morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2009-05-05
From: Matts Creek Shelter

To: Buena Vista
Miles today: 12.8

REDHAT woke up with a wet hammock as the rain had got into her hammock. My bag and some stuff was also wet as the rain had been pretty hard last night. It was nice in the morning and the 4 miles from Matts creek shelter to the next shelter was beautiful. The trail follows the creek down to the James river , foes along the James and crosses the James on a very lng pedestrian only bridge. Then the trail goes up the banks of a creek on the other side. Beautiful waterfalls and easy walking.Then uphill and rainy, and cold. REDHATS rain jacket stopped being dry and we both were pretty miserable so when we hit the Blue ridge parkway we decided to go to town and get out of the weather. Of course traffic on the parkway during rain is almost none existent. There was acar parked by the trail with OHIO plates. Eventually a hiker came out of the woods and he graciously gave us a ride to town. He was hiking with three others and were using 2 cars. Fasttrack the hiker who offerred us the ride and his partner SWEATMAN made room for us and took us to town. Along the way they were wondering how their partners were doing and if they would be late meeting them at the other car. When we arrived in town there the other car was, parked in teh SUBWAY parking lot. So all had a good laugh about that.I checked into a cheap hotel ( clean but with the oldest blankets I have ever seen). we arranged for a shuttle service to pick us up the next day and bring us to REDHATS car. The next day she drove me to Damascus where I had left off on March 30th and she drove back to Texas. Now I have a 5 day walk North to where my car is parked.I enjoyed hiking with REDHAT but now I have to start making some miles and I am determined to get back into the 20 miles a day column until Traildays.Traildays is the biggest hiker celebration of the year May 15,16,17 in Damascus VA. I will pick my car up and drive down to see this for sure.O.M. River
Date: 2009-05-07
From: Damascus

To: White top Mtn Road USFS 89
Miles today: 21.3

>>>NOTE the days from May 7- May 9 are making up for a section of the trail I missed after Easter Break<<<<I started out late from Damascus because of the heavy early morning rains and my need to use the computer at the local coffee shop. I left town at 10 am after two breakfast sandwiches made in green tortillas. You have to love the new age feel of these trail towns. Damascus is a hikers town but also a bikers town as the Virginia creeper trail runs parralel to the AT for miles. The Creeper trail is on an old railroad right of way and is biker friendly. A great little town to come for a few days vacation as it is made up of bed and breakfast's and offers plenty of day hiking/biking opportunities. No fast food or chains here.You leave town and walk along the river which was bursting out of its banks after the heavy rain. The day was spent crossing the river and streams and rivulets and creeks and any other place water can gather. Actually today was the first of 4 days where much of the trail was a river bed.Any place where you used to cross a stream by stepping on rocks found that the rocks were under water; any place the trail was steep up or down and rocky the trail became a stream itself. Any place where the water was not running it was muddy.the skys cleared up by noon and it was a great day for hiking. I was on a mission and wanted to make a lot of miles so i could get back to where my car was parked by early Sunday (87 miles away). I passed the Lost Mountain Shelter where I would have stayed if I was not "motivated" to move on. Then was the climb up to 5100 feet across Buzzard Rock an outcropping of large boulders where I could see bad weather coming in. the temperature dropped quickly and I heard rumblings of thunder. I was trying to get to a campground about another mile away but the rains beat me. When i arrived at the campground/ parking lot I was soaked, the wind was whipping around and the rain was a deluge. It was in these conditions i set my tent up and threw the wet backpack into the tent and settled dow for the night. My thermarest inflatable mattress became my safe haven in the tent as the only dry spot and also my protection from any rain that may get in from the floor of the tent. None did and I slept with the sound of violent weather and the warmth of my Western Mountaineer sleeping bag.Wet yes , but happy witha 21 mile day.O.M. River
Date: 2009-05-09
From: Top of Hurricane Mountain 

