morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2014-05-08
From: Mountain Harbour Hostel

To: Moreland Gap Shelter
Miles today: 18.9
Weather: clear sky

Last night, One disclosed the scheme he'd hatched to hike to Pearisburg, VA by Memorial Day, rent a car, and drive to Pennsylvania to visit his daughter and girlfriend for a week. In order to get to there before the rental agencies closed for the long holiday weekend, he'd need to average 18 miles a day for the next three weeks, a significant bump from our current average. So today he departed at 7:30 am and was shooting for 25. I read his entry in the log books at Mountaineer and Mooreland Gap Shelters that he'd covered the first nine and nineteen miles by 11:00 am and 4:00 pm, respectively, so it looks like he's on target. On the other hand, the heat and my feet are telling me just the opposite: I need to back off a bit. So One and I have parted ways. I plan to hitch my wagon to the two Arizonans, AZ and ABear, who seem to be moving along at about my pace.One missed a spectacular breakfast at Mountain Harbour, perhaps the best on the AT. There was fresh fruit and a variety of gourmet breakfast items you'd expect to find at a fancy brunch. I'm pretty sure nobody left the Harbour hungry this morning, except perhaps One.It's strange: yesterday's 16-mile hike up in the Roan Highlands was much harder than today's 19-miler. Several factors contributed to the difference. First, the trail was noticeably flatter and less rugged today. And although the temperature was about the same, being below tree line meant there was a lot more shade. Third, we were crossing rivers continuously, and I took every opportunity to soak my shirt in the cool mountain water. And finally, today I was sporting a new do from last night 's buzz cut at the hostel.Tonight I'll be sleeping in Mooreland Gap Shelter, my first night in a shelter since Cosby Knob Shelter, way back in the Smokies. Unfortunately, there is no privy and no bear cables, so it's time to go hang my food bag over a tree limb.
Date: 2014-05-09
From: Moreland Gap Shelter

To: Watauga Lake Shelter
Miles today: 16.3
Weather: clear sky

It's hard to believe I've now been on the trail over a month. The miles are starting to come easier as we approach Virginia, since the terrain is a flattening out a bit. Everyone is excited to get to Damascus, where Trail Days will take place next weekend. Thousands of thru-hikers past and present will converge on this border town for parades, music, and heavy partying to celebrate the Appalachian Trail experience. Hikers up and down the trail will shuttle into town and back out again to take part in the celebration.With the exception of the morning I night hiked to make it to Sam's Gap for trail magic, this morning was my earliest start yet: 7:30. It should have been an easy 16-miler, but 3-G and I decided to take a one-mile side trail into Hampton, TN for food and to resupply. We didn't count on the extra hour slog along the road to get to and from the town center, defined as the location of the Dollar General and McDonalds. So although we only get credit for 16, our legs are saying we did well over 20. AZ and ABear, on the other hand, chose not take the side trail but instead hitchhike from a point where the AT crosses a main road and achieved the same result without all the extra wear and tear on the legs. The four of us eventually converged at the Watauga Lake Shelter, which we're sleeping in tonight to avoid the rain that's currently falling. It's no fun packing up a wet tent in the morning.We had some superb scenery today. The trail passed through a gorge formed by the Laurel River with a spectacular waterfall along the way. The rhododendrons and dogwoods are starting to flower. And toward the end of the day, the trail took a pointless five-mile detour, in ABear's opinion, to go up an over an unnamed 3700-foot mountain.
Date: 2014-05-10
From: Watauga Lake Shelter

