morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2003-05-23
From: Pickle Branch Shelter

To: 4 Pines Hollow off Va. 624
Miles today: 6.0

Day 6405/23/03 Friday6 Miles on Trail        685.5 Total.3 Miles off TrailWhat a day, the Dragon¢s Tooth walk was incredible. Hand over hand on slippery rocks. The only way it could have been better was if we could see something other than the inside of a cloud. It¢s been wet so long I elected to stay at the Four Pines Hostel. It¢s really a huge 4 car garage. Tonight there are 30 hikers inside and a youth group of 15 camped on the lawn.I was worried that I couldn¢t make Daleville by Saturday, so I figured out to slow down and wait for Monday. Then I realized that Monday was Memorial Day. It was so lucky that I got here when I did. The proprietor was on his way to Daleville to take someone else to the outfitters. I got to go to the outfitter and get a wind shirt, fuel and a whistle (I gave my other one to Baby Steps when she and Wanderer went to Trail Days) and pick up my mail drop at Daleville. Then the guy's 15 year old son made about 8 trips to the best family style AYCE (All You Can Eat) restaurant I¢ve ever seen or heard about. We ate and ate. The food kept coming. Good stop, my spirits are back up. My equipment is drying out. I¢ve showered and rinsed my traveling clothes and the weather report looks better if not good for the next couple of days. I played Euchre for the first time since high school. The climb I did today was the most technically challenging so far and it was fun. My fod bag is heavy, so I¢m going to take it easy tomorrow.
Date: 2003-05-24
From: 4 Pines Hostel

To: Campbell Shelter
Miles today: 10.1
Weather: broken clouds

Day 6505/24/03 Saturday10.1 Miles on Trail        695.6 TotalAn easy and spectacular day today. I got up and out of the hostel before 7:45 into mostly cloudy conditions, which was a considerable improvement over the past few days. Didn¢t need anything in Catawba, since all the errands were done yesterday, so I went right up McAfee Knob. McAfee Knob may be the most photographed place on the trail. It¢s a spectacular rock outcropping with great views. It was actually sunny on top. I had almost all of the hiking I had planned for the day so I had a very long lunch. I talked to a bunch of other hikers (day & through). I did the photographs thing for others. I didn¢t need to take it easy today, but I¢m sure my body appreciates it, especially since I¢ve got a FULL food load. I got word that Baby Steps is a day behind, so if I take it easy one more day I hope she and Wanderer will catch up. Oopola didn¢t know about Wanderer though.A little aside about yesterday that I forgot. Someone in the hostel bought the Roanoke News (local major paper). The front page story was about rain. I¢m sure glad it wasn¢t just me. The weather has been so bad for so long it made page one. I think that underscores how happy I was to be able to see something other than the inside of a cloud today. It was really a treat to sit up on McAfee Knob for a couple of hours sunning.OK, now we get to pulling into camp. I went to check on the campsite before Campbell Shelter. As I was walking down the side trail, I accidentally put my tracking pole down on a snake. I¢m pretty sure it was a Copperhead and I¢m pretty sure it made a strike at the pole. I jumped about 10 ft. I turned around and watched it skulk away. Yikes. Oh well, all¢s well¢¦ I hope the snake didn¢t get hurt. I hope it stays away from people from now on.
Date: 2003-05-25
From: Campbell Shelter

To: Lamberts Meadow Campsite
Miles today: 6.3
Weather: light rain

Day 6605/25/03 Sunday6.3 Miles on Trail        701.9 TotalI made a conscious decision this morning to wait for Wanderer and Baby Steps and take an easy day. This meant I had plenty of time to hang out at Tinkers Cliffs. The last 3 days have had some truly incredible rock formations. First was Dragon¢s Tooth, which was fun to climb, but I couldn¢t see anything because I was in a cloud. The second was McAfee Knob which offered fabulous views and photo opps. Then today was Tinkers Cliff¢s. I pulled out my ridge-rest and basked in the sun. What an awesome 3 days. I¢m glad I took my time and enjoyed that stuff. And to top it off, Baby Steps and Wanderer got into camp about 6:00. Hooray!!! We swapped stories and agenda¢s. Their stories were fun and we¢ve got similar plans for the near future.I walked up on another deer today. Most run away, but like the other one, this one just watched me for a few seconds and then went about its business as I looked on.What a nice day. It¢s amazing what some sunshine and rest will do for you.
Date: 2003-05-26
From: Campbell Shelter

