morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2007-04-06
From: Abington Gap Shelter

To: Damascus, VA
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: overcast clouds

We ate a cold breakfast raced down to Damascus ahead of the predicted snow showers. The temperature was 22 degrees, but the wind was down and we hike quite comfortably. We shared a pair of handwarmers and wore socks over our gloves, to good effect. In town, we checked in at the Mtn. Rogers hostel, called Dave's place, were Ladybug and Natural High, and Bird were already esconced. Later, we ate Italian with Ladybug and Natural High, Quatro Dude, Retro, and a former thru-hiker that works at Mt. Rogers. Snow showers are predicted for tonight. We will take a zero day.
Date: 2007-04-07
From: Damascus, VA

To: Damascus, VA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

We slept until 7:30, late for us, and awoke at Dave's Place, the Mount Rogers Outfitter hostel, in Damascus. It was snowing vigorously outside, with an inch or two on the picnic table, with a temperature of about 20 degrees outside. Our room was about 50 degrees, but that is warmer that in the trail shelters at 3000 to 6000 feet altitude. We ate breakfast at the Burger Queen and spent most of the day at the Outfitter store, getting expert advice from Tom on our pack strap adjustments, while Dave fixed our waterpump for free on warranty. Jeff spent a lot of time fitting Toesocks1 with foot supports, and he handcrafted two shoe-tongue extenders to help her stablilize her heel and her bunion. Hopefully, this will solve her problem with a sore left foot. Wally also shuttled us to Wal-Mart in Abington to get our eyeglass frames readjusted, buy some supplies and look in vain for a space heater. During the day, Backyard Boogie and a section hiker were shuttled in from the mountain, cold and wet, and they told of snow drifts waist high in the mountains. They went in our shuttle to the motel in Abington. We also saw Wingheart at the Outfitters, as well as Caveman of Ohio, Mount Cameron and Toasty. We ate trailmagic at the hostel - brownies from The Professor and easter eggs. We went with Lady Bug, Natural High, Retro and Quatro Dude to Dot's for the anniversary buffet and some live country music.
Date: 2007-04-08
From: Damascus, VA

To: Damascus, VA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

We were planning to take a zero day due to the snow and cold in the high country anyway, but I got sick during the night, possibly food poisoning. After taking phenergan and imodium, my symptoms were controlled, but I was sedated for the rest of the day. In the early morning, Umbrella Lady, Perceptual Hiker (Lenard Atkins who wrote the plant book) and Warren Doyle dropped by to say hello. Also, Lady Bug and Natural High left to trek into the mountains, saying that they would return if they encountered high snows. We went to an Easter Brunch at the Old Mill Restaurant and Conference Center, but I was too sick to enjoy it, although the food was scrumptious and Toesocks1 really enjoyed it. Later, I slept while she hung out at the Outfitters, and later we went to the Baja to watch TV, and to Little Sicily to eat Italian and use the terminal. We sat with Bird, a highschool teacher, and with Wingheart and Caveman of Ohio. I had a baked potato, which went down pretty well on my queasy stomach. We will have to take another zero day tomorrow.
Date: 2007-04-09
From: Damascus, VA

To: Damascus, VA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

I awoke well enough to eat a normal breakfast today, at the Inn Country, which is really a nice restaurant with a candy shop, pastry shop and gift shop. We sat with Wingheart and Caveman of Ohio, and Triple H and Swamp Yankee sat nearby. We got something for Brittany's birthday, and went to the Post Office to mail it. We also sent sympathy cards to Benji Morgan and the Drs. Graves. We are at the public library now. I am feeling better, but need to focus on hydrating and eating well today to regain my strength. Tomorrow, we hike. The weather is still quite cold, about 30 degrees at sunrise, but a warming trend should melt some of the snow at higher elevations.
Date: 2007-04-10
From: Damascus, VA

To: Sanders Shelter
Miles today: 9.4
Weather: clear sky

We ate breakfast with Dogfather, a West Point grad, and 3 Hills, of New Hampshire, before setting out in 40 degee temperature and sunshine. The climb was well graded, and the scenery was really beautiful as we trekked above the Virginia Creeper Trail. We heard a woodpecker today, and saw wild mustard, violets, and aster but saw no snow as repoted at higher elevation. Hawk and Alley Cat passed us, as did MartiniM a nurse practioner, and Rossi, an ultrsound specialist, both of New England. Later, Johnny Mudd stopped at the shelter but hiked on. This is a lovely shelter with an overhang and a picnic table. Mr. Toesocks is getting better from a 4 day bug.
Date: 2007-04-11
From: Sanders Shelter

