morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2007-04-16
From: Vandeventer Shelter

To: Double Springs Shelter
Miles today: 14.4
Weather: clear sky

Today was another challenge for Mr. Ed. He was up early to find the temperature at 22 degrees. His boots and clothing were frozen solid. The wind was still blowing unmercifully. The trail followed a ridge for about 10 miles. Mr. Ed was the first one to start out, so he had to break a trail through the snow. Five to six inches had fallen. The wind had whipped it into knee deep drifts. His feet got soaked through. After walking for a while, the sun came out. The temperature warmed to high 30s. However, the wind continued to howl. We had lots of trouble communicating due to the sound of wind in the cell phone. These are the days when thru hikers really start to question their resolve to finish the trail. How much cold, wet misery can one person take before giving up. Many have faced the same conditions and managed to continue. There are some cold, weary hikers at Double Springs Shelter tonight. Mr. Ed, Fenceman, KZ, Widow Maker, Rockhound, and two others. Mr. Ed had walked 14.4 miles. He should make Damascus, VA tomorrow. He may have to take a couple of zero days there. His body and spirit have taken a beating over the past few days. I hope this weather system makes its way out of here soon. The AT hikers could use some warm sun on their faces.
Date: 2007-04-17
From: Double Springs Shelter

To: Dave's Place Hostel
Miles today: 18.3

Mr. Ed was up at 6:00AM and on the trail by 6:30AM. Today was a good day to walk. The weather was warmer. By 10:30 AM,he was at Abington Gap Shelter. KZ and Fenceman caught up with him, so they had an early lunch together. Today's trail was the easiest since leaving Springer due to the lack of many ups and downs. However, the last few days of snow, wind, rain, and mud made the trail difficult to walk. Three miles from Damascus, Mr. Ed stopped to let his feet dry along with his shoes and socks. He is thinking about taking a zero day tomorrow. He will see how he feels when he gets to Damascus. The temperature warmed to the 60s. It was great to feel the sun again. Also, the wind is still present, but not severe. By 3:00, he made it to Damascus and secured a room at Dave's Place Hostel run by Mt. Rogers Ourfitters. He took a long shower and washed clothes. He walked to Sicily's Pizza and ordered a 14 inch pizza with a Coke. The fat from the pizza is needed because he is down to 185 pounds now. That is down from 205 when he started the trail. Today the warm sun energized Mr. Ed. He needed to be energized. Tomorrow he will take a day off and rest his body. Everything hurts, but he feels great. He walked 18.3 miles today, and he is at the 459.5 mile marker.
Date: 2007-04-18
From: Dave's Place Hostel

To: Dave's Place HOstsel
Miles today: 0.0

Mr. Ed got a much needed night's sleep at the hostel. He was up by 6:30.He decided to walk to Cowboy's Deli for breakfast. Pancakes, biscuits, gravy, and coffee were on the menu. He ordered some of all of it. At home, he does not eat like this. But he is on the trail.He noticed that a seam had come loose on one of his hiking boots. He walked over to Mt. Rogers Outfitters where Jeff Patrick sewed the boot. Now, he should be able to get another 100-200 miles out of them. He hates to part with his boots because they are comfortable. By now, he and his boots have many memories. For the past few weeks, Mr. Ed has had a good deal of back pain. Jeff measured his torso and found that his pack did not fit him very well. It was actually too big. He tightened the pack as much as possible, yet he could not make it match Mr. Ed's body. Since he has over 1500 miles to go, he decided to purchase a new pack. He bought a Gregory for $280. They don't give those packs away. His old pack was putting alot of pressure on his hip bones. Now, he has no fat pad to cushion the pack. The new pack fits over his hip bones. Dave Patrick, owner of Mt. Rogers Outfitters was a 1990 thru hiker on the AT. He and his son have been outfitting hikers for alot of years. Hopefully, this will relieve Mr. Ed's back pain. It it does, it will be money well spent.Mr. Ed went to the library and surfed the internet for an hour. He read his journal and guest book. He would like to thank all who have signed his guest book in support of his hike. He wishes he had time to thank everyone personally, but time is very limited. He ate dinner at Damascus Old Mill Restaurant. The meatloaf, mashed potatoes, green beans, and salad were very good. Tonight he is packing his new pack. He plans on getting an early start tomorrow. He will hitchhike to the trailhead. Hopefully the rain that was supposed to come today does not show up tomorrow. However, you take what the trail gives you.
Date: 2007-04-19
From: Dave's Place HOstsel