To: Fullhardt Knob Shelter
Miles today: 14.1
Weather: broken clouds

Day 6705/26/03 Monday14.1 Miles on Trail        716.0 TotalI woke up in the middle of the night to the sound of hard rain on my tent. I thought ¢oh, not again¢, and went back to sleep. I woke a couple of more times to some very hard rain. When it was time to get up (6:00 a.m.), the rain had stopped. I ate breakfast and saw the sunlight filtering through the trees. I packed my wet and splattered tent and walked a beautiful ridge. The ridge had a few great vistas. I could see where we had walked for the last couple of days. Pretty great stuff. We all needed a few supplies to get to the next re-supply, so we stopped in Daleville. I miss-read the book and we walked 10 minutes past the road and we had to backtrack. That turned out OK because when we got back, another hikers mom (Cuss is the hikers name, so we called his mom Mrs. Cuss) took us to Shoney¢s where we ate a huge late lunch. Then we went to the grocery store and did laundry at the truck stop (another rare treat with me wearing my red crocs and a garbage bag). We got another great hitch back to the trailhead at about 6:30 p.m. and hiked the 3+ miles to Fullhardt Knob Shelter. It was of course all uphill coming out of town, but the weather was nice and we had eaten quite a lot, so we didn¢t need to rush to cook dinner. We ran into Big Red, Cookie, Tadpole, Starbuck, Strappy and Hover at the shelter and had some laughs. All in all, another great day on the trail.
Date: 2003-05-27
From: Fullhardt Knob Shelter

To: Bobblets Gap Shelter
Miles today: 13.5
Weather: moderate rain

Day 6805/27/03 Tuesday13.5 Miles on Trail        729.5 TotalI woke at 3:00 a.m. to the sound of rain. The rain let up just a little just as I left camp. Then it rained steadily until about 3:30 p.m. The sun came out at about 4:30 until about 6:00. Not quite enough to get the tent dry. The rain puts a real downer on things. When everything is wet it¢s tough to have a great outlook and we¢ve had a lot of rain.Today wasn¢t too hard terrain wise, but the wet rocks caused another heel blister. It¢s hard to believe that my heels haven¢t toughened up yet. The big thing about today is that we crossed the 1/3 point. We also crossed over the Blue Ridge Parkway a few times. Unfortunately a lot of the blossoms from the Mountain Laurel and Rhododendrons are already falling off from the rain and I didn¢t get to see a lot of them in clear weather. Too bad, because even in the rain they¢re beautiful.There are 9 of us in a 6 man shelter at Bobblets Gap. It¢s crowded, but the people are all great and I¢ve known them for a while. We¢re in the shelter because there aren¢t any good tent sites. The late comers have some pretty rough conditions, fortunately there were only 2, Buffalo Bobby and Bear Bait. The folks in the shelter are Wanderer, Baby Steps, Starbuck, Hover, Strappy, Cookie, Big Red, Tadpole and me. There was magic here when we got here. Someone had left 2 bags of goodies. Oranges, Milky Ways, 3 Muskateers, Dorito¢s, Salsa, Ho Ho¢s, and duct tape.The rain could subside and make life a lot better, but life is good.
Date: 2003-05-28
From: Bobblets Gap Shelter

