morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2007-06-07
From: Niday Shelter

To: Catawba
Miles today: 16.6
Weather: clear sky

Saw 2 turkeysflying and running away from me today, which made merealize the critter that attacked me on May 29 was nota turkey(too small and too brown). So, what is it?Maybe a grouse or a ptarmigan? Saw lots of deer too,including a few that I saw before they saw me. I'm turning into a real mountain man. One highlight of the day - DOT convinced Red's Man and I to dip our feet in a cold stream during lunch. Although my feet ached in the water, they felt GREAT afterward. At Dragons Tooth, enjoyed some interesting rockformations - you almost felt like you were walkingthrough a huge jaw, complete with human-crushingmolars you could walk through. Then the real fun started - climbing down a mountain on bare stone setat 45 degrees or even steeper. I thought it was a blast, but it certainly was not OSHA compliant design. I needed to hurry because we were trying to get to a legendary restaurant (the Home Place) which closed at 8. Once again, trail magic to the rescue. I was road walking to the restaurant when one of the neighbors stopped and picked me up to whisk me there. I was very self conscious about my smell, but he didn't seem to care. Ran into Glenn (now G), Candybar, Chaco, Easy, and Dirty's Dozen at the restaurant. As I walked up, Red's Man was there with a smug look on his face, and I was outraged because I knew he had been behind me all day. Turns out he got a ride from right at the trail, at a point earlier than where I got off the trail. Well, we went ahead and ate, and I got serious diarrhea, apparently retaining none of the delicious but greedily overeaten meal I had just consumed. We wondered what happened to to Loose Bruce. Red's Man also noted that Catawba is the species of Rhododendron with the purple flowers wer have seen so much of lately.DOT, Red's Man and I slept on the property of the Home Place.
Date: 2007-06-08
From: Catawba

To: Lamberts MeadowShelter
Miles today: 16.3
Weather: clear sky

Incredible heat-I drank over 1 1/2gallons of water. But there were awesome views.The first was after I had labored up a pasture, exposed to the heat of the sun as well as the hot temperatures. It seemed like no fun at all, but the blaze as I entered the woods had writing on it - Look Back. I was treated to the view on the attached photo. I also visited 2 spectacular places only 4 miles apart - Mcaffeys Knob and Tinker Cliffs. Pictures are in the album highlighting the ridgeline I hiked between them. Anintense thunderstorm took place while I was hikingbetween the 2 which was actually somewhat refreshingtemperaturewise but I could feel the tops of my socksbecome soaked and then the socks wicked water rightinto my shoes. Blister City here I come! In one spotthe winds were so intense I struggled to breathe - itseemed the wind was sucking air out of mylungs(Actually it was, can any engineers out therename the phenomenon for me since I forget?) Anyway, assoon as the storm ended I poured water out of my bootsand wrung out my socks to minimize blisters and movedon. Once again was in a race with the sun to see if Icould get to camp before it could set. I won again.At camp were Chaco, Candybar, Blackfoot and a few others I cannot recall. Candybar seemed to learn well from her time with the Crockett team - she made a concoction of Ramen Noodles that had a distinctly Thai flavor - she had added peanut butter, water, cinammon and who knows what else. It smelled great, but she spilled it all over the area I was to sleep on in the shelter. Hope no bears show up. Chaco showed wisdom beyond his years, saying "The great thing about privies is that they don't smell worse just because someone used it just before you."
Date: 2007-06-09
From: Lamberts Meadow Shelter

To: Daleville
Miles today: 9.4
Weather: scattered clouds

thiswas designed to be a rest day and prep day for thepush to Waynesboro to meet some family members(Yay)and enter the Shenandoah Park. Found a lot of familiarfaces at the hotel. Laundered, showered, shopped,packed, updated this journal, left little time for socializing, even though there were a lot of familiar faces. Called Tatonka and he said he dropped off the trail at Atkins. That was quite depressing - when one of your hiking partners drops off, a little of you goes with them.
Date: 2007-06-10
From: Daleville

