morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2009-04-30
From: Doll Flats

To: Mountaineer Shelter
Miles today: 11.7
Weather: overcast clouds

April 30 --The shorter milage than usual day ended up in the Mountaineer Shelter, second of three decks, luckily uncrowded. Ending today is hiking in NC, I am off the bordertrail and strongly in TN. Last night was rainy on/off with strong winds, strong enough for me to think about falling limbs again and the best position to be in when struck, balled up, head covered. At a stop at Jones Falls this afternoon, a high, very pretty and scenic waterfall, slightly off the trail, I met Peanut Butter, who tented last night, I beleive at the barn, and he told me about and showed me photos of a limb that fell on his tent right after he sat up when others called to him that a tree was falling! I'm not sure whether there really were others, but he heard his named called. His tent was torn and the hole in the ground was scarry big. Crazy. Otherwise, the day was very nice with a variety of trail. On one long grassy uphill, rather steep, I missed a poorly marked right turn, climbed to the top where there were 5 trails to choose from. Two I tracked and then back tracked, until 20 minutes later, two other guys tipped me off. During the day I ran across a bunch of regulares, Cuz, Mr. Pink, Lunch Box and Spoonman with dog Darby. The foliage gave the trail a new life, an opening of active interculture, an ecosystem alive with business. Three new flower photographed amoung thousands of others, tended by insects while never visible birds craft their songs, leaves now higher in the trees, amplifying the breeze blowing through. Flowering tree petals, white, leaf shrouds and occasional whole tulip tree blossoms litter the trail, more to step on and blow around. The crushed brown oak and maple leaves now all but disappeared and butterflies are common, and bumble bees noisily patrolling while thousands of new born grasshoppers leap off the trail noisy as sleet on a tent fly, and once in a while creeping things, caterpillars, centipedes, millipedes, and small animals like toads, and a rather large, 20" or so, light grey and light brown banded snake, all make their way onto the living trail. But all is not to be noticed by all. While takng a few moments to enjoy an overlook of green splotchy hills below me in front of shadowed mountains, a hiker came bursting by asking, "Where's the trail?", not looking or even glancing past me for a look, and then made off like the white rabbit of Alice in Wonderland. It is not uncommon to see many wearing ear buds and I often overhear conversations regarding the power of the i-pod and now the Sirius walkman. As the night comes so do the cell phone calls and snoring, I've got my pack loaded with water and I plan a breakfastless getaway tomorrow morning for a hostel stop over and on the next day. The wind is beginning to pick up and maybe will mask the snoring.
Date: 2009-05-01
From: Mountaineer Shelter

To: Laurel Forks Lodge and Hostel
Miles today: 15.6

May 1 --A good walk with a 7:52 getaway with no breakfast but a granola bar. After a gradual climb, the path was relatively easy, but the steady rain began early adn I stopped to cover fully to avoid a soaking. The weather improved with time and within 2 hours gaiters were the only gear in service. I cooked my cheese noodle type package and coffe with crackersfor lunch at the Moreland Gap Shelter. Mr Pink, Lunch Box, and Quaide were there and Trusty, Skunk Ape, and Pickle soon arrived, all from the shelter the night before. It was a long break, but the weather now was beautiful and so was the trail with many stream crossings in the rhododendrens and an occasional exposed view, with pink mountain laurel now in bloom. It was cool in the shaded streams and warm in the open woods where the bird songs answered each other, still impossible for me to spot. One type of bird, however, has been everywhere, a Slate Colored Junko, and I tried to convince someone that it was the same bird following me on the trail. I must stop doing that because I now have proof that it is not because more than once, as I quietly walked past the high side of the trail where it cuts into the hill, from the shaded ferns and mossy overhang, one of these Junkos darted out from knee high. The second time that I saw this I found the nest with four small brown speckled, bluish colored eggs. I have seen at least 3 of these bird nest incidences, therefore, there is more than one bird. Coming off of the mountain, the trail crosses Dennis Cove Rd and the Laurel Fork Lodge seemed a little more accomodating than the hostel in the opposite direction. The highlight was dinner we, Quaide, Trusty, Skunk Ape, Pickle and PigPen ordered out from QBs Bar-B-Q and I had 2 Ol' Smoky Burgers, a loaded baked potato, chili, beans, salads and beer after the usual shower and laundry.
Date: 2009-05-02
From: Laurel Forks Lodge and Hostel

