morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2010-05-20
From: Pickle Branch shelter

To: Catawba Mountain shelter
Miles today: 14.6
Weather: clear sky

It sprinkled on us last night so our tents were wet again this morning. Also, it seemed I had 100 daddy long leg spiders on my tent and a few inside, too. There really was nowhere convenient to cook any breakfast at our tentsite, so I did without. I knew it was a mistake, but I figured I'd make some later that morning during a break. Well, that never happened either. I ended up suffering the whole day. Also, I was short on water, too, so I paid the price for that too. Veto and I caught up with JAY-B early on and we walked together over some very rocky peaks or knobs. Eventually, we came to the side trail to Dragons Tooth and we all walked down to it. It is a huge stone monolith rising about 20 or 30 feet into the sky. I tried climbing onto it without success, but Veto and several young hikers managed. Great views down into the valley. The descent down from Dragons Tooth was very technical bouldering. I wondered how many people have hurt themselves on that section. There were actually rebar ladder rings affixed into some of the rock faces. One slip and it was certain injury. After that descent, guess what? Right. We climbed another ridgeline. Along the way, I stopped at a stream to refill my water bladder since I was out again, and rinsed my shirt out. It stunk so bad even I couldn't stand the smell. We finally made it to a road which led to The Homeplace Restaurant and a nearby general store. Veto, Slinky and I opted to hitchhike the 1.5 miles instead of a roadwalk. Unfortunately, traffic was moving fast and there was nowhere for a vehicle to pull out of traffic to give us a lift. So, we started walking on the narrow shoulder. After we gave up hitchhiking and started walking, a man in a pickup truck took mercy on us and found a place to pull in and give us a ride. Thank you very much! The Homeplace serves food - good food. They serve family style and keep bringing it out if you keep eating it. Yum! And thru hikers can keep eating! We topped dinner off with some peach cobbler a la mode. That really hit the spot!As Slinky, Veto and I were digesting our supper, JAY-B arrived and went into the restaurant for his turn at it. We prepared to leave and another diner offered us a ride back to the trail in the back of his pickup truck. Heck yeah! We were back in no time and back on the trail for a 2 mile walk to a shelter where we found a nice tentsite.
Date: 2010-05-24
From: Harvey's Knob Overlook

To: Bryant Ridge shelter
Miles today: 15.9
Weather: light rain

This will be a brief entry since neither Veto nor I am feeling well today. Jerry, Sue and Ben picked us up at our hotel at 7am and Jerry was the first to be dropped off on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Veto and I were then dropped off a few miles up. The hike was uneventful except that it rained on us again and neither one of us felt well. I didn't have any energy for climbing, but we finally made it. This shelter accommodates 20 hikers. It's huge! Once we arrived at 3:30pm, we both set up in the loft and tried to take a nap. Well. at least I got a nice 2 hour rest in. We'll see if things improve tomorrow.
Date: 2010-05-25
From: Bryant Ridge shelter

To: Thunder Hill shelter
Miles today: 10.3
Weather: light rain

A second day of hiking with neither Veto or I feeling well. It rained off and on last night, and continued the same pattern today. We started out with a long, steep climb. I wasn't happy. Then, we stopped in for a light lunch of a bagel smeared with peanut butter. Leaving the shelter we had another long, but not so steep, climb. When we got to this second shelter, we decided to call it quits for the day. We changed into dry clothes and crawled into our sleeping bags for a couple of hours before fixing dinner. Hoping we feel better tomorrow.
Date: 2010-05-26
From: Thunder Hill shelter

To: Johns Hollow shelter
Miles today: 16.3
Weather: broken clouds

Well, Veto and I both felt better today. We had a light breakfast before the first climb of the day. On our first descent, we ran into trail maintainers Dan "Runner" Morton and Jenny trying to clear a blowdown from the trail. We gave them a hand and had it cleared in little time. Runner ran the AT in 52 days and 4 hours. If I had attempted that, I'd be done now, one way or another. Ha!We got about 11 miles in before we stopped for lunch and opted to eat supper there and have a small meal at tonight's shelter. I'm not sure whether that was a good idea or not. I finally put my ear buds in for the last two miles and listened to some '70s rock. That's what I do when things get tough out here. It helps me climb these mountains. Hey! At least it didn't rain today
Date: 2010-05-27
From: Johns Hollow shelter

