morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2013-04-26
From: Jenny Knob Shelter

To: Wood's Hole Hostel
Miles today: 21.4

Another lovely day for hiking. At the shelter last night we'd all talked about Woods Hole Hostel, which is located .5 miles off the trail at mile 620 on the AT. There's wonderful talk about this place, so most of us made plans to head there today. This meant a 21+ mile day, so I was on the trail by 7:15.The trail was gentle for most of the morning. I walked through many tunnels of rhododendrons and mountain laurel once again. I've walked through these thickets countless times since Georgia, and I'm beginning to wonder if I'll have the chance to see them in bloom.The afternoon was hard. All morning the trail hovered at around 2,400 feet, but it then climbed up an unnamed mountain to 4,023 feet. The biggest problem I was having were my feet... for some reason now, with 600 miles behind me, they've decided to give me trouble. I wish I knew what's going on... perhaps it's different socks, or maybe my feet have gotten larger, or it may be time to replace my boots, or maybe I'm simply walking too many miles in a day. Whatever the issue, walking was painful.Once I reached the top I still had several more miles to go, and of course the last bit involved walking over lots of jagged rocks. I finally sat down on a log, ate some cookies, and gave myself a pep talk to get going. Definitely one of my lower moments on the trail.Fortunately, the day had a very happy ending once I reached the hostel. This place is awesome! We have a great crew staying here tonight, including Northern, Tek, Maverick, Tommyhawk, Goat, Crush, Rock and Roll, Lauren, and Flip. In addition, Fresh Ground closed up his Leapfrog Cafe at mile 580 and he's here as well. Neville and her husband Michael own the hostel, which is a working farm. They offer a communal breakfast and dinner, and the meals feature foods grown on their farm. Guests are all asked to help with the meal prep or clean up.Tonight's dinner included delicious salad with homemade dressings, fresh bread, and pizza made with toppings from their farm (even their own pepperoni and sausage). Before dinner Neville asked us to all stand in a circle and hold hands, and then we were asked to share our trail names, home communities, and one thing we were grateful for about the trail. A very special touch. Wood's Hole has a website if you're interested in learning more... it's a magical place.After breakfast here in the morning, my plan is to walk the 10 miles down into Pearisburg and then stay there until Monday morning. I'm realizing that if I'm going to keep successfully heading north I need to be better about taking zero days to give my body some rest.Today's highlight: this hostel. A "must visit" if you hike the trail.
Date: 2013-04-27
From: Wood's Hole Hostel

To: Pearisburg (Plaza Motel)
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: overcast clouds

My day started with a wonderful breakfast at Wood's Hole. Scrambled eggs, cheesy oven hash browns, homegrown sausage, cantaloupe, and fresh baked bread with homemade blueberry jam. What a way to start a hiker's day.I was on my way by 9:15, hiking the .5 miles back to the trail. My feet actually felt better today... not sure whether it was the change of socks, the cooler weather, or the knowledge that they wouldn't have to carry me quite as far today.The trail was much easier for me today, and the miles ticked by. I'd had no luck with cell service for the past two days, so when I finally had coverage I called the Plaza Motel in Pearisburg to make a reservation. I checked into the motel at about 3, took a shower (always first priority), and then headed to the laundromat (usually the second priority unless food calls out to me first).Lots of hikers here, and most of us were at the hostel last night. We debated whether to eat dinner at the AYCE (all you can eat) Chinese or to try the Mexican place across the street. Mexican won out, so at 6:30 we met for dinner. Ten of us in all: Flip, Tek, Crush, Maverick, Goat, Fix, Boulder Dasher, Tonto, and Tommyhawk. Great fun - the trail community is wonderful.Rain is forecast for tomorrow and most of us are taking zeroes, so I'm looking forward to a day of rest broken up by the AYCE Chinese buffet in the afternoon with all the other hikers. Pretty simple but good life.Today's highlight: being in town and resting my feet.
Date: 2013-04-28
From: Pearisburg (Plaza Motel)

