morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2016-08-04
From: The Priest Shelter 

To: Bear Mt Creek Shelter 
Miles today: 22.4
Weather: clear sky

This morning I'm looking at the map and determine that I don't have enough supplies to make it to Glasgow unless I do big miles for the next two days. I think I can make it, but the weather is bad. Being influenced by my weather app the last couple days has really messed with my milage. It's going to be a long rainy day. Along the way I lose my hat. I have a hat with a very wide brim. I've put holes in the brim at the sides and hang a piece of string about six inches long that dangle. When I walk they sway back and forth keeping the bugs out of my face. I love this silly looking hat because I can't stand getting these little bugs in my eyes. Fortunately it is raining which keeps the bugs down, but I'm going to have to come up with something soon. I get to the shelter and no one else is there, so I'm in the shelter for the night.
Date: 2016-08-05
From: Brown Mt Creek Shelter 

To: Punch Bowl @ Blue ridge Parkway 
Miles today: 9.1
Weather: overcast clouds

The rain continues and this morning my feet let me know I over did it yesterday. I plan on 18 miles today to set up a short day into town tomorrow for my resupply. The trail is challenging with more ups than downs as I'm gaining elevation all day. Half way through I realize that I'm not up to it, so I call a shuttle to come pick me up and take me to the shelter in town. The fellow who picks me up is well known and is mentioned in several books about the AT. He has been helping hikers for nearly fifty years now and has a lot of stories to tell. The shelter in Glasgow is managed by a local church. This is a small town and the hiker business makes a difference. I pick up my box at the post office and settle in to recover for the afternoon. I really didn't want to have to use a shuttle because the costs can get expensive, but today I am glad one was available, and to meet someone I've read about makes the day special.
Date: 2016-08-06
From: Punch Bowl @ Blue ridge Parkway 

To: Glasgow Shelter 
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: few clouds

I'm taking a zero today to get out of the heat. I have managed to coordinate my postal drops so that I arrive during open hours until now, and that is why I was trying to get here early Saturday morning as the post office closes at 10:30. Getting the shuttle yesterday fixed that, but it means backtracking and passing Glasgow tomorrow. Such are the difficulties of mail drops. This is a very nice shelter, and the pastor came by to invite me to their church for lunch tomorrow. I'll be back on the trail and will miss it. Their bishop was making his annual visit, so I spent the day sprucing up the place. It is left to the hikers to keep it clean, and it looked a little neglected. Even with the heat, the rain continues.
Date: 2016-08-07
From: Glasgow Shelter 

To: Mattson Creek Shelter 
Miles today: 13.4

I got a ride back to the place I was picked up Friday and pass Glasgow before I am done. I'm having a good day because I have had an insight into what this trip is about. It's not about the logistics, or the years of preparation. It's not about the bugs or bears, the heat or rain, the mountains I'm climbing or the water I have to find everyday. You'd think it is so simple, but it has taken me a thousand miles to figure out that it is about me. The dam has finally broke, and I am flooded with a new appreciation of why I'm here. But like a dream you swear to yourself you can't forget, the rain today and bugs this evening have distracted me, and I can only remember that something important has happened. I hope that whatever it was comes back to me in the following weeks.
Date: 2016-08-08
From: Mattson Creek Shelter 

To: Thunder Hill Shelter 
Miles today: 12.4
Weather: scattered clouds

It is a rainy day, but I'm happy because someone had left a pack cover at the hiker box back in Glasgow. Hiker boxes are places where hikers leave things they no longer want. I had not used one until now because my pack is supposed to be waterproof. It's not, but I've gotten away with it using a compactor trash bag which doubles as my pad inflator. Still things in my pack would get prematurely damp and with the constant rain, it has become an issue. This shelter has had a lot of bear problems in the past to the point of shutting it down and shooting the problem bear. Now it is open again, but is experiencing more bear activity of late. It has a tin roof and is so loud with the rain, I wouldn't hear a bear if it were sleeping next to me. Even with earplugs I don't get much sleep.
Date: 2016-08-09
From: Thunder Hill Shelter 

To: Stealth Camp 
Miles today: 14.0
Weather: clear sky

Rained off and on today which keeps my feet wet, but the temperature a little cooler for easier hiking. I don't have any particular destination planned - sometimes the shelter isn't convenient so if there's water near the distance you want to hike, you plan on a dry camp just before you're done and carry enough for the evening and morning meals. It helps with a cooler day so I don't have to be worried not having enough. When it's very hot and humid with few water sources, I would hike fewer miles to a closer shelter.
Date: 2016-08-10
From: Stealth Camp 

To: Bobblets Gap Shelter 
Miles today: 9.7
Weather: overcast clouds

Today was a hard day, cloudy with a threat of rain. The trail was rocky and full of little ups and downs that didn't match the elevation on the map. Sometimes if the rise and fall of the trail isn't big enough, it's hard to know what to expect. I did meet a young hiker who went by Washington sporting a red, white, and blue hat doing a section hike and looking to meet up with a couple of his college friends in a few days. He is a political science major, and that gave us a lot to talk about. Also there were twins and a son at the shelter. One of the twins was a pastor, so the evening was filled with lively conversation.
Date: 2016-08-11
From: Bobblets Gap Shelter 

To: Fullhardt Knob Shelter 
Miles today: 13.5
Weather: few clouds

I very rarely hike with someone, but today I hiked with Washington off and on. Though he is much faster going up hill, he stops often. The day started cloudy, but soon cleared up enough to get some nice photos along the way. This shelter is unusual because it is at the top of the mountain which usually means no water. What they have done here is collect rain from the roof and put it in a tank underground below the shelter with a spigot. I had brought enough with me not to have to use any. Tonight was supposed to be great meteor shower viewing, and being on top of a mountain seemed perfect. We all stayed up late, but by eleven I gave up only having seen one.
Date: 2016-08-12
From: Fullhardt Knob Shelter 

To: Daleville 
Miles today: 5.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Woke up to a sunny day with a supply pick up in town. It soon is hot, and though I'm only going five miles, the heat is oppressive. I've enjoyed the meals I've prepared in my supply boxes, but town food is always a treat. Washington and I decide to stop at an ayce restaurant on the way in. I'm going to spend the night at the Howard Johnson Express, and for 39 dollars, it's a great deal. On my way to the post office, a man in a pickup pulls over and offers me a ride. I needed one as I am wilting in the heat. His name is Greg, and I really appreciated the ride - thanks! Also the cold beer! So resupply, laundry, and a shower for me today.
Date: 2016-08-13
From: Daleville 

To: Lamberts Meadow Shelter 
Miles today: 9.4
Weather: clear sky

I start today with a long climb ahead of me and a late start due to needing to drop a return box at the post office. My supply box contains a prestamped flat rate box that I use to exchange Anker rechargeable batteries. This is how I keep my electronics charged but requires a return trip to the post office. The day is already hot by the time I get back to the hotel. My milage is short because coming up are Tinker Cliffs which is going to have great views but with thunder storms forecast for the afternoon, I don't want to miss it. I'll see them first thing in the morning. I see lots of day hikers coming back from the cliffs as I make my way. The shelter and surrounding tent sites are full tonight because of the weekend. The next couple of days will be busy with people checking out this popular area.
Date: 2016-08-14
From: Lamberts Meadow Shelter 

To: 4 Pines Hostel 
Miles today: 16.3
Weather: scattered clouds

Woke up to a sunny hot morning. I have the Tinker Cliffs and McAfee Knob to look forward to seeing some really great views. I'm not disappointed with the clouds staying away till early afternoon. There are a lot of people hiking up to the knob, many of them carrying a 16 Oz water bottle, and I'm thinking they are going to get very thirsty before they're done it's so hot and the climb from the south side is long and steep. Towards the end of the day I find myself being chased off the narrow ridge by a big thunder storm. When I break out into the lowlands, I can see the valley open up before me. It's very pretty, but full of pastures going well up the next mountain. I can also see two thunder clouds converging on the valley. I've talked a lot about my fear of getting caught in one and now I have two with over an hour of exposed trail. I can't do it - so I find a spot by a creek with a view of where I need to go and wait. It's not long before the rain comes down in buckets with flashes all around. Unfortunately I'm on the wrong side of the creek and will have to cross it. There is a small foot bridge, but the trail itself is turning into a stream so now I'm worrying about the rising creek and I will have to cross. Sometimes a storm will pass and the sun will come out. Not today so during a lull in the rain I make my move. I ran the first half mile but soon it's steeply uphill when the rain is back. I have lots of choice words as I'm thrashing through the shoulder high overgrowth and let my frustration fuel me up the mountain. By the time I'm at the road to 4 Pines I'm spent but the storm has also worn itself out. Soaking wet slogging up the road in the waning light I don't mind that this hostel is in a guys three car garage.
Date: 2016-08-15
From: 4 Pines Hostel 

To: Pickle Branch Shelter 
Miles today: 6.7
Weather: clear sky

4 Pines has a reputation for being rough. It is run by a very low key couple, so if the crowd is large and roudy I can imagine why. The night I stayed was with a handful of mellow hikers and I think it's just fine. Today I have what will probably be the hardest rock scramble left on my hike up to The Dragon's Tooth. Again the morning is hot and clear, but as I climb I can see the thunder heads forming already. The views are really fantastic when I get to the top. After yesterday I'm not playing chicken with the afternoon storms, so I'm only going to the next shelter.
Date: 2016-08-16
From: Pickle Branch Shelter 

To: Niday Shelter 
Miles today: 10.1
Weather: scattered clouds

I've had a perfect day of hiking today. The sky was clear with a light breeze and trail conditions couldn't have been better. I got to see the Audie Murphy Monument erected for our most decorated soldier of WWII. With thunder showers predicted for the afternoon and a long climb if I had continued, it was an easy call to cut the day short. Of course the thunder didn't get here till evening, but I let it rock me to sleep. I'm sleeping in shelters more frequently because of the constant chance of rain. I have found many uses for my trekking poles. Besides being the supports for my tent and of course pushing me up and slowing me down on steep sections, I have found other invaluable uses for them. When you are the first one on the trail, you encounter many spider webs formed overnight. There is one spider, though I have yet to actually see it, that feels like you just walked into an electric fence. I think it vibrates its web when it feels threatened so fast that you think you're getting some kind of shock when it lands on your face. The first time this happened to me, I lost both poles clawing away at it I was so suprised. The hiking poles come to the rescue. If swung up as you walk they will catch them before your face does. Also they can be twirled in the air when horse flies come in for the kill. Sometimes they are hard to manage when trying to do all three maneuvers at once making for fun viewing by other hikers catching you.
Date: 2016-08-17
From: Niday Shelter 

To: Laure Creek Shelter 
Miles today: 12.4
Weather: scattered clouds

I'm using shelters more often these days rather than tenting because it's been raining so much. When others are doing the same, it's hard to get as early a start. My morning chores take a couple of hours before I'm ready to hike. I know that sounds like a lot of time, but making coffee, the privy trip, foot care etc, all the little things just add up. Being quiet and not disturbing others is difficult. It's another beautiful but hot morning to start the day. By the afternoon the clouds start rolling in, and before I can get to the shelter I'm caught in another thunder storm. I should be getting used to this by now.
Date: 2016-08-18
From: Laure Creek Shelter 

To: Pine Swamp Shelter 
Miles today: 18.5
Weather: overcast clouds

I'm determined to get an early start today, so I'm up at 4:30 this morning. Being quiet slows me down, but I hit the trail by 7:00. Today starts out overcast which makes me hopeful that it won't rain too much. It stays cloudy all day and makes for great hiking weather which I am taking advantage of to make some miles. This stretch of trail turns out to be some of the most difficult because it has not been maintained and is overgrown. Also the trail designers chose to keep dropping the trail off the top of the ridge making for slow going on rocky twisted side hill stretches. This can be frustrating when you can see the ridge top only a couple hundred feet away smooth as you please. When I get to the shelter there is a couple already there. They show me a spider they had killed that had been in the shelter and it is huge. Journal entries confirm this shelter is infested with these monsters, so I'm tenting tonight. I don't judge a shelter by its name, but this one lives up to it. If I hadn't already come this far, I would have moved on.
Date: 2016-08-19
From: Pine Swamp Shelter 

To: Angel's Rest Pearisburg 
Miles today: 19.5
Weather: overcast clouds

I woke up to rain this morning. I'm planning to set up an early day tomorrow for my resupply, so I want to get close to Pearisburg. The trail in this section is turning out to be poorly maintained with lots of overgrowth to get through. By the time I get to the shelter I'm planning on it's 3:30. Another wave of rain is on the way and this shelter has a metal roof. Also there may not be any water, and it is a third of a mile down hill just to check it out. I've got about seven miles to go to get into town, but it's mostly down hill. AYCE Chinese and a shower are waiting, so I go for it. The first few miles of trail have just been refinished - great, but an hour out of town and the rain starts really coming down. Bits of trail near big towns often seem neglected, and this is the worst I've ever seen it's so overgrown. I hear a crack, and as I turn to look a large branch crashes right where I was walking. When get to the road, there is a short piece of trail separating me from the road into town. I try to hike all of the trail, but I'm not a purist, so in an attempt to go around I get turned around when I get to the road I'm looking for. I'm noticing little traffic which seems odd when a van pulls up and asks where I'm going. This is how I met Dr Peppa and she has just opened her hostel this year. I got that shower and Chinese, what a trail angel she was to me on a wet evening.
Date: 2016-08-20
From: Angel's Rest Pearisburg 

To: Angel's Rest Pearisburg 
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

I'm taking a zero today waiting for the post office to open. Saturday hours are 10:00 to 12:00 which is why I was in such a rush to get to Pearisburg. One of the things you have to deal with when you send yourself supplies. I'm staying at the Angel's Rest Hostel which is a mobile home converted for hikers. Dr Peppa and Beth have big plans for their new facilities including a bunk house, shower house, and enough tent space for sixty hikers! They couldn't have picked a better location for their hostel. It's a beautiful setting with large lawns and shade trees. I'm by myself here with a full kitchen, living room, full bath, and laundry room for twenty bucks a night. Another hot muggy day with showers in the afternoon. It's going to be hard to leave.
Date: 2016-08-21
From: Angel's Rest Pearisburg 

To: Docs Knob Shelter 
Miles today: 8.8
Weather: light rain

Today was a tough day and the milage reflects it. It started raining as soon as I got on the trail. I just got everything clean and dry from my zero, and I was not happy. When I got to the shelter, the first thing I found was the remnants of a homeless person. You know it's not a hiker when you see an electric alarm clock and broken luggage. The place reeked of perfume - the bottle said it was 'exotic'. I spent the next hour cleaning up as best I could getting most of the moldy clothing and spoiled food back into the equally moldy luggage bag.
Date: 2016-08-22
From: Docs Knob Shelter 

To: Trent's Store 
Miles today: 17.5
Weather: scattered clouds

I woke up to a sunny day knowing that there wouldn't be any thunderstorms because it takes time for the weather pattern to change. I need to make up a day of food because my next drop is six days away and I only get five days in the supply box. Trent's is going to be perfect. They have a small grill so it will be a hamburger tonight and sausage biscuits for breakfast. They let hikers tent around back for six dollars, so I'm all set. Weight loss is starting to be an issue. I started this hike weighing 187 lbs. After the first couple months, I stabilized at 173 lbs. When I weighed myself at Angel's Rest, I was down to 163! Fortunately before I left I was back up to 170 lbs so I might have been dehydrated the first weigh in. It's something I'm going to have to watch.
Date: 2016-08-23
From: Trent's Store 

To: Helveys Mill Shelter 
Miles today: 16.2
Weather: scattered clouds

It looks like I'm going to have a nice day today. As I'm leaving Trent's the first quarter mile is through tall wet grass. Perfectly dry trail the rest of the day. Now I'm going to have wet feet for the rest of the day. When my shoes get wet, they do dry out after about a day. If I were to change socks while they are wet, then I'd just have another pair of wet socks so that is why my feet will be wet today. Otherwise, with overcast conditions hiking is good.
Date: 2016-08-24
From: Helveys Mill Shelter 

To: Jenkins Shelter 
Miles today: 13.5
Weather: overcast clouds

This has been a perfect hiking day. Trail conditions were moderate with a smooth path. This was the first time this hike where I wasn't soaked in sweat, the conditions were just right. Beautiful scenery with a couple of views thrown in for good measure. This is what I thought I'd be experiencing a lot more - the kind of day I have had on my cherry picked hikes back home. I still had gas in the tank and nothing hurt too much. I got to the shelter in time to have a nice little fire, and things were starting to dry out. A section hiker rolled in, and the company finished off a perfect day.
Date: 2016-08-25
From: Jenkins Shelter 

