morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2003-02-26
From: saunders shelter

To: Thomas knob Shelter
Miles today: 18.6
Weather: light snow

I woke up at 0530hrs and by 0700hrs we were hiking , the snow was still there and I even had nightmares last night about hiking in deep snow.....We stopped off for lunch at 1100hrs just before the climb up Mt Rogers (5700ft) which turned out to be a real nightmare since it snowed all the way from 1200hrs until we got to the shelter , it was murder climbing up in the snow storm and the depth of the snow made problems as well as the fact that we got lost for 45 mins.The blazes are dot the best on top of Mt rogers , the snow was over 3 ft in some spots and all in layers most of which was old snow and ice.We spotted a white tailed deer on the way up but when it noticed us it did not run it just stared at us as we kept on slowly approaching it for 30ft or so and then sprang in to the woods.The deer was probably thinking " what the hell are these 2 daft buggers doing out in this weather "When we got to the Shelter we could'nt find the water again !!! so we filled up a couple of trash bags again and lay in our sleeping bags with the snow melting in our pots ............what a great finish to the day......
Date: 2003-02-27
From: Thomas knob Shelter

To: Racoon branch shelter
Miles today: 22.7

Today was most definetly not a Scottish day.3 words can sum up the whole day ....COLD < WET < SLUSHBy lunch time I was soaked and chilled to the bone.I was so missreable I started to take it out on the Rhododendrons we walked through which were dumping snow all over me , so I was giving them a good trashing with my walking stick ...sometimes it was if they were hitting me back so I gave up after a while.They say where I walked to day is some of the most scenic views on the AT just a shame that visabilty was down to 100ft....Typical.Although there was one highlight we seen some ponies on the highlands which seemed to be enjoying the weather a little bit more than I was.Rocket and I stopped for lunch at Old Orchard shelter and cooked up my usual bacon , eggs and fried onions when a hiker appeared out from the blue , his name was Shenandoah and was on his 2nd day of a 2 month section hike on the trail.He had heard about us in Damascus and was counting on running into us.Word sure does travel on the trail.He ended up sharing this shelter tonight with us and we all shared one other thing...we boots !!!! and since the forcast calls for more rain we could have wet boots for a few days to come.I have not much food left so the plan is to hike 27 miles tommorow to pick up my maildrop or do it over 2 days and go hungry.
Date: 2003-02-28
From: Racoon branch shelter

To: Partnership shelter
Miles today: 13.0
Weather: overcast clouds

I could swear I was dreaming about slush last night...!!!!!!!..boy that is sad.I woke up at 0530hrs and decided within 5 seconds I am not walking any 27 miles today because I was feeling more sorry for myself this morning than I was last night.I think if I had the food the way I was feeling I could have just curled up into a wee ball in my warm and dry sleeping bag and stayed there for a week.But I had no food so at 1230hrs I eventually faced reality and left the shelter.At first when I got up at 0530hrs rocket and I decided to hike to this shelter and then hitch into Marion and get some food ......that was until 10 mins later I changed my mind because I did not really feel like having any town hassles , so rocket set off himself to get food and dry all his gear and I decided to stay hungry and wet for 1 more day.I got here at 1630hrs and Rocket was still in town and Shenandoah was fetching water.On arriving I found out there was a rangers office and a soda machine..pepsi yeahhhhhhhh with a phone where at nightime we ordered a pizza from town to be delivered to us.Plus rocket being our trail angel for the day brought some treats back...cookies , milk , eggs and gumy bears.So after a bad start to the day it has came to a good close , except for tommorows weather forcast.Boooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Date: 2003-03-01
From: Partnership shelter

