morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2012-06-08
From: Lynchburg Reservoir

To: A poem by Jim
Miles today: 0.0

RAIN AND THE APPALACHIAN TRAILA day without sunshine is like a kiss without lips,a geek without Wifi, a girl without hips.The Trail likes the rain. The slippery slopes,the rocks, the roots, are a magnet for dopes.Toe grabbers will get you.Big ups, big downs.The bugs, the snakes all welcome us clowns.The vistas are socked in, all rain, no sun.Then how is it possible I¢m having so much fun?Soap? Who needs it? You¢ll get dirty again.The smell? Why bother? It just show where you¢ve been.Then the sun comes out. All is forgiven.The flowers, the friends, the Trail is for livin¢.What does the Trail teach? What is the draw?That if you stay focused you can enjoy it all.So when the day comes that your hiking is through,reflect on your victory. There is nothing you can¢t do.Change the world one step at a time.Left, right. Left, right. Time to end this rhyme.
Date: 2012-06-08
From: A poem by Jim

To: KOA Natural Bridge Campbground 
Miles today: 1.8

Today I hiked just enough to get into position to be picked up by my stepson, Brian Arrowood, and his family. Brian and Michelle and their kids, Kyle, Ellie and Haley, arrived right on time to pick me up in their big RV just where the Trail crosses US 60. It felt good to be in their beautiful RV with all the luxuries of home. We parked the RV at the Natural Bridge KOA. Later today my other stepson, Derek Arrowood, and his wife, Kim and children Nate and Paige arrived to spend the weekend with us. I am very excited to be able to spend the next two days with all of them.This KOA facility is very nice and has lots of fun things for the kids to do. There is a nice swimming pool. There is a pretty large crowd here and the weather is perfect. I did the usual off Trail things today such as laundering, taking a shower, eating, cleaning up my gear, eating more, and airing out my sleeping bag and tent. We grilled out and we went shopping to replenish my supplies. I did a lot of just sitting around. After being on the Trail for several days, just sitting in a chair is quite a luxury. I am so fortunate to have such a kind, generous and supportive family. My step daughters-in-law are just about perfect, and they LOVED my beard¢¦NOT! It¢s been a great day to be off the Trail and with my very special family.
Date: 2012-06-09
From: KOA Natural Bridge Campbground 

To: KOA Natural Bridge Campbground 
Miles today: 0.0

Today we went on the Natural Bridge Safari, which was very interesting. You just drive around this 150-acre area filled with animals. There were zebras, camels, llamas, and bison that you could feed from your car window! There were also a number of smaller antelopes and deer. After the drive we went to the zoo area where we saw peacocks, tigers, kangaroos, many different kinds of monkeys, beautiful birds and some rather large snakes. I would recommend the Natural Bridge Safari to anyone in this area.We next went to see the natural bridge itself. This beautiful natural wonder used to belong to Thomas Jefferson and has been visited by many, including George Washington. From there were went to the Natural Bridge Caverns where we took a tour through the cave. We took a drive through Lexington, Virginia, a very beautiful, high-class town which is the home of the Virginia Military Academy. This evening at the campground we had pizza and there was karaoke and an ice cream social. We ended the day by relaxing around a beautiful campfire.
Date: 2012-06-10
From: KOA Natural Bridge Campbground 

To: A meadow near Lextington, Virginia
Miles today: 7.4

I didn¢t get many miles in today as I got off to a late start. Derek and Kim returned me to the place on the Trail where Brian and Michelle had picked me up two days earlier. They also became Trail Angels since they had some extra food in the car which they left on the Trail for other hikers passing through. Unbeknownst to me, Derek and Kim picked up a thru-hiker named Pesky who was hitchhiking. I had not met him before. They took him 9 miles into town, dropped him off at Burger King and even bought his food. Derek and Kim are excellent Trail Angels. I had a long up to start the Trail today and I found the first tick on me. Ticks are something we need to be highly aware of because they are the primary cause of Lyme disease, which is fairly endemic in this area. Many people have been knocked off the Trail due to being afflicted with Lyme disease.   However deer ticks are the ones that potentially carry this disease and my tick was a wood tick. Ticks tend not to like me and every tick I have ever found on me always seems to be scrambling to get off.I had a long up to start the trail and I hiked about 7.4 miles before camping alone in a meadow for the night. It threatened to rain all day, but was actually very dry all day and all night. It was a pleasant way to get started back on the Trail. Parting from family and such a nice weekend is very difficult, and heading back up the Trail is hard, but it worked out well. I had a wonderful time with my excellent family and I am looking forward to moving on down the Trail.
Date: 2012-06-11
From: A meadow near Lextington, Virginia