To: USFS 86
Miles today: 25.2

I started hiking at 6:30 am because I am still on my quest to reach my car by Sunday at 2 pm. This worked out well as I completed over 25 miles today. I sped past the first shelter as the other hikers were just getting up and making coffee. What a rough looking group we are in the early morning. Actually we look rough all the time and that is why there are no mirrors on the trail.Today was another day of crossing rivers, walking through streams and sliding in the mud. My Goretex lined shoes have not been dry for a couple of days and my smartwool socks smell like sour milk. This is not good but once the water gets in my shoes the Goretex keeps the wet in as much as it keeps the wet out. If I only had not stepped where the water was over the tops of my shoes. At 3 pm I arrived at Partnership Shelter where there were several hikers. This shelter is on the grounds of the National Recreation Administration (NRA??) and behind the visitor center for the National Forest. It has a loft, a shower with hot water, a spigot to draw drinkable water. On the outside wall at the visitor center is a phone and the local pizza vendors deliver to the parking lot. Pizza Hut tonight!!! After a handtossed pizza and a 2 liter of Pepsi I decided to make some more miles. I still was over 25 miles away from my car and I had to be there by 2 pm tommorrow at the latest!!!I walked on until dark and set my tent up on the side of a forest service road. Again it rained as it had been threatening all day. A ridge runner had been telling everyone along the trail that a big storm was coming but the skys were clear until late. the big storm skirted this area but rain was still on the agenda for the night.This is the third night in a row I spent in my tentin the rain away from the shelters. I must saymy tent a Sierra Designs Clip Flashlight 2 has performed above and beyond what I expected. It has kept me dry and it stood up to hurricane force ( well almost) winds. Impressive since it was only a couple of weeks ago that Ranger had instructed me on the proper way to set it up to keep the rain out. Ranger had hiked with us for a couple of days but decided to leave the trail in Pearisburg because of giant blisters on her feet. Thanks Ranger > your lessons in proper tent set up really helped me this week.O.M. River - 25 miles today !!!
Date: 2009-05-12
From: Blue ridge parkway mile 6

To: Rockfish Gap
Miles today: 10.5
Weather: clear sky

I parked my car at the visitor center at Rockfish Gap and hitched 6 miles up the Blue Ridge Prkway. It was about a mile from the parking lot up over "The Humps" to get to the trail and then the trail went 10 miles to get back to my car which was only 6 miles down the parkway. It was slow on the trail but I did meet "Ruppunzel" at the shelter ...She just graduated with her Masters Degree two days before and was out for a 5 day vacation on the trail. She plans on working for the National Institute of Health in D.C.. Ruppunzel completed a thru hike in 2006. Later down the trail I met "Footnote" an older hiker who is an author. He has 120 miles to go to have his hike completed. He reccommended the trail along Skyline Drive as his favorite on the whole trail.I plan tohike this section with Patty in about 10 days.I changed my plans and instead of driving to Trail Days I went to Maine and am currently at my cottage(in Maine). It is cold and rainy and the trees up here haven't finished leafing out yet. It is about a month before Southbounders will be starting from Maine. Most wait until blackfly season is over and that is usually mid June.I cut the grass and took the plastic off the screens on the porch before it started raining. Fishing tommorrow if the weather cooperates.Then I will be off to Chicago for the Restaurant show.O.M. River
Date: 2009-05-24
From: Blue ridge pkwy mile 9.5

To: blueridge parkway visitor center
Miles today: 3.5

Patty and I drove from NC to Waynesboro and hiked 3.5 miles on the section of the blue ridge parkway I still have to complete. We hiked up to the top of the big humps and had agreat view of the valley. Two thru hikers syopped and talked and Patty said she was a temporary hiker so when they left they said "see you O.M and Temporary " so she has a trail name after only about 2 miles of hiking. This was a warm up for her and we only did a few miles as we had to backtrack to the car. That night we tented in the YMCA grassy lot in Waynesboro. This was the usual first night in a tent experience for Patty as she didn't fall asleep until about 3 am. The two man tent is realy a one and half man tent and she also informed me that although I was a hiker I could no longer pass gas in the tent.O.M. River
Date: 2009-05-25
From: Thornton Gap on Skyline drive