To: davis path shelter
Miles today: 14.3

There is a god......the sun was shinning from 0900hrs today and it lasted all day , what great hiking it made.So much for all the snow and rain we were promised , I guess I should stop complaining and Enjoy.Rocket and I stopped to pick up our maildrop from thr relax Inn and while there I had my first and hopefully last argument on the AT with the owner of the Inn , he is a really ignorant man and did not enjoy being put in his place.So I must say this is the most un-friendly place on the trail....not recomended.We walked up to dairy queen and enjoyed an ice cream with hot fudge all over it mmmmmmmmmm and we got talking to an older couple who were familair with the trail and she provided me with the qoute of the day "think abbout it boys these are memories for the rest of your life and you are making them this very day" Which made me think for a second [any longer and I wouldl explode] that she was right and I am so lucky to be doing what I am doing.The day was a shorter one today since I have probllems with my achilles tendon due to over streching last night , I hiked in my sandels and took some vitiman I [Ibuprofen] so fingers crossed it will be better tommorow.I am sharing the shelter with rocket and shanendoha tonight."If it's nae Scottish it's craa--p"
Date: 2003-03-02
From: davis path shelter

To: chestnut knob shelter
Miles today: 20.6
Weather: light snow

Just like clockwork I got up at 0530 hrs and went through the normal morning procedure which are as follows : wake up and open my sleeping bag just enough to reach over for my stove , pull it over and get it going heating up water.Once it is heated pour some into my cup for coffee and use rest in the pot for my oats which I scoff along with a couple of pop tarts.Then I jump up and pack everything away and lower the flag [a 20 minute ceromony] as quick as I can and get truckingRocket has been talking to himself in his sleep the last couple of nights , he keeps on mumbling about doing the virginia challenge.We sure do have different dreams because I am dreaming of being back on the islands in thailand taking it easy and he is dreaming about doing 25 miles a day ......oh well everyone to thier own I suppose.I got speaking to a couple from west virginia and they probably felt although I was talking them to death , Its good to talk to different people each day but that is something which has been a novelty up until the last few days since the weather has been so cold and artic like , so to any hikers who meet me on the trail good luck to you with escaping without ear ache.Tonights shelter is as stormproof as they come with 4 sides and windows , which is handy since we are at 4410 ft and its very windy with hailstones coming down at the moment."If it's nae Scottish it's Craa--p"
Date: 2003-03-03
From: chestnut knob shelter

To: helveys mills shelter
Miles today: 24.4
Weather: clear sky

Nothing much to say about today except I eventually got out from my sleeping bag at 1200hrs and got hiking at 1300hrs only to finish 24.4 miles later here at 2330hrs.There was no clouds and the stars were really bright.......good night feeling to tired to write anymo..."If it's nae Scottish it's craa--p"
Date: 2003-03-05
From: Pearisburg

To: Pearisburg
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Typical town day......had a long lie , eat breakfast a dairy queen and caught up on fox news.There was not much to catch up on though , it seems to be the exact same news from 8 weeks ago still touching on the same subjects.I kind of makes you glad to be out living in the woods away from it all.
Date: 2003-03-06
From: Pearisburg

To: wapiti shelter
Miles today: 12.4
Weather: light rain

Gerry very kindly came and picked us up today and gave a ride round town to do a few last things and then we all spent some more time dairy queen packing up on calories.We got dropped off at the road we got off at 2 days ago VA608 at 1500hrs and hiked the 12.4 miles to the shelter by 1930hrs.The weather is starting to improve and the weather forcast for tommorow looks promising.
Date: 2003-03-07
From: wapiti shelter

To: rice field shelter
Miles today: 23.5
Weather: broken clouds

What a cracker of a day.......things are definetly looking on the up and up.The day started a wee bit gloomy but the sun burned all the clouds away by 1200hrs so that there was just blazing sunshine and blue skies.It was wierd walking along the ridge today with the sun and blues skies yet I still managed to have ice all over me from last nights frost blowing everywhere from the tree tops resembling an ice storm.We walked the ridge line back towards where we had just spent the last few days(pearisburg) and the views were amazing around the whole town and glen.After coming off the ridge and passing through pearisburg I met a thu-hiker from the class of 88 called starman who was full of yarns and fabbles about the trail.He was talking about how he wishes he was back on the trail and it made me pause for a second and realise how lucky that I am to be in a position to be able to do what I am doing in life without any time limits or restictions.I was so busy talking with him when he left I forgot to pick up my tammie (thermal hat) from the call box...what a loss that thing had seen a few miles and had been a good servent to me.Walking from town up the the ridge where the shelter is was quite steep but the sunset that I seen was one of the most amazing I have ever seen and all the moans and groans of the recent weather seemed to fade away and the reality of living a dream was setting in.Rocket and I shared the shelter with 4 nutty professors one of which was south african , I enjoyed talking wtih them and the shared some of thier conac which tasted very good to a very weary hiker.I think if my teachers had been as cool as these guys I could have been a rocket scientist for sure......
Date: 2003-03-08
From: rice field shelter

