morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2016-04-30
From: Erwin, TN

To: Clyde Smith Shelter
Miles today: 26.2
Weather: overcast clouds

April 29: Erwin, TN to Beauty Spot Gap (Mi 354)April 30: Beauty Spot Gap to Clyde Smith Shelter (Mi 368.3)Piece of advice. Don't ever stay at the Best Southern Motel in Erwin, Tennessee. Do try to camp up on "Beauty Spot" above Erwin if it's a clear night though! There's a parking area and everything.How about a gear update? I didn't end up bringing my bulky DSLR camera and have just been using my iPhone camera. I am still carrying a Baby Taylor travel guitar strapped to the outside of my pack. I keep it inside a trash compactor bag which then goes into it's soft case that I cut a lot off of to reduce weight. My pack's rain cover can then cover the whole thing when it rains (which has been happening every day lately). My Keen Marshall Mid boots have been great but are starting to show some heavy wear. It's also getting harder and harder to get them on in the morning as I think my feet are getting bigger from the hike. The single Kelty trekking pole I started with snapped in half in the Smokies after developing a pretty large bow in the weeks prior. I have been stuck having to find wood walking sticks but am on the look out for a new pole at an outfitter or in a hiker box. As I get ready to send my warmer clothing items home in Damascus, VA, I'm trying to figure out what to do for my summer sleeping set up. My Mountain Hardwear Extra Lamina 20 bag has kept me warm most nights with the exception of a few windy and cold ones, but I'm getting sick of the bulk and it's getting a little too warm for it lately. I may get a sleeping bag liner and some sort of lightweight blanket but need to do some research. Everything else is in good shape, just a lot dirtier.
Date: 2016-05-02
From: Clyde Smith Shelter

To: Wilder Mine Campsite
Miles today: 24.2
Weather: clear sky

May 1: Clyde Smith Shelter to Overmountain Shelter (Mi 383.9)May 2: Overmountain Shelter to Wilder Mine Campsite (Mi 392.5)A bit of a low point in my hike these few days or at least lowest point since near Hiawassee, GA. I've been real hungry and there have been bad thunderstorms each day which isn't a good combination when combined with the wide open balds and clearings that dominate the Roan Highlands. I got caught in one towards the end of the day on the 1st; I had just passed a shelter when dime size hail started whipping down. Heavy rain and lightning followed soon after. When I realized the trail would be going onto an exposed hillside, I turned and sprinted about a quarter mile back to the shelter to wait it out. The trail has been a slippery, muddy, dangerous mess with all of the rain but the scenery around here really is phenomenal.I'll add that Overmountain shelter was also really cool- it's an old barn that has had its hay loft converted to fit 20+ sleeping bodies. Though I did lose one of my earplugs in the dark while getting ready to lie down and had to listen to a barn load of snoring. A neat shelter to see but next time I would set up my tent near it like I usually do. I did also run into my good trail buddy Magic Mike who I haven't seen in a few weeks there.Low point in my trail journal here too because I haven't been able to really stop during the day and take pictures or write ideas / thoughts down, plus my trip mileage that the website calculates got messed up somehow. Hopefully I can figure it out when I stop in Damascus. I'll also catch it up there.
Date: 2016-05-04
From: Wilder Mine Campsite

To: Campsite Near Laurel Falls
Miles today: 27.5
Weather: light rain

May 3: Wilder Mine campsite to campsite at Mountaineer Shelter (Mi 402.7)May 4: Mountaineer Shelter to campsite near Laurel Falls (Mi 420)My fortunes turned for the better; Something to read, clean clothes, and an only partly cloudy sky.On the morning of the third I stopped in at the Mountain Harbour Hostel, about a third of a mile off the trail down a highway. I spent a few hours there doing laundry, getting a shower, charging my phone, and buying food for the two days to my next planned resupply in Hampton, TN. Better yet, I finally got a book to read, a collection of short stories by Ray Bradbury. One of them, "The Long Rain" is about a group of astronauts marooned on a fictionalized Venus that is covered in perpetual, torrential rain. That one really spoke to me with the way the weather has been on the trail lately.Mostly easy hiking with several gorgeous waterfalls in this area. I'm camped solo on the river just downstream from Laurel Falls tonight. It's a great spot.
Date: 2016-05-05
From: Campsite Near Laurel Falls

To: Forest Svc Campsite Near Shook Branch
Miles today: 6.4
Weather: moderate rain

