morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2004-05-23
From: Lamberts Meadow Shelter, VA

To: daleville, VA
Miles today: 9.6
Weather: light rain

The draw of a comfortable town stay made me hike as fast as I could down the mountain. Fortunately, the Trail ends directly in front of a Pizza Hut in Daleville, Virginia.I had my pizza, shower, washed my clothes and went to the grocery store today. I still can't figure out how I spend $45 for two-days worth of food, but when you see Hostess or Little Debbie's food items (i.e. junk food), you can't help but grab a bunch because you know that you'll burn it off quickly.I had lunch with Hobbs today at Pizza Hut. He's a gentleman in his 60s from Iowa. He mentioned that he saw a bear yesterday and a bear today, with cubs, on his way towards Daleville. I haven't seen any on this trip. Other hikers that I've talked to have seen a couple in recent weeks. I haven't seen any poisonous snakes either (thank God). For whatever reason, I've seen a few box turtles on the trail. How they get up in the mountains or even live there is beyond me. Errors in the ALDHA Companion: The Daleville Best Western is now a Howard Johnson. The correct street address is 437 Roanoke Rd, not 237.
Date: 2004-05-24
From: daleville, VA

To: daleville, VA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

I'm enjoying my "zero day" today. I took advantage of the motel's continental breakfast. After breakfast, it was off again to the post office, outfitter, grocery store, and to run other errands. It takes a while to do these things when you have to walk everywhere to get these asks done.Tomorrow morning I'll be hiking northbound towards Waynesboro, Virginia. It will take about ten or eleven days to go about 133 miles.Equipment change: I replaced my General Ecology "First Need" water purifier with a Katadyn Hiker water filter. That change resulted in a 1/2 pound reduction in weight. More importantly, it is easier to find replacement cartridges for the Hiker than the First Need. The First Need, while a more sophisticated "purifier" is prone to clog very easily, even with a pre filter. It doesn't seem to be marketed in hiking stores anymore. I thought about using Aqua Mira, but I just don't want to wait for the chemicals to work. In addition, a filter makes it easier to collect water from shallow springs. The MSR Miox and the portable UV light seem to show promise, but they're too expensive right now.
Date: 2004-05-25
From: daleville, VA

To: wilson creek shelter, va
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: few clouds

I'm on the Trail again. There are a lot of new people on the Trail now who started after I did. I'm worried that I should be "banking" more miles each day.There are a lot of patches of wild strawberries on each side of the path, in this section of trail, but I haven't had time to stop and pick any.I stopped for a break at Fullhardt Knob Shelter. The water source for this shelter is a cistern system that collects rain water from the gutter on the roof of the shelter. Behind the shelter is a valve that you can open to collect the water.Today marks my completion of 1/3 of the Trail, in terms of mileage.In the shelter tonight: Moonstone, Bluebell, Stretch, and Redness Rushing.
Date: 2004-05-26
From: wilson creek shelter, va

To: Bryant Ridge Shelter, VA
Miles today: 20.6
Weather: overcast clouds

My day started again hiking with Bluebell and Moonstone. We left the shelter at 7:15 am, took three breaks of approximately forty-five minutes in length and ended our day at 5 pm upon arriving at Bryant Ridge Shelter. The trail segment today crossed and paralleled the Blue Ridge Parkway for many miles. We walked up to many of the pull-outs that drivers use to view the valley from the overlook. I thought it odd that I may have seen fewer than five cars on the Parkway today. The three of us only saw two other hikers on the Trail over this twenty mile segment. Where is everyone? I think that we're in between hiking groups.A highlight of the day was swimming in Jennings Creek. There is a fairly good sized swiming hole, just off the Parkway that has clear, cool, but not too cold,water flowing by. It was refreshing to take my boots off and get in. The creekis stocked with trout. I could see several of them swimming by. I'm now recalling a joke that Redness Running told us last night. There are three hikers at a diner in a Trail town: a dayhiker, a section hiker, and a thru-hiker. They each order a hamburger. When the hamburger arrives for the dayhiker, a fly lands on it. The dayhiker sends it back to the server and orders another 'burger. The section hiker receives a hamburger and a fly promptly lands on it. The section hiker picks the fly off the hamburger and eats the 'burger. The thru-hiker receives his hamburger from the server and again, a fly lands on it. So, the thru-hiker picks up the fly by his wings, shakes it, and yells, "spit it out, spit it out." Well, I didn't think it was that funny either, but without a doubt, you can work up a fierce hunger out here.That leads me to another thought: the 5-second rule, whereby it is safe to pick up a food item that fell to the ground and eat it if no more than five seconds have passed without any ill effects or awkward stares from onlookers. Out in the woods, after hiking all day, that rule is replaced with the ten or twenty second rule. Any food item or scrap that has fallen to the ground is fair game for that time period as long as another hungry hiker hasn't spotted it first.Bryant Ridge Shelter is a work of art. It sleeps twenty on two floors and perhaps more can sleep on the porch area. This building is more intricate than the typical rectangular shelter, but I really don't know how to describe it other than rustically elaborate.   The shelter is situated in a narrow valley where thick ferns and mosses grow. It is very fragrant around here with creeks runing in front of and to the side of the shelter.We arrived at the shelter minutes before a heavy thunderstorm brought wind, lightning and lots of rain. You can realy hear the thunder from an approaching storm echo and rumble between the mountains for quite some time before the weather gets crazy. The rainfall has slowed somewhat, but it will be nice to sleep with the rain faling on the roof.In the shelter tonight: Moonstone, Bluebell, Pita Man (from Israel), Chris, and Elly.
Date: 2004-05-27
From: Bryant Ridge Shelter, VA

