morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2004-03-07
From: Powell Gap

To: Pinefield Hut
Miles today: 5.4
Weather: clear sky

On the Trail2:45 PM - After a leisurely breakfast at Mike's, we headed off in two cars to Skyline Drive, near Harrisonburg, VA. We dropped me and the packs at Powell Gap, with Mike and his daughter Emillee, while son Ben and Ken drove ahead to leave Ken's car at Loft Mountain campground 12 miles down the Trail.After photos all around, Ken and I started hiking south from Powell Gap at 10:40. (Those of you to whom I sent a schedule spreadsheet, set the Start Milepost parameter to 886.2)We reached our planned destination for the night, Pinefield Hut before 2, and are relaxing and trying to decide if we should go on, since both of us are feeling pretty good. But, I don't want to overdo it right out of the gate, so will probably stay here the night.Two NoBo section hikers got here a few minutes after we did, but I don't know their names yet.6:30 PM - We did decide to stay at Pinefield hut. Ken and the two section hikers, Bubbalooga and Home Skillet are staying in the hut, but I opted to stay in my tent. That may have been a bad decision since it just started to rain, and it is blowing quite hard, despite the fact that today's weather was perfect for hiking, completely clear and in the sixties. Nevertheless, I am now in my tent looking forward to having nothing to do in the next 11 hours but sleep.Goodnight for now. See you on down the Trail.
Date: 2004-03-08
From: Pinefield Hut

To: Dundo Group Campground
Miles today: 10.9

Day 2Chilly8:00 AM - Had quite a storm last night. Fell asleep to the sound of rain and gusts of wind. Slept soundly for 5 hours and when I went out for a bathroom break, there was a dusting of snow on the ground, and the full moon was beginning to peek out.The rest of the night was spent dealing with the gathering cold, and I slept very little.Woke up at 6, packed up and went down to the hut to have breakfast. The others were still asleep, so I looked over the map and handbook at what is ahead. Ken just got up, but the other two are not even stirring.Alone6:00 PM - Started walking about 8:40. Today was considerably cooler than yesterday, with a gusting wind all day long. Ken and I walked together for about 6 miles to where he had parked his car. After a quick snack together, he left to catch his plane from BWI. As he was leaving I thought 'Now I'm alone. I hope things keep going well.' Almost as if the universe were responding to my thought (I can hear a good friend of mine saying "You got it, Shorb!".), it started to snow,even though the sun was shining and the air felt warm. But soon it clouded over and the air grew cool, and a very light snow continued for the rest of the day, but none stuck. In any case, I was glad tha Ken could come with me for the better part of two days, and miss being with him.I had intended to walk 8 or 9 miles, but didn't find a suitable campsite in that area. So I proceeded to this campground, though it is closed.Having gone farther than intended, I am noticing some unexpected aches and pains. The one at the back of each hand really surprised me, and somehow seems connected with my gloves.It's finally beginning to sink in that I have really retired, and am out here on the AT.See you on down the trail!
Date: 2004-03-09
From: Dundo Group Campground

To: Camping .6 mi Past Turk Mt Trail
Miles today: 11.7

Moving AlongSnowChilly again last night. The moon came out for most of the night, but clouded over at dawn. Got an early start, and almost immediately a fine snow started to fall. By the time I stopped in for breakfast at Blackrock Hut an hour later, my pack was covered by 1/4 inch of snow.At Blackrock Hut I met 3 young men from UNC Charlotte who were doing the AT northbound in Shenandoah NP for spring break.By the time we had left the hut the snow had stopped and the sun was coming out. It stayed sunny until an hour before I stopped for the day, and it is snowing again.I'm glad I started in SNP. The Trail is smooth and the slopes are gentle. It gives me a chance to work myself up to good hiking shape before hitting rougher terrain. However, I am doing higher mileage than I had intended to this early, so I need to be conscious of not overdoing it. Tomorrow I expect to finish the SNP and reach Waynesboro. I will take my first zero day there, and rest up. I'm happy that there are no notable physical problems, except for the strange pain on the backs of my hands, mentioned earlier.I have met only 7 people on the Trail so far, five of them in the huts. So I am certainly getting the solitude I was looking for. But it's not all it's cracked up to be. So far, at least, I am pre-occupied with the mechanics of walking the Trail, and have not engaged in much introspection.Two milestones today: 1) Passed the 1% mark on the Trail, 2) Spent two successive overnights on a hike for the first time ever.Tomorrow - Town food!
Date: 2004-03-10
From: Camping .6 mi Past Turk Mt Trail

