morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2007-06-06
From: Doc's Knob Shelter

To: Pearisburg, VA - Holy Family Church Hostel
Miles today: 8.2
Weather: few clouds

I awoke ths morning and there was a chill in the air and a light fog. I packed up quietly to avoid waking Tennis. By the time I started hiking, Tennis was up and getting ready to leave. I told him I'd meet him in Pearisburg.The 8 miles to Pearisburg was mostly along the ridgeline and then later the trail was switchbacked most of the way down. I encountered more rocks on the way down, similar to what I experienced at the end of the day yesterday. I had to hike down cautiously to avoid falling on slippery rocks and mud. I can't imagine what this must have been like for Snake, Slick, and Rider last night.The trail only skirts the town of Pearisburg, unlike Hot Springs and Damascus, where the trail goes right through town. Once I hiked down to the road, I needed to go to the Post Office and then to the hostel which was on the opposite end of town. I started hitching, but having no luck with that ended up walking about 2 miles into town. My first stop was to have lunch at Hardees, and from there I went across the street to Dairy Queen for a blizzard. I have my priorities you know. While at Dairy Queen, I ran into Tennis, who was also taking care of his top priorities. We walked into the main business area of town and he started walking to the hostel as I stopped at the post office. I picked up two food drops. One was recently sent by Kathy, and the other had been forwarded from Hot Springs after I left there before it arrived. I also recieved a great letter from my cousin Terry. Thanks Kath and Terry!So now I'm walking along with my pack on and carrying two heavy boxes to the other end of town looking for the hostel. As I was walking up a residential street which I thought the hostel was on, a man called from his front lawn asking me if I was looking for the hostel. Apparently I was a few blocks away so this man kindly backed his car out of the driveway, and gave me a ride right to the hostel. As usual, I was quite grateful for the kindness shown by complete strangers.The hostel is owned and run by the Holy Family Catholic Church here in Pearisburg. It is a rustic wood building with a big sleeping loft, kitchen, bathroom, shower and a spacious covered deck on the exterior which wraps around the front and side of the building. In addition to this it sits on a hill with an expansive lawn, and a beautiful view of the surrounding Virginia mountains.I took care of the usual business when I come into town; shower, laundry, etc. I decided to set my tent up on the lawn with a few others, and air it and all of my soggy gear out in the sun. I then sorted through the 2 food drops, selected food for the next section of trail, and packed the remainder in a box which I will mail up the trail at my next town stop.It's good to be at this hostel and relaxing in Pearisburg, VA.
Date: 2007-06-07
From: Pearisburg, VA - Holy Family Church Hostel

To: Rice Field Shelter
Miles today: 6.7
Weather: broken clouds

I slept in my tent last night to avoid what I thought might be a warm night sleeping in the loft of the hostel. I slept great but due to the heavy moisture in the morning air, I will need to dry out my gear in the sun again today. No problem, since I don't plan to leave until this afternoon.There are about 10-12 other hikers at the hostel today. I got the first pot of coffee brewing and about 3 more were made after that. Over a cup of coffee I talked to Snake and Slick to find out how their night time hike into town went last evening. I found out that after a very slippery descent, they made it to the road by 1am! It then took them about another 1.5 hours to find the hostel and finally get to bed. I have no regrets about my decision to stay at the shelter last night.By about 2pm I had packed up my gear, grabbed the food drop I plan to mail ahead to Daleville, VA, and started walking downtown. The sun was hot and walking the streets of Pearisburg, unlike the cool shady AT, made it even hotter. My first stop was to the library where I checked email and made a few journal updates. I then stopped by the grocery store to pick up 2 items I needed and then ended up at Rite-Aid to purchase a couple of birthday cards and have all the photos on my digital camera card copied to disk. I then walked to the post office, mailed the birthday cards, food drop, photo disks and miscellaneous unused gear (mailed home). I am not trying to be tedious by mentioning all this but simply want to make a point that town visits are not always as relaxing as one might think. There are always lots of chores to do.By 4:30 I finally followed the trail out of town and into the woods. It was just a short hike to the first shelter. This was a very nice shelter situated at the edge of the woods, with an open grassy ridge in plain view. Snake and Slick are here tonight with a few other hikers. I made dinner and then ate it as I watched the sun set. We have a fire going now to shake off the chill of the night.Good to be on the trail again.
Date: 2007-06-08
From: Rice Field Shelter

To: Bailey Gap Shelter
Miles today: 16.2
Weather: broken clouds

The morning started out well. After an early start, I was feeling good, hiking mostly along the same open, grassy ridge I ended yesterday's hike on. At one point I could see a campsite ahead with some logs and flat rocks to sit on. I was about due for a break so I turned right to walk the few steps to this site. Just as I rounded the corner, I saw a doe grazing at the edge of the woods, not more than 20 ft. away. We both surprised each other and we both froze for a few seconds. The wierd thing about this encounter however, was that she did not bolt away. This doe slowly retreated back to the woods but continued to forage for food. She slowly faded out of sight. A few minutes later a father and daughter with the trail names Calvin and Hobbs, arrived and I shared the story of this encounter with them. Calvin and Hobbs were at the shelter with me last night. Calvin is close to my age and Hobbs is about the same age as my daughter. They are hiking a section of the trail. We talked for a while and I moved on. Eventually I arrived at the next shelter and decided to stop for lunch. By now the day had turned hot and humid and it was good to stop and rest. I filtered a litre of water, mixed it with a lemonade mix and downed it quickly. just as I was finishing lunch Snake Charmer strolled in and I took a double take. Hanging from his neck and entwined in his fingers was a 4 foot blake snake. He found it on the trail right by the shelter. As you might expext, Snake Charmer received his trail name from his expert knowledge of snakes and his ability to handle them with ease. I took a few photos and he released the snake.After I left the shelter I seemed to have no energy whatsoever. I struggled along in the heat and arrived at a creek where the original bridge had been washed away a few years back. Construction was underway for the new bridge, not yet completed, so I needed to ford the creek. It was about 50-60 ft. across and shallow. I took off by boots, put on my camp shoes and slowly picked my way across the underlying slippery rocks using my hiking poles for balance. Mission accomplished I continued on at a sluggish pace. Just before I arrived at the next shelter, Snake caught up. At the shelter, we both started making dinner and he indicated he might continue further. At this point I could not think of doing any more mileage and it also looked like rain was on its way, so I opted to stay for the night.Snake continued on. I am at the shelter tonight with Calvin and Hobbs and two brothers from Michigan.
Date: 2007-06-09
From: Bailey Gap Shelter

To: Sarver Hollow Shelter
Miles today: 21.0
Weather: scattered clouds

I was the 2nd person in the shelter, up and on the trail this morning. The first person out was a young guy who I talked with last night. He started after me and is trying to finish the entire trail by August, when he will return to school. This is very ambitious, but he has been averaging about 30-35 miles a day. He is traveling very light and has the bare minimum gear and food. Traveling during the warm months helps since he does not need any cold weather gear. I am always in awe when I see these ultra light thru hikers. I have been looking for ways to cut some weight and will soon be trading my winter sleeping bag for a summer bag and will replace my heavy water filter with chemical treatment.I have been trying my best to get started as early as possible now that the weather is getting warmer. The miles come easier for me in the cooler morning temperature and I try to hike as much as I can before lunch. I have also been trying to take breaks about every 90 minutes. In the past I'd sometimes hike 2-3 hours before a break which is not a good practice.After about the first 9 miles I stopped for lunch at War Spur Shelter. I decided to take my time and even brewed a cup of coffee. I think the longer break and coffee helped reguvenate me for the afternoon hike. I started out slow and hiked at a consistent pace and energy level for most of the afternoon. A good deal of the afternoon hike took me through very nice, open, Virginia pastures and farmland. I have become quite fond of the transition from forests to pastures in Virginia. There is just something about seeing an expanse of rolling open land with old barns, miles of wood fence, and beautiful mountains in the background. It has an energizing effect on me. At one point I passed one of the largest trees I have ever seen. It is the reknown Keffer Oak. It must be 100's of years old. What a sight it is (see photo above).From here, it was a stiff up hill climb and then an easy walk along the ridge to my destination for the day, Sarver Hollow Shelter. What a beautiful new shelter this is. It is very large and spacious and has a covered deck out in front, with a picnic table. I met a few new thru hikers here tonight. One went by the trail name Alright. His father is visiting and hiking with him for about a week. His dad meets him at differnt road crossings and sometimes will have lunch or dinner waiting for him. His dad will then hike in to the nearest shelter from the road and spend the night with his son, hiking out to the road in the morning. I thought that was a great way to experience his son's thru hike and spend some time with him.Glad to be at this shelter tonight.
Date: 2007-06-12
From: Lamberts Meadow Shelter

