morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2009-06-03
From: Davenport Gap Shelter

To: Roaring Fork Shelter
Miles today: 25.0
Weather: broken clouds

Rider on the Storm! Last night we listened to music in the shelter and it was a perfect end to the night. We woke up early and were all sad when we didn't see a bear that night. We all rolled into the Standing Bear Hiker Hostel, a shanty town of sorts with kitchens, computers, and other various huts across the property. Our priorities were pizza and showers, both were excellent. The rest of the day consisted of climbing to the top of Snowbird Mt., nothing like the snowbird in Utah. Also, a nice climb up Max Patch which is 392 acres. The day was a very easy and I didn't want to hurt my leg since it was feeling good all day. The entire day was spent running from a massive thunderstorm.   It followed us over Snowbird and then we out ran it. It feels good to be fast and smart enough to out run the weather. The summit of Max Patch was so nice. There is a USFS road less than a mile from the summit, I can't wait to go back to it after my hike. Tonight we are burning a candle in the shelter. It is nice to have some light. This shelter is a problem shelter for bears so hopefully, it will help keep them away. Tonight in the shelter: Dan from D.C.; Matt , Stacy and myself. Some of the groups favorite cheeses; chedder, provolone, motz and smoked gouda.
Date: 2009-06-04
From: Roaring Fork Shelter

To: Hot Springs, N.C.
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

I wanted to wake up early today but I knew we were already behind. It didn't seem like a good idea to try and push it today. We got moving around 8 and had two tough climbs ahead of us but still an easy day. The four of us hiked together all day and it was nice to walk and talk with other people.   We stopped in to Deer Park Shelter for a small break and that was a mistake. Right after we left the shelter the bottom let out and it began to pour. Within seconds we were soaked to the bone only 2 miles from town. Tonight we are staying at Elmer's place in Hot Springs. An old Victorian home that has the same look, feel, smell, and trinkets as Pops and Tutu's house in Paoli. It feels very comfortable here and the people here are great. Full on organic hiker breakfast in the morning. On my second day I found a small book and I ripped out a page, "I have a commonplace book for facts and another for poetry, but I find it difficult always to preserve the vague distinction which I had in mind, for the most interesting and beautiful facts are so much the more poetry and that is their success. They are translated from earth to heaven. I see that if my facts were sufficiently vital and significant- perhaps transmited into the substance of the human mind-I should need but one book of poetry to containg them all." THOREAU. As I sit here at this 100 year old table and chair tonight writing I glanced up to see Walden by Thoreau sitting right in front of me.
Date: 2009-06-05
From: Hot Springs, N.C.

To: Allen Gap
Miles today: 14.7
Weather: light rain

The breakfast this morning was amazing. Home raised eggs, fresh baked biscuits, homemade grits, and gravy. After breakfast, we hung out and said bye to Dan. He is taking a zero to wait for his friend to catch up. As we got started the rain started to come down. It made for a good climb up Lover's Leap but the rest of the day very cold and wet. Today we are only going 14 miles to meet up with my dad at Allen Gap. Today the hiking was pretty easy and really short. We covered the 15 miles in around 3 hours due to the rain and cold. Tonight we are staying at the Holiday Inn Express and the hot tub was amazing. I hope the rain holds off and we can get some nice weather for the mountains ahead.
Date: 2009-06-06
From: Allen Gap

To: Hogback Ridge Shelter
Miles today: 26.4
Weather: broken clouds

Waking up in the big comfy bed at the Holiday Inn Express was hard this morning. The hot tub and epson salt soak felt great for the both of us. A hot breakfast and we were back in my dad's truck and headed to the trail. Barb hiked the first 8 miles of the day with us. After we left my dad and Barb, we had a nice exposed ridge walk for a few miles. At one of our breaks we ran into Trail Magic, Mt. Dew, a coke, some apples, and some oranges. Drinking a soda walking down the trail felt good. We are both tired after today because we needed to make up the miles. Tomorrow we are going into Erwin to get some more food and kick up our feet. Tonight its just Stacy, Matt, and myself. Favorite candy bars, Milky Way, Kit-Kats, and Mounds.
Date: 2009-06-07
From: Hogback Ridge Shelter

