morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2014-04-25
From: Trimpi Shelter

To: Partnership Shelter
Miles today: 10.6
Weather: thunderstorm

Finally made it to the pizza shelter! Although we did not have it delivered to the shelter, we could have!We woke up early after a so-so sleep to lots of movement - everyone was trying to make the 11 am shuttle to Marion.We rolled out before the rain started - a nice easy sub eleven mile day. We had a little bit of rain, wind, heat, and trail magic, but we hiked through it all to the shelter. Big Dawg was motoring up the hills - he really wanted to get to the shelter!After arriving at the shelter (and just missing the 11 am shuttle), we caught Cletus and Drifter taking a zero day after celebrating Drifter's 30th birthday! We missed a pretty entertaining party is the word on the trail.We settled into the shelter while waited for the 2:30 shuttle. Trip arrived and called for the shuttle at the Visitor's Center. Note that you have to call the shuttle or it will not make that stop. It also does noy run on weekends, but there is a taxi company and it is supposed to be an easy hitch.The upstairs of the shelter was open and warm, so we set up our stuff and then chilled at the warm, toasty Visitor's Center. Shutterfly and her mom showed up along with Heartwood and Eastwood.It was raining pretty hard on and off all day - luckily we got to the shelter in time to avoid the rain! We sent into Marion and stopped at Walmart to get a pre-paid Verizon phone - we needed the signal access provided by Verizon. We also ate at the Tuscan Italian Grille with Heartwood - a great place for pizza and a friendly waitress!Since we could not get a hitch, we took a taxi back to the shelter. It was packed in the evening! We met several new hikers, including Hey Everybody, Twizzler, Prom Queen, and Sprout while staying with some old favorites such as Fritz, Finn, and Cletus and Drifter. A good night of lots of talking and great conversations - so many interesting people on the trail!
Date: 2014-04-26
From: Partnership Shelter

To: Relax Inn - Atkins, VA
Miles today: 11.6

It was a slightly restless night in the shelter but we still got a good sleep in. Woke up very early and started out early to get to Atkins early. As soon as we started moving the shelter came alive with movement as many people started to get up and out as well.After eating breakfast we hit the trail at 7 am - our earliest start on the trail! The weather was a little cloudy early on that quickly dissolved into sunny weather! We powered through the big climbs and hiked through the first two road crossings before resting at the last big hill. We enjoyed the sounds of nature - birds singing, animals rustling, cars from the Interstate...On the way down, we passed the Chatfield Shelter - very nice shelter right by a stream! Kept hiking on and entered valley land and passed under some powerlines - they were buzzing with energy, so we moved quickly.Finally we got all the way down to the Settlers Museum and an original settler schoolhouse - with trail magic! A local Methodist church provided everything you would ever need, ranging from batteries to snacks to dog treats! We rested and enjoyed the schoolhouse and sun, then moved on to Atkins - ready for the hiker burger!We finally cleared made our way close enough to see Atkins but still had some distance to hike because of switchbacks. We escaped the switchbacks and train track to settle in at the Relax Inn - reminiscent of the Budget Inn in Franklin. A place to get off the trail and rest, nothing more.We ate at the Barn Restaurant and had the Hiker Burger with Fritz and Sprout and another fellow - it was delicious! A 16 oz burger that tasted great after the hike into town. After eating, we chilled around the hotel since there is not a lot around Atkins. A gas station is open 24 hours with resupply material and the hotel has WiFi.Later in the day Trip and Heartwood arrived at the hotel and we all ate dinner at the Barn. A good dinner with good friends!Returned to the hotel and rested. Back to the trail in the AM!
Date: 2014-04-28
From: Knot Maul Branch Shelter

