morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2008-05-15
From: Pearisburg VA

To: Pearisburg
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Well, here's the latest: I'm going to Trail Days in Damascus after all! I've thought all along that I would keep hiking while Marsh and Tom took the weekend off for Trail Days, and I told everyone this. But here's what's happened - I've lost track of the folks I was planning to hike with because we are in a different motel than I anticipated, the shuttle options are not unfolding as I hoped and the weather is iffy. On the other side, I have transportation to and from Damascus, as well as lodging, and this is my chance to meet a lot of older women thruhikers and talk about how it is for us. It certainly is a big part of many people's thru hike experience - I guess it's going to be part of mine, too!So, what about lost mileage? This has been my main concern - that I can't afford, because of our week-late start, to take any but the most necessary zeros, to be able to possibly complete this in the time allowed. I am still bent on doing as much as physically possible, and hope that the two additional days of non-hiking will contribute to my stamina.Here in the Plaza motel this afternoon my job is to pack stuff into the ULA Catalyst pack which I had sent here from home, and see if the weight difference is matched by the comfort. It is at least 1 1/2 pounds lighter than the Mountainsmith Boundary, which has been very comfortable, but perhaps now, with less cold-weather gear, overkill. I also had the Salomon low trail runners sent, but I am not impressed with how the sole feels compared to my extremely well-worn Montrail Stratos boots. Hmmm. Might have the back-up pair of Stratos sent to the next drop. But I'll wait and see what the vendors are displaying this weekend before deciding.Also had the little 45f down quilt sent here, thinking to trade out the bigger sleeping bag and save some weight there, too. But is the weather warm enough yet? I'll talk about that with folks at the festival.And finally, had the Big Agnes non-insulated air mattress sent, which is lighter and thicker and packs smaller than the Thermarest Prolite 4. This I AM going with, hoping that thickness trumps warmth, at least most of the time!All that should satisfy the gearheads among you - and bore to tears all the others! Something for everyone, I hope, if you read long enough!Later this afternoon, Tom should arrive with a rental car, and we'll drive down to Damascus. Next report will be from Trail Days - stay tuned!END
Date: 2008-05-16
From: Pearisburg

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

Tom arrived last night with rental car around 5:30, having left his house in Maine early that morning. We loaded ourselves, packs and Aqua Maria and Tailgate, with their packs - a tight fit - into a Ford Focus sedan! Zoomed south to Damascus, about a 2 hour ride (which took us 10 days to walk). Got situated in our small apartment while Tom took the others down to Damascus itself. Such luxury! A tiny kitchen, real bathroom, and clean as a whistle! The prospect of having a quiet place to ourselves (this is an apartment over the barn of a private house way out in the country) when we weren't immersed in the festivities down town was so refreshing.Hikers get compulsive about checking the Weather Channel whenever there is a TV handy, so that's what we did. Cool and showery tomorrow, nice on Sat. It'll do! And to bed, on a real couch with a real pillow!This morning we were up and heading down to Trail Days after real coffee and an eggs and sausage breakfast which Marsh fixed. Found a good parking place and began the tour of the festivities. The town park, which is sort of long and narrow, was crammed full of vendors' tents and kiosks, like any special-interest fair. Food, crafts, information about hiking organizations and gear booths were already attracting customers. And then there were the hikers - every fifteen minutes or so we were either greeting or being greeted by hikers we knew, some from months back on the trail. And some who knew us through Trailjournals but were meeting us for the first time. It was really fun! I think it helped being twins, in that we were more easily recognized together. This unusually rich source of hiking gear invited us to consider what we might need in the next month or two, and I found myself actually taking notes on what was available. I decided not to buy things until I had time to think about it. We'd be back again tomorrow if anything called to me.
Date: 2008-05-17
From: Damascus VA