To: Wilson Creek Shelter
Miles today: 11.2
Weather: few clouds

Caught up with Jeff! Enjoyed seeing a friendly, familiar face. I asked him to do what was supposd to be a small favor, driving to a nearby hardware store to get denatured alcohol for some fellow hikers, but it turned into a 3 city fiasco. Then we did lunch, which was fun, especially since Shoneys shifted from their breakfast buffet to their dinner buffet while we were there which means I got 2 meals out of it. We departed, he for home and me for the next shelter on the trail. When I eventually got to camp, I was proud to cover so many miles in a little over 5 hours, then realized that Jeff probably got all the way to Baltimore in that time. Oh, well. I'll only be 3 weeks behind him. Before I left, though, I caught up with Loose Bruce, who showed up at 8:30 the night before. He had done a 20 with Talkerman and Copperhead In fact he wants to do several more to catch up with Rex, who I haven't met yet Because I have plans to meet my family in Waynesboro next Saturday, this ties in with my plans a well. I have challenged myself to do days of 21, 23, 22, 18, 18, and 5 miles to make it happen. Loose Bruce also shared the sad news that Reds Man was off the trail for a few weeks because he hurt his back evading a bull that charged him in one of the pastures he was hiking through. I really enjoyed hiking with Reds Man even though he is a UGA Bulldog, and hope we can find a way to catch up again. I also called Tatonka and found out he has abandoned his thru hike because of Giardia. We talked about him possibly section hiking with me out of Harpers Ferry when I start after my break. At the shelter, I met Lion again, a pleasant surprise since he is much faster than I. Turns out he attended a college reunion. He plans to do the "Waynesboro challenge" - hike from Waynesboro VA to Waynesboro PA in 1 week... 130 miles, or 28 miles per day. He'll probably do it with Wolf Taffy. Good Luck!!   Also at the shelter I met a close knit group of young hikers - Tater, Dirty, Blackfoot, boognish, as well as Swamp. Also a female sobo section hiker named Booger. I think she thru hiked some years ago. A lot of entertaining banter took place, including catching up on hikers we all mutually knew but had different info on.
Date: 2007-06-11
From: Wilson Creek Shelter

To: Bryant Ridge Shelter
Miles today: 20.6
Weather: scattered clouds

1/3 complete! 2 more of these and the trip is done!I had my biggest fall to date, falling off the trail onto a slope, catching myself with my right arm and gashing it pretty good. Cleaned it in a stream, then Neosporined it. Hiked most of the day with Loose Bruce, though fortunately he missed my fall, which was quite embarassing. I discovered a new favorite trail food - Bagels with PBJ. Melanie please take note.The rain gods smiled on me again, waiting until I finished dinner to unleash a massive nasty thunderstorm. Unfortunately, other hikers were not so lucky - the group of young hikers from yesterday had to hike/sprint in it for 10 minutes to get to our shelter, including lightning strikes so close they could taste the ozone. Very scary. Leg 1 of my Waynesboro-by-Saturday challenge is done, but it was no slam dunk. This was an "easy" leg, but it took over 11 hours, and there is considerable pain in the balls of my feet and my left achilles tendon. At the shelter - Loose Bruce, Moose, Boognish, Blackfooot, Dirty, Tater, Swamp, Young Eagle, Ronin (met these last 2 briefly in Daleville too) and 2 section hikers whose names I didn't know.
Date: 2007-06-12
From: Bryant Ridge Shelter