To: Jenkins Shelter
Miles today: 19.1
Weather: light rain

A tough day on the trail - the weather was not friendly (gray skies, on and off rain, a lot of rocky walking) but we made it through the day ahead of most of the heavy rain. Means a shorter day into our resupply stop in Bland, VA tomorrow!We woke up early to no rain, so we packed quickly and rolled out of camp early. We said goodbye to Forrest G and Blazer - we will see them again further north on the trail!It sprinkled throughout the day, making it hot and humid walking. I opted to walk without a raincoat to prevent excessive sweating. It worked out fairly well since it did not rain often or hard enough to get me soaked.Conquered a 2000 foot climb today - it was not terribly strenuous but it was just a long climb up! Along the way we passed Pack Rat sleeping in his hammock - he had not made it as far as he planned, probably stopped by the rain and the dark.We left the woods to hike on exposed knobs to the Cherry Knob Shelter. Luckily for us the rain broke and the wind died down while walking out in the open!We stopped for lunch at the Cherry Knob Shelter - it was a fully enclosed shelter with a door, so we were able to escape the elements for a little bit. One of the few shelters with a door and bunks built into it - a great little shelter for bad weather! As we were leaving Purple Blaze stopped by to eat lunch and we chatted before heading out.From the shelter, we had a long 6 miles of walking on a rocky rough ridge. It was tough on Big Dawg and the group morale, but we had to keep hiking to avoid the rain coming in behind us. After a long time of hiking on the ridge, we finally escaped and began the climb down to Jenkins Shelter - it was a long and slow descent since we slowed down to give Big Dawgs' legs a little rest.Upon arriving at the shelter, it began to rain on us, so we quickly set up the hammock tarps and sheltered under them and waited for the rain to stop. We cooked underneath the tarps and after dinner the rain cleared up. We set up the hammocks and got the bear bag strung up. We walked over to the shelter and met Timon and Pumba, Kalpaca (all three of them had excellent beards - I was jealous!), Lynx (who wants to become a Master Falconer!), Bucket List, and Dog Man (with his faithful companion of course). Purple Blaze arrived a little bit later and set up quickly. It was a long day, so we chatted for a while then everyone began getting ready for bed. Went to sleep hoping for the rain to pass by and not rain hard - either way, our stop in Bland, VA is coming up!
Date: 2014-04-29
From: Jenkins Shelter

To: Big Walker Motel via US 52
Miles today: 11.9

It was a little rainy all day, so getting to Bland to dry out and resupply was a relief!We woke up to a little rain in the AM, so we ate under the hammock tarps again and packed everything underneath the tarps. We rolled out early and hiked quickly in the rain. Not a lot of views so we did not stop too much during the day. The hiking was pretty uneventful and we soon reached US 52.Called for a shuttle from Bubba but he was unavailable to get us. We called the Big Walker Motel and luckily the owner was able to come pick us up.Upon arriving at the hotel, we quickly hung up everything to dry - most of the gear was damp! The room looked like a pack explosion happened in the room.Not much to the town of Bland. Ate at Subway for lunch and Pizza Plus in the room for dinner. Resupplied at the Dollar General and Kangaroo gas station by the hotel and spent most of the time in the room drying out, chatting, and looking at the trail ahead.Decided to take a zero day tomorrow to avoid getting all the gear soaked in the forecasted rain tomorrow...we will be able to get everything dry and get some additional work done.
Date: 2014-04-30
From: Big Walker Motel

To: Zero Day 04: Bland, VA
Miles today: 0.0

Don't make a joke about the town being boring....don't say it is a bland town...Not much happening in the town of Bland. Three eating places (Subway, Dairy Queen, and Bland Square) and a little library. We slept in (first time in a while!) and then ate breakfast/lunch at Bland Square. Note that it is part of the gas station in town so do not pass it! A good little place to eat.Went to the library and got some work done - good day to catch up. Did a little research and prepared for the next couple of days. Also, I think it is a rule that all libraries in the South have a cat mascot - there was a cute cat at the front door of the library that roamed the town. Pets were given and appreciated.Returned to the hotel and packed most of our things up. On the way back we saw Trip and Hey Everybody at the Dollar General - they had survived rain walking on the ridge!Gray Ghost showed up at our room later on - he stopped in Bland to visit a clinic for a minor cough. He was doing pretty well otherwise and we caught up with him in the room and ate pizza outside on the gazebo. We met a guy from West Virginia who worked for the Park Service and told us about the rafting there...excited to try the Gauley sometime!The rain never materialized - we even had some sun! - but a good rest nonetheless. Retired to the room to relax. An early start tomorrow will be a little bit of a change from the "Bland" day we had today!
Date: 2014-05-01
From: Bland, VA