To: Damascus
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Oh my, yet another day off - and it actually IS off - no packing or shopping or other chores to do. Woke up early and we sat around drinking coffee and eating French toast which Marsh prepared. Got ourselves together and drove the 14 miles or so down to Damascus, early enough to find a good parking space again.Today was cool, clear and gorgeous, and many, many more people were thronging the town, the park and everywhere else. Many more hikers said hello, and we got caught up on who was where.Food scene was good - amazing pork barbecue sandwiches for lunch, followed by ice cream cones (which I often crave on the trail). Gear scene was also good, and I found a pair of Montrail Hardrocks - a low hiking shoe that many people hike the AT in - in my size for half price. Also a T-shirt and sun hat, which are beginning to be necessary. I've hiked in the same black stretch-nylon long sleeved shirt for the whole hike. Incredibly durable garment, but now it's getting to be short sleeve weather. Then at 2pm the parade came down the main street - like small town parades everywhere, it had firetrucks, the marching band and drill team, autos with dignitaries and Miss Trail Days waving slowly, and a bagpiper. But then came the hikers in costumes with water balloons and squirt guns, dancing, singing, doing formations with their friends, and getting doused by similarly armed onlookers. We were watching from the car, near the main intersection, and the water balloon activity was especially heavy just past where we were parked.It was a great day - fun to meet many friends of Uncle Tom's,our old hiker friends, journalists and journal readers. I was so aware of the value of a hobby: it has no intrinsic importance, but brings you into contact with lots of like-minded people. Very fun! My only regret is that the time was so short and so much was going on that I didn't get to have the kind of long talks with other women hikers that I would have liked. Back at the apartment now, it's 9pm and I can hardly keep my eyes open. So, to bed - tomorrow we all three go hiking!
Date: 2008-05-20
From: campsite mi. 652.3

To: Rocky Gap mi 658.8.5.
Miles today: 6.5

Today we actually hiked the 12-plus miles back to Pearisburg from the campsite on the old woods road. It was warmer by a little last night, and it rained some but did not thunder or lightning - whew! And it did not rain during the hike, either, fortunately.The hills around Pearisburg are formed in long, fairly regular lines, and the tops connect along a similar altitude. The AT goes along one of these series of mountains for over 14 miles. I wish I knew more geology, and how it came to be this way here.Virginia has a lot of variety each day, distinctly more than the previous three states. One day's hike can be farms, woods of several different types, high fields and meadows, and city streets. Today was like this. Mostly it was ridge top forest and meadow, and the meadows gave great vistas of farms in the valleys and distant mountains and dramatic cloud formations.Coming down into Pearisburg from the north, we walked into American industry with the increasing noise and sights of the huge celanese plant on the outskirts of town. People cluck a lot about the impact such a big, noisy plant makes, and yet everything we use each day comes from plants like this. The gizmo I'm typing on, the sheets in the bed I'm stretched out on, the watch on my arm - and on and on. We are, many of us, insulated from the sights and sounds of industry such that it comes as a shock to walk past a huge manufacturing plant.Lots to say about this set of observations, but it is 11pm and I am tired - we're leaving early in the morning to get back on the trail northbound from Rocky Gap. Most of the resupply figuring, shopping, sorting and packing is done, and this journal entry was the last thing on the list. Even though we reached town and had lunch and were checked in to the motel by 3, laundry and shopping and getting dinner seemed to gobble up the imagined time to relax! So, I guess it's time to do just that. Good night.
Date: 2008-05-21
From: Rocky Gap mi 658.8.5.