To: Thunder Hill Shelter, VA
Miles today: 10.3
Weather: overcast clouds

The rain fell for quite a while last night. By morning, what I thought was the sound of rain falling was the sound of water rushing down the creek in front of the shelter. It was a relaxing sound. I didn't want to get up.I left the shelter with Bluebell and Moonstone at 8am. We intended to go only about 10 miles because we had a 3,000 foot climb to Thunder Hill. I guess because of our fitness levels, we made it to our destination by 1 pm - much earlier than I expected. I should have continued down the trail and made it another twenty mile day, but I stayed with Bluebell and Moonstone because of the threat of some pretty bad thunderstorms. I need to pick up the pace in the following days.Meanwhile, I've been bored for most of the day sitting at the shelter. It hasn't been all that bad. A couple of southbounders were here to tell us about the trail conditions ahead and about good restaurants in the next towns.I took a few pictures of the blooming rhodohendron and what I think is an really neat picture of rays of sunlight piercing through the tall trees in the fog. It looks like an effect that you'd see at a concert or performing arts event.In and around the shelter: Tim, Karma Vacuum, Sierra Marmot, Moonstone, Bluebell, and Pyro.Tim is a gentleman who decided to give himself the gift of a hiking trip for his 60th birthday. He's hiking southbound from Harper's Ferry, West Virginia to Springer Mountain, Georgia, this year. Next year, he'll hike north from Harper's Ferry to Katahdin, Maine. He's outrageously funny and wish that he was hiking northbound.Sierra Marmot lives in the Sierra Nevadas.Pyro got his name early in his trip. He was carrying way too many clothes in his pack, so instead of continuing to carry them and mailing them home days later, he decided to throw most of them on a campfire that someone made at a shelter.Karma Vacuum was named because good things seem to happen to him where ever he goes on the Trail, like trail magic, and getting rides into town easily when he hitch hikes. Thunder Hill lived up to its name last night with a big, but brief thunderstorm around 3 am. The rain continued to fall for quite some time.
Date: 2004-05-28
From: Thunder Hill Shelter, VA

To: Glasgow, VA
Miles today: 14.6
Weather: light rain

I walked today in a fairly heavy rain that fell for the better part of the morning. I did see a deer, though, through the mist and fog that lingered until noon. In some sections of the Jefferson National Forest, the Tulip Poplar trees were so tall and large that it was difficult to see the canopy of the trees through the fog. I was impressed!Later in the day, after the rain stopped, the woods were very fragrant with different scents as you pass by certain plants and trees. I could also watch the low clouds drift up the side of the mountans across the valley and disappear. The destination today, as I hiked with Bluebell and Moonstone was across the James River and into Glasgow, Virginia. We hitched a ride to the Mom and Pop Motel (formerly the Wright Place Motel) in the back of a pickup truck.Let me tell ya, nothing has been more risky and frightening than sitting in the back of a pickup truck blazing down a curvy mountain road driven by Bubba and his other brother, Bubba, on their way home from their fishing trip at the river.Even waking across roads, with a backpack on, where the Trail crosses a road can be frightening when you aren't used to seeing objects move much more than 2 miles per hour (i.e., other hikers).Glasgow is hardly a town, but it is picturesque. The valleys are very flat and the mountains look like they are just poking through the ground.Other things: I haven't seen a single Coca-Cola machine in Virginia, yet. Everywhere I go, it's "No Coke, Pepsi." I prefer Coca-Cola.There are no telephones in this tiny motel. For $54 per night for three people, they must be making a killing. I'll need to go next door to the convenient store to use a pay phone.
Date: 2004-05-29
From: Glasgow, VA

