morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2012-10-02
From: Moreland Gap Shelter

To: Kincora Hostel
Miles today: 6.2

The Moreland Gap Shelter is built differently from many others. It's made of cinderblocks and was built during the Depression by the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps.) It kept me dry last night and out of the rain. Today has been wet, wet, wet! Finally around 1 pm the sun peeked out. I was hiking alone again today but met a couple more sobos on the trail - "Spiderman" and "Roadhouse". I decided to hike .2 mile off on a side trail to stay at Kincora Hostel run by Bob Peoples, a retired Air Force colonel from Boston. I wanted to stay there especially so I could talk to him about his hike on the Camino de Santiago in northwest Spain. Barbara and I are planning on hiking a section of that next September/October. He gave me an elevation map to take home and share with Barbara. Met a few other hikers staying there - 'Lone Wolf", "Blacktop" and "Chesty". Bob shuttled me into the town of Elizabethton where I sat down and ate a hot pizza. Tasted so good! I also bought an apple to take with me to eat on the trail tomorrow. When we came back I washed out my socks, dried out my gear and showered. Rumor has it that I will see some sun tomorrow. I was able to connect my Ipad and send my backlog of photos. There are several more photos from September 29 through today.
Date: 2012-10-03
From: Kincora Hostel

To: Watauga Lake Shelter
Miles today: 10.7
Weather: overcast clouds

Today was a first! I actually hiked with someone else - "Blacktop", a 28 yr. old from Naples, FL. We had been at a couple of the same shelters/hostels along the way so he was a familiar face. He is also hiking north, a thru hiker. We met at the top of Pond Mountain ( a long 3 mile climb) and hiked down about 2 hours together. Then he took off for Hampton, TN while I kept on going. It really felt good to be hiking with someone else. The weather finally broke today so I picked up some speed. This morning I took a photo of the Waycaster Spring footbridge (see photos) and enjoyed the lack of rain for a change! Later on it was a bit tough going down into the deep gorge at Laurel Falls (see photos). The Falls were impressive. It was quite a rocky climb in and out of the gorge, though. I was so busy looking at the falls that I missed seeing where the trail continued on. It was the first time I felt kind of lost. Finally found the trail opening after looking around for a bit. Blacktop told me later on that the same thing had happened to him. He ended up crossing the stream, thinking the trail was on the other side, which it wasn't. So he had his wet socks hanging off the back of his pack when I met up with him. Speaking of things hanging off the back of one's pack, I had something extra hanging off my pack too. I bought a small bag of Lay's potato chips in Elizabethton to eat for my birthday tomorrow. Didn't want them to get crushed so I hung them on the outside. I also bought a Krispy Kreme packaged Honey Bun and a locally grown Golden Delicious apple to eat for my birthday treat! I hiked 10.7 miles today and am at the Watauga Lake Shelter.There is no register here but I saw that "Huck" and his dog "Finn" had carved their names into the wall. I met them back at another shelter a few days ago. I think I will be the only one here tonight so I can spread out. Time to get some supper and then call it a day. It is almost 7:30 pm.
Date: 2012-10-04
From: Watauga Lake Shelter

To: Vanderventer Shelter
Miles today: 7.2
Weather: broken clouds

So today I turn 68 years old. I was not alone last night after all. I was able to Skype with my Barbara and then later on I was joined by "Gray Wolf", another hiker about my same age. He has thru hiked the AT 3 times already and is hiking it again from Harper's Ferry south. He hikes 6 days a week and takes the 7th day off to watch NC football, Last night was fairly mild although I did end up putting on my Nano puff sometime towards morning when it got cooler. For breakfast I had my usual oatmeal and my Krispy Kreme Honey bun. I was able to connect on my Ipad and got a GREAT birthday video from my grandkids, Connor and Lily! I also got some birthday wishes on Facebook, in my e-mail and in the GUEST BOOK on this site! Loved all of those and I did not feel so alone. Today is mostly cloudy but NO RAIN! I have been hiking up and around Watauga Lake most of the day and have increased my elevation by about 1500 ft. At the Wautaga Lake Dam I met one of the engineers who gave me the history. It was built between 1942-1949 to be part of the TVA system to produce hydroelectric power. There are two big pipes the water goes through. One pipe sends water to the power generation plant that produces 75 Megawatts of power. The other pipe takes water out of the lake into a river. The lake is also used for boating and swimming. Along the trail I met a local bee keeper. He had a pan of honeycomb to attract bees. He would watch the direction the bees flew off in and follow it in hopes of finding a wild hive. I remember my grandfather Moshier doing something similar, only he would paint the tails of the bees red. I had my birthday lunch of potato chips and an apple and stopped at Vanderventer Shelter around 3 pm. Now I have my tent and fly setup to dry out. They have been wet and soggy since Doll Flats, several days ago. All in all a great birthday. Hope to talk to Barbara again this evening!
Date: 2012-10-05
From: Vanderventer Shelter

To: Double Springs Shelter
Miles today: 14.4
Weather: clear sky

Today has been a beautiful hiking day - probably the nicest I've had so far. The sun was out, the temperature was just right and the terrain was not too difficult. There were lots of ups and downs but no big climbs. I met two hikers heading south today - "JR" from Dallas and "Trecker". Trecker puts in the miles. He told me he does between 25 -30 miles per day. I am happy that I did 14 miles! Last night I slipped on some acorns on the way down to get some water and tweaked my knee a bit so today I have been wearing a neoprene sleeve over my knee. THANK YOU JOAN!! I stopped at Iron Mountain Shelter at 4118 ft and cooked myself my big meal of the day - two packets of oatmeal with honey and I found and a package of peanuts I found on the bottom of my food bag. I am tenting by Double Springs Shelter at 4225 ft.   There are three section hikers in the shelter so I decided to pitch my tent now that it is all dry. It is 6 pm and I am so tired. Time to crawl into my sleeping bag. More tomorrow...
Date: 2012-10-06
From: Double Springs Shelter

To: Damascus, Virginia
Miles today: 18.7
Weather: light rain

Today has been my longest day. I woke up early and started hiking as soon as it got light. It has been raining all day. At 5:15 pm I walked into Damascus, Virginia soaking wet but looking forward to a hot shower and some hot food. I am staying at Dave's Hostel. Early this morning I crossed paths with a couple of women heading south who told me that someone had left me a birthday wish at the Abingdon Gap Shelter. And sure enough they had! One of the two young girls I had met at a shelter several days ago - "Rock Monkey" - left me a birthday wish at the register. Nice! About two o'clock this afternoon I passed the Nick Grindstaff memorial (see photo). He was better known as ¢Uncle Nick¢ and was also referred to as ¢The South¢s Most Famous Hermit.¢ Nobody knows why he chose to live a life of solitude, but his only companions for many years were his dog ¢Panter¢ and a steer. He was said to have had a pet rattlesnake for a short time and was extremely upset when a visitor killed it. Nick was found dead in his cabin July 21, 1923. He had died about four days earlier and ¢Panter¢ was standing guard over him. It was only after the dog was subdued and tied that Nick¢s body could be removed. Nick¢s relatives and friends erected a monument built of cement and mountain granite and a nice slab of marble to mark his gravesite. I am planning on a zero day tomorrow as it is going to pour all day. I can check out the Mt. Rogers Outfitters nearby. It will be nice to get into some dry, clean clothes!
Date: 2012-10-07
From: Damascus, Virginia

To: Damascus, Virginia
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

So here I still am in Damascus, the site of the famous Trail Days. The AT runs smack dab through the center of this town. It is quiet this time of year. There were four other section hikers staying with me at Dave's last night. It has been rainy and cloudy again all day, more of the same on tap for tomorrow. I ate breakfast at a gas station- diner-convenience store called "Cowboys." The eggs, coffee, and biscuits and gravy went down pretty easy. However, I still haven't experienced the "hiker hunger" I have read about! I went over to Mt. Rogers Outfitters when they opened at noon today to inquire about transportation to the two airports within a reasonable distance - Tri-Cities back in Tennessee and Roanoke Airport in Virginia. I had hoped to hike further north for a week or so and arrange a shuttle of some kind or a bus to Roanoke airport but that option turned out to be more complicated. Instead it looks like the best option for me is to take a shuttle from right here to Tri-Cities Airport. There is an Allegiant flight that will take me to Sanford, FL, only about a half hour from where I live. This makes the most sense as it will make it easy for me to get back on the trail right here in Damascus when I do my next section hike. Barbara was able to make a reservation for me this coming Tuesday so this leg of my hike is about to come to an end.   I was looking forward to hiking the Grayson Highlands and seeing some of those wild ponies, but that will have to be for next time. One of the locals told me that they just finished the annual round up of those ponies.   They do this every October - sell some ponies - to thin out the herd. Tomorrow I may slack pack if the weather improves, but whatever tomorrow brings I 'll be spending another night here at Dave's and getting a shuttle to the airport on Tuesday. It has felt good to rest my body today after the long miles I put in yesterday. Now for another good night's sleep.
Date: 2012-10-08
From: Damascus, Virginia

To: round trip to Iron Mountain
Miles today: 6.6
Weather: light rain

It was pretty cool last night, even in the hostel. Two other section hikers joined me. They were beginning a 40 mile hike and busy organizing all their gear. I got up twice during the night to put on more layers.   It was 36 degrees when I woke up. Early on it was an overcast day but no rain so I went out to explore Damascus, which is at the confluence of two rivers. This town could well be the biking capital of the United States! There are 5 huge bike shops that also offer shuttles to several long distance bike trails in the area. I decided to slack pack to Iron Mountain today - a total of 6.6 miles round trip. It didn't start to rain on me till I was on my way back. I had some fried chicken at Cowboy's diner and returned to Dave's as the sun was setting. Tonight I have packed up all my gear and am ready to head home in the morning. The shuttle will take me to the airport at Tri-Cities for my 2:35 pm flight back to Florida. Another cold night tonight so I am bundled up and ready to climb in my sleeping bag.
Date: 2013-06-02
From: Damascus, Virginia

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

And so my journey begins again. I flew on Allegiant Airlines from Sanford Airport, FL to Tri-City Airport in Tennessee where the shuttle from Mt. Rogers Outfitters picked me up for the hour ride to Damascus. I was last here in October 2012 and everything looks familiar as I wander around town. I had some fried chicken at Cowboy's! From now on it'll be Knorr's noodles! I am staying back at Dave's Place hiker hostel for the night and will set out early tomorrow for the next segment of my trek. My pack is a little lighter this time. - 33 pounds(instead of the 40 last Sept./Oct ) including food for 6 days and enough water to get me started. No need to bring cold weather clothes this time of year. My hiking guide shows several streams and water sources for tomorrow's hike and with all the rain here lately I should be able to resupply my water with no trouble. Having my pack 7 pounds lighter feels GOOD! I brought my solar battery charger for my cell phone. I will be hiking in the "green tunnel" lots but there are some open places coming up in the Grayson Highlands where there should be plenty of sunlight.   Hoping for a good night's sleep so I can hit the trail bright and early. Closed up my pack and tied my traveling pickle ball to the outside. I am ready to go!
Date: 2013-06-03
From: Damascus, Virginia

To: Lost Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 16.1

My first day back on the trail! Feels good! I stopped at the Damascus Dollar Store yesterday and bought a package of flathead wraps to add to my food supply. This morning I had breakfast at Cowboy's again (combination convenience store and diner). While I was eating a stack of pancakes with plenty of syrup I ended up chatting with the owner, Kenny, for an extra half hour. He is friends with PIRATE, the guy who runs the hostel at Neel's Gap (where I stayed at the beginning of my hike last April.) I hiked under overcast skies and met up with several 20 somethings today - GREG, LOST and his sister MAPS, SPIDER and WIZ. I got sprinkled on a couple of times but no heavy downpours. Water has been plentiful so I have been well hydrated today. My hips and feet are a bit sore after 16.1 miles but I am happy to be out here! I am at a good campsite in my tent tonight at 3399 ft. It has gotten chilly so I put on some extra clothes .I was too tired to cook tonight so I made a tuna wrap with my flatbread. I followed that with a Snickers. Mmmmm. Now for some rest and a good night's sleep.
Date: 2013-06-04
From: Lost Mountain Shelter

To: Thomas Knob Shelter
Miles today: 12.2

Lots of steep climbs today and still overcast. The first climb took me up to Buzzard Rock at 5080 ft. It took me three hours of steady up, up, up. Then the trail kept going up further to Whitetop Mountain at 5150 ft. After reaching a total elevation of 5190 ft. the trail headed down, down down to Deep Gap. On the way down I stopped for a few minutes at VA Route 600 where it crosses the AT. The Elk Gardens are here as well. Had a snack and rested and then kept on. When you hear the word "GAP" you know it means more uphill climbing is sure to follow and so it has been. Other hikers call GAP a curse word! I stopped at Thomas Knob Shelter tonight as it looked to be a bad night for hard rain. I will sleep inside instead of tenting. There are a few other hikers here and, guess what? A couple of wild ponies just approached me. Will try to get a picture and send when I am able. Cell coverage is still very spotty and I have been unable to send pictures so far. I met RED BULL and HERMES. HERMES just graduated from Hanover High School. Small world. He knew many of the same teachers that I worked with including John Donnelly! Time for my supper of Knorr noodles and chicken. I got to talk to Barbara for about a minute and a half before losing the connection. This shelter is at about the highest point on the trail in Virginia - 5430 ft.
Date: 2013-06-05
From: Thomas Knob Shelter

To: Old Orchard Shelter
Miles today: 11.0

The hike out of Mt. Rodgers National Area was tough for the first hour and a half. It was all rocks with some huge outcrops to go over. It would be so easy to sprain an ankle or break a leg. My bad luck with views hit again. The Grayson Highlands I had heard so much about with it's stunning views were in the clouds so no views but I did see one wild pony. I got to the Wise Shelter about 10:30 AM. I ate breakfast of two packs of oatmeal and a tortilla, drank some water and filled my bottles full. It was about 5 more miles to Old Orchard Shelter. I stopped at Stone mountain to take some pictures even though the visibility was not so good. Saw some ponies and one that looked pregnant! I watched some rain heading my way but it just missed me so I rested and enjoyed the view for about half an hour. I got to the Old Orchard Shelter at 4:00PM, got more water and set up my tent. I only did 11 miles today but my feet need a rest. Like a dummy I put my good hiking boots in my suitcase for New Hampshire later this summer and grabbed my old spare pair to hike with. They are half a size too small and are killing the toes on my left foot. I bet my left foot is a half size bigger that my right. Anyway, here I am camping at 4084 ft.
Date: 2013-06-06
From: Old Orchard Shelter

To: Trimpi Shelter
Miles today: 16.7

I left the campsite after a tuna wrap and one liter of water. There was a piped spring here so I was able to fill up again. Good hiking today and I passed Hurricane Shelter by 10:30 AM. The trail is very wet as it seems to always rain. This has been a day of chipmunks. They are everywhere but I haven't seen one single hiker. I hiked 10.2 miles to Dickey Gap and since I have not had cell service for days I decided to yellow blaze 2.6 miles to Jerry's Kitchen and Goods. They were supposed to have WiFi there. I got there and not only was it closed but there was a For Sale sign on the building. So I walked a bit further to the Baptist Church Hostel only to find they did not have WiFi either. But I did stop there to dry out my tent and tent fly. I talked to 4 hikers that are section hiking to Pennsylvania. As I was packing up and getting ready to walk back to the trail, the pastor's wife arrived to drop off some goods in the hiker's box. She asked me where I was going and gave me a ride back to the gap. So I guess I have had my first Trail Angel experience for this hike! Once back on the trail I hiked another 3.9 miles to the Trimpi Shelter at 3029 ft! It rained all the way here from Dickey Gap!
Date: 2013-06-07
From: Trimpi Shelter

