morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2012-05-11
From: Marion

To: Chatfield Shelter
Miles today: 7.0
Weather: clear sky

Marion is a good stop. Most businesses you'll need are within walking distance of Walmart. Next to the "Virginia House Inn" is a plaza with a tractor supply store. Right next to the tractor supply is a pharmacy that will ship packages UPS."Rampage" had the room right next to me at the Virginia house inn. It was a blessing too because I had left my pack cover at the shelter 25 miles back. Rampage walked all the way to Marion with my pack cover in hopes that he'd find me. I bought him breakfast this morning to show my appreciation. Rampage got his name because he likes to eat wild onions that we call leeks in Michigan, here they call them ramps. We also ate a Pizza Hut buffet for lunch. While we were there we met some folks from the local Baptist Church who had left trail magic for us on our way to the Mt. Rogers visitor center. I felt guilty because I stopped and grabbed some snacks but I didn't sign the logbook. When I told them my trail name was Late 4 Dinner they told me that they have been reading my journal. So, if you guys read this, it was very nice to meet you today and I really appreciate what you do for us hikers. I'm going to make a point of signing the logbooks from now on!  We caught the 2:30pm shuttle back to the trail. The shuttle is only fifty cents, there's no reason not to stop in Marion. I walked a nice short 7 mile day to the Chatfield Shelter. I'm here with Rampage and Flint. We have a nice fire, cooking with my little titanium cup isn't so bad on a night like tonight.
Date: 2012-05-12
From: Chatfield Shelter

To: Chestnut Knob Shelter
Miles today: 27.5
Weather: clear sky

I slept in a little bit this morning. Rampage was kind enough to make some oatmeal and a cup of coffee for me on his stove. Rampage, Flint, and I exchanged contact info. Then I hit the trail, about 9:00am. 4.5 miles out I crossed through the town of Atkins. The Exxon station on the corner before the trail goes under the highway is a good stop. There is a diner attached to the gas station. The girl who runs it is very friendly and the prices are good. They have the usual egg, sausage, and biscuit breakfast. She also has fresh fruit and many flavors of scoop ice cream!!An hour or two outside of Atkins I met a young man named John. John has a likable personality and strikes me as having an above average intelligence for an 18 year old. He had spent the night in Atkins and planned to walk to a shelter 23 miles out. I figured I should make some miles since I only did 7 yesterday. I agreed on the destination.I'm feeling pretty strong now. As long as I don't run out of sugar and peanut butter I can walk up mountains all day long. My knees feel solid and I don't wear the brace anymore, (although I still have it just in case). My only real pain is the bottoms of my feet, especially in the morning before I get going. My right heel has the most pain. It has been persistent and I'm going to start praying about it. Every other pain I've had has gone away after you prayed for me. The rest of my body feels like walking big miles. Now that I'm getting stronger my mind doesn't focus on the pain as much as it did in the beginning. I've noticed my mind now bringing up pleasant thoughts of going out to eat with friends and relaxing on the couch. It's funny, they say you shape up in three stages on the A.T. 1st you get in shape physically, 2nd you get in shape mentally, and 3rd you get in shape spiritually. I think I'm getting through stage 1 and going into stage 2. As comforting as the thoughts my mind flashes in front of me are, I know that it is only my weakness seeking refuge. My reality is wet, dirty, and uncomfortable. In time my mind will find solace there, just as my body has.John and I summited Chestnut Knob just as it was getting dark. The view from the top was awesome, the mountain ridge lines were in rows like huge tidal waves. The mountains in Virginia look different then they do further south. We met a few other hikers in the stone shelter up here. I plan to walk with John again tomorrow and get something to eat in the next town.
Date: 2012-05-13
From: Chestnut Knob Shelter