To: Cornelius Creek Shelter
Miles today: 18.3
Weather: scattered clouds

Day 6905/28/03 Wednesday18.3 Miles on Trail        747.8 Total3 Miles off Trail (no pack)Today dawned brightly. Hooray!! Only one bad thing happened as a result. I left my pack cover a the shelter and had to run back to get it. I didn¢t have to go all the way back because Cookie recognized that someone left it and would want it. I¢m glad I didn¢t have to run all the way back. The rest of the day I was playing catch-up and passed on the opportunities of a swimming hole.We¢re staying at Cornelius Creek Shelter. It¢s an old one, but it has a great, new, well designed privy. The shelter just before this one was an enormous multi-level shelter. Heavy timber construction with wood dowels. It was built recently and was terrific. Too bad we needed to make more miles. We¢re staying in the shelter tonight because it got very gray before the sun set, and we want to have dry tents just in case tomorrow turns ugly. It¢s Baby Steps, Wanderer, Batch and me in the shelter. It¢s the first time I¢ve stayed in a shelter with less than a full compliment. Batch is 81 years old. He¢s from Laconin, NH. He completed the trail once 9 years ago. Quite a remarkable fellow. The bugs are biting me because they know where I am. So, I¢m turning my headlamp out and going to sleep.
Date: 2003-05-29
From: Cornelius Creek Shelter

To: Matts Creek Shelter
Miles today: 17.7
Weather: light rain

Day 7005/29/03 Thursday17.7 Miles on Trail        765.5 TotalYet another night in a shelter. Matt¢s Creek Shelter was a very welcome site. It¢s an old shelter right on the creek. Water is easy to come by. OK, so it was a welcome site because it was a long rainy day. The rain started in the middle of the night and it pretty much continued throughout the day with some really drenching downpours. My new Go-Lite wind shirt combined with the contractors garbage bag kept me just warm enough, but nothing can keep you dry on a day like today. There were lots of jokes and complaints and whines about the rain. My favorite was when Tadpole showed up and said ¢Damn, I just wanna have one day where I don¢t have to put up with wet-ass¢! Everyone knew exactly what she meant. We¢ve all been experiencing it daily too. Hover and Tadpole saw a bear today. I think I saw a fox today, but it was a very quick glimpse. Tomorrow is a quick in to Glasgow for a re-supply, it looks like a big re-supply and a huge up after. Yikes!!!
Date: 2003-05-30
From: Matts Creek Shelter

To: Punchbowl Shelter
Miles today: 12.7
Weather: broken clouds

Day 7105/30/03 Friday12.7 Miles on Trail        778.2 Total.4 Miles off TrailThe day dawned beautiful after a starry night. It was a short walk and a lucky hitch into Glasgow. We ate breakfast at the only restaurant and re-supplied in the small grocery and got a ride from a trail angel back to the trailhead.Glasgow is trying something to become a tourist attraction. They have dinosaur replicas all over the main drag. It¢s a real hoot. A Stegosaurus being roped by a man on a horse. Truly a goof. Their slogan is ¢Glasgow, the town that time forgot¢. Wow.It was a big re-supply followed by a huge up. A few cool things happened:1.        For the first time a heavy load on a big up did not cause a heel blister. Hoorah!!!2.        We got a great vista of the days walk and the days before walk. (it¢s pretty impressive to see where you¢ve been)3.        We got our fourth Hiker back. Pippi¢s sons went home today and she got back on right where we were. (we figured that today would be the day, and it was)What a great day. We¢re at the Punch Bowl Shelter and it couldn¢t be prettier. It has a pond that couldn¢t be clearer. The frogs are peeping and the Arcadia are chirping. Time to let them sing me to sleep.
Date: 2003-05-31
From: Punchbowl Shelter

