morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2003-04-22
From: Bus

To: Amicalola Falls
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: few clouds

8:16amStill the process of the 992 mile bus ride. 1 hour left to go. Yipppeee!!!I''m exhausted, still feel under the weather. I think I'm going to camp luxery style at Amicalola Falls state park. I met a guy who is trail bound. I think we are going to split a cab. I need to sleep and fuel up on food today. 6:34pm TOTAL HIKE 9 miles:My plans changed today. Amicalola Falls Park did not open there tent side camping yet. So I strated to hike. My squeeze margarine leaked all over the top of tmy pack. I noticed it at top of the falls where they had a bathroom with no hot water. Itried to clean but had to give up after an hour. I just threw itall in a plastic bag with plans to wash it at camp. I was planning on staying at Black Gap shelter, but when I got there it was wmpty. I signed into the trail book but saw that a bear ate through through someones cord to there bear bags. SO I decided to hall my but to springer. I made it in daylight and I'm tired. I cooked and now I'm ready for bed.   6:40pm- Ykies, Ididn't sleep well for the past three days. Tomorrow I have to clean my butery mess. I slost my bandage and pack towel.
Date: 2013-06-26
From: Campsite Before Crawfish Trail

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

Day 40 - Chestnut Knob ShelterFirst, let me just say that I have (I believe) seen all of your guest book posts. Thank you all so much for your support and enthusiasm - it means a ton to me!I sweated my butt off today, I'll tell you what. It didn't seem that hot, but the humidity must have been high because i was dragging. The hike was pretty good. There was variety, from Creektown to big open fields to woods, and there were some decent climbs. There was on section that, if you went 10 yards to the left or the right, you would be in someone's hayfield. There was just a little patch of woods that the trail ran through. I actually saw and waved to a farmer lady as she was cutting the hay like 30 yards from me. It threatened rain all day, but luckily I saw only light rain for maybe 15 minutes. The hardest factor of the day was that the majority of the supposed "streams" that are shown in my book were dried out. I was thirsty for quite some time, and even got a pretty wicked dehydration headache. Luckily there was a spring a couple miles shy of my shelter so I was able to stock up for tonight and tomorrow. It looks like water will be relatively scarce for the next couple of days, so I'll really have to be mindful of how much I have. I met a few new people today.   Double Take is a guy who just got back on the trail after a month off with a torn meniscus. Seems like a cool guy. A second fella and his dog (can't remember their names) are section hiking Virginia (and last night when I got into camp I thought the dog was going to rip my face off - apparently his bark is worse than his bite). The third guy is I believe named Snail's Pace. He is the only one here at the shelter, and he is also (slowly) thru-hiking. He's not sure if he can make it without flip-flopping (going to Maine and hiking south to beat the winter weather up north). Today was a good (sweaty) day - the next few days are supposed to rain, but here's hoping they're wrong!Today's song: "Are You Sure Hank Done it This Way" - Waylon Jennings
Date: 2003-04-24
From: Stover Creek

To: Woody Gap
Miles today: 20.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Today I hiked 13.4 miles. Today was early start 7:30. I liked the early start it was very peaceful, I met a Ridge Runner "Big Stick" who helped me out with the forcast and a camping spot. I had some real wonderful veiws today on the ridgelines. I didn't take any sceinic pictures today. I strated to hike on my reg. pants but then it started to rain a very small amount. SO I just dropped myu drawers, stripped from my pants and put on my rain pants. But the weather was a little to warm so I rolled them up above my knees. Talk about looking like a geek. For a good part of the day I thought I over reacted. Then around 3:45-4:00 It started to rain. Just in time for my paoint of destination.   I caught up with the Kentucky crew by that point and we set up camp. THis was really kind of cool because I didn't have to go through my first neight of rain or in my tent alone. I never set up my tent before. I know don't ask! But it went okey. Now I have to buy more stakes because not enough came with the tent. THank god a trail man suggested that I grab a coupole off of the approach trail to springer. I really have to thank my guardian Agles for looking over me. I've been blessed with the kindest lick ever to meet some really great people. Thank you everyone!!PS My feet were sore for the first time my last hour of hiking.
Date: 2013-06-28
From: Helvey's Mill Shelter