To: Bland Virginia
Miles today: 21.7

I got up before the sun and bumbled around in the darkness getting my things together. On my way out of the shelter I woke up John who was sleeping on the top bunk by tapping on him with a trekking pole. He walks faster then me so he'll catch up eventually. The sun was coming up over the mountains and it was beautiful. I met up with another John aka "Big Orange" (the Australian) and a German fellow who used to go by the name "Sure Foot" until he sprained his ankle, then he became "Slow Foot". They were packing up camp at the base of Chestnut Knob. I followed those two most of the day. We came to a highway that goes to a town called "Bland". We were lucky because it only began to sprinkle as we waited for the shuttle to take us to town. More hikers came out of the woods as we waited, including young John. The shuttle couldn't fit everyone and had to make two trips. There isn't a whole lot to the town of Bland. We got dropped off at the hotel and four of us piled into a room, getting the cost down to $15 each. It started to rain pretty hard. We walked across the street to the Dairy Queen and I ate a bacon cheeseburger, chili dog, fries, onion rings, large banana malt, and two glasses of ice tea.  Two hours later we ordered two deluxe pizzas delivered to the room, then went back to the Dairy Queen for ice cream.  Back in the room I showered and looked at myself in the mirror. I've clearly burnt up the fat reserves I put on before coming out here. Hopefully I can eat enough to keep from getting too skinny.
Date: 2012-05-14
From: Bland Virginia

To: Near Kimberling Creek Suspension Bridge
Miles today: 18.5

I got a late start this morning. I like to stay in a hotel room till checkout, it makes me feel like I'm getting my money's worth. There are a lot of hikers at the hotel today escaping the rain. The smart ones have decided to take a zero day here. I'm headed back to the woods. After a wet ride in the back of a pickup I am again on the trail. John doesn't have a tent or a tarp and he's only got a cheap dollar store emergency poncho for raingear. He's headed to the shelter 12 miles out. We walked and talked for awhile, then the rain started to pick up and he took off. Once I'm already soaked I don't mind walking in the rain. I reached the shelter John stopped at about 3:30pm. It seemed too early to stop so I kept walking. A little further down the trail someone had written 600 in pine cones. I looked at my guide and sure enough, I just walked 600 miles.There is a really cool wooden suspension bridge crossing Kimberling Creek before you come to "Trent's Grocery". I decided to camp there. But first I went to Trent's and bought a bacon cheeseburger and a corn dog. I went back across the bridge and set up camp. The rain started to downpour and it inspired me to write a review of my tent...I am not happy with Henry Shire's "Notch" TarpTent. It is a flawed design. The rain flows down from the ridge to the tapered ends at the head and foot. The outer fly is too narrow at the ends where most of the water runs off. The rain splashes back up underneath the fly and through the bug screen. My sleeping bag gets wet every time. A puddle actually formed on the floor of the tent. I can't live like this, I'd be better off under a rectangular tarp. I don't mind walking in the rain but I want to be warm and DRY when I sleep! When I get into town I'm going to call Henry and see about getting this resolved. I'll let you know what happens.
Date: 2012-05-15
From: Near Kimberling Creek Suspension Bridge

To: Docs Knob Shelter
Miles today: 16.2
Weather: overcast clouds

I packed up my wet stuff this morning and walked back across the suspension bridge over Kimberling Creek. The water level has come up considerably overnight. Much of the trail has become a river. Streams have appeared all over that are usually just a trickle. I tried jumping puddles to keep my feet dry for an hour or so before I gave up. Once you surrender to the fact that your feet are going to be soaked it's much more fun. I like walking through the puddles. You move faster when you don't hesitate to get your feet wet (perhaps words to live by?!). I rolled into a comfy looking shelter 8 miles from Pearisburg. I started building a fire to cook my dinner. A couple from Maryland showed up to share the shelter. I washed up in the spring and had a relaxing evening.
Date: 2012-05-16
From: Docs Knob Shelter

