morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2003-06-03
From: Montebello Campround; Montebello, VA

To: Maupin Field Shelter
Miles today: 18.9
Weather: moderate rain

Hiked 7:30-5:45. That 18.9 miles doesn¢t even count the 2 1/2 uphill miles to get from Montebello to the A.T.This was the toughest day yet -- no kidding! Consider these factors:Hiked uphill for 2 1/2 miles to get to the A.T., then farther uphill to over 4000 feet (Main Top Mountain and again on Priest Mountain). Then down 1000 feet at the Tye River and U.S. Route 56. Then back up to 4000 feet at North Ridge of the Three Ridges.It was rainy, cold, windy, and foggy all day -- no breaks -- the worst weather I¢ve had. I sat down once all day. Hypothermia once again was a concern.Exremely rocky -- many rockslide crossings.There were two good things:(1) Trail magic at Route 56. The trail angel was a motorcyclist and former thru-hiker from Madison, Indiana. His trail name was Grumpy. He had all the Cokes, candy bars, cheese, sausage, and apples we wanted. That probably saved me.(2) I¢m closing in on Waynesboro, the gateway to kinder, gentler Shenandoah National Park.¢Blue blazers¢ are thru-hikers who occasionally take side trails, rather than sticking totally to the white-blazed main trail. Today, for example, there was a blue-blazed trail that went around, rather than over, the North Ridge, cutting out 2.9 miles and lots of headaches. It was tempting.Contrary to my remark a few days ago about seeing no minorities, I¢ve now seen two. There was a Middle Eastern (now American) chiropractor named Healer, with a Zig Ziglar personality, and, today, a lovely girl of Asian ancestry named Juke, who was hiking with her boyfriend (or husband), Papa Roach.Note: I later saw Juke kissing Papa Roach -- romance flourishing, despite the downpour. Juke took the blue-blazed shortcut, while Papa Roach stayed on the main trail. Their parting at that point, I assume, was the reason for the kissing.Note: The Virginia blues must be pretty serious. According to the Thru-Hiker¢s Companion, 50 percent of those who make it to Virginia don¢t make it to West Virginia (the next state).
Date: 2003-06-04
From: Maupin Field Shelter

To: Holiday Inn Express; Waynesboro, VA
Miles today: 21.1
Weather: light rain

Hiked 6:30-5:30. I¢m so happy to be here! This is a big milestone. I think of the A.T. in thirds:(1) The tough, tough southern mountains (843 miles)(2) The more moderate middle portion (735 miles)(3) Rugged New England (VT, NH, ME) (591 miles)Waynesboro is on the edge of the Shenandoah National Park, which -- in my mind, at least -- is the beginning of Part 2. This is oversimplifying, of course, but this is why Waynesboro is cause for celebration. I¢ve looked at the vertical profile of Shenandoah National Park, and it looks much better than what I¢ve been through the last nine weeks. (More on my psyche in tomorrow¢s journal entry.)The day¢s hike was a killer. Not just the 21.1 miles, but an extremely rocky first six hours had me slipping and sliding all over the place. Only fell once, though -- luckily on my butt. In fact, I¢ve only fallen three times on this whole trip, which is amazing, considering that on previous hikes I¢ve fallen several times in one day when it was wet. I think my prayer supporters are doing their jobs.The weather, unlike yesterday, wasn¢t cold or windy, but was drizzly and foggy. A real frog strangler broke out about a half hour before I reached the road at the end. I was so wet and muddy that I thought I¢d never get a ride into town -- not to mention the fog that cut the visibility to about 50 yards. Before I could even decide which of the three roads led to Waynesboro, though, a young girl in an S.U.V. saw my plight and offered to take me anywhere I wanted to go!After yesterday¢s ridiculously tough hike, I was so tired today. I believe at any point I could have lain down and gone to sleep in two minutes. However, when I got within five miles of the end, I found another gear. It¢s like the cattle herds in the Old West when they smelled the river after a long dry period -- stampede! -- except for me, it was the smell of a cheeseburger.So here I am watching the opener of the NBA finals, a scenario I never dreamed of until that unlikely ride into Montebello five minutes before the post office closed Monday afternoon, which ultimately allowed me to get an early start on Tuesday and make it to Waynesboro this evening. This is the life! (However, I think I¢ll be asleep before halftime...)I¢m sorry I can¢t comment on the views during the last 75 miles or so. The trail passed the tops of many cliffs, so I expect the views would¢ve been great; however, they were obliterated by fog every day but one.
Date: 2003-06-06
From: Holiday Inn Express; Waynesboro, VA

