morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2010-05-28
From: Pickle branch shelter

To: Johns spring shelter
Miles today: 13.6
Weather: scattered clouds

5/28Pickle branch shelter to johns spring shelter13.6 miles plus .3 from shelterShelterWhat a long effing day. Thirteen hours, including breaks. I survived the hike down from the dragon's tooth. It was even fun in a jungle gym sort of way. But it was slow. I took my pack off and threw my poles many times when I got to areas too dicey to negotiate normally.  I was extremely grateful that the predicted bad weather held out until late afternoon, meaning I didn't have to deal with it anywhere dangerous.  Midway through the afternoon I realized that I might not have to make a decision about the restaurant. At the rate I was going I'd get there too late to eat.I encountered trail magic at a road crossing and was really thrilled. I had donuts, an orange, sweet tea, and spring water. And for the first of many times today, watched a vehicle pull up to a trail crossing, sit a long time, and then pull out without any interaction. Weird. The day was mighty hot and I actually hoped for the rain to come. When it did, it was torrential. With lightning and pea sized hail. As I found out later, nearly every form of waterproof item I was carrying failed during the storm. Including nearly all of my dry sacks. Good thing it's not cold out, as that includes my sleeping bag's dry sack. I hope my body heat dries it the bag tonight. When I got to the last road crossing at seven pm, I had a decision to make. Walk to the restaurant (not happening on these sore feet!), try to hitch there, or walk on to the next shelter. I sat on a guardrail to ponder and rest my oh so painful feet. I watched several vehicles pull into the lot, sit, and leave. Abruptly I felt incredibly sad and alone.  I started to cry. I no longer had any desire to try to hitch, or to deal with people. I crossed the road and headed back into the woods, feeling pitiful.I hoped to find a tentsite and/or somebody at the shelter to talk to. There are no temtsites here. There are no people here either. I'm in the shelter and hoping for a) no mosquitos and b) no bears. The latter because there don't appear to be any good hanging trees around so I'm using the mouse hanger in the shelter. Since I'm alone the woods sounds are all magnified. There's probably a lizard or squirrel out there but it sounds like a herd of bears. Also while looking for the water source I'm pretty sure I saw the back end of a large tawny feline running away. Not that I think one of those would bother a shelter.  While I'm thinking of it, I'd also like to mention that the cattle I've been meeting seem more skittish than the deer.  I have a short day tomorrow and the day after. I plan to sleep in tomorrow after this long day. If the various bugs let me. I've taken aspirin, tylenol, and benadryl to deal with my various aches and sniffles. With luck I'll be out like a light very soon. In the morning I'll get to see McAfee Knob. Definitely looking forward to that.
Date: 2010-05-29
From: Johns spring shelter

To: Lambert meadow campsite
Miles today: 9.4
Weather: broken clouds

5/29Johns spring shelter 9.4 milesTentThe night in the shelter alone was quite peaceful. I could be unselfconscious about noise and I slept very well indeed. I was surprised to be awoken before six by the sounds of hikers laughing and talking as they came by. They must have stayed in Catawba last night and gotten a ride back. Which means they got up at five, maybe. Shudder worthy!The hike up to McAfee Knob was quite pleasant. And the view from up there was spectacular.  As was the view from Tinker Cliffs!  It was a really pleasant day of hiking. And this evening I'm camped in a wonderful spot with lots of time for a leisurely dinner and with good company. What a great day!  Every day of hiking should be like today.
Date: 2010-05-30
From: Lambert meadow campsite

