morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2013-04-16
From: Double Springs Shelter

To: Damascus
Miles today: 18.7
Weather: light rain

Damascus, and perhaps even more importantly the VA state line, were calling to me, so I was on the trail by 7. The first 8 miles were a bit of a struggle, since my ankle still wasn't feeling quite right. Yesterday and today I'd tried wearing an ankle brace that I'd brought with me as a "just in case". I stopped at Abingdon Gap Shelter, 8.3 miles into my day, and thought briefly about stopping there for the day. At that point, however, it was only 11:30 and I'd already called the Hikers Inn and reserved a bunk, so I decided to go for it. I took off the ankle brace, popped some ibuprofen, and off I went.Smart move on my part... once I took the brace off my ankle felt a bit better and I powered through the final 10+ miles to Damascus, walking into town by 3:30. It was hot and sunny, and this was the very first time on my entire hike that I didn't see a single hiker all day.Damascus is known as a great trail town, and I can see why. The trail goes right down the main street and has the businesses that a hiker wants/needs. Grocery store, Dollar General, Blue Blaze Cafe, Mt. Rogers Outfitters, Dairy King... they're all here.As I mentioned, I'm staying at the Hikers Inn, which is a great place. I'm in the bunkhouse behind the house, which accommodates 4 people and also a private bedroom for 2. There's also a couple of rooms in the main house. Ambassador and I are the only 2 in the bunkhouse, and PB and J are in the private room. I thought they were ahead of me so it was a pleasant surprise to see them again. Lee, one of the hostel owners, leaves hospital scrubs for hikers to wear while she does your laundry, so after my shower I donned the scrubs and headed two blocks down to the Blue Blaze Cafe. I was asked by a couple of people where I worked as a nurse!The cafe was a great meeting place for hikers. It was $1.50 taco night, so lots of hungry hikers. PB and J, Ambassador, L'il Engine, Timber, Eaglerunner, Hurry, Scraps, ZZ Topless, Sandman, and Patriot all came through. A bit later Maineiac, Duffel Miner, Genie, Rainbow Braid, and Movie Star all straggled in after their epic 26.2 mile hike.After eating tacos and a delicious salad with steak on top, I went to the Dollar General with PB and J to buy some ice cream to take back to the hostel. We had a lovely evening sitting on the front porch talking, eating ice cream, and later eating other snacks that Timber, L'il Engine, and Ambassador brought back. My ankle's a bit swollen and the porch consensus was that I need to ice it and keep taking ibuprofen, so Lee very kindly brought me some icepacks along with a pillow and stool to keep it elevated. My goal tomorrow is to resupply, eat large quantities of town food, and rest my ankle. Love these town days!Today's highlight: crossing the VA state line. Another milestone.
Date: 2013-04-17
From: Damascus

To: Damascus
Miles today: 0.0

Today was the perfect zero day. It started with a shower (what a treat) followed by breakfast at Dairy King, where I had the opportunity to chat with Sandman, Taco, and Taco's dad. We'd had a major thunderstorm in the middle of the night and it was still raining in the morning, so it was so pleasant to not be hiking.Let's see... after breakfast I headed back to the hostel for a bit to sort out what food I needed for the next leg of my journey. I then walked down the street to the outfitter's, where I purchased a new raincoat (sent my old rain jacket home and will contact Marmot about its poor performance), and then across the street to Dollar General to buy some of my hiker necessities.By this time I was thinking about eating again, and stopped in the Blue Blaze Cafe to chat for a minute. Northern had a pizza and offered me a slice, which took the edge off my hunger. Whiteout also stopped in, Meadow Flapjack was there, and Sugar Gnome and Heartburn came in too. So many hikers and so little time! Headed to MoJoe's Coffeehouse for a smoothie and sandwich, and in came Northern, so we had a nice chat. Sandman also came in for a cup of coffee. By this time it was 2:30 and the coffeehouse was closing so time to move on.Back to the hostel, only to walk to Food City for the rest of my resupply. Two section hikers who are also staying in the Hikers Inn, Faux Hiker and Donald Duck, drove by and gave me a ride to the store and even waited for me to shop so they could drive me back. Since my ankle's still a bit swollen this was much appreciated.I visited with lots of hikers along the street and in the stores, and enjoyed some downtime around an outside table at the hostel. Staying in a room in the main house here tonight are a father and son from England who have just started a trans-America bike trip from the coast in Virginia to Washington state. I heard "Lady Grey!" and there were Tommyhawk, Goat, Fix, and Foxi, who walked in this afternoon so of course we had to catch up. By this time it was time for dinner and thought I'd check out the Blue Blaze for their all you can eat (AYCE) spaghetti dinner. As Meadow Flapjack and I were walking in that direction, however, we were snagged by Mudmouth and Yardsale, who were heading to the Dairy King for dinner. Maineiac and the group were also going there so we decided to follow along. Especially enjoyed the vanilla milkshake with my fish sandwich!The day ended with a visit to the laundromat, where Maineiac, ZZ Topless, Rainbow Braid, Movie Star, Duffel Miner, and Yardsale were all hanging out watching TV, and finally a nice front porch visit with Meadow Flapjack and L'il Engine and Timber, who stopped by to chat.Great hostel, people, food... all around great day!Today's highlight: the entire town day.
Date: 2013-04-18
From: Damascus