To: Atkins, Virginia
Miles today: 22.0

I wanted to make some miles today so I could get to Atkins, resupply and dry out. So I got up and left the shelter at 3 AM. I put on my headlamp so I could navigate in the dark. The path was easy to follow, just kind of muddy. I passed Partnership Shelter around 9:30 AM and used the privy. It is the only shelter so far that had a shower! Again I hiked alone all day. My left foot is very sore at the ends of my toes. The downhills are worse than the uphills. Rain, rain, rain most of the day! But the last three hours were ok, just a wet trail. I fell from the wet clay mud once and a half hour later from wet roots. I got very tired, wet and dirty. However I arrived in Atkins at 3:10 PM after a 12 hour day and 22 miles. I finally got to call Barbara! I am staying at a hiker motel near the interstate here. The AT passes right by it - Relax Inn. I met two other hikers here, LIGHTNING and TALES. TALES is another graduate of Hanover High School from Lyme, NH. How strange is that?! I had a nice, hot bath, soaked my foot and am washing all my wet, dirty clothes. I asked Barbara to send my other pair of boots that I intended to bring. Can't believe I brought the wrong pair of boots with me! I am planning on taking a couple zero days to let the toes on my left foot heal and wait for my boots to arrive.
Date: 2013-06-08
From: Atkins, Virginia

To: Atkins, Virgina
Miles today: 0.0

Drying out at the Relax Inn and resting my beat up toes. It feels good to be off that left foot while my toes get back to normal. I had a quiet day here. I am enjoying the WiFi with my IPad. This morning I went up to the local restaurant, THE BARN, for breakfast and later on for an early supper. Nearby there is a truckstop/convenience store so I resupplied my food stash. I needed more oatmeal and Knorr Sides to get me to my next resupply place. I still have a few Snickers bars and M&Ms. As luck would have it, it has been a beautiful hiking day today. The rain has stopped and the sun is shining and here I sit! Oh well, the trail should be drying out to make it easier walking when I get back on. Barbara mailed my hiking boots yesterday late afternoon and they will arrive sometime Monday between 1:00 and 3:00 PM. We saw each other on Face Time today- Yay! Yesterday there was a couple here from Jupiter, FL that had started their hike 5 years ago. They completed sections of it in pieces over the years and just finished their last piece here in Atkins. Today the young hiker Greg I met my first day out arrived here at the Relax Inn. There are about a dozen other hikers here as well. A few minutes ago the owner's wife stopped by my room and asked me if I would like a jumbo Coors Light beer another hiker had left behind in his room. Trail magic! I'm sipping on my beer and then it will be off to bed for me.
Date: 2013-06-09
From: Atkins, Virgina

To: Atkins, Virgina
Miles today: 0.0

So today I am getting antsy to get back on the trail. It is another sunny day! My toes are feeling so much better now that I have been out of my too-small boots for over a day. You may have been wondering how I could have brought the wrong boots. Here's the back story. If you hike long distances your feet tend to expand as you walk and commonly you need to get boots from a half size to a whole size larger after a few weeks. I have 2 pair of the same model of GoLite hiking boots - one pair larger than the other - which I absolutely love. My original pair served me well last hiking season. I never once had a blister or a hot spot. In fact I ended up giving away my moleskin to a hiker who had lots of blisters. In a moment of pre- hiking madness I packed my smaller GoLites for this trip. Yes, they look the same but STILL! How could I have done that?! Guess I'll chalk it up to pre-trip excitement over getting everything ready to go quickly based on a sudden urge to get back on the trail. The owner here says the mail usually arrives between 1 and 3 PM so I will be packed and ready to head out as soon as my boots arrive tomorrow. Dare I hope that it will not rain when I finally set out? Tomorrow will be a NERO (near zero) day for me. I will only be able to get a few miles in because of my late start. I talked to hiker Greg for a bit last night. He wondered how I had gotten so far ahead of him. Turns out he spent 3 days at Partnership Shelter ( the one with the privy and SHOWER!) when it rained so heavily. He told me he was a wimp in the rain. I am going to the Sunday buffet at THE BARN restaurant. They also serve a big "hiker burger" - two half pound patties, but I think I will skip that and go for the buffet. When I leave here tomorrow I will be in the Jefferson National Forest, heading west away from Interstate 81.