To: Erwin, TN
Miles today: 27.0
Weather: broken clouds

I thought I was going to have to bring this old man back to life last night. He would snore so loud and about every half hour he would stop breathing for a few minutes. I didn't get any sleep. We left Matt sleeping in the shelter this morning when we left. He was beat from the previous day, we both hope he makes it into Erwin tonight. The hiking today wasn't to tough but very long. Mid-day we summitted Big Bald where this crazy man used to live until he was shot by the local blacksmith. After a nice lunch of ramen, nuts, and peanut butter, we spent the rest of the day decending into into the Nolichucky River. It was very windy and its hard to stay warm going downhill. The last 2 miles the view opened up and we looked at the river the rest of the way. Tonight we are staying with "Uncle Johny" in his yard. A free shuttle free into town yielded groceries for 2 more days and Mexican 3 enchillades, 2 orders of rice, and beans and 3 Mt. Dews--People say this is the toughest part of the South. I just don't see it yet. It might be tough at times but the thought of Katahdin keeps me pumping up the toughest climbs. The view of chasing Stacy through the woods get me through the rest. Confirmed bus swallowed so far: Stacy 8   Wes 4
Date: 2009-06-08
From: Erwin, TN

To: Erwin, TN
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

We woke up in the am and decided to take a zero. My leg felt good all day so I figured a day of rest and I should be healthy. The next three days pose to be the toughest of the trip, but we are ready for it. We did a work for stay at Uncle Johnny's so the two nights were free. You can't seem to beat a free zero. Most of the day was spent sitting, cleaning cabins, do washing sheets and towels, and of course eating. It actually felt good to do domestic chores instead of walk for a day. The high life of the day was the float trip. We rented some inter tubes and floated down the Nolichucky River for a few hours. Stacy didn't want to go but after I talked her into it and she went, she wouldn't stop talking about how much fun it was. We have not seen Matt for two days now and figured he would come into town today. Stacy and I both hope he didn't get off the trail. We had hopes to summit Katahdin with him at the end of August.
Date: 2009-06-09
From: Erwin, TN

To: Clyde Smith Shelter
Miles today: 25.2
Weather: overcast clouds

The zero yesterday felt great and our bodies felt good in the am. Stacy got a new pack today and cut a whole pound off her base weight. We stopped at the first shelter and watched 2 bunnies eat grass and mushrooms as we ate snickers and peanut butter. There were only two hard climbs but the day was still tough and long. I don't feel like writing much tonight, I am really tired for some reason and I'm going to bed at 7:30.
Date: 2009-06-10
From: Clyde Smith Shelter

To: Apple House Shelter
Miles today: 21.1

Goodbye Mountains...for now. We woke up early and headed to the base of Roan Mt. The climb was steep and long but not to difficult. After Roan, the rest of the day was spent walking over 4 massive balds covered in lush grass, wildflowers, and a few flowering rotadindrins. You could see the trail winding like a brown snake up and over ridges. We saw 2 deer today on the balds out in the open. The last part of the day we climbed Hump Mt. which had the best 360 view of the day. On the backside we ran into a group of longhorns. A few big bulls some cows and a small calf. Tonight we are at Apple House Shelter an old barn that they used to store explosives for mines. Our bodies are both tired and beat. The knees and feet hurt all the time now. But mentally we are still strong and read to get to Maine.
Date: 2009-06-11
From: Apple House Shelter

To: Kincora
Miles today: 24.8
Weather: scattered clouds

We stopped early yesterday because Stacy fell hard. She was wrapped up in a root system. Her face was mashed in the mud and her pack was holding her down. She looked like one of those people trying to fit in a little box. Today they are calling for heavy storms and they were right. It rained and poured all day with wind gusts around 30 mph. The trail opened up and became really flat. It gave us a chance to open up legs. we covered the 24 miles in around 6 hours. Both our bodies felt good today and we spent most of the day running. For dinner tonight-two double quarter pounders with an XL fry, a whole rotisserie chicken, a loaf of french bread, a bag of salad, and two cans of Ravaroli.   It is going to feel good to sleep in a dry bed today. We both can not wait to get to Virgina.
Date: 2009-06-12
From: Kincora

