morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2010-04-18
From: Moreland Gap Shelter

To: Kincora Hiking Hostel
Miles today: 6.0
Weather: clear sky

Got to Kincora this morning, a hostel fun by Bob Peoples, who is basically a trail legend because of this hostel and all the trail maintenance he does. It's been pretty chill so far. There are alot of hikers here who I haven't seen in a good while. Planning to make it to Damascus in 2 days, hiking 17 and 33 miles. We'll see how that goes.
Date: 2010-04-20
From: Vandeventer Shelter

To: Damascus, VA
Miles today: 33.0
Weather: scattered clouds

I woke up around 3:30 am this morning and started hiking shortly after 4 am with hopes to get to Damascus before nightfall. I hiked by means of headlamp for about 3 hours before sunrise, which was an unpleasant experience, but an experience nonetheless. The terrain was rocky, so I tripped and stumbled endlessly, and fell a few times here and there, to the cursing of the ground I was walking on. I was a lone ranger today, since nobody else wanted to join me on my 33 mile attempt. I have never hiked that far in one day, and it might be a while before I do it again. I actually only saw one other hiker, Cowgirl, the entire day. It was kind of strange, lonely, and peaceful. The hike surprisingly went by quicker as I planned as I rolled into town around 4 pm, 12 hours after I set out. This was probably since I was racing to beat the rainstorm, which thankfully I did (barely). Damascus, like most trail towns, is a small quiet place with not much going on. But I am taking the day off tomorrow to rest and let other people catch up. Luckily the hostel has a copy of "The Call of the Wild" to keep me occupied. HELLO VIRGINIA!!
Date: 2010-04-23
From: Lost Mountain Shelter

To: Old Orchard Shelter
Miles today: 23.2
Weather: overcast clouds

"No rain, no pain, no Maine"...or so they say.Today was a little bit of rain, and alot of pain. So I guess that means I will get Maine? It was a really rough day today. I wish that I could say I fully enjoyed Grayson Highlands State Park, but I really didn't. I suppose I enjoyed it visually, with the views and balds after the rain cleared, but physically and mentally I hated it. Rocks, rocks, rocks. I have never had to walk on so many rocks in my life. Between the ankle rolls, the knee pain, the sharp rocks hitting the soles of my feet, I am one worn down son of a gun, feelin like a rag doll right now. Let me try to think of some good aspects of today... we crossed the 500 mile mark, and I did get to see some wild ponies! I really wanted to ride one or lasso it down or feed it or something, but I only saw them from a distance. Last night was pretty fun at the shelter, there were alot of people since we all congregated from coming out of Damascus, and it seemed to be the young crowd. It's also nice to have a few females in the mix. You understand...
Date: 2010-04-24
From: Old Orchard Shelter

To: Partnership Shelter
Miles today: 24.7
Weather: scattered clouds

Today was just like a walk in the park. I have heard for hundreds of miles about how the trail is easier in southern VA, and I am starting to believe it. First off, we walked only about a mile and a half down hill to a road crossing, and there were about 6 guys camping out with a city of trail magic waiting for us. They had 2 full tables of food and drink! We were served beer, OJ, gatorade, strawberry shortcake, bacon, sausage, chips, candy bars, snacks, sandwiches, everything..! I inhaled all of this before 10 am, to get my day started. I wasn't sure if I would be able to walk 25 miles after eating all that food and wasting an hour of daylight, and get there before dark, but I figured I would give it a shot. The hike was easy and beautiful, and I seemed to be flowing on the tops of the mountains. There were long stretches of flat ground skirting alongside a horse farm, along a river, and through rhododendron tunnels. There were waterfalls, green grass, and birds singing the whole day through. The reason I decided to hike so far was because it was supposed to rain, and the proximity of the shelter to the road made it possible to order PIZZA! The last 10 miles or so felt like the sky was going to open up and pour rain on me at any second, and the grey clouds and storm winds gave me that sense of urgency I needed to make it to the shelter in time, which I did. Partnership shelter is a new, huge, and fancy shelter with a sink and a shower, which of course was out of order. I did however order pizza, and ate it for dinner and saved some for breakfast. It's a hard knock life.
Date: 2010-04-25
From: Partnership Shelter

