morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2018-06-07
From: Bryant Ridge Shelter 

To: Mineral Springs Tentsite
Miles today: 17.2
Weather: light rain

Good old Virginia decided to remind us of who is really in charge of this adventure. After a remarkable day yesterday, with fair winds and gentle grades, today was 2 huge mountains and four additional ¢ups¢ that weren¢t considered mountains but probably should have. This state reminds me the movie ¢Sybil¢, about the lady who had like 16 personalities. You never know which one will show up! Same thing with the AT in Virginia.We began our day by climbing a mountain and ended our day the same way. In between was enough elevation change to make us think we were back in the Smokies. It was a challenging day from a hiking stand point, but it was also a good day, not a bad one.Weather was absolutely perfect again, and got that we are always thankful. Curly and I got to see a huge Barred Owl in broad daylight...all I can say is WOW! They are truly magnificent birds. I didn¢t realize how large they get. Curly also flushed a momma grouse off her nest just off trail and about startled her to death!  It took a little longer than we would have liked to get into camp, but when we did, it is a lovely, grassy spot and about a dozen hikers have pitched their tents for tonite. The sunrise here should be wonderful. Tomorrow we are hoping to hike about 18 miles or so and hitch into Glasgow instead of Buena Vista on Saturday. There is a hostel there as well as a huge dinosaur at the grocery store. Can¢t wait to see him!
Date: 2018-06-08
From: Marble Springs

To: Punchbowl Shelter 
Miles today: 18.2
Weather: light rain

Fortunately, this day was a challenge, and yet went very well, particularly given the fact that we were going over Apple Orchard Mountain and Bluff Mountain, two of the highest elevation mountains in Virginia. On the plus side for us, we did the first one in the morning and the second one late in the day, so they were spaced apart. The second blessing is that the saying ¢ignorance is bliss ¢ is truly a correct saying given that we learned after the fact that as we were hiking over Bluff Mountain, there was a den of venomous copperhead snakes at stone steps leading to the top and they never showed themselves while we were hiking...or if they did, we were too exhausted to notice! We spoke with thru hiker Kudzu who went over the mountain the same day as us and she saw several in the same locations that we hiked! I¢m no interested in seeing them at any point in our hike, but this is another reminder of the Lord watching out for us.We finally arrived at the shelter right around 6pm and hustled to get our camp set up, as thunder was making its presence known. Then the rain came down during dinner and again later in the evening. The most interesting part of the evening was when we went to bed. Some type of insect or animal began making its night time noise and I¢ve never heard anything like it before. It sounded like somebody on an oxygen tank trying to squeeze out their last breath! Amazing sound and it was repeated in multiple locations all night long. I¢m determined to find out what that was.We ended up hiking over 18 miles and are hoping to catch a ride in the morning into town. We have not had any luck getting shuttle drivers to call back for a ride tomorrow morning. I mentioned yesterday we would go to Glasgow but now it appears that Buena Vista is the place...stay tuned for more!
Date: 2018-06-09
From: Punchbowl Shelter 

To: Buena Vista
Miles today: 0.5
Weather: clear sky

After a wet and noisy night off thunder, lightning and insects on what sounded like life support, we woke up still without a ride int town and not knowing what to do. None of the shuttle drivers called me back so other hikers started to make calls. We finally reached Oma, who picked us up at the Blue Ridge Parkway only a half mile from where we spent the night! I really wanted to get to 800 miles today, but a shower, laundry, and hot food over-red my quest to get over the 800 mark!By 10am we were settled into our hotel rooms and walking to Buena Vistas premier breakfast joint, ¢TNT¢s¢ place and we weren¢t disappointed. My gosh we hit the jackpot! This place has a breakfast buffet only on Saturdays (which was today), and it was incredible. We stuffed ourselves silly then went back to the hotel to clean up and get resupply for next 4 days. Sadly,nobody in the town sold propane for our stove, so we are going stoveless for the next 5 days! I¢m none too thrilled about it but stay tuned.The rest of the day was filled with naps, more food and hanging out with hikers Sparky, Squirrel, Bryan, Kudzu, and Gigi. Curly Turtle split s quart of Amish ice cream for dessert and I¢m laying here stuffed to the gills. We stopped at Subway to make a sandwich that will be our lunch and dinner tomorrow. All in all a great ending to a great day. Tomorrow we get picked at 9am and this continues this great adventure!
Date: 2018-06-10
From: Punchbowl Overlook

To: Cow Gap Shelter
Miles today: 14.7
Weather: broken clouds

We checked out of the hotel and was on the trail by 930am. Pretty easy terrain in the morning that shifted in the afternoon along with the weather. We did cross the 800 mile mark about an hour into our hike! At noon, we stopped at a nice stream for water and a snack when I saw a flash go by me on the trail. Second look and it was a snake, our first encounter with a poisonous one, a Copperhead! I tried to nudge him along into the woods further from the trail but he wasn¢t having any of that. He actually recoiled and faced us down, ready to strike if we bothered him any further. I figured this was his real estate not mine, so we opted to leave the area...snake wins!With a four mile up in front of us and storm clouds rolling in, along with thunder, we got moving on the mountain. Once again, we couldn¢t beat the weather and got ourselves soaked in the afternoon not once, not twice, but three times! By the time we rolled into the shelter both Curly and I were done for the day. And if that¢s not enough of a smack in the teeth, we have to go stoveless this week (no cooking) because not one single merchant in Buena Vista sold gas in cans for hiker stoves. Not a single one! So everything we eat this week is cold, and...because I lost my bear bag rope to hang food, tonite our bags are locked in the shelter privy hopefully untouched by bears or mice. And now you know why this is the Crazy Train!Tomorrow if the weather holds I believe we are shooting for a 20 plus mile day...we shall see. For tonite, we are safe, warm and dry!!
Date: 2018-06-11
From: Cow Gap Shelter

To: Tentsite at mm 833.3
Miles today: 21.7
Weather: few clouds

We ended up hiking just shy of 22 miles, our longest day yet. We stopped at Priest Shelter, a popular shelter because the tradition there is to confess your ¢trail sins¢ in the register. Lots of laughing goes on as folks read about others true confessions! Unfortunately, with bad weather there haven¢t been any views in the past day or so, and so we hiked on. Our primary intention is to get as close to Reeds Gap as possible for an afternoon hitch tomorrow to Devils Backbone Brewery and Restaurant. It is a signature place that hikers don¢t want to miss! They allow hikers to tent on the property, and the next morning for five bucks fix a hiker breakfast that is legendary. Curly and I can¢t wait to experience this place and we get to do it with trail family. Our day ended on a high note; we are camped next to a river that is making lots of noise with all the rain, and we are tucked into our cozy little tent.
Date: 2018-06-12
From: mm 833.3 Tent Site

To: Reeds Gap
Miles today: 10.6
Weather: broken clouds

Our goal today was plain and simple...hike to Reeds Gap as quickly as possible and hitch in to Devils Backbone Brewery. The place is legendary for its awesome treatment of thru hikers and we wanted to experience it first hand. Of course the good old AT in Virginia wanted us to remember who the boss is, and we certainly acknowledge it was not us. Four mountains and a little over ten miles stood between us and a great evening.  As each mountain was summited we got more and more excited. It seemed like hikers from all over were trying to get to the same place. With every bit of our remaining energy we arrived at Reeds Gap at 230pm, with a shuttle arranged by the Brewery for 330pm. But we didn¢t want to wait an hour if we didn¢t have to. So we deployed Curly Turtle to stick out her thumb and see if we could hitch a ride. I know, the very thing that your mom told you NEVER to do, she was doing! And it was fun to watch. Over the next 45 minutes, she got vehicles to stop and little by little our hiking crew found their way to the Brewery!When we arrived, they had tent sites available for us to use, for free! Bathrooms, a place to wash up, even an electric pole with outlets for charging phones was available. The food was crazy good, a little too crazy good for me. I didn¢t mention in yesterday¢s entry that I popped a crown off while eating a piece of candy. I texted my amazing daughter in law Danielle and asked her to see about getting me an appointment on Thursday with a dentist in Waynesboro to glue it back on. She did but there is now a slight problem. I put the crown back in its place in my mouth and only chewed on the opposite side of my mouth. You know where this is going. While eating this incredible dinner at the Brewery, I swallowed my crown! Don¢t know how that happened but it did! Like I said, you can¢t make this up. The good news is that I haven¢t lost it, I know exactly where it is. The bad news is also that I know exactly where it is!Not being able to do anything about it, we resolved to enjoy the rest of the evening with our little trail family because this is the last night we will all be together. When Thursday arrives, many of us will go in different directions and it will be hard for this team to stay together. A bittersweet but necessary reality of life on the trail!
Date: 2018-06-13
From: Reeds Gap

To: Paul Wolfe Shelter 
Miles today: 14.1
Weather: broken clouds

Two sad moments to report today. First, we said goodbye to our little trail family of Sparky, Squirrel an Bryan. It was a sweet but short lived two weeks of fun with them, but the fact was that we are going off trail for two days to enjoy grands and Father¢s Day weekend. They will be way ahead of us by the time we head out on Sunday morning. We have loved being with them; each one a special character in their own right. Lots of laughs all the way around.The second sad moment is that I have called off the search party for my crown. Hiker trash thinking set aside, I¢ve decided I really wouldn¢t keep that crown even if I did find it. You can probably visualize why. Hopefully there is some sense of my dignity in retaining in all of this!So we hiked just a tad over 14 today with a 5 mile shot into town in the morning. It was an easy day and the weather was spectacular. Of course our dispositions always improve with sunshine and the prospect of being with family. I¢ll let you know how the dental visit goes tomorrow!
Date: 2018-06-14
From: Paul Wolfe Shelter 

To: Rockfish Gap
Miles today: 4.9
Weather: clear sky

Our first order of business was to get to the Outfitters and replace some gear, so Curly stuck out her magic thumb and within minutes we were picked up by a wonderful gentleman who took us straight to the Outfitter. This part of the trail has been incredibly hiker friendly with folks constantly stopping to offer rides, for which we are truly grateful.We let the kids know where we were at and then hung out, waiting for them to arrive. About 1045am Caleb, Danielle and Eli showed up and we were on our way...to 5 Guys for lunch! Nothing like two double burgers and fries to take the hunger edge off.I still had a date with the dentist so we hustled to the house and I showered up and brushed my teeth...not wanting to offend the good citizens of Waynesboro. I was a bit apprehensive about what the dentist would recommend, given that my crown was still lodged somewhere between my large intestine and my colon!The folks at the dental office asked me straight away if I had the crown ¢in hand¢ and smiled...everyone is having a great laugh about this one. What we ended up deciding was to have a ¢sedative filling¢ which is a topping over the nub of tooth that the crown rested on. It sits lower than the rest of my teeth so it¢s not functional, but it prevents infection and allows my dentist to figure out a next course of action once we return. A solution that cost $186.00! I wasn¢t complaining, just happy to be trail ready again.Got back to the house with Curly¢s home made spaghetti on the stove and Hannah, Sam and the kids on the way. By 6pm our stomachs were filled with food, and our hearts were filled with joy to have all the grands in one place. Tomorrow the fun continues and we can¢t wait!
Date: 2018-06-17
From: Rockfish Gap 

To: Tent Site mm 879.2
Miles today: 16.2
Weather: clear sky

We said goodbye to the kids and grands after a nice weekend off trail. Ate tons of delicious food and slept in a nice cushy bed.The first day back was difficult, as it typically is. Especially for Curly. Her body ached all over and her hips gave her a difficult time. Fortunately the ascents were mild and while we hiked a bit over 16 miles, which is a great first day back, it didn¢t feel that bad. The weather held out for us also, which was really nice!We ended up at a stealth spot about a mile further than planned, and that is because we are now smack dab in the middle of a hiker bubble. As we were falling asleep, I was startled by a noise where our food was hung. Turns out it was deer coming into our camp area to graze on their favorite greens. I yelled at them to go away and surprisingly they did.And there ya have it...long story short (mostly)!
Date: 2018-06-18
From: Tent Site mm 879.2