To: Skyland resort in Shenandoah Nat park 
Miles today: 9.7

Hired a shuttle to drive us 70 miles to skyline drive/thornton gap entrance. We left the car at Waynesboro and are going to hike south back to the car. I did this because someone told me that going north was a hard climb and I didn't want "temporary" to have a hard first day. Turns out the climb from Thornton Gap is twice as difficult as the other end. Patty thought she was going to die at about mile 8.Her knees gave out at mile 9 and she didn't think yhe flowers were pretty anymore. She told me that this was the worst thing I had ever done to her ( that isn't true, I've done much worse).We got a room at the Skyland resort which is on skyline drive..Think beautiful park setting with spectaculat vistas and a hotel room with cinder block walls ...thats the governmentidea of luxury ...no tv's or phones here but a nice restaurant and bar with Irish music last night. We were so tired that we only listened to 3 songs and went back to the room. A hard day and 70 miles to go to get back to the car before saturday night..(5 days) It doesn't look like the plan is working as that means 15 mile days from here on out. Woke up to pouring rain and more rain forecast for the week. We are heading out to see how far we can go inn this weather. A cruise sure sounds good about now. I tried to explain to Patty that at the end of a hard day you feel exhilirated but she disagrees.8 miles to the next park hotel, 16 miles to a shelter and 17 miles to a park areawith cabins. You will have to wait until the next entry to see what happened.O.M. River
Date: 2009-05-26
From: Skyland resort in Shenandoah Nat park 

To: Skyline Drive Big Meadows Lodge
Miles today: 8.1

First - Yesterday we saw a rattlesnake on the trail all curled up and rattling away while 3 hikers threw rocks at it and poked it with a stick. I told them that was dangerous but they proceeded anyway and finally moved it off the trail. My brother lost a finger and a thumb when a rattler went right up the stick he was moving the snake with and bit my brother on the hand. But the young hikers don't really want advice.m Everyone hikes their own hike > safe or not.Rain Rain Rain ...and squishy feet as we try to decide if my Northface shoes with Gore Tex are any drier than Temporary's non-goretex Merrills. We are both soaked but Temporary has pools of water around her toes and has taken her socks off to wring them out half way through the day.I just sloshed to the end of the day. We walked up streams and over waterfalls and mostly under water all day. The mist made everything surreal especially when we came across several deer grazing next to the trail.We made it to the Lodge by 3 pm and after an ordeal of a check in we were in our room. The lodge is on the historic register and was built by the CCC during the depresion. I knew we were in a rustic room as soon as I saw the 3 mousetraps that the hotel staff had left in the room. They came around and took them out but that night we could have used them as 2 mice entertained us by going through my pack and in and out of my shoes , across the desk and under Patty's bed. I held them at bay with my hiking poles while Patty tried to sleep. I kept telling her the mice were gone as I watched them do laps between the bathroom and under her bed. During the night Patty moved the trash barrel and put it in the bathroom sink because a mouse woke her up (licking the snickers wrappers no doubt). O.M. River
Date: 2009-05-27
From: Big Meadows Lodge

