morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2012-05-14
From: Stealth Campsite

To: Jenkins Shelter
Miles today: 18.5
Weather: light rain

Day 53:It poured all night last night, but somehow we both slept reasonably well in the tent. Rising at about 6:30, we take advantage of a lull in the rain to eat and get everything packed up. SilverGirls stomach is feeling a bit better today, but now mine is starting to act up. We just can't seem to catch a break when both of us are healthy and strong. Shortly after we start hiking, the rain starts up again and continues steadily for most of the morning. Despite the rain, we move along fairly quickly, and reach Chestnut Knob Shelter, 8.5 miles up the trail, at about 11:30. The shelter is fully enclosed, so we go inside and cook up half of our macaroni and cheese dinner for lunch. ElastiGirl and Mr Incredible are also here along with Zip and his two Golden Retrievers. As we eat, the sun begins to break through the clouds. What a welcome sight! Despite the sunshine, we can tell that the rain may return again at some point during the afternoon. The humidity level is still rather high, and the sunshine only fuels the next generation of rain clouds. We are both feeling OK today, despite the morning rain and our stomach issues, so we decide to push on to the Jenkins Shelter, which is another 10 miles up the trail. The sun continues to be in and out for the next few hours as we hike over fairly easy terrain. We get to within about a mile of the shelter when our luck runs out and the skies open up again. We scurry to get our rain gear back on and slog our way to the shelter, arriving at 4:45. The sun comes out again for a brief time, so we set up our tent alongside the shelter and crawl inside to rest. It has been a long, tiring day today for both of us, but we are a bit more encouraged since we will be able to get into Bland tomorrow and see a doctor. One day at a time.
Date: 2012-05-15
From: Jenkins Shelter

To: US 52, Bland
Miles today: 11.7

Day 54:It poured for much of the night again last night. With my stomach doing flips all night along with the noise of the rain on the tent, I don't think I got more than about an hour of sleep. SilverGirl slept better and her stomach continues to improve. By 8:00, we are packed up and back on the trail. My stomach problems have not improved, and I can not eat any breakfast, which is certainly not a good prescription for vigorous hiking. Under partly sunny skies, we push on towards US 52, where we will hitch a ride into Bland. SilverGirl hikes along strongly during the day, while I follow in a zombie-like state. My feet carry me forward, but my mind and body feel exhausted. At about 11:30, we stop for a bite to eat at a nice overlook. We talk about home, simple pleasures, and many of the comforts that we miss. We are at the point where our resolve to continue hiking is being severely tested. We have not reached our breaking point yet, but if we can't get back into some kind of a healthy groove soon, we may decide to leave the trail. Let's hope it doesn't come to that. At 12:45, we reach US 52, where I stick out my thumb for a ride into town. The second car that comes by stops for us. We must be looking pretty pathetic! In town, we both visit the medical clinic. I am aghast when the nurse takes my blood pressure and tells my that it is 84/56. I am half dead! After she checks us both out and talks with us for awhile, she issues us a prescription for some medicine that will kill any suspected bacteria that may be causing our stomach woes. The receptionist at the clinic then gives us a ride over to the pharmacy, 5 miles away, where we pick up our prescriptions. Then, after she does that for us, she gives us a ride to the Big Walker Motel, just as as the skies begin to open up once again. We check into our room and just collapse on our bed. It feels so good to be inside out of the rain on a soft bed. Later on, we walk across the street to the Dairy Queen, where we order a light dinner. SilverGirls stomach is now able to digest food OK, but mine is still giving me fits. I have to eat something though. Tomorrow, if we feel better, our plan is to get back on the trail and hike about 21 miles over fairly flat terrain. Don't know if that's going to happen though. I'm still feeling pretty weak as I write. One day at a time.
Date: 2012-05-16
From: US 52, Bland

To: US 52, Bland
Miles today: 0.0

Day 55: Not too much good to say about today.We are holed up at the Big Walker Motel for an unplanned zero day. The good news is that SilverGirl is feeling much better and has her healthy hiker appetite back. The bad news is that I am now battling this intestinal bug. We were going to try to hike today, but when I got out of bed, I felt very weak and shakey, not to mention having to make three successive trips to to the toilet within 1/2 hour. For much of the day, I just rested in bed. As the day progressed, I was able to eat some food at Dairy Queen and Subway, but not nearly as much as I need to be eating. We have both lost quite a bit of weight over the past couple of weeks. The day was sunny and warm, and later in the day, SilverGirl and I sat out on the deck by the parking lot to soak in some of the warmth. SilverGirl even gave me a beard cut! She is the sweetheart of all sweethearts. Tomorrow, we have arranged for a shuttle driver to pick us up at 6:30 to take us back to the trailhead. We are hoping to do a 20 mile day tomorrow. We shall see. Hopefully, I will feel better. . Thank you to everyone who has been writing to us with words of encouragement and support during the hard times we've both had over the past couple of weeks. It really means a lot to us. We are still optimistic that things will get better for us and that we can get back into a  good groove. One day at a time
Date: 2012-05-17
From: US 52, Bland

To: VA 606 Trents Grocery
Miles today: 18.6

Day 56: What a difference a day makes. I wake up this morning feeling quite a bit better. SilverGirl is also feeling good. The medication that we were given the other day seems to be kicking in now. We will head back out onto the trail. We eat some store bought breakfast food in our room and then walk across the street to where we agreed to meet our shuttle driver (Bubba) at 6:30. Bubba never shows up, so we walk out to the road to begin hitching. Before we even reach the road, a driver coming the other way stops and asks if we are thru-hiking and if we need a ride up to the trailhead. Of course we accept his offer. It's hard to believe how many times now we have been randomly helped by complete strangers. There are a lot of very nice people out here. We reach the trailhead just before 7:00 and off we go. The rising sun casts thick sunbeams through the tree canopy as we walk the first mile or so down the road and over I 77. The weather looks very promising for today. The mornings hike covers easy terrain through the long green tunnel here in southern Virginia and we make excellent time. By noon, we have already walked over 13 miles. After lunch at the the VA 608 footbridge, we enter back into the woods where we notice that someone has crafted a 600 mile marker on the trail out of pine cones and sticks. We have come a long way! After a 500 ft climb just after lunch, the rest of the afternoon is again easy and we reach VA 606 at 2:30. Walking 1/2 mile west down the road, we arrive at Trents Grocery, our destination for the day. For $12, we pitch our tent behind the store, do laundry, and take showers. The store also has all kinds of food. We get the tent set up, do laundry, and take showers before walking over to the store for dinner. We order two hot dogs, a pizza, and a couple of sodas. It feels so good to be able to eat normally again. This is the first day in about 2-3 weeks that we are both healthy and able to eat what we want. Retiring to our tent after dinner, we can hear a thunderstorm approaching. In about 10 minutes, it hits with a vengeance. High winds and marble sized hail buffets our rain fly for the next 20 minutes before finally subsiding. We just can't seem to make it through one day without getting dumped on at some point. It's OK though. We know it can't be like this forever. In fact, the forecast looks very good now through at least this weekend. One day at a time.
Date: 2012-05-18
From: VA 606 Trents Grocery

To: Woods Hole Hostel
Miles today: 13.9
Weather: clear sky

Day 57: After a breakfast of scrambled eggs, ham, toast, and juice at Trents Grocery, we walk back to the trailhead. The trail is a muddy mess for much of the morning after last nights torrential thunderstorm. We cross many streams during the course of the day, many of which are flowing straight down the trail as we walk up. It makes for slow walking in many spots. At noon we stop at a clearing for lunch and enjoy the warm sunshine. Just after lunch, we pass the Wapiti Shelter. A number of years ago, two female hikers were murdered here. The killer was caught and convicted, but was eventually released from jail only to murder two more people after he got out. After Wapiti Shelter, we ascend about 1300 feet to a long flat ridgeline. The sky begins to cloud up again at about 2:00. Not wanting to spend another afternoon/evening in rain, we take the 0.5 mi side trail down to the Woods Hole Hostel. This is one of the better hostels along the trail, where hikers can participate in an afternoon yoga session, get a massage, and purchase a fantastic dinner and breakfast, both of which are served family style inside of the house. We stay in the bunkhouse and purchase both dinner and breakfast. Staying here with us tonight are Turtle and Snail, Dingo, Sitcom and Blerg, Butcher, Atlas and Cheeks, Superstar, Red, Earthling and Yodler, and Kazoo, who can do something funny with his teeth that makes a sound just like a kazoo. A hard day today with muddy and rocky trail conditions, but a good day. We are both fully recovered now, with healthy appetites again and our enthusiasm for hiking on has returned. On to Pearisburg tomorrow!
Date: 2012-05-20
From: Pearisburg

To: Pine Swamp Branch Shelter
Miles today: 19.3
Weather: scattered clouds

Day 59: After a restful nights sleep in Pearisburg, we pack up and leave the Rendezvous Motel at 8:00. Today is our daughter, Molly's, birthday so we spend about 15 minutes talking to her on the phone alongside the trail. Happy Birthday, Molly! Our first 3 miles of hiking this morning are flat, as we do quite a bit of road walking to get completely out of town. Once we are finished with the first 3 miles however, the trail turns sharply upwards into the woods and we climb steeply for the next hour or so until we reach the ridgeline at about 3500 ft. From there, the hiking becomes very easy for the next several miles as we traverse the long, elevated, and flat ridgeline that we are on. At about 11:00, we break out of the woods into a nice open section of the trail where we look off to the west into the distant farmlands below. It's such a pretty site. Near the end of this open section, we stop for lunch in the warm sunshine. Atlas and SuperStar come slackpacking past us as we eat. After lunch and back into the woods, we are treated to our first deer sightings. There are two of them about 20 ft from us and neither of them seem to care that we are there. They just look at us briefly and continue on with their business. Continuing on, we come to the last water source for the next 10 miles, so we take a break and fill our water bottles. At about the 14 mile mark of our hike today, I can feel that I'm starting to run low on energy. The next 5 miles prove to be very difficult for me even though the terrain is fairly easy. My legs just don't want to walk anymore. SilverGirl is tired also, but she seems to be able to maintain a good pace and I can't keep up with her. Finally, after a long descent off the ridgeline, we arrive at the shelter, finishing a 19.3 mile day. Tomorrow, we are only planning to hike about 12-13 miles, which I'm sure will be much easier on our legs and feet. The weather is continuing to cooperate lately, and tomorrow is looking good as well. We know full well that this won't continue forever, but for now, we are sure enjoying the warm sunshine.
Date: 2012-05-21
From: Pine Swamp Branch Shelter

To: War Spur Shelter
Miles today: 12.7
Weather: scattered clouds

Day 60: We had a pretty restful night last night in the shelter. Normally, we try to avoid shelters because they are often crowded and noisy, but with only four of us in there last night, it was rather pleasant. I am up making breakfast at 7:00 this morning on the picnic table in front of the shelter. SilverGirl soon joins me at the table. After breakfast, packing up is a breeze since we don't have to break down and put away the tent. By 8:00, we are on the trail. The day is once again sunny, but scattered thunderstorms are predicted for this afternoon. Our first 3 miles of walking this morning are very easy as we travel over basically flat terrain at a fairly low elevation. The trail then ascends sharply and for the next few miles we climb steadily until we reach Mountain Lake Rd. 0.2 miles up the trail from this road, we stop for an early lunch at a beautiful overlook. As far as we can see, there is only the Virginia wilderness - no roads, no houses, nothing but trees and mountain ridges. As we eat, Kazoo shows up and relays a message to us from Turtle and Snail. Apparently, they are shortening their hike today and won't be meeting up with us later. We hope they are OK. After lunch, we continue on over flat terrain for the next couple of miles before starting the long descent towards the War Spur Shelter. We reach the shelter at about 2:00, and stop to look at our guide book. The campsite we were planning to hike to is only another 0.9 miles up the trail, but we decide to stay in the shelter instead, which turns out to be a good choice. About an hour  after we arrive, a thundershower hits. It's not a bad one though and moves on through within 45 minutes. We spend some time studying our guidebook, trying to plan out our next few days. Tomorrow, we hope to do about 18 miles to Niday Shelter. We'll need to get an early start. It was a good day today. We didn't go very far, but we did get to spend a good part of the afternoon just relaxing and enjoying the solitude of the woods. Isn't that largely what this is all about?
Date: 2012-05-22
From: War Spur Shelter

