morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2016-05-04
From: Atkins VA

To: Knot Maul Shelter
Miles today: 14.7

Geezer's house was perfect, and I hope I get a chance to visit again. It was interesting to watch someone who lived out of a backpack adjust to life at home. There were civilian clothes, car rides whenever we willed them into existence, and a general sense of well being. For some, every passing butterfly fills them with joy. For others the trail is a torture device that purified through pain. I would say we both fluctuate between those two world/trail views. An afternoon and evening in comfort helped us see a bit more butterfly joy today.We got started early and with t h a drive we were back on the trail a little after 9:00am. Yesterday, I saw our first small orange salamander, and today the rhododendrons, which we have been walking through off and on since Georgia, are finally blooming.I unloaded my down jacket and 80 feet of rope I was carrying for no reason. Five Star, Spoony, and Star Brother are joining Geezer and me at the shelter tonight. There's no call reception here. I know that causes people to worry, which isn't good, but it is what it is.Tomorrow is a mystery day. There is no convenient shelter in our target mileage range, so we'll see. 14.7 miles were hiked: 543.8 (Atkins) to 558.5 (Knot Maul Branch Shelter).
Date: 2016-05-05
From: Knot Maul Shelter

To: Chestnut Knob Shelter
Miles today: 9.4
Weather: moderate rain

It was an interesting day. The shelter kept us dry from rain which has now fallen into a pattern of raining at night and then sporadically through the day. I slept well, and my body is getting used to the consistent and solid feel of lumber through a Thermarest foam pad.We didn't go far today. We had a small hill, about 400' or so, and then a 2100' monster. When I reached the shelter, the temperature had been dropping, and it began snowing. The thermometer says 40 degrees on the interior of the door. Fortunately, this shelter has four walls and a door, for about the first time.Geezer's back was hurting, and if we left the shelter it would only result in walking through hours of snow, then sleet, then rain down a steep mountain. So we're staying here, and judging by the soaked people that made it here, we made the right decision. The big news is that I'm getting off the trail for a few days to be with family in Michigan, but I am planning to resume hiking Monday. Geezer and his wife are going way out of their way to facilitate these comings and goings, and I can't thank them enough.Other notable things that happened today: I met Chupacabra and Eagle Eye. They were concerned for their friend, Turtle, who was camped in a tent 1.8 miles back. We were concerned that he might have hypothermia, so they went back and got him. They made it back. Turtle said he didn't have any problems with the cold until his hike back here, but he was unaware the storm was forecast to go all night. Everyone's in good shape now.I also met Cambria, who had 35,000 trail journal page views at this point, despite being a month behind. She had a hammock strung up and appears to be the most comfortable one here. A group of three girls known as "The Documentary Crew" arrived last. They are shooting a documentary called "Thru" focusing on female thru-hikers. Spoony, Starbrother, Jag Happy, Zac Galfanakis (Bears a strong resemblance to the actor), Yeti, Trotto, and Shannon are also within these walls tonight. I plan to hike 6 miles tomorrow to a ride to a rental car place hopefully nearby. I was only able to coordinate everything due to great cell service in this frigid mountain. 9.4 miles were hiked: 558.5 (Knot Maul Branch Shelter) to 567.9 (Chestnut Knob Shelter).
Date: 2016-05-06
From: Chestnut Knob Shelter

To: MP 574.1 (VA 623)
Miles today: 6.2
Weather: mist

It was a chilly night, but I was relatively comfortable. The snow changed to sleet and then rain before stopping sometime in the pre-dawn hours. We quietly packed up and conferred with Grotto which way was North (for us) and South (for him) in the dense fog.We hiked 6.2 miles to a crossing with VA 623 in 3 hours and arrived at 10:30am, exactly on schedule. Lee was 20 minutes late, but made it without a four wheel drive vehicle on a narrow winding gravel road with plenty of downed branches strewn around the road.They drove me to the Enterprise Car-Rental place where I had booked a rental car, and from there I drove to Michigan. 6.2 miles were hiked today: 567.9 (Chestnut Knob Shelter) to 574.1 (VA 623).
Date: 2016-05-10
From: Off Trail

To: Laurel Creek Camping
Miles today: 8.9
Weather: broken clouds

I made it back to the trail today. But before I get into the minutia of my daily hike, I think I'll take a moment to reflect more broadly. You never know what to expect from your fellow man until you decide to share campsites, hostels, and shelters with a random cross section of humanity.I am happy to report there are still some good people out there, perhaps waiting for the right crisis to identify themselves, but still out there. When a snowstorm hit Chestnut Knob Shelter, most people had sent home their winter gear. When people showed up soaked to the bone, trying to get warm in a 40 degree shelter, dry clothes were shared.Two guys went back almost two miles just to make sure another hiker was okay. People stuck together in a way that only seems to happen in a crisis. I hope you get a chance to witness something like that. Once everyone was taken care of, the food tasted a little better, the drafty shelter seemed a little warmer, and the jokes seemed a little funnier.The next day I got a ride out from Lee, then Geezer and Lee opened their house to me as needed to coordinate my trip up to Michigan and back. Some people hike this trail to regain their faith in humanity, and I don't think they're wasting their time.Today was a late start, a little after noon. This was partly due to various appointments and partly due to the winding mountain roads we had to travel. I missed the shelter about 5 miles in due to my laser-like focus on the trail and my strengthening ability to zone out the world around me.We found the campsite, just after a stream with people lounging beside it. There are a lot of new faces, and perhaps about 25 people camped in the vicinity. But the Documentary Crew is here, Joker, the Tumbleweed I met just out of Hot Springs, and a lot more. Chicken Feet and another guy decided to bathe in the ice cold stream and catch crawdads. A good time was had by all. 8.9 miles were hiked: 574.1 (VA 623) to 583 (Laurel Creek, VA 615).
Date: 2016-05-11
From: Laurel Creek Camping

To: MP 599.0 Camping
Miles today: 16.0

The rain was cooperative last night, only falling during non-hiking hours. It fell quite hard in the morning hours with some thunder and lightning. The bottom of my sleeping bag and the back of my pack got a little damp where they touched the sides of the tent, but I didn't notice until morning.The campsite was wall to walk tents. Any flat place near a water source is prime real estate for a thru-hiker. Throw in a picnic table and that's going to be a popular spot. After about 7 miles, we found trail magic at US 52 from Danno ('13), his wife, and Comfortably Numb (4x Thru-Hiker).Geezer and I weren't planning on it, but couldn't pass up a ride to Dairy Queen. Unfortunately, Geezer just wasn't feeling like hiking anymore, and called for a ride home. He mentioned the possibility of slack packing to see if that eases his foot pain, but that's going to be a lot of miles to catch up. I talked to Danno a little. He hiked with Chinmusic ('13) in New Hampshire, who was one of the first hiking journals I followed in real time. I fell into a group with Terrible Lizard and Joker in the afