morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2011-05-26
From: Campsite 512.7

To: Partnership Shelter
Miles today: 13.0
Weather: mist

So We ran out of water last night and had to hike 2 1/2 miles to Timpi Shelter to get more. Somewhere in that time I lost track of Yoga Boy and he ended up missing the shelter. I waited two hours there rehydrating, talking with other hikers, eating breakfast, and stretching. I finally caught up with him four miles outside Partnership Shelter. He had been so out of it from the lack of water that he completely missed the turnoff for the shelter. Next time we're just going to pack water out of the town.It's funny about the water out here. We're so used to mountain spring water now that city water has a foul taste to it. I've seen hikers dump liters of water from town at the first spring we cross. The difference is that noticeable. Another observation: I've seen hikers drop a bag of trail mix in the dirt and think nothing of picking up the pieces and eating them. The real hardcore guys will drop something at a restaurant and not touch it again. Funny how nature is cleaner than the public spaces we eat at.So the shelter was a full house with 20 of us there. There's a pizza place that delivers to the shelter! I got a large cheese pizza and ate it all... Still hungry too. Hikers diets are expensive but luckily not picky.Rain storm came in and put us all indoors around dark. Met one of the many characters out here: Mississippi Jack. He's been on the trail 9 years and is a cliche veteran from Vietnam (This is only a reference point and is not meant to offend). He was cornering people for conversation and had a very backwoods way of telling stories... "if a bullfrog had wings it wouldn't hit it's ass every time it jumped". I couldn't say what all he was talking about, most people weren't sure either, but it did provide us with a very humorous night with everyone having a good time. I was glad to have met him and hope to see him again in the future.More rain overnight with storms scattered the rest of the week. It's getting into the 90's as well. Another town tomorrow!
Date: 2011-05-27
From: Partnership Shelter

To: Atkins, VA
Miles today: 11.6

I spent the morning hiking on my own. Most other hikers took a shuttle to town for a resupply.It rained off and on during the day, but the temperature was comfortable enough to stay in shorts.There are more fields in Virginia, which makes the hike seem longer. I don't enjoy seeing where I'm going because it takes forever to get there. I resupplied at a gas station in Atkins. I accidentally went to the Shell instead of the Exxon like the guidebook said. The choice was bad and overpriced, but I did find wasabi flavored peanuts that were delicious.I decided to go to The Barn Restaurant and wait for the other hikers to come in. I got a one pound burger for $6! I charged my phone and tracked down a mail drop I accidentally had sent to a hostel that is closed this year. As it turns out, my server ran the hostel and had my package at the restaurant! So I spent five hours at The Barn waiting for Yoga Boy to catch up, but thunderstorms kept rolling in and I wanted to catch a break in the storm to hike and setup camp. Tin Man and Strawberry came in just as I was finishing up my journals. I've been hiking with them on and off since getting back on the trail (along with Strawberry's dog Kiwi). Tin Man lives in the area and his girlfriend was there to take them into town for a night indoors. I accepted their offer to go.We ended up at the movies that night to see The Hangover II. It wasn't a great movie but it was a nice break from hiking. We spent the night at a friends house and I got a full nights sleep. I'm enjoying the freedom to say yes to everything.
Date: 2011-05-28
From: Atkins, VA

To: VA 42
Miles today: 11.8
Weather: few clouds

Woke Up and went to Cracker Barrel. It was an excellent breakfast!We decided to slack pack the day and meet back up with Tin Man's girlfriend Pam. We started around 1pm and had till 5pm to complete the miles. It was a fast pace but still easier without the full pack weight. Kiwi (Strawberry's dog) was a great hiking companion. She would travel from the first person in line to the last, sometimes a mile apart, herding us all together. She tried to keep us all within sight of each other and would wait at a trail turn to make sure you took the right way. She must have done double the miles as everyone else and still had the energy to part frisbee at the end of the day. For only joining them for a day, Kiwi still decided to keep track of me. So we met back up with Pam and decided to stay around the area another day. We went to her parents cabin up in the mountains, showered, AND did laundry! Somehow sushi came up so we all went out for some quality food.Tomorrow her parents are having a shrimp boil so of course I will be taking a zero. The view from the cabin is amazing and I have a bed or couch to sleep on. I am not upset about leaving the trail for a day... I may end up at a shelter tonight if the event doesn't run too late.
Date: 2011-05-29
From: Lynn Camp Creek