To: Crawfish Valley campsite
Miles today: 17.9

There were suppsed to be heavy thunderstorms all day long today, but it was just the opposite. It was beautiful all day long, blue skies and spotty clouds. I had 11 or so miles to get to Atkins where I would resupply and be on my way, and those 11 miles went by like a breeze. Much of today was strolling through old farmland, or rolling grassy hills surrounded by mountains. Everything is more green that I have seen it yet. Getting close to Atkins I could hear the whistle of the train seemingly calling me and drawing me in. "ALL ABOARD!" After I crossed te tracks and came into town I went to the Barn Restaurant which had a Sunday AYCE lunch. Perfect timing. I gluttonized and went to the store to resupply, and then hit the trail for another 6-7 miles. Note to Self: never again go to an AYCE, resupply adding weight to the pack, and then have plans to keep hiking. It was the slowest 6 miles I have hiked. When I got to the spot I wanted to camp, to my surprise Bulldog the blind hiker and his cameraman Hitchcock were already there. I talked to them both for a while as I set up camp and ate dinner, and talked to Hitchcock later also. It's amazing to hear some of the stories about Bulldog's hike, and it sounds like Hitchcock is going to make a killer documentary. I wish them well and hope Bulldog completes his hike.
Date: 2010-04-26
From: Crawfish Valley campsite

To: Chestnut Knob Shelter
Miles today: 16.7
Weather: light rain

After raining last night for a couple of hours, I woke up to more grey skies, and more rain. It rained all day today, from start to finish, with no mercy. I actually didn't mind it for most of the day, until I got to the highest elevation with open fields, wind, rain, and no visibility. A pretty tough day considering how southern VA has been. Most of the day was spent in the lowlands, weaving through cow pastures and meadows. There is something very eerie about being in a cloud on top of a mountain, walking beside a small pond with calm wind, watching the fog glide over the water as it rains. I was planning on going further than I did, but when I got to the shelter after a 2,200 ft. climb, I saw that it was a fully enclosed concrete shelter with a door, and I decided to stay to avoid the harsh weather. I am with We'll See, Moonshine, Sideways D, and Sticks. Just kickin' it hiker style. Brrrr...side note: last night's camp spot was exactly on the 1/4 completion mark!
Date: 2010-04-28
From: Helveys Mill Shelter

To: Wapiti Shelter
Miles today: 24.0
Weather: clear sky

Well the rain finally stopped, and the terrin today was terribly easy. Mainly just cruisin' along, without a care in the world. Back to back big mile days again, which aren't exactly good on the feet. About 3/4 through the hike I came across a road and decided to walk down a bit until I found a store or somewhere to eat. Less than half a mile down was Trent's Grocery, which luckily served food of which I got a burger and a beer (how American of me). It was definitely worth the extra walking. I seem to be meeting new people every day, since I am hiking relatively longer than usual, and am catching up with more people. It's kinda cool, but at the same time it would be nice to be hiking with Beefstick, Ikitoe Jo, Donner, Tumbleweed, Darkstar, Bowtie, and the rest of the gang again. Oh well, these are the decisions I make.
Date: 2010-04-29
From: Wapiti Shelter