To: Cow Camp Shelter
Miles today: 14.4
Weather: few clouds

Day 7205/31/03 Saturday14.4 Miles on Trail        792.6 Total.8 Miles off TrailToday¢s location is Cow Camp Gap Shelter (actually tented outside). It was another rainy day. I got up and ate breakfast and noticed Wanderer putting away his tent, which was strange. It was strange because sometimes he doesn¢t even wake up until I¢m ready to leave camp. So I raced to finish breakfast and tried to get my tent down before it started raining. Thanks to Wanderer and Baby Steps each making a trip to the shelter with some of my stuff. My stuff stayed dry. Wanderer has an amazing uncanny ability to predict the weather. Today was up and down in hot sweaty rain gear. Parts of the trail were slick, slippery mud, others were sticky boot sucking clay spans. The day was tough, so Baby Steps tried to recall if there had been any day in the month of May that her boots had been dry. We don¢t think so. There has been a lot of rain, and the day after, the trail is always muddy. At least we don¢t have a water problem.The clouds broke up as we got to camp. So I cooked and got my tent set up without getting wet. A 1999 thru-hiker came by to tell us he¢s doing breakfast about 3 miles from here in the morning. We are all welcome. This is such a wonderful community of people. It¢s dark. I¢m tired. Good night.
Date: 2003-06-01
From: Cow Camp Shelter

To: The Priest Shelter
Miles today: 17.1
Weather: broken clouds

Day 7306/01/03 Sunday17.1 Miles on Trail        809.7 TotalWindy and cold. Not cool. COLD! The sun shone all day and it was great. I¢m tented near a stone that reminds me of an Easter Island sculpture a stones throw away from The Priest Shelter. The trail was glorious today. The dappled sunlight shining off of the new leaves against a blue, blue sky. The first of May I saw my first Pink Lady Slipper. Today I saw my first Yellow Lady Slipper.I just heard some noises outside my tent which I believe to be deer. It¢s quite cold. Below 45 degrees. Screwy weather this year. So I¢m not going to get out and check. There were tracks all around the tent site when I set up.Back to today. It was the first day that didn¢t even hint at rain since I can¢t remember. It was ideal hiking weather. No bugs, clear as a bell views, never broke a sweat kind of a day. Even the trail bed was nice for a good portion of the day.We got up and out early because some past thru-hikers let us know that there was a ¢magic¢ breakfast 3.0 miles from the shelter. So I ate my breakfast and went on to eat theirs too. There were about 6 of them and 10 of us. They served us eggs, sausage and hash browns (a little of each), plus orange juice, an orange, a banana, a peach, some blueberries and coffee cake. That kind of stuff is so welcome.We got some great views from a place called Spy Rock. It was used by the Confederacy to spy on Union troops. Steep climb. I couldn¢t take my pack all the way up. I also saw a lot of Jack in the Pulpit¢s today. These were mature and the coloring of the ¢Jack¢ changes to purple. Overall an outstanding day.
Date: 2003-06-02
From: The Priest Shelter

To: Maupin Field Shelter
Miles today: 13.6
Weather: clear sky

Day 7406/02/03 Monday13.6 Miles on Trail        823.3 TotalToday was beautiful. A little cold getting started, but nice all day. I¢m tented outside Maupin Field Shelter. At dusk the sky got cloudy with high Cirrus clous. The forcast is rain tomorrow. Oh well, back to the soup. Today¢s walk was a long down. 3000+ ft. down, followed by a long up, 3000+ ft. up. Some of it was rocky. There was a great overlook. It was a huge rock face that was flat enough to spread out and enjoy the sunshine and celebrate its presence. There were a couple of more views too. Outstanding.
Date: 2003-06-03
From: The Priest Shelter