To: US220 - Daleville, VA
Miles today: 9.4
Weather: scattered clouds

I was up early and on my way as Speaks Little and Gypsy Spirit were just starting to wake up. The 9.4 mile hike down to Daleville, VA ended up taking me over some easy and difficult trail. The difficult areas were over steep rocky ups and downs.It wasn't the quickest hike into town, but I eventually made it to US220, where I then walked about 50 yds to the Howard Johnsons Express Inn. Unfortunately there are no hostels in Daleville, so the choice of lodging is limited to a few small motels, all of which charge a reasonable rate.I checked into the motel and basically dumped out the contents of my pack on the floor. The immediate chores are to plan how many days it will take me to hike the next section of trail, take inventory of my food and make a list of what food I will need, stuff all my dirty laundry in a stuff sack to be washed, and take a long hot shower.The motel had laundry facilities on site, so that chore went smoothly. I then walked just a short distance to a small shopping mall to take care of three needs: purchase new hiking shoes and a summer sleeping bag, re-supply, and get a haircut. I was very lucky that I was able to do all these things in the same location.The shoes were sorely needed. I had put on over 700 miles on my old shoes and my feet were starting to complain over the last 50 miles. The sleeping bag is much lighter than my winter bag and should be adequate for the warmer months ahead. I also decided to treat my water with iodine (Polar Pure) instead of using my heavy water filter. I will send these 2 items home and should reduce my base pack weight considerably. As I was finishing up my chores, I ran into Snake Charmer and Slick who have been about a day ahead of me lately. Snake had also purchased a new pair of shoes. They both were ready to head back to the trail, so I probably won't be seeing them for a while.The remainder of my day in Daleville was spent eating (big priority), making some phone calls, journaling, and watching some TV. When I went to the grocery store today I wanted to make sure I purchased the right type and amount of food for the next section of the trail. I ended up making a good gorp mix, to snack on through the day, and keep my energy level high. I had forgotten to do this on the last section and I think that was one of the reasons I felt so tired. Hungry Hike Alert:I know this is a cheap pitch, but if anyone is interested in sending me some cookies, brownies, etc. you can send something to one of the mail drop locations I have listed on my journal site (click on the Mail Drops option on the left side menu). Just mail a small quantity and send 2 weeks prior to my arrival date. I will be adding more mail drop locations soon. Thanks everyone!
Date: 2007-06-13
From: US220 - Daleville, VA

To: Wilson Creek Shelter
Miles today: 11.2
Weather: light rain

This morning I woke up early and walked down to the motel restaurant where they had a free continental breakfast and a free copy of the daily newspaper for all guests. The breakfast was great and consisted of hot and cold cereal, bagels, muffins, pastries, buscuits and gravy, fresh fruit, coffee and juice. I definitely lingered on for a couple of hours there, eating my fill. Tennis and Bunkers stayed here last night and came in later, so I joined them at their table. After breakfast I returned to my room and organized my food and gear and carefully packed it all. When I lifted my pack I realized how ridiculously heavy my food bag was. I started eating some of it for lunch to reduce the wieght!I needed to mail my winter sleeping bag and water filter home and mail my old boots up the trail, just in case my new boots don't work out. I checked out of the motel and walked a mile to the post office, mailed my packages and walked a mile back to the trail.It was about 2pm, so I wasn't planning to go too far. Surprisingly enough my pack did not feel too heavy, but just the same I made a generous number of stops to take the opportunity to eat and reduce the weight a little bit. Other than some thunder in the distance, the hike up to Wilson Creek Shelter was uneventful. There was a large group of teachers from Florida, already there. They said they get together each year to do a section hike of the AT. I decided to set my tent up since the shelter was crowded. A thru hiking couple, Yonder and Janet, later came in and they are tenting also.
Date: 2007-06-14
From: Wilson Creek Shelter

To: Bryant Ridge Shelter
Miles today: 20.6
Weather: light rain

Last night a thunderstorm developed and the rain came down hard with ample thunder and lightning. When I went to bed I did not have the fly on my tent since it did not look like it would rain. However, I thought later, it would not hurt to put it on and so I got up and did that. Wow, was I glad I made that last minute decision. I stayed dry and comfortable through the storm.In the morning I packed the wet tent and fly in the sleeping bag compartment at the bottom of my pack. My much smaller sleeping bag can go anywhere in the pack now. Even though all my gear was protected in the tent, everything was a bit damp due to the high humidity.I started out hiking in a fog and due to the higher elevation it basically, remained that way all day. At times a cold rainy drizzle came down. The up side was that the conditions were advantageous for brisk hiking. The start of this section of the AT will parallel the next 100 miles of Virginia's Blue Ridge Highway, a simple 2 lane mountain road. At times the AT will cross the highway many times in a short span. This morning I crossed the highway three times and in the afternoon, three times again. It was sometimes difficult finding where the AT entered the woods again due to the fog. The Blue Ridge Parkway offered many nice vistas and signed explanations, but unfortunately I could see nothing due to the heavy fog.I was feeling good most of the day, regardless of the wet conditions and by the time I reached Bryant Ridge Shelter, I considered going five more miles to the next shelter. However this shelter was so nice (multi-leveled, roof covered cooking area, and deck) with a close water source, that I decided to stay right here for the night.Comfortable and dry in a palace of a shelter.
Date: 2007-06-16
From: Matts Creek Shelter 