To: campsite
Miles today: 8.9
Weather: overcast clouds

The rain came this morning at 5AM, a light and blustery affair. We hiked in full raingear during the first hours of the day as the winds blew ferociously, pushing us over on the unprotected crests. Later, we descended to the Virgina Creeper Trail, where we saw a dipperbird hunting near the trout stream We lunched at a wind swept and cold Lost Mountain Shelter. We crossed VA 601 and pitched our tent abotting a large boulder, giving us protection from the howling north wind. We cooked in the tent vestibule as the rain ensued. The winds howled but we were snug against the rock, though trees crahed down in the stand of old pine up the slope from us.
Date: 2007-04-12
From: campsite

To: Thomas Knob Shelter
Miles today: 9.7
Weather: few clouds

The rain finally stopped at 5AM, allowing us to break camp and hike by 8;20. The wind howled at our back all day, at times pushing us off the footpath as we trekked over open balds. The temperature was 40 but seemed balmy when we could get protection from the winds. After we crosses Whitetop Mnt, we descended into a beautiful forest with moss-covered rocks, flowering Spring Beauty, and bloodroot , reminding us that Spring has come. Later in the day, we outran Spring as we saw snow on the balds and ice in the footpath atop Mount Rogers. We also saw a red squirrel, a hawk and a buzzard. We stayed at the shelter with Alley Cat, Hawk, Roaddog of Idaho, and 3 highschoolnseniors who gave us an extra fuel canister.
Date: 2007-04-13
From: Thomas Knob Shelter

To: Old Orchard Shelter
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: clear sky

We awoke to howling winds and 28 degee temperature with ice in our water bottles. Roaddog hiked with us thru the Grayson Highlands, a beautiful placa of open, snow-covered balds, slopes and rock scrambles. Only today it was a living hell, with 60 MPH wind gusts that knocked us off the trail or into each other, despite our best efforts to use our trekking poles to stand upright. We eventually got past the boulder scrambles and found the herd of wild ponies grazing in a sheltered spot, and toesocks insisted on feeding them the sunflower seed thst Retro had given us -well, I got my share, too. We tented up against a small boulder at Old Orchard, with Roaddog nearby, and section hikers, Butch Cassidy and Brain in the shelter. Others tented nearby. )npredicted rain came that night.
Date: 2007-04-14
From: Old Orchard Shelter

To: Dickey Gap
Miles today: 10.2

It rained steadily most of the night, stopping at dawn. We were able to pack up drily except for the wet tent fly. We took photos of Butch and Brain along the trail, and leapfrogged with Roaddog most of the day. We had lunch with him at Hurricane Gap Shelter as we waited out a rain shower, with Limestone showing up as well. The weather was perverse today, starting sunny but changing right after we removed raingear.Toesocks tried hitchhiking for the first time in her life at Dickey Gapm getting a ride from three boys to Troutdale. We resupplied at the trading post and had the meatloaf special while repeatedly phoning the Foxhill BAB. The new owners, Tom and Franz, both with Alabama connections, came for us and invited us to a delightful Creole supper prepared by Maria. Dave, the former owner, came to supper and we talked into the evening over Merlot. Trail magic!
Date: 2007-04-15
From: Dickey Gap

To: Trimpi Shelter
Miles today: 3.9
Weather: light rain

We enjoyed a wonderful breakfast at Foxhill, and Maria even gave us a parting gift of almond rice pudding. She also did our laundry while we slept - God bless her. We got to the trail just as it started to rain, then sleet and hail, and finally snow. We found Backyard Boogia and Bacon at Trimpi, getting ready to start a fire - this shelter is a stone structure with a fireplace. As the snow piled to three inches, that fire greatly cheered us. We shared peanutbutter and jelly sandwiches and rice pudding with our shelter mates, and dried our clothes at the fire. Bacon melted his nalgene bottle and scorched his trail shoes before it was over. We slept safe annd snug as the temperature dropped to 30.
Date: 2007-04-16
From: Trimpi Shelter