To: Blue Ridge Parkway 51.7
Miles today: 9.2

Last night was a disaster. Mistake number 1: I wasn¢t feeling well to begin with so I ate half a meal portion. Mistake number 2: I decided to sleep in the shelter so I wouldn¢t have to set my tent up. Well, the air in the shelter was stifling, in spite of the fact that there was a nice breeze outside. So, I found it hard to fall asleep. Then, SOMEONE decided to snore all night and, no; it was not Veto. It was Hyway, in spite of his protestations that he barely slept all night. If he ¢barely slept¢, why didn¢t he ¢barely snore?¢ Ha!Then, I will spare you the details, but I had to get up in the middle of the night and early in the morning to take care of some ¢gastrointestinal discomfort¢¢¦By morning, I was cooked, beat, tired, exhausted. And, we had a climb ¢ check that, we had two climbs that morning. I barely made it up the first climb. I realized that I was not going to get better out in the woods. So, I called in reinforcements. I called my wife, Joann, to see if she could drive almost five hours and rescue me ¢ and she agreed. My plan was to rehydrate, get a good meal and a good night¢s sleep, and see if my condition improved. If not, I had decided to go home to recover since I am planning to be off the trail next week anyway. Veto and I then hiked another five miles or so to a point where the trail crossed the Blue Ridge Parkway where Joann could pick us up.When we got there, Hyway had stopped for a break and decided he wanted to join us for a night in town. Joann finally arrived and carted us to a motel in Buena Vista. We checked in, showered, grabbed our dirty clothes, and headed out to the laundromat and a restaurant. I had a nice, practical meal of rotisserie chicken, potatoes, cole slaw, and lots of water and Pepsi. I¢m feeling much better already. Let¢s see how I feel tomorrow.
Date: 2010-05-28
From: Blue Ridge Parkway 51.7

To: Salt Log Gap North
Miles today: 19.4

Well, today would be test day - would I manage to slackpack 19+ miles, or would I suffer and fail? Joann dropped Hyway, Veto and me off after a breakfast at Hardee's and we were off. Hyway was gone in no time, but I wanted to start slowly to make sure I was back on track. Well, the good dinner, a night's sleep in a bed, and Joann's TLC must have done the trick. I felt strong again for the first time in several days. And, the weather cooperated; for the first 15 miles, anyway. The neat thing about slackpacking is that you get to see all the other thru hikers in your "hiking bubble" as they come the other way up the trail. Veto and I had lunch while sitting on a bench at the edge of Brown Mountain Creek. One mile later, we found Hot Flash and Flash doing trail magic - lunch! We were too full for a full lunch, but I did manage to gulp down three cups of their awesome tea/lemonade mix and couldn't refuse a chocolate cupcake. Yum! Now THAT was good! And, they were great hosts, too! They thru hiked the AT in 1987 and have been involved with the trail ever since. Thanks, you two! With about four miles to go, the skies darkened and the wind picked up. Then, we heard the rumble of thunder in the distance. Gradually, the thunder got louder, and finally the skies opened up. It was a torrent. We flew up the trail the last few miles, hoping that Joann would be there to pick us up. Sure enough, she was there at the road crossing waiting for us with chilled sodas and water. We were drenched but invigorated. It was also nice to know that we would be warm and dry in our motel rooms tonight.And, it looks like whatever was ailing me for the several days may be over. I¢m keeping my fingers crossed!
Date: 2010-05-29
From: Salt Log Gap North

To: The Priest (Mountain)
Miles today: 12.7

Okay, I got the best night's sleep last night that I've had since I can remember. We packed up the car and headed out early because Joann had to get back home to take care of some other matters. After stopping off at Hardee's for a quick breakfast to go, we headed back up the mountain where Joann dropped Veto, Hyway and me off. Back in the woods with three days food - not too bad, especially considering I got another good dinner last night and a full night's rest. The hike today was easy and uneventful, except that we ran across a large crew doing major trail maintenance. They were from both the Natural Bridge ACT and a Konnarock crew. They were building water bars and rerouting a section of the AT just north of Spy Rock. Thanks to you and all the trail maintainers - that's hard work! Veto and I climbed Spy Rock and then had lunch at the base. After another couple hours of easy hiking, we got to the Priest Shelter and cooked dinner and refilled our water bottles before moving on to our campsite atop The Priest. We have great views of range after range of mountains out to the west and a nice breeze to keep the bugs down. As long as it doesn't rain on us tonight, we've got quite a place to spend the night. I'm feeling 100% again thanks to the support of my wife, Joann. I owe you (even more!).
Date: 2010-05-30
From: The Priest (Mountain)