To: Mill Creek, Paul C. Wolfe Shelter
Miles today: 16.1
Weather: moderate rain

Day 7506/03/03 Tuesday16.1 Miles on Trail        839.4 TotalI woke up this morning to the sound of rain on my tent, again. Fortunately it was just a sprinkle. By the time I packed up my tent it had dried out. The early miles were great, until I got up to Humpback Mountain. Some sick trailblazer had the trail going over a rock slide. It wasn¢t as bad as Dragon¢s Tooth, but wow was it treacherous. Just as I reached the summit, the wind picked up and I was in the middle of a very dense cloud. I thought maybe I was under a frozen lake. Wet and cold. The SIL-Nylon wind shirt I bought in Daleville took good care of me. The rest of the day was a rock hop in a heavy dripping forest. I¢m so glad to get to the shelter. I made great time and had a good lazy afternoon in the shelter with Wanderer, Baby Steps, Pippi, Shifty and Snot Rocket. The Cookie Clan came in too and Buffalo Bobby (the Cookie Clan is Cookie, Tadpole, Big Red, and Starbuck). It¢s a great mix of folks. Tomorrow is a short walk into Waynesboro. Then a zero day to get waterproofing and ¢stuff¢ done.
Date: 2003-06-04
From: Mill Creek, Paul C. Wolfe Shelter

To: Waynesboro, VA
Miles today: 5.0
Weather: light rain

Day 7606/04/03 Wednesday5 Miles on Trail        844.4 TotalLast nights shelter was Paul C. Wolfe Shelter. Between the bugs, the heat, the hard floor, the sound of the rain and the snoring, I had a somewhat restless night. The walk into the trailhead was supposed to be downhill. It wasn¢t as downhill in reality as it was on the elevation profile. At the trailhead an angel was just letting off a couple of hikers and she took us back to the hotel. Then after a huge late second breakfast and laundry another hiker in her grandmothers car drove us to the outfitter and back. Then dinner at a reasonable Italian joint called Scott¢s. Good productive day.It¢s nice to be able to shower after 10 DAYS!!!More tomorrow.
Date: 2003-06-05
From: Waynesboro, VA

To: Waynesboro, VA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

Day 7706/05/03 Thursday0 Miles on Trail        844.4 TotalToday was beautiful weather-wise and I was stuck in town. We got a lot done. Seam-sealed the tent. Re-waterproofed the boots, made a bunch of phone calls, ate at 2 different AYCE places for lunch and dinner. Pizza Hut for lunch and David¢s Steak House for dinner. I did the shopping and re-supplying.My food is too heavy again and we¢re looking at a very aggressive schedule though the Shenandoah National Park. The weather is supposed to hold through tomorrow, after that it¢s questionable. Everything is dry and ready for the rain if it comes. More tomorrow.
Date: 2003-06-06
From: Waynesboro, VA

To: Blackrock Hut
Miles today: 20.0
Weather: clear sky

Day 7806/06/03 Friday20 Miles on Trail        864.4 Total.2 Miles off TrailToday started with the typical continental breakfast at the hotel. Then our trail angel that brought us in, Sherri, brought us back to the trailhead. Sherri must shuttle folks around for hours every day. Se is truly a dedicated angel. Everybody signs her register. She gives lots and lots of rides.I felt like I was hiking in slow motion this morning. It¢s tough to get motivated after a zero day. Today was a magnificent warm sunny day and the forest was magnificent. There were a couple of overlooks and how wonderful it was to be able to see something other than the inside of a cloud. I even got a couple of photos. the Mountain Laurel were magnificent in bloom in the sunshine for acres.I¢m staying in Blackrock Hut tonight. The weather reports call for rain before dawn and there are no good tent sites available. In addition to Wanderer, Baby Steps and Pippi we¢ve got Walks Softly, Charity, Off and a couple of day hikers in the shelter. The bear deterent is interesting but probably not as effective as the cables in GA. There is a Whippoorwill making a bunch of noise and the mice are audible. Truly, I would rather be in my tent. Walks Softly also plays an end blown bamboo flute. Now there are 2 of us. His flute is a lot heavier than mine. It¢s got a great rich tone too, but I¢m glad I don¢t have to carry it.
Date: 2003-06-07
From: Blackrock Hut