To: Lynn Camp Creek 
Miles today: 18.7
Weather: light rain

The rain is back off and on through out the day. The trail is rocky and the climbs are steep. My feet are wet again, and I've managed to kill half a dozen horse flies - a record for me. I knew I'd be stealth camping tonight, and when I got to the place I had thought I would camp, it was wet, buggy,and dreary. If I climb one more mountain, there might be a better spot. It is marginally better, but now it is late and I have to hurry through the evening routine just before dark. My feet are really hurting from the extra effort, but I get it all done using my headlamp towards the end. Did I mention that yesterday I saw deer, wild turkey, and a boar. Maybe yesterday was a dream I had.
Date: 2016-08-26
From: Lynn Camp Creek 

To: Davis Hollow 
Miles today: 14.0

Though I'm sore from yesterday's hiking, I woke up to a pleasantly cool day. My shoes and socks are wet from the rain, but I don't want to use my drier set of socks for fear of them getting as wet if I have any pastures or thick undergrowth today. It turns out to be the right call. I run into some day hikers this afternoon just as the clouds are piling up and one of them happens to be a meteorologist. He assures me that there wouldn't be any thunderstorms today with a small chance tomorrow. What a difference that makes for me, and I have a relaxing finish to the day.
Date: 2016-08-27
From: Davis Hollow 

To: Chatfield Shelter 
Miles today: 6.7
Weather: few clouds

I'm picking up a supply box at The Barn Restaurant near Atkins this morning, and I'm looking forward to a big breakfast. I almost have dry shoes so on go the dry socks because I've only a couple miles to go. Wouldn't you know by the time I get there, my shoes and socks are soaked again going through fields fresh with morning dew. The sun is out, and it's already a hot day so I park my wet stuff behind the restaurant while I eat and sort out the supplies. By the time I'm done, everything is dry again! It is so humid today that even the rocks are sweating. I only hear the distant sound of thunder this evening as I go to sleep.
Date: 2016-08-28
From: Chatfield Shelter 

To: Trimpi Shelter 
Miles today: 16.8
Weather: scattered clouds

Good weather makes such a difference to my mood. It's a beautiful breezy day, and though my feet are starting to take a beating as the trail begins to become rocky, I'm enjoying the day's hike. The shelter here is made of stone. I have yet been willing to stay in a shelter made of stone in the past, and I'm not staying in this one either. They all have had something unpleasant. Spiders, snakes, and mice seem to like them. Evening thunder in the distance as the forest dusk turns to darkness.
Date: 2016-08-29
From: Trimpi Shelter 

To: Old Orchard Shelter 
Miles today: 13.4
Weather: broken clouds

Most of today is going to be uphill as I approach the Grayson Highlands. The rocky trail continues, and I'm starting to worry about my feet. They are starting to wake me up at night making me feel a little bleary all day. The good weather continues with thunder only heard in the evenings. The journals at the shelters have all had stories about bears yet Southern Virginia shelters don't offer any kind of bear proof food storage option. It is strange to me considering the problems with the bears up north. This evening there are three staying in the shelter so there's company to share dinner time with. One has a gun on his hip, so of course we have a discussion about guns on the trail. His happens to be a shotgun pistol that looks like a revolver. It holds five rounds, and he is happy to show me what each one is for because they're all different. I bring up gun safety and the time a responsible owner has to commit to in order to be proficient while he's pointing the barrel in my direction loading and unloading the various rounds. He's honest about his lack of professional training anyway.
Date: 2016-08-30
From: Old Orchard Shelter 

To: Thomas Knob Shelter 
Miles today: 11.9
Weather: few clouds

I'm up early because I know I'll be climbing to the highest point in Virginia today with several miles of exposed trail and the ever present possibility of thunderstorms. The Grayson Highlands are famous for their wild ponies, excellent views, and challenging terrain. I want to get to the shelter early because the cloud formations could be spectacular. My feet are not happy with the pace and the rocks, but I manage to maintain two miles an hour the whole day arriving at the shelter by 1:30 in the afternoon and still had time to visit with the ponies getting some photos. I spend the rest of the day enjoying the views and giving my feet a rest. I hope the pictures of the sunset come out as I remember it.