To: Kincora
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Three weeks!! We are right where we wanted to be right now going into Virginia. I wanted to be at 20 miles per day before we hit the flat so we are taking a zero to celebrate, and let Stacy's leg heal. She has a massive bruise on her leg and can't sleep on it. She says her only option is a big comfy bed. I spent most of the day sleeping and eating. I slept almost 6 hours today and ate a whole jar of peanut butter. This was a good hostel for Stacy. Last night there were 5 girls to 2 guys, which is usually 18 guys to one or two girls. She made friends with Jukebox and a girl named Tink from NY. Stacy spent most of the day talking and eating and it felt nice to have an empty hostel to ourselves. Tonight we are fixing a massive potluck dinner between the 5 of us. A couple we passed yesterday, Barfight and Jeemiah, who showed up at the hostel before dinner. Our plan is to eat a huge meal and get to bed early. We are ready to get to the flat states where we can really put our endurance and legs to the test. We have been doing very well through the mountains and roots and can't wait to really stretch our legs.
Date: 2009-06-13
From: Kincora

To: Iron Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 24.3
Weather: scattered clouds

It was hard getting out of bed this morning. Last night was a feast of pasta and watched Stacy finish off the largest plate of pasta I've ever seen her eat. Breakfast was early and we were off to Laurel Falls. The next "unnamed Mt." was a test and by the top I was ready to go home. The only thing that was going to save me was the rope swing I've heard -read about for years. We got to Watauga Lake and walked around to the swimming spot to find the tree in the water and the rope floating in the lake. We swam to make the best of it then moved on. There was no water all day and it was hot. We walked almost 9 miles from dry spring to dry spring. We finally summited the ridge line only to find 2 more empty springs. We ended up walking .6 mile off trail to find water. I drank a few liters and was still ready to go home. I carried 4liters to the shelter for dinner. on the menu, mashed potatoes. Thee we both sit int the shelter with the rain approaching when I realize how much I love, and will not get tired of mashed potatoes. It makes me proud to be a Foster because they were a staple in every meal, that I could eat every meal. I filled the bag of potatoes with water and held them on my chest to warm myself up a bit before we ate. It was now 7:10pm and I told Stacy that we needed to go 7 more miles tonight. It seemed like a good test to see if we were going to stay. We left with a few groans and pushed on to the next shelter. We covered the next 7 milers in 1hour and 30 minutes and made it into the shelter just in time for more mashed potatoes and some chicken. It's late and we are getting an early start tomorrow. I think crossing into VA will be a big boost in the morning.
Date: 2009-06-14
From: Iron Mountain Shelter

To: Damascus, VA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

I woke up around 5am and hiked .6 miles south to get some water. We were both dehydrated from yesterday and we needed lots of water. When I got back, Stacy was awake and we shared a triple mocha over pop-tarts. The day looked easy on paper but mentally we seem to be done. We left around 7am and surprisingly we both felt good and we covered 16 miles before 11am. Today felt different, it felt like we were supposed to be hiking the trail. Today was a zoo. We saw 8 deer before 9am along with 2 bear and tons of other little critters. We stopped in at Abingdon Shelter and things looked good. We ate lunch and left out when "pop".   My achellis popped a few times and then it felt funny.   I couldn't move my leg. Only 10 miles to town and I'm hurt. We took a good rest and Stacy rubbed my leg. After about 30 minutes, we were off but at a hobble. About an hour later Stacy rolled her ankle again. The last 10 miles took us almost 6 hours but we finally made it into Damascus in time for dinner and to meet up with old friends. In town tonight we saw Dan and Matt from DC. and Jukebox. We are staying at the Hiker Inn and we have the whole place to ourselves which is nice. In all today was good and was different-a lot better than yesterday. Crossing into VA was a huge boost and we are ready to pump out some miles in the next few days.
Date: 2009-06-15
From: Damascus, VA

To: Damascus,VA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

We took an unexpected zero today to think about what we are going to do. Stacy is tired of the rain and of being wet and cold all the time. You can only be so wet for so many days in a row untill you want a hot shower and some dry clothes. It rained all day and the streets wee flooded. Finally, the rain let up and we met back up with Dan and Matt from D.C. as well as Jukebox. We also met two kids from Ohio who are doing a trans America bike ride from Virginia to Oregon. We hit Fatty's Diner with all of them--where I enjoyed a 1-lb burger and a 1/2 pound burger. They have a 6 pound burger challenge but I don't see how it is possible to eat that much beef. We hung out at the "The Place" for a bit and then went to bed. We will see how we feel in the morning.
Date: 2009-06-16
From: Damascus,VA