To: Marble Spring Campground
Miles today: 17.2

Major disappointment - my unwillingness to fight rain and my own lack of energy cut today's hike short so that I now consider the original challenge/schedule to get to Waynesboro to be unachievable. The rain gods smiled again, sort of. It rained much of the previous night (while we were comfortable in our shelter), but it stopped by morning. It was foggy though, but the sun shown through the fog to create the enchanted forest look that I'd seen a week earlier. Later in the day, Loose Bruce and I thought we were going to get hit by a major hailstorm but somehow we got in front of it, just a smattering of hail and rain. The wind got high, but the lighting never got close. Rain was still threatening while we set up camp, but cleared up after we did. I believe the support is due to the regular offerings of water and nitrogen that I make to the trees in the area, thus showing the gods that I appreciate the importance of what they do, and I want to help. I enjoyed hiking with Swamp and Loose Bruce much of the day. So often I hike alone and enjoy that, but having people to hike with adds new dimensions to it. I've talked alot about Loose Bruce lately. He is a veterinary pharmacist from Knoxville, TN, 55, and like me he is not sure how retired he is yet. He is married with 2 children, including a daughter who is getting married July 7. He has been told he needs to be home July 4 in preparation for the ceremony. He did protest that he scheduled his trip before she scheduled the wedding, but somehow this is how things work :-). Swamp is another hiker I've been with alot lately, 31 yrs old, living in California, recently quit a job of 11 years with Cisco. Has a similar history with me of staying friendly with women he has dated. In fact, he is visiting the sister of an ex girl friend in Glasgow VA tomorrow. Water is becoming a big deal because of the drought. The thunderstorms don't really help because the water just runs off into the lakes.   This was a tough day that including climbs of 3,000 feet and 600'. Keep in mind that 3000 feet is 300 stories, or 300 flights of stairs. That's a pretty good day's work.Fellow Campers: Moose, Ronin, Young Eagle, Swamp, Loose Bruce, and a guy who started May 15 and is hiking 30 mile days so he can be done by August 15 to go back to college.
Date: 2007-06-13
From: Marble Spring Campground

To: Punchbowl Shelter
Miles today: 18.2
Weather: light rain

Hiked the morning with Ronin and Swamp. Made for interesting conversation. We were looking forward to lunch in Glasgow, VA, but it was a long way off the trail Enter Trail Magic. At a road crossing near Glasgow, a trail angel named Ken sort of hangs out to take hikers into town. Loose Bruce, Swamp, and I took advantage of this, and I had a double cheeseburger, fries, sweet tea and peach cobbler instead of my planned tuna on a tortilla and water. Also bought a pint of butter pecan ice cream at a grocery store. During lunch, Loose Bruce's long-lost buddy Rex did show up, with his wife Marcia. After lunch we tried hitchhiking out of Glasgow but there were no takers. Swamp was going to visit a sister of a former girlfriend, and she was kind enough to drop us off en route to her homeAmazingly, after dragging all morning I was able to race all afternoon, even with climbs 2300, 700 and 200 feet. Could calorie deficit be the reason I tire so often? Duh?   Ronin and Swamp also made their way into Glasgow, and along with Young Eagle stayed in town for different reasons. I hope to see them again, they are good hiking and camping partners. Saw many deer, 3 red efts(bright orange baby red spotted newts) and 2 box turtles. Met another friend of Loose Bruce's - Radar - at camp, as well as Chaco again. Fell asleep to (actually, was kept awake by) romantic bullfrogs in the pond by the shelter, 2 dueling horned owls, and eventually thunder and rain.
Date: 2007-06-14
From: Punchbowl Shelter

To: Hog Camp Gap
Miles today: 17.6
Weather: overcast clouds

It was the best of hikes, it was the worst of hikes.Bad:- Ugly overcast, foggy day. Fog continuously condensed on the trees, and dripped onto us.- I fell off a bridge. Fortunately I landed on my head so no vital organs were affected. (actually my pack took the brunt, with my hip taking on its share.- I got stung by a yellowjacket (at least I didn't get bit by a bulldog)Good:- Trail magic allowed me to avoid tuna on a tortilla for the second consecutive day. At a road crossing was a couple (Renegade and Tomboy) that had their honeymoon at the Punchbowl Shelter 29 yrs ago, and for 22 years they have been doing this camping/trail magic for a week to celebrate their anniversary. They shared grilled cheese sandwiches, hard boiled eggs, cokes, tea, sandwich cookies. What a treat, and what neat people to talk to.- Hiked almost all day with Rex and Loose Bruce again- The log fall and the bee sting barely slowed my hiking down (see next item)- Loose Bruce and I succeeded again in a feat that has become a joking but real part of our daily routine - at 3 pm we still had 10 miles to hike to meet our plan, and we "needed" to be done by 8 pm. Mission accomplished.- I got to talk to my sister Melanie about our pending visit in Waynesboro- Even though it was a cold wet evening at camp, I finished the day warm, dry, and fed. Almost like civilized people.
Date: 2007-06-15
From: Hog Camp Gap