To: Wapiti Shelter
Miles today: 24.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Day 42 - Wapiti Shelter Until 6:30pm, I saw more bears than people on the trail! I was maybe 11 or 12 miles in, cruising along up on a ridge line. I came up and over a little hill, which curved down and to the right, before curving back left. As I came over the hill, I saw a big (bigger than I imagined them to be, and definitely bigger than the other one I saw) black bear lazily walking away from me on the trail. I was all of 15 yards from him (I know because I stepped it off afterwards) when I saw him, and I immediately turned and quietly backtracked up to where I could hide behind a tree but still see him. I don't know if he ever even saw me, but after a few seconds he turned to his left and trotted up and over the ridge and out of my view.   It was then that I made some noise to alert him that I was passing.   It was really a special moment, and I wish my iphone would have been on so I could have taken a picture.   I also saw deer out the wazoo today, and I actually got within 5 feet of one. She was laying down up against a log which was just on the left side of the trail (it was adjacent, not off in the brush). I came over another little hill and, startled, she got up and went across the trail and stood almost next to it. I made a little noise to try to entice her to move on, but she just stood there looking at me and chomping away at some grass. I said fine, you want it that way, I'm coming through (and please don't kick me as I pass).   I went by and she just stared.   Pretty cool.I didn't have many views today, but there was a lot of ridge and Creektown walking, so I was able to make good time. Some sections were fairly rocky, but for the most part it was easy, well trodden trail. I ended up spending about 2 hours at Trent's Grocery, which is located .5 miles off the trail at a road crossing. I did laundry, restocked and ate some pizza, with a Snickers ice cream bar to top it off. I also met an old guy who has ties to Urbana, Ohio (go Blue Knights!), and another who's hiking with his dead friend's ashes until he can spread them in Pennsylvania. It was quite a layover. When all was said and done, I had put in another big day, and my dogs were barking!Interestingly, this makes 2 nights in a row that I've been at a shelter alone. It hadn't happened up until now, which tells me I'm likely bringing up the rear of the thru-hikers. I know there is a group slightly behind me, but I haven't seen anyone else since I've been back on trail. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the company, but there's something peaceful about having the shelter to yourself after a long day - it probably helps that no one is snoring! Today's song: "You Wreck Me" - Tom Petty
Date: 2003-04-25
From: Woody Gap

To: Blood Mountain
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: moderate rain

6:21 am Still raining. Tent didn't leak YippEE!!Cancle that! Tent leaked on the foot of my gab. I forcast called for severe weather today. I hiked to neels gap where I was able to supply up on comprssion sacks, a book, food, a ccomb, and maxi pad. I had my period gso heavy. Isoaked through. I was never so embarrassed. Idon't know if anyone noticed but I just couldn't believe it. I hiked over blood mountain it was like a little of home. It was very rocky, and it looked like it had great views. Bity today alls I could see was fog. I tried calling family today and just left messages. Tonight there war bad thunderstorms now. I'm in a hostel with 3 other thru hikers, all girls. 1 SOlo and sisters the Trail Antz. Its funny everything is out drying here. Its a mess. But I'm so glad that I have a place to dry out.
Date: 2013-06-29
From: Wapiti Shelter