To: Niday Shelter
Miles today: 18.2
Weather: broken clouds

Day 61: Although the shelter kept us dry from the showers yesterday afternoon, sleeping in there was not such a good idea. A mouse was busy gnawing away at something (not our food, thankfully) for half the night, and tiny gnats pestered our faces. We did not sleep well. Nevertheless, we rise ar 6:00 to begin our day. Our goal for today is Niday Shelter, 18.2 miles up the trail. At just after 7:00, we begin hiking. The day starts off partly sunny and humid. The first mile is easy, but then we tackle the long ascent up to Kelly Knob. At an overlook on Kelly Knob, I call the Howard Johnson Express in Daleville to make a room reservation for Friday and Saturday night. I also call the Catawba PO to have them forward our maildrop box there up to the Daleville PO. After a couple of miles of flat ridgeline walking beyond Kelly Knob, we break out into 2 miles of open pastureland. This section proves to be the highlight of our day. We love walking through these pastures in Virginia. At the end of this section, we stop for an early lunch as storm clouds begin to build over us. After lunch, we walk another half mile, passing the Keiffer Oak, the largest oak tree in the southern Appalachians. The trunk is enormous. Ten minutes after passing the oak, it starts to rain, so we stop to put on our pack covers and rain jackets. As we ascend Bruisers Knob, the rain stops briefly before starting up again in earnest. Now there is thunder and lightning and the timing couldn't be worse. We are crossing a 2 mile section of open ridgeline ledges with rain pouring down on us and thunder and lightning booming and flashing all around us. Not fun! And to top it all off, one of my trekking poles keeps collapsing, so I have to negotiate this section and the rest of the day with just one pole. Finally, the storm begins to pull away as we start descending towards the shelter. We arrive at the shelter at 3:45 and set up our tent. After changing into dry clothes, we go over to the shelter and cook dinner along with several other hikers who are here with us, including Slims, Rainbow Eyes, True North, Plant Man, and a few others whose names we can't remember. Today was a day full of everything - long miles, long climbs and descents, woods, pastures, warm, humid sunshine and a heavy afternoon thunderstorm. We are glad to be in camp now resting. Tomorrow, we plan to hike about 17 miles as we start to close in on Daleville. We are almost half way through Virginia!
Date: 2012-05-23
From: Niday Shelter

To: Newport Rd, Four Pines Hostel
Miles today: 16.8
Weather: moderate rain

Day 62: Last night, it rained off and on for much of the night, but by the time we got up at around 6:15, the rain had stopped. We eat a cold breakfast inside the tent and then pack everything up. By 7:40, we are on the trail. The day starts with a long, hard climb up Brush Mt. It is cloudy and humid for most of the ascent, but by the time we near the top, the sun begins to poke through. We stop for a quick water break, and then continue on over relatively flat terrain for the next mile or so. At about 11:15, we reach VA 620 and stop for an early lunch just past the footbridge there. Plant Man and True North also stop here for lunch.  After lunch, we begin the long ascent up towards Dragons Tooth. It begins to sprinkle for a few minutes, so I put on my rain coat. Within a couple of minutes though, the rain stops, so I put my raincoat away. The climb up to Dragons Tooth is rough and rocky, much like hiking in New Hampshire and our legs are tired by the time we get there. Dragons Tooth is a huge stone monolith perched high up on a ridgeline overlooking the Virginia countryside. The rock formations are impressive and the views below are magnificent. Climbing down afterwards proves to be just as tough as climbing up. We are thankful that the weather is good. In rainy weather, this descent woud be very dangerous. By 3:15, we arrive at Newport Rd and walk 0.3 miles up to the Four Pines Hostel. The hostel is a three bay garage that the homeowner has opened up for hikers to sleep in. Joe, the owner, shuttles hikers into town each afternoon and evening. We catch a ride with him to Catawba Grocery, where we pick up a variety of goodies, including cheeseburgers, potato chips, ice cream, and soda - all the kinds of food that hikers crave. Tomrrow, we're not sure how far we'll hike. If we feel strong, we may try to do another 17 miles to set us up for a short day into Daleville on Friday.
Date: 2012-05-24
From: Newport Rd, Four Pines Hostel