To: Pearisburg
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

The rain started this morning, so it was the perfect day for a zero in town. The day started with breakfast at Dairy Queen with Flip. Then it was on to the Food Lion for resupply. Fortunately, the 2 motels in town are located near Dairy Queen, Food Lion, the Mexican and Chinese restaurants, Post Office, Rite Aid, Hardee's, a pizza place, and a convenience store. From a hiker's point of view, this means all the necessities are wrapped up within a small radius. Very handy indeed.The first big event of the day was the Chinese buffet at Lucky Star Chinese Restaurant. Maverick, Tek, Goat, Tommyhawk, Fix, Foxi, Flip, Raider, and I all met there and had a great meal. White Flash, Garfunkel, and Earl Grey also showed up, so I finally had the chance to meet Earl Grey. He's a solid tea drinker, just like me.After we rolled out of the restaurant it was on to Rite Aid for a few items before heading back to my room for some downtime. Along the way I ran into Oz, who I hadn't seen since Gatlinburg. I'll tell you, it continually amazes me how this hike provides the opportunity to reconnect with trail friends.At 6:30 it was time for the second event of the day. Tomorrow's Foxi's birthday, so Goat and Tommyhawk picked up an ice cream cake at Dairy Queen and hosted a gathering in their room. I know what you're thinking... all we do on zero days is eat and talk, and that's about right.Tomorrow it's back on the trail, after a stop at the post office to pick up my summer sleeping bag and mail home some of my winter gear. It's been a relaxing day, but time to start walking north again...Today's highlight: this whole relaxing day.
Date: 2013-04-29
From: Pearisburg

To: Pine Swamp Branch Shelter
Miles today: 19.7
Weather: light rain

Leisurely start to the day since I couldn't leave town until I went to the post office, which opened at 9. I had breakfast at Hardee's, stopped at Rite Aid, and headed to the PO. I had a box coming from home with my summer sleeping bag and I needed to box up a bunch of stuff to send home (including my winter bag).By the time I was on the trail it was 10:15. I never intended to walk almost 20 miles, but this next section is tricky to plan. Remember, it's all about the food, and 73 miles from here is The Homeplace, a trail "must eat" legend. They're only open Thursday through Sunday, so that factors into the equation. And then Tommyhawk learned that Thursday night is barbecue night, so that decided it. I'd also like to reach Daleville by Friday night, so I guess it's a high mileage week.Once I'd achieved the monster climb out of Pearisburg, I spent most of the day walking along a ridge. Once again, beautiful views to either side. It rained a couple of times throughout the afternoon, but nothing too severe and it was a warm rain.I arrived at the shelter at 7:30 p.m. This is a great stone shelter, complete with a fireplace, and Flip had a nice fire going. I'm here tonight with a wonderful group of trail friends, and we've been having some good laughs. I'm here with Tommyhawk, Goat, Flip, Boulder Dasher, Tek, Oz, and Jacob. All is well...Today's highlight: the trail community.
Date: 2013-04-30
From: Pine Swamp Branch Shelter

To: Laurel Creek Shelter
Miles today: 18.5
Weather: overcast clouds

The rain stopped overnight, but it was overcast and everything was damp to start the day. On the trail by 7:30, and first up was a good sized climb. Big, angular rocks were the theme for the day. Yesterday's walk along the ridge was on soft, easy ground, but no such luck today. After the climb we spent more than an hour slabbing across a ridge on jagged rocks. Trust me, this is tedious walking.I stopped at War Spur Shelter for a late lunch along with Tommyhawk and Goat. Oz, Jacob, and Cody Coyote stopped there too. We all knew that the second big climb of the day was coming up, and none of us were too eager to move. We got it together, though, and started up the trail. The trail ascended close to 2,000 feet, and it was hard. Of course rocks entered into the mix for part of it, which added to the intensity.Finally I was at the top. The trail meandered up top for awhile before descending down to Laurel Creek Shelter, where I'm tenting tonight. Full shelter and tents tonight, with Flip, Boulder Dasher, Tek, Tommyhawk, Goat, Earl Grey, White Flash, Garfunkel, Oz, Jacob, and Moxie. Oz built a nice fire and once again lots of great joking is going on. We're planning a big mileage day tomorrow, so time for sleep...Today's highlight: conquering the climbs.
Date: 2013-05-01
From: Laurel Creek Shelter