To: Pearisburg
Miles today: 8.2
Weather: scattered clouds

Rays of morning sun shown through a tunnel of blooming laurel. I've seen some beautiful botanical gardens, but this is amazing. Millions of purply pink flowers surround the trail and brightly colored petals cover the surface of it. My heart was lifted with joy. My pack was feeling light because I ran out of food, and I didn't really feel any pain in my heel. So, I tucked my trekking poles in my pack, tightened the straps, and started running. I ran up and along the ridge through the laurel, I felt great. I came to a place called "Angels Rest" overlook. I followed a path surrounded by flowers and came to a clearing where one big boulder overlooked the cloud covered valley of Pearisburg. I climbed up the rock and sat down. I started to tear up over how beautiful it was. "Angels Rest" is the perfect name for this spot. Someone hung wind chimes from a nearby laurel branch and they sang softly in the wind. Sitting up there was heavenly. As hard as walking this path can be at times it's worth every step.I made my way into Pearisburg where I have begun eating obscene amounts of food again. I am sharing a hotel room with a hiker named "Silent John" (he doesn't say much). I've inquired about shuttles to Damascus for trail days. I found one guy who's offering a one way trip for 2 people for $160. I wasn't real excited about that so I reserved a rental car for the weekend. I'm going to provide my own shuttle service. I've been telling some of the other hikers here at the hotel about it. It will be cheaper and more convenient. I called Henry Shires about my Tarp Tent. He said he'd give me a partial refund after I send it back and he inspects it. I suppose that is better than nothing. I explained the problem to him and although he said I'm the first to report it, I met another guy out here with one who has had the same problem. Henry offers an inner bug screen for this model where the bathtub floor comes up much higher. It seems to me, that type of bug screen should be standard on a tent like this. I think that's the only way you'd stay dry. Henry said it must be the way I pitched the tarp. But I can tell you I tried pitching it as shown on the printed instructions, internet videos, and my own experimentation. The bottom line is if it rains you get wet. Also I believe I've diagnosed the pain in my heels as Plantar fasciitis. The discomfort has returned since I got into Pearisburg. I'm figuring out what to do about it on the Internet now. It sounds like resting it is the best thing. It will be good for me to hang out in Damascus this weekend.
Date: 2012-05-17
From: Pearisburg

To: 88 mph 1.21 gigawatts
Miles today: 0.0

It feels good to sleep in a real bed.The hotel has a 1:00pm checkout time. I hung out as long as I could, then walked down to Enterprise rent a car. I met a hiker who will split the cost with me but he doesn't want to leave till tomorrow. I could wait till then to pick up the car, but I want it today. I made a deal with myself, I could pay for another night in a hotel, or get a car and sleep in it tonight. I made the right decision. Having the ability to cruise at 70mph in air conditioned comfort is amazing. We humans have it pretty good, the automobile is a great invention. In the time it takes me to walk 25 miles I could easily drive the 700+ miles home to Michigan. It's tempting to drive back to do a couple things while I give my feet a break, but the price jumps substantially if you take the car that far. So I only paid for the weekend in Damascus. I asked for a DeLorean but all they had was a silver Chevy Malibu. Now that I can travel at warp speed I zipped over to Blacksburg, just for the heck of it. Blacksburg is a pretty big town, home of Virginia Tech. I wandered around, got something to eat, and went to the mall. I also went to the outfitter and bought some expensive new insoles. Hopefully they will work better than my "super feet" insoles. The super feet did relieve my arch pain in the beginning but I'm ready to try anything to be rid of this heel pain. These "Sole" insoles supposedly form to the shape of your foot. They have a high arch support and more cushioning then "Super Feet". I found out that "plantar fasciitis" is commonly associated with long periods of weight bearing and overuse of the connective tissue on the bottoms of the feet. It happens to long distance runners as well as hikers. It was probably silly for me to be running yesterday. The thing is, it doesn't really hurt that much when I'm warmed up. But it hurts real bad in the morning and when I stop at night. I stayed sore all day today since I didn't walk much. There are night splints you can get to stretch out the tendons while you sleep. I believe the best one to carry while hiking would be the "Strassburg Sock", I'm getting one of those. I think EzNomad is carrying one. For now I've created a similar thing with duct tape.Anyway, back to the car! I hadn't driven in a month and a half!! This thing is sweet, a big metal tent with wheels. The back seats fold down and I can lay flat by sticking my legs in the trunk. I'm at the "Walmart" campground tonight. A few 18 wheelers are camped out here too. Hopefully I can find a new shelter at Trail Days. I'll be camping in the Malibu till then.I added some new pictures today also, check it out!
Date: 2012-05-19
From: Trail Days

