottle of distilled water. So I refilled my bottle.I made it to a road crossing. A lady picked me up & took me into the town of Bland. I am staying at the Big Walker Inn. There is a nice view of the mountains from here.
Date: 2005-05-01
From: mp 579.2- Bland, VA

To: View Entry
Miles today: 14.2

Sunday, May 1.This morning went to the DQ for a big breakfast. I have been surprised at how good their food actually is. I had 2 scrambled eggs, 2 sausage biscuits, 2 orders of hashbrowns & a large chocolate milkshake. Then I went to the IGA & stocked up on food for the trail. I got out on the road & hitched a ride to the trail. It was a slow day for cars, being a Sunday and all. But, the 2nd car that came by, picked me up. They were hikers (Mother Nature & Smoke Stack). They were meeting up with the Garland Five. The trail proved to be pleasant today with a gentle terrain. I met up with Quarter of the Way & we camped out by a stream.
Date: 2005-05-02
From: mp 592.4

To: mp 611.7-Woodshole Hostel
Miles today: 19.3

Monday, May 2.Awoke to 30 degree temps this morning. Got on the trail by 815. I had to start hiking to warm up. Crossed the Kimberling Creek via a suspension bridge. It was very shaky. After 19 miles of hiking, I finally made it to Woodshole Hostel. This is a neat old homestead that was discovered by Tillie & Roy Wood back in the 1940's. Roy passed away in 1987, but his wife Tillie & volunteers still run this hostel for thru-hikers. There is an 1880's log farm house on the property & and a barn that is converted to a hikers bunkhouse. I stayed in the barn for the night.
Date: 2005-05-03
From: 611.7-Woodshole Hostel

To: Pearisburg
Miles today: 9.0
Weather: broken clouds

Tuesday, May 3.Woke up in the barn/bunkhouse this morning with the breakfast bell ringing. This signified that there was 30 minutes before breakfast was served. Temperature was 33. After a 1/2 hour, the bell (an old metal triangle one)was rung again. Of course, I wasn't late. Ms Wood served biscuits & sausage. I had 7 biscuits because she would not let anyone leave the table until all of the food was gone. I sat at the head of the table & Ms wood told me "I believe you want to volunteer to say the blessing". So, I did. After breakfast, she took all of the hikers' pictures with a polaroid & pinnned it up along with past thru-hikers' pictures. The views hiking into Pearisburg & into the New River Vallley were beautiful. I saw a Scarlet Tananger today. It was bright red & it was on a tree branch just singing away. I hiked with The Muppets & Quaarter of the Way. When I got to Pearisburg, I shared a room with Quarter of the Way at the Plaza Motel.
Date: 2005-05-04
To: View Entry
Miles today: 19.9

Wednesday, May 4.I slackpacked today with Quarter of the Way & Kitty Litter. We got a shuttle 20 miles North & then hiked South back into Pearisburg. THe high temps were in the 50's. It was mostly sunny but cool all day. Lots of nice views. Saw other hikers today that were going North: Cubby, Boston, Way Point, & The Muppets.***Journal readers. Please be patient. This site will probably not be updated for about 2 weeks because my transcriber, Crystal, is headed up here with me to get some mountain air & exercise. As soon as she gets back, she will be posting more entries. Thanks for reading.***
Date: 2005-05-05
From: Pearisburg

To: Warspur shelter
Miles today: 12.4
Weather: few clouds

(The next few entries are brought to you by Train's brother-in-law so if there are any mistakes I take full responsibility.)I caught a shuttle to the trail at 11 am so I had time for light brunch at Dairy Queen. I had a fried chicken sandwich, french fries, chocolate milkshake, a broiled chicken sandwich, more french fries, and a Mountain Dew. Hiked 12.4 miles to the Warspur shelter. It was a nice cool day but the trail was very rocky and mostly uphill. For dinner I boiled four Hebrew National hot dogs and ate with buns and potato chips.
Date: 2005-05-06
From: Warspur shelter