To: Lost Mt. Shelter
Miles today: 0.0

I woke up about 5:30 to rain and sat there in bed till 8:30 and it did not stop. I got out of bed and put my clothes on and headed out the door and somehow Stacy followed. I walked to the gas station and had donuts and milk and then hiked out in the rain. Today we hiked the Creeper Trail out of town. The Creeper is an old Indian Highway also used by Daniel Boone when he explored the area. It became a railroad and then a rails to trails. In all we crossed 30 something train bridges finishing with a 352 ft. bridge. The sun came out and we pushed to the next shelter. It was a good choice to take the creeper. I had to get new shoes, my old ones wee trashed and I couldn't walk another mile with my old shoes. It was a nice chance to break in my shoes and for the both of us to get a break from the roots and mud.
Date: 2009-06-17
From: Lost Mt. Shelter

To: Hurricane Shelter
Miles today: 0.0

Yesterday we walked by an old man's house and he was sitting on the porch. As we passed he stood up and said, "Hey, it's the girl with the pink hair. I've been waiting to see you walk by." I think that made her trip a little better it seemed. This morning we almost messed up. Stacy reset her watch and we almost got up at 3:30 am thinking it was 6:30 am. I sat there for about an hour and wondered why it wasn't getting light at all. We figured out the right time and headed out at 7. This morning it was an assult on Mt. Rogers, the rain didn't let up and I reached the side trail to Mt. Rogers and Stacy went to the shelter. The hike to the summitt was easy and I bagged the highest point in VA. We then moved into the Grayson Highlands where the wild ponies are. We saw two herds and one mother with two newborn that could barely walk. It rained all day and didn't let up one bit. With all the rain, we were still in high spirits. We crossed 500 miles today, and plan to cross 532 tomorrow, the longest distance we have hiked together.
Date: 2009-06-18
From: Hurricane Shelter

To: Chatfield Shelter
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Today we were in the right place at the right time. We were running down to Trimpi Shelter when BANG! We were seperated about 25n ft. on the trail and we looked up to see a massive tree above the trail that was supported by another tree. The stump was creeking and cracking. I told Stacy to get out the camera and move back when all the sudden it come crashing down. It took down a dead tree with it and ripped all the branches off another tree. We were both just looking at each other seperated by the massive tree on the trail. We cleared the limbs away and headed for lunch. The afternoon was spent hiking to Pastnership Shelter. It has a propane shower and toilet. There is also a phone whee you can order pizza and Italian. Two giant pizza, pasta dishes, one calzone, one side salad, and 2 liters at the AT shelter. We are at 20 miles on the day as of 2pm. and we are going to eat and see if we want to hike more. Today we met a lady we met almost one year ago at Keimit. We met her on our first day last year. It was nice to run into a familiar face on the trail. After dinner, 22 people showed up to the shelter so packed up and hiked 7 miles to Chatfield. It was full but they made room and we squeezed 8 into a 6 person shelter. Tomorrow morning we will cross 534 miles and be in new territory on the thru-hike, the furtherest distance I've ever hiked in one span. Now we just need to get to 900 to break Stacy's record. Gear used and doused so far: one backpack, one pair of shoes, three pair of socks, two pair of insoles, and about 5 rolls of athletic tape.
Date: 2009-06-19
From: Chatfield Shelter

To: Knot Maul Shelter
Miles today: 18.4
Weather: light rain

If you went to hike the AT here is a test. Step 1-Get a nice pair of socks and get them wet in a muddy puddle and then wear them to work all day and then put them in a plastic bag for the night. Repeat step 1 for 120-150 days. We have been wet and walking in rain for days, but today it hasn't rained all day. It was cloudy all morning but still dry. We hiked into I-81 this morning and had breakfast at The Barn, then resupplied. Today Virgina got steep again and it felt more like Vermont, We crossed through tons of fields today littered with cows and one dead fawn. I've been clearing blow-overs this whole trip now. I don't have a saw so I just beat and break the small limbs to clear the path. I've been leaving the huge leftovers for the maintance but some are just so far out. Today was a record, I cleared 3 massive blow-overs and 4 small ones all while hiking 20 miles before dinner. Tonight for dinner, fish tacos, rice, tuna, taco mix, cheese, wrapped in a tortilla. We are taking an after dinner nap and deciding if we want to hike 9 more miles to the next shelter. Even though there was no rain all day it stilll could pour tonight. I woke up when everyone else arrived, it felt good to take a little nap.
Date: 2009-06-20
From: Knot Maul Shelter