To: 2m Past Watauga Lake Shelter
Miles today: 13.1
Weather: light rain

May 2 --I am tenting very close to the Watauga Dam Rd after hauling a gallon of spring water 1.9m from the Watauga Lake Shelter, arriving just past 20:00 as the sun set after an overcast day that started with light rain and full rain gear. The hostel stay has an unusual ending. The young hostel dog, Sally, took a liking to me went I first arrived, she was tied up and started prancing at me the moment I walked up, and I responded by slapping my leg. She met me licking and holding my hand in her German Shepard mouth. Just before leaving this morning, she laid down on my cabin porch as I was inside packing. Walking out to the road across the auto bridge over the Laurel Fork River she ran to follow. I turned and pointed "No" and she scampered back, she'd done this before. Gail, who had recently arrived, got the dog's attention enough to keep it on that side of the river, though Sally was whining and later barking at me as she followed me on the opposite shore as I walked the 0.3m road back to the AT. I looked back occasionally to check on silly friend and one last time as I was about to round the final bend in the road at about 0.25m. Uh-oh, as far as my eyes could see there was a black something in the roadmoving quickly toward me. I wanted to drop my pack, but didn't, and Sally was aware she shouldn't be here, skittish, I called her close and we walked back to the hostel where I took her picture, put her on the leash and bid farewell. She jumped up on the picnic table and whined as I finally walked down the road. Once back on the trail the drizzly rain was steady which kept the camera tucked dryly away, unfortunate because the trail quickly found the Laurel Fork with a waterfall and high cliffs of stacked rock and the at least a mile on the river bank, before turning skyward ~1800' in ~3m, and then right back down to the shore of Watauga Lake where the intermittent drizzle after no precipitation for most os the afternoon. Trigger was at a beach area where wee talked for a while, and he gave me a banana before departing. Since there were trash cans available I had a snack of canned eel in chili sauce that Chuck had given me and insisted after eating this, I would give up sardines. They were what I expected, but King Oscar needn't worry. I stopped at the Watauga Shelter, almost stayed, but it was too early ~18:30 so I packed a gallon of spring water, walked another 2m and set up the tent right after a road crossing, a usual no-no, but it was getting dark. Aside from the small parking area nearby, its quiet. Hiking today by the riverwas a new dimension of the trail, roaring at times with flashes of white water, there was a sense of life, energy. I spoke with a few weekenders, mostly 20 questions jazz, but happy to be there. Aqua blazing, that was the term used during the rafting trip, but today truly was as the trail's rock path was right at river's edge under high cliffs of neatly stacked huge rocks. The light in the tent is driving the bugs buggy, I killed 3 mosquitos in here, one bloody, I hope not mine.
Date: 2009-05-03
To: Double Springs Shelter
Miles today: 18.8
Weather: moderate rain

May 3 --It has been a day of rain. I packed in the rain, it stopped after about an hour so I took off the jacket until a hevay downpour forced me to put everything on until just before quitting when I was allowed to remove it. And now the rain has started again, banging occasional heavy drops from the big pine overhead with the windy showers. The trail was unchanging today with all the moisture, as the small white flowers and plain grey and green licten appeared especially bright as if sprayed with semi gloss polyurathane. The sneaky poison ivy plants creeping near the trail, mixed with one year old acorn trees and second year maples, all with unfolding red leaves, keep those gaiters up! Later the trail became a muddy mess and every downhill needed extra attention, but the path today was relatively easy. I must sleep now, I can think of what I want to write, but my eyes are heavy.To continue yesterday's entry, I was the first to arrive at the shelter and contemplated staying when I read a recent entry in the registry, "BEWARE!" and went on to describe the hyper active mice in the shelter climbing up the concrete block walls in the daylight, I decided to tent, rainy or not. During the day I stopped to check out the Nick Grindstaff Monument. The Companion describes him as a man who went west to make his fortune and was robbed along the way, so he returned to Iron Mtn to live as a hermit for 40 yrs. The site looks like a tomb, or crypt with a chimney built around a tombstone, born 1851 died 1923 with the epitaph, "Lived Alone, Suffered Alone, Died Alone", with a nice view, I assume since there was a thick mountain mist fog. The most mysterious thing occurred while I was there. My digital watch totally reset to 01-00, 12:00, the same as when the battery is replaced! Fortunately my camera has a separate time/date battery so I was able set the proper time, etc. Another unusual event of the day was coming upon the 1/2 mile handicap accessible AT, a gravel path through a pasture, suitable for a wheelchair, that ended near a bench with a view, of course, of dense fog.
Date: 2009-05-04
From: Double Springs Shelter