To: Sarver Hollow Shelter
Miles today: 9.4
Weather: broken clouds

Fantastic day! Back on the trail, northbound, feeling good. Left Pearisburg after a wonderful breakfast at Friends & Family restaurant, and Tom left us at the trailhead at 10am.Clear, cool, sunny, breezy - ahhh! We took off up the trail after goodbyes with Tom, who was a great trail companion for these last few days. He also knew his way around Trail Days, which was very helpful to us in maximizing our time there. Today was again quintessential Virginia: a great variety of scenes to delight the eye. We went through unbelievably scenic fields, huge hillside fields, rolling into the distance, with occasional farmhouse and barns. Donkeys in one pasture, beef steer in another, none paying any attention to us. In the woods we walked along the ridges again - I'm still amazed by the crinkled ridges, so regular in their folds, and so (relatively speaking) smooth on the tops. Along the ridge from Sinking Creek are many many piles of stones, obviously hand stacked, scattered all over the ridge top for it seemed a couple of miles. Who did that, and why, and when?A deer leapt away and then turned to stare as we passed. Flame azaleas glowed in the scrubby woods, looking at first glance like autumn leaves in New England.Also we are starting to see rock formations of stacked square slabs, varying thicknesses, that remind me of the pictures of McAfee's Knob, which is a couple of days away. The geological features every day are just amazing, and vary a great deal from one place to another. We came 10 miles to the turnoff for Sarver Hollow shelter, and although we had thought to try for a campsite 5 miles further, we were both tired, it was 4:30-ish, and decided to call it a day and rest up. Can take a longer day tomorrow instead.This shelter is new and extremely well designed - front deck, roofed, with picnic table, and a deep shelter area with skylights and lots of hooks and shelves for stuff. The only drawback is the trail down - about a 15 minute walk, variously stated as .25, .3 and .4 miles, depending on which guidebook you read. This probably deters 90% of hikers, hence the shelter is in very good condition...We are the only ones here so far, and the early evening is just lovely. A good eastern view from the front of the shelter means good sun in the morning. Oh, we hear voices now, so others are on their way down. Guess I'll close this and be social!
Date: 2008-05-22
From: Sarver Hollow Shelter

To: Pickle Branch Shelter
Miles today: 16.1
Weather: few clouds

More great weather and the famous Virginia Variety continues to unfold. This morning we tackled the 6 miles we didn't do yesterday, and we were very glad we waited til today. The trail went over the ridges, as it had been, but these ridges were composed of huge slanted rocks sticking up, and the trail went across the slanted part a lot! I was glad for good traction on the new trail shoes' soles. It was slow going - you just can't accurately estimate speed until you know the footing of a particular section. This one was very rugged and slow. But after Niday shelter where we stopped to sign in, the trail became as good as it gets - well switchbacked, level, excellent footing, even up 1500' steeps. The trail followed exceptionally scenic ridge tops, with stunted pines giving a dramatic look to it all. The Audie Murphy memorial was up at the top - maybe accounting for the good trail?The air was so clear and the sky so blue, colors were extremely bright. Saw red columbine and fire pinks again, and then the first mountain laurel blossom - light pink, small, cup-shaped. And then later, a few totally blossomed rhododendrons off the edge of a steep ridge. These gorgeous colors are just not characteristic of northern New England woods, so they surprise and delight us every time we come upon them.To capture a whole day on the trail would take hours of film - there is so much that you see, notice, think about, smell, enjoy - but to write a simple entry it gets reduced to a few sentences. Not sure how to get around this, but I guess that's part of the art of journaling, figuring out what to put in and what to leave out.As for the birds, some new kind of owl just hooted near by - Marsh thinks a gray owl. Definitely not barred or great horned. A little bit of a laughing quality to it. And the peewees are out, calling their names. Lots of towhees, and tck-birrr again today, and many others. Oh, and the first whippoorwill practically scared us all out of our skins last night - it started calling RIGHT next to the shelter, and they are VERY loud. Soon it moved further away, though - maybe someone threw something at it, I was already in bed and didn't see.This campsite is especially pretty - it's on the way to the shelter, which has no tent sites near it, but this very long access path has a number of good places to tent. Piney, level, some open spots where good light comes in. The path is near so we can see who comes in.Long day today, it's almost dark and I'm ready for bed!
Date: 2008-05-23
From: Pickle Branch Shelter