To: VA 42
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

So the zero day was a success!I ate way too much food and did nothing but sit on a porch swing all day watching the dogs play fetch.We had shrimp, crab legs, sausage, corn, potatoes, and onions in the boil with cake and pie for dessert. Other than that we hung out with Pam's family on the cabin's porch. That evening Tin Man, Strawberry, Pam, and I all went to Applebee's for a drink. We came up with the AT Hiker Shot out of boredom and a friendly bartender. We had Southern Comfort for Georgia (Peach), Jack Daniels for Tennessee, and Apple Puckers and apple juice for Virginia. We still haven't figured out an ingredient for North Carolina but we're looking for suggestions. The shot actually tasted pretty good and we decided we needed to add an ingredient for each state as we continue the hike. By Maine it's probably going to taste pretty terrible, but so far so good.Went back to the cabin to sleep again, it's pretty nice being indoors.
Date: 2011-05-30
From: VA 42

To: Lynn Camp Creek
Miles today: 3.3

Due to lack of service in VA and larger miles (some days), I haven't been able to keep as up to date as I had hoped. Again, I'm sorry that some of these entries will have to be vague but it's the best my memory can do.So in honor of Memorial Day we took a very short hike! We ate a Shoney's in the morning (with some much needed fruit and veggies) and got on the trail around one o'clock.After setting up camp at 2:30, Tin Man, Strawberry, and I took an afternoon nap. Not much else to speak of during the rest of the day. The Safety Tribe came into camp around midnight and woke us all up. If I haven't mentioned them before, it's a group of 9 or 10 guys traveling together. They're a great group of people and the nicest guys you'll meet, but they tend to keep odd hours. Luckily, they settled in for the night quickly and we all got some rest.
Date: 2011-05-31
From: Lynn Camp Creek

To: Jenkins Shelter
Miles today: 17.9
Weather: light rain

The weather is heating up in Virginia and I wasn't ready for it. We had a difficult climb up Thomas Knob today in 90 degree heat and I ran out of water twice. I need to get a little better at managing the weather.By the time I got into camp it was all I could do to setup my tent and eat some food. My appetite was gone because of the heat but I managed to eat some cheese and crackers anyways. I didn't socialize too much in camp but I did get to hear a funny story about a skunk following a pair of hikers for three miles.
Date: 2011-06-01
From: Jenkins Shelter

To: Camp Site 588.8
Miles today: 17.0

In an effort to combat the heat I took a morning swim at Laurel Creek. It was very enjoyable but the water was a bit cold at 10am. After an hour break there I came across a cooler full of Gatorade! This was right next to the best outfitted camp on the trail. The campsite had a picnic table, recliner, couch, car seat, tire swing, broken tv, broken laptop, and a porcilin(?) toilet just set on the ground. Not sure what hiking club was responsible for the camp site but I think they have great taste.After acouple more miles I came up to the road and hitched into Bland, VA. I ended up walking down the wrong direction for two miles at first and had to literally stand in front of a car to get them to take me into town. It was the only car I had seen on the dirt road and it was right before the trail went back into the woods, AND he was heading there anyway... so I didn't feel too bad about making such a scene.I stayed at the gas station in Bland for two or three hours enjoying the air conditioning and hamburgers they had to offer before I finally resupplied and mailed a letter back home. I just learned today that the letter I had sent containing my cameras memory card just arrived back home without the camera card in the letter (and a tear in the envelope). I REALLY hope the card was not lost as it contains around 400 pictures and videos of the trail from the end of the Smokies until Damascus. Besides this journal, it's the only record I'll have of the trail to share with others. Hopefully I'll have some good news soon.So I hitched out of town to find Yoga Boy, Hollar, Radio, Big Ben, and Noodles waiting at the trail head. The last three were new hikers I hadn't met before but soon became very good friends. With the exception of Big Ben (who does WAY too many miles for me) , I hope to continue to hike with the others. I bypassed the shelter to attempt to cut down on the miles for the next day. Hiking around dusk I saw three bear cubs that treed themselves as I came by. The mother (on the other side of the hill, out of view) was making terrible snorting noises and loud growls so I decided not to take the time to get a good picture. I hiked on very quickly and cowboy camped with Hollar and Yoga Boy a mile or two later.
Date: 2011-06-02
From: Camp Site 588.8