To: Partnership Shelter
Miles today: 10.6
Weather: overcast clouds

We awoke to a winter wonderland and 35 degree temperature. We hiked across exposed ridges in winds of 40 to 50, gusting to 60. In places, the snow drifted to two feet. Bacon and Backyard Boogie were 30 minutes ahead of us, breaking a trail through the snow. Only the vision of pizza delivered to Partnershp Shelter at the Mount Rogers Visitor Center sustained us in our hardship. We made it in 6 hours, and ate our pizza in the shelter loft with Bacon, Backyard Boogie, and Preacher, a section hiker from Wisconsin.
Date: 2007-04-17
From: Partnership Shelter

To: VA 683/US 10/I-81 Groseclose
Miles today: 11.0

The day began with a crunch for Mr. Toesocks who chipped a tooth while munching down on a cold apple. We hiked through freezing snow and wind, keeping handwarmers in my gloves to keep warm. The afternoon warmed nicely as we descended into the Holston Valley. Backyard Boogie met us at thr end of the trail with ice cold cokes, and ushered us to the Relax Inn. We ate ribeye and chicken at the Red Barn Restaurant. We will zero tomorrow since rain is predicted and we need a rest.
Date: 2007-04-18
From: VA 683/US 10/I-81 Groseclose

To: Relax Inn
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

The rain held off but we rested and packed calories by eating three squares at the Red Barn. We've both lost more than ten pounds. We caught a shuttle to Wal-Mart with a paraplegic who drove his ancient van using his cane on the accelerator. We added a gallon of water to the radiator coming and going, and barely made it. Backyard Boogie was almost asphixiated on the fumes, or from laughing. We visited with Flick, a young hiker from Cleveland, who was going off the trail to go to the beach with his sister. Life is good on the trail. Tomorrow we hike, rain or no rain. (Bet it will rain.)
Date: 2007-04-19
From: Relax Inn

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

We ate breakfast with Backyard Boogie at the Barn, our fifth meal there in three days. We have lost an indeterminate amount of weight, based on loss clothing, loss packbelts and flat abs, and we are trying to pack calories at every trail town. We started hiking in sunny and cool weather,walking through Virginia meadows, pastures and hardwood forests. The predicted rain came by late afternoon. We saw purple and yellow violets, bloodroot, spring beauty, star chickory, wold mustard, mayapple, monkshaud, gay wing, cinquefoil, anomemone, and wood sorrel. Backyard boogie saw deer and wild turkey but we missed it. Rain came as we were going past a herd of cattle which actually started following us up the trail. I carried four liters of water two miles up a mountain in the rain for the three of us, as there is no water source at this shelter.
Date: 2007-04-20
From: Knot Mall Branch Shelter

To: Walker Gap
Miles today: 10.3

This was a most enjoyable day to hike, sunny and 50 to 66 degrees. We let Bachyard Boogie set the pace and he obliged by stopping frequently to photograph gay wings, purple trillium, purple and yellow and white violets, rue anomenie, bloodroot, and star chickory. We met The Invisible Man at Chestnut Knob, who is a power company retiree from Spartansburg, SC. We saw bear prints on the muddy path up the bald to the knob.
Date: 2007-04-21
From: Walker Gap

To: Jenkins Shelter
Miles today: 8.7
Weather: clear sky

We had beautiful views of Burkes Garden, a high mountain valley of bountiful, green pastures. Backyard Boogie set the pace with plenty of stops to enjoy the view hundreds of feet below. We met Pearls and Starvin Marvin who started in Shenandoah a d going to Springer before flipping north. The footpath became rockybin the afternoon, which was torture for Toesocks sore foot. We decided to tent at the shelter where Backyard Boogie, Invisible Man, Wild ,an From Ohio, and Hellbent were tenting or hammocking. Later Wingheart and dog arrived, and Fish A Chips, Scraggy, and backbend, among others, passed by. They were headed to trailmagic five miles farther. Floers today included Dutchman's Britches.
Date: 2007-04-22
From: Jenkins Shelter

To: Hwy 52/Bland, VA
Miles today: 11.3
Weather: clear sky

Today was a beautiful day to hike - sunny, not a cloud in the sky, temperature ranging from 43 to 68. The day was long, hot and dry at the end, as we spent 30 mibutes trying to hitch into Bland, finally starting to walk the 2.5 roadmiles. A former soldier from Ft.MeClellan eventually gave us a ride right to the Big Walker Motel. We showered, handwashed our clothes in the bathtub, and hung them out to dry. We0then chased calories at the Dairy Queen.
Date: 2007-04-23
From: Hwy 52/Bland, VA