To: Daleville
Miles today: 9.4
Weather: few clouds

5/30Lamberts meadow campsite to daleville9.4 milesHotelWow. Last night's campsite was so lovely. A nice local couple told me they call it Shangri La. Nice, huh? It was a gorgeous spot in a small valley with nice flat tentsites, a stream, a picnic table, and scenic rocks and vegetation. To me it seemed like a fairyland.  I slept like a rock there. The hike into town was pretty easy though there was a little bit of rock climbing. Early on today I met some trail maintainers who said I couldn't be a thruhiker because I was too clean. Hah! Must have been that storm two days ago that washed me clean. I must not reek too badly at the moment.It was quite warm today. I thought I was drinking quite a bit, especially as my water was delicious and cool, stored in its bladder deep in my pack. However when I got to the motel today and used the facilities, it was obvious that I was quite dehydrated. My urine was so dark it was almost red. Woops! Gotta drink more. The summer is only going to get hotter. I've had a few moments of vertigo in the last few days, luckily not at any times when it would have been very dangerous. I'm not sure what's going on with that. Allergies? Dehydration? I hope it goes away. I don't need to be falling off any cliffs.My feet are pretty sore and Phoenix Rising sent me a huge and awesome maildrop, so I elected not to walk over to the Kroger for supplies. The gas station next door supplied me with the few things I needed - purel, tp, a strawberry icee. I hope these boots finish breaking in my feet soon so I can go back to a normal level of foot pain. The next couple of weeks are going to be awkward for town visits. Nothing is near the trail, and the towns I can hitch to ( assuming I can do that!) don't have motels. I have to trust that it will all work out. I may be extra stinky if I can't do laundry for a while. Yick.I'm about to enter the Blue Ridge Parkway section of the hike. If I recall correctly that means some pretty excellent views. And shortly after that will be Shenandoah, which means many opportunities for snacks. To others it might mean lots of natural beauty, but I'm a thruhiker. And food definitely grabs my eye more than vistas do now.
Date: 2010-05-31
From: Daleville

To: Daleville
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

5/31Daleville Zero dayLast night I went to sleep with every intention of getting up and hiking today. Breakfast, repack, and hike. Done deal. I arranged it so I didn't need to check out at the main desk, even. Sometime between eleven pm and seven am, my brain concocted a bunch of reasonable sounding excuses for why I should take a day off. My feet and left quadricep hurt. I could buy more food and skip the Buchanan town stop. It's supposed to thunderstorm. (note that at the moment it's sunny and beautiful). I won't get another opportunity to stay in a motel until Buena Vista. And probably other things I've forgotten.As you might imagine, I wasn't hard to convince. I waffled through breakfast (heh) then paid for another night. Ah, sweet luxury. Showers and fresh food and napping.Immediately after breakfast I set out for the Kroger to get three more days of food. As soon as I entered the store the seduction started. Fruit! Soy products! Crusty bread! Wine! Sushi!  I spent over a hundred bucks, most of it on food I intend to eat today. Kroger really saw me coming.I didn't regret my purchases but I thought my arms might fall off on the way back to the motel. Luckily a kind farmer pulled over and gave me a ride when I was halfway back.I filled my day with tv and fresh, delicious food. Oh, and gazing out at the seriously nasty weather. It was as bad as anything I've seen since starting the trail. From the sound of it, the roof started to lift during the worst of it. The other side of the parking lot was obscured by rain. It was bad!  So I was really happy to be indoors. Tomorrow, hiking.
Date: 2010-06-01
From: Daleville

To: Wilson creek shelter
Miles today: 11.2
Weather: light rain

6/1Daleville to Wilson creek shelter11.2 milesTentI'm camped tonight with LJ (for London Joe), Funky, Gonzo, and Cerveza. They're cooking hotdogs over a fire which I suspect will taste significantly better than my mashed potatoes did. I was aggravated to discover holes in the mesh of my tent tonight. Not sure how they got there but I've stitched them up with dental floss.  It looks lovely. Really. My tent is acquiring a bit of a Frankenstein vibe. Tomorrow morning I should encounter the Blue Ridge Parkway, and I'll crisscross it many times in the coming days. Fun times!I was amused to read a ministry of funny walks tale by my friend Felix today. Somebody printed it out and left it in the shelter register. It was like a little piece of home.   It's hard to believe it's already June!  Seems weird even though it feels like I've been hiking forever. I'm mentally bracing for steamy days.
Date: 2010-06-02
From: Wilson creek shelter