To: Lost Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 15.8
Weather: overcast clouds

Since my ankle was bothering me I decided to go to the health clinic in Damascus, which opened at 9. This of course left me with plenty of time for a good breakfast, so at 7:30 I walked to Cowboy's for their famous blueberry pancakes. Great pancakes and a chance to catch up with Heart Rock and Tall Boy, who I hadn't seen for quite awhile. Cowboy's happens to be located in the Exxon Station, so it's an interesting ambiance.Following breakfast I strolled up to Mojoe's to get a good cup of tea and ran into Maineiac, Genie, Rainbow Braid, Movie Star, and Duffel Miner, so we chatted there awhile. By this time it was time to walk to the clinic.I arrived at the clinic right at 9 only to learn that the doctor had a family emergency and wouldn't be in for the day. That settled my medical dilemma... it was time to hike out. I returned to the Hikers Inn, packed up my stuff, taped my ankle (thanks to Chef for the tape and help), and walked out of town.I made one last stop at Subway, to buy my trail lunch sub, and walked on. I always feel a bit melancholy when leaving a town since it's so fun to be in town and catch up with everyone.Beautiful day for hiking and the trail was good. It seems as though the terrain is shifting and becoming a bit more moderate. Lots of wildflowers, streams, and better signage in VA. I also saw my first big snake, which I learned was a rat snake from the hikers here tonight. Someone else saw a rattlesnake today, but I haven't seen one of those yet.Now that we're in VA there are privies at the shelter, which is a good thing. We have an over full shelter tonight since it's supposed to rain overnight and into tomorrow. I'm here with Patriot, Tek, Steak, Shake, Cody Coyote, ZZ Topless, Ambassador, L'il Engine, Timber, Spider Kisser, Blast and his dog, and a southbound hiker named Boomerang. We have 9 of us in an 8 person shelter so it's cozy.Today's highlight: my ankle felt great while hiking!
Date: 2013-04-19
From: Lost Mountain Shelter