To: Blackrock Hut; Shenandoah National Park
Miles today: 20.0
Weather: clear sky

Hiked 7:45-6:30. Great weather today -- too good -- sweat a lot -- short on water. Not as easy as I had hoped. For one thing, the first eight miles are not actually in the national park, and that part is no better than what I¢ve had the last two months. After three miles, I was thinking, ¢If this is ¢easy,¢ I¢m in big trouble.¢ At that point, though, a day hiker going south assured me that when I actually got into the park, it¢d be really easy. He was pretty much right.The trail was a roller coaster, but, after the first eight miles, the slopes were gradual, and the footing was excellent. Not the ¢vacation¢ that some were expecting, but better than what I was accustomed to.The trail hangs close to Skyline Drive -- and crosses it many times, so you who have driven that route know what kind of terrain I¢m talking about.In the S.N.P., a ¢hut¢ is what we¢d call a ¢shelter¢ anywhere else. ¢Shelters¢ in the S.N.P. are for day use (picnicking) only -- I haven¢t seen one yet, so I don¢t know what they look like. Note: In the White Mountains of New Hampshire, a ¢hut¢ is a totally different thing -- more like a hostel -- holds many hikers and has cooking, supplies, heat, etc., along with a full-time attendant.Some nice views today -- not a lot. One was on top of Bears Den Mountain, where they had eight tractor seats mounted on posts for you to sit on and enjoy the view, which I did.Saw no bears yet, but did see a bear track, which has only happened three times on the trip. Deer tracks, on the other hand, are all over the trail -- I think they use the trail a lot for travel. Of course, I see many deer. I love them -- beautiful and so graceful!More trail magic today. At about noon, near a forest service road, a cooler full of ice, K Cola, apples, oranges, and several now-empty beer cans. I helped myself to a K Cola and an orange. Fantastic! What a morale booster!
Date: 2003-06-07
From: Blackrock Hut; Shenandoah National Park

To: Misty Mountain Motel -- U.S. 33 near S.N.P
Miles today: 18.6

I¢m ¢under the weather¢ today. It rained all night and all day, so I fled the trail again. The A.T. in Shenandoah National Park isn¢t all it¢s cracked up to be -- even if the weather is good. I made a big mistake looking at the vertical profile of S.N.P. I noticed that the elevation changes were generally small -- elevation between 2000 and 3500 feet, whereas prior to this, I was accustomed to seeing elevation ranges from 600 feet to 5000 feet. What I didn¢t notice about S.N.P. is how many ascents there are. Those ascents just wear me out, especially when it¢s rainy (muddy and slippery) and foggy (no views). Also, although the descents are graded comparatively well, they¢re still not gradual enough for my tender knees.So, while everybody has been talking about zipping through S.N.P. averaging many miles per day, I decided today that I¢m not going to strain myself here. Hence, I find myself happily ensconced at the Misty Mountain Motel -- and won¢t be rushing up to S.N.P. in the morning (when still more rain is predicted).I¢ve noticed several thru-hikers ¢slack packing¢ to beat the Virginia blues. Remember that ¢slack packing¢ is hiking with no pack, and having someone meet you with a vehicle at the end of the day to take you to a campground, motel, hostel, or B&B. Some even go north to south if the elevation changes that way are to their advantage. I remain a purist...so far. There are no rules against slack packing or blue blazing (using side trails to save distance or avoid climbs). You still get your patch and no asterisk beside your name if you make it to Katahdin.I had a huge breakfast today at the Loft Mountain Wayside. In the S.N.P. a ¢wayside¢ is a combination restaurant/souvenir shop/gas station on Skyline Drive. To get to this one, I had to go steeply downhill off of the A.T. for half a mile (and back up, of course). This whole operation cost me an hour and a half, but it got me some good food and a chance to almost dry out. Well worth it!
Date: 2003-06-08
From: Misty Mountain Motel -- U.S. 33 near S.N.P