To: Campsite before Pickle Branch Shelter
Miles today: 21.8

I woke up early since we were planning a high mileage day. Not long after 6 I heard "Lady Grey - how are you?". I was still in my tent and not sure who it was... it turned out to be Maineiac, who had hiked 30 miles to catch up with me and give me news of the group. He'd arrived at 11 p.m. the night before. What a great surprise to see him for the first time in almost 200 miles!It was misty and rainy for much of the morning's hike. A few miles into the day we reached the Keiffer Oak tree, that at 18 feet in diameter is the largest oak tree on the southern part of the AT. Not long after we came to a climb, which was fairly steep. At the top we had lots of slabbing across wet rocks, where there would have been great views if not for the fog.The miles passed quickly today because I spent much of my walk with Tommyhawk, Goat, and Flip. We stopped at Niday Shelter for lunch and then started our afternoon walk. By this time the weather had cleared and the sun was shining. There was a long uphill in the afternoon, followed by some ridge walking until we reached the Audie Murphy monument. I didn't know who Audie Murphy was, but apparently he was the most decorated U.S. World War II veteran who later went on to become a movie star. In 1971 his plane crashed into the mountain we walked on, and that's why there's a memorial there.After that we still had an additional 5 miles to walk to reach the shelter. We realized that it might be better to find a campsite before the shelter, since the shelter is located .3 down and off the trail, with water further beyond.So here I am, camping with Tommyhawk, Goat, Flip, Oz, and Jacob. Lots of laughing, a nice campfire, and all in all good end to the day.Today's highlight: holding my own with good company on this big mile day.
Date: 2013-05-02
From: Campsite before Pickle Branch Shelter

To: Catawba Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 15.3
Weather: broken clouds

The big motivator today was making it to The Homeplace Restaurant for their Thursday evening dinner. We started our day with a bit of a climb up to Dragon's Tooth. We all use the AWOL Guide to the AT, which shows elevation profiles. We always look at the day's profile and try to determine what's in store for the day. What the profile doesn't show is how rocky the terrain is, and this often causes us trouble. What we'd anticipated as being a relatively level ridge run turned out to be a long rock scramble. Great views, however.In the afternoon we walked through some beautiful pasture. We crossed mile 700 - woohoo! Kind of surreal to think that I've walked that far...We eventually reached the road crossing and started walking the 1.4 miles down to the restaurant. We'd hoped to get a ride and finally got one about a quarter mile from our destination. We were there by 3:30 and the restaurant didn't open until 4, so we picked up some cold drinks at the general store and headed over to the restaurant.What a meal! We had a table with Tommyhawk, Goat, Flip, Tek, Jacob, Oz, Ebo, Waffles, and Patch. The Homeplace serves everything family style,and the meal included pulled pork, roast beef, fried chicken, coleslaw, biscuits, green beans, mashed potatoes, pinto beans, and homemade peach cobbler with ice cream. The meal was all you can eat for $15 and as you can imagine, we ate a lot. There were other hikers in the restaurant and after dinner we all hung out on the front yard.We talked about staying at a hostel, but our group decided to hitch a ride back up to the trailhead and hike to a shelter 2 miles away. We got a ride fairly easily and fortunately the terrain was relatively easy to make it to this shelter. I'm here tonight with Flip, Tommyhawk, and Goat. Once again I'm laughing so hard I can barely type this entry...Today's highlight: Dragon's Tooth, the views, and tonight's dinner.
Date: 2013-05-03
From: Catawba Mountain Shelter

To: Daleville - Super 8 Motel
Miles today: 17.8

Today's hike took us over some of the most beautiful terrain on the AT yet. We packed up and left the shelter by 7:30, and within an hour we were on McAfee's Knob, one of the most photographed spots on the entire AT. Flip, Tommyhawk, Goat, and I all took turns sitting on the knob and dangling our feet over the edge. The trick was not to look over the edge, because there was nothing below and the view down was downright scary.Once we'd had our fill of the knob, we hiked on another 6 miles until we reached Tinker Cliffs. The trail meanders on the very edge of the cliffs for about half a mile and the views of the lush green mountains and valleys were stunning.Next up was a lunch break at Lamberts Meadow Shelter, along with several other hikers. By that time all of us were thinking about making the trek into Daleville to spend the night. It was a 9.5 mile hike from the shelter to town with the thought of a shower, laundry, and town food as the powerful motivators.I reached town by about 4 and checked into the Super 8. Fix and Foxi hiked in as well. Showers, laundry, and then a walk to Three Li'l Pigs Barbecue for a delicious dinner with Tommyhawk, Goat, Crush, Flip, Fix, Foxi, and Boulder Dasher. The restaurant gives free banana pudding to all thru hikers, which we polished off. Then on to the grocery store and back to the motel. We plan on hiking out in the morning, so off to sleep... way past hiker midnight (usually about 8:30).Today's highlight: McAfee Knob and Tinker Cliffs, without a doubt.
Date: 2013-05-04
From: Daleville - Super 8 Motel