To: Damascus, VA
Miles today: 18.3
Weather: light rain

May 4 --The day began as the previous night, constant rain on the tent from pelting to pounding and never let up through out packing, and after a rushed tent tear down, I was on my way about 8:30 walking uphill to the trail through a newly created mountain stream where a blue blze had been last evening. Before long I had walked out of the downpour and into mountain fog, at least temporarily. The goal for the day was to arrive at the Mt Rogers Outfitters in Damascus by 18:00, their closing, to inquire about lodging. At 2m/hr I was cutting it close, but the elevaion profile favored my plan, mostly downhill all the way. And progress was good. The rain was on/off, the temperature comfortably cool and I slogged through the water everywhere, the temporary puddles and bushy boot washing clumps of brilliant green grass now encroaching the narrow path, wearing full rain gear, i looked as if I had been sprayed with super gloss polyurathane, shining like slug slime. The pace was fast and before long I had reached the Abingdon Gap Shelter where I found 4 others staging for the final run to Damascus. I refigured that I could make it to MRO and that I had a chance to get to the post office by 16:30. After a granola bar break I was off again and soon blew past the TN-VA state line and arrived at MRO somewhere around 14:30. No clues for lodging so I went door bell ringing, the first sounded pricy and tentative, the second had a message by the door, "No smoking, no drinking, personal checks, cash, no credit cards", No Thanks, but the next place, the Apple Tree B&B, with the tended gardens and wrap around porch, was what I was seeking. Private room, king sized bed, bathroom in room, even a TV. Without writing pages, which I easily could, about the superb stay, I will only say that Debbie and Les made me feel comfortably at home from the moment my drenched and muddy self crossed the threshold. A shower, and a short walk to the post office later and I was back in my new comfort zone, until later when I went out for blue cheese stuffed burger and beers at Fatti's, outstanding.
Date: 2009-05-05
From: Damascus, VA

To: Damascus, VA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

A planned zer0 day I spent wandering around town, relaxing, cleaning and drying my dirty gear, and visiting with Debbie and Les. Breakfast was cruise ship style, tons, first class. I had received 10 days food in the mail drop which I split 6/4 and bumped the 4 to Bland, VA. I spent part of the day trying to update the online journal with photos at the B&B and transcribing text. Just hanging around I could see the hard work it takes to run the B&B to make the guests comfortable and at ease.
Date: 2009-05-06
From: Damascus, VA

To: Damascus, VA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: moderate rain

May 6 --The on/off heavy rains from yesterday were still lingering and flooding was forecast with reports of another 2-3". That was enough to convince me to stay in my new, expanded comfort. After another stuffing, delicious breakfast, I spent most of the day updating the journal and repacking my stuff. Again watching Debbie and Les run the business was a behind the scenes look at hard work. I tried to pitch in where I could with yard work, which I hadn't done since last year, it was fun! I had been at the B&B for so long, seeing others come and go, that I was afraid I wouldn't leave, but I would, after one more breakfast, of course!
Date: 2009-05-07
From: Damascus, VA