To: Lewis Campground -- S.N.P.
Miles today: 14.4

Hiked 10:00-5:30. Slept in late as planned; thus, the late start. Sun and rain fought to a standoff today, the result being not much of either one. Right now, though, we have very thick fog and drizzle.Triple dose of trail magic today.(1) E-dog¢s parents passing out candy bars and cupcakes at one of the A.T. intersections with Skyline Drive. (E-dog is a girl who passed me a few weeks ago, but has taken lots of zero days. She was hiking with her parents this weekend.)(2) A thru-hiker who is taking a few days off decided to be a trail angel. He pulled into a parking area while five of us were resting there. He had potato chips, cookies, and a cooler full of pop and beer. (3) E-dog¢s parents set up a picnic for us at this campground this evening. I was planning to stay here anyway. I didn¢t have to cook!There are lots of bears in the S.N.P. Several thru-hikers have seen some; unfortunately, I¢m not one of them.At many of the overlooks in all four states so far, I see hawks. I know -- there are three basic types of hawks -- and probably 10-12 species in the United States, but I haven¢t learned to tell them apart. I love to watch them though. I think they enjoy riding the updrafts (or some such thing) and put on a show. I expect an ornithologist would have a different explanation.The weather report for tomorrow is sunny and warm. I hope so. My morale could use a shot in the arm. I seem to be tiring easily lately. I¢m sure it¢s psychological.
Date: 2003-06-09
From: Lewis Campground -- S.N.P.

To: Skyland Lodge -- S.N.P.
Miles today: 16.8

Hiked 6:15-4:00. After an all-night rain, the weather turned gorgeous this morning, and so did the hiking. Nice, tame trail, lots of deer. Saw two does with teeny, weeny fawns. Most of the deer in S.N.P. are pretty brazen when it comes to contact with humans, but the little guys are not so brazen. Momma has taught them to get off the trail and lie low when she gives the signal.Still haven¢t seen a bear here, though lots of others have. Some hikers are amazed that they haven¢t seen a bear on the whole trip; for some of them I could tell them why -- they talk all the time!Passed the 900-mile point today. Early next week I should reach two huge milestones -- 1000 miles and the end of Virginia!Oh, yeah, I forgot to tell ya¢ that the hiking changed totally in the afternoon -- lots of uphills, and those infernal rocks. Splendid views of the Ida Valley though.Note: For some reason, there are almost no rhododendron in the S.N.P., though there are lots of mountain laurel.I was considering going farther today, then hitchhiking back to here, but once I saw this room, I decided to stay because: (1) I had things that needed to dry out, (2) I didn¢t feel like going through the hitchhiking hassle, and (3) I¢m a wimp.
Date: 2003-06-10
From: Skyland Lodge -- S.N.P.

To: Gravel Springs Hut -- S.N.P.
Miles today: 23.8
Weather: broken clouds

Hiked 6:15-8:30 -- and that 23.8 mile number is correct. I don¢t know what happened -- just one of those days when I felt really good. There aren¢t many camping options in S.N.P., so I decided to really stretch; that, plus the fact that this puts me within 13 miles of a major town -- Front Royal.Great weather and great hiking, except for the morning, which was exceptionally rocky. I also have some good trail stories today.As I was walking out of the lodge this morning, a doe and teeny fawn were crossing the drive. The fawn was still quite wobbly, so it must have been only a day old or so. When Momma saw me, she gave some sort of signal, and the fawn got it half right. It went flat to the ground, but did it right in the middle of the road -- so cute!Near the lodge, right next to the road was a hiker asleep in a sleeping bag, no tent. I thought it odd that he¢d choose to sleep there in plain sight of the lodge. Four miles later I met a hiker camped at the Pinnacles Picnic Area, who told me, ¢We lost F.F.O. (not his real name, but close) somewhere between the Skyland Lodge and here.¢ It seems that some of the boys had stopped at the lodge tavern for a birthday party and to watch the Stanley Cup finals; F.F.O. partied a little too much. After the Pinnacles Picnic Area, I never saw any of those boys today, which is odd, because normally they¢d pass me.Here¢s a typical tortoise and hare story. A couple of weeks ago in a shelter, F-word (not his real name, but he has only one word for all adjectives and adverbs) said, ¢I¢m gonna do 25, 25, and 21 miles, which should get me into Waynesboro on Monday, and I¢m not taking a zero day there.¢ I, Chimpy, on the other hand, took a zero day in Buena Vista, got into Waynesboro on Wednesday and took a zero day there. Yet, I caught up with F-word today. Lesson: A steady diet of high-mileage days is hard to maintain.Still no bears for me in S.N.P. You¢d think a 6:15-8:30 hike would get at least one, wouldn¢t ya¢? Everything else was good today, though, including two meals at S.N.P. waysides.
Date: 2003-06-11
From: Gravel Springs Hut -- S.N.P.