To: Dismal Creek Falls
Miles today: 15.2

I hiked with Yoga Boy and Hollar almost the entire day. A deer followed us twice down the trail only a few yards behind us. Apparently during hunting season these deer have no fear of humans. Yoga Boy screamed and ran after the one "just to give it a healthy fear of humans". We're out here saving the wildlife, one deer at a time.Took plenty of breaks during the day. Two hours were spent at Jenny Knob Shelter and another hour was spent at a suspension bridge. As the days are getting hotter our breaks are getting longer.We camped at Dismal Creek Falls which is .3 miles off the trail and WORTH THE TRIP! If you're planning to hike the trail I would strongly suggest you take this side trail and camp for the evening.The falls were about 20 feet high and 30 feet across. There were two 6-7ft swimming holes and some of the guys actually jumped from the cliff into the pools. There was camping on both sides of the creek with a huge log (40ft long) layed across the banks. I would not suggest trying to cross it during the night as during the day it was still challenging to walk across. About a dozen of us were camped there and a few guys brought up some beer from the store a mile back on the trail. They also bought two foot long pepperoni logs they they attempted to roast over the fire.All in all it was a great night and felt amazing to go to sleep feeling clean from the swim.
Date: 2011-06-03
From: Dismal Creek Falls

To: Wood Hole Hostel
Miles today: 12.5

Nice weather today, the miles went by very quickly.The hostel itself is a must for anyone hiking the trail. Neville and Michael have setup the perfect getaway enviroment for hikers and visitors alike. It's a community run hostel so everyone pitches in to help the place function. It's not laborous work, it's actually very fulfilling and helps you feel like you're part of the place. The hikers lodge used to be an old barn but now is an open air cabin of sorts. It has electricity (two light bulbs and a fridge stocked with soda!), there's a hammock and couch on the porch, a table and chairs, bookself, and upstairs is filled with mattresses for sleeping. The shower is outdoors for hikers. The barn has a well worn feel to it and plenty of history, but is very well maintained.The main house was the original cabin built back in 1890. It has been built onto twice since then and has 3 indoor rooms with beds for the more 'important' customers (aka people not on the hiker budget). Everything is wooden in the house and everything matches the feel of the place. There are musical instruments throughout the house. Both Neville and Michael are massage therapists so there is a massage room with a suana and whirlpool bath. Every afternoon Neville leads a yoga session. Me, Yoga Boy (duh), Hollar, Radio, Noodles, Colorado, and Big Ben all participated. I stetch twice every day, but this was a whole new level. I have been using what I've learned since then. We all spread out mats on the front lawn in a big circle and took a good hour. More hikers came up during the session and joined our conversation, shared our laughs, and made it all far less awkward than yoga can sometimes be for new comers. Dinner was amazing! We had steak sandwiches, fries, a huge fresh salad from the garden, and the most wonderful fresh baked bread (that is a staple for every meal). We all pitched in with cooking and cleaning. Instead of it being a chore, the number of people helping out turned it into a social event AND made the work take only minutes. That evening (after I layed down because I ate too much for dinner, which I didn't think was possible), we had a bon fire and blue grass music played by Straw Hat. Straw Hat was another hiker who was staying there for a week who used to be a musician before coming out on the trail. Neville and Michael joined all the hikers around the fire and sang some music themselves. It was very refreshing to have the owners be a part of our fun. We were treated as equals for the entire stay, which made it much more comfortable for everyone. We weren't served or waited upon or lectured or treated as a paying customer. We were treated as personal friends of the family. We were expected to treat the house as we would treat our own house. We were asked to help in the kitchen as if we had been going there for years. It really was a wonderful feeling to find comfort so far from home.
Date: 2011-06-04
From: Wood Hole Hostel