To: Dismal Falls (Camping)
Miles today: 20.2

Over 600 miles today - and a great camping site near Dismal Falls! Prepared for the best sleep of the trail tonight after the 20 mile day and the noise of the falls.Woke up well rested from our zero day and ready to tackle big miles! We ate our breakfast early and caught the first shuttle with Bubba - only $10 to take five people up the road back to the trail.Headed out with Gray Ghost and Trip, and after walking the road for a bit we began the big climb of the day. We powered up the hill since we were feeling good and moved fast on the ridge - made great time and distance before our first packs off break!After the restart, crossed a road and met a group of four young hikers - Oh Canada, Late Start, Sky, and Ghost Pony. They were looking for their friends Timon and Pumba - all about my age. We stopped at a stream and filled up water with Sprout. He had just gotten back from a couple of days rock climbing with a friend.The weather was perfect for hiking - sunny, not too hot with a cooling breeze on the uphill climbs.We stopped for lunch at Jenny Knob Shelter with Trip - he decided to stay the night while we moved on.Kept hiking the good hike to the suspension bridge over Kimberley Creek - a great little bridge similar to the one at Turkey Run State Park in Indiana! Reminiscent of home and those in Indiana - miss you guys there and all my friends keeping up with the journey!We opted out of camping at Trent's Grocery (good choice - later on we found out it was not set up for hammockers) and pushed on to the falls. About 0.5 from the falls we ran into a couple and started talking - it turned out to be the Georgia Ridgerunner Razor! They were hiking to Damascus for Trail Days since less thru-hikers were traveling in Georgia - what a small trail this can be!Arrived to the magnificent Dismal Falls - and they did not disappoint! About a 30 foot drop/cascade effect and it was in a very solitary setting. After Timon, Pumba, Kalpaca, and Lynx left, we set up camp and then I went to sit by the falls after dinner. It was great to sit in mental silence and listen to the falls - prompted relaxing and good thoughts. A couple others showed up to camp, but they stayed at another site. We enjoyed the evening to ourselves - the scenery, the falls, the solitude, the company.
Date: 2014-05-02
From: Dismal Falls

To: Woods Hole Hostel
Miles today: 13.1
Weather: few clouds

Even before starting the journal, you must stay at this place if you are on the trail! A great little cabin and bunkhouse run by Neville and Michael - great meals and a great and calm atmosphere!Slept like a baby in a hammock last night - the falls serenaded us to sleep. Woke up extremely well rested and started the day ready to hike! On the way to the trail met an older fellow who recognized the Purdue hat - he himself had graduated from Purdue as an electrical engineer. Boiler Up!The initial hiking towards the Wapiti Shelter was slightly downhill and gentle - made some good miles before the first rest. After that we had some pretty steep climbing after the shelter (which we somehow missed - oops!) and it quickly slowed the pace down. The climbing eased up a little as we went up but it still tired us out.Stopped for lunch at the top of the hill and greeted Eastwood as he passed. He was also heading to Woods Hole so we will see a fellow Hoosier later (born and raised in Tipton, IN and lives out West now)! Gray Ghost and TrailLite (section hiker) also stopped by and we talked about the climbing and the camping last night. We continued down the trail and stopped at an old forest service road. Up to this point the trail had been smooth and kind to us hikers. Gray Ghost commented on this as he walked by - and the trail after the road was rocky and rough! It lasted all the way down to Sugar Run Road where Woods Hole is located - a lot more tiring walking on rocks!We headed down the road to the hostel - 0.5 miles off the trail, but well worth it! Arrived to a bunkhouse, cabin, little farm, and friendly people. Neville and Michael have recruited several hikers for work-for-stay and Stone Bear checked us in - been there for two weeks!We settled into the Garden Room and showered and rested in the community area outside. The bunkhouse has a fridge filled with hiker snacks and uses the honor system for hikers - record what you take. The Garden Room had multiple beds with a view to the gardens and access to the indoor shower, laundry, and computer. I read "AWOL on the Appalachian Trail" by Awol and enjoyed a smoothie out in the sunshine. We reduced our pack weight by eating our dinner and then sat outside enjoying the weather and company. Had a couple cats visit us who wanted pets and attention - hopped right up into my lap!After dinner, I confirmed plans with Amber Messick from Virginia Tech to meet us in Pearisburg - she graciously offered to take us on a tour of the campus! It will be great to see a familiar face from my time as a co-op at Gulfstream! We prepared for bed and a famous breakfast in the morning!
Date: 2014-05-03
From: Woods Hole Hostel