To: Super 8 Motel; Front Royal, VA
Miles today: 13.3
Weather: overcast clouds

Hiked 6:15-1:30. Super day! Not the hike (which was nondescript -- no views, rocky, hot), but the mail drop. Got notes from two great ex-coworkers and from my fantastic brother (¢mail magic¢?). These were great for my morale!This was the first hot day of the trek. It¢s raining this evening (perfect timing) so at least temporarily cool again. More rain predicted the next three days, but at least I¢ll be comfortably zeroing tomorrow. All of the hikers in the hut last night were skipping Front Royal -- probably eager to put Virginia behind them (West Virginia only 37 miles away), but I know what my body needs, so I resisted the temptation to skip the zero day.I hope all of this trail magic talk doesn¢t bore you. I think it¢s indicative of the support thru-hikers get. Today, Cookie¢s uncle was waiting to surprise her at one of the intersections, passing out cold Gatorade, cold water, power bars, and sweets. Cookie and Tadpole are attractive young ex-cross country runners for William and Mary University. They¢re hiking together, and I¢ve seen them every few days for weeks, although they¢re much faster hikers than I am.I should correct a false implication that I¢ve given earlier. There are many guys in their 40¢s, 50¢s, and 60¢s here who are not obnoxious know-it-alls. Prime examples are a foursome of guys who met each other on the trail and hiked together for a long time -- Kiwi (New Zealander), Peter Pan, Finch, and Happy Wanderer. All four are great guys. Although they all hike faster than I do, I saw them regularly until my double zero with Rosie two weeks ago. What reminded me of them was the fact that I ran into Finch in a restaurant tonight -- his wife is here for a couple of days. (Peter Pan actually dropped out at Pearisburg, as he had planned all along.)One more story: There¢s a section hiker called Backward Bob who hikes the downhills backward. I got to thinking that this could relieve a lot of the pressure on soles, knees, and big toes (the most painful body parts on descents), so I¢ve been practicing it some the last two days. It sure does feel better, though peeking backwards under my right arm to see where I¢m going is a bit awkward. I¢ll let you know how this comes out, but, seriously, I think it has potential, even if it does look silly.
Date: 2003-06-12
From: Super 8 Motel; Front Royal, VA

To: Super 8 Motel; Front Royal, VA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

So Shenandoah National Park is behind me. Despite the fact that it wasn¢t as easy as advertised, I¢ll really miss it.For one thing, the deer. (I was shut out on bears.) I know it¢s not ¢natural¢ for the deer to graze in plain view -- what¢s ¢natural¢ is for them to give that panicky ¢snort¢ and bound away quickly. However, it sure is enjoyable. I didn¢t see anybody feed them, and the deer certainly weren¢t looking for handouts. I enjoyed their companionship immensely.Having Skyline Drive close at all times was very nice. Not only did it make some restaurant meals possible, but it was comforting to know a ride was always close if needed. Skyline Drive, unlike most roads, is not built to avoid curves and hills. It¢s strictly for great views; the same is true of the Appalachian Trail. In fact, I believe Skyline Drive follows what used to be the A.T. -- so drive Skyline Drive (speed limit 35 M.P.H. -- love it!) and get a feel for the A.T. without having to actually hike it. Better yet, do some day-hiking anywhere north of Lewis Campground -- you¢ll see lots of deer and great views.There are also many side trails. These, along with Skyline Drive intersections, result in many signs on the A.T., so you always know how far you are from your destination.After all that boot hassle a few weeks ago, it turned out that my old boots didn¢t solve the sore toe and feet problems. In fact, the lining of my trusty old boots is coming apart, so I sent them home yesterday for repair and got my newer boots back via mail drop. I don¢t believe it¢s possible for one pair of boots to last the entire A.T., so, hopefully, my old ones will be repairable and waiting in reserve if and when my new ones fall apart.
Date: 2003-06-13
From: Super 8 Motel; Front Royal, VA

To: Super 8 Motel; Winchester, VA
Miles today: 20.5

Hiked 7:00-7:45. There¢s no way I was supposed to end up in a motel tonight. Here¢s what did it.As happened the previous two days, the weather alternated between rain and heat/humidity, with a downpour in the late afternoon. So I got to Dick¢s Dome Shelter at 4:00, feeling safe, only to find it full. So, with thunder rumbling, I was forced to go on up the mountain and look for a campsite.Just as the rain was starting, I found a campsite, I thought. I unpacked everything, because my tarp was at the bottom (dumb!). The plan, when it¢s raining, which has worked before, is to set up the tarp and quickly throw everything inside. Unfortunately, the ground was so rocky that I couldn¢t get the stakes in. Then the deluge hit, and all I could do was throw the tarp over my stuff and stand there, getting drenched, until the rain stopped.Finally, it let up enough so I could quickly repack and head on up the trail. There were absolutely no campsites, and the next shelter was way out of reach, so I just kept going until I reached this highway. I asked a guy if there were any motels or campsites around; he said he¢d take me to the Super 8 in Winchester (probably ten miles or so) and also pick me up and take me back to the trail in the morning!So here I am, amazingly, watching Game Five of the NBA finals, another apparent disaster turning out fine.At Manassas Gap Shelter, where I stopped for an early afternoon break, there were two black snakes (one huge) lying inside on the top log at the rear. Bet not too many hikers stay there at night. On the bright side, probably no mice in the shelter, eh?Today¢s hiking was ugly -- trail super muddy, no views, dark and gloomy woods. The trail was actually flooded in places!It seems that Finch¢s wife is down here for more than a couple days, so he¢s using her as a support person while he slack packs big mileage. Ah...that¢s the way to do it!
Date: 2003-06-14
From: Super 8 Motel; Winchester, VA