To: Pearisburg, VA
Miles today: 16.6
Weather: broken clouds

Rise and shine for me this morning.. left early around 7 am so I could get to Pearisburg as early as possible to get to the Post Office and Library (where I am curently sitting) before they closed. Not terribly hard, but still not an easy 16 miles. There are stretches of walking the trail when the mind wanders as the body routinely does what it does, in my case hiking. When my mind wanders, I think about everything. I think about home. I think about my future. What do I want to do after this hike is over? Where do I want to live? I think about each and every one of my friends, and their ties to the world, and connections to other people. I think of how I can help them more. I think about the rocks I am walking on. What type are they? Why are they purple? I don't know. There are alot of things in this world I know nothing about. I guess you could say, I "specialize" in nothing. It's really cool to hear some of the folks out here talk about what they did "back home" and how much they know about it. I think about how I want to learn more. I think about God, and his love. I think about church, and why we go. I think about the girls I have loved. I think about the mistakes I have made. I start to think about music, so I sing a song out loud (most likely The Avett Brothers). I decide I want to learn how to play an instrument, probably the piano or the banjo. I love the sound of a banjo. I think about the adventure I am on right now, and what more adventures are to come. Why am I hiking this tail? Because it's fun, I am a man, and I need adventure. I think about people I meet here on the trail, and after talking to them for 3 minutes, it feels like I know and trust them. I think about every single item in my backpack, and which ones I "need". Then I think that I don't need any of it. There are lots of things I possess that I have no need of, and others do. I think about the phrase "The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want". I think about the way I look, and how much I smell right now. I think about food, and why it seems to draw people together. I think about living life more simply, not wanting anything, and helping others more. I think about the clouds, the sun, and wind. I am not much a man of science, but I think more about how the way things work out here. More of which I know nothing about. As I think about all these things, behold: Pearisburg.
Date: 2010-04-30
From: Pearisburg, VA

To: Pine Swamp Branch Shelter
Miles today: 19.3
Weather: clear sky

A pretty good stay in Pearisburg yesterday; slept at the Holy Family Catholic Church Hostel, which was an old barn style house made into a hostel. pretty nice. When I was at the post office, a young guy named Danny asked me if I needed a ride anywhere, which of course I accepted. After driving me to the library and hostel, he gave me his number in case I needed any more rides. Come to find he was hiking the trail, got off, and was just hanging around town living out of his van. Super nice of him, he even gave me a ride back to the trailhead this morning. There was a big climb out of town this morning, and then just riding the ridgeline for about 15 miles, and then dropping down again. So, not a super hard day, but certain things were draining my energy. Hot sun, bugs, rocks, and running out of water for about a 7 mile stretch. Got to the shelter and just hanging around now with fellow thru hikers, nursing our wounds and cooking dinner.
Date: 2010-05-01
From: Pine Swamp Branch Shelter

To: Laurel Creek Shelter
Miles today: 18.5
Weather: clear sky

I can't believe it is already May. I am now in the 3rd different month of my hike. Today wasn't too bad, it was difficult and pretty hot, but at least the ain held out until about 7:00. But who knows, maybe a little bit of rain would have felt good on a hot day. Imagine you draw a "V" and then draw a line from the top of it and connect it to another "V". That is basically what the elevation profile has looked like for the past few days. Today though, we had to do 2 major climbs, up to the rock ridgeline, and then back down. It was extremely humid from the rain last night, and it was hard to believe how much sweat was pouring out of my body. However, descending to the shelter tonight, I could smell the civilized city folk from a mile away. When I got there, there were about 20 people of all ages with huge tents and loud voices who came together in some kind of group. At first I was upset since I just wanted peace and quiet, but it turned out to be great cause we got to eat lots of their leftover dinner and food. Usually when we meet people like this, we have to answer an onslaught of questions from them, but it's kind of fun in the same way. They were nice people, and it was a fun night.
Date: 2010-05-02
From: Laurel Creek Shelter

To: Pickle Branch Shelter
Miles today: 22.5
Weather: overcast clouds

Another blistering hot day today, my tshirt is basically white from the sweaty salt lines. A pretty tough day, with 2 big climbs, and a small climb at the end. The day started out well with some trail magic from PopPop, a retired thru hiker who is spending the weekend off with his family nearby, who was waiting in his car at the road crossing with a Coke, banana, and granola bar. After that I walked a couple miles through some cow pastures to Keffer Oak, the second largest oak tree in the east. Where is the largest you ask? NOBODY KNOWS! (ok it's in NY somewhere) The tree was sweet and huge. The rest of the day was me struggling, sweating, and feet hurting. I did however see a few new creatures: a turtle, a donkey, woodchuck, wild turkey, and some bird that was more red than any I have ever seen. Heading up to Dragon's Tooth tomorrow morning which is cool since I have hiked it before with friends. I'm getting close to Lynchburg!
Date: 2010-05-03
From: Pickle Branch Shelter