To: Bobblets Gap Shelter (southbound)
Miles today: 23.4
Weather: light rain

Goat had carefully been watching the weather and we learned that there's a good chance of heavy rain on Monday into Tuesday. We were worried about our hike taking us to the higher elevations on Monday and running into icy conditions. So Goat pieced together a brilliant plan for us to get a ride north and then be dropped off to hike 2 days back to Daleville, which will put us back at the Super 8 on Sunday night for a rainy zero day on Monday.This was all a last minute plan, so after breakfast we had about 15 minutes to pack up before Homer, our shuttle driver, arrived. Homer drove us up on the Blue Ridge Parkway and dropped us off at mile marker 76.3.It was really, really strange to hike south for a change. Within half a mile we reached the famous "Guillotine", and stopped for photo opps. It was a beautiful day for hiking, and once again the vistas were stunning. Within the past few days the landscape has exploded with color... the greens of the trees and the reds, pinks, and purples of the flowers are lovely.Goat's plan involved really long mileage today, and it's a good thing I didn't know how many miles we had planned. It was fun passing hikers heading north and meeting people whose names we've seen in the shelter registers. We also had the chance to see hikers who have been just a day ahead of us.The trail crossed and ran parallel to the Blue Ridge Parkway toward the end of the day. I arrived at Bobblets Gap Shelter at about 7:30. I'm here tonight with Fix, Foxi, Bison, Sandman, Goat, Flip, Tommyhawk, and Chuck and Joel (section hikers). 23.4 miles total... my longest day yet.Today's highlight: the color explosion.
Date: 2013-05-05
From: Bobblets Gap Shelter (southbound)

To: Super 8 Motel in Daleville (Day 2 of SOBO hiking)
Miles today: 18.5

Day two of going SOBO (southbound). I think my body was rebelling at the 23+ mile day yesterday and I was feeling rather sluggish as I started hiking at 7:30. I have a sore spot on each heel that I feel with every step, which gets old quickly, believe me.Anyway, the sun was shining and the first part of the southbound journey involved more walking in the woods right near the Blue Ridge Parkway, occasionally popping out at one of the scenic overlooks.It was a very social day, since I had the chance to visit with my NOBO (northbound) friends along the way. In case you haven't already gathered this, the trail community is its own little entity, and there's lots of sharing news of the trail. Because I was the last of our group of six, the explanation of why we were hiking south had already been made, leaving me with the opportunity to just talk trail news. It was especially good to see Northern and ZZ Topless, who I haven't seen in awhile, and Tek, who I haven't seen in a couple of days.It started to rain during the last couple of miles, and by that point I just wanted to get my boots off. The trail dumped me off rather abruptly on a road, and next thing I knew I was hiking under Interstate 81. Talk about culture shock...I'm now back at the Super 8, and am very much looking forward to a zero day here tomorrow. In honor of Cinco de Mayo, Tommyhawk, Goat, Flip, Foxi, Fix, and I all ate at the Mexican restaurant. The fact that this restaurant is only about 50 yards from the motel was also a major draw after the miles we walked over the last two days. Patriot was there, and after dinner we had the chance to see Chin Music, who I haven't seen in awhile. With Chin Music was B Rocket and Hiker Mom, who's a trail angel in the Daleville area. Oceanspray told us that Maineiac is in town, and I spoke with him on the phone.My major agenda items tomorrow are a haircut and a visit to the outfitter's. Both of these businesses are conveniently located in the same shopping plaza, along with a coffee shop where I can hopefully score a good cup of tea. Hiker intel says that this outfitter is really helpful with gear issues, so I'm hoping I can get help sorting out my foot/shoe issues.Today's highlight: being in town and resting tomorrow... an excellent plan.
Date: 2013-05-06
From: Super 8 Motel in Daleville (Day 2 of SOBO hiking)