To: Montebello, VA
Miles today: 12.6

After some good hiking weather, it started to rain again, of course. I met a group of 10 or 11 young men from an all men¢s school (didn¢t catch the name) hiking southbound. They seemed to be having a good time in spite of the rain. I also met a pair of identical twins, a couple of ladies who appeared to be in their 50s. I came to a shelter and met some new thru hikers, Kami-Kaze, Blue Skies and Thin Timber.I took a lunch break, then hiked on. I came to Fish Hatchery Road and saw that it led to the small town of Montebello. I decided to go to town for some coffee and ice cream. It was quite a long walk, however mostly downhill. I decided to stay at the Dutch Haus Bed and Breakfast in Montebello and it was very nice. It was very comfortable and the food was great. Yeti and Kentucky, two ladies hiking together, and Castaway were also staying there. I had met Castaway several times along the Trail.The Dutch Haus is a wonderful place to stay. It¢s very comfortable and the food is excellent. I would recommend it to anyone in the area.
Date: 2012-06-12
From: Montebello, VA

To: Priest Mountain
Miles today: 9.8
Weather: overcast clouds

I had a great stay at the Dutch Haus with Lois and Earl. The accommodations were superb and they had great food. It was very comfortable and warm there.This morning I was able to reconnect with my friend, Kevin, who had attempted a thru-hike last year but was unable to complete it due to foot pain. This year he has been riding his bicycle and just completed 1500 miles beginning in Key West. His wife picked him up and on the way home they stopped by the Dutch Haus where we visited for a while and had coffee, compliments of Lois and Earl. It was good to see them and hear about his experiences on the bicycle.I walked back to the Trail and had a good hike going until I got to Priest Mountain. It was about 312 hours of all down. I was glad I wasn¢t going up, because it was very difficult. It was a very lonely day on the Trail, as I only saw one other hiker. The number of hikers has decidedly diminished. I decided to look for a place to pitch my tent as I could hear distant thunder and the clouds looked threatening. As the thunder came closer, I hurried up a hill away from Priest Mountain, trying to find a flat spot. I finally did find a flat spot on the side of the mountain and was able to pitch my tent and get all of my gear inside before it started to rain. It was quite a hard rain, but was a fitting end to the day as it seems to rain almost every day on the Trail.
Date: 2012-06-13
From: Priest Mountain

To: Waynesboro, VA
Miles today: 14.8
Weather: overcast clouds

I packed up my wet tent and started out. The Trail was, of course, slippery and muddy. There wasn¢t much to do but walk on. Once I got to a place where there was a good phone signal, I called my grandson, Dylan, and sang Happy Birthday to him. He was 9 years old today. That makes the birthdays of four of my grandchildren I have missed so far while being on the Trail. Potentially I will miss the birthdays of nine of my grandchildren while on the Trail. I encountered some unexpected Trail Magic when a young boy, maybe 8 years old, asked if I was hungry and gave me a handful of raspberries he had picked from a nearby bush. I couldn¢t help thinking what a generous, nice young man this was who knew that grizzly thru-hikers were probably hungry and he gave one all that he had.I had been hiking about all afternoon and was getting tired when I sat down where the Trail is near the Blue Ridge Parkway. I was trying to decide what to do when Emma and George Hartmann of Waynesboro stopped in the road and asked if I needed a ride into Waynesboro. I felt like that was the answer I was looking for, so I said, ¢Sure!¢ and off I went. They took me to the Grace Lutheran Church just in time for me to take a shower and enjoy a great meal provided solely for thru-hikers by members of the congregation. This church maintains a thru-hiker hostel in their basement from late May to late June. They provide cots to sleep on, snacks, food, any kind of help you could want, showers, laundry detergent, fruit, coffee and kindness. They are very generous to thru-hikers and this is a great example of a community outreach by this congregation.It has been good to sit down and relax with other hikers and members of this congregation. I think I will stay another night.
Date: 2012-06-14
From: Waynesboro, VA