To: Double Springs Shelter
Miles today: 21.6
Weather: light rain

There was one other person at the Watauga Lake Shelter last night besides AZ, ABear, 3-D, and myself: Storm Crow, a mountain of a man with a big bushy beard, who is a retired postal worker from Montana. When he was younger, he used to run ultra marathons before there was a term for such things. But then, as he told me in his own words, he let himself go. When he hit the trail in March, he weighed over 300 pounds, but he'd dropped 20 by Hot Springs. He's currently looking for a new place to live, and is using his AT hike as somewhat of a home hunting trip. He thought he might choose one of the trail towns he passed through in the south until he detected an undercurrent of racism from one of the locals he met there.Along with the three age categories of thru-hikers I mentioned in an earlier post, there seems to be another category that cuts across all age groups: those people facing major life transitions, seeking new careers, partners, and/or places to live. Storm Crow seems to fit into this category, as did Gambler, from Spivey Gap just before Erwin, who had no idea where he'd be living when he got off the trail."Bob Peoples doesn't flush toilets, he scares the shit out of them." Based on graffiti such as this on its walls, Vanderventer Shelter is a shrine to this trail builder and maintainer, who also runs the Kincora Hiking Hostel a few miles south on the AT.Many people claim the AT is the longest distance between two points, and we had a good example of this while hiking into Moreland Gap Shelter the other day. A view opened up to the south, and we looked across at a ridge that appeared strikingly similar to that of the Roan Highlands. But how could it be, because that was 40 miles south on the trail, yet what we were looking at was no more than five miles away? In consulting a map that evening, we discovered that the ridge was indeed Roan, and that the AT had taken a wide, arcing detour to include this spectacular ridge along its path.Today we walked in off-and-on rain for most of the day. We were compensated for the lack of a water view from the Watauga Lake Shelter by a view of the lake for ten miles as we ascended a ridge that ran parallel to it. Late in the day, we came to a box provided by the local Baptist Church that normally contains sodas and snacks for thru-hikers. To our disappointment, the box was empty by the time we arrived. However, no more than a half-mile up the trail, Superman, a former thru-hiker and founder of an organization called Riff-Raff, had several tents set up and was providing trail magic of his own in the form of beer, soda, sandwiches, hot dogs, and live music. We found out Riff-Raff does this annually at the same spot for a week leading up to Trail Days.
Date: 2014-05-11
From: Double Springs Shelter

To: Damascus
Miles today: 18.7
Weather: clear sky

Happy Mother's Day, everyone!It was an interesting night at Double Springs Shelter. Excited to be getting to Damascus, VA the next day, everyone was in their sleeping bags before 9:00 pm. Aside from the three I'd been hiking with the last several days, AZ, ABear, and 3-G, there were two women in the six-person shelter: Pockets and Hobo. Pockets is a 28-year-old Swiss who I'd been leap frogging since before Sam's Gap several weeks ago, and Hobo (short for homeward bound) is retired Navy and lives in Portland, ME. While I was finishing journaling, a couple of Husqvarnas fired up at full volume. Even with all the snoring, I got a good night's sleep, but ABear mentioned in the morning that he hadn't. This despite the fact he was the only one who hadn't heard the Biblical-strength rain that pounded the shelter's metal roof during the night.Everyone was out of their bags by 5:30, with 3-G hitting the trail just before 6:00. As usual, I was the last one out, partly because I insist on cooking oatmeal, so by the time I left just after 7:00 the shelter was deserted. The 18-mile run-in to Damascus was mostly flat or down hill, so we made great time, arriving in town by 2:00. I caught ABear just before the Tennessee/Virginia border, so we were able to take pictures of each other there plus under the arch at the entrance to Damascus. Just before the trailhead sat a cooler with Bud Light, and today we were on time for the trail magic. The skies cleared and the sun came out just as we entered Damascus, seemingly to welcome us to the new state and this prototypical trail town.AZ, ABear, and I ate a late lunch at the Blue Blaze Cafe, a pizza/burger restaurant in the center of town, while 3-G opted for Dairy King. After showers, resupply, laundry, and a few phone calls, we met up for dinner at a barbecue joint. We all plan to zero tomorrow in Damascus. That means eating, soaking our feet in the river, visiting the library, and picking up my replacement trail runners at the post office. In other words, anything but hiking. I'm now eating the Cheez-Its I had planned to hike out of town with on Tuesday, so I better wrap up.
Date: 2014-05-13
From: Damascus

To: Lost Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 15.6
Weather: clear sky