To: Niday shelter
Miles today: 18.2
Weather: overcast clouds

Got an early morning start from the shelter. Had a really nice day hiking with two big uphill climbs. I crossed a lot of turnstiles, saw many cows, a few donkeys, but no bulls. It was a long day but I made good time, hiked 18.2 miles in about nine hours. Stayed at the Niday shelter. I met a new northbound hiker: Mike. I named him 'Just Mike. We seem to have a lot in common.
Date: 2005-05-07
From: Niday shelter

To: Pickle Branch shelter
Miles today: 9.9
Weather: clear sky

I woke up this morning with my shins hurting. It must have been caused by the severe downhill hiking from yesterday so we only did 9.9 miles today. The highlight of the day was seeing the Audie Murphy Memorial. He was the most decorated serviceman of World War II and an actor from the 1940's. He died in an airplane crash near the memorial. Stayed in Pickle Branch shelter with Just Mike, three female section hikers, and one other couple tent camping nearby.
Date: 2005-05-08
From: Pickle Branch shelter

To: Catawba, VA
Miles today: 12.6

Just Mike and I did 12.6 miles today into Catawba, VA. My legs felt a little better although my right shin is still hurting. When I arrived at the general store I ate two cheeseburgers, a giant bag of chips and two root beers. Three hours later I ate 3/4 of a pizza, a big salad and more root beer. For dessert I had a Nutty Buddy, a honey bun and milk. The owner of the general store let me camp behind his store. I called and wished my Mom a Happy Mother's Day. I also called Crystal and arranged to meet her tomorrow. She is coming up with her sister April and brother-in-law John. We are going to hike together for three days.
Date: 2005-05-09
From: Catawba, VA

To: Pig Farm campsite
Miles today: 4.3
Weather: clear sky

John still here transcribing. The next three entries will be more from my viewpoint since we hiked with Train. By the time we met up with Train, shuttled vehicles, and packed up, we got on the trail about 4 pm. Train took it easy on us beach people and we hiked only 4.3 miles. The hike over McAfee's Knob was beautiful and we set up tents at an awesome campsite near a shelter (Campbell shelter?). The campsites in this area are set up great. They are on level ground and have fire rings and PICNIC TABLES! From my backpacking experiences having a table is an absolute luxury. I believe the Roanoke A.T. Club maintains this area of the trail and if so, I would like to thank them. The trail was great, the camps were clean and there were even privies near the shelters. Thanks! For dinner April and I had Mac and cheese with broccoli and canned chicken. Train and Crystal had Ramen noodles with salmon in a pouch. Both dinners were topped with fresh spinach from Bob & Deanna's garden. During the night were were entertained by some very noisy owls trying to hook up. At one point they sounded like they were two feet from our tent! Very funny.
Date: 2005-05-10
From: Pig Farm campsite

To: Lambert's Meadow campsite
Miles today: 6.4
Weather: clear sky

We took our time in the morning and hit the trail about 10 am since we were only doing 6.4 miles. The trail was not too difficult today. We had some nice views while hiking Tinker Cliffs and Train went over the 700 mile mark this morning! Flowers spotted today included wild iris, lady slippers, bluets, wild azaleas, squaw root and others. Wildlife spotted included a couple scarlet tanagers, some deer, and a large black snake. For lunch we had rolls with salami, fresh yellow pepper and pepper jack cheese. For dinner April and I had Ramen with tuna and sun-dried tomatoes. Ramen noodles are the perfect trail food if you like them. They don't weigh anything, are very filling and can be mixed up with anything. They also cook very fast. I need to thank Train's sister Linda for the Neiman-Marcus bars she made. They were delicious and were great for dessert or trail snacks! We camped at Lambert's Meadow site and had a nice fire while Train and I traded sips from my flask (never go backpacking without it!).
Date: 2005-05-11
From: Lambert's Meadow campsite