To: VA601, Beech Mtn Rd
Miles today: 18.1

May 7 --Loud thunderstorms rattled the night and early morning and we awoke to more rain. Breakfast was busy after a full house overnight, highlighted by french toast, made with homemade bread filled with raisins, craisins and walnuts, soaked with real maple syrup. No matter how much I prepare to leave in the morning its hardly ever enough, and by the time I left, sometime after 10:00, the blue sky was opening up. Leaving the Apple Tree I felt totally refreshed and rested and after saying goodbye, I was back on the AT just by crossing Laurel Avenue. Damascus is a true trail town, where the trail follows main street in and out of town before disappearing into the woods. The AT also parallels the Virginia Creeper Trail, the old railroad bed, now used as a walking/bike path, sometimes coincident with the AT. Today's walk was not difficult, leaving Damascus at ~1900', up/down to here, near VA601, 2m beyond the Lost Mtn Shelter, at ~3600'. It was hot at times in the sun on the ascents, and I was sweating freely from my scalp, like I had just finished the leg of a run-bike-run. All water sources were swollen and raging. The Whiteton Laurel Creek was light brown and roaring through the woods sounding more like a waterfall than a river. I arrived at the Lost Mtn Shelter ~17:30 and decided it was too early in the day to stop and moved on another ~2m where Circuit Rider and Sherlock were tenting right outside a cow pasture. I joined them on a nice, tall grassy spot, but had to rush to set up as the thunderstorm activity could be seen coming in from the north. I barely made it. The rain came down hard and the wind blew hard for about 1/2 hr as the storm passed. Julst a couple of thunder/lightnings and by late sunset the sky was clearing and the moon, nearly full, was illuminating the back of my tent like a parked car with high beams.
Date: 2009-05-08
From: VA601, Beech Mtn Rd

To: Wise Shelter
Miles today: 15.0
Weather: overcast clouds

May 8 --The sky was clear until daylight where now its overcast with light rain which became steady as I tore down the tent requiring full rain gear. The 2000' ascent to Buzzard Rock with many over active springs and rocky obstacles. Early in the walk, a group, 4 or 5, came frolicking down the mountain, packless, one commenting to the fact, "We're slackpackin'". Wow. That was too much. Reduced(NO) weight AND advantage terrain! Could I do that on Heartbreak Hill in the Boston Marathon? No more comments on the subject from me. Buzzards Rock had it all. By then, the weather had cleared, partly blue sky, and the top was a grassy bald with goat trails, plenty of rocks, wind that was blowing my trekking poles and gorgeous 360 views. I dropped my pack so I could walk around more stably, started to climb the rock pile, where I found a geocache box, the 2nd in my hiking adventures, but the wind kept me back and I snapped a few photos before moving on. I was feeling tired so I decided at the Thomas Knob Shelter, "only" about 7m away, near Mt Rogers, I would make Swiss Miss and finish the french toast ends from Debbie and dry out my rain soaked tent weighing me down. The only 7m took forever. The trail was obnoxious with springs on steroids. I was reminded of the Roan Mtn trail, this too, to Mt Rogers had roots, ruts, rocks, was overused and/or under maintained, often I was forced off the trail's edge into the woods, following others before me. Finally reaching the shelter I took a long break. Trusty and Pickle were there for the night, Spoonman tented nearby and I decided to go another 5m to the Wise Shelter, since it was about 17:30, and I tented near the shelter in a soft bed of rhododendren leaves after being caught in a brief downpour 10 minutes earlier. The last 5m was a pretty walk mostly through Grayson Highlands State Park, exposed tops, grassy with occasional firs and spruce, rocky crags and one section of "wild" ponies grazing about leaving plenty of evidence on the trail.
Date: 2009-05-09
From: Wise Shelter

To: Trimpi Shelter
Miles today: 20.0
Weather: light rain

May 9 --I feel like I must've gotten my direction mixed and started walking south all the way to Florida because that's the only place I've seen thunderstorms twice a day regularly, and that is what has been happening lately. Tonight I arrived ~18:20 and was able to set up before the sky opened up, but all's quiet now. It was a brisk cool start and a nice day for hiking, hazy sun to overcast most of the day. The trail was still sloppy in spots although some mooshy mud was nice on the feet after many rocky sections. The mooshy mud allows a nice comfortable boot step of mud and leaf mulch mixed to the consistency of humus, firm but supportive, and not slippery, compared to squishy mud which is slick, you'll slide on the way in and on the way out, like often found in a pig sty. The name is usually heard when the foot lands, squish being more consistent. The rocks were most like PA so far, numerous in fields, unfriendly to boot steps, a different color at times, a sort of reddish, and just as hard as the regular rocks when hiked. I am tenting at the Trimpi Shelter way off the trail and, of course, downhill, while the rain is returning briefly every 20 minutes or so, and it is helping to keep me awake so that I can continue writing.
Date: 2009-05-12
From: Lynn Camp Creek