To: Whitetop Mountain
Miles today: 21.3

As of yesterday, Mr. Ed has been on the trail for one month. Wow! Today he was at Cowboy's for breakfast by 6:30AM. He had an egg omlet loaded with veggies. By 7:00AM, he was back on the AT. For the next 5 miles, the road was familiar because it was the same one walked with Dr. Doyle in December. Walking was nice today with sun and temperatures in the 50s. Mr. Ed wore a T-shirt for the first time in a long time. It felt good.The trail is pretty and easy. It winds beside a stream for several miles. It made Mr. Ed think of friends Jim and Paul Williams. He would never get them back on the trail. They would be fishing in this stream. The trail started to climb from 2,250 feet to 3,500 feet. It was an easy climb due to many switchbacks. It led to part of the Virginia Creeper Trail. This began as a native-American footpath. Later, pioneers used it, including Daniel Boone. Finally, it was made into a railroad bed with 100 trestles and bridges, steep grades, and sharp curves. Now, it is used as a bike and horse trail.Mr. Ed listened to his MP3 player(a country station) most of the day. He met few people on the trail. He stopped for a Snickers break at Lost Mountain Shelter. Clouds threatened rain off and on all day. At 3:30PM the rain came with thunder and lightning. For 45 minutes, it rained very hard. Finally, it slowed to a steady rain. Mr. Ed continued walking in the rain. The elevation climbed from 3,160 feet to 5,150 feet. It was not a hard climb, but the rocks in the trail were hard on the feet. The climb took about 1.5 hours. Near the summit, it turned to hail nearly one-quarter inch. It hailed for quite a while before turning back to rain. Mr. Ed wants to brag on his new Gregory pack. He cannot believe the difference. His old Kelty was 13 years old. This new pack is smaller and more compact. It does not shift on his back. He didn't have to make any adjustments as he hiked. He was always making adjustments on his shoulders and hips. Since he is just skin and bone now, that created alot of pressure points that became sore. This new pack did not hurt his back or shoulders. If this continues, the pack will be well worth the money. Many thanks to Jeff and Dave for their expert fitting and advice. Mr. Ed is tenting alone tonight. He traveled 21.3 miles. He is now at the 480.8 mile marker.
Date: 2007-04-20
From: Whitetop Mountain

To: Wise Shelter
Miles today: 14.3
Weather: broken clouds

Since Mr. Ed got soaked yesterday, he was in no hurry to get up today and put on wet clothes and boots. However, by 7:00, he crawled out and was on the trail by 7:45. He walked a couple of miles to Elk Garden and made himself a hot breakfast of oatmeal. Long ago, Elk Garden was home to eastern elk, timber wolves, mountain lions, and bison. Today, there are black bear, white-tailed deer, and wild turkey. Next, he was ready to climb Mt. Rogers, Virginia's highest peak, at 5,729 feet. The climb was not so bad, but the rocky trail made it very hard on the feet. The views were spectacular. The trail seemed to go over and over outcroppings of rocks. They tore Mr. Ed up. For a long time after that, he stayed on highland meadows. There were wild ponies roaming everywhere. The ponies like to chew on packs and anything else salty. They did not bother Mr. Ed, but they were a beautiful sight. He stopped at Thomas Knob for lunch. By then, the temperatures were 65-70 degrees. He decided to put his tent up to dry, as well as his clothing. Everything had gotten wet in yesterday's downpour. It will be nice to have dry clothes again. Later, he stopped at Wise Shelter for dinner. It was only 5:00 so he decided to walk a few more miles and tent another night. He came upon the Scales. Many years ago cattle were brought up to eat in the high pastures. Later, they were weighed on scales to see how much they had gained. This was a very pretty area, so he decided to tent here for the night. He went to sleep listening to the neighing of wild ponies. His feet are sore, but this has been a great day.
Date: 2007-04-21
From: Wise Shelter