To: Lamberts Meadow Shelter
Miles today: 16.3
Weather: overcast clouds

Day 63: Last night, we set up our tent in the barn up the hill from the crowded 3 bay garage at Four Pines Hostel. We slept pretty good once everyone got in and settled down for the night. This morning, we rise at 6:30, eat some of the store bought coffee cakes, breads, and donuts that we bought yesterday, and are on the trail by 8:15. The morning is cloudy and very humid. We expect some rain sometime today. The morning's hike covers easy terrain, and includes a nice walk through some open fields and cow pastures.  At 11:00, we begin the 1000 ft climb up towards McAfee Knob. About 300 yards from the top, it begins to rain. On go our rain coats. When we reach the top, the rain stops. SilverGirl takes my picture as I sit on the rock outcropping of McAfee Knob. It is too foggy to see much. After lunch up there, we move on towards Tinker Cliffs, about 5 miles up the trail. On the way, we hear the constant car alarm-like sound of millions of cicadas. Their sound is so loud at times, we strain to hear eachother speak. Just before Tinker Cliffs, we run into Voltron and PassionFlower. We haven't seen either of them since Erwin and it's nice to see them again. PassionFlower had her tent destroyed by a bear several days ago and had to buy a new one. The sun comes out while we are on Tinker Cliffs and the view is spectacular. We arrive at Lamberts Meadow Shelter at 3:30. With us here tonight are PassionFlower, Y's Guy, Plant Man, True North, Socks, G-Hippie, Falling Turtle, Irish, and Incline. Nine miles into Daleville tomorrow and two nights at the HoJo Express. We are excited!
Date: 2012-05-25
From: Lamberts Meadow Shelter

To: US 220 Daleville
Miles today: 9.4
Weather: few clouds

Day 64: We are up at 6:30 this morning. Poking our heads out of the tent, we can see that today is going to be hot and humid. The cicadas are already making a racket as we sit down at the shelter picnic table for breakfast. Apparently, these are a species that emerges every 13 years. The noise they make is unbelievable, like 100 car alarms all going off at the same time, only not quite that loud. I took a picture of one at the hotel. They are all over the place, both alive and dead. By 7:40, we are on our way to Daleville, a little over 9 miles up the trail. The weather is hazy, hot and humid as the temperature rises to almost 90 degrees. We are in high spirits with the nice weather, pretty trail, and the prospect of rest and food in town by noon. We arrive at the Howard Johnsons Express at noon. After showering and doing laundry, we walk to the post office about a mile up the road where we pick up our summer gear and mail home our heavier winter gear. On the way back, we stop at the outfitter. I buy a new pair of gators, and SilverGirl buys some new shoes and socks. We also stop in at the grocery store to buy some food and snacks for tomorrow. For dinner, we walk across the street to the Rancho Viejo Restaurant for some delicious Mexican food and Margaritas. We are feeling really good now and happy to be almost half way through Virginia. We are also about 1/3 of the way to Mt Katahdin. In about 9-10 days, we will be at the southern end of the Shenandoahs. Life is good and we are having fun again. Tomorrow will be a day of rest and relaxation here in Daleville.
Date: 2012-05-26
From: US 220 Daleville

To: Daleville, Howard Johnsons Express
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: few clouds

Day 65: A nice, restful day in Daleville today. Glad not to be hiking today, as the temperature hits 91 degrees with high humidity. This morning, we had breakfast in the hotel lobby, which was justOK. I had 6 donuts, 4 muffins, 2 bagels with cream cheese, two bowls of cereal, 2 glasses of orange juice, and a big waffle with syrup. An hour later, I was hungry. After breakfast, I spent the better part of the morning updating our on-line journal. The WiFi access here is very spotty, and I kept getting booted out, so it took quite awhile to get caught up with the journal. Once that was done, we collected all of the lunch food we bought yesterday at the market and had a nice picnic lunch in the shade by the outdoor pool. The cicadas are still everywhere, crashing into us as we walk and landing on us as we eat. They are harmless, but very annoying because of their size (about 1" long) and hard shell texture. Cicada corpses now litter the roads, parking lots, sidewalks, and trails. We've been told that they will probably be around for another week or so before they all die out. After lunch, we relaxed by the pool for about an hour before walking back over to the outfitter and market for a few more small items. Walking back to the hotel, SilverGirl took a nap while I sorted out the food from our mail drop and and packed it into our food bags. I also called the Dutch Haus B&B for a reservation. We will arrive there next Saturday. For dinner, we walkied across the street to Pizza Hut - yumm. Tomorrow is forecast to be another hot day. We plan to hike only about 11 miles tomorrow, so it shouldn't be too bad if we get an eary start and beat some of the heat. On we go!