To: Jenny Knob Shelter
Miles today: 12.1
Weather: clear sky

We enjoyed the most wonderful Trail Magic today, as the ladies of the Round Mountain United Methodist church of Bastian, VA, shuttled 15 of us hikers in to their church for a huge country breakfast. We ate egg caserole, sausage biscuits, grits, pancakes, cookies, tomatoes, coffee amd juice. Miss Myrtle even sent us off with goodie bags of cookies and gatorade. Toesocks' group included Cave Man, Wingheart and his dog, and Backyard Boogie. Some 9 other hikers were there too, including Coco and Monkey, Anonymous, and others. Miss Mellissa drove us back to Bland where we resupplied and where the resourceful Backyard Boogie, a retired trucker, caught us a ride on a bread truck back to the trail. The temperature today reached 80 degees, burning down relentlessly through the leafless forest, and we had to consume quantities of gatorade to stay hydrated. Invisible man and a section hiker named Graybeard were in the shelter, and Caveman and Wingheart were tenting, and Backyard was hammocking. We got in later than usual, about 6:45PM, having started at 11:15AM. Flower sightings today included gay-wing, cinquefoil and various violets.
Date: 2007-04-24
From: Jenny Knob Shelter

To: Wapati Shelter
Miles today: 14.2
Weather: scattered clouds

We started hiking today at 7:15 and trekked for ten long hours to Wapati. The rain came at mid-morning, but was light and intermittent. The sun returned in the afternoon. Today, Toesocks saw a copperhead curled up below the trail, in a burnt-off section of woods, but it was rather still and offered no threat. We also saw a trillium and heard a wood thrush making its beautifully harmonic call. We enjoyed Trail Magic in the form of bottled water that the Cowboy Church put out for hikers. We tented at the shelter, where Backyard, Caveman and Wingheart and Graybeard were already settled in.
Date: 2007-04-25
From: Wapati Shelter

To: Doc's Knob Shelter
Miles today: 8.4
Weather: overcast clouds

The hike started today on a rhododendron-enclosed forest road, a well-graded path which gained 1,300 vertical feet in about two miles. The temperature was cool to begin with, but had climbed to 72 degrees by mid-morning, with the sun shining down mercilessly through the leafless trees. The footpath was over rocky and very dry terrain. We again enjoyed a bottle of water left out by the Cowboy Church, and it comforted us greatly, as our own five liter supple of water and gatorade was barely enough in this kind of heat. The trail section from No Business Road to Sugar Run Road was particularly rocky and difficult, tortuous on Toesocks1's sore left foot, as sorry a section of trail as we have seen in Virginia. As I hiked despondently over chocolate-colored shale and through dead forest debris, I contemplated those certain laws of physics which seem to apply only to the Trail. For example, Law 1: If an item is needed, it will be located deep within your pack. Law 2: If an item is needed desperately and immediately, it will be located in the very bottom of your pack. Law 3: when you look in the very bottom of your pack, all desperately needed items will have migrated to an outside pocket. Law 4: whatever you wear on the Trail, it will be wrong in about ten minutes; Law 5: if you remove any raingear, it will start to rain; Law 6: if you don any raingear, the rain will cease. Law 7: If you run out of water, the next several springs will have run dry. Law 8: If you plan on staying in a shelter, it will be filled with section hikers when you get there. Law 9: Whatever you stuff into a ziplock bag will end up caught in the ziplock seal. Law 10: If you fail to double-bag anything, the contents will leak. Law 11: Even when you remember to double-bag, the contents will leak. More on this later. At the Shelter, we found that Backyard Boogie, Invisible man, Caveman and Fleetheart (with dog) had all settled in early, and we decided to stop as well. With four of us in the shelter, and Backyard hammocking, (there is no flat ground at this shelter, which is in a rhododendron thicket and on a spring seep,) seven young hikers came in at dusk. They ate, and then two came into the shelter, two slept on the picnic table, and three set out for Pearisburg, getting there by pixel light at about 2am the next morning - a dangerous trek! The next morning, by the way, there were complaints that yours truly had been snoring. What a scurrilous charge - is nothing sacred!
Date: 2007-04-26
From: Doc's Knob Shelter