May 5: Laurel Fork campsite to USFS campsite near Shook Branch Recreation Area (Mi 426.4)My day started with 2,000 calories of cake. Actually it started with two packs of oatmeal, but that doesn't keep me full longer than 30 minutes anymore. Our encounter began on aisle one at Brown's Grocer in Hampton, TN. I was browsing breakfast foods. She was sitting there looking so, so pretty. A vanilla iced pound cake, exactly what I'd been craving the last week. I ate ten slices on a bench in the parking lot, with a pint of whole milk to wash it down, saving two slices to be carried for later.What perfect fuel for the day's challenge: That morning, I talked with two separate local hikers who warned me about Pond Mountain, over which the trail abruptly gains and then loses about 1600 feet in elevation. The first hiker, a southbound sectioner out for two weeks, described a brutal slope over loose, grapefruit-sized rocks. The second, a woman who has hiked most of the trail from GA to NC (and survived a close brush with a rattlesnake on the AT in GA) said she has been avoiding doing the mountain.As I charged up Pond, I couldn't help but let a laugh slip through my vanilla glazed 'stache. I'd done harder five days ago over Unaka Mountain. I'd done harder the next day going over Roan. Did those two know what I am?? I sweat soda and pound cake. I am the fittest pre-diabetic you will ever know. There wasn't even lightning with the rain falling on Pond Mountain. I am a thru-hiker..... HEAR ME ROAR
Date: 2016-05-08
From: Forest Svc Campsite Near Shook Branch

To: Damascus, VA
Miles today: 42.6
Weather: clear sky

May 6: USFS Campsite to Iron Mountain Shelter camping area (Mi 442.7)May 7: Iron Mountain Shelter to open field near TN 91 (Mi 447.3)May 8: TN 91 to Damacus, VA ("The Place" hostel) (Mi 469)I had to stop early on the 5th because a five mile stretch of trail was closed to camping. This was due to what I presume has been some seriously rowdy bear activity, as I haven't seen such drastic measures taken anywhere else on the trail yet. I hiked through the area on the morning of the sixth without any bear sightings. That day the trail crossed over the impressive Watauga Dam on a paved road. I climbed steeply from there and then followed the lake north as it dwindled down to a river and then was replaced by rolling, green farmland far below. I hit a pre-Trail Days hiker party on the 7th at the TN 91 crossing. The bash was being hosted by a group of former thru hikers who call themselves Riff Raff. I decided to stop there for the night with many others, setting me up for a long day into Virginia on the 8th. I got started hiking that morning at 7am and made it to Damascus around 4pm for my longest day of hiking yet, 21.7 miles. It was mostly easy trail and I have been looking forward to a zero day in Damascus on the 9th so I'll have some recovery time if I need it.
Date: 2016-05-12
From: Damascus, VA

To: Massie Gap / Trail Days
Miles today: 31.9

May 9: Damascus Zero dayMay 10: Damascus to Pond Campsite (Mi 480.7)May 11: Pond Campsite to Whitetop Mountain Campsite (Mi 490.6)May 12: Whitetop Mountain to Massie Gap (Mi 500.9) ; Back to Damascus for the Trail Days FestivalMy trail buddies Smurf and Turtle caught up to me in Damascus on the 9th and we split a cheap "private cabin" (pretty much a furnished shed) at a hostel in town that night.Two days later on the 12th we hiked together into the amazing Grayson Highlands area of Virginia, known for scenic landscapes and herds of friendly wild horses. We spent about an hour with a small group of ponies that couldn't get enough of the walking salt licks that came to say hello to them.Trail Days was on most hikers' minds this week- it is an annual festival in which thousands of people pour into the town of Damascus for the food, events, live music, and reps from outdoor gear companies. Smurf, Turtle, and I decided as a group on the 11th that of we could get an easy ride back to Trail Days on the 12th we would take it, otherwise we would get some extra miles in and then hitchhike there on the 13th. A former AT and PCT thru hiker named Happy Feet found us in the Highlands on the 12th and offered us a ride so, keeping with our deal, we gladly took it. We spent the rest of the day getting set up at the designated tenting area in town ($5 for the whole festival) and enjoying a free pasta dinner for hikers at the Damascus fire station.
Date: 2016-05-15
From: Massie Gap / Trail Days

To: Big Wilson Creek Campsite
Miles today: 1.5
Weather: scattered clouds

May 13, 14: Trail Days Festival in DamascusMay 15: Trail Days to Big Wilson Creek Campsite (Mi 502.4)Trail Days was a really great time, a crazy whirlwind of jams with fellow musicians of all sorts, reunions, bonfires, and even a wedding. Generosity towards hikers was overwhelming with free meals, free laundry, free showers, and free hiking gear.Sunday afternoon, the 15th, Smurf, Turtle, and I started walking around the waning festival asking people who looked like somewhat safe drivers if they were going towards the Grayson Highlands. One couple from Damascus, "Ma and Pa Farkle" offered us a ride out there even though they weren't going that way. On top of that they took us to their house and gave us a quick dinner of tea, sandwiches and soup! Y'all are awesome!!
Date: 2016-05-16
From: Big Wilson Creek Campsite