To: Troutdale
Miles today: 23.0
Weather: clear sky

Today, Mr. Ed reported that it was just a great day to be outdoors. He was up at 6:00 after a good night's sleep. He was on the trail by 6:45. He had no phone service. He stopped at Old Orchard Shelter to eat. The Boy Scouts were out for a hike and just getting up. A couple of the Scouts complained about being cold last night. Mr. Ed had not noticed due to his very good sleeping bag. He continued for about 1/2 mile where Va. 650 leads to Troutdale. He changed his shirt, washed up in a stream and hitchhiked into town. A nice couple driving a Jeep picked him up. They had 2 dogs in the back. The nice lady was going to get in the back with the dogs. Mr. Ed told her no - that he probably smelled worse than the dogs. The dogs liked him real well. Maybe, his smell fit right in with them. The couple took him to Troutdale Trading Post and Restaurant. He needed to charge his phone. He got a few supplies and ordered a 12 inch sub with chips. He ordered 2 ice cream bars. He also ordered another 6 inch sub with chips. That is supposed to be dinner. As he left the store, the third vehicle that passed him picked him up and took him back to the trail. He walked until 7:15. It has been a great day to be on the trail. He walked 23 miles and is on the 518.1 mile marker. He is tenting alone in the woods. It does not look like anyone has ever camped here before. Mr. Ed had to make a place to set up his tent with leaves and as much soft ground cover that he could find. Another great day.
Date: 2007-04-22
From: Troutdale

To: Crawfish Valley
Miles today: 22.9

This morning Mr. Ed awoke to the sound of music. It was provided by the many birds that lived in the trees. The day was going to be so nice that they were singing about it. Mr. Ed was up at 6:15 and walking by 6:45. The first thing he faced was a small climb. He made it to Partnership Shelter by 9:00. This was the greatest shelter because hikers can make a call and Pizza Hut will deliver. However, it was too early for them to be open. Darn! He couldn't sit around until they opened. Most of the morning was small ups and downs. It was sunny and in the high 70s. He saw no one else on the trail until 1:00. He met a section hiker going south bound. He was about 80 years old. For the past nine days he has been crossing paths with Fenceman and KZ. For the last two days, he hasn't seen them. He hopes all is well with them. Mr. Ed stopped at Chatfield Shelter at 2:00 for a late lunch. After that he had walked about 1 mile and spotted a black snake in the path. The black snake had another smaller snake in its mouth. He was having a late lunch, too. Later, he got a very nice surprise. At Atkins, VA, the trail went right beside a Shell Station. He did not know that. H went in and ordered a 12 inch pizza and you know by now what else, ice cream. He charged up his phone and picked up a few more supplies. Now he is good for several days. His pack still feels good on his back. He felt strong so hiked until 8:00. That made 22.9 miles today. He is at the 541 mile marker at Crawfish Valley. One additional comment. He wore shorts today for the first time in awhile. He noticed that his legs are very skinny. He had a hard time believing that he was actually looking at his own legs. It is hard to believe that you can eat all of the pizza, ice cream, Snickers bars, and Sub sandwiches that you want and still lose weight. Maybe we had better call Weight Watchers. They might be interested.
Date: 2007-04-23
From: Crawfish Valley

To: Davis Farm Campsite
Miles today: 23.7
Weather: clear sky

Last night was very warm. Mr. Ed slept under his sleeping bag instead of inside it . After a good night's sleep, he was up by 6:15 and on the trail by 6:45. He had a small climb over Walker Mountain. The next three miles took him through farms and fields. At Brushy Mountain, he saw several deer. He stopped at Knot Maul Branch for lunch. He met Big Gulp and the 4 girls he is hiking with. Walnut, Low Gear, Bounce, and Eulh. Walnut and Bounce are sisters. Mr. Ed remembered that he had briefly met Bounce at Miss Janet's. She had a bruised foot and had to take a week off the trail. She had been shuttled to this part of the trail to catch up to her sister. Big Gulp is going to go on ahead of the group. He wants to pick up everyone's mail drops at Bland and meet them back on the trail. The biggest climb today was at Chestnut Knob. The elevation changed from 2,380 feet to 4,409 feet. Once on top of the mountain, you are in high fields. You are exposed to the winds. Now that it is warm, the winds actually feel good because they cool you down. Mr. Ed ate dinner at Chestnut Knob Shelter. He still felt strong and decided to walk a few more miles.He is not seeing many people right now. He did mention that he met a man and woman that were just hiking for the day. The woman had her boots off, and the man was giving her a foot rub. Mr. Ed would not have minded trading her places for the foot rub. The climbs have been rocky and hard on the feet. He was still hiking at 8:00PM. He was having a hard time finding a suitable place to camp. He thinks he will make it to Davis Farm Campsite. Lots of hikers walk in the dark. It is alot cooler then.It is hard to believe that he has traveled 564 miles.
Date: 2007-04-24
From: Davis Farm Campsite