To: Bear's Den Hostel
Miles today: 13.5
Weather: broken clouds

Hiked 9:30-7:45. That was a long 13.5 miles! This is officially the ¢roller coaster¢ area. I think you can guess what that is. Lots of steep ascents and descents (ten in nine miles), none of long duration, but very exhausting. Still muddy, gloomy forest for the most part.This was another really hot, humid day. I was literally drenched in sweat all day (yuck!). The heat and humidity thing just started this week, and it¢s causing me some problems.More trail magic, a little different type. In addition to the pop, bananas, and cookies, Huffer-Puffer, today¢s trail angel, had big golf umbrellas, and I needed one. As luck would have it, I got there just before the big deluge started, so my pack and I were under the umbrella for the entire rain today -- an hour -- which was especially good because I somehow lost my backpack cover at the motel last night. What a dingbat I am!The last couple of days, there have been lots of strawberries along the trail -- bright red but a circumference about that of a dime -- no flavor at all.In some of the photos, you may be asking yourself, ¢What are those blue things he¢s wearing on his lower legs?¢ Those are gaiters, their primary purpose being to keep dirt, mud, and stones off of socks and out of boots. They also prevent weeds (e.g. poison ivy) from touching legs and, to an extent, keep water from running down into the boots. They might also keep rattlesnake fangs out of a leg. Many hikers wear a much smaller, shorter version, and many don¢t wear gaiters at all -- to save weight, I presume. I like to keep my socks as clean as possible, though.If all goes well, I¢ll reach three big milestones tomorrow! I¢ll bet you can name two of ¢em.Progress report: I¢ve done some serious practicing on my backwards steep descents the last two days. The result has been much less pain in toes, soles, and knees. I don¢t know how it affects speed. Today was a very slow hiking day, but I think that was the terrain, heat, and humidity.
Date: 2003-06-15
From: Bear's Den Hostel

To: Comfort Inn; Harper's Ferry, WV
Miles today: 19.7

Hiked 6:15-5:30. Big day! Three major milestones:(1) Finished Virginia -- the biggest A.T. state by far (43 days, 531 miles). I thought she deserved a poem:You fought a good fight,Used all your tricks.Steep uphills and downhills,Rocks, roots, and ticks.Mud and flood,Rain, cold, and heat,But I went 15 rounds,And didn¢t get beat.But you¢re hoping and hoping and hoping, I knowThat you¢ve softened me up for a PA KO.Actually, I highly recommend Virginia for backpackers. It¢s an easy one-day drive from Van Wert, and it has some great and varied scenery, especially in the southwest part (Mount Rogers area) and in Shenandoah National Park.(2) The 1000-mile point. Sounds like a lot, doesn¢t it?(3) Harper¢s Ferry -- the psychological halfway point, for the following reasons: (a) Timewise, though not mileage-wise, this is the halfway point. For example, it took me 78 days to reach here, so it should take me about 156 (total) days to reach Katahdin (which would be September 1). (b) With Virginia being such a long state, it seems like halfway. (c) It¢s the home of the Appalachian Trail Conference Headquarters. I¢ll tell you more about that tomorrow night after I¢ve been up there. (d) A thousand miles is close to halfway.Due to the extreme heat and humidity, along with the strenuous ¢roller coaster,¢ I had really bad chafing for the first time yesterday. This morning I was wondering how I could ever go 19 miles with that kind of soreness. Fortunately, the temperature and humidity were down a bit, and, after a couple hours of the ¢roller coaster,¢ the route was relatively level today -- so the pain was very minor. Still, tomorrow, I need to investigate possible solutions.I¢m not due for a zero day tomorrow, but I want to see all the historic sights here. This will be 11 zero days in 11 weeks.)It was cloudy all day today, with only a few raindrops. Very nice!