To: Catawba VA/VA 311
Miles today: 12.6

Quite the day! It started with the threat of rain, which was a particularly unwelcome thought since we had to go over the notorious "Dragon's Tooth", difficult in the best weather. But you have to do something with those thoughts - so Marsh pulled out her tiny fm radio and I puttered around doing the morning chores, waiting for the weather report. Ah-ha! Partly cloudy but little chance of rain! So, the worries evaporated (more or less) and we trotted off to conquer the ridges and dragons.Lots and lots of fairly rocky ridge walking at first, which slowed us down considerably. The tooth itself is a large rock formation off the actual AT, so we passed on that, saving our strength for the precipitous descent. It lived up to its name for a short while - tilted slabs of rock, long drop-offs where you had to lower yourself backwards or slide on your butt to reach a tiny foothold - that sort of thing. But all good things come to an end and so did this. I just had to keep telling myself "people DO this"...oh, and it did not rain, despite sprinkles here and there.The afternoon took us through some more hilly farms and fields, always beautiful, and then up onto the ridges again. Sun came out for good, and views were great.One particular hill was covered with blooming rhododendrons. The first of this effect - just incredible. Up til today there were only isolated bushes in bloom. These shrubs grow in very rocky soil, and were up on the top of a rocky ridge, blooming alongside the rocks. The effect of the pinks and magentas against the steel gray and brown of the rocks was entrancing. There was also the tunnel effect, lower down, where the trail wound through archways of them.Our incentive and goal today was to reach Catawba, and the Home Place restaurant - and I am writing this from their broad, sloping front lawn. lawn. We got to the road by 4pm, and, having learned from the hitching failure in Bland, we started walking the mile down the road. Arrived at the restaurant which is a lovely old early 1900's farmhouse with gorgeous grounds and miles of nice wood fencing. Hard to believe they would welcome hikers, but they did - soon we were seated and being served a huge dinner with roast beef and fried chicken and bowls of sides - and it was delicious. Our waitress, MaryBeth, asked good questions about our hike - thanks! When you're away from home so long these pleasant encounters with friendly people mean a lot. Apparently they will allow hikers to tent on the lawns after they finish serving at 8, and some of us are sprawled on the grass awaiting this magic moment.Another cool thing happened today - a hiker came up the trail toward us, saying V8? Auntie Mame? It turns out she is Heather, hiking south with family, from Harper's Ferry to Georgia, and she had been reading our journals. Put a spring in our step, when we really needed it!Goodnight from lovely Catawba, Virginia.
Date: 2008-05-24
From: Catawba VA/VA 311

To: Lambert Meadow Campsite
Miles today: 10.7
Weather: scattered clouds

Good thing the Virginia AT goes on and on - yet another incredible day. But first, where we left off...Got the tents set up on the lawn of the Home Place, hopped in, zipped up, and it started to rain, and kept up gently for several hours. Slept well on the Big Agnes air mat - was also warm enough last night, which helps with sleep. The gear I have now works fine down to about 50f, but there will be some nights lower than that. What price less weight?Awoke to the most beautiful sunrise I've seen on the trail, streaming into my tent from over the distant hillside. New birds chirping, since we were on a farm, and the habitat is different than the usual woodland.We packed up, very grateful for blue skies, and walked down to the general store for breakfast biscuits. Started walking up the road to the trail and a pickup with 2 hikers in the back pulled over and offered a ride! YES!Thanks to Sonny Terry for this welcome assistance.McAfee Knob was coming right up - a few miles of very well-graded trail, and there it was, Knob of AT legend, with more photos than any other AT landmark. We hustled to get our photos, since others were equally excited to do the same. Stupendous views of the mountains, ridges and valleys, sparkling in the sun, green with spring, awesome.Then, several more miles of ridge walking and a few serious ups, and there was Tinker Cliffs, another famous landmark. I didn't know if this would involve hair-raising climbs, and it did not. Flat strolling along wooded edges with great views (again), also stunning in the clear air. Had the pleasure of encountering Stumpknocker several times during the day, and a party of 4 hikers from the Old Dominion ATC in Richmond out for the weekend. Fun talking with them all.Now we are set up at a lovely streamside campsite in greening woods, sun filtering down, the section hikers on one side of us and a growing group of familiar thru hikers on the other. My feet are tired today, so I was glad for a short-ish day. There was a lot of climbing and rockiness in yesterday's miles, along with the extra mile or so of road walking.Tomorrow we go to Daleville (10 miles or so), stay in a motel, clean up, figure out the next leg, buy and pack up the food, and so forth. Not expecting a zero, but to head out the next day. Unfortunately tomorrow is Sunday and the outfitter is closed - but they are open Monday, despite the holiday, so we can visit on our way out of town. Perhaps they can mail our bounce boxes for us - we'll see.And, we passed 700 miles today!
Date: 2008-05-25
From: Lambert Meadow Campsite