To: Laurel Creek
Miles today: 23.5
Weather: clear sky

May 12 --Late day, long day with a variety on the trail of terrain, trees, rocks, people, but not weather, it was perfect from start to finish where now the stars are twinkling through the very tall trees. I arrived at Jenkins Shelter just before 19:00 and decided to continue 2m to Little Wolf Creek, South end, where I thought I could camp. I never found Little Wolf Creek, S. end or Little Wolf Creek North end 2 1/4m later either and I ended up on VA615, a packed gravel road walking along in the fading light, following white blazes, along Laurel Creek until I spotted a blue blaze heading left off the road toward the creek, which is more like a large brook. Across a nice wooden bridge I found a suitable site. Tomorrow I pick up a mail drop in Bland, VA, I think I'll like it there, here's why. Viking explorer Lief Ericson cleverly named Iceland and Greenland on his way to Vineland because, as the legend goes, he wanted the tourists and commercial enterprises to settle in barren Greenland, an attractive name, and shun Iceland, who wants ice? The truth, of course, is the opposite, Greenland probly doesn't look much different when ol' Lief was there, and Iceland has beautiful, lush green pastures around the perimeter of the country and sheep abound. So if you were planning a VA weekend getaway would it be Bland, VA or, let's say, Virginia Beach, VA? I've not been to neither Greenland nor Virginia Beach and have no strong desire to visit either. I have been to Iceland and I bet that Bland, VA is a real nice place. Chilly again near the Laurel Creek and tonight I hear radio music and talk, not just voices.
Date: 2009-05-15
From: Wapiti Shelter

To: Pearisburg, VA
Miles today: 18.6
Weather: overcast clouds

May 15-- written May 16The walk to Pearisburg, VA was varied again both in trail and weather. After a cool, mountain mist start through the rhododendrens and stream crossings the day warmed to a sunny, warm afternoon, with two surprises alon the way. I left Wapiti Shelter after a brief overnight thunderstorm soaked my tent, with Sugar Run Rd a suitable granola bar rest stop, about 6m out, which is where I was, sitting at road's edge on a thick horizontal tree root, when I herd a vehicle approaching from the blind bend at the left. It stopped and shut off in fromt of me, and who but Knickers, Hobbit, Jumar and Yukon, also Hulk jumped out. "How do you keep finding me me?", I greeted, they were delivering Hulk back to the trail after a night at a local hostel, and then they were headed to Damascus for Trail Days, urging me to join them. I wondered later where they had gotten the Utah plated Jeep type car and wondered also how much fun it would've been withthem as I continued to my next stop, lunch at Doc's Knob Shelter and on to Pearisburg. Pearis Mtn overlooks the town and beyond with good views to the east and north at Angel's Rest where I took the short blue blaze to the viewing rock on such a nice afternoon, with big white puffy clouds mixing above, before I steeply decended into town. The second surprise built slowly like an overloaded circuit heats up before failure. The trail off of the mountain crosses two or three small, residental roads, is on the road, and actually the path is between houses, which I followed to another road and back into a dense, local woods. I was reading the map of Pearisburg in the Companion slightly incorrectly, I didnt notice that North was oriented t the left, I assumed the top of th page, leading me to read the trail backwards. So when I crossed the New River Bridge, leaving the map, I thought I was entering it, heading toward P-burg. Now, about 18:00, thunder was rumbling in the early darker and I probly went 2m before flagging a car on a local street to find out what happened. Walking back to Rt460 I yelled aloud, "I AM NOT WALKING OVER THAT [New River] BRIDGE AGAIN!", and walked down '460 to a suitable spot and stuck out the ol' thumb in front of a trucking place. Within 15 minutes a guy leaving the place called me over and on I was on my way, dropped right at the Holiday Motor Lodge. "I usually drive folks goin' the other way", he said as we crossed the long river bridge where I saw Yo-Yo leaving town. Checked in, I went to Food Lion right across the street for chips and beer, cleaned up, then went back out, again right across the street, this time to a Pizza joint, for the biggest calzone I ever saw, the Meat Lover's Calzone, loaded with bacon, hame, beef and tons of cheese and a chef salad that was smothered with ham and cheese. I still looked skinny this morning(May 16).