To: Waynesboro, VA
Miles today: 14.5
Weather: broken clouds

I was able to slack pack back to Waynesboro as I had gotten a ride there yesterday. It was a beautiful day for hiking and this was a fairly easy hike. I am now at the southern edge of the Shenandoah Valley National Park. I did some laundry and restocked supplies. I had to replace the tips of my hiking poles as I just noticed a couple of days ago that they had worn way down to almost nothing. When I started out they were 2¢ long and now only about 12¢ long! That literally shows how hard the Trail has been.I ate lunch at Weasie¢s, a great place to eat with good food at a reasonable price. Judging from the crowd, it¢s where most of the working people and retirees go to gather. This evening I ate at Ming¢s, a Chinese all-you-can-eat restaurant with very good food, also at a reasonable price. I have been doing a good job of filling up with calories, which clearly helps me when hiking. I returned to the Lutheran Hiker Hostel to spend another night.Today was a very good day for hiking and a good day to hang out at the hiker hostel at the Lutheran church. It doesn¢t look like there is any rain in sight for a few days.
Date: 2012-06-15
From: Waynesboro, VA

To: North of Waynesboro, VA
Miles today: 11.9
Weather: broken clouds

It was a great night last night at the Lutheran Hiker Hostel as I sat around with about 14 other hikers watching a movie and eating the free food that the kind members of that congregation gave us.Santa¢s Helper was a worker there and he returned me to the Trail mid-morning today. I met up with Lucky 10, a fellow thru hiker I hadn¢t seen in about 2 months. We hiked together for most of the day and it was nice to have some company. We took a break in front of some massive electronic towers and rested on a series of metal tractor seats that had been planted in the ground. I have no idea who, when or why these tractor seats were placed there, but it was very nice to have something to sit on. While sitting there, Pesky, Kentucky, Yeti and Crazy Top all walked by. I had met Kentucky and Yeti at the Dutch Haus a few days ago. Pesky is the gentleman that my step-son, Derek and his wife Kim, had given Trail Magic to when the dropped me off on the Trail last Sunday. He is a very nice fellow from Napa Valley, California.Lucky 10 and I saw an adult black bear which was very close, probably only 20 yards away. It watched us for a minute or two and then ran away. Shortly after that we saw a small, slender snake that was black all over except for a bright orange ring around its neck. I later learned these are called Ring Neck Snakes.
Date: 2012-06-16
From: North of Waynesboro, VA

To: Lost Mountain
Miles today: 16.5
Weather: overcast clouds

This was my first 12 hour day. I had perfect hiking weather and have had 4 days in a row without any rain! I saw an interesting looking snake today, 2 feet long and a light lime green. It had no markings or patterns. It was rough-skinned as opposed to smooth, which most snakes are. I also saw another ringneck snake like I saw yesterday. I have seen a total of 3 copperheads, but have not seen any rattlesnakes. The scenery today was great, the Trail wasn¢t too hard and I was having fun. I had great views from Black Rock Mountain. I met 10-15 day hikers throughout the afternoon going up there to enjoy the view. It was nice to see families and individuals out enjoying the day. I stopped for lunch at Black Rock Hostel and later heard another hiker was frightened by a too curious bear that sat down in the Trail and would not let him pass for a few minutes. Bears seem to be everywhere in the Shenandoah National Park. I heard one walking in the woods as I was walking on the other side of a thicket of evergreen trees. I could hear it crunching the limbs, but never did see it. He seemed to lose interest and headed off the other way and I was glad about that. Today¢s Trail Angels were Steven and Kat, a very nice couple from about 2 hours away, who generously picked me up and took me to the nearest wayside. A wayside is new to me. It is like a drive-in restaurant (rather a walk-in restaurant) right along the Trail. You can go into the wayside and have cheeseburgers, hamburgers and the most popular thing, blackberry milkshakes! I had some of each and it was great to get short-order food while still hiking on the Trail.I am camping alone tonight on top of Lost Mountain in a beautiful spot near the top of the mountain. There was a beautiful rocky overlook, so I fixed myself a cup of tea and watched the sun go down from the overlook.
Date: 2012-06-17
From: Lost Mountain