To: Lewis Mtn Cabins 
Miles today: 8.7

A good day to hike because it wasn't too hot and it wasn't too wet. A few sprinkles here and there and water drops from the trees when the wind blew but actually rather comfortable. We were walking along when a deer came charging across the woods and turned when she saw us. She made an arc and ran right across the trail behind Temporary. I thought she was keeping her fawn safe by distracting us but Temporary thought she had been scared by something else. This proved to be the case as 2 bears soon were in view. A cub ran up into some brush while the mother stopped about 100 yards from us and watched us walk away. I took time to take a picture while the mother bear stared our way.Once I started walking she was away up the hill and into the brush. It was great. We see about 10 - 12 Northbound hikers everyday and today I met RAWHIDE (previusly NOMAD) who I had started hiking with back in Feb. He was heading north with Skittles. I explained my eradict way of getting to Maine (by continually going south) and he told me about his knee and shin splint problems which held him up for a couple of weeks at Damascus and after. Good to meet people you know on the trail even if it is only for a short conversation. We also ran into the hiker from Holland who we had seen last Sunday. He looked at me puzzled and stopped and turned around and said didn't I see you a few days ago? I remembered him because he was wearing a kilt which is not too unusual for guys on the trail.Our cabin was nice, a bed , a bathroom and a shower. We had to cook outside on our own equipment and I finally could show Temporary my JETBOIL skills. I was cooking spaghetti when I realized the box said "tomato paste not included" . Fortunately the camp store had basic provisions at a modest 500% MARKUP so spaghetti sauce was available.While waiting for the water to boil I chewed on the hard spaghetti and broke my lower front tooth. The joys of being an Old Man.Temporary did laundry, she is obsessed with wearing clean and dry socks???/) and talked to two girl hikers who smelled really bad as they tried to dry wet boots in the dryer. The opportunities for showers on the trail are limited if you are tenting the whole way. This campground did have showers available ... you pay by the minute for the hot water. Again we are seeing about 10 northbound hikers every day. We saw a mother deer with a newborn fawn right behind our cabin. The fawn was tiny , less than 2 feet tall.Temporary is doing better but she tells me that if I want her to walk more hours in the day then we need to walk slower. This is the opposite of what I was thinking and the chance of getting back to the car by saturday night are fading away with every 8 mile day.O.M. River
Date: 2009-05-28
From: Lewis Mountain Cabins

To: Loft Mountain Campground
Miles today: 8.3
Weather: overcast clouds

The sun actually came out ( and was warm) and the trail ahd dried up a bit. We still are walking through a lot of tall grass which is wet ( and tick infested) so our shoes and socks get wet pretty quickly.We hiked about 8 miles and things were going good but then Temporary developed a blister on the ball of her foot and every step became painful. Because our car is still over 40 miles away we decide to skip the next section and hitch hike to the end of the Skyline drive.Temporary had never hitched before so she needed the "Hitching 101" basic training. How to hold the sign with authority, how to smile and look friendly, how to stand in front of OM RIVER so they can't see how grubby I am. Not much traffic on the Drive on a thursday on a cloudy day but the fifth car by stopped. It was a retired couple from New Hampshire down to see their grandkids and out to find Mountain Laurel blooming. The Laurel just opened up in the last couple of days so they were timely, both for the flowers and for us. These folks were our TRAIL ANGELS and drove us 40 miles to where our car was parked.THANK YOU!!!Once we were back in our car we drove back into Shenandoah NP and set our tent up at a campground. We were set up just in time before the rain started again.We played cards in the very small tent and then went to sleep. Patty woke up about 11 and stared at the ceiling until 3 am when she went to sleep in the car. At 4 am she came back to the tent totally exhausted and finally fell asleep. Apparently she needs a more luxurious tent or a partner who doesn't snore.O.M. River
Date: 2009-05-29
From: Loft Mtn Campground

To: Skyline Drive Elkton entrance
Miles today: 17.4

Temporary stayed at the tent and I left at 6am to hike back to where we had hitched a ride. This was an easy hike because I slack packed ( carried very little weight) because Temporary was going to pick me up at 1 pm.Not much to report, I was moving fast so I didn't see any animals. The views were awesome but I didn't spend much time enjoying them as I was on a mission to complete my 17 miles by 1:30.I arrived at the pick up spot at 12:50 and Temporary showed up about 10 minutes later. Not a twenty mile day but 17 miles in less than 7 hours was ok with me. I did run down some of the hills and my feet did hurt more than the other days but it was also the first time this week that I had a really good heart rate going and that gets the adrenalin pumping .We left the park and drove back to the Homeplace so Patty could see it ( since I want to open one in Arlington)and then checked into a hotel.No more tents for Temporary and no more hiking until her foot heals.She is headed back to Texas on Sunday, while I head back on the trail towards Front Royal, VA.O.M. River
Date: 2009-05-30
From: Mile 13 of Blue Ridge Pkwy