To: Thomas Knob Shelter
Miles today: 12.2
Weather: overcast clouds

We'd all thought the rain would have started in the middle of the night, so it was a pleasant surprise to wake up and realize there'd only been a light rain and it had ended. I packed up and was on the trail by 8.Good hiking weather to start, with a breeze and overcast skies. I got lulled into thinking that the weather forecast was off and there wouldn't be any rain. I was taking my time, stopping for some nice breaks along the way.Well, I was wrong. By the time I reached Buzzard Rock, late in the morning, I felt as though I was starring in a reality TV show called "Hiker vs. the Elements", and the elements were winning. Buzzard Rock sits on a bald mountain at about 5,000 feet, and the wind there was so strong that I really struggled to remain upright. Then, the rain that had started turned to icy rain gusting sideways. In the middle of this my pack cover blew off, so I had to crouch next to a rock and put my cover back on.All of that got my adrenaline going, so I powered along the next stretch of trail. The rain subsided, so I thought my odds of making it to the shelter were good.Wrong again. About 3 miles from the shelter the rain started in earnest. All I could do at that point was laugh and forge ahead. When the shelter came into view I was so excited. I arrived thoroughly drenched but at least I was under cover.This is a large shelter with 2 levels that holds 16 people. I'm up in the loft, along with Yardsale, Mudmouth, Tek, Cody Coyote, ZZ Topless, Patriot, Spider Kisser, and Shake. Downstairs are Steak, Timber, L'il Engine, Blast, Ambassador, and Northern. Almost everyone stayed at Lost Mountain Shelter last night, and several had planned to go further today but stopped because of the downpour.So I'm cozy in my bag, and packed into the loft with 8 other hikers. The wind is howling and Shake's thermometer reads 39 degrees up here. Ah, the glamorous life of a thru hiker...Today's highlight: beating the elements.
Date: 2013-04-20
From: Thomas Knob Shelter

To: Stealth camping at Dickey's Gap
Miles today: 21.2
Weather: clear sky

Overnight it felt as though I was in a second installment of "Hiker vs. the Elements". The wind howled all night, which caused the metal roof on the shelter to flop around noisily. The shelter, while covered, was still a 3 sided shelter, meaning that the poor six hikers sleeping downstairs had to endure that nasty wind. The temperature continued to plummet all evening, and this morning Shake's digital thermometer read 14 degrees. And that was the temperature in the loft, I can only imagine what the temperature was down below. In yesterday's entry I forgot to mention that Thomas Knob Shelter sits at over 5,000 feet, right near Mt. Rogers, Virginia's tallest mountain, so it has a reputation for cold weather.Needless to say, it was a struggle to get going. My wet boots had frozen solid overnight, and I hadn't thought to loosen the laces before bed. We'd strung a clothesline downstairs for our wet clothes, and of course they were frozen as well. All we could do was laugh and get moving.Fortunately the sun was shining, even though it was cold. I had a spectacular walk through the Grayson Highlands. It really is a different kind of landscape there. Since it was a Saturday, the trails were swarming with groups of hikers out for the weekend. I'd hoped to see the wild ponies and I was lucky enough to see 3 during the course of my day.Patriot, Tek, and I had talked about trying to head into Marion tomorrow for resupply and a stay. They both talked about hiking 22+ miles and camping, which would leave them with a 13 mile day tomorrow to catch a ride into Marion. That sounded good to me as well, although I ended up getting a later start due to my frozen gear. I felt great today (no ankle problems) so I just kept walking. I met Northern about 15 miles into the day and he and I walked together for awhile. At 21.2 miles the trail brought us out near a road crossing and I realized I couldn't go any further. I'm now settled into my cozy tent on a flat spot not too far from the road, and Northern caught a ride into town.By the way, I seem to be in a cell phone dead zone here in southern VA. I've tried several times a day to see if there's coverage and there's absolutely nothing. I'm hoping to get connected if I make it into Marion tomorrow...Today's highlight: the lovely Grayson Highlands.
Date: 2013-04-21
From: Stealth camping at Dickey's Gap