To: Holiday Motor Lodge via Lane Street
Miles today: 10.4

The other day - I met AmbearFrom Pearisburg - To Hokie Town!A great day all around! After a great sleep, we started the day out right with the famous Woods Hole Breakfast - great cinnamon rolls! Before the meal, we were asked to introduce ourselves and list something we were thankful for.Thankful to be out here on this great adventure with my dad - an adventure of a lifetime!Helped clean up after breakfast and then said goodbye to everyone at the hostel - Eastwood, Heartwoodpath, Sprout, Storm, Pretty Bird, Bismark, Hopper, Goat, Stonebear, Neville, and Michael.With a nine o'clock start, we hoped to reach Pearisburg by 1 pm to meet up with Amber for our visit to Blacksburg and Virginia Tech. The hiking was great today with cool temperatures and sunshine and some views down in the valley. The hiking went by quickly and we passed many day hikers coming up from Pearisburg to see the views. The climb down to Pearisburg was steep at points but mostly gentle with the switchbacks. Since we had gotten distracted by some views, we arrived at Lane Street a bit after 1 pm but were still able to meet up with Amber and her new car!Amber was doing well and nearing the end of the Spring semester at Virginia Tech. We got checked into the Holiday Motor Lodge Hostel and then rode over to Virginia Tech. We caught up with each other since we lasted met.Upon arriving on campus, we stopped at a VT staple - Macado's! A unique restaurant with a lot of miscellaneous pictures and movie memorabilia. We had a great meal and I had a burger with mozzarella sticks on it!After Macado's, we did a driving tour of the campus and then walked around the buildings. Virginia Tech has a great campus centered around the drill fields for the Corps of Cadets. The academic side is separated from the residence side of campus, but everything is a lot closer together and more tight knit than Purdue University. Virginia Tech is well-maintained and a very pretty campus to walk around!We had a great time at Virginia Tech, and after the tour she drove us back to Pearisburg to drop us off. I was sad to see her go but Big Dawg and I both greatly appreciated the time she took to come get us and show us around! Good luck on your finals Amber!We sorted through our food box and finished up the meals for the next six days to Daleville - our packs will be the heaviest on the trail starting out tomorrow! Ate at the little AYCE (All You Can Eat) Chinese buffet in town and then returned to the hostel to rest and relax. Talked to Mom and then proceeded to catch up on journal entries.A great day with a little rest and relaxation combined with a great tour of a new place and time with a friend - can't be beat!
Date: 2014-05-04
From: Lane Street

To: The Captain's (Camping)
Miles today: 20.5

Happy Star Wars Day - May the Fourth Be With You!Today was another adventure! Trail reroutes, a wicked climb, and even ziplining (more on that later) !Woke in the hiker hostel and showered - rolled out of the place before 8 am and walked back to Lane St. We crossed over the New River and briefly entered the woods while passing the future route of the AT. After an emergency restroom break and a minor detour (the turn was not well blazed), we started up the huge climb out of Pearisburg. What a tough climb on a warm day! It was pretty steep in parts and rocky - the long climb up required a lot of breaks.We finally made it to the top and started walking on a long ridge most of the day. It was a nice sunny day with a lot of wind on the ridge. We were treated to some views early on but mostly were just walking. Enjoyed lunch at the Rice Field Shelter - reachable only by stile!The ridge walking was pretty nice after the tough climb although it was a bit rough in parts. After the long and tiring hike, we finally arrived at Pine Swamp Branch Shelter. No one was at the shelter but there were not enough hammock trees for us to use. We decided to eat dinner at the shelter and then move up a little further. When we left Jolly and Bucket List arrived at the shelter.Went to the Captain's Place that you can only reach by a mini zipline across a creek. We set up hammocks and stayed the night with two SOBO girls Nug and Sundance. Enjoyed cold sodas on his back porch and relaxed the rest of the evening.
Date: 2014-05-05
From: The Captain's