To: Pinefield Hut
Miles today: 17.7
Weather: few clouds

Summer has definitely arrived in Virginia, and today was proof. I don¢t know how hot it got, but once the morning coolness wore off, we were feeling it! Fortunately for us, the terrain was very mild today, so the miles piled up in spite of the heat. Also, we stopped at Loft Mountain Camp store and ate a burger and a coke there. Any food you don¢t have to grab from your bag tastes delicious.As much as I love summer, there are two negatives about it that I don¢t like...the first is the gnats! My goodness it is gnat season and they look for orifices to visit. Eyes, nose, ears, mouth, they don¢t care they just want in! Our tent is our refuge from these nasty insects.the second negative about summer is ¢monkey butt¢. For those of you unfamiliar with that term, I¢m talking about chafing in the rear end area. I¢ll spare you the gory details, but let¢s just say that you can¢t hike very well when each step feels like your rubbing sandpaper between your cheeks (not facial-the other ones). Add in non stop sweat and you have a recipe for pain, lots of pain. Nothing like a full blown case of road rash on and in your gluteus maximus to make you walk like a preening peacock (does the imagery help?).In spite of the obstacles, we had a great day. Store food, early day into camp, and fairly easy miles made for a good day. We are in our tent tonite with flaps open and looking forward to all that is in store for us tomorrow.
Date: 2018-06-19
From: Pinefield Hut

To: Lewis Mountain Campground 
Miles today: 19.8

Not quite sure how to describe this day...a little bit hard and a little bit easy. A lot of heat and a fair amount of rain. Old faces and friends long gone, but new faces and new friends taking their place. I guess we are experiencing some change out here. And that¢s ok, because it spices things up. For Curly and I both, change out here is a good thing.The weather today got to pretty much everyone. The morning was spectacular with a strong breeze and blue skies. We were out of camp before 7am and worked hard to get in as many miles as possible before the heat kicked in. Our ultimate goal was Lewis Mountain Campground which meant cold drinks and a short 9 mile hike the next day. We stayed focused till 11am, and then the heat prevailed. Everybody slowed down, and we started carrying more water. I wouldn¢t say we were wishing for rain (that comes later), but a little break from the heat would not disappoint anyone.  That break didn¢t come until 4pm, when the skies opened up and flooded the trail in a matter of minutes. We were already pressing to get to the Campground before the store closed at 6pm, and this deluge definitely slowed us down further. I saw my ice cold Gatorade slipping from my fingers!So we pressed on and by 530pm just made it to the camp store with minutes to spare. We loaded up on food, then found a camp site and parked ourselves for the evening. Rain stopped right after and we got to pitch a dry tent-yay. We invited Bamboo and Uncle Yah to pitch their tents as well, so we are all in our tents and looking forward to a great day tomorrow!
Date: 2018-06-20
From: Lewis Mountain Campground 

To: Big Meadows Lodge
Miles today: 8.8
Weather: scattered clouds

In light of the weekend we just had with family, I was overcome with the solemn yet beautiful responsibility to tell the next generation of the greatness of The Lord. Nuff said.We only had 8.8 today before we hit our destination, Big Meadows Lodge. Took our time breaking camp and actually relaxing a little bit, something I¢m still working on! Hit the trail at 8am and enjoyed every mile of it. Couple of ¢ups¢ and before noon we were at Big Meadows Wayside, where we ate lunch and resupplied to get us to Saturday. Hiked into the Lodge and our room was waiting for us!! Showered, napped and before we knew it, it was dinner time. I also want to comment on how grateful we are for the room and opportunity to clean up, especially since the rain has been coming down in buckets. We are livin¢ large and thankful, oh so thankful for the generosity of others.We wrapped up the evening with turkey dinners at the restaurant and a huge sundae which we shared. It¢s off to bed and sweet dreams, knowing that tomorrow brings more rain...but that¢s for tomorrow!
Date: 2018-06-21
From: Big Meadows Lodge