To: Punchbowl Shelter, VA
Miles today: 10.5
Weather: broken clouds

Saturday is the all-you-can-eat breakfast at Mom and Pop's restaurant, so, of course, I couldn't pass that up. After breakfast, Moonstone, Bluebell, and I hired a ride six miles back to the Trail. We only hiked 10.5 miles today anticipating a tough hike with 3,000 feet of elevation gain. Tomorrow will be another tough and longer day with at least 3,000 feet of elevation gain and loss. Virginia has been easier than GA, NC, and TN, just not easy.Today, we had fantastic views of the James River valley and the small communities below from the cliffs along the Trail. A cold front passed through the area over night making the weather a little cooler and the skies a little clearer. However, the atmosphere was almost too hazy to take decent pictures.At the shelter tonight: Moonstone, Bluebell and Mountain Dew. Tenting near the shelter is Boy Scout Troop #10 from Lynchburg, Virginia. I suppose there are a dozen of them here.Mountain Dew is an eighteen-year-old hiker from Lancaster, Pennsylvania. He started hiking the Trail from Springer Mountain, Georgia, on April 2nd and lately has been doing twenty-five to thirty mile days.
Date: 2004-05-30
From: Punchbowl Shelter, VA

To: Cow Camp Gap Shelter, VA
Miles today: 14.6
Weather: light rain

The hike out of Punch Bowl Shelter, northbound wasn't too bad today. It was rather enjoyable. The sky had a thick cover of overcast clouds, but that was nice since it made the temperature pleasantly cool.I stopped for a break at Brown's Creek Shelter, a litle more than half-way to our destination for the day. That shelter had some nice camping areas near the creek under some incredibly all pine trees.Shortly after the break we began climbing up roughly 3,000 feet. It was a struggle, even after being on this trip for two and one-half months. By the time we reached the top, it was very foggy because of the low cloud ceiling and it remained that way through the evening.I appreciate the efforts of the Roanoke and Natural Bridge Appalachian Trail Chapters for maintaining the past segments of trail so well. The trail maintainers have been cutting down the heavy vegetation and grases so that we don't have them brushing up against us as we make our way down the Trail. I suppose that all of this recently cut vegetation is partially responsible for making the woods smell nice, like a freshly cut lawn.In the shelter tonight: Bluebell, Moonstone, and Mountain Dog. Mountain Dog is a section hiker from Lancaster, Pennsylvania. By the time he completes his southbound section from Waynesboro, to Pearisburg, Virginia, he will have completed 1,700 miles of the Trail.
Date: 2004-05-31
From: Cow Camp Gap Shelter, VA