To: North of Lost Mountain
Miles today: 12.8

This was another great weather day and it seems all the rain is now a distant memory. I got off to a slow start because I returned to the wayside for breakfast and had some real coffee. I lingered there over paperwork while my batteries were being charged, literally and figuratively! Some of the time today I hiked along the Skyline Drive just so I could see the view. While walking on the Trail you are generally enclosed by the woods and can¢t see much of a view. The Skyline Drive was built in the 1930s and goes about 100 miles through the center of Shenandoah National Park. There were many people out enjoying this beautiful Father¢s Day Sunday. I received messages from my son, my daughter, and my two step-daughters-in-law. These people are extremely important to me and I love them all very much. I feel very blessed that they took the time to wish me a Happy Father¢s Day.Today was very enjoyable. The hike was great, the weather was great, and best of all was the attention I got from my family.
Date: 2012-06-18
From: North of Lost Mountain

To: Lewis Mountain campground
Miles today: 11.6
Weather: light rain

I left my tent open last night so I could look up and see the stars and I was awakened by rain falling on my face. It was real soaker. It appears that the stretch of very nice days is over, but I was able to get in a few miles today. I am getting close to Harper¢s Ferry, which is at mile marker 1016, the psychological half-way point! The actual half-way point is in southern Pennsylvania at 1089. I am on schedule to complete my hike the end of September or first of October, just as I had hoped.My Trail Angel today was Mike, a lawyer from Fredericksburg, VA, who allowed me to come into his warm cabin at the Lewis Mountain campground so I could charge my cell phone battery. He was a very nice gentleman and we had a good conversation.Over the past month I have met many people including Honest Abe, Porcupine, The Duke, Boner, Metric, Sticks, Greenhorn, Jonah and his dog, Zephyr, Hambone, One, 65, Little Wolf, the Troverts (n and x), Walkabout, Sheila, Kleenex, Castaway, Heart Song, Gus, Walla Girl, Rocky and Spice, Mr. Bojangles, Dirt Farmer, Dream Walker, Pops, Dam, Rhyno, Timo, Johnny Walker Red, Tricking Pole, Whiffle Chicken, Mercury, Belch, Tex, Simco, Casanova, Santa¢s Helper, Peter Pan, Lover Boy, Obadiah, Ginger Snap, Oliver Twist, Robo, Pink, Yeti, Kentucky and Pesky.I am doing very well other than the fact I must have encountered a bunch of chiggers somewhere while sitting on the ground. My behind is one irritated, red, itchy mess with chiggers that apparently found something they like. This condition is starting to improve, however, and I am feeling very well with very little discomfort anywhere else. I am looking forward to putting in more miles tomorrow as I head down the Trail to Harper¢s Ferry.
Date: 2012-06-19
From: Lewis Mountain

To: Big Meadows Lodge
Miles today: 8.8

Today I hiked from Lewis Mountain campground to Big Meadows Lodge. It was not a difficult hike, but everything was sloppy and muddy because of the overnight rain and the Trail was a miserable place to be.I stopped at the Beak Finch Hut which was very crowded with thru-hikers, as well as weekend hikers. I then went on to the Big Meadows wayside and it was great! I enjoyed a cheeseburger and real coffee while I charged my phone batteries and visited with other thru hikers. I got a short ride (about 0.7 miles) to Big Meadows Lodge from a couple from Sweden. As we were driving the lady said something to her husband, he quickly stopped, and she opened the door and vomited! It turns out they had just found out 2 days earlier that she was pregnant and she was having some of the morning sickness (in the afternoon) associated with early pregnancy. This is her first pregnancy and I congratulated them both. Only one or two of their friends in Sweden know she is pregnant and they have plans to surprise their family when they return.A young lady I know from church, Launa, and her friend Kami, met me at Big Meadows Lodge. They drove 9-10 hours from central Indiana because Launa wants to experience the AT. I am very happy to have her along. While Launa will be hiking with me, Kami is going to experience the Chesapeake Bay area and the eastern part of Virginia. We watched a beautiful sunset as we sat outside the lodge drinking some wine from a bottle I had kept in one of my big socks to keep it from getting too warm.
Date: 2012-06-20
From: Big Meadows Lodge