To: Woods Hole Hostel
Miles today: 0.0

So I didn't plan a zero but I'm not complaining.We put our laundry in after breakfast and waited around till it was complete. In the mean time I wore shorts (which were 4 inches smaller than I used to wear... which was a good feeling) and a nylon North Carolina Panthers longsleeve shirt with the cuffs cut off. I rolled up the sleeves of it into a muscle shirt. That paired with the tight short shorts was a pretty stunning picture (which I got plenty of). We waited to take a shuttle into town until after our laundry was done, but I wore the outfit all the same. Luckily we went to Walmart, so I didn't stick out too badly in my poor choice of clothing. We spent far too long in Walmart and I got way too much food. By the time we got back it was close to 2pm and was too late for me to cover the 18 miles I was supposed to that day. I decided to stay an extra day.We did yoga again and I helped cook dinner. We made pizza from scratch on the back porch of the kitchen. Neville rolled the dough out while me and three other hikers put together whatever toppings we wanted. There were four kinds of sauce and 10 different toppings to choose from. They had a brick oven out back of the house were Michael cooked all 15 pizzas we put together. Dinner was served out on the front lawn and we all sat around the fire pit for music and food.That evening Neville had a meditation session for anyone who wanted to join. There were four of us in the room and we sat in silence for 20 minutes. It was something I didn't think I was capable of doing with such calm. Hiking every day has calmed me down even more than I was before.I'll be sad to hike on tomorrow but I'm learning that there is always a new place yet to be discovered. If I had stopped moving back in Hot Springs (at Elmer's Place) like I wanted to, I never would have found Woods Hole. It can only be assumed that if I continue to move forward I will continue to find one of a kind people and places.
Date: 2011-06-05
From: Woods Hole Hostel

To: Rice Field Shelter
Miles today: 18.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Even after taking a zero, it took me till 2pm to leave Woods Hole. Upon checkout, I saw that Michael was using Quickbooks as his accounting software. It happens that this was the same software I used at my job before I started hiking. Michael had just started using the program this year and was having some trouble with the features. I ended up sitting with him for two hours working through all the questions he had. It was something that I really loved about my job and I definitly enjoyed helping someone else with the same problems I used to have. They ended up giving me a little gift for all the help I gave them with their software.So around 2pm I finally left. I spent some time at the road crossing to Pearisburg (debating about staying in town) before I finally decided to move on to my destination. I stopped at a local house on the trail and asked for some water. They brought me back three liters with ice cubes in it!!! Definitely one of the best things I could have recieved on these hot days.The climb after Pearisburg was brutal. Roughly 2,000 ft in 2 miles. Regardless, I completed the climb and did my miles just before dusk. I met Toto at the shelter that night along with RC Slow Poke.
Date: 2011-06-06
From: Rice Field Shelter

To: War Spur Shelter
Miles today: 25.3
Weather: overcast clouds

BIG MILES!!!!I can't say it was easy, but it felt good. I drank plenty of water all day and took a long afternoon break again. Toto and I ended up hiking together for the last 9 or so miles of the trail into War Spur. We got in right before dark again. Too lazy to setup my tent so I layed out my bag on the ground. Took some time for me to get to sleep. Poison Ivy has been steadily spreading around my body and I'm dealing with some other skin/heat related issues as well. I didn't think to mention this before but it becomes important...
Date: 2011-06-07
From: War Spur Shelter