To: Bobbie's Trail Campsite
Miles today: 17.5

Big Wilson Creek to Bobbie's Trail Campsite (Mi 519.9)Camped at a nice spot just down a side trail with Gucci, Smurf, and Turtle. Gucci plays guitar and sings and we swapped songs around a nice campfire until dark. His cover of "Pancho and Lefty" made my day.
Date: 2016-05-17
From: Bobbie's Trail Campsite

To: Mt. Rogers Visitor Center
Miles today: 12.5

May 17: Bobbie's Trail Campsite to Mt. Rogers Visitor Center / Marion, VA (Mi 532.4)We managed to get a fire going last night but the rain started again overnight and continued through the morning.I sent my 20 degree sleeping bag along with my long johns and fleece jacket home in Damascus. This was a mistake. The nights since have been cold and wet and I've been freezing. The Thermolite Reactor fleece liner bag I bought in Damascus to replace the cold weather bag just doesn't do much even though the salesman said it would be warm. Turtle kindly loaned me her liner to double them up and I've been wearing all of my clothes and using my rain jacket as a blanket... Not the best sleep situation and still pretty cold. I decided with all of this to go into Marion for the night to figure something out. At the Marion Walmart I bought some heavier fleece and a needle and thread for a grand total of $15. After getting some sewing pointers from Debbie in the fabrics department, I set out to craft a new bag back at the motel. It turned out pretty well and feels like it will be warm. It's almost as bulky as my cold weather bag was but I double layered the fabric and will cut out a layer or turn it into a blanket as the nights warm further.
Date: 2016-05-20
From: Mt. Rogers Visitor Center

To: Davis Hollow Campsite
Miles today: 45.6

May 18: Mt Rogers Visitor Center to Davis Hollow Campsite (Mi 545.9)May 19: Davis Hollow to Unnamed Campsite (Mi 559.2)May 20: Unnamed Campsite to Stealth Campsite Near Jenkins Shelter (Mi 578) After catching a 50 cent town shuttle back to the trailhead on the 18th, I checked out the Mt. Rogers Visitor Center which had been closed before. They had a live Eastern Hellbender and a lot of other cool nature-y exhibits and reading materials.My new sewn fleece bag is a dream and I'm really happy with it- I just wish I hadn't spent $55 on the liner bag in Damasus first! The weather is still cool, wet, and gray every day but the sun came out briefly on the 19th. We still couldn't get a fire started that night with all of the wood being wet but it feels like Virginia is trying to slowly pull out of this rainy pattern, making a muddy squelching sound as it goes.
Date: 2016-05-21
From: Davis Hollow Campsite

To: Kimberling Creek Campsite
Miles today: 12.7
Weather: light rain

May 21: Campsite Near Jenkins Shelter to Kimberling Creek Campsite (Mi 590.7)Hitchhiked into Bland, Virginia with Smurf and Turtle to get lunch at a gas station grill and restock on food. Lunch always comes first as it's a bad idea to shop hungry when you have to carry everything you buy for the next few days. I got one of the best cheeseburgers of my life at the grill plus a couple sodas and bags of chips.
Date: 2016-05-23
From: Kimberling Creek Campsite

To: Radio Tower Campsite
Miles today: 30.5
Weather: light rain

May 22: Kimberling Creek to VA 606 / Trent's Grocery (Mi 608.3)May 23: Trent's Grocery to Radio Tower Campsite (Mi 621.2)Uneventful hiking but two pretty neat stopping points on the 22nd and 23rd. Trent's Grocery is a country convenience store with a grill and hiker resupply items. They offer cheap camping in a nice area behind the store with showers and a mostly functional washer and dryer.The evening of the 23rd I took a side trail, indicated in my trail guidebook, up to a mountaintop with about a dozen big radio and cell phone towers. I'm not sure about the health consequences of sleeping near those things but there were a lot of open grassy spaces and I chose one under a tower with it's antennas pointing away. There may be a weird buzzing in my teeth but at least cell phone reception won't be a problem!
Date: 2016-05-24
From: Radio Tower Campsite