It's always hard leaving a trail town, particularly one as picturesque and welcoming as Damascus. I spent the first night in town at Dave's place, a spartan hostel where I had my own small private room that looked like a prison cell but was actually quite comfortable. The next night I upgraded, moving in with AZ and ABear at the Dancing Bear B&B, where we luxuriated in a plush, three-bedroom suite called the Mama Bear. At breakfast this morning, we ate quiche, bagels, and fresh fruit while classical music played in the background.I'm now on my fourth set of footwear. My replacement Brooks Cascadia trail runners were waiting for me at the post office yesterday. As soon as I slipped them on, I knew I could send home the boots I'd bought in Hot Springs, which turned out to be uncomfortable when hiking big miles with a heavy pack, and throw away my old running shoes, which were seriously falling apart. It was a positive experience working with Brooks, and should the new shoes work out, the company has a customer for life. The trail runners are bright orange and garnered a few comments from fellow hikers as I walked through town. So far it's looking good, as my feet feel better than they have in weeks after today's 15-miler.The Creeper rails-to-trails bicycle path ran parallel to the AT for most of the day, so ABear and 3-G decided to walk on it, while AZ and I chose to be purists and follow the white blazes. The other three arrived at the Lost Mountain Shelter before I did and decided to hike a couple extra miles to a campsite to reduce tomorrow's mileage. I chose to stay at the shelter tonight with Pockets, Flatlander, The Kid, Scout, Chinook, and Legs (Chong's nephew). It looks like I made the right choice, as a thunder storm is passing overhead as I type, and it's raining as hard as it has since I've been on the trail.I'm now on map AT-6 (of 22), so I feel like I'm making real progress. Also, there's a four-foot high map of the AT sold at various outfitters. When I first saw my position on the map while back in Georgia, my lack of progress was depressing. But I was pleasantly surprised when I saw the same map in Damascus.
Date: 2014-05-14
From: Lost Mountain Shelter

To: Wise Shelter
Miles today: 17.3
Weather: overcast clouds

For the first time, southbounders outnumbered northbounders on the trail today. Turns out many thru-hikers, in anticipation of Trail Days, took shuttles to points north on the trail and started hiking south, timing their arrival in Damascus to coincide with the start of the festivities. I've heard reports that the town of 1000 is expected to swell tenfold this weekend.The trail passed two notable landmarks today. Mount Rogers, the highest mountain in Virginia, is the third state high point so far after Blood Mountain in Georgia and Clingmans Dome in Tennessee. Unfortunately, today's summit offered views of a dense spruce forest and nothing else. A few miles later we entered Grayson Highlands, where wild ponies wander free through the fields that surround the trail.3-G has had almost as many trail names as I've had footwear. In addition to 3-G, he's also been called G-string, at least by a few older women when they found out he had once competed in a body building competition. And today he announced, upon his arrival at the shelter, that his new trail name is Thor. This afternoon, a southbound hiker named Thunder was providing rolling trail magic (magic offered by an angel on the go), and 3-G found his name appealing. On the spot, ABear suggested the name Thor, and 3-G accepted it instantly.Today's 17-miler was harder than expected, due to two significant climbs, including Mt Rogers, the rocky trail through Grayson Highlands, and the heat. Late in the afternoon, we arrived at Wise Shelter, which sits exactly at the 500-mile mark, more evidence that we're making progress on our pilgrimage north.
Date: 2014-05-15
From: Wise Shelter

To: Trimpi Shelter
Miles today: 20.0
Weather: moderate rain

We had a full house at the Wise Shelter last night due to the rain that was scheduled to arrive during the night. And arrive it did, in buckets. By morning, there was a moat surrounding the shelter, and the stream where I'd gone for a swim the previous evening was a life-threatening torrent.I may have enjoyed the first several miles today more than any others on the trip so far. The trail traversed a bare ridge that had the look and feel of a classic English moor, with the light rain and mist complementing the landscape perfectly. After the last week of hot, sunny weather, I'd been looking forward to a change and got my wish today.We stopped for pre-lunch and lunch at the Old Orchard and Hurricane Mountain Shelters, respectively. Each time, I found myself shivering by the time we were ready to leave. The combination of rain and cool temperatures made for ideal hypothermia conditions. Consistent with the forecast, the skies brightened after lunch as we began the final nine miles to Trimpi Shelter. But half way there it started raining again and increased in intensity as we approached our destination for the day. Trimpi is an old rock building with compact sleeping areas, good for people about six feet or shorter. At 6'3", my feet would have been dangling in space, and since it stopped raining shortly after I arrived at the shelter, I decided to tent out tonight. I'm now lying in the tent and listening to a steady rain. I sure hope it stops by morning.
Date: 2014-05-17
From: Damascus via Atkins