To: Catawba Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 14.6
Weather: light rain

Today was great, because I decided to purposely take it easy. I knew I wasn't going to hike super far, so it felt like I enjoyed it much more. We woke up to heavy rains, but it stopped by the time we started to walk. I like when it rains in the morning, because a I walk by wet plants with wet leaves, they brush against me and cool me down on a hot day like today. By about 10 am I got to Dragon's Tooth, a sweet stone monolith that juts out with panoramic views. I have hiked up here before with friends, so I knew what to expect, and it was great to do it again. I laid up on top of the rocks for a while, watching it rain in the distance, so I figured I had better leave before the rain lands on me. After the descent I got to a road and walked to a convenience store to get a burger and drink. A nice lunch in the middle of the day just does wonders. I relaxed there for a long time, ate lots of food, and then made a few phone calls. The rest of the hike was shady leisurely strolling through meadows and on top of a ridgeline until I got to the shelter. I climb McAfee's knob tomorrow, the most photographed spot on the trail. Hoping to get up early enough for sunrise. 700 MILES!
Date: 2010-05-04
From: Catawba Mountain Shelter

To: Daleville, VA
Miles today: 17.8
Weather: scattered clouds

Traveler: "Roughin' It?.... Roughin' It!"Me: "Ughhbluupht"Traveler: "We both slept through our alarms"Me: "So what time is it?"Traveler: "5:00"Me: "We can still make it"Traveler: "Let's roll out"And so our day began. It was only myself and Traveler, a guy I met a few days ago, in the shelter last night, and we both agreed to wake up around 4 am to hike up to McAfee's Knob for sunrise. Sun rises around 6:30 and we started the 2 mile climb up at around 5:30 and made it just in time. The sunrise was absolutely beautiful from the rock ledge overlook, well worth the effort to wake up early, and definitely a trip highlight. I had about 18 miles to go to get to Daleville, so waking up early just allowed me to get into town early, around 1:30 pm. After McAfee's Knob, we got to cross the Tinker Cliffs in the same day. It's a stretch of about half a mile of walking with a cliff to your left with open views the hole time. It was a beautiful day to see both of these awesome spots, and a town stop at th end of the day made it even better. When I got to the road, first stop: Bojangles! I decided also to check into a hotel and just relax the rest of the day. After walking into the hotel room, Bojangles in hand, I turned on the tv and what was on? A UEFA Champions League soccer game. I was set. Been doing nothin all day since then, and that's how I like it. For now at least.
Date: 2010-05-05
From: Daleville, VA

To: Bobblets Gap Shelter
Miles today: 18.5
Weather: clear sky

Could today have been much better? I have a pretty lax schedule the next few days until I get to Lynchburg, so I let myself enjoy it as much as I can. You know, that is what this trip is all about. The experience I am having is just awesome, and I want to make every day as freaking sweet as possible. There weren't a ton of views early on in the day, but the trail was great and pretty easy, and the weather was perfect for hiking... sunny with a cool breeze. It's funny because when I am hiking I love to be in the shade of the trees, but when I stop for a break I love to just sprawl out in the sun on the ground. Much like a dog, actually. This afternoon the trail paralleled the Blue Ridge Parkway, and weaved and criss crossed with it for a while. It was hiking a couple of miles, then an overlook on the parkway, hike a couple miles, then an overlook. Yes please. At almost every overlook I laid out in the sun, because I was in no hurry to get where I was going. And, wouldn't you know it, when I got to the last overlook about 5:30 there was lovely trail magic waiting for me and other hikers! A free dinner of 2 cheeseburgers, a hotdog, chips, and 6 Mountain Dews. Just the ticket. The people hosting it were a young guy who hiked the trail last year, and another woman. I sat there and talked and ate with them for an hour and a half. Great ending to a day.
Date: 2010-05-06
From: Bobblets Gap Shelter