To: Fish Hatchery Rd, Montebello, VA
Miles today: 12.5

Once again my sleep was disturbed by a wild 3am thunder and lightning show. Buckets of rain fell throughout the morning. Moonstone, Bluebell and I delayed our departure from the shelter until the deluge subsided around 8:30am.   The Trail traversed a couple of balds and the last thing that I wanted to have happen was to get caught without forest cover with lightning around. My destination for the day was to Fish Hatchery Road, the location of a great bed and breakfast that a few southbounders told us not to miss. Bluebell and Moonstone were going to a shelter just short of the road and come in on the following day. So, I hurried just as fast as I could to the road. The reward was a free lunch until 1pm, as they advertised in the Companion. I was 30 minutes late, but covered 12.5 miles in five hours. Luckily, when I called the B&B from the trail intersection, they said that they'd be right up to pick me up AND have lunch ready for me. What's better than a hot shower? That's right, a free lunch. Anyway, after the rain stopped, only the fog and mist remained.   I just can't describe in a short, written discription of what it looks like to look down on the "neighboring" mountain ridges and watch the clouds roll over the tops of the nearby mountains. Certainly, you've seen what it looks like to be in an airplane flying between layers of clouds. That's what it was like today. It's quite unique. The bed and breakfast is called the Dutch Haus. It's located in a large, log home on a hill in a town with a population of just one or two hundred. The home is nicely decorated with a large sun room in the back and a front porch with a few rocking chairs. What a relaxing place. I spent quite a bit of time looking at the clouds roll by as I sat in a rocking chair. I guess with the turbulent weather of the past week, there have been some unusual clouds blowing over the mountains. Well, I had a filling lunch and a great dinner, complete with ice cream and apple pie. Tomorrow, I can't wait for breakfast. Food means a lot to hikers.I feel a bit out of place being a dirty hiker (now clean after a hot shower) here in this nice home, but it's nice to be clean and sleeping on a real mattress.There are, I think, two or three couples staying here and four other hikers. I am sharing a room with a bunk bed with Ursa the bear, from Switzerland. He is a physical education teacher in Zurich. Ok, I think that's enough for today. Hope the weather is better tomorrow.Here is the latest map of my progress.
Date: 2004-06-01
From: Fish Hatchery Road, Montebello, VA

To: Reeds Gap, VA
Miles today: 19.9

I did things a little differently today. After looking at the elevation profile, I did not feel like hiking down 3,000 feet, within about three miles to the Tye River, and then back up 3,000 feet, in about three miles, to the next shelter. The total distance for the day, would have been approximately eighteen miles between Fish Hatchery Road and the Maupin Field Shelter. (Yes, there is a fish hatchery at the bottom of the road.) So, I decided to slackpack for the first time on this trip.Basically, I took everything out of my backpack except for food, water, extra clothing and a few other essentials. The idea was to have a very light pack as I covered these miles. Earl, co-owner of the Dutch Haus drove me northbound along the Blue Ridge Parkway to Reeds Gap. That required me to hike 19.9 miles southbound over the Three Ridges, down to the beautiful Tye River, back up The Priest Mountain, and then to Fish Hatchery Road. I hoped to make it back in time for dinner.I started southbound at 9:30am. I felt like I could literally fly with such a light pack on. Traveling southbound, it was not too much of a problem going up the Three Ridges, unfortunately, there was only a partial view from the top.   I continued down the steep, and rocky south side of the Ridges towards the Tye River. I was so glad that I was travling light. Within two miles of the Tye, I met Cheez who said that there was trail magic at the river. After hearing that, I literaly ran part of the way downhill. That was a bad idea. I could feel it in my knees shortly thereafter. Two gentlemen (John and Peyton) from the Sierra Club had a charcoal grill with hamburgers, soft drinks, and other sorts of picnic foods for thru-hikers. I spent a better part of ninety minutes talking with them. I still had ten miles to go to get back to the Dutch Haus, so I headed up The Priest Mountain.The Priest has some fine views of the farms down in the valley. It's definitely a great place for a short day hike if you park at the river and hike up. I stopped for only a couple of minutes at an amazing overlook because I did not want to be caught out in the dark.What a day. Over the river and through the woods. Even without a loaded pack, this twenty mile day was tough. Luckily, I only was exposed to a brief rain shower.I was a little late for dinner, but with my appetite, I put it away fast and was fast asleep shortly thereafter.
Date: 2004-06-02
From: Reeds Gap, VA