To: Pearisburg
Miles today: 17.8

Day 43 - Pearisburg Today I saw two more bears! This is crazy, since I saw only one in the first 600+ miles, and now I've seen 3 in two days! I was again walking on a ridge - Virginia seems to consist so far of big climbs, ridge walking, and big descents - and I heard loud crashing off to my left. I spotted it (or I should say its butt) as it ran away. It was probably 50 yards away.   I had just enough time to think about how cool it was to see two bears in two days when I again heard loud crashing, this time to my right. I again just saw a bear butt as it ran away. For those that are interested, these two were probably 3-5 miles south of Angel's Rest (which is just before the big descent into Pearisburg).   There was a handful of nice views today, where you could see out forever into the valleys below. Those are always nice, and it's great being up on these ridges because the views come without having to put in a ton of work!I got into Pearisburg a little after 5, and checked into a motel. I enjoyed a lovely Mexican meal and some tall Tecates for dinner, and then went and walked around town. It's a pretty little town, with some cool old colonial architecture and a big mural on one of the buildings. There was something about the smell in the air and the feeling of summer that made me really happy. It was a great walk. Today's song: "Comrade Z": Devotchka
Date: 2003-04-26
From: Blood Mountain

To: Low Gap Shelter
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

Today kicked my butt! I made my good time but I just felt so weak. Tonight I'm staying at low Gap Shelter. 41.3 miles done with alot more to go. I set up my tent to dry it out. I've decided that I need a lighter weight stove, one that I won't have to worry about burning down the state. I was able to enjoy some nice views today and sit down for a while and read my new thru hiker companion book, which I wish I had before I started the trail. I have to bring my drop boxes a little closer in time. I'm carrying to much food!!! I relouded my pack and H2o and food. It was was 40 lbs. I felt it. Everthing was still wet(my tent, pack). So tonight I ate my heaviest meal Beans and Rice. I felt like I was on fear factor shoveling it down. I did not want to pack out the extra weight. I was going to work on my drop boxes tonight but I'm to tried to focus, so I'm going to read my book instead. Dean Koontz's "Door to December" I'm tearing out the pages and burning them after I read them to lighten up the load. I hope I do alot of reading tonight so we can make a good campfire tomorrow.
Date: 2013-06-30
From: Pearisburg

To: Pine Swamp Branch Shelter
Miles today: 19.3
Weather: light rain

Day 44 - Pine Swamp Branch Shelter I lounged around lazily this morning and watched some tv before heading to the grocery store to resupply. Of course, because of the lounging and because I wanted to stop at Hardee's for breakfast, I didn't ending hitting the trail until around 11:30. I was a little nervous about getting the mileage done, especially because there was a pretty sizable climb out of town, but everything worked out great. About 7 miles in there is an awesome view in Rice Field. I took a load off there for 15-20 minutes and chatted with a section hiker who was just getting back on the trail. As I was packing up to leave, another younger guy passed by heading north. We ended up hiking most of the rest of the day together. He's going by the name Sparticus (or just Kyle, as he's hoping to be renamed sometime soon) and is a section hiker as well - today was his first day back out on the trail after being off for a few weeks. He seems not to be overly committed to planning things out - he just knows he wants to see McAfee Knob. We got to talking, and I realized just how small of a world it actually is - he lived and worked in St. Paris, OH (which is about 10 minutes to where I went to college), for like 5 years! Incredible! He seems like a cool guy, and we may end up hiking together for a while - we'll see.   At the shelter are me, Sparticus, and a 79 year old Greek guy who is section hiking and will finish before he turns 80 - super cool!Also, it's important to note that it is possible to hike in Crocs. I had to put them on and wear them for the last 13 miles because my new shoes are destroying my feet - the Crocs held up great and will be nice alternative if my feet keep hurting!Today's song: "Creep" - TLC
Date: 2003-04-29
From: Cheese Factory Site

To: Plumorchard Gap Shelter
Miles today: 16.8
Weather: clear sky

Today I moved. I should sleep good tonight. Thounder is in the air. So tonight I'm planning on sleeping in the shelter.Last night early morning mice made a circus on my tent. I woke up at 2am I thought one was running on the inside of my bugnet. Thank god it was a false alarm. THen an earthquake woke me up. I thought it was a quake at first then I just questioned if my muscles were spasming. It was a certified quake at the shelter tonight. Tomorrow its supposed to rain. I,m debating on 7 or 12 miles.
Date: 2013-07-03
From: Pickle Branch Shelter