To: Trail Days
Miles today: 0.0

Trail Days has given me a real boost. Listening to Jennifer Pharr Davis at the church this morning was powerful and inspiring. It feels like my skin has worn thin and many things are reaching my soul lately. I had troubled keeping it together while she was speaking today. She shared what long distance hiking has taught her and I could relate to some of the hardships she's faced. Her story is amazing and she's a fantastic speaker. The message of faith and perseverance could benefit any audience, on or off the trail. It was amazing to hear about her record breaking thru-hike last year and how her husband supported her along the way. She talked about how living on the trail away from a mirror taught her how to see her reflection in other people. If she was beautiful the people around her reflected that beauty by their smiles and cheerfulness. If her attitude wasn't pretty she learned to see that reflection too. She also said the soul's reward for being out on the trail is beyond "fun". Walking the trail is not always "fun", sometimes it's downright miserable. But the payoff is so great you can not define it by the word "fun".I walked in the hiker parade this afternoon with the class of 2012! It was totally crazy, the whole town was out with water balloons and squirt guns. They were on roof tops and second story windows. I caught several water balloons and returned fire. I got a couple people pretty good. I also got hit with several water balloons, squirt guns, and a garden hose. I was wet, but it felt good. Thru-hikers past and present formed a huge mob through town. This is so cool, I will never forget this day.After thinking about it overnight, I decided that deal on the Hennessy Hammock was too good to pass up. The only problem is I have to wait a month for it to get here. So, my immediate shelter problems have not been solved. It would be nice if I could get a big piece of Tyvek. Lowes only sells it by the roll and the outfitter only has the short roll. I'm thinking I'll make a garbage bag bivy and shelter hop till I find some. Maybe I could tape two skinny pieces together.Thank you Courtney for the tip on scraping the fascia. I tried it and it hurts pretty bad. I'm willing to try anything though, I'd like to get back on the trail Monday. I've taken 3 zero days in a row. This is my longest break so far. I've taken off 6 days total, about one every hundred miles. Some of the foot and leg pain has gone away but I still have the heel pain and sore tendon, mostly on my right foot..
Date: 2012-05-21
From: Pearisburg

To: Pine Swamp Branch Shelter
Miles today: 19.3
Weather: scattered clouds

I experienced a miracle this morning. I got out of bed, put my feet on the floor and didn't feel any pain in my right foot. I had it taped up last night in a stretched position like what a Strassburg Sock does. Since there was no pain in the right foot to grab my attention I noticed the pain in my left foot. I'm going to start scraping and stretching them both. Thank you all for your prayers and advise. It feels so good to be getting results!I went to the Dairy Queen for breakfast. While I was there I got a cardboard box to send more stuff home. After I packaged up my other backpack with a few other things I walked to the post office. I started thinking that I needed a Strassburg Sock for each foot. That would cost $80 and take at least a week to arrive. My solution was to buy a cheap pair of socks and a long sleeve shirt from Goodwill. I cut the sleeves off the shirt and sewed them on to the end of the socks with dental floss. I have a knee brace for each leg that I can tie the sleeves off to. They work great and only cost a few bucks. It took about a half hour to get the stuff and sew them together.I will be the last one to stay in the "Body Refinery" room at the hotel. Before I checked out they already started scraping the sign paint off the window. They are converting it to a normal hotel room. I checked out and walked down the street to the trailhead. Stepping off the pavement and back into the woods felt good. I love the way the forrest smells. I managed to get lost for about an hour today. I wasn't paying enough attention at a fork in the road. I walked quite a ways down some unmarked paths looking for white blazes. I finally turned around and walked all the way back to the last blaze I remember seeing. The trail was kinda hard to see where I walked past it. But there were some sticks laid across the path I took. Oooops....It's hard not to notice that female hikers have great legs. There isn't many out here though. From what I've heard the female body actually handles the stress of long distance hiking better than a man's. I guess Jennifer Davis's record supports that. Woman metabolize food better and lose weight more slowly. I was talking to an older female thru-hiker at Trail Days. She said that when a woman reaches Katadin she'll appear toned and athletic. But by the time a man gets to Katadin his body has started to consume itself. Gary from the Blueberry patch said he weighed 125 lbs. when he finished. After 1700 miles Tarp Water was down to 108 lbs. (but he also had lime disease). I was also thinking that the shape of a women's hips would naturally support the hip belt of a pack better.Anyway....I feel pretty good about today's miles considering I didn't get out of town till 1:00pm and I got lost for an hour. It was dark on my approach to the shelter and the batteries in my headlamp are garbage. It was hard to find my way. I'm glad the metal roof of the shelter stood out in the darkness and I didn't walk past it.
Date: 2012-05-22
From: Pine Swamp Branch Shelter