To: Rockfish Gap (Waynesboro Quality Inn)
Miles today: 10.6
Weather: overcast clouds

WaynesboroMore SnowWoke up with 2" of snow on my tent, so I have had snow on all four days of my hike so far. The snow was on the ground all day in shady areas and north or west facing slopes almost until I reached Waynesboro. It wasn't deep enough to impede walking, but since the Trail has become rockier the snow made it slippery, and I had to watch my step all day. As I approached Waynesboro the mountains became lower and I found I had left the vistas behind (and I hadn't taken as many pictures as I would have liked). One scene that was unexpected was a mountaintop that I would call a 'microwave farm'. There must have been over 20 communication antennas spread over 1 mile of the Trail, some quite massive.Just before reaching Rockfish Gap I met my first hiker out on the Trail (as already reported I have met 5 in shelters). He was another student on Spring break, and he was meeting his father a couple of days north on the Trail, and then they were going to hike together for a couple more days. I noticed that he was wearing jeans, and the hiker expression 'cotton kills' came to mind, since when cotton gets wet it loses all insulating power and becomes an efficient cooler. Because hypothermia is the hiker's greatest danger, most hikers eschew cotton almost completely. But, as a 4th-day thruhiker, I hardly felt competent to be giving advice.I reached Rockfish Gap in the early afternoon, and was faced with the task of getting into Waynesboro nearly 5 miles away. It turns out that this town (which calls itself the 'friendliest town on the Trail') has a shuttle system for AT hikers. This consists of a list of nearly 20 residents who have volunteered to get AT hikers in, out and around town. The Waynesboro information office not 200 yards from the trailhead has a list of these volunteers, and a pay phone, so within an hour of when I left the woods I was registering here at the Quality Inn, for two night's stay and a zero day. The shuttle volunteer, Ann, said she was not a hiker, but has enjoyed meeting the people she has given rides to.As soon as I got to town I did most of the normal things done by thruhikers in town - eat, PO, laundry, shower, InterNet, eat, and sleep. I was disappointed that my first AYCE (All You Can Eat) experience was thwarted since it closed while I was checking my e-mail (amazing how, like other appetites, the craving for e-mail does not abate on the Trail).During my zero day, I will resupply at the outfitters and grocery store, use my allotted one hour online, visit the AYCE, start my taxes (sic), and take naps.See you on down the Trail.------------------------------Have you ever seen a rock scrapethe sky? www.pocketmail.com
Date: 2004-03-11
From: Rockfish Gap (Waynesboro Quality Inn)

To: Rockfish Gap (Waynesboro Quality Inn)
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Zero Day4PM - Woke up at 6:30, unusually late for me. Appropriate for what is scheduled as a day of rest.After laying out and sorting the contents of my bounce box, I thought of breakfast. I wanted to go to Weasie's, a famous AYCE pancake house, but because of a death in the staff, it is closed until tomorrow. The two other breakfast places in town are at the exact opposite ends of town. I chose one and set out. After a mile walk I realized it was farther than I wanted to go, so settled for Hardee's, a bit disappointed that a national chain won out over local color. Tomorrow it's Weasie's for sure!After breakfast I organized my bounce box and planned the next leg of my walk, 132 miles to Daleville. I hope to average a bit over 11 mi/day, but want to be careful not to overdo the mileage. With two tentative grocery stops decided, I set off once again, to the outfitters and grocery store.The outfitter, Rockfish Gap Outfitters, is known as one of the best outfitters along the AT. Since it is a ways out of town, I hitch hiked there, my first time since college. I got a ride almost immediately, and had a nice chat with the young man who picked me up. He knew a lot about the trail I will be on for the next few days, so the chat was very helpful to me.The outfitter itself lived up to its reputation. The smell of new outdoor goods as I walked in the door made me feel right at home. The person who helped me, Rich, was helpful, knowledgeable, and above all patient, a quality I don't encounter in sales persons much these days (I had the impression that the rest of the staff shared his qualities). I got all I came for, and more, and enjoyed myself doing it. If I were the type of person who is into shopping, I'm sure I could have enjoyed a couple more hours there.The Kroger's supermarket was nothing special, except for its friendliness. In fact, Waynesboro is certainly living up to its reputation as the friendliest town on the Trail. In fact, the only incident that was not completely positive was that one person seemed a bit irked when I didn't match his 'Hello!' as he unexpectedly greeted me when we passed in the dark last night.10PM - Finally got my AYCE tonight, at a Chinese restaurant, not the steakhouse as that would have added lots to the 6+ miles I have walked on my zero day. At least I got lots of calories. After stretching out my hour on the Net, and calling a sick friend, I packed up my bounce box and most of my pack. It's amazing how both of them have gained weight while in town (not to mention myself, I'm sure).Now, it's off to my last shower for 12 days (a first since the 'bath wars' with my parents in early grade school, phhewww!), and then to bed to dream of Weasie's, and maybe even of the squirrels I might meet on the way to Katahdin.See you on down the Trail!------------------------------Have you ever said g'day underwater?www.pocketmail.com
Date: 2004-03-13
From: Paul C Wolfe Shelter

To: .1 mi Past Blue Ridge Parkway milepost 13.1
Miles today: 13.9

Humpback Mtn11:30AM - On top of Humpback MtnIt did in fact go below freezing last night, but barely. My first hint was when I decided I needed to put on gloves after my midnight break. But I didn't need any of the other extra layers I had in reserve. My second clue was the ice crystals in my Camelback valve, but not enough to stop the flow of water altogether (thank goodness).But the most dramatic clue about the overnight temperature was the 'crunchy mud' under my feet all the way up the mountain. 'Crunchy mud' is a phenomenon of late fall and early spring, when the soil contains lots of liquid water but the air goes below freezing. As the water freezes it expands pushing up vertical ice crystals. (I mentioned these before in the fall, probably using a different name (One thing I intend to lose on this hike is the 'consistency of foolish minds'.).) If the water is close to the surface, the result is a fantastic palisades-like ice formation, up to 6" high. If the wter is deeper down, it lifts up the material above it, leaving a spongy ice formation below it. This morning I had 6 mile uphill hike on a 'pebble carpet' created by the crunchy mud.(At this point my lunch break was interrupted by a boy scout troop from Richmond hiking from Dripping Rocks to Rockfish Gap in prep for a 50 mile AT hike later this spring. Had a good chat with the leader and one of the senior scouts.)6:45PM - Campsite near BRPI got a trail name today. It's 'The Wandering Ponderer', or just 'Ponderer' for short. See the TrailName section of this journal for more details.Most of the day was spent going up and then down Humpback Mtn, the highest mountain so far on my hike. Tomorrow will be spent going up and down Three Ridges, which is even higher. And the day after that will be The Priest, still higher.Today I met many people on the trail. It took me a little while to figure out that it's because today is Saturday. The boy scout troop just about doubled the number of people I had met, which stood at ten until then. I was glad to see they were much better prepared than I was when I went hiking as a scout.Then I met a young couple with a babe in arms. Then two groups of trail maintainers from the Old Dominium Appalachian Trail Club, one of whom was insrumental in me getting my trail name. Finally there was a couple at a crossing of the Blue Ridge Parkway who were just sitting in a parked car.I stopped to talk each time, which in addition to today's mileage (highest so far) made today my longest day on the trail, over 10 hours. But everything seems to be working fine, so I'm planning on another day of about 12 miles again tomorrow.Now, it's time to turn out the light. Goodnight.See you on down the Trail!------------------------------Have you ever said g'day underwater?www.pocketmail.com
Date: 2004-03-14
From: .1 mi Past Blue Ridge Parkway milepost 13.1

To: Tye River
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: clear sky

Three Ridges4PM - Campsite on Tye RiverSpent the whole day going over Three Ridges, with the highest point just shy of 4000'. Got to this campsite just after 3, feeling my tiredest on this hike (despite having taken 2 hrs for lunch). So I set up my tent to lie down some, which I am now going to do.6PM - Have rested and eaten, and am feeling better. During dinner a thruhiker, Gnome 01, stopped by. He was driving by the trailhead reminiscing, saw my tent and came over to say hello. He had lots of pointers, and in particular thought that my tiredness might be because my hiker calorie needs are starting to kick in, and I need to eat more. I did add a little more to the menu tonight.Besides Gnome, I met 4 other people today, three of them thrice.After camping in a field last night, I broke camp at dawn and headed for Maupin Field Shelter for breakfast, a couple of miles down the Trail. As I got there, two friends along with one's 11 year old son were just getting up. They were boy scout leaders preparing for a hike later in the spring, and the boy came along because he likes to hike. We chatted over breakfast and I took off as they were preparing to leave. After a tough hike up and down Three Ridges (essentally a mountain with a couple of side peaks), I stopped at Harpers Creek Shelter for lunch. Since I had lots of time and not far to go, I decided to take a long time at the shelter, rather than come on to this campsite, since the shelter was sure to be more comfortable (it was). My stay there stretched into nearly two hours, a lot of which was spent soaking up the sun (after a VERY cold morning hike). Shortly before I left, the two leaders and the son pulled in for a snack break. (By the way, all the shelters I have stopped at before today had two levels, but both today had just one, typical of shelters whose pictures I have seen on trailjournals.com.)After deciding on a location for my tent I went to explore the trail I wiil take in he morning. The mountain I will climb tomorrow looks truly awesome. There, where the AT crosses a state highway, was the same trio again, loading their car to go home.Since tomorrow is Monday, perhaps I won't be seeing so many people the next few days.The place where I am camping has the lowest elevation I have been at so far on the Trail, less than 1000'. Many bushes have their leaves, and I even saw one daffodil in bloom. There are mosquitos as well.See you on down the Trail!------------------------------Have you ever seen a rock scrapethe sky? www.pocketmail.com
Date: 2004-03-15
From: Tye River

To: Seely/Woodworth Shelter
Miles today: 11.7
Weather: clear sky

The Priest11:30AM - The Priest Mtn ShelterStarted the day with that awesome mountain, The Priest, hovering over me. I was a bit daunted by the prospect of an elevation change of over 3000' in just over 4 miles. I don't think any of my practice hikes in the White Mountains had that much elevation gain, and this climb came close to my standard for steep, 1000' per mile.After all that anticipation, the hike itself wasn't that bad. Just put one foot in front of the other, don't rush, and most of all be in the moment and don't think too much about getting to the top (you get there just as fast whether you worry about how long it will take or not). I must admit that I was tired.Even though the mountain was not as hard as I had expected, it did teach me a lesson about living in the moment. Shorty after I had started up the mountain, I was deep in thought about a relationship problem that was bothering me (even while realizing that I had created the problem myself), and trying to get rid of the earworm I associate with the problem. Suddenly I became aware that the trail was not as clear as it usually is. I looked around for a white blaze and didn't see any. But from the tracks in the dirt I could see many other people had passed this way. So I assumed that I was just in one of those stretches where the blazes are far apart, so I just kept going. However, the Trail kept getting less distinct, so I finally retraced my steps until I saw a white blaze going the other way. On turning around I saw a double blaze marking a creek crossing I was expecting (A double blaze marks something unusual on th trail, like a sharp turn or a side trail). All in all, my worrying about an issue that was far removed from the Trail cost me 45 minutes, that I could have put to better use (like resting longer when I got to the top).Here with me at lunch at the shelter are two Johns Hopkins students, Alfred and George, hiking from Buena Vista to Waynesboro on spring break.6PM - Seely/Woodworth ShelterI wore shorts today for the first time on the hike (my pants are convertible, so to change to shorts I just need to take 5 minutes to zip off the pant legs). It was clear all day, and just windy in a few places. But as I approached this shelter it began to get cold, since this is by far the highest place I have stayed. I am well prepared with all of my layers handy. And since shelters are colder than tents, I have even put my tent fly over my sleeping bag for extra warmth.Tomorrow I am planning to go to Buena Vista to resupply. Since that will mean a 14 mile day, my longest, I will probably stay in town. That plan sounds even better because last night Gnome told me it would rain tomorrow, and staying in town will save me the trouble of making camp in the rain. So, it's time to rest up for a big day tomorrow.See you on down the Trail------------------------------Have you ever tried to outjump akangaroo? www.pocketmail.com
Date: 2004-03-18
From: Punch Bowl Shelter