To: war spur shelter
Miles today: 25.0
Weather: overcast clouds

I am pleased to report that the weather was cracking again today.I got up at 0500hrs and by 0600hrs I was trucking ,it was still dark but the stars helped a wee bit.I was good to be walking in the dark because 40 mins later I knew the sun was going to be rising and when It did the sunrise was classic a very colourful (colorful) start to the day.I made the first 12 miles to the shelter by 1000hrs which gave me ample time to wash all my clothes in the creek and sunbathe for a few hours while they dryed on my makeshift washline.The sun was so warm at one point I had to retreat to the shelter for a cool down period.I got trucking again by 1445hrs and met quite a few locals out on the trail for day hikes......I think I seen more people on the trail today than I have seen in the past 3 weeks , the sun sure does draw people to the trail.On arrival to the shelter at 1930 I was greeted by a student called eric who was on spring break and decided to escape into the woods for the night , he had a great fire going so rocket eric and I shared some stories round the fire.
Date: 2003-03-09
From: war spur shelter

To: niday shelter
Miles today: 17.6
Weather: overcast clouds

I had a pair of shorts on for the 3rd consecuitve day!!!....the snow is starting to seem like a distant memory.I am really getting used to this weather and it makes everything so much easier from morning to night.Breakfast in bed is no longer called for (booo!!) I get right out of bed...bright eyed and bushy tailed.I never met a soul on the trail today but I did see a halloween plastic pumpkin on the ridge,......strange....and I found a new pack cover which will come in handy since the last one I had is starting to fall apart.The hiking along the ridge line was amazing with views to both sides each with parallel ridges running alongside me.I was on the ridge for 7 odd milesI got to the shelter today just before 1500hrs so I had plenty of time for a fire and a wash in the creek , I also eat a big chunk of my food bag so tommorow I will be gliding along the trail......they might start calling me the gliding scotsman instead of the flying.
Date: 2003-03-10
From: niday shelter

To: boy scout shelter
Miles today: 22.6
Weather: clear sky

Just another day in PARADISE !! all my troubled days have dissapeared.Today was blue skys and sunshine but the wind was a bit nippy.I got up at 0450hrs and prepared breakfast but I never managed to get up and running until 0700hrs....brushy mountain was first on the agenda (3100ft) over 5 miles with switchback after switchback.Once I was on the ridge I stayed up there for another 6 miles before I dropped to the road only to climb back up and follow the ridge for another 7 miles.The last 100 miles or so have been the best for me so far because once you get up there you stay and you have plenty of time to look around and take it all in.I have caught a lot of sun in the past few days and I am turning a strange shade of PINK.I better get myself some cream in daleville.17 miles into the day we went and checked out 4 pines hostel which is only really someones garage but looks clean and has a shower, some beds, a tv and a fridge full of beer but the person who ran the place was not in so we decided to push on to here for the night.2 miles before I got to the shelter I crossed a road and I got talking with a guy called douglas who had just finish reading a book on the trail and he kindly offered to take me to the local town for some supplies and bring me back , but I told him I had enough food but then he metioned PIZZA so before he finished the sentance I had my backpack in his truck and we were on our way for pizza.When we arrived rocket was in town so we all eat pizza and then he brought us back to the trail......The shelter is like some prop from lost in space but I don,t think it will rain....if it does the roof is like a teabag
Date: 2003-03-11
From: boy scout shelter