To: Campsite North of Lamberts Meadow Shelter
Miles today: 23.3

Day 47 - Campsite North of Lamberts Meadow ShelterThe rain is REALLY coming down lately! This was one of those days where it was impossible to keep stuff dry, and another day where the views surely would have been amazing if the weather was nice. The first seven miles included the famous Dragon's Tooth, which is a stone monolith that stands alone and is jagged like you would imagine a dragon's tooth to be. There's apparently tons of sandstone in the area, as the trail is becoming sandy - and at Dragon's Tooth you could have mistaken it for a beach. The real interesting part was the descent from Dragon's Tooth. It requires some hands and feet action, and there are spots which have steel ladder rungs bolted to the rock. It was raining so it made the descent that much more interesting. I'd say it was probably the most challenging section of the trail so far, and it required a lot of concentration so it was definitely a lot of fun! At the end of the first 7 miles was a road which lead about a half mile to a little gas station/grocery store. I gladly ordered a cheeseburger, and drank some gatorade and coffee while hanging out with Xy (he had left the shelter shorty before me, and I caught up to him by the time we reached the road).   We hung out there for almost two hours, chatted, and I was able to finally call Haley after not having cell service since Pearisburg. It was lovely. Xy again left a little before me, and I hit the trail right around 1 with 16.3 miles to go. I had to change into Crocs again because these shoes just refuse to be broken in (and the rain and constantly damp feet don't help this cause). It continued to pour (and I mean torrential downpour) for much of the rest of the day, including during what would have been awesome views from McAfee Knob and Tinker Cliffs. If anyone wants a really awesome section of trail to hike for a weekend, hike from Dragon's Tooth to Tinker Cliffs - it's so cool and varied and beautiful, even in the rain. Xy and I did get pictures of the fog at McAfee Knob, which is cool. I didn't take any pics of Tinker Cliffs, but they are some substantial cliffs on which the trail runs directly. It runs within a few feet of the cliffs at times, which is super cool.   It was around 7:45 when I was rolling into the shelter, after 16.3 miles straight through the hardest rain I've seen in forever. I had a suspicion that the shelter would be full, even though it hadn't been for the last week (but why wouldn't it be full after 22.5 miles of crap weather??). I was totally bummed to find out that it was in fact full. But thankfully there was a campsite .3 miles further up the trail. I set my tent up in the rain and tried my best to keep things dry, at which I was only moderately successful.   I then spent the night saying my prayers as thunderstorms passed through.Today's song: "Fixxxer" - Metallica
Date: 2003-04-29
To: Plumorchard Gap Shelter
Miles today: 16.8
Weather: clear sky

Today I moved. I should sleep good tonight. Thounder is in the air, so tonight I'm planning to sleep in the shelter.Last night/early morning mice made a circus on my tent. I wouke up at 2am I thought one was running on the inside of my bug net. Thank God it was a false alarm. THen an earhquake woke me up. I thought it was a quake at first then I just question if my muscles were spasming. It was a cerified quake at the shelter tonight. Tomorrow its supposed to rain. I'm debating on 7 or 12 miles.
Date: 2013-07-04
From: Campsite North of Lamberts Meadow Shelter