To: Fish Hatchery Road
Miles today: 10.0

Another overcast day with a wet start. Loose Bruce and Rex were slowly getting ready, so when another hiker stopped by to say hi, I invited myself along with him when he went. E.Z. Duzit was happy to comply, and the dismal day became a great chance to simply engage in conversation with a new friend. He led at first, and I struggled to keep his pace (and this man is 11 years older than me!), but we were able to talk about ourselves, work histories, grandparenthood and unclehood, hiking in general and our hiking histories. My feet were wet the entire time except the first mile, which how long it took my already damp shoes to get saturated and then soak my socks. It started raining too. Tried to dry my socks at lunch, at which time I realized I had dishpan feet, but the main result was 20 minutes later I had to put cold damp socks on. YUCK, but at least I knew I was on my way to a hostel. It was also cold enough out that I wore my raincoat while hiking for the first time of the trip. It worked well, keeping me warm & dry on a cool rainy day. One thing that kept me going was anticipation of staying at the Dutch Haus B&B - dry clothes, clean clothes, good food, many hikers. Toward the end of my hike with EZDuzit, Comet and Chopsticks passed us on their way to Dutch Haus as well. Since they shared the destination, and we needed a shuttle, I abandoned EZDuzit and tried to keep up with them. I didn't but I caught up with them at the pickup point, where they couldn't get a cell phone connection. I did, and we headed in. Dutch Haus was a great time. Eventually Rex and Loose Bruce made it in, as well as catching up with their friend Radar. Chaco, Tenbears, Comet, Chopsticks and Talkerman made up the rest of the day's clientele. We spent the day in bathrobes, since Lois and Earl have a setup up where they wash your clothes and give you a bathrobe to wear until your clothes are done. I think it is a scam to make people relax around the house, and they hold your clothes hostage. Dinner was excellent and filling, and we did have a run to the general store where I got ice cream and other snacks to supplement my calorie intake. I slept on an actual mattress in the snorer's room. Life is good.
Date: 2007-06-17
From: Maupin Field Shelter

To: Waynesboro
Miles today: 20.8
Weather: clear sky

A great hiking day any way you look at it. Hiked primarily with Radar, depending on the meaning of the word "with". Our destinations were the same, and we even rested at the same places, but he is really too fast for me to keep up with for very long. Actually I must have been ahead of him at one point because I was photographing a garter snake when he caught up to me. Probably at the beginning because I started earlier than him. We originally intended to stay at a shelter 5 miles out of Waynesboro, but we got there early enough that we knew the town was within reach that evening. I wanted to get a shower before my parents, sister and brother-in-law showed up to visit me in Waynesboro, so it was worth the long hike to make it happen. Radar was amenable. We found out the YMCA campground closed at 5 pm, so we called from the shelter to find out if it was ok to arrive late (no problem there), and we were on our way. We were stunned when we did the 5 miles in an hour and a half - 19 minute miles. And this was not the easiest of terrains either - rocky sections and some significant uphills, though it was a net downhill for the trip. So we were busy catching our breath and congratulating ourselves for quite a while, then hitched into town. Chaco did us one better, having been behind us all day but intending to follow our itinerary. While we were hitching, we watched a red Miata speed by, and a hiker waved at us out of it - Chaco of course. So he beat us to town after following us all day. In town, I ate 5 plates of the most delicious Chinese buffet I ever had - not a bad dish in the bunch. But maybe that was my starvation talking. At the campground were all familiar faces - DOT, Tumbleweed, Tortuga (hurting again after trying to hike in from Pearisburg), Chaco, Radar.
Date: 2007-06-18
From: Waynesboro