To: Matts Creek Shelter
Miles today: 12.7
Weather: broken clouds

Ottie12:30PM - John's Hollow ShelterSpent the first half of the morning climbing Bluff Mtn. At the top is the Ottie Cline Powell Memorial. The memorial marks the spot where the body of 5 yr old Ottie was found in April 1891, 7 mi from where he wandered away from school the previous November. I was impressed with how many things for a child had been left on and around the memorial.It has been more than 2 days since I have met anyone on the Trail (Scamp and Greylock in the storm on Tar Jacket Ridge). I have been really enjoying the extended solitude (I guess I am as much of a misanthrope as you, huh, Bill T?), and have gotten in my share of 'pondering' during that time. In Buena Vista I had planned to resupply for 5 days, then go in to Buchanan for a short term supply to get me to Daleville. But, I probably brought a 6 day supply with me. I was checking the Handbook today, and found that where I am staying tonight is only 54.5 mi from Daleville, and 53 from Troutville (Daleville's evil twin :-). So I think I am going to try for Daleville in just 4 days, rather than the 5 I had planned, and use Buchanan as a backup if needed. I will need to average nearly 14 mi per day, but think that is within my capacity now, especially since the last day I will be walking with almost no food, and will be headed for a motel room, rather than a campsite.Now, it's time to leave this sunny spot, and head down the Trail.4:30PM - Matts Creek ShelterCrossed over the James River about 2 mi before getting here. The James is VA's biggest river, and where it crosses the AT is the lowest elevation I have on the Trail so far (735').The river is dammed just below the Trail crossing it, so is quite wide there. The crossing is an old railroad bridge converted to a pedestrian bridge. It is named the James River Foot Bridge in memory of William Foot, a member of the Natural Bridge Appalachian Trail Club who was instrumental in getting it converted.This shelter is not much higher than the James, so the temperature is quite mild. One ominous sign when I entered the shelter was a half dozen or so insect repellant candles. I then realized that I wasn't packing my Deet. Probably a casualty of my move. It will be on my list the next time I go to the outfitters. Tomorrow I go back up to near 4000', so won't need it for a while.Now, it's time to get to dinner and other evening chores.See you on down the Trail
Date: 2004-03-19
From: Matts Creek Shelter

To: Thunder Hill Shelter
Miles today: 12.4
Weather: broken clouds

Up, Up High6PM - Thunder Hill ShelterLast night's sleep was the best yet on the Trail. Warm enough so I didn't need to worry about being cold, but not warm enough for mosquitos.Around midnight there was a bit of a thunder storm. I didn't take my usual break until nearly 3. By that time it was clear again. This time I remembered to take my glasses and was treated to a magnificent view of the Big Dipper.Today's hike was lots of ups and downs, but mostly UP as I climbed from about 850' to nearly 4000'. This is the highest I have stayed, so I have been concerned about staying warm tonight. However, even though my tent needs stakes in the ground to keep it up, I came up with a way to use the stakes as pitons in the shelter floor. So now, I am in my sleeping bag (with a hot water bottle at my feet) in my tent in the shelter, feeling quite toasty (the inside of the tent is typically 15 or 20 deg warmer than outside). I'm sure I will get cold tonight, but don't expect to be too uncomfortable.Today I finally met someone else on the Trail after over three days. Two women and one man of about my age group, from Big Island, VA, just down the James River from where I stayed last night, were walking from the Blue Ridge Parkway near where I am right now, downhill to the James. After a 5 minute chat, as we parted one of the gave me an apple - Trail Magic that was very much appreciated at lunchtime.In addition to the three hikers, I also flushed a wild turkey and about a half dozen grouse. All of these birds make a great deal of noise with their wings as they take off, which really gets the heart pumping.Tomorrow, after climbing another 300', will be mostly downhill. That is fortunate since I would like to walk about 14 mi tomorrow.See you on down the Trail