To: Damascus via Atkins
Miles today: 0.0

Trail Days turned out to be much more than I had imagined. It was so much fun seeing people I'd met along the trail over the last six weeks, including Ringo, Ace, Puzzle, Train, Saybak, Kinetic, Medic, Lieutenant Dan, and Hobo. But I spent most of the day hanging out with Kimpossible and Sparkle, which suited me just fine. The three of us started the day with a pancake, bacon, and egg breakfast at Mojoe's Coffeehouse, then walked to the far side of town so I could resupply at the supermarket. Unfortunately, I bought so much it won't all fit in my food bag. We then walked back across town for a free hot dog lunch. As I learned today, free food is a hallmark of Trail Days, as it is with the AT in general. One of the highlights of Trail Days is the parade through town featuring past and present AT thru-hikers, who line up according to the year of their hike. Both spectators and participants armed themselves with squirt guns, some of which used multi-gallon water tanks strapped to their backs, such that by the end of the half-mile walk many people looked like they'd just spent a rainy day on the AT. Following the parade, there was a talent show, which featured musicians, dancers, jugglers, martial arts, hula hoops, and the Gang of Five's own Chevy Chafe, formerly The Kid, formerly Isiah, who did a stand-up comedy routine. The show proved there's a lot more talent on trail than just the ability to walk up and down mountains all day. The best part of the day for me was the two dinners we ate over five hours while listening to acoustic guitar music at Hey Joe's. Ace, who I hiked with during my first week of the trail, joined Kimpossible, Sparkle, and me during our second dinner there. Unfortunately, Damascus is the end of the line for him, as he now needs to return to real life in Columbus, Ohio.
Date: 2014-05-18
From: Damascus via Atkins

To: Knot Maul Branch Shelter
Miles today: 13.9
Weather: clear sky

Sometime during the back-to-back dinners at Hey Joe's last night, I received a call from The Professor, a section hiker from New Jersey, who was responding to my request on the Trail Days rides board for a lift back to Atkins on Sunday (today). He was in Damascus after finishing his second-to-last section of the AT, with only the 100-mile Wilderness in Maine still remaining on his 14-year quest. He arranged to pick me up first thing in the morning and drop me at Atkins on his drive home. With my ride back to the trail secured, it was clear the stars really had aligned for me this weekend. Later in the evening at Joe's, I bumped into Shannon, who runs the Dancing Bear B&B, where I'd stayed for a night the previous weekend with AZ and ABear. He invited me to breakfast and asked if I could return a sleeping bag cover to Running Nose, who had called to say he'd left it behind a couple of nights before. So at 8:00 this morning I was eating breakfast at the Dancing Bear, at 8:30 I was in The Professor's car on my way back to the trail in Atkins, and by 10:00 I was hiking north again on the AT. The only glitch was that Running Nose's bag cover was nowhere to be found at the Sleeping Bear when Shannon looked for it this morning, so I relayed that information to him. Looks like he'll have to buy a new one at the next outfitter.There's been a noticable change in the landscape since entering Virginia. While a considerable portion of the trail still runs through the woods, it also now breaks out into fields and passes farms with increased frequency. Everyone I've talked to seems to appreciate the variety in scenery.Today there was trail magic twice late in the day. The parents of Bud, a northbound thru-hiker, had traveled down from their home in Indiana to supply soda, fresh fruit, cookies, and crackers to their son along with anyone who might be hiking near him. A mile or two later, there were two coolers filled with soda by the side of the trail.As a result of my 36-hour side-trip to Damascus for Trail Days, I've fallen a day behind AZ, ABear, Pockets, and Bear Juice. It may be hard to catch the two Arizonans, because, according to the log at the Knot Maul Branch Shelter, where I'm staying tonight, they were shooting to reach the Jenkins Shelter, 20 miles north, today.I think the lack of sleep and a bit too much beer in Damascus took its toll on me. I struggled today to complete a fairly easy 14 miles and lost one of my water bottles somewhere along the trail. Despite that, I have absolutely no regrets about attending Trail Days this weekend.
Date: 2014-05-19
From: Knot Maul Branch Shelter