To: Pass Mountain Hut
Miles today: 18.9
Weather: overcast clouds

Our first ¢goal¢ of the day was 8 miles in and Skyland Resort. That meant cold drinks and hot sandwiches for lunch. Curly drank coffee this morning and the caffeine was just what the doctor ordered! We hiked those miles in record time and enjoyed a nice break along with the nice smelling tourists.With 11 miles to hike and rain looming on the horizon, we stepped out for our afternoon hiking. The weather was overcast all day which really was a blessing, and the terrain was definitely in our favor. We made good time and as we were almost at the top of Mary Mountain, we encountered our first bear of this hike. It was s cub, cute as can be and didn¢t weigh more than 75 pounds, a little pipsqueak. There was just two problems with this. First, he was not scared or intimidated by us whatsoever, which can create problems getting them to move along. After all, he was on the trail and we needed to pass by. Second problem, is that where there¢s a cub, there is usually a momma, and we didn¢t see her, so we didn¢t know if we were between them, which is deathly serious. So...I told Curly to take a picture which she never got a good one, only the body but no head, and then I tried shooing him, which he finally did do, leaving the trail for the woods. Then I told Curly that we were going to make a dash and move on from that area before momma showed up, which we did. I was actually hoping that we would get through Shenandoah without seeing a bear, I really have no interest, and then we get to see Boo Boo. Later in the afternoon as I was ahead of Curly and coming down a mountain, I had a young adult bear come crashing across the trail in front of me moving like greased lightning! Two bears in one day.We ended up reaching the Hut (huts and shelters are the same thing) right after 6pm, pretty standard for us, only tonite we are staying in the Hut because rain is expected to come hard, in amounts between 1-2 inches of rainfall tonite. Don¢t want to be out in that in our tent, and right now it is coming down hard. We are in the Hut with 8 other thru hikers, 7 of which we never met til today. It is expected to rain all night and all day tomorrow so we are planning on getting good and wet. But for now, we are dry, warm and have full tummies! Oh the life of a hiker.
Date: 2018-06-22
From: Pass Mountain Hut

To: Tent site st mm 964.1
Miles today: 19.8
Weather: very heavy rain

In spite of the rain, today was a great hiking day. We made good miles and the rain kept the temps down and the bugs at bay. Our rain gear (skirt, umbrella and jacket) worked well and we got to our campsite a little after five, then hurriedly set up camp and ate dinner. The food is all hung up high and we are in dry and warm sleep clothes.Another reason why today was a good day was because we got to eat at another Park restaurant. I¢ve mentioned pretty much every day that we have had hot food and cold drinks almost daily in SNP. And today was no exception. We have literally eaten our way through the Park, and it¢s been great. Expensive, but great. We have carried less food in our packs, reducing weight, and I think that has contributed to some big mile days. Hot food also lifts your spirits, especially on a day like today when I got eggs, sausage, coffee and a huge gooey cinnamon bun on a crummy and wet day. It hasn¢t been cheap eating this way, but we planned for this from the very beginning so it¢s all good. I wouldn¢t change a thing!Tomorrow at noon we get picked up by our amazing friends the Gray¢s, and we meet up with other lifelong friends from this area for a meal and great time of fellowship. Sunday we hit the trail and expect to go over 1000 miles on Monday and into Harpers Ferry early Wednesday for our picture at the AT Conservancy. We just keep trucking along and loving almost every moment!
Date: 2018-06-23
From: Tent site mm 964.1

To: Front Royal Terrapin Station Hostel 
Miles today: 3.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Curly and I had a very wet night last night as the rain continued all through the night and right into early morning. That, however did not dampen our mood because we were going to spend the afternoon with great friends that we have known for almost 30 years. Our kids grew up together, we vacationed together and spent a lot of our adult lives together. This was a special day that did not disappoint!We woke up wet, we packed out wet, but the rain finally quit long enough for us to hike the three miles to the hostel. We showered, got laundry done and then were whisked off to meet our friends. An awesome lunch with great conversation ensued and there were many laughs around the table. Thank you so much Danny and Nancy; Ernie and Dawn; and Keith and Laura for being so kind and gracious to us. Your friendship means the world to Curly and I.After lunch, Danny and Nancy took us around town to resupply, pick up some new gear, and one final run to KFC for takeout dinner. We got back to the hostel and our food bags are now bursting at the seams in large part to the amazing care package sent to us via Kathy and Ron Lane (thanks guys!). No more eating out until the bags are empty!Tonite we look forward to getting a good nights rest. We are packed and ready for our next leg of this journey and can¢t wait to see what¢s in store for us!