To: Pearisburg
Miles today: 8.1
Weather: broken clouds

We started the day by climbing on a graded trail in cool, breezy temperatures, and we ate our lunch on an overlook with a stunning view of the river valley that stretched out some 1,500 feet below us, which included the New River, the town of Pearisburg, and the surrounding fields, forests and farms. We descended into the lush woods on the outskirts of Pearisburg at about 3:30pm, just ahead of the rain, with Toesocks1 limping along on her sore left foot and right knee. Once in town, we started walking up a highway to the motel when a generous local man stopped and offered us a ride. He even gave us a tour of the town, pointing out good restaurants, the postoffic, the laundrymat, and the dental office, (which Toesocks2 was going to need.) After we checked in at the Quality Motor Lodge, I got our maildrops, walking about a mile in the rain, which actually felt good. We showered and joined our hiking buddies (Backyard, Caveman, Fleetheart) for supper at a good Mexican restauant, with dessert at Dairy Queen, (where we met Cocoa and Monkey.)
Date: 2007-04-27
From: Pearisburg

To: Pearisburg
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

We ate breakfast at Hardee's and Toesocks2 got an afternoon appointment at the dentist's. We then did our laundry, planned the next 7 days of hiking with Backyard Boogie, and ate lunch at Pizza Hut. As I was walking from the laundrymat to the motel with a huge blue sack of laundry, a lady in an SUV stopped and gave me a ride. Later, I walked to Dr. Stubbs' office, where he polished down a chip on my front tooth, and told me he wouldn't be charging me anything. Toesocks had her eyeglasses adjusted at the New River EyeCare , the local eye doctor's office, by Misty, at no charge. I am really impressed with Dr. Stubbs, with Misty and the eye doctor, with the lady and the gentleman who gave us rides, and with the many other friendly and generous people of Pearisburg. Pearisburg is a wonderful trail town.
Date: 2007-04-28
From: Pearisburg

To: New River
Miles today: 0.5

We ate a scrumptuous meal last night with Backyard Boogie at The Bank, ordering a mixed drink, crab cake on a mustard curry, mashed potatos, steamed zuchini, salad and soup. Today we slack-packed a small section of woods within the town of Pearisburg to the bridge. Toesocks sent a thank you note to a lady in Massachusetts by the name of Shirley Hill, who had mailed us some Trail Magic in the form of homemade salve for our hands - we tried it and it was quite effective. Thank you, Shirley. We also got a phone call from Kermit Smith's mom, Betty Smith, of Auburn, who has roots in Narrows/Pearisburg, and who wanted to offer us some help if we needed to stay here a few more days. Thank you, Betty. We also mailed home some unused equipment and bounced a box of winter clothes up the trail to Waynesboro. We ate at a chinese buffet for lunch and we spent the afternoon packing up and catching up on our journaling. Tomorrow, we hike.
Date: 2007-04-29
From: New River

To: Tent site
Miles today: 8.9

We ate breakfast with Backyard Boogie at Hardee's, and left town at 7:30 in delightfully cool temperature and sunshine. We trekked past the Celanese factory and climbed 1700 vertical feet up the mountain, where we had wonderful views of West Virginia to the west and Pearisburg to the east. We met Invisible Man and several slack-packers, including 5 young women and two men (Papa Hawk and Palaris?). Speedo from San Francisco stopped at the spring where we tented, but left after supper. We tented, and Backyard hammocked amid a field of flowering white trillium.
Date: 2007-04-30
From: Tent site

To: Pine Swamp Shelter
Miles today: 10.5
Weather: few clouds

We left our trillium-filled campsite with Backyard Boogie at 7:45 in sunshine and cool temperatures. The first part of the day found us hiking through moist, flower-filled forest - trillium, violets, bloodroot and iris abounded. Later, we hiked through drier, browner, rocky forest floor with the sun beating down mercilessly upon us. We saw a herd of four deer, and later a pair of deer, as we hiked. We eventually came to a well-sloped footpath that took us into Pine Swamp Shelter, where we stayed, despite the fact that a huge oak tree had fallen through the roof and crushed a third of the shelter - a real loss because this was a premier Trimpi shelter, with beautiful stone walls, a fireplace and gravel floor. We lamented that the trailgods had not chosen a less desireable shelter to wreck, such as Stan Murray Shelter. Oh, well. We met Sardine and Mellisa, and their dog, Gunner, whom we hadn't seen for a couple of months, and they were headed south to the Traildays celebration in Damascus. They warned us of dry, rocky trail conditions ahead. We also met Flick, Bushwacker, CB, Caboose, Pegasus and Golden Boy slacking. Backyard, Ben & Amanda, and Ranger stayed with us at the shelter.