To: Pearisburg, VA
Miles today: 13.4

May 24: Radio Tower Campsite to Pearisburg, VA (Mi 634.6)My boots really started falling apart the last couple of days, probably due to the weeks of constant moisture. The next outfitter I can get to is in Daleville / Roanoke so hopefully they can make it there. I called Keen and told them I was thru hiking and that the boots didn't last very long but the customer service rep wasn't very sympathetic and told me to submit a warranty claim which has so far been ignored. The claim needed a receipt, which I don't have, and needed to be within a year, which it's not, so I'm not too surprised that I didn't hear anything back.
Date: 2016-05-25
From: Pearisburg, VA

To: Unnamed Campsite
Miles today: 8.5
Weather: clear sky

May 25: Pearisburg to Unnamed Campsite (Mi 643.1)Had a really nice night in Pearisburg at the cheap and hiker infested Holiday Motor Lodge. It was across the street from a Food Lion so a 10 PM run for a half gallon of ice cream was no trouble at all.I started the next day (25th) in a fully adult manner, eating the melted, leftover ice cream poured over Captain Crunch and then walked about a mile to the trailhead and got hiking. I stopped at a pleasantly crowded campsite which had the last water source for about ten miles. It was a strange night: A herd of deer came right up to the tents at dusk and hung around all night making a lot of noise. A camper woke everyone up (excluding me- I heard about it the next day) in the middle of the night with a loud scream from what i guess was a bad dream. And I was awake to hear what sounded like a bear walking through the campsite late at night too. A big one was spotted north of the campsite the night before and then was seen the next morning south of the area near the Rice Field Shelter, so .....
Date: 2016-05-27
From: Unnamed Campsite

To: Bruiser's Knob
Miles today: 35.7

May 26: Unnamed Campsite to Unnamed Campsite (Mi 660)May 27: Unnamed Campsite to Bruiser's Knob Campsite (Mi 678.8)The typical weather pattern the past few days has been clear, hot mornings with pop up thunderstorms starting around noon and lasting into the evening. It's difficult weather to hike in, either hot and humid or raining, and it keeps the trail muddy and slippery.I camped on the night of the 26th on a rocky ridge above the trail where a cheerful couple from Japan, Norah and Turnip, had already set up their tent. We had a nice, if not fully understood, conversation over dinner. I am pretty awe struck by what they are doing, having come all this way to hike for six months in an unfamiliar country. They told me "A Walk In The Woods" is coming out in Japanese theaters this summer and they expect a lot of Japanese interest in the AT to result.
Date: 2016-05-28
From: Bruiser's Knob

To: Pickle Branch Shelter
Miles today: 16.3
Weather: few clouds

May 28: Bruiser's Knob to Campsite at Pickle Branch Shelter (Mi 695.1)I believe this to have been my most challenging and rewarding day of hiking so far. Brutally hot but with no rain. I spent the day watching the tears in my boots grow ever closer to the laces over vicious uphills and rocky downhills. Down to very limited food supplies with a calorie-intensive climb over Dragon's Tooth standing in the way of my next resupply. Trail magic of the highest order was needed and was found at the end of the day, just one mile from my destination at Trout Creek / VA 620. Old Goat and Granny, a husband and wife from South Georgia were set up with sliders, beans and rice, soda, beer, and all sorts of snacks. Further, I found out that Granny and a section hiker there, Bob, were originally from near Monticello, Florida, a very small town that I grew up going to visit my grandparents in. The delicious food and their soft, familiar accents just about brought me to tears. With food less of a pressing issue I was able to stop shy of Dragon's Tooth for the night and enjoyed a campsite and small campfire to myself.
Date: 2016-06-11
From: Pickle Branch Shelter