To: Sarver Hollow Shelter
Miles today: 24.9
Weather: clear sky

A women and her dog woke me up this morning. She stopped at the shelter to dry out some of her wet stuff. I told her that I arrived at the shelter in the dark last night and my headlamp was worthless. She asked me what size batteries it took, then presented me with brand new set of lithium AAAs! I offered to buy them from her but she said she was only out for a section hike and was glad to help me out. It was wet and cold today. After about 20 miles of walking my heel started talking to me. I stopped and stretched it out.As I was climbing the last mountain before the shelter a thought occurred to me. Passing judgement on the present moment requires you to dwell on memories of the past or imagined events of the future for comparison. It is a waste of time to gauge whether an experience is good or bad based on illusions of the past and future. The only thing that is real is this moment. When judgement takes attention away from the present you automatically miss the subtle unique beauty of it. The grade was quite steep going up the last stretch. Instead of cursing the trail for not having more switchbacks, I realized the steep incline was stretching out my calves and feet. I didn't feel anymore foot pain the rest of the way to the shelter.
Date: 2012-05-23
From: Sarver Hollow Shelter

To: Catawba Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 30.7
Weather: moderate rain

I saw my 4th bear this morning at about 10:00am. I was listening to music with my earbuds in. I wasn't paying much attention to anything. As I came around a bend in the trail a full grown adult bear was scrambling up the hill. I started clacking my poles together out of habit, but caught myself after doing it a couple times. The bear ran up the hill maybe 40 yards and then turned around and stared at me through the brush. He's got a really big nose.This one isn't that scared of me. At this distance I don't feel that scared of him either. I wanted a picture but unfortunately he's obscured by the brush and the camera on my phone doesn't zoom. There will be more opportunities to get a picture of one.I beat my personal best by walking 30.7 miles today. The funny thing is, I walked about 25 of those miles in flip flops. I've been wearing soaking wet shoes for two days and my feet were wrinkled and uncomfortable. I couldn't take it anymore so I decided to wear flip flops to let my feet dry out. As it turns out hiking in flip flops is comfortable, so I wore them all day. The rock scramble 20 miles out near "Dragons Tooth" overlook was interesting. Two spots actually had steel ladder rungs fastened to the rock to help you get down. I want to say I made it through without a scratch, but I got a small cut on my pinky toe.After descending from Dragon's Tooth I crossed Virginia country road 624. I wanted to go to Catawba Grocery. I remembered that the guidebook said it's on the same road as the Homeplace Restaurant. I assumed since both businesses were on the same road I needed to walk six more miles to where the AT crosses 311. I crossed VA 624 and headed up the trail. I got a hundred yards when a voice in my head said STOP! So I stopped and took my earbuds out. I thought maybe I should double check the guide and make sure I know what I'm doing. Sure enough, the road I just crossed connects to VA 311 a short way from the trail. The Quikie Mart is right there on the corner. I almost walked past my food opportunity. The restaurant six miles up is closed on Wednesday and I would have been bummin. After loading up on hotdogs, chips, candy bars, and a 32 oz soda I walked over the next mountain. Parked at the junction of VA 311 was a camper and a bunch of hikers. They asked me to come over and gave me corn on the cob, a hamburger, and s'mores. That was a nice unexpected boost.By the time I crossed the road and got back on the trail it was dark. Thank God that women gave me batteries for my headlamp! There was a shelter a mile up. I stopped in, but it was pretty full. I knew that I was getting close to a thirty mile day and didn't mind walking a little further to the next shelter, it was only another mile. I wasn't sure how far I walked until I got settled in and looked at AWOL's guide. It was exciting to discover that I just did my first 30 mile day.(I put pictures up on a couple of this weeks previous post.)