To: Super 8 Motel in Daleville
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

Today was a lovely rainy day to zero in Daleville. It started with a leisurely Super 8 breakfast with Flip, Tommyhawk, Goat, Fix, and Foxi to talk about our plans for the next part of the trail.After that, we all wandered down the highway to a shopping plaza for errands. I started at Supercuts for an overdue haircut, and then headed to Outdoor Trails, the local outfitter's. The store was buzzing with thru hikers, and we all did a lot of chatting. I had brought my boots with me and wanted to get some help, but decided to wait awhile and let things clear out.By this time it was lunchtime, so some of us went to the nearby Wendy's. Then on to Mill Mountain Coffee, conveniently located next to the outfitter's, where I was actually able to buy a brewed cup of Earl Grey tea. I've not had much Earl Grey since I started my hike, so this was indeed an exciting moment.Back to Outdoor Trails, which by this point was empty. One of the women working there spent a lot of time with me discussing shoes and my sore feet. She measured my feet, and thankfully they're the same size as when I started the trail. After trying on some different styles, I made the rather bold move and bought a pair of trailrunners. The vast majority of AT thru hikers wear trailrunners, especially the younger hikers, so I believe I've taken at least 25 years off my age by wearing these. I hope they work well, but John's sending my second pair of Keen boots to Waynesboro (mile 857) so I have a backup plan if needed. My fingers are crossed that my new shoes will work. I was also pleased that Outdoor Trails replaced my OR stretch low gaiters free of charge. I love these gaiters but the strap broke off of one and I had a hole in the other. I was set to pay for new ones, but they called OR and said a thru hiker had a problem and they were simply replaced. Now that's what I call awesome customer service.Earl Grey (the tea, not the hiker - he's out on the trail) beckoned me back to the coffee shop, where I received a free refill. I then spent a very comfortable hour sitting in one of their plush chairs and pretending I wasn't a hiker but just someone with time on their hands to catch up on email, trail journals, and Facebook.This evening we all braved a heavy downpour to return to 3 Li'l Pigs, the excellent barbecue restaurant that we'd sampled on Friday. Patriot is in town and joined us for dinner, along with Augusta, who's a section hiker.All in all a perfect restful off-trail day. The forecast for tomorrow is for even heavier rain, so we'll take a second zero day. After the higher mileage of the past couple of weeks I think another rainy zero day will be a good thing for sure!Today's highlight: the whole day...
Date: 2013-05-07
From: Super 8 Motel in Daleville

To: Super 8 Motel in Daleville
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Second zero day in Daleville. I'm certainly not a fan of two zeroes in a row, but given the steady downpour, thunder, and lightning we experienced for much of the day it was definitely the wisest option.After another leisurely breakfast we all did our own thing for the rest of the morning (i.e. mindless TV watching, internet surfing, backpack reorganization, etc.). The big event of our day was walking to the local Chinese restaurant at lunchtime for their AYCE buffet. Until Pearisburg I'd never experienced one of these before, but Chinese buffets seem popular in these trail towns. The bottom line is a lot of food for not much money.Following the restaurant I walked to Mill Mtn. Coffee for a couple of cups of good tea and once again enjoyed hanging out in their comfy chairs. While there I had a text from Northern who said that he, ZZ Topless, Hurricane, and Tek had all gotten a ride back into Daleville. Apparently he said there were 3 to 5 inches of water running down the trail, and as I later learned from talking to other soaked hikers, it was a total mess on the trail.On my way back to the motel I passed several other hikers and had more news of the trail. Daleville is essentially a strip with no pedestrian walkway, so you know that if you see someone walking in crocs along the gravel shoulder of the 4 lane busy highway it's undoubtedly a hiker. Many people got off the trail due to the weather, so hikers are in town who I haven't seen in awhile.After the enormous lunch buffet, none of us had too much appetite for dinner, so Foxi and I walked to the nearby Pizza Hut and picked up some pizza to bring back to the room to share with Tommyhawk, Goat, and Fix.We've arranged another shuttle ride with Homer for 43 miles up the trail at 8 a.m. tomorrow to resume our northbound trek. The weather looks a bit better but still potentially wet, so any positive thoughts of sunshine and drying conditions would be much appreciated!Today's highlight: having a second day to rest my feet.