To: Maupin Filed shelter
Miles today: 13.4
Weather: few clouds

There was a cool breeze through my tentsite all last night, which was nice but I kept having to change my sleeping arrangements; in the sleeping bag, on the sleeping bag, and under the sleeping bag. Otherwise, I slept reasonably well. I got up this morning and shared a cup of coffee with Veto while we sat on the granite boulders overlooking the valleys and ranges spread out in front of us. I got to thinking that the scene was one I'm sure many people conjure up when they think of backpacking. Well, it does exist, but not nearly enough. It is really nice when it does, though. Veto and I set out on a long descent to the Tye River where we took our first break. Some of the other thru hikers took the opportunity to go for a refreshing swim, including Eureka, formerly known as Slinky, formerly known as Jerry from KY. Every descent to a river or a gap has a corresponding climb back up into the mountains. Today was no exception. We climbed almost 3000 feet in six miles. It was a killer, too, over some rocky terrain! I was sure glad when that was over. On the way up, Eureka and I both realized we didn't have enough water, which was going to be a problem. We stopped at a very small, low flowing spring coming out from the base of a hollow tree where we refilled our bottles and treated the water. It really didn't look too appetising, but it was better than nothing. As I descended Three Ridges Mountain, I stopped at another granite boulder overlook for a 20 minute break. Then, it was on another few miles to the shelter and my tentsite. En route, I crossed a better flowing spring, emptied my water bottles of the hollow tree spring water, and refilled them.It was a tough day with the climbing in such hot weather. I think tomorrow's hike will be longer but easier. Also, there is more thunder again this evening, but so far, no rain. Hope it stays that way.
Date: 2010-06-01
From: Paul C. Wolfe shelter

To: Rockfish Gap
Miles today: 5.0
Weather: scattered clouds

It was an easy five mile walk to Rockfish Gap today, where Veto and I hoped to catch a ride into Waynesboro, VA. Just as we were walking into the parking lot of the Shenandoah National Park Visitor's Center, Appalachian Trail Conservancy volunteer Bill Gallagher pulled in and offered us a ride into town. He even agreed to make a quick stop at the outfitter so I could look for a replacement for my broken hiking pole strap. I had no luck on the replacement strap, but I did pick up a new pair of hiking shorts to replace the ones I've been wearing for the past several weeks. I can't even keep them up anymore! Once in town, Bill dropped us off at the Quality Inn, where each of us got a room. Thanks for the ride, Bill! Veto's wife was due in town later today. It'll be the first time he's seen her since Erwin, TN. Before she was due to arrive in town, we walked to the Laundromat and washed our clothes. While they were in the washing machine, we walked a block to Kline's Custard Stand and each had a rather large serving of custard. Yum! That actually took care of our lunch needs. Veto's wife, Robo Hiker, arrived in the early afternoon, bearing lots and lots of goodies. Pumpkin and apple bread, peanut butter cookies, and two types of fudge - it filled the bill and I had some left over to share with my wife, Joann, who will be down tomorrow. This evening, we walked down to a steak house, another food item I've been wanting for awhile. We also loaded up on vegetables, salad, and ice cream for dessert, of course. Walking back to the hotel, we decided we just didn't have room for another helping of custard at Klines. But, there's always tomorrow...
Date: 2010-06-02
From: Waynesboro

To: Waynesboro
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: few clouds

I got up this morning, which is the first of five zero days, and had a cup of coffee and a little of the continental breakfast offered by the Quality Inn. The desk clerk agreed to give me a late checkout at noon. Joann is coming down today and I booked us a room at the Tree Streets Inn B&B for the night. I pretty much relaxed in my room until it was time to check out. I shouldered my pack and walked the four blocks or so to the Tree Streets Inn, where I met the owners, Bill & Nicki. I dropped my pack in our room and walked into town to wait for Joann. Shortly after I got there, she called and said she was in Waynesboro. I met her at the Tree Streets Inn and we unloaded the car and then walked into town for some lunch. Later tonight, we'll get a nice dinner somewhere and then get ready for our drive to Blowing Rock, NC, where we'll meet another 140 or so Porsche owners for some good driving and good food for the next four days. My next journal entry will be for June 7, when I get back on the trail.
Date: 2010-06-07
From: Rockfish Gap