To: Cove mountain shelter 
Miles today: 13.8
Weather: broken clouds

6/2Wilson creek shelter to cove mtn shelter13.8 milesShelterI didn't intend to walk this far today. I felt sort of lazy and tired. I figured I'd walk 10-11 miles today and tomorrow , which would put me at a really nice shelter tomorrow night. But I never found a campsite I liked tonight, so I ended up walking all the way to this shelter. Which leaves me only seven miles from the nice shelter- not really far enough to walk tomorrow. Unless I spend a really long time in the creek.Oddly, I have the shelter to myself again. Where are all the hikers?  Ah, well. I can be as noisy as I like tonight. I had intended to tent because the bugs have been bad, but they seem okay tonight. And after getting in past eight pm, I'm just too tired too deal with the tent if it's not necessary. I hope the mosquitos don't descend on me later.  I ran into HD Mama's husband at a road crossing. He is slackpacking her down the trail, which is awesome. He offered me a cold drink and a piece of candy, both of which were very welcome.  I told him to say hi for me. On Moose and Bearpaw's advice, I've relaced my boots to leave more room in the toe. I think my feet have grown, not just swollen. I may be buying all larger shoes when I get home. A pity, as the riding boots are seriously expensive footwear.I believe I'll take some benadryl tonight. And not set an alarm. I'd like to sleep a lot.
Date: 2010-06-03
From: Cove mountain shelter 

To: Bryant ridge shelter
Miles today: 6.9
Weather: clear sky

6/3Cove mtn shelter to Bryant ridge shelter6.9 milesShelterI intended to walk farther today!  But I got to this shelter and it was pretty nice. And then Paintbrush showed up so I had company. And she said storms were coming. So I stayed. I have my tent set up in the (twenty man, otherwise empty) shelter. This was prompted in large part by the biggest spider I've seen in my life. I think it's about four inches from tip to tip. It is far too hot to get in the tent right now. I may have to switch to a cooler tent.  This one is making a sauna like environment inside itself. And I don't need any help sweating.  The noseeums, however, are fierce. I long for the temperature to drop so I can get in the tent. I waded in Jennings Creek today but didn't swim. It just didn't seem like that much fun to do on my own.  The wading was refreshing, and since there was nobody around I was free to take a bandana bath too.  I didn't see anyone at all between early evening yesterday and an hour after I arrived at the shelter today. And it seems like there may be only two of us tonight. Tomorrow should see me doing a more normal sized day. Since I'm so short today I'll push my arrival into Glasgow from Saturday evening to Sunday morning. The businesses I need should be open on Sunday. I'm thinking about trying to arrange a shuttle into and out of town, but it could be awkward since I'll need to be there for a few hours. My notoriously bad hitching skills also need to be considered.
Date: 2010-06-05
From: Thunder hill shelter

To: Matts creek shelter
Miles today: 12.4
Weather: broken clouds

6/5Thunder hill shelter to matts creek shelter12.4 milesTentUnsurprisingly, it took me a long time to fall asleep last night. Once I did, though, it was a good night. It was the first cool night in weeks. I actually enjoyed my sleeping bag. I walked in long sleeves and long pants today, to keep ticks and gnats off me. Tonight I found a tick on my neck. And I had used bug stuff on my neck. Argh!  I asked a weekender to check my hair for me. Luckily she didn't find any more ticks. I almost but not quite have enough food to get to Buena Vista. Definitely have to stop in Glasgow. They have a laundromat so I should be able to wash clothes, which will be nice. I want to wash the salt out of them. It seems like another steamy night tonight. I haven't even unpacked my sleeping bag. I have it handy though. The Charlottesville Outdoor Club is here tonight. They are a fun bunch and very good company. I've enjoyed the conversation and hijinks. This shelter, btw, has a privy that is so new looking I think it just got built. It is perfectly clean and fabulous. I could totally camp in there.
Date: 2010-06-06
From: Matts creek shelter