To: War Spur Shelter
Miles today: 11.5
Weather: overcast clouds

Happy Cinco De Mayo!Had a great sleep in the hammocks last night at the Captain's! Woke up and packed up and said goodbye to Nug and Sundance while we cooked breakfast. As we were getting ready to leave a storm rolled in so we waited it out on the Captain's porch (with more sodas)!We returned to the trail and had some easy hiking until the big up of the day - another steep climb with no switchbacks. We reached the top near Bailey's Gap Shelter but then ran into a 3+ mile stretch of extremely rocky rough trail. Very slow going and tiring in the warm humid day. At MM 657.1, we stopped to get some water and fixed the little spring there to make it easier to use. We met several day hikers doing sections of the trail - we warned them about the upcoming rocky section.Stopped at a road crossing for lunch and met Fiber One. He is from Houston and doing his third AT thru-hike! After lunch we stopped by Wind Rock, which had some ok views. Continued climbing down until we reached the War Spur Shelter and decided to cut the day short and rest for the long day tomorrow.As we arrived at the shelter, we ran into Timon, Pumba, and Kalpaca getting ready to move on to the next shelter. We chatted with them briefly while getting settled in at the shelter. With hammocks set up and water gathered, we prepared dinner while homers rolled in. Fiber One, Bucket List, Dirty Harry, and Fran all arrived and set up in the shelter. It was a pleasant surprise to see them again, and after Fran lit her first fire on the trail we stayed up and chatted around the campfire. A rough day with a good ending!
Date: 2014-05-06
From: War Spur Shelter

To: Niday Shelter
Miles today: 18.2
Weather: broken clouds

A very warm day today! Woke up to a warm morning and figured it was gonna be a hot day!We left camp early to make the long miles and started out with nice terrain that turned into a steep up. It was a little tough going up, but the ridge at the top was nice walking.We followed the ridge up to Kelly Knob and were rewarded with great views of the valley below on this sunny day! Left the knob and went down through a meadow to a road crossing for lunch. After eating we began the second climb and passed the Keffer Oak - second largest tree on the AT! The second climb was much tougher than the first - steeper, hotter weather, no switchbacks. We made it to the top for more ridge walking - some good views but the rocks made the hiking tough. We rested near the path for Sarver Hollow Shelter and then continued on to the Niday Shelter. Slow going and rocky walking to the shelter - Big Dawg was ready for the day to be over.At the shelter, we set up hammocks and met the Lorax, Dr. Scrambles, Wikipedia, and Tor Tor. After eating dinner and meeting our new friends, Dirty Harry and Fran showed up late because of Harry's extra four miles of running looking for Fran - they accidentally walked past each other.
Date: 2014-05-07
From: Niday Shelter

To: Four Pines Hostel via VA 624
Miles today: 16.8

After a good sleep from yesterday's tough hike, we woke to Feather (SOBO hiker) building a cooking fire in camp. He had arrived early in the morning and did not want to disturb the camp until people started moving. He was an interesting older fellow with a big feather on his head.We chatted with everyone at breakfast and then rolled out. We did not find any beers in the creek near the first road crossing but it was a great morning for hiking! The climb up Brush Mountain was much nicer than the previous climbs and we were rewarded with soda trail magic at Trout Creek!The sodas caused us to stop for lunch and enjoy the magic. While eating we met Eeyore and Thirsty while Harry, Fran, and Moving On showed up as we were leaving. From the lunch spot we started our climb up to the Dragon's Tooth! The trail up was generally nice with one rocky rough section closer to the Tooth and some viewpoints. The day became hot and humid - needed a lot of water today.Near the top, we met three day homers asking us how far down the trail water was. It was pretty far to the next water and we offered them some but they turned back to the parking lot.The Dragon's Tooth was awesome! We climbed up a rock shelf near the tooth and were treated to great views and a good rest in a pretty place. After getting pictures, we started climbing down to the Four Pines Hostel - a really tough unexpected down! It was extremely rugged and steep on the first part of the down requiring a lot of effort and concentration and energy. After 1.5 miles the down climb became friendlier and we walked VA 624 to Four Pines. This hostel stay was up with the best places we have stayed on the trail! The hostel is run by Joe Mitchell - a great guy and asset to the Appalachian Trail. The hostel is set up in a three bay garage and he allows hammockers to sleep in the barn. He lives on a farm so he has a fishing pond and a lot of animals including alpacas! The atmosphere of the hostel is great - everyone is relaxing and hanging out and playing cornhole! We settled in and then he drove people to the local gas station for food, drinks, and beer! Enjoyed the ride in the back of his truck and relaxing at the hostel. Taught Fran and Harry how yo play and then played cornhole with the master himself (Joe). This stop was much needed after the last three days of tough hiking.