To: Cornelius Creek Shelter
Miles today: 18.4
Weather: clear sky

Started hiking this morning easy breezy along the Blue Ridge Parkway again, which was a great morning warm up stroll. I got to one of the overlooks, and the view was towards the Peaks of Otter, which I know very well. Yet another sign that I am getting very close to where I live. 3 miles in I got to the road crossing of highway 43, and there was a cooler that had one Coke left, score! I hiked another easy 7 miles down to Jennings Creek to stop for lunch. It was a pretty decent sized creek, and the best part was that it was deep enough to swim in. I ate lunch, went for a swim in the cold water along with Young One and Slapshot, and laid out in the sun for a bit. The perfect relaxer before a tough afternoon. I swear that bugs rule the world, not humans. There are just so many of them, and they do an go wherever they want. Somehow I have to get used to walking through cobwebs all day, get eaten by mosquitoes, and have bugs flying into my eyes and ears all day long. The worst part is, it is only going to get worse. Such is life.
Date: 2010-05-07
From: Cornelius Creek Shelter

To: James River footbridge
Miles today: 19.7

Another day in paradise here on the AT. Was it because it was the last day of hiking before I go to Lynchburg, or because it really was beautiful and enjoyable? I really have been very lucky so far with the perfect weather that I get to enjoy. Climbed up Apple Orchard Mountain today which is cool because it is another one I am familiar with. It was a pretty easy day since the destination was the James River, so it was mostly downhill all day. It felt so good all day long to know I am almost home, and there were signs for side trails of places I have hiked before like Devil's Marbleyard and others. I was in a rush to get here, even though my friends are picking me up tomorrow. I wanted to jump off the bridge and go swimming but there were so many people since it was a Friday afternoon, and not my kind of people. I thought I would have this beautiful riverside campsite to myself, but later a group of about 15 kids decided to show up and party until 4 am. Wonderful. Oh well, at least I don't "need" alot of sleep tonight.home sweet home.
Date: 2010-05-13
From: James River footbridge

To: Brown Mountain Creek
Miles today: 19.0
Weather: overcast clouds

So after 5 days off in good 'ol Lynchburg, I am back on the trail. My time home was great; got to relax and recuperate, and be with friends. I also got to sleep in my own bed as late as I wanted, and go out to eat every meal! I weighed myself when I got to my house, and I have lost 20 lbs! I honestly did not think I had 20 lbs to lose, because I started at a dainty 165. Today was a strange day for me. When I was home, I did not think about the trail, but now that I am back on the trail, I think about home alot. I was in a mental funk as soon as I got dropped off, it felt like I had to learn to hike again. Maybe the wind and rain contributed, but I had doubts and worries running through my mind. What am I doing out here? People are graduating, people are getting married, moving on with their lives, and I had to move out of my house.. life is changing and moving. When I am done with the AT, I have to start over again. Decide about my future, find a place to live, get a job, and so forth. I am single, unemployed, and "uneducated" (whatever that means). Oh well. I kind of got out of my funk when I got to a shelter for lunch and I saw my long lost friend Aikido Jo, whom I have hiked some 400+ miles with. Beeftstick is still one day ahead he tells me, but it was good to see a familiar face from the trail and catch up. Wasn't planning on hiking this far on my first day back, but I had a friend and it was raining.
Date: 2010-05-14
From: Brown Mountain Creek

To: Seeley-Woodworth Shelter
Miles today: 16.8
Weather: overcast clouds

Aikido Jo and I camped last night at a good little spot right by the creek, and it rained again overnight. During the day it was wicked hot, which is a perfect combination for sweating. The first thing in the morning was to climb 3,000 ft. Not so fun, but you gotta do what you gotta do. I am still close enough to home that I am still familiar with the trail. Before lunch we climbed up and over Cold Mountain, which I have hiked before. This is where I met Lucky, a southbounder in mid December, hiking in the dark in a foot or more of snow. I later saw him again during my thru-hike near Hot Springs... crazy. Cold Mountain is beautiful, and its about the only view in the past 2 days. I still miss home, and the presence of the people I know and love. I have also decided to take it easier out here on the trail, since I have no deadlines or reason to hurry. I wanna soak it all in.