To: Va 42
Miles today: 9.2

So instead of the 19 miles I was supposed to do today, I was forced off the trail due to heat and my multiple skin issues.I walked to a Bed and Breakfast .5 miles off the trail. From there the owner gave me a ride up the road to his farm which was 10 miles short of New Castle. I stopped in a general store which was the most stereotypical southern gas station I could think of. It had one pump outside that probably didn't even work. Inside were two shelves of items, a soda cooler, and an ice cream freezer. There were 4 recliners in the corner where the shop keeper and a local were sitting... talking about the heat... and about keeping a shotgun under the counter. I'm not doing a great job explaining this setting, but all it needed was a banjo.I got an ice cream bar and a gatorade and sat outside looking for a ride. Three kittens patroled the yard and helped clean the wrapper of my ice cream bar. Pretty soon a truck came along and took me another seven miles up the road. After walking another mile or so a second driver took me the rest of the way into New Castle.I made a call home and to my doctor looking for a prescription to get rid of the poison ivy. They said they couldn't help. I was recommended by a store owner to a walkin doctor down the street. I got there right before close so I need to go back first thing tomorrow. Luckily the doctor there is a section hiker and will be able to help me out tomorrow.I was recommended to a Bed and Breakfast just up the street from the doctors. They normally rent rooms for $65 a night, but upon talking with the owners they were able to set me up downstairs in the dining room with a matress, a shower, and even had me for dinner. They are two wonderful people and have been nothing but kind. I have been on their computor for the past hour or so and need to get going but I will be able to update tomorrow with my plans. I think I'll have to be off the trail for a day or two so I can get healed up. Hiking just isn't working right now with all the pain I'm in from the rashes. I may hitch to Katawba tomorrow. I hear there's a new hostel up there. I may go as far as Troutville to spend the zeros there. We shall see... For tonight I'm looking forward to some wonderful sleep.
Date: 2011-06-09
From: Katawba

To: Daleville, VA
Miles today: 20.0

Been Awhile since I've updated. I'll try to make the details make sense.I ended up taking a zero the next day. I went to the doctors in the morning to take care of my poison ivy. I found out I've lost 15lbs and I have an 'excellent' heart rate (go figure).The doctor who saw me turned out to be a section hiker and was highly knowledgeable about what I needed. I got the right prescription and he mentioned he's heading towards Katawba and could drop me off on the trail again. I went back to the bed and breakfast to get my things and say goodbye to the owners. They wouldn't allow me to pay for anything they provided! I am beginning to think New Castle is the new friendliest trail town.I meet up with the doctor at the pharmacy for the ride,and I see him walking towards me with my things. He ended up paying for the pharmacy items for me!We get in the car and ride up to Katawba, looking for a hostel. On the way he calls his wife and invites me to his house for the evening. I end up at his place for the day. I get to wash my sleeping bag in the bathtub, and while it dried in the sun I played soccer with his three year old son. After that, we went to the outfitters for new socks, Red Robin for burgers, and Dicks for new running shorts to wear. I spend the rest of the evening with his wife, daughter, friend, and son. We finish the night with ice cream. Best zero ever.As a side note, the running shorts work beautifully. They're 5 inches long and have a liner built in.They are by far the most comfortable thing to hike in in any type of warm weather. Get over how goofy they look, they work. Find them at Dicks or any running store.The next morning we go to Dunkin Donuts for breakfast and he drops me on the trail. I hope he makes it to PA in his hiking so I can pay him back a fraction of the generosity he showed to me.So I get to start at the most photographed section of the trail at Macafees Knob and Tinker Cliffs! They are beautiful of course and I spent 3 hours up there during the morning taking too many breaks and too many pictures. It's a nice hike if you're just looking for a small section. There's a lot there to take in.The rest of the day was ridge walking to Daleville. I ran out of water close to town. I dropped in around 6 pm and look for Yoga Boy and Achilles. Stop in the gas station for gatorade and a coke. Look into pizza hut and end up talking with a boy scout troop for an hour who were there bussing tables for summer camp funds. Get some good ideas from them. I check at one hotel for them with no luck. Get a room at the Howard Johnson and go swimming for half an hour. I have no luck finding them so I went to dinner at a mexican restaurant for dinner and meet Woodchuck who eats with me.Woodchuck and I end up talking the whole night till 3am outside my hotel room. I find out later Yoga Boy and Achilles were in town looking for me as well. They ended up night hiking out of town.
Date: 2011-06-11
From: Bobblets Gap Shelter

To: Bryant Ridge Shelter
Miles today: 13.7
Weather: overcast clouds

Found The water hole a Jennings Creek. We swam for a short time and I went up to the camp store for a resupply. I only like carrying 2 days food, so I stop in towns way more often than I should.We decide against big miles and opt to stay at the shelter which is three levels high and completely deserted. Fun night indoors with our tents setup inside the shelter. We decide to pass around a drink in honor of the good decision to not hike up the 3,000ft climb, and save it for tomorrow.