To: trail
Miles today: 20.0
Weather: overcast clouds

I am lying on the trail tonight doing my journal as we have had such a long day by the time we got back on the trail after spending all of the afternoon into late evening doing all our laundry and feeding our face at the AYCE at the truckstop in troutville. So tonight we were too tired to do anymore so we decided to stop and just sleep right on the trail. We got going at the later time of 0830hrs today and reached Mcafees knob (a scenic vista) with hailstones raining down on top of us but it only lasted for 10-15 minutes.We took lots of photos and then moved on for some more ridge walking with the sun splitting the trees and not a cloud in sight.I had some more magic today when walking toward the shelter a bush had a wollen hat in its branches for me which is handy since I left mine in pearisburg at a call box.We were in the truck stop for hours tonight phoning home and doing our laundry plus we got talking with a friendly trucker called don who was ex-military and had many stories to share with us.All in all another good produtive day.
Date: 2003-03-12
From: trail

To: bobblets shelter
Miles today: 15.9
Weather: clear sky

I woke up half on the trail and half on my mat after my first night sleeping under the stars. Just as I was getting ready to get up 3 hikers were walking along towards us shouting take your time we will walk around you!!!!!! they called themselves the 3 old farts.They stopped and chatted for a while touching on the usual subjects people here ask me about when they first start talking with me......whiskey , golf and braveheart.......Later we caught back up with them and joined them for lunch at the shelter and had a good laugh talking for a few hours.The temp was in the high 60*s today with plenty of sun and the first real signs that spring was here....mosquitos yes mosquitos!!!!!!!! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHWe stopped at 1500hrs and washed in the creek and I mean washed strip naked although the water is still frezzzzzzzing but it felt good to be clean again.The trail was full of ups and downs today and reminded me of the section before denis cove road in TN.We finally got to the shelter at 2130hrs after a good hike in the bright moonlight.
Date: 2003-03-13
From: bobblets shelter

To: thunder hill shelter
Miles today: 13.0
Weather: clear sky

Another good day with sunshine and blue skys , It really feels like a holiday on days like this.The trail at the section constantly follows the road so rather than crossing over the road all the time we walked a couple of the sections alond the road ( call us yellow blazers if you will ) but the view from the road was much better and gave some better views from the lookouts dotted with picknick tables.After reading all the entries in the registers at the shelters before this section everyone talks about how the parkway is full of bird watchers sitting in thier chairs eating good food with plenty of soda (Irn-bru).The hikers in the registers mention the fact that they quite often feed you and feed you well when you tell them that you are on a 2000+ hike......but just like the rest of my hike nobody was there , not one single solitary bird watcher.I did stop at the Hotel on the road and got a massive portion of kentucky fried chicken partly because I was scottish and because the waitress was very intrested in what I am doing.When in the lobbly we got surrounded by a few groups of people who were asking about our hike , it felt like a circusA THUNDERSTORM rolled in at around 1500hrs which made us take shelter for about 5 hours before we could get moving again.So it was another night hiking until the wee hours.
Date: 2003-03-14
From: thunder hill shelter

To: punchbowl shelter
Miles today: 23.0
Weather: clear sky

Today I got up at the normal time 0530hrs but I lay and listened to my radio for a few hours after eating brekfast.Rocket got trucking before me because he had to go into GLASGOW and pick up a maildrop.So I got going by about 0900hrs and by lunch the sun burnt away all the clouds and it was another good un !! After crossing the road at the james river I got the sudden urge to go into to GLASGOW and get some ice-cream and take a few photos to show my mum since she comes from GLASGOW in Scotland although before I even entered the town I knew that the only thing similar would be the fact that humans live there or do they call Glaswiegens human ????.I did not take me long to hitch in and get good chesse burger and some ice-cream , I took a few pics of the road signs ect.. and then got a hitch back to the trail.I got on the trail at 1530hrs and I still had 12 miles to the shelter but after walking for 45 mins I realised I was on the old AT and I arrived back to where I was dropped off.............I was cursing myself and banging my trekking poles of my head for not paying enough attention (where have I heard that before) to the trail.Second time around I got it right but I was still walking up the hill shouting to myself and giving myself a hard time.Just after I had gained inner peace once again I met a section hiker named I-80 who had been out for 6 days and was southbound trying to go all the way to springer.I spent an hour talking with him before setting off to the shelter(9miles) at 1800hrs with darkness creeping in.It was a steep 2 mountains to climb to get here but the sunset en-route was worth it.
Date: 2003-03-15
From: punchbowl shelter