To: Johns Hollow shelter
Miles today: 3.9
Weather: overcast clouds

6/6Matts creek shelter to johns hollow shelter3.9 milesTentI caught a ride into town with a river rafter. Glasgow seems to be a dying town. A bunch of storefronts are empty. The groceries available are minimal. Though there is a good sized laundromat, which I used.  The owner stopped in and while he was there gave me directions to the one restaurant. It was a pretty long walk, and it was closed when I got there. So disappointing!  It's supposed to be open on Sundays according to the sign. The closed sign in the window said they'd be back at one, but who knows if that's reliable. I rested my feet on the porch of the place before trudging back in to town to try to get a ride back to the trail. Fortunately there was a softball tournament happening in the town athletic field. I was able to buy a hot dog and a doctor pepper, and eat them sitting at a picnic table in the shade.It was a very short walk to the first shelter. Despite the early hour, I stopped and set up my tent.  After last night's warning of bad weather today, I didn't want to get stuck on a ridge in heavy rain or worse. There was most of a book left in the shelter. I read it, but it was frustrating. Pages were torn from both the front and the back. I have no idea how the story ended. The Motley Thru is here. They were the last to see Island Boy alive. So they were briefly murder suspects. Yikes!  At least now I know the guy's trailname. Apparently he was a section hiker who had just gotten back on the trail. He was taking it very slow and easy and apparently was in good spirits and no distress when they met him.  That's good to know - that his last day was a good one. I ran into Stickwalker and Belle today as they were going into town. I hope they catch up to me tomorrow. It was good to see them, even briefly!  Looking at my guidebook I see that I'm only 75 miles from Shenandoah!  That's pretty exciting for me. SNP feels like home to me. I have spent so many vacations hiking there. So many hikes with friends where we resolved all the world's problems. If only anyone listened to us.I only regret that I won't be able to have any yummy milkshakes in the park.
Date: 2010-06-07
From: Johns Hollow shelter

To: Pedlar River Bridge
Miles today: 13.3

6/7Johns hollow shelter to pedlar river bridge13.3 milesTentI was happy to be tented last night near the Motley Thru. That bunch cracks me up. They are hilariously coarse (they rate each other's burps and farts), smart, and congenial. And they are a very tight group. They obviously care a great deal about each other and it's nice to see. In the morning I was not so thrilled about rising. My stupid lower back was in spasm the night before so I took a muscle relaxant. I slept well after that but was not incredibly alert as a result. However, the weather was fantastic today and that sharpened me up considerably. For the first time in weeks I felt fully present. I had no desire to listen to my iPod for most of the day. I thoroughly enjoyed everything. The hike, the views, the passing people. It was good. I was also hungry. For the first time in a while I finished all my snacks and looked forward to dinner.  I was super thirsty too. I ran out of water twice. The first time, another hiker kindly gave me some of his. The second time I was pretty near water so I could refill soon enough. I got three liters, which is as much as I can carry. Plus I saw Kitkat at a road crossing and she gave me a Pepsi. Icy cold. I love her now. Laser Legs pointed me to a water source off the parkway, for which I am grateful. They are not always obvious. I'm camped with Superman, Cope, and Stickwalker tonight. Had I known Stickwalker's plans I would have gotten a bigger resupply in Glasgow, but I didn't see him until I got back. He has six days food and is skipping Buena Vista. I have to stop there (or possibly at Montebello) for food and other supplies as well as a much needed shower and electronics recharge.  So he's going to get ahead of me. Blast it! I really missed him and Belle. It can't be helped though.  I hope we coincide again.The views today were some of the best on the trail, I think. Really stunning. The trail was correspondingly tough - my hamstrings were burning at times. But I took it slowly (of course!) and had no real difficulty.  Oh, that reminds me. I think the new boots and/or my feet have just about finished breaking  in. I'm back to a pretty normal amount of foot pain.  (which is kind of an odd sentence to write)Tomorrow is supposed to be even nicer than today.  And I only have seven miles to walk, plus a ride into town to find. It should be grand. I look forward to a luxurious shower and leisurely food shopping. Oh, and I think I have successfully innovated tonight. I've been thinking about maybe getting a bag liner, just to keep me from touching my super grippy pad. (it is really hard to roll over because the surface sticks to my skin)  Then I thought of my silk sarong. I have it spread out on the pad and so far so good. Awesome!  No liner needed.
Date: 2010-06-08
From: Pedlar River Bridge