To: Waynesboro, VA
Miles today: 166.2
Weather: few clouds

Well it's been a while. The "Virginia Blues" may have killed my trail journal but they didn't get me. Actually I loved almost every day of Virginia. It's just been really hard to find time to get on here and update as my miles have ramped up and I've started hiking later on in the day. Some of the highlights of Virginia: Knocking out the "VA Triple Crown" - Dragon's Tooth, McAffee Knob, and Tinker Cliffs - in three days, with a visit to the incredible, all-you-can-eat Homeplace Restaurant in Catawba in between. In exchange for that ride to trail days a couple weeks back, former thru hiker Happy Feet made everyone in the car promise to get up and watch the sunrise at McAffee Knob. So, upholding our end of the bargain, Smurf, Turtle, and I camped just below and got up at 5:30 AM to see it. What a life changing experience, watching the sun slowly illuminate the sleepy, cloud-filled valleys below.The incredible hospitality shown by friends old and new in Virginia: Tim and Bonnie Dayton and the summer 2016 staff of REACH hosted myself and my two hiking partners for two nights for some much needed R&R in Roanoke. REACH is Tim's non-profit community service organization in Roanoke which I worked for just out of college in 2013. Wes and Nadine, friends of Smurf and Turtle also gave us a place to stay when it was sorely needed. Turtle had gotten sick and I could barely hike due to blisters on my heels (Read more below). They drove over an hour to pick us up, brought us to their home in Forest, VA, and took us to Cracker Barrel and out to run errands. Nadine also used her nurse powers to supervise some intense blister popping and bandaging. Gross!And to wrap up the saga of my destroyed Keen boots: In Roanoke I rode a borrowed bike for an hour to the Sportsmen's Wearhouse in town. There I decided on a pair of low-cut Merrell Capra boots. Unfortunately, they tore up my feet pretty bad - huge blisters on my ankles forced that zero day in Forest, VA. The boots then only made it about eight days before the bottom began to separate on the left one. I'll be contacting Merrell soon to try and get my money back so stay tuned. In the mean time, I'll be buying a pair of trail runners once the Merrells totally fall apart (they have made it into Pennsylvania at the time of writing). It's just not worth trying to break in boots on the trail for me. Maybe my feet are just delicate.
Date: 2016-06-19
From: Waynesboro, VA

To: Mosby Campsite
Miles today: 111.2

Shenandoah National Park was a mixed experience for me. My Mom and Dad came up from Florida and met me at Rockfish Gap, the southern boundary of the park, so that was wonderful. My Dad and I had a great time hiking for two days, and then we all stayed at Skyland Lodge, a welcome zero day for me. My only wish is that we could have hiked the northern part of the park - Much more scenery and a slightly gentler trail.The rest of the time in the park just was a bit of a drag. The Shenandoah hiking that I had heard was so easy was proving to be pretty tough, and it was hard to tell if it was the trail or me. Hot weather combined with the frequent snack bars and rest areas along the trail made it easy to stop for a break and hard to get going again. I started to be ready to get out of Virginia. I pushed on, with Harpers Ferry and a trip to Washington, DC lying ahead.
Date: 2016-06-23
From: Mosby Campsite

To: Harpers Ferry
Miles today: 50.0

Severe thunderstorms and "The Roller Coaster" were my going away presents from Virginia. The Roller Coaster is a feature of the trail described in the AWOL trail guide as "13.5 miles of tightly packed ascents and descents". Most of my time on it was spent rushing over the climbs and sheltering in the valleys as severe storm cells blew over. Cowering in the Sam Moore Shelter, Yellow Arrow (from Spain), Smurf, Turtle, and I watched big hailstones whip down and a thin, ear shattering bolt of lightning strike a tree about 100 feet in front of the shelter. After it blew over, we warily climbed out and crossed off mile 1000 on the trail.That night we shelled out for tent sites at the excellent Bear's Den Hostel. A hot shower and all you can eat pancakes in the morning (just cook 'em yourself) made the Virginia farewell a heck of a lot nicer.
Date: 2016-06-25
From: Harpers Ferry

To: C&O Canal Towpath
Miles today: 3.0
Weather: overcast clouds

June 24: Zero day in Washington, DCJune 25: Harper's Ferry to C&O Towpath campsite (Mi 1025.5)Took the daily $13 Amtrak Capitol Limited from Harper's Ferry into DC with Smurf, Turtle, and several other thru hikers on the 23rd. We had a relaxing day off, playing the role of Capitol tourists, eating large amounts of kabob, and visiting friends in the area.When it was time to leave, the train would have gotten us back to Harper's at 5:30PM so we decided to rent a car. Split four ways (we got "Pancake" from Manchester, UK in on it knowing he was trying to leave the same day), renting the car ended up only being a few bucks more than train tickets and we could stop for a quick food restock.Hoping it would be an easy hitch, we dropped off the car and I ran across the street to a Wendy's. As I walked in, a woman asked if I was a thru hiker. I replied that I was and she asked if I needed a ride into Harper's Ferry. "Can my three friends come"?? Trail Magic! Perfect!I guess it wouldn't have mattered much had we taken the train because we ended up jumping in the Potomac for a swim after about a mile hiked and set up for the night near by. No regrets.
Date: 2016-06-27
From: C&O Canal Towpath

To: Pen Mar Park / Waynesboro, PA
Miles today: 38.2

I'm really not sure why everyone talks about Shenandoah National Park being the easiest section of the trail. Aside for a few rocky spots in the northern part of the state, Maryland was much more of a breeze. We knocked the state out more or less with a 23 mile day and a 15 mile day. I really loved reading about all of the civil war history in the area and seeing the original Washington monument.