To: Daleville/US 220
Miles today: 9.1
Weather: clear sky

Everyone was up early, bound for a town stop - showers, restaurant food, good bed - and we were on the trail by 7:45 as well! Great weather again, although somewhat warmer and more humid, you could feel the edge of summer approaching.Up onto the ridge of Tinker Mt., I think, with super views all the way, mostly to the north (the trail heads east here). We saw more day hikers since it was Sunday and this area has Tinker Cliffs and McAfee Knob to attract them. I was super conscious of being dirty and stinky, with fresh-smelling day hikers around. Usually it's just long distance hikers and everyone is just as grubby.Sandstone formations today, up on the ridge tops, in the woods. Looking very much like the ocean-bottom they once were. It kept reminding me of various coastal paths I've walked at home, and I kept expecting to see ocean over the edge - alas, not! Little bushes, pines, oaks, and even fine white sand in the path in places.Finally the trail brought us to the edge of civilization - the highway interchange in Daleville. We were delighted that the Howard Johnson Motor Lodge actually was right there - sometimes "near trail" is a reach...Checked in, along with many other hikers, and walked up to our rooms to find extremely nice accommodations. The hiker rooms were along the back side which looks out on hills and fields, and has minimal highway noise. Fridge, microwave, coffeemaker, and breakfast included in the hiker rate of $55/double.It was 8 days since the last zero, and we are both fighting off head colds, and it didn't take much to decide to stay another night and get good rest. This is a great relief to me, although at the same time I feel the clock ticking...but the body only does so much. Several of us got cleaned up and went across the street to the Mexican restaurant for a very good, leisurely meal. It feels so good to sit in a chair to eat! Looks like finishing laundry and early to bed for me.
Date: 2008-05-26
From: Daleville/US 220

To: Daleville 
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Aaahhh! A long night's sleep in a comfy bed went a long way toward improving my energy level. I was so tired yesterday afternoon that it was impossible to imagine hiking ANYwhere!Daleville is a good stop, and this motel is great. We ate breakfast, then caught up on internet tasks (computer for guests, in the lobby) before heading out to grocery shop. The outfitter is next to the big Kroger's, and so we were rolling in resources, it seemed!The planning activities that seemed so daunting yesterday were simple and a pleasure today: examining the possible resupply points, deciding on likely miles-per-day, making reservations in Waynesboro (as incentive to keep up the pace), and so forth. We went into the coffeeshop near the outfitters and got a huge espresso shake, which tasted delicious and might have had something to do with my spirited approach to tasks this afternoon! It was such a luxury to sit in the coffeeshop, chat with Sunbeam and other hikers, and not feel rushed.Tonight we will eat in, with food we bought earlier, and relax. I've finished unpacking, sorting and packing for travel the groceries for the next 5 days. I've emptied out the bounce box, packed the items needed, and repacked it to be sent to Waynesboro tomorrow morning on our way out. (The UPS store is also conveniently located near the outfitter).It has been like summer today, warm and humid, hazy blue skies until just a little while ago, and now it looks like thunder storms coming. Back on the trail in the morning, headed into the Blue Ridge mountains.