To: Buena Vista
Miles today: 6.8

6/8Pedlar river campsite to Buena Vista6.8 milesMotelLast night we had clear skies. And I wasn't under trees for once. Every time I woke up I leaned over to look up from the tent and gaze at the stars for a bit. But I didn't wake up much. The ground was fairly soft, providing a very comfortable bed.  And my silk sarong/bottom sheet worked wonderfully.  It was one of my most restful nights on the trail.  It was deliciously cool this morning. My little thermometer said it was sixty degrees out. I wore my rain jacket while packing up. It felt a little brisk in just my hiking clothes before I started walking. Once I got going, it was absolutely perfect. Perfect hiking weather. I enjoyed the morning's hike immensely. The miles passed quickly. I went through the old Brown Mountain Creek freedman's community, looking for old signs of habitation. I saw many low stone walls, built up creek banks, and two standing chimneys. Anything built of wood would have been long gone, but stone and earthworks remain.  I kept craning my neck to see more, but the luscious summer growth obscured my view. I got to the road crossing for Buena Vista a little before noon. There was very little traffic, and I wondered after a while if I would have to hike on after all, and get food in Montebello. But luckily for me, a gentleman in an old pickup truck stopped and offered to let me ride in the back.  I leapt in and we were off. My first stop was for a burger, fries, and coke. I got pointed toward the motel and grocery after that but promptly went in the wrong direction. Eventually I asked two young men on foot where the motel was, and they sent me back the other way. Argh!  Walking the other way, I soon found the motel. I set out for the grocery after securing a room. However nobody mentioned just how far away the grocery was.  It took a long time to walk there. I guess it was at least a mile. I was so bummed out at the thought of the long walk back carrying groceries. But I hadn't even left the parking lot before the father of a hiker daughter pulled over and offered me a ride!  I was elated, and grateful to him. It made me think about the sort of person that would offer a stranger a ride. I'm glad those people still exist. Anyway, now I have food. My laundry is in the dryer. I'm clean. And another hiker at the motel called out to me as I was going back to my room. So I'll have a dinner companion once I have dry clothes. Things are looking pretty good.I looked for an online AT reference so I could try to determine a possible endpoint for this trip. I'd like to get through the Whites on thruhiker legs. I figure I'll do a long section in Maine during another year's section hike to finish up the AT.  I think that plan will find me finishing my hike in Gorham, NH this year. We will see.
Date: 2010-06-09
From: Buena Vista

To: Seeley-woodworth shelter
Miles today: 14.0
Weather: overcast clouds

6/9Buena Vista to Seeley-woodworth shelter14.0 milesShelterI slept like crap last night. Nightmares, indigestion (possibly related), shouting lowlifes. And then I woke up at six and couldn't get back to sleep. I felt like hell. Buena Vista wasn't such a nice place that I wanted to zero there. I decided to go feel like crap in the woods. That was an excellent plan. Soon after I started hiking I felt much better. I had a surprising amount of energy. If I stopped and thought about it I could still feel my cramps. I put on an audiobook and didn't think about them. Several miles in I ran into a local couple dayhiking. They were extremely knowledgable about plants. They pointed out all kinds of neat stuff for me. I can now identify jewelweed!  Also we talked about other interesting topics including Vikings and Neanderthals and mitochondrial DNA. Very fun. It sprinkled on and off but the promised storms never arrived. Yay! I kept thinking they would so I pressed on. The first place I wanted to stop had a lot of standing deadwood. Bad spot to be in a storm. So I pressed on and before I knew it I was at the shelter. I hope my feet forgive me soon. They bitched for the last four miles. I persuaded the folks in the shelter to make some room. It's a little tight but we aren't over the prescribed number of occupants. I hope I don't kick my companions.