To: Daleville
Miles today: 8.8
Weather: clear sky

Day 48 - DalevilleI made it through the night without any issues, and my mighty Eureka tent made it through with nothing but a little bit of condensation! I was so glad for that, given the pounding it took all night. I wore crocs again today (darn these wet feet!), and it was a good call because the trail was literally flooded and acting as makeshift raging stream probably 30-40% of the time. I had absolutely no choice but to walk through it, and at times I found myself fording rushing streams. It was incredible the amount of water that was coming down the mountains! At one point, the trail disappeared into a two hundred yard stretch of flood water. It was knee-deep and flowing pretty fast, and I had to ford through it in hopes of finding the next white blaze. It was crazy and I've never done anything like that! Ridiculously hard rain was coming down as I reached the road crossing and the respite of the Howard Johnson Express (a really nice motel (compared to others of a similar price) for only $49.99!). As I was walking up the road, I found myself raising my arms to the heavens and fist pumping as if I was some hero who achieved greatness. It was glorious!I chilled for the afternoon, dried my stuff out and did laundry. My buddy Brandon came up from Radford to hang out for the 4th, and we went out for BBQ in downtown Roanoke. It was super cool - there's a historic area (think warehouse district) with restaurants and shops which I thought was really neat. We had a great time!Update: it turns out I'm not exaggerating this whole rain situation. I found out that July 1-3 had a half inch more rain in this area than normally occurs in the whole month of July! There were also mudslides and floods, and the Roanoke River is the 10th highest it's ever been....craziness! Also, I failed to mention in my last post that I finally had my first wipeout on the trail. Actually 2 wipeouts now in two days. I was hoping to make it the whole way, but I could only make it around 700 miles. In my defense, though, I was wearing crocs both times - they're about as good as a pair of ice skates on any sort of mud, and the trail is almost ALL mud at this point! Both times were pretty comical (after I realized I only had minor scrapes and bruises) - I was like a cartoon character slipping on a banana peel, both feet completely out from under me and hiking poles flying everywhere! All I could do was laugh. Today's song: "No Rain" - Blind Melon
Date: 2003-04-30
From: Plumorchard Gap Shelter

To: Standing Indian Shelter
Miles today: 12.2
Weather: clear sky

Today I crossed state lines into N.C.. I saw a Lady slipper flower as I was leaving Georgia, which brought ma sense of peace through me. THat was one of my grandmothers favorite flowers. Today was hot and humid, I just wanted it to rain. WHne I was about 1/2 mile away from the shelter it started to hale, which didn't do me much good at cooling down. It just belted my body and bounced off. And 5 minutes after I arrived at the shelter it started to pour, thunder, and lighting which bring a refreshing cool air. I think I am starting to adapt to trail life. I finally have the cat hole digging down. It was strange getting your body to go in the crab walk position. You have to use a whole new set of muscles. Then aimin for the hole was a new experience. I'm glad I have that down now. Yesterday I saw an orange peel on the ground, I was so tempted to pick it up and eat it. I miss Fruit!!!Today Pounch said something about my diry face so I decided ot wash it. I was planning on doing a bottle bath today but its to cold now. I've learned to accept the fact that I will be hearing mice everynight. Now I just have to learn to sleep through them. I've caught up with fugiboots at the other shelter,It's strange that we been able to keep the same pace. He is the guy I took the taxi with.
Date: 2013-07-05
From: Daleville

To: Daleville
Miles today: 0.0

Day 49 - DalevilleI decided to take a zero here to let me feet try to heal up. It was a tough choice to make because, for some reason, I have a competitive side that tell me to stop being a wimp and keep going. I called Haley to talk it out with her, and she made a good point - it's not "weak" to take time off and rest, it's actually strategic because one day off is better than multiple days off, should the blisters get worse. It ended up being a good choice because I got to be lazy and go to the coffee shop for multiple hours.   I was also able to catch up on my trail journals - I haven't had cell service really at all in Virginia, so I haven't had the chance in a while. In the end, I enjoyed the break for sure. Plus, it turns out that Xy, Elijah, and the rest of their crew was actually taking a zero as well! So I got to hang out with them a little bit, when I thought for sure that they were long gone. I ended up trying out the 3 Lil Pigs restaurant, which was pretty good. I also got to re-organize my gear and watch the US Mens' soccer team take on Guatamala! It was a good rest day, and I hope my feet heal up!
Date: 2003-05-01
From: Standing Indian Shelter

To: Rock Gap Shelter
Miles today: 19.0
Weather: scattered clouds

To Rock Gap Shelter Hiked up Albert Mountain what a beautiful hike. It was a little hard but the views were so worth it. At the top of the mountain there was a fire watch station, which I just hung around pounch. SHortly after we ment up with fujiboots and hike to the shelter. It was my longest day yet and my feet took a pounding for the last mile. I was never so happy to get my shoes off!!