To: Skyline Drive MM 90
Miles today: 16.4

Joann and I met Veto and his wife, Robo Hiker, for breakfast this morning for breakfast in Waynesboro. Veto also took time off the trail while I was in Blowing Rock, and they have been touring some of the historical sites in the area, including Thomas Jefferson's home, Monticello. After breakfast, I stowed my gear in the bed of their pickup truck, said goodbye to Joann, and we were off back to Rockfish Gap to continue this adventure. Robo Hiker dropped us off and we got back on the trail. Now, since I left Springer Mountain, GA, I've been hearing how easy Shenandoah National Park is. Just inside the park, we filed our backcountry permits, a Park Service requirement. We had to do the same thing upon entering the Great Smokey Mountain National Park. Oh, and I should mention that we were slack pack; walking with minimal food and gear in our packs. Robo Hiker and Veto had a campsite in one of the park campgrounds and Robo Hiker was going to pick us up at a prearranged spot on Skyline Drive, which runs through the park. I really saw little difference in the difficulty of this part of the trail compared to the previous 853 miles of trail I've already completed. Was it easier? No, not that I could see. What was neat was seeing thru hikers who had caught up to us following our five day "vacation" from the trail. Among those we ran into were sisters Web Walker and Just Blue Skies. We haven't seen them since Damascus, VA. We also ran into Rabid, whom I haven't seen since she had to get off the trail at Neel's Gap due to severe blisters on her feet. She said they turned out to be infected so she was off the trail for several days so they could heal. I remember her telling me that she would return to the trail but I hadn't seen her since. It was nice to see her again. Also, it turns out that we underestimated our mileage for the day by two miles, so we were a little late getting to our pickup point. We stood around for several minutes before we jumped in the truck and headed to our campground. While we were there, Rabid walked up. She immediately recognized Robo Hiker from somewhere in her past. Rabid lives in Ellijay, GA, and Robo Hiker lives in a small town in Tennessee. But, they finally put it together: Rabid worked as an admitting clerk in a hospital emergency room in Murfreesboro, TN, where Robo Hiker was the charge nurse. Rabid worked there while she was a student at Middle Tennessee State University. It really is a small world on the AT!
Date: 2010-06-08
From: Hawksbill Gap

To: Panorama-Thorton Gap
Miles today: 12.5

When I got up last night to relieve myself (three times - too much iced tea) the sky was ablaze with stars. The good thing was that there wouldn't be any rain until later in the day. We had breakfast at the campsite this morning before Joann and Robo Hiker drove Veto and me to Hawksbill Gap for the start of another slack pack. It was another beautiful day for hiking. A little warmer than yesterday, and a little more humid, but still a beautiful day. I must say, other than a few days, I've had great weather during my thru hike. I just hope it continues. I was still feeling strong, so we made good time. We passed the stables and the turn off for Skyland Lodge in no time. Just before stopping for lunch at the Pinnacle Picnic area, I spotted a three foot long timber rattler alongside the trail. He didn't seem bothered by our presence until we took out our cameras and started taking flash photographs of him. He finally coiled up, so we made a hasty retreat. Since it¢s a Saturday, there were lots of section and day hikers out. It was nice to see so many hikers taking advantage of the weather and the maze of trails in the Park. We got to Panorama, the former site of a restaurant in the Park and our final destination for the day, just after Joann and Robo Hiker pulled in to pick us up. Perfect timing! We hit the showers and did laundry once we arrived back at the campground. While the laundry was in, we saw Grapevine, whom I have not seen since Damascus. He said he has been taking things slowly, and taking several zero days in towns along the trail. He said he has decided hike to Harpers Ferry and then flip-flop to Maine and hike back to Harpers Ferry, giving himself more time to finish the trail. Sisters Web Walker and Just Blue Skies have decided to do a flip-flop, too, but from the halfway point at Pine Grove Furnace State Park. It¢s always fun to catch up on trail happenings when you see someone you haven't seen in several weeks or more. We had him over for dinner tonight, and Joann and Robo Hiker will slack pack him tomorrow, too.
Date: 2010-06-13
From: Panorama-Thorton Gap