To: One-half mile from Va. 611
Miles today: 24.0

Last night Mr. Ed went 3 miles looking for a place to set up his tent. Everywhere he looked, he saw rock. No place to lie down at all. We had the same problem when we section hiked the trail in the 90s. Darkness is coming on. You are tired and want to lie down. You imagine lying down on a huge rock, but cannot find anything that even looks like a bed. All you can do is walk on believing that if you go far enough, the terrain will change. But sometimes you doubt it. He finally did find a place and got a good night's sleep. That is not too hard when you have a pack on your back and you have walked all day. Today he was up at 6:00 and on the trail by 6:45. He always was a morning person. When we were first dating, he asked me if I could stand someone up at dawn playing some hard rock on the radio or 8 track tape (yes, it was a long time ago). I don't know what I was thinking, but I said yes. Thirty-five years later I sometimes stumble into the kitchen on the week-end to the Oldies. At least he makes me a cup of coffee. Anyway, at 8:30 Mr. Ed stopped at a stream and ate breakfast. He tried to use his bandanna as a washcloth and clean up a little. He rinsed his shirt and hat in the stream and put them on wet. They felt great. He had a small climb up Brushy Mountain. If you have been reading this journal, you know that he has climbed Brushy Mountain several times. By the time he gets through VA, he will have crossed some part of that mountain 5 times. Who make this section of the trail? Either this is some long mountain or someone does not understand straight lines. After crossing VA 615 at Laurel Creek, he saw a cooler beside the trail. It contained Trail Magic. It was full of Gator Aide and flavored water. Boy, did that hit the spot. Mr. Ed stayed there for lunch and had 2 Gator Aides. For the next 15 miles, he had only one water source. Some good soul must have known that.He passed US 21/52 at Bland and kept on going. There was no need to stop in Bland. It was a few miles away from the trail. Today the walking was easy . The temperatures were in the 70s with a little wind. Rain threatened all day. This morning he felt sprinkles. This afternoon he got wet. It felt good. No need to hide from the rain today. What has happened to all of the hikers? Mr. Ed did not see a single hiker today. He hopes everyone is ok. He hopes that Evil Eye, Fenceman, KZ, Missippi Mule, and all the others are having a good day and walking their own walk. He set his tent up by 7:15. He has walked 24 miles today. He is at the 587.7 mile marker. If all goes as planned, he will meet his brother in Pearisburg and come home for the weekend. He wants vanilla ice cream and root beer. He cannot get rootbeer floats off of his mind.
Date: 2007-04-25
From: One-half mile from Va. 611

To: 3 miles past Wapiti Shelter
Miles today: 20.3
Weather: clear sky

Mr. Ed is sleeping very well in his tent now. He was up at 6:20 and on the trail by 6:40. Conditions are cloudy, but at least there has been no rain. Weather forecaster has not been correct. Started out with a small climb up another part of Brushy Mountain. These trails are easier, but they contain more obstacles. There are fallen trees, brushy conditions, and trail markers are harder to find. He stopped at Jenny Knob Shelter at 9:00 to get water. Five other hikers were there getting ready to leave. Two of them were section hiking southbound. Mr. Ed climbed a part of Brushy Mountain again for the fifth and last time (he hopes). He arrived at Kimberling Creek suspension bridge which crosses a river. He could not resist. He took his boots off and waded the river. He rinsed his shirt again and took one of nature's baths. Two miles further was Dismal Creek Falls. Mr. Ed repeated the same process again. He could have stayed there all day because the place was so beautiful. He could lie on a flat rock with water washing over him. Waterfalls dropped off as much as 30 feet. He ate lunch there and really hated to go. For the next 6 miles, the trail was scenic through white pines, laurel, open forest, and small creeks. Next, he spent an hour climbing a mountain. Anytime it takes him an hour to climb a mountain, it is a good size. He is staying on top of the mountain tonight in the tent. He is at the 608 mile marker and has done 20.3 miles today. All he need to do tomorrow is 14.1 miles to meet his pick up. I think he will make it.
Date: 2007-04-26
From: 3 miles past Wapiti Shelter