To: Daleville, VA
Miles today: 9.1
Weather: scattered clouds

Last day hiking for April and I. We were packed up and on the trail before 8 am! That's pretty impressive for our hiking club! We had to get out early as April and I had a five hour drive ahead of us. We made good time considering some portions of the trail were more like climbing than walking. Lots of rock hopping! There were some really nice views of the reservoir near Roanoke and we crossed many power line areas and some railroad tracks. Of course, Train blew his whistle. We arrived in Daleville about 2 pm, picked up our vehicle and then pigged out at a really good Mexican restaurant. I lost count of how many baskets of chips and salsa we went through. We were HUNGRY! We had planned our food supply perfectly and were down to a couple mini bags of M&Ms. I highly recommend the Mexican place for post-hiking fillups. It is across the street from the AT trailhead. Train and Crystal stayed in a hotel that night while we made our way home from Roanoke. Thanks to the Roanoke AT Club for a fine trail and camps and thanks Train for slowing down and hiking with us!We'll see Train again in Shenandoah!
Date: 2005-05-12
From: Taylor's Mountain Overlook

To: Daleville
Miles today: 14.4
Weather: scattered clouds

Thurs. May 12.Today Crystal helped me do a Southbound slackpack. She dropped me off on the Blue Ridge Parkway at Taylor's Mountain Overlook & I hiked back to the hotel in Daleville. It was a total of 14.4 miles. It was a beautiful, clear, warm day. Crystal hiked some of the way with me & then went back to the Parkway to check out Peaks of Otter Campground which is where we plan on staying tomorrow. All kinds of wildflowers are in bloom, including Lily of the Valley(Crystal filled me in on some of the names) which smell so sweet when walking by a patch of them. There were lots of nice views & it was a pretty easy grade all the way back into town. Ran into & almost stepped on a 4 ft long black snake. It was lying right across the trail. Ewww!! Saw Just Mike, Galloping Gourmet (G.G.), & The Happy Wanderer. Met Quarter of the way in town & he went to dinner with us at the Homeplace in Catawba. Stayed at Howard Johnson's in Daleville.
Date: 2005-05-13
From: none

To: none 
Miles today: 0.0

Fri. May 13.No hiking today. Weather was cool & overcast. Went to Super Walmart to restock my foodbag & got 3 rolls of film developed at 1 hr photo. Got a campsite at Peaks of Otter Campground which is right on the Parkway. Crystal & I hung around the campfire for most of the afternoon & evening. We both got a good night's rest in the tent.
Date: 2005-05-14
From: Taylor Mountain Overlook 

To: Rt 614- Buchanan, VA
Miles today: 13.7

Sat. May 14.Another day of slackpacking thanks to Crystal. She dropped me off at Taylor Mountain Overlook. I hiked 13.7 miles with no backpack & she picked me up on rt 614 just outside of Buchanan, VA. It is about 10 miles South of Natural Bridge on Rt 81. The weahter today was perfect for hiking. Warm enough for shorts, but the sun wasn't blaring. While I was hiking my uneventfull way up the trail, Crystal was busy exploring the trails near the campground & happened to come across a bear! Imagine that. I've been hiking for over 2 months & have seen nothing more than white tail deer, bats, mice, & a snake. She comes up here for a week & sees a bear. She said it was pretty scary, although the bear didn't give her the time of day. I guess it was too busy foraging for food.We are staying at the Wattstull Inn & having pizza for dinner. Crystal will be going home tomorrow.
Date: 2005-05-15
From: Rt 614- Buchanan, VA

To: mp 756.6 / Thunder Hill Shelter
Miles today: 14.0
Weather: moderate rain

Sun. May 15.Since I still had use of my car, I got up at 6am & drove my backpack up to the the Blue Ridge Parkway. I droppped it off at a location that I knew I would be passing later on today. I hid it in the woods. Then I drove back to the hotel & woke Crystal up with a cup of coffee. After breakfast, she drove back home. She will be meeting me again in Harper's Ferry, WV.Today's hike was a tough climb. Luckily I only had my light daypack to carry. Weather was cool & overcast. About .3 mile before I reached my stopping point (Thunder Hill Shelter), I found my backpack still hidden in the brush behind a big rock. Since the weather forcsat called for no rain, I pitched my tent near the shelter. Had a wonderful meal of ramen noodles, spinach & albacore tuna.Also at hte shelter were Paint Stick, Jersey, & Smilin Joe.
Date: 2005-05-16
From: mp 756.6 / Thunder Hill Shelter