To: VA615
Miles today: 23.9

Today we slept untill 10 and didn't hit the trail till 10:30. It felt tlike I was skipping school but it also just felt so good. The face of Death-Today I was near the top of Chesnut Ridge when the rain hit. I came out into a grassy bald only to be pounded by sideways rain. I kept moving looking for cover but there ws none. I lookedfor Stacy but she was still in the cover of the trees. I turned a bend only to see more ridge and rain. The rain was so cold and wids were whipping. I was only wearing rulnning shorts and a shirt. I began to shivverand started to jog uphill to get warm. about halfway I looked back for Stay and that's when I saw it-A massive black thunderhead about 5feet off the ground moving in quickly. I started to run for the treeline when the wind blew me around, causing me to get blown sideways and fall on my right hip. I looked up to see a giant fang from the cloud moving on top of me. It felt so weird to be in a black cloud, especially a thunderhead. My body started to tingle and I just laid there while it blew over. I quickly hopped up and limped to the lone tree on the bald. I crawled under it away from the wind and rain and checked out my hip, it wasn't to bad. I waited a few minutes for Stacy but no sign, I began to shivver again so I moved on. About a mile later I made it to the shelter which was an old cabin to find Dan, Father, and Son, as well as, Pony and her dog Henry-all getting out of the storm. Stacy showed up a few minutes later to hot soup and hot chocolate. After about an hour of intense rain and wind the skies opened up to clear blue and sun for the rest of the day. We continued on to the next shelter for dinner of fish tacos again. The gas station didn't have much of a selection, but they are still good. After dinner, we hiked 5 more miles to VAG15 where we set up aour tarp for the night. Right by our tent is a cooler left by a local Methodist Church. Inside, ice cold Gatorage and the weather report. You couldn't ask for much more at the end of the day.
Date: 2009-06-21
From: VA615

To: Pearisburg,VA
Miles today: 49.8
Weather: broken clouds

We woke up around 3:30am and had our minds set on a hotel and a hot shower after the storms yesterday. The terrain today was amazing and the sun was out all day. Virginia is hilly but the hills are flat and easy. Today we got trail magic of jugs of water which we downed because of the heat. We spent the whole day walking and running with very little breaks. It was nice to walk all day and not to run into any other thru hikers. One hiker has been following us for over a week now. It seems to make him mad that he is getting passed by a girl. What he doesn't realize is that if we have caught up to him then we are already ahead of him. It was starting to make Stacy mad that he was hiking our hike. It is ok to hike in groups and see the same people at camp/towns, but it gets old and no fun when people are trying to compete with us. It was Stacy's idea to pull a few big days and drop our group. It was hard but I think it will make the hike more enjoyable. Equinox sent me a new pack to try out on the AT for free. I'm picking it up tomorrow and I hope it works out. It should be fun hiking in a pack that no one else has out here.
Date: 2009-06-22
From: Pearsburg,VA

To: Zero Day
Miles today: 0.0

Stacy woke up around three a.m. to deposit everything in her body into the toilet. Our first illness and hopefully last illness on the trip. I spent the rest of the day taking care of her and doing other small chores. She has lost her appetite and that means no energy. I made her take in tons of liquids and she was craving applesauce. We want to try and hike out in the morning but we will have to see how she feels. In the roon next to us tonight is a guy who lives about fifteen minutes from us in Tampa.
Date: 2009-06-23
From: Zero Day

To: Roanoke, VA
Miles today: 0.0

We tryed to hike out this morning but about a mile out we had to turn back. Stacy was not feeling well still so we decided to take the day off. About mid day we met twin girls from Pearisburg who drove us around. By the end of the trip we were in the Roanoke, VA nearly one hour from Pearisburg. It felt like I was cheating going almost seventy miles per hour. I hadn't been in a car but over a mile or two hitching into towns. I almost got car sick a few times. It was a nice break from hiking for both Stacy and I.