To: Gravel Springs Hut
Miles today: 14.8
Weather: light rain

Well, we got a few drops of rain on the tent last night but the skies were clear this morning when we got up. We have been camped at the Big Meadows Campground for the past few days while Joann and Robo Hiker slack pack us, so we headed up to the lodge for a breakfast of buckwheat pancakes with blueberries. Tasty! Grapevine headed out with us to our drop off spot for today¢s hike. He is planning a marathon hike back to Big Meadows - 26.2 miles. I don't envy him.
Date: 2010-06-14
From: Gravel Springs Hut

To: US 522
Miles today: 13.2

We finished Shenandoah National Park today. Also, it was Veto's last day on the trail. He has decided to go home tomorrow to spend more time with his wife. That's a reason that's hard to argue. He's been a great hiking partner and a source of information about the trail, since he previously hiked the AT in 2006. Also, he has been very perceptive with me; knowing when I need a zero day, knowing when to back off on the daily miles, and so forth. He brought a sense of reason to my hike and I enjoyed his company. He will be missed. Today's hike was sweet! The trail was finally what everyone says it is in SNP: wide, smooth, and gently graded. The only thing missing was an inch of mulch. Ha! Actually, the trail is nice all the way from Elkwallow Wayside to US 522. And, although it got hot and humid toward the end of the day, it was another beautiful day on the trail! When we got to US 522, Joann and Robo Hiker were waiting for us with cold drinks. Well done! After we got to our hotel rooms In Front Royal, we got cleaned up and I went out to get a much needed haircut. Then we all went out to dinner at the Melting Pot Pizza. Now, that's some good pizza and we ordered plenty of it! We even had enough for me to take with me on my hike tomorrow for lunch. We followed that up with some custard at Spelunkers. Yum! I may do that again tomorrow! Also, this was the fourth day in my new hiking shoes. I've switched from New Balance Trail Runners to Vasque Breeze shoes. I have wide feet, so I need brands that come in wide widths, and both New Balance and Vasque offer them. The New Balance worked well, but only lasted me about 450 miles/pair. Actually, I guess that's not bad. On the first pair, the uppers began to separate from the soles, and on the second pair, the mesh in the uppers actually split. The soles were still good on both pair when I retired them. The Vasque Breeze seems a little sturdier, and a little stiffer, too. None of them are Gortex-lined, which is how I prefer them. That way, they dry out quicker. We shall see how the Vasque Breeze holds up.
Date: 2010-06-15
From: AT Mile Marker 974

To: US 522
Miles today: 13.8

Well, Joann slackpacked me southbound today. It will be my last slackpack for awhile. I intended to do more miles today, but we were unable to find a trail access point listed in AWOL's trail guide, so we had to improvise. I ended up starting about 1.5 miles south of where I wanted. I've been using AWOL's guide since I left Springer Mountain in March and it was accurate in Georgia and the Great Smokey Mountain National Park. Since we've moved into Virginia, however, there seem to be numerous errors and today's was one. The guide lists a trail access point off of Howellsville Road. Turns out, there is none. We were lucky enough to find a side trail leading to the AT with the help of some local residents. It wasn't marked, but there was a pullout and a trail leading into the woods. I followed it without my pack to see whether it intersected with the AT. After walking about .3 miles, I found the AT. I hiked back up to the car, grabbed my pack and hiking poles, and I was off. It wasn't until I made it to Manassas Gap Shelter that I knew exactly where on the trail I was and realized that I would be a couple miles shorter for the day than I wanted. Tomorrow will be a long day - nearly 20 miles, and with a full pack again. We'll see how that goes.Anyway, the trail today was nice enough. More of the same: walking up and down through the woods. Because I was southbound, I ran into several northbound thru hikers, including Guppy and Wizard, whom I haven't seen in several weeks. The other thing about hiking southbound is that it takes longer. I must have stopped and talked close to a total of an hour with various northbounders. That must be the reason why I got to lunch at the Jim & Molly Denton Shelter so late. I realized I wasn't going to make it back to US 522 to meet Joann at our pre-arranged time. I picked up my speed after lunch, but I was still about half an hour late. No problem. She had gone shopping after dropping me off and was doing trail magic at US 522 when I got there. Cold sodas, water and snacks for hikers. Nice!So, I've just finished my first day of hiking by myself in more than two months. I think it's gonna work. I'm going to give it a try for awhile, anyway.