To: mp 769.8
Miles today: 13.2

Mon May 16.Slept like a rock last night, but very chilly in the morning. It was 37 degrees in the tent. I started hiking around 830. Once again, the hike today was very enjoyable. There were more pink lady slippers, lots of rhododendron in bloom & yellow azaleas that had a wonderful sweet smell that filled the air. I followed a stream for a while & then I had awesome views of the James River. My hike ended for the day where the AT crosses the River. I set up my tent there & had a very peacful evening. I made a campfire & cooked my meal on a rock pennisula jutting out into the water. I shared my campsite with no one except a goose with her babies, a few turtles & some mallards. Also there was a train track on the other side of the river & a few trains went by.
Date: 2005-05-17
From: mp 769.8

To: mp 781.7 / Punch Bowl Shelter
Miles today: 11.9

Tues. May 17.Last night I had a great night's rest. Tent camping is way better than sleeping in the shelters. I'm glad the weather has gotten nice for a while. This morning the temp was 55. 18 degrees warmer than yesterday. It was a clear beautiful day. I think the highlight of day was looking back after a while & being able to see the James River down below. I could even make out my little campsite & rock penninsula. I made it 11.9 miles to the Punch Bowl Shelter & set up my tent on the outskirts. Most of the time, around the shelters, there are nice level camping areas designated for tents. Also at the shelter were hikers, Joey, Jill & their dog, Isis (Southbounders). Also Swan, John, Waypoint, Finn, & Chillout.
Date: 2005-05-18
From: mp 781.7 / Punch Bowl Shelter

To: mp 792.6 / Buena Vista, VA
Miles today: 10.9

Wed. May 18.Another nice day. Walked along Pedlar Dam for a while, also a stream & many wildflowers. Made it to the road to Buena Vista. Waited 20 mins for a ride. Stayed in the Budget Inn.
Date: 2005-05-19
From: mp 792.6 / Buena Vista, VA

To: View Entry
Miles today: 16.3

Thurs. May 19.This morning I got a ride up to mp 808.9 & slackpacked back to Buena Vista 16.3 miles. It was hazy, windy & humid. The weather report was calling for thunderstorms today, but luckily they never came to pass. Couldn't see much at the viewpoints, but once again there were many flowers on the trail.When I got back to town, I went to the grocery store & bought a salad from the deli & a nice steak. I made my own charcoal grill & chowed down.
Date: 2005-05-21
From: mp 808.9

To: Harper's Creek Shelter mp 820.9
Miles today: 12.0

Sat. May 21.Hiked 12 miles today upon a very rocky trail most of the way. Pretty tough climb up to The Priest. The mountain was worth the climb though because the views at the top were nice. Met up with Just Mike today. I think we hike about the same pace so we will probably try to stay together until Harpers Ferry, WV. Got to Harper's Creek Shelter and set up my tent. The shelter & tent sites are right beside the creek. At the shelter were Zeke, No Name, & some others. A South bounder told me & Mike that 8 miles ahead on the trail there will be a cookout/trail magic going on tomorrow. It will be going on up until 230 pm. Went to bed excited with visions of hamburgers dancing in my head.
Date: 2005-05-22
From: Harper's Creek Shelter mp 820.9

To: Drippping Rock Parking Area Blue Ridge Parkway
Miles today: 12.8

Sun. May 22.I got up & headed out early today still thinking about hamburgers to come, only 8 miles away. I met up with Just Mike at Reeds Gap where the cookout was SUPPOSED to be. We got there at 1245 because it was rumored to have been there until 230. We were highly disappointed because there was nothing but a sign pointing to the cookout where there was an empty parking lot. No grill, no hamburgers, no trail angels, no nothing. So, we hiked to a picnic area & settled for ramen noodles with tuna. Better luck next time? Well enough about food. Back to hiking info. The weather was very pleasant today & yesterday (I had forgotten to mention). Also the purple rhododendron are in full beautiful bloom. The hiking was rough & rocky all morning but the trail got nicer as the day wore on. Water was scarce on the trail today so we had to conserve. We hiked up to Cedar Cliffs & the views were awesome. There were also some nice campsites around but unfortunatley there was a sign stating "no camping" so we walked on to Dripping Rocks. We walked a little ways past the parking area & camped there. We had a nice fire & I had beans & rice for dinner.
Date: 2005-05-23
From: Drippping Rock Parking Area Blue Ridge Parkway