To: Byrd's Nest #3 hut
Miles today: 14.4
Weather: clear sky

After breakfast and sorting through supplies, Launa and I headed down the Trail while Kami took off to explore the Virginia coast. (Of note, today is Naked Hiker Day.) We had lunch at the Skyline restaurant, and then hiked to Byrd¢s Nest #3 hut. There was only one other hiker at the hut. The huts in Shenandoah National Park are very nice with stone walls and clean sleeping areas. They have bear posts where you can hang your food so the bears can¢t get to it. I cooked noodles with tuna for supper. It was a good day of hiking and although it was hot, we had enough water. Launa is a great hiker and I very much enjoyed her company. There was a beautiful sunset. We ended the day with a mouse in the hut that was gnawing loudly under the sleeping platform while we tried to fall asleep.
Date: 2012-06-21
From: Byrd's Nest #3 hut

To: Little Hogback Mountain
Miles today: 16.0

We put in a lot of miles yesterday and today. Today¢s highlight was the Elkwallow wayside. It is great to be able to step right off the Trail into a grill where you can have a cheeseburger or whatever. It¢s great to eat cooked food as opposed to the usual stuff you have to carry with you in your pack. It is very much the truth on the Trail that food is fuel and if you don¢t eat enough, you get very tired and stumble around and it makes for a very long, uncomfortable day. At the wayside you can also do some limited resupplying of items.The hike progressed well today, but I was very disappointed that Launa didn¢t get to see any poisonous snakes or bears. She made great company for me. The day wore on and I was anxious to find a place to camp as there were no huts in the area. It seemed like we might have to go 18-19 miles today, but as we were crossing the top of Little Hogback Mountain I found a very nice campsite. It was very breezy, which was nice because it had been very hot. There was a nice rocky ledge and we had a great view of the sunset. It was good to get off our feet and we were both happy to get our tents pitched and be in them and call it a day just before dark.
Date: 2012-06-22
From: Little Hogback Mountain

To: Front Royal, VA
Miles today: 11.1
Weather: broken clouds

We left early after a good night¢s sleep. It rained a little bit in the night, but the sky was a beautiful blue when we woke up. Launa¢s friend, Kami, was going to meet us late morning and we only had 5 miles to go to meet her.We met up with Kami about noon. It was sad to see Launa go, but we had a very good visit. She is an excellent hiker and was very fun to have around. I hiked a while longer after she left, but was unable to find the Front Royal Hostel as I had hoped. I was able to get a ride into the town of Front Royal from Trail Angels, Mike and Bonnie, from Maryland who come to the park frequently. As we were leaving the park we saw a young black bear running through the woods. I have now seen two bears in this national park. I am currently at the Super 8 in Front Royal. The temps today were in the upper 90s, but a hard rain washed the heat away late in the afternoon after I arrived at the motel. Earlier today I dominated the dollar menu at McDonald¢s and later conquered the dollar menu at Burger King. It was good to do some supply shopping and kick back and relax today. This is the first time I¢ve been off the trail in the last 8-10 days.
Date: 2012-06-23
From: Front Royal, VA

To: Slack pack to Front Royal, VA
Miles today: 17.5
Weather: scattered clouds

I was able to slack pack from Sky Meadow State Park back to Front Royal. I then had time to rest up, eat, clean up, do some laundry and use the computer. It felt good to get those miles out of the way. I also did some grocery shopping and was able to get some things done in town before heading out again.This part of Virginia is thick with ticks, so you must inspect yourself frequently. Since I don¢t have a mirror, I have to use my smart phone to take pictures of the cracks and crevices I can¢t see. Who out there wants me to e-mail them some Lyme-prevention porn? Fortunately I have not yet found any deer ticks (the ones that carry Lyme disease) on me.I ran into Bird Man from Tennessee, Yeti, Crazy Top and Mailbox, some of whom I hadn¢t seen for a while. I also saw Grimm, whom I haven¢t seen since Uncle Johnny¢s Hostel back in Irwin Tennessee.