To: Rockfish Gap/Waynesboro, VA
Miles today: 19.4
Weather: few clouds

I was unusually sore this morning after yesterday's long day. I thought about going 14.4 miles to Paul Wolfe shelter, then stay in Waynesboro the following day. Earl, from the Dutch Haus Bed and Breakfast drove me up to Reeds Gap this morning so that I could continue hiking northbound. Well, by 1pm I was at the shelter and the lure of a hot shower and real bed motivated me to move on to Waynesboro.I met and traveled with Wizard into Rockfish Gap from the shelter, a distance of approximately five miles. He was the only northbound hiker that I saw all day. We shared a ride into town to the Quality Inn, which is close to groceries, post office, and a laundromat. Once at the motel, I was happy to have caught up with Sox and Tree Frog both of them are on Trailjournals.com. Adam "A.D." is also here. The first order of business for me was to clean up and then meet the three of them at 6pm to go to an AYCE restaurant.We went to a place called Gavids. They offer steaks, a hot bar, salad bar, and desert bar. We had a great time talking and laughing about the characters on the trail. It seems like everyine is a character in one way or another. I told them the story of Bramble, who was an Army Ranger/Green Beret (??) who is as tough as nails. He killed, boiled, and ate the black snake that startled him on the trail one day. At least that's what he told me. Bluebell takes a whole can of chocolate cake icing to spread on his bagels. He says that it provides basically the same calories that energy bars do, at a cheaper price.I can't recall the other stories right now. We filled ourselves at the restaurant until we were unable to move, then headed back to the motel. After hiking nearly forty miles over the past two days, I was beat. Tomorrow will be my zero day so that I can recuperate and prepare for the next week out in Shenandoah National Park.Sox, Tree Frog, and A.D. are leaving tomorrow. Perhaps I'll catch up with them in a few days.Moonstone and Bluebell will probably arrive in Waynesboro on Friday, June 4.Interesting to note: Just checked the Appalachian Trail website. As of, 5/27 there have been 1,261 hikers starting northbound from Georgia. Compare that to 2.875 who started in year 2000. Compared to 2003 there are about 500 fewer hikers out here on the Trail this year.
Date: 2004-06-03
From: Rockfish Gap/Waynesboro, VA

To: Rockfish Gap/Waynesboro, VA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Today is another welcome zero day. The tasks for the day:go to the post office, library (for Internet), ATM, groceries, outfitter (fuel and camping supplies), and laundry.About the only thing that I had time to do was to take a swim in the pool at the motel. It was great, but still a little cold.Gear change:I love the fit of my Asolo boots, but there's just not enough cushion for constant use. My feet feel so bad that it is very difficult to stand on a hard surface at the end of the day. I've tried on a lot of hybrid trail running/low top boots and selected the Montrail Java GTX as the one having the best fit. They're also about half the weight of my full grain leather boots.
Date: 2004-06-04
From: Rockfish Gap/Waynesboro, VA

To: Rockfish Gap/Waynesboro, VA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: moderate rain

Today is my second zero day. I really need the break.Moonstone and Bluebell arrived today and we are sharing a room. They will stay through the weekend and then spend a week canoeing the Shenandoah River to a place just south of Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. I may be able to join them there at a later date. I will hike through the Shenandoah Park instead of "aqua blaze" as it's called.Tomorrow, I will probably meet with Palm Tree, Pilot and Gaiter Woman, rain or shine and head to the first shelter in Shenandoah Park.See Shenandoah National ParkandShenandoah National Park
Date: 2004-06-05
From: Rockfish Gap/Waynesboro, VA

To: Calf Mountain Shelter, VA
Miles today: 7.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Today, I studied the trail maps, dropped my bounce box off at the post office, ordered a large coffee from Mica's Coffee (best in town), and hitched a ride back and forth to the outfitter so that I could get more gas for my stove.During the past couple of days in Waynesboro, I've been meeting "new" people who have been miles behind me and are now coming into town to stay at the Quality Inn motel.I met Pilot, Poler (and her Golden Retriever, Jack), Hot Rock, Gaiter Woman, and others. So, I arranged to begin hiking with them. Moonstone, Bluebell and others are going to canoe through the Shenandoah's instead of hike through it.Poler had to leave her dog at a kennel. Dogs are not allowed in the Shenandoah National Park. The kennel owner agreed to drive us back to the trail intersection.We hiked through thick fog into the Park. The visibility was no more than about 75 feet. Everything seemed blurry; it was not easy to focus on anything because the fog and low clouds were so thick.   The rain stopped, luckily, but when the wind would blow through the trees, we'd get a good splash of cold rain on our heads. Brrrr. It's also colder today - in the 'mid fiftys for highs.On the way to the shelter, the Trail crossed the Skyline Drive many times. We covered the seven miles to the shelter in exactly three hours. Upon ariving at the shelter at 4:15pm, there were lots of people in the tents and in the shelter. Quite a few of them were former thru-hikers from prior years. It's really enlightening to ask them questions, hear about their experiences, and get their advice and perspecive about the trail ahead. They are hiking here this week to re-live some of the memories that they had during their past hike.I hope that the weather is clear tomorrow. The visibility was next to nothing today. I don't want to miss any good views, but I'm afraid that I did today. I couldn't take any pictures. In and around the shelter: lots of people! Blip and Last Minute are former hikers who are on Trailjournals.com. Mouse is keeping a journal on this site.