To: Waynesboro-mp 848.2
Miles today: 14.5

Mon. May 23.Got up early today and was on the trail by 7am. Headed for Waynesboro. The temps were perfect for hiking. Nice & cool. Saw chipmunks everywhere today on the trail. At one overlook I saw condos on a hillside. After gazing at the site for a few minutes, I realized that it was the Wintergreen Ski Resort where I have been skiing before. I am really close to home now! Today's 14.5 miles was fairly easy & Mike & I made it to Waynesboro by 230 in the afternoon. We stopped by the visitor's center. A man there gave us a lift into town. (apparently he is a trail angel who pops in the visitors center from time to time to see if any thru hikers need help. How cool!) Mike & I shared a hotel room & had a good dinner.
Date: 2005-05-25
From: mp 858

To: Loft Mountain Campground- mp 875.6
Miles today: 17.6
Weather: light rain

Wed. May 25.Today Mike & I were able to get a whopping 17.6 miles in with the help of great friends from Bridgewater, Va, Joan & John Hollen. They picked us up in Wayesboro & took us up to Loft Mountain Campground where we set up our tents & stashed our backpacks & a styrofoam cooler stocked with pork for our future dinner. Then they drove us back to mp 858 where we began our trek to the campground. Thanks again Joan & John. Hope to see you soon. Come visit in Urbanna.Today ended up being a beautiful clear day. There were unbelievable views from atop the mountains. Although it was a long walk, the terrain was nice & easy going. The trail winded along & crossed over Skyline Drive today(a place that I have been many times). It certainly is enjoyable hiking in familiar territory. We made it to the campground & cooked our Boston Butts over charcoal. We also had baked beans & rolls. The weather turned chilly with a North East wind. With our tents already set up we settled in for a good nights rest.
Date: 2005-05-26
From: Loft Mountain Campground- mp 875.6

To: Swift Run Gap-mp 893
Miles today: 17.4

Thurs. May 26. Shenendoah National ParkMore help from friends!   Mike & I were able to slack pack again today because friends from home came up to see me & go camping at Loft Mountain tonight! Hunter & Lisa Walker, y'all are awesome.   So, Mike & I were able to just leave our tents set up & get on our way this morning. It was still windy early on, but it calmed down & the day turned out nice. Today's 17 miles was harder than yesterday. There were more steep climbs & descents. Plus, I'm just not used to going this many miles two days in a row. There are alot of hikers on the trail that are reporting bear sightings in the Shenendoah National Park. We ran into a Southbound hiker who said that he just saw three bear cubs up a tree. We just missed them. Also there are bear droppings all over the trail.. hope we can spot one. Although the bears haven't shown themselves, there are many deer around that are not shy in the least. We had beautiful views again all day.Hunter & Lisa picked us up at Swift Run Gap as they were entering the park. They drove us back to Loft Mountain where they set up their tent. They liked the campsite we had picked out. Loft Mountain has nice sites with lots of trees & shrubbery. There was a small buck right behind my tent when we arrived.Hunter surprised me with one of my favorite seafood treats from home. Soft shell crabs. They just came into season in Urbanna & boy were they good. Mike liked them too. It was his first softshell experience. Also, Hunter had made delicious pasta salad. I feel like I'm in heaven.
Date: 2005-05-27
To: View Entry
Miles today: 15.5

Fri. May 27.Another slackpacking day today. Hunter & Lisa dropped us off at Tanners Ridge Road mp-908.5 & we hiked South back to Swift Run Gap where they picked us back up & drove us back to Loft Mountain. The trail today was pleasant. More of the same as yesterday...views, familiar territory, bear droppings,& people with reports of bear sightings. We are still on the lookout.Hunter hooked us up agsin tonight with another killer meal. Spaghetti with meat sauce & sausage. After dinner, we were sitting around the fire & heard some bluegrass music coming from close by. We wandered over & listened to a group of people playing music around their fire. Life is good.