To: Pearisburg, VA
Miles today: 14.1
Weather: broken clouds

Mr. Ed climbed out of his sleeping bag at 6:00, full of energy, knowing that he would be going home for the week-end. He was on the trail by 6:40 and stopped at 7:30 to fix a breakfast of hot oatmeal. The next 4 miles to Doc's Knob Shelter was a game of rock-hopping. The trail had many rocks of different sizes that made walking difficult. They were hard on the feet. After that, the trail was easy with pretty views. Mr. Ed met Toesocks and his wife hiking to Pearisburg. He was familiar with them through trail journals. He believes they left Springer on February 11. Coming off of Pearis Mountain to Pearisburg is 1.7 miles. It is a huge descent. The mountain is 3,750 feet in elevation. Pearisburg is 1,650 feet in elevation. Mr. Ed arrived at 2:00 and planned on eating a huge meal of something. He found Hardees. It was the closest place he could find. He ate a Monster burger and fries. Then he moved on to Dairy Queen. He found 10 hikers there. Apparently, all hikers dream of ice cream. After getting his belly full, all he had to do was wait for his brother to pick him up and drive him home. He thought of how nice it would be to be home for a few days. He thought of the surprise his brother might be in for since he had not had a shower in 8 days. Terry may decide to drop him off on the side of the road. Terry arrived at 6:30, and they were home by 9:00. Terry was graceful about Mr. Ed's conditions. However, he had cleaned up and put on a fresh shirt in Hardees. Now, if Mr. Ed can just remember how to sleep in a bed again.
Date: 2007-04-30
From: Pearisburg, VA

To: Dickinson Gap
Miles today: 14.1

Mr. Ed enjoyed a great week-end at home. He arrived on Thursday evening needing a shower, shave, and hair-cut. He had gone 8 days without a shower. He weighed 184 pounds, the same as he weighed in the Army 40 years ago. He looked very thin, but strong. His face showed the wear and tear of the trail. Food was plentiful, and Mr. Ed could not seem to get enough. If anyone put their plate down for any length of time, it might be missing a few items upon return. He left very early Monday morning weighing 194 pounds. After several days at home, his brother took him back to Pearisburg, VA and dropped him off at the place where he picked him up on Thursday. He immediately started out with a good climb up Peters Mountain. It was not so hard because of all of the switch-backs. Once on top, the trail continues on top for another 12 miles. The trail was not too bad even though it contained several rock out-croppings. Water sources are scarce on top of the ridge lines. He felt thirsty most of the day.For some reason, Mr. Ed was very low energy all day. Perhaps it was all the food. Also, he experienced swelling of the feet and ankles while at home. He should have elevated his feet while he was in but did not seem to have any free time. After walking all day, the swelling seemed to leave his feet and ankles and travel up to his legs. He camped at Dickinson Gap at the 632 mile marker. The weather has been in the low 80s with clear skies all day.
Date: 2007-05-01
From: Dickinson Gap

To: War Spur Shelter
Miles today: 17.6
Weather: clear sky

His first night back on the trail gave Mr. Ed a good night's sleep. He descended from Peters Mountain to Dismal Branch, a change in elevation from 3,500 feet to 2,370 feet. Coming down Peters Mountain, he passed Pine Swamp Branch Shelter. It was one of the nicest shelters on the trail. It was made of stone with a fireplace in the middle of the inside. Trail gossip told the story of a hugh tree being blown down on the shelter two weeks ago. Mr. Ed confirmed that was true. Supposedly, one hiker was inside and another on the outside sitting on a picnic table. When the tree came crashing down on the shelter, the hiker inside found his way outside very quickly. He was shaken up quite a bit. The hiker on the picnic table was an eye witness. He also was shaken up by the event. The tree had almost destroyed the shelter. Thankfully, both hikers escaped injury, except to their nerves. Mr. Ed found some nice trail magic at Dismal Branch. Some kind souls had left cold drinks in the creek and Little Debbie cakes in a cooler. The drinks tasted great to Mr. Ed. He walked to Stony Creek Bridge. However, the bridge was gone, another casuality of the recent storms. He had to take his shoes off and wade across. The water was cold, but felt very good.Mr. Ed had a steep climb up Stony Creek to Bailey Gap Shelter. He ate his lunch there. The next 4 miles were challenging. There were lots of rocks and lots of smoke. Rangers were conducting a controlled burn at a lower elevation. Smoke rises. It made hiking difficult. Mr. Ed spent the night at War Spur Shelter where he met up with Toesocks 1 and Toesocks 2. Backyard Boogie and Jack, a section hiker, were there too. Mr. Ed is at the 653.8 mile marker. He has traveled 17.6 miles today. His feet and legs are now free from swelling. I was glad to hear that.