To: Mile 9.of Blue Ridge PKWY
Miles today: 3.9

Drove through the Blue Ridge Parkway on the way to Baltimore for Patty's flight. We stopped at mile 13 so I could hike a few more of those elusive miles I have missed while heading North. (I have approx.37 miles off of the Blue Ridge Pkwy that I missed and 27.7 miles of Skyline Drive still to do.)The hike was nice and short , Patty parked the car and hiked a mile in with me and then went back to the car and drove up to the next trail intersection with the parkway. Then she hiked in another mile and met me on a beautiful overlook.The overlook was above Irish Valley and it was green ( and a lot cheaper than flying to Dublin).Stopped in DC on the way to Baltimore and walked the Vietnam and Lincoln memorials.On to Front Royal VA today and heading NORTH ...the correct way to get to MAINE.The Next Goal is 81 miles from where I will start today (Thornton Gap on Skyline Drive)and that is HARPERS FERRY West Virginia.Virginia is the longest state on the trail with over 500 miles of AT trail. It really gets one thinking of other things they can be doing and getting it over with will be a real deal.O.M. River
Date: 2009-05-31
From: Thornton Gap, Luray Va

To: Gravel Springs Hut Shenandoah N P
Miles today: 14.3
Weather: scattered clouds

After dropping Patty off at BWI airport I drove back to Front Royal and dropped my car off next to the trail at the 4H center. This is a huge camp for 4-Hers and is a safe place to leave the car. My shuttle driver drives me back to Thornton Gap where he had left us a week earlier. Last week Patty and I hiked south from here and this week I will hike North. Getting a late start I reach the shelter at 7 pm and there is one camp site left. The Shenandoah National Park has tent sites designated at the shelters and if they are full you would have to go off into the woods and find a spot. They do not let you tent too close to the shelters. One of the hikers, a college student who is completing a short section starts a fire and everyone sits around telling tales until dark. The discussion is mostly about how the most bears are in New Jersey and that they are used to coming right up into peoples back yards to forage. New Jersey has very strict bans on hunting and the hunters in the group explain how that makes the environment good for the bears to raise big families. Plenty of food in the garbage cans etc.. I saw a bear as I hiked in today. he was a small one and was hidden in the brush pretty well. This makes 4 actual bear siteings for me so far.O.M. River
Date: 2009-06-01
From: Gravel Springs Hut Shenandoah N P

To: Linden Va 
Miles today: 21.6

N38 54.550 W78 3.199I hiked out of the Shenandoah National Park and down to my car at the 4H center. A quick drive brings me to Front Royal and KFC where I try the new Kentucky Grilled Chicken ...It's OK but it's not as good as rotisserie. However I do get to drink a ton of soda and I fill my water bottles with cold water fronm their soda machine. Now the logistics of having a car become a problem. I drive to where the trail crosses the road in Linden and park my car. I then hitchhike back to front Royal. A young man named Billy Holiday ( may be Halliday) picked me up. It seems you always get picked up by someone who has hiked sometime in their life and he listened intently as I explained about my hike. He was driving to meet his wife as this was their second anniversary. He just started working in DC and she was attending Grad school to become a physicians assistant so they were seperated for the time being. He brought me in to Front Royal and then back out of town to where I picked up the trail. Billy was my TRAIL ANGEL for the day as this saved me from hitch hiking out of town back to the trail. It was 3 pm when I hit the trail and I hiked until 8:15 which brought me back to my car. I spent the night sleeping in my car, not the most comfortable but it was easier than setting up a tent.O.M. River