To: Punchbowl Shelter
Miles today: 12.7
Weather: overcast clouds

Well today was a slight departure from the norm in a couple of ways. For the past 2 days and this morning the weather has been cold and wet. By noon today the persistent fog finally lifted and the suns rays were able to break through. I had the opportunity to spread out my tent and rain fly on the top of Bluff Mtn. and get them dried out after being wet in my pack for two days. The sun was definitely a welcome change, but the downside over the next few days will be hot and humid weather. The rainy but cool weather over the past few days was actually very good for hiking and I was able to get some long miles completed.I think the long miles over the last few days in combination with breaking in a new pair of shoes and my feet being constantly wet, has taken a toll on my body. When I started out today I just did not have that same early morning energy I normally experience. So by the first 12 miles I was looking forward to lunch at the Punchbowl Shelter. I had heard that this was a nice shelter. It was situated in a nice open area with plenty of level grassy space for tenting, a good water source and a nice pond nearby. There was also a good mix of shade and sunshine. I was originally planning to hike another 9 miles for the day, but as I ate lunch I started to think, "why not just stay here". My mind tugged with that idea and my original plan to go further. I decided to stay put. I knew that choice would provide a lot of benefits. I could pitch my tent and have a good night's sleep, something I haven't had in a few nights. I could also just relax and catch up on email, possibly some reading, and my journal entries. I was thinking, I'm suppose to be out here enjoying this hike. It is necessary once in a while to make a spontaneous decision to just hike some short mileage, not worry about schedules, and just enjoy the day, .So here I am enjoying the day at Punchbowl Shelter. Big mileage hiking can wait until tomorrow.
Date: 2007-06-17
From: Punchbowl Shelter

To: Piney River - campsite
Miles today: 23.4

I made an effort to leave the shelter early today, because I wanted to hike some big miles today to make up for my restful day yesteday. The early morning allowed for some cool weather hiking but as the day wore on it became increasingly warmer. My first goal was to hike 10 miles to Brown Mtn. Creek Shelter and stop for a long morning break. About a half a mile before the shelter I came across an informational sign which explained some of this area's history. In the early 1900's a group of freed slaves settled along the Brown Mtn. Creek which parallels the trail. Their settlement spanned the next 1.5 miles of the AT and I could see evidence of house foundations and rock walls, very intersting stuff.I stopped at the shelter for something to eat and a chance to soak my feet in the creek. I felt somewhat rejuvenated after that, but was less than energetic as I had hoped I would be. It is Father's Day today, so quite frankly I was thinking it would have been much nicer to be enjoying dinner with the family, rather then hiking in the heat. I soon reached another crossing of the Blue Ridge Highway and this was a nice one with open grassy lawns and shady areas with picnic tables. I decided to take a long break here, dry my wet tent and other gear, and try to make some calls. I fortunately was able to get some cell phone service. I was hoping I might have received some Father's Day messages, and sure enough, I had. I had some great conversations with my daughter, my older son ("Wooly Bear"), and my wife (Dave, my younger son was napping so I decided to call him later). After all this I felt much better and continued hiking with a very long and strenuous climb up Bald Knob (4059 ft.) and Cold Mtn. (4022 ft.).Along the way I ran into a day hiker who offered me a litre of Gatorade, at a time when I was out of water and far from an available source (trail magic strikes again). I think the phone calls home and that Gatorade really helped me out, because I felt great hiking the remainder of the afternoon. By the time I arrived at a campsite near the Piney River I had hiked a full 23 miles. I think that's a new record for me! I set up my tent quickly and had dinner before it got dark.Not a bad Father's Day after all.
Date: 2007-06-21
From: Rockfish Gap - Waynesboro, VA

To: Rockfish Gap - Waynesboro, VA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

I had every intention of leaving Waynesboro today to get back on the trail, but of course all plans are subject to change on an AT thru hike. After breakfast at the hostel, I packed by backpack and left at 9am with everyone else, as the hostel was locked for the day.I needed to get a few more errands done before I shuttled back to the trail. I had called Bill Gallagher and said I'd need a shuttle around 2pm and he said he could do that. I walked down to the post office to mail a letter and check for any mail that I might have waiting there. I held off on purchasing some snacks yesterday when I re-supplied, in case I had any packages. The only package I received was the one I sent myself. I had mailed my old boots to Waynesboro just in case the new ones did not work out. The new boots seem OK so I forwarded the old boots home. I then went to the grocery store to round out my re-supply with some snack food.Afterwards I spent some time at the local library which was very close to the hostel. I met a thru hiker there called Veg, who told me that members of the church have a dinner every Thursday night for hikers at the hostel. I had been thinking of just taking a zero day today, since by leaving early in the day tomorrow I would be able to cover 20+ miles for the next 5 days through the Shenandoah National Park, based on the shelter locations. The fact that today is Thursday and I could also have dinner at the hostel tonight, was the clincher in my decision to take a zero and stay one more night in Waynesboro. I cleared my plans with Bill, for a shuttle tomorrow.Flexibility is the key on the AT.