To: The Hensley Household
Miles today: 0.4

Today I woke up happy and relaxed because I knew a lazy day was ahead.We havebeen invited to happy hiker chicks parents house to meet hhc family for a day ofrest , to get cleaned up and eat some good old home cooked food.HHC has beenrading our journals online and got in touch to say when we were passing by herfamily would love to give us some trail magic.So we walked the 0.4 miles to theroad where HHC arrived soon after to pick us up.As soon as we jumped into hercar we all got talking and HHC was very friendly with plenty to talk about.HHCis planning a 2004 thru-hike , so if you are planning 2004 thru-hike and arelucky enough to be invited to her parents house for a wee break......jump at thechance.Both HHC parents Winston & Carol are very friendly people and amazinghosts.Carol prepared some great home cooked food which I had 3 plate fulls , weall sat down for dinner toghether talking about the trail.In the evening HHC had a night out for us celebrating St Patricks weekend at thelocal Irish bar,although I have never been in one of these establishments beforeI was intrested to go along.There was a band playing some tunes I very muchenjoy and the beer tasted not to bad either.A good night had by all..we also gotto meet another future thru-hiker a fun girl called Katrina.
Date: 2003-03-16
From: The Hensley Household

To: Brown Mountain Creek Shelter
Miles today: 8.4
Weather: light rain

It was really good to get time to relax yesterday and spend time getting to knowthe Hensleys , I really appreciated the stay and look forward to returning thegesture when HHC comes to Bonnie Scotland this year.Carol ooked us up a big fry up this morning to give us plenty of energy for theday ahead , afterwards we started th slow process of getting all our geartogether for heading back out to the trail.We took a few pics , Winston & Carolwished us good luck (with a big bag of goodies on the way out the door)It took us nearly a couple of hours back to the trail.........thanx a millionHHC......we walked the 8 miles to the shelter to find another hiker there and 2more arrived shortly behind us ......... this is unuseual to find people in theshelters other than a saturday night , this is a good sign that winter is overand I will start to see more people on the trail.
Date: 2003-03-17
From: Brown Mountain Creek Shelter

To: Priest Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 22.7
Weather: clear sky

Not much happened today , probably the highlight of the day was eating the Gorp, scones , bread and oranges that carol gave us yesterday.I started hiking at 0730hrs and got here at 1930hrs.I took things very easytoday because my pack is heavy with food and it was very humid......the mosthumid to date on this hike.Around lunch time the clouds rolled in and I was sureit was going to rain but it held of.The forcast for the next 3 days israin......ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
Date: 2003-03-18
From: Priest Mountain Shelter

To: Paule Wolfe Memorial Shelter
Miles today: 24.0

I am extremly suprised I made it as far as I have today because when I woke up Ijust felt like I did not want to move from my warm sleeping bag.It rained lastnight and there was still some drizzle in the morning.Rocket set off before me and I caught up with him at lunchtime.Until late in theafternoon I had zero motivation !!!!!!! I don't know why but I just was notfully into it as I useually am.It was overcast & humid all day again , I had tochange into shorts and T-shirt even although it started to rain on and off.Thegood thing about Virginia is the ridge walking is much easier and enjoyable thanfurther south.I believe the best is to come in the Shenandoah national parkwhich we will be entering tommorow.We are sharing the shelter with a couple of students from vermont who had cookedtoo much food for thier dinner and it was still hot for me just arriving in theshelter..!!!!!!!!!!PERFECT.Ther is also someone sleepping in a hammock out front.Tommorow we are heading into waynesbro , I am sure I will have no motivationproblems getting there for some town food.