To: Jenkins Shelter
Miles today: 19.1
Weather: overcast clouds

Just four of us were in the Knot Maul Branch Shelter last night, including Thor and two section hikers on their way to Pearisburg. I got more sleep than the previous two nights in Tent City combined and woke up refreshed and ready to hike. I suspect we're now about five days ahead of a big bubble of hikers on their way out of Damascus after Trail Days.Speaking of Thor, when he arrived at the shelter last night, he announced he was changing his trail name once again, as apparently there's another thru-hiker farther north with that name. So Thor is now going by Terri the Red, which combines his real first name with the color of his beard.Cell phone service is a topic of discussion along the trail. It's often the case that when Verizon is available, AT&T is not, and vice versa. I have Verizon and have never been without service for longer than a couple of days. I write journal entries using my iPhone's Notes application but frequently have to wait to post them from a mountaintop a day of two later. Since entering Virginia, I've heard more grumbling from AT&T customers, who say it stands for Ain't Talking Today.There was an interesting Mark Twain quote written on a signpost today:"Anger is an acid that can do more harm to the vessel in which it is stored than to anything on which it is poured."This got me thinking about the last time I was angry, and I realized I have yet to experience this emotion while on the trail. Furthermore, with one exception, I can't recall seeing any other thru-hiker who was angry. It's amazing that so many people are engaged in such a physically demanding undertaking, yet everyone seems so happy. I wonder whether it's a reflection of the type of person drawn to the AT, the sense of shared suffering, the spell the trail casts on hikers, or something else that keeps us all in such remarkably good spirits. The one notable exception occurred when four young thru-hikers arrived at dusk at the privi-less shelter I was staying at and found it to be full. One of them went off in search of a camp site and unknowingly wandered into the designated shitting area. He stormed back to the shelter, livid. I saw him at Trail Days but didn't dare remind him of the incident.The stretch of delightfully cool and sunny weather we've had since Trail Days continued today. A number of us stopped for lunch at Chestnut Knob Shelter, which is perched on a mountaintop with spectacular views in several directions. I thought the valley to the north was particularly beautiful, and found out later I had been looking down into what the locals have named, appropriately, God's Thumbprint.
Date: 2014-05-20
From: Jenkins Shelter

To: Jenny Knob Shelter
Miles today: 23.8
Weather: broken clouds

There were four of us in the Jenkins Shelter last night: Terry the Red, a middle-age couple out for a few days of section hiking, and myself. Just before going down for the night, the woman from the couple warned us that her husband snores. And let me tell you, she was not kidding. I spent much of the night while not sleeping trying to think of the noise this guy's snores made. The closest I could come up with is the sound of pulling really stubborn nails out of a hard piece of wood with a crowbar. When Terry the Red and I got out of our bags in the morning, we just looked at each other and shook our heads while the snoring continued.At dinner last night I overheard a conversation about the awesome privy at the shelter, and this morning I discovered what all the fuss was about. Whoever built this privy must have heard feedback about the cramped privies farther south, because the one at this shelter provided near-infinite leg room. It was comprised of a platform with stairs leading up to it and a shitter. There were no walls, no door, and no roof. Not only did it offer an outstanding view, but to anyone approaching it there was no question as to whether it was in use or not! Today's 24-mile hike to Jenny Knob Shelter felt easier than yesterday's 19-miler to Jenkins Shelter. Yesterday looked easy on paper: a good size climb in the morning followed by a flat ridge walk and a two-mile descent to end the day. What the map didn't convey was the extreme rockiness along the ridge and the short but steep ups and downs that were too small for the map's scale. Today's hike, on the other hand, had a smooth tread way and gradual ups and downs, allowing us to open up our stride most of the day. Despite doing five extra miles and starting at the same time in the morning, we arrived at the shelter an hour earlier than yesterday.I've decided to take no chance with possible snorers and am sleeping in my tent next to the shelter tonight.