To: Marion Econo Lodge
Miles today: 14.6

Great sleep last night in my tent. Guess I can check that off my list of worries... first time camping by myself and all was well.As usual, with the thought of a town visit coming up, I packed up quickly and was on the trail by 7 a.m. What a lovely morning it was, sunny and cool, and the first miles zoomed by quickly. At one point the trail meandered through a pretty meadow. I recalled a conversation I'd had with Just Dave back in Erwin, when he commented that when he decided to hike the AT he had visions of walking through sun filled meadows. At that point, after all the snow in the Smokies, the hiker norovirus, and the ice storm, we were both wondering if those sun filled meadows would ever be something we'd encounter! By 1:30 I'd reached Partnership Shelter, one of the most deluxe shelters on the trail since it has a shower, and hikers can call for a pizza delivery. While I was tempted to stay, I wanted to head into Marion even more. Right near the shelter is the Mt. Rogers Visitor Center, and the road runs in front of the center. Apparently Marion Transit will pick up hikers at the visitor center for 50 cents, but not on Sunday. So I decided to confront another one of my worries and try my hand at hitch hiking. Wouldn't you know, the first car that came by stopped and picked me up. She was on her way to work and very nicely drove me all the way to the Econo Lodge. By the time I checked in it was 2:15. First was a shower, then I gathered up all my laundry and started the one mile walk to the laundromat. That's the reality with town days... you often end up walking long distances doing errands. The difference is that you get to walk freshly showered, in your crocs, and without that stinking pack on your back. Much easier than the trail.I stopped in a fast food establishment (I have no pride when it comes to food anymore) and ran into Patriot. We made a plan to meet for dinner at the Mexican restaurant near the hotels. At the laundromat I ran into Spider Kisser, and told him about the dinner plan. After the laundromat I stopped at Ingles grocery store for a few items, and ran into Mudmouth and Yardsale, who had just arrived in town. They wanted to meet up for dinner too.We all had a great dinner, and Longhaul was there and joined us as well. The hiking community certainly moves fluidly both on the trail and in trail towns! Back at it tomorrow...Today's highlight: being clean and eating town food, of course.
Date: 2013-04-22
From: Marion Econo Lodge

To: Stealth camping beyond Davis Path Campsite
Miles today: 15.0

Today was a great day. My morning started leisurely, since we'd made plans to take the 11 a.m. shuttle to the trailhead. This meant time for the hotel breakfast, to catch up on the news, and once again reorganize my backpack.At 10:40 I headed across the road to the Travel Inn to meet Northern and Patriot and wait for the bus. The bus arrived promptly... apparently it runs by arrangement. We first stopped at a doctor's office to pick someone up, then dropped the same person off at the hospital, made a stop at the post office, and then out of town for 6 miles to drop us at the trailhead. 50 cents per rider - thank you to the city of Marion for that service.We were on the trail by 11:30. I think today ranks among my top 5 hiking days so far. I'm a sucker for meadows, wildflowers, ridge walks, sunshine, and flowering trees, and today's hiking offered all of these in abundance. I am really loving this Virginia hiking. The trail is well maintained, the terrain is more moderate, and even the shelters are lovely. Once again, I feel fortunate to be hiking before the leaves are on the trees, because I can see out through the woods. For those of you contemplating a thru hike, keep this in mind. Yes, I've suffered through some miserable weather, but I've had views that I wouldn't have had if I'd started the trail in April. Another plus for an early start is that to date I haven't had to deal with annoying bugs.12 miles into my hike the trail crossed a corner of the small town of Atkins. The trail goes right by The Barn, a restaurant, and since it was 5 by this time I stopped for dinner. The Barn is known for their 1 lb. hiker burger but that seemed a bit extreme, so I ordered the 8 oz. cheeseburger and fries. Northern had just finished eating but he hung out while I ate, and we also chatted with Boulder Dash, who hiked his first day today.Following that delicious dinner, I had 3 more miles to hike to reach a campsite area. Again, beautiful hiking in the late day sun. I reached the campsite area by 6:45 but didn't like the spot, so continued up the trail for another half hour until I found a perfect spot on a ridge. Great end to a great day!Today's highlight: the Virginia landscape.
Date: 2013-04-23
From: Stealth camping beyond Davis Path Campsite

To: Chestnut Knob Shelter
Miles today: 19.3
Weather: clear sky

Woke up to yet another splendiferous Virginia morning. Packed up and was on the trail by a little after 8. Both Longhaul and Boulder Dasher passed me as I was packing up.Down and up through the woods, ultimately going through some more lovely meadows and pastureland. I don't know how many times I crossed over and through different kinds of stiles. At about 12:30 Maverick, Boulder Dasher, and I all came upon some trail magic near a road crossing. A former thru hiker left peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and sodas in coolers. A very welcome surprise - thanks!I'd originally thought about stopping at 15 miles in, but as the day wore on I realized that I could make it up a long climb to the top of a mountain tonight, leaving me with a shorter day tomorrow. Maverick set up his tent near a nice stream before the climb and I was tempted to do the same, but I opted to push on.So at 4:30 I started the close to 5 mile climb, gaining about 2,000 feet in elevation. The last couple of miles were stunning, since I was over 4,000 feet and the area was a grassy bald. I'm now staying at Chestnut Knob Shelter, which is a fully enclosed stone shelter in the open on a ridge line, with views from either side. I'm sharing the shelter with 2 men from Mississippi who are section hiking from Pearisburg to Damascus. They camped at Fresh Ground's spot last night and I'm looking forward to doing the same tomorrow!Today's highlight: I'll have to go again with the Virginia landscape.
Date: 2013-04-24
From: Chestnut Knob Shelter