To: Hightop Hut
Miles today: 21.4
Weather: light rain

Day 7906/07/03 Saturday21.4 Miles on Trail        885.8 Total.4 Miles off TrailBig day after yesterday and it didn¢t rain all day. I¢m in High Top Shelter. I saw a lot of deer today. They¢re quite bold. I¢ve been within 10 ft. of them. I saw an Indigo (I think) Snake too. The views were all obscured by clouds. Oh well, I¢ll never get there if I don¢t keep moving.Today was tougher because I had to leave Pippi, Baby Steps and Wanderer behind. Pippi had to slow down, so they decided to stay. I hope Pippi heals soon. Perhaps I¢ll meet up with them again. I sure miss the familiarity, fun and caring of the group. They are fine people and super friends and companions. I miss them.BIG day tomorrow, or at least that¢s the plan.
Date: 2003-06-08
From: Hightop Hut

To: Rock Spring Hut
Miles today: 23.9
Weather: overcast clouds

Day 8006/08/03 Sunday23.9 Miles on Trail        909.7 Total.4 Miles off TrailA big day it was. My dogs were howling when I got here. Here is Rock Spring Shelter. It¢s an iffy weather night so I¢m in the shelter. The weather isn¢t actually iffy. We are in a cloud again. It started to clear up this morning, but decided not to. Perhaps someone somewhere thinks that we haven¢t had enough rain and fog. It only sprinkled for about an hour today, but it never cleared up enough to see vistas. I did however get to see a lot of deer. Too many to count. While I was eating dinner, I thought one was going to join me. It got within 6 feet of me. I saw a fawn nursing on its mom early in the day. Fortunately they weren¢t disturbed by my passing. I also got to see 2 bear today. One darted across the trail about 25 ft. in front of me. I saw it take 3 bounds. Wow, they are fast. The second one, all I saw was rump going over the lip of a hill.I got here late at 7:15 or so with a guy named Sweet Ass who¢s having some shin splint trouble. Buffalo Bobby and a couple of section hikers are here too. Then, as I was finishing dinner, Big Red showed up. After it got dark, Strappy and Tadpole arrived. Everyone else was asleep when Big Red showed up at 8:45. I miss my gang, but it¢s nice to have familiar faces.65 miles in 3 days. Man am I tired. Tomorrow looks like 15. Can¢t wait.
Date: 2003-06-09
From: Rock Springs Hut

To: Pass Mountain Hut
Miles today: 15.3
Weather: few clouds

Day 8106/09/03 Monday15.3 Miles on Trail        925.0 Total.8 Miles off Trail (in and out of camps and views)Yahoo!! I¢m in my tent. That¢s a big deal because it looks good for the weather to hold until morning. Last night, shortly after 11:00p.m., the shelter shook because the storm was so close. Then it started leaking. Oh well, just move around a bit until everyone is dry. The tent site is at Pass Mountain Shelter. The walk today was gorgeous. Lot¢s of great views, one special view from Mary¢s Rock. Near 360 degrees. The trail was much rockier today than yesterday and my ankles hurt.Somebody (Sweet Ass) saw a bear a couple of minutes ago by the spring! The spring is only about 20 yards from my tent. There are owls hooting and coyotes or wild dogs howling. It¢s a great night. How far I go tomorrow depends on the weather and how I feel. The shelters and camp sites in Shenandoah National Park are at odd intervals and it¢s hard to figure. We¢ll see what tomorrow brings.
Date: 2003-06-10
From: Pass Mountain Hut

To: Compton Gap Fire Road
Miles today: 22.7

Day 8206/10/03 Tuesday22.7 Miles on Trail        947.7 Total.9 Miles off TrailA long day of sunshine and walking. I started early today. The footpath was nice most of the day. My feet hurt. I¢ve got something going on with my second toe on my right foot and something with my right ankle.Elkwallow Forest or the forest around Elkwallow is amazing. Then I came out of the forest to The Wayside and a great blackberry milkshake that turned into 2 blackberry milkshakes. The view from South Marshal was great (and a good place to put on dry socks). Then I saw agroup of 4 bucks with velvet on their antlers and after that a fawn with its mother. The fawn actually started following me down the trail. It got within a foot of me. I had to shoo it away. Amazing.I¢m staying at Terrapin Station Hostel. A very cool place.Post Office and a short walk tomorrow.