To: Waynesboro
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Family Visit! My parents, sister Melanie and brother in law Andy stopped up to visit because Waynesboro is the closest approach to their homes in Richmond and Hampton. Coincidentally today is my birthday as well, (thanks to all who acknowledged that by voicemail, email and cards!) After a slow morning where we bought new hiking poles, did laundry, shuttled a few hikers, and got another rip repaired in my backpack, we had lunch (AYCE salad bar of course), and headed out to do some trail magic on the Blue Ridge Parkway (Thanks Mom Dad Melanie Andy for an awesome spread!). It was fairly slow, but a good relaxing time. Only saw 4 hikers in 2 or so hours(including 10 Bears and Sir Privywinks) and then thunderstorms starting coming in so we went back to town, gave away some of the left over trail magic and had some birthday cake (how many hikers do THAT, I wonder?). After the family left I was alone at the campsite and for the first time of the trip felt extremely lonely. That only lasted until I received a phone message from Loose Bruce that he was at the church hostel - where was I? So I took the rest of the trail magic over to the hostel, met Rex and Radar there as well, and ended up heading to the Quality Inn where there was a large group watching the Red Sox lose to the Braves. At least Loose Bruce was happy.One of my favorite quotes lately is "Its only gross the first time." I read it on an AT t-shirt, but it comes in handy in lots of situations. For instance, take the M&M test. When a day hiker sees an M&M laying on the trail, they pick it up and pack it out as trash. When a section hiker sees an M&M laying on the trail, they pick it up and eat it. When a thru hiker sees an M&M laying on the trail, they eat it and then begin digging in the leaves to see if there are any others.
Date: 2007-06-19
From: Waynesboro

To: Waynesboro
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Radar and I decided to take a second zero in Waynesboro because the weather reports called for torrential rain and hail in the mountains, and advised everyone to seek shelter. Not a tough decision, really. Even the opportunity for an extra day's rest and calorie loading is welcome.One highlight of the day was finally meeting Persistent, a hiker whose journal I was following in the weeks before I left because she is an excellent writer with an adventurous spirit and an upbeat attitude. She was with a group of hikers I already knew (Ronin, Young Eagle, Talkerman, and Melk) at the Chinese buffet at dinnertime. Because of the threat of hail, I stayed in a church hostel rather than my tent. I have a curfew of 9 pm! So here I am, with Chaco, Radar, Rex, and Loose Bruce as well as Fuzzy Monkey(a hiker who writes some of the best journal entries I've seen) and some other hikers I haven't met yet. We are currently watching a video of a blind man who thru hiked the AT. The major activity of the day was journal entering at the library and then making a run to the outfitter courtesy of trail angel Len Graf, a local retiree who stops by the campsite every single morning to see if he can offer rides to any campers. We actually took him up on a breakfast run in the morning, where I ordered AYCE pancakes and could only eat 3 (the record is 24). We also set up a 3 pm ride to the trail head, but by then we realized that the weather dictated not hiking. So we went to the outfitter instead.
Date: 2007-06-20
From: Waynesboro

To: Blackrock Shelter
Miles today: 20.0

Entered the Shenandoah National Forest. Interesting wildlife moment - found a garter snake, showed it to Loose Bruce who I was hiking with, he pointed out its belly was distended. We guessed a mole, a vole or a chipmunk based on the size of the bulge. Probably one of the smaller animals. Later in the day, Bruce saw a bear cub, but no sign of mom. Our scariest encounter yet - you don't want to be between a mother and a cub <> Also I saw a mother turkey and 2 chicks.Never hiked alone this day - spent parts with Radar, Loose Bruce, Rex, Chaco, and Fuzzy Monkey.All tent sites and shelter spaces were full at Blackrock that night. So crowded.
Date: 2007-06-21
From: Blackrock Shelter

To: Hightop Hut
Miles today: 21.4
Weather: clear sky

Today was Nude Hiking Day, but as a favor to everyone I only unbuttoned an extra button on my shirt. As warm and sunny as it was, nude would have been a good idea except for the possibility of sunburn. In fact I ran into no nude hikers, though I understand that one known exhibitionist member of the Philmont group did in fact hike either 15 minutes or 15 miles.I am on a mission to be at a rendezvous with Kristin and her family, so was on my own. As is almost my norm, I still had 10 miles left at 3 pm. Even though Loose Bruce was not there to help me, I made it by 7:30. A nasty storm appeared to be brewing at the end, but it never happened.The Shenandoahs are ridiculously crowded with people and bears. I saw 3 bears today - first, a mother & cub. The mother seemed very calm and analytical, looking at me for a while before she finally trotted off to be closer to the cub. It was a great photo op, but somehow when bears are in view my focus is on survival, not pictures. The other was just a glimpse of a bear as it raced away from me some distance away. The shelter was full, so I tented in a road bed near the shelter. EZDUZIT was there, and I met Bag Lady formally finally (my mother had met her in the Waynesboro laundromat). 2 other tents were set up, hikers I had not met.