To: Fresh Ground's Leapfrog Cafe (mile 580)
Miles today: 14.8
Weather: overcast clouds

Not the best night of sleep last night. As I sat in my sleeping bag typing my journal, a mouse popped out about a foot from me and seemed totally fearless. I really don't like the thought of mice running on top of me while I sleep, so I huddled in my bag, which was a bit too warm. On top of this, we'd propped the shelter door open before bed, so we'd get a little breeze. The wind was really howling (after all, the shelter's on an exposed mountain top at 4,400 feet) so in the middle of the night one of the men closed the door. This was a fine idea, but there was no latch on the inside of the door, so the door banged with the wind all night. Between keeping an eye out for mice, the howling wind, and the banging door, it was a long night.Today's hiking profile promised 2 long stretches that appeared to be relatively flat. This being the AT, however, looks can be deceiving. The first "flat" stretch turned out to be a ridge line walk. For any of you who have made ridge line walks before, you know that they can get rather tedious. This particular ridge involved a lot of angular rocks so was pretty time consuming.Luckily, the second "flat" stretch was a bit of a dream. Every once and awhile I'll hit a section of the trail when I'll wonder if it's some kind of trap because it's actually easy. This was just such a stretch, walking relatively on the level on an old woods road.All day I was fueled onward by the knowledge that Fresh Ground was set up and waiting for hikers near mile 580. I've mentioned Fresh Ground before... he's the magical individual who is making it his mission to support a large "bubble" of hikers on their trek north. What started in Georgia as trail magic has evolved into Fresh Ground's Leapfrog Cafe, and it is simply wonderful. He camps in one place for about 10 days, providing hikers with food, drink, great conversation, news of the trail, and a place to camp. Tonight I'm camping here with Maverick, and Fresh Ground has treated us royally. Right after I arrived he served me a plate of barbecued chicken (a new addition to his menu) and corn with butter beans. Everything is funded through hiker donations and he is planning on moving up the trail with us to Maine. What an amazing person and what a gift - thank you, Fresh Ground. He has a Facebook page called "Fresh Ground's Leapfrog Cafe" if you're curious to see where he'll be next.Maverick and I rode into Bland with Fresh Ground and his dog Dottie while he resupplied and we stopped at the Dairy Queen. I'm feeling well fed and cared for as I'm cozy in my tent next to the stream. A good breakfast tomorrow and then back on the trail.Today's highlight: being back at the Leapfrog Cafe.
Date: 2013-04-25
From: Fresh Ground's Leapfrog Cafe (mile 580)

To: Jenny Knob Shelter
Miles today: 19.0
Weather: clear sky

I woke up this morning to the sound of bacon sizzling in the pan. Fresh Ground cooked an awesome breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon, fried potatoes, and banana pancakes. If only every morning on the trail could start this way...The terrain today ranked up there as one of the top five easiest days on the trail. The profile for the day showed long "flat" stretches, and the trail actually was pretty flat and soft under foot. There were no spectacular views, just a long but pretty walk through the woods.Maverick and Tek were ahead of me, so I walked by myself for most of the day. During the final 3 miles to the shelter, however, Flip caught up with me and it was great to have someone to chat with during the uphill climb at the end. Tommyhawk also showed up, and Goat shortly thereafter. For the past couple of days I've felt as though I've been in between groups of hikers, but I think the gap's closing in.I'm here tonight with Tek, Maverick, Flip, Tommyhawk, Patriot, Goat, and Hildy. Another gorgeous day and lovely evening.Today's highlight: the easy walking and catching up with trail friends.