morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2007-05-26
From: Campsite past Keffer Oak Shelter

To: Pickle Branch Shelter
Miles today: 18.5
Weather: broken clouds

(Erin) Today started with the sounds of cows mooing in the field right next to our tent. We did not pick the best spot to camp, the front of the tent opened onto the trail. So much for being 200ft from the trail. A few hikers came by while we were still in our tent and I¢m sure gave us some funny looks with our tent right next to the trail¢¦oh well. First thing in the morning of course we had a big climb to get out of the way. We had avoided doing it last night because we got in too late and didn't want to hike in the dark. It was a hard mountain but the top was decently flat all the way to the shelter sign. From there we had about 6 more miles of rock hopping and slab walking to the next shelter for lunch. For lunch I had my cheese-its, an apple, and beef jerky. Will had some peanut butter on a tortilla with honey. We still had 9.9 more miles to the next shelter with a big climb in the middle. I was just hoping that there would be switchbacks to make it a little easier (which there were). On the way up Will and I were again sweating like crazy. I don¢t think I have ever sweat as much as I have out here on the trail. I had sweat dripping from my chin and I had to keep wiping it off my eye lids and forehead. At the top of the side of the trail there was a little bench¢¦a much needed bench after that crazy mountain. We both sat down for a few minutes and then started walking again. Up ahead was a memorial for a man who had died in a plane crash on the mountain. I didn¢t actually go up to the memorial but Will and Sylvan did and took pictures. From there we had 5 miles to the shelter which was mostly downhill. Even on the down hill we were both sweating and it's only May¢¦it's only going to get worse this summer.p.s. oh yeah, my feet are not getting any worse the Walmart shoes I bought are working for now, until we get to Daleville
Date: 2007-05-27
From: Pickle Branch Shelter

To: Campbell Shelter
Miles today: 17.0
Weather: few clouds

(Willie)Wow, that was a full day, in more ways then one. We woke up this morning with our sights set on Catawba and the famous Homeplace restaurant, too bad it was 12.6 hard miles away. If we weren¢t looking ahead so much we probably would have enjoyed the trail a little more, instead of cursing out the rough terrain over the Dragons Tooth, Lost Spectacles Gap, Devil¢s Seat, and Rawies Rest. The first 5 miles over the Dragon¢s Tooth was really rough and slow going. It had some rock scrambles on the way down that even came complete with metal steps to help us out. Erin was definitely cursing the long legged person set the steps, but somehow we managed to make it to the bottom.After the exciting names came and went, it was time for a long, hot, run ¢¦ jog ¢¦ crawl into Catawba. Finally after much more work then expected we made it to the parking lot and were relieved to see Mouse¢s Motor and Little One handing out cold lemonade. That was enough to tide us over to get a ride into town and to the Homeplace. The food there was more then any hiker could dream about. All you can eat fried chicken, roast beef, ham, mashed potatoes, green beans, beans, biscuits, and cobbler. We got some strange looks from all the people dressed in their Sunday best, but we just kept eating. I ate so much that at one point I actually ran to the bathroom because there wasn¢t enough room for everything I was cramming into my stomach. Luckily after a few deep breaths I was able to keep everything down and go back to finish my cobbler.When the gorge was complete, the struggle to put the hip belt back on and keep walking began. It was not the most comfortable walking I¢ve experienced, but McAfees Knob was enough to convince us to go 4.5 more miles. McAfees is probably one of the most photographed places on the trail. It would have been nice if we could have gotten there before 8:30, but it was still an unbelievable view. After some hopeful pictures we put on our headlamps and head downhill to the shelter. Yeah, like I said it was a full day that didn¢t end until we got to the shelter at 9:30.Life Lesson: Eating faster then your brain can comprehend can be very dangerous. Trust me, sooner or later your brain will figure out just how much you¢ve eaten and it won¢t be happy with you.Tick Count Willie 2 Erin 0
Date: 2007-05-28
From: Campbell Shelter

To: Daleville
Miles today: 15.4
Weather: scattered clouds

(Erin) We woke up and started hiking by 7:55am. The weather was breezy and cool in the shade but pretty hot out in the sun. I knew we had some more great views to look forward to at Tinker Cliffs and when we got there it was amazing. I think the cliffs and McAfee¢s knob are my favorite spots so far. I even told Will that we will have to come back when we get off the trail for a weekend trip. I couldn¢t think too much about the fact that we were heading to town. We had too far to go to get excited so soon. The hike wasn¢t too hard and we walked along rocks and rolling hills for most of the day. Then we started to hear thunder!! As we walked it got closer and closer to the ridge we were walking on. We decided to take a quick break for a snack before the storm was on us and we wouldn¢t want to stop in the rain. Of course when the thunder and lightning was right over us we were walking right up into the clouds and then one time the trail crossed a row of power lines. I¢m sure that having powerlines above you is not the place to be in a thunder storm. We ended up not getting a whole lot of rain, just enough to cool us off and scare us a little bit. When we were only a mile outside of town, the sky really opened up on us and it poured until we reached Daleville. We checked into a hotel room at the Econo Lodge and relaxed while we called friends and family. Sylvan was going to share a room with us but we haven¢t seen her yet. We did leave a note for her at the trailhead so that she could find us if she got to town. At 8:30pm we walked over to Taco Bell for dinner and then had dessert at McDonalds. We had to get back to the hotel to finish laundry and get to bed before midnight. I seem to always sleep really well in hotels. I¢m sure it¢s the lack of sleep and the nice mattress and pillow that puts me right to sleep. My parents are meeting us in Buena Vista for a quick visit and re-supply us to get to Waynesboro,VA. Can¢t wait to see them again!!Tick Count Willie 3 Erin 0
Date: 2007-05-29
From: Daleville

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

(Erin) We woke up and had a more leisurely morning than we probably should have. We still had to go to the outfitter to look at shoes and we needed to re-supply. At 11:00 we walked over to the outfitter and explained my feet problem to them. They are rubbed raw on the heels and I think I need something better then Walmart specials. I ended up getting Montrail¢s. I wanted magic shoes but they didn¢t sell them. I also went all out and bought Montrail insoles so I hope they help too. So after all was said and done I spent $135. I can¢t be too upset, because I didn¢t buy new shoes when we started then trail. I had an older pair of Merrells that I had bought on clearance a few years back at DSW which only had a few miles on them. They had lasted a little over 600 miles so that¢s not too bad. I hope these last though PA. So we got on the trail around 2:00pm and planned on going 11 miles to the second shelter. In the first 4 miles my heels were killing me and I had to stop to do something about them. I had my first real break down on the trail. I¢m tired of my feet hurting all the time and after $135 they still hurt. So I cried, and Will tried to make me laugh. My feet still have to get better before the new shoes will help. We made it to the first shelter and took a break then we continued onto the next one. There we found a huge tarp between two trees with at least 15 people under it. There was a person, (we were guessing it was a counselor) reading a book to all of the people under the tarp. It turned out to be an all-girl's correction school group from Old Dominion. They were out for a 2 week hike shelter to shelter towards the James River. The counselors told us they were troubled teens that had been placed at the school for 8 to 10 months. The counselors looked to be the same age as the girls they were watching but they turned out to be in their mid-twenties. Their job was to keep the girls in line and to keep them always positive while out for the 2 weeks. It was a different kind of group dynamics; the girls had to ask before they could do anything and had to earn things with good behavior. So while we were cooking dinner girls came over to ask if they could use the privy or if they could talk to one of the counselors. Maybe something I'd like to do, be a counselor for an all-girl's correction facility, we'll see??? Tick Count: Willie 4 Erin 0
Date: 2007-05-30
From: Wilson Creek Shelter

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

(Willie)This morning we work up to the leaders from the New Dominion group yelling, ¢10 minutes to get ready for breakfast¢ so we jumped out of our bags and started getting ready. We didn¢t get any breakfast from them but we needed to get up early anyhow because we had a big day planned. The nice central VA trails helped make a longer day possible, because we were able to walk a little faster then our usual pace. Nice trails and nice hiking weather would have been way too much to ask for so we had to settle for nice trails and hot, humid, and hazy weather instead. When we crossed the Blue Ridge Parkway at various scenic overlooks (6 times in all) all we could see was a fuzzy outline of a really nice view. Oh well, we¢ll have to drive back to take pictures later.We had some steeper climbs today, but none as steep as the climb down to the Bobblets Shelter. Too bad it was the only good water source for miles so we had to make the detour. We had what¢s turning out to be the usual afternoon excitement when the thunder starts rumbling around 4:00. It never fails, after the last shelter but not close enough to turn back. Thankfully the rumbles didn¢t last long and we were able to take a nice dip in a swimming hole in Jennings Creek. It was inticing to stay there, but the weather at that moment seemed ok so on ward ho. Of course right on queue the skies started making noise again, and this time it sounded pretty serious so we practically ran the next 4 miles up and over Fork Mountain to the Bryant Ridge Shelter.We got to the shelter just in time for the thunder to fizzle out. We ended up getting some rain, but it wasn¢t nearly as bad as it was somewhere else. I guess that this gorgeous 2 level shelter with a wrap around deck will have to do for the night. The bugs here are out of this world. Good thing we have a deck to set our tent up on to keep us out of the rain and away from the bugs. Tick Count: Willie 6 Erin 1
Date: 2007-06-01
From: Petites Gap

To: Blue Ridge Parkway mile 51.7
Miles today: 20.8

(Willie)Yesterday we were woken up by rude hikers and today we were woken up by a very rude alarm clock going off at 5:42. Unfortunately, that was the plan, and after sleeping a little longer than we should have we had to get ready in a hurry to catch our ride back to the trail. Bud and The Grape Lady were really nice people, but man do they get rolling early! We checked out and got some strange looks as we scarfed down as much food as we could at the continental breakfast and took whatever else we could carry before heading out to the car and back to the trail. Even with the hour drive we still got walking around our usual time. Of course we started things off going straight uphill, but at least this time it wasn¢t in the middle of a storm. On my way up Highcock Knob for the second time after going back to get Erin¢s sunglasses I came up with the idea to meet Erin¢s parents tonight instead of first thing tomorrow morning. It only meant about .4 miles more walking, but it would give us more visitation time. Erin liked the idea, so we borrowed a cell phone and left a couple of messages for her parents and hoped that things would work out. It would have been helpful if I had looked at the book before giving an estimate for when we¢d be at the road 18 miles down the trail so that I could have accounted for the 2200¢ climb out of the James River that we¢d have to do in the afternoon. We didn¢t realize the lapse in judgment at first so we still took a long snack break, I still took time to take a dip in Matt¢s Creek, and we still putted around the James River ¢Foot Bridge¢ before I realized we had to hurry. We tried to run up to Big Rock Row but the climb was too much to handle on a hot day as we chugged what little water we had left. At one point my estimate changed from 6:30-7:00 to about 8:30 with the sluggish pace we were pulling, but after we got up and over the mountain things started going a little better. We flew up another 800¢ climb to the top of Bluff Mountain where we stopped for a break to drink the last of our water. From there we just had to cross our fingers that Erin¢s parents got our messages and that they¢d be waiting for us because once again the skies were really starting to rumble. Thankfully, as we were rounding the bend to the Punchbowl shelter we saw Mrs. Jones ready to take our picture. We found Mr. Jones sitting in a chair a little further up the trail waiting with drinks and snacks. They took us in to Buena Vista for some really good Mexican food and for a night at the Budget Inn. If only we could stay in a hotel every night. I guess two in a row isn¢t that bad.Life Lesson: The climb right after a river will almost always be steep and will always slow you down, especially when you have family waiting on the other side.Tick Count: Willie 10 Erin 2
Date: 2007-06-03
From: Brown Mountain Creek Shelter

To: Seeley-Woodworth Shelter
Miles today: 15.8
Weather: light rain

(Erin) Well the rain came and continued all day. It wasn't too bad while we were packing in the morning and for the first few miles. The first 5 miles were mostly uphill to Bald Knob and then down a bit to the shelter sign. We didn't put our rain coats on until then and the rain really started to come down. We had a quick break standing under some trees and then we starting hiking up Cold Mountain. On the way up Cold Mountain I started to remember some of the land marks that I had seen years ago when I did this mountain in college. Up on top it got really windy and rainy and the mountain really lived up to its name because it was cold up there. We didn't stay long before starting to hike back down. By this time my shorts, shoes, and socks were completely soaked. While in town the forecast had called for rain for the next 2 days¢¦so I can forget about having anything dry for a while. Whoo hoo!! So we kept hiking and when its raining we don't stop for regular breaks, we stop for quick snacks and then keep going. At a road crossing Will and I shared a Giant Crunch bar his mom sent us, (thanks for that!).   We were a few minutes from the shelter when a guy was coming towards us who had been with us from the night before. I said "your hiking the wrong way". He had left the shelter for the hostel and took the wrong turn and was hiking south. He almost didn't believe us and ask us a few times to make sure that he was indeed hiking south. He had earphones on and was in his own world and wasn't paying attention. Good thing we caught him or he would have walked a long way in the wrong direction. So we arrived at the shelter about 3:30 with only 2 guys in the shelter. Its nice to get to a shelter early, I was able to finish my magazine and we chatted with Tree Whisper and the South Bounder and his dog. We set our tent up in the shelter again, it seems that I sleep much better when we are in the tent then out in the open in the shelter. So with the rain still falling and our clothes still wet. We can only hope that we don't have to walk in the rain again tomorrow!!
Date: 2007-06-04
From: Seeley-Woodworth Shelter

To: Harpers Creek Shelter
Miles today: 14.3
Weather: broken clouds

(Willie)Our two month anniversary got off to a very painful start this morning. First at about 6:00 when we were woken up by our shelter mates, I rolled over toward Erin and went to pull my sleeping bag over my shoulder. At exactly the wrong moment the bag slipped out my hand, sending my fist rocketing towards Erin¢s back. At first I hoped that it hadn¢t woken her up, but the groan told me that I had. Man, what a bad wake up call. From then on, I decided to inflict pain on myself instead. First I slipped and fell when trying to get into the abnormally high shelter and bashed my shin on the way down. After that I decided that it would be a good idea to try to head butt the shelter. Apparently my soccer skills aren¢t what they use to be, because that really hurt!With a start like that, who would have though that we would actually have a pretty good day? For starters, the sun was out and it wasn¢t raining! That, I definitely won¢t complain about. The first big hurdle of the day was The Priest (4063¢). On the way up we took a side trail and climbed to the top of Spy Rock. It was a bit windy, but at least we got our first good views in days. From the top of the Priest we shot down to the Tye River at 997¢ before starting to climb Three Ridges (3970¢). After about 1000¢ up we decided to call it quits and stopped at the shelter. It was either a long day today or one tomorrow to set us up get into Waynesboro on Wednesday and this shelter was really nice so we decided to stay. I guess the shelter wasn¢t that great, but it¢s set in a nice valley and it has a creek in front of it that was great for cooling and cleaning off. With the early finish we even had enough time find fire wood and we got a fire going with help from Dash, J Beard, and Mangrove. You wouldn¢t believe how hard it is to start a fire with nothing but wet wood. Erin and I would have pulled out the stove, good thing we had help.Life Lesson: If your pack is leaning against a tall hard object, it might not be a great idea to try to lean over it when packing. The post will win every time.
Date: 2007-06-05
From: Harpers Creek Shelter

To: Paul C. Wolfe Shelter
Miles today: 22.0
Weather: broken clouds

(Willie)Relaxation is great, but for us it had a price. We really enjoyed kicking back and having a lazy day yesterday, but it resulted in a 22 mile day for us today. To make it even more exciting, we had to start the day with the rest of the climb up Three Ridges. At first glace the 2000¢ climb didn¢t seem that bad, but there were a few false summits to climb up and down before we got to the top so we actually climbed a lot more then that in the first 3.5 miles. We had some great viewpoints on the way up and on the way down the other side so we took the opportunity to try out Erin¢s digital camera that we started carrying the other day. Hopefully the pictures will come out a little better now.After a long lunch at the Maupin Field Shelter I looked at the watch and surprised to see that it was almost 1:00 and we still 16 miles to go! Time to move! The first 6 miles were a little rocky, but we still moved along well. Maybe that means that we¢re starting to get the hang of walking on rocks (please please please). We found a great place for a snack on the top of Cedar Cliffs so we took a short break before moving on. It would have been nice if the next 10 miles were just as easy, but that wasn¢t the case. We struggled up and over Humpback Mountain and got to the shelter at 8:30 as the daylight was beginning to fade.Luckily we found a great tent spot because the bugs were pretty bad by the shelter. I had to eat with my head lamp on the table next to me, because it was impossible not to get a mouth full of bugs with each bite when it was on my head. Ah, what¢s a little more protein right?Tick Count: Willie 12 Erin 3
Date: 2007-06-06
From: Paul C. Wolfe Shelter

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

(Erin) With such a late arrival to the shelter last night we got up a little later then usual this morning. We only had 5 miles to get to town so we left at about 8:40am. Its funny after getting to so many towns I expect the trail to be mostly down hill right into town¢¦but this time we had a little more uphill. Not too bad, and with only 5 miles¢¦nothing is too bad when you're heading to town and to a hot shower. We made it to Rockfish Gap (near Waynesboro, VA) around 10:30 and soon after us the three bearded guys. The 5 of us walked over to the information center to call for a trail angel to drive us into town. The lady at the information center was very nice and helpful and she called the hotel to make sure there was a room and then called from her list of Trail Angels to come get us. A man name Bill came and got us and gave us a mini tour around Waynesboro and then took us to Ming Garden (Chinese Buffet) for lunch. Every town should have a list of trail angels, what a great idea, and thanks Bill. So we ate our fill at lunch and then came right over to the library to update our journals. I know I know we have been slacking on our end in getting our journals updated. The last few towns haven't had easy access to computers. Thanks to everyone for signing our guest book and keeping us in your thoughts!! Next we will be hitting the Shenandoah National Park and then we are going to take a zero at home in Fairfax¢¦then onto Harpers Ferry where we may try to stay with a roommate of mine from college. See ya up the trail!!
Date: 2007-06-07
From: Rockfish Gap

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

(Erin) The day has finally arrived; we started into the Shenandoah National Park today. We woke up in the hotel just as early as we do when we are on the trail, 6:33am. We still had to pack up and walk to Kroger to re-supply for the next few days. First we hit up the continental breakfast and had waffles and a "few" mini donuts. Its funny how many of those things you can eat when your not paying attention. Next we were into Kroger for food. Once we were packed and ready to hit the trail we still had the problem of how to get back to Rockfish Gap. So we did what any other hiker would do, we stuck up our thumbs. Too bad we were on a road with no cars on it, than noticed that we were on the wrong road. So we walked a block over and tried again, within a block we had a ride. Some nice people wanting to help out a few hikers back to the trail, thanks again trail angels. When we arrived at Rockfish Gap visitor¢s center we ran into Sven and Uff-da. They finally caught up to us after about 20 days and they were heading into town. It was nice to see them after all this time, but they still had a little more catching up to do since we were hitting the trail as they were going into town. So by 10:00am we were hiking, we had six or so miles of hiking before we got into the SNP with some semi tough hills and a rocky trail. One of the hills we climbed had at least six antennas on top for Comcast and Clear Channel, not what you expect to see in the woods. Once we passed Calf Mountain Shelter and than did another mile or so we were officially in the SNP. The trail was much different in the park, much more maintained and smooth. We noticed a difference with how we were walking and that we had picked up the pace a little. Another two miles later we spotted our first black bear and later we saw some deer in the woods. Too bad Will just heard the bear but I really saw one I promise. So after a few more hours of walking and of pulling off more ticks we made it to the shelter with plenty of daylight left to make dinner and set up the tent. At the shelter we ran into Radar, someone we had been chasing for weeks and finally had caught up to. He was surprised to see us. That night I told Radar and the other hiker there ¢Bonifido¢ that my parents were going to be doing trail magic on Saturday. I also wrote it in the register so that if people behind us could make it they would know.    When we were back in Georgia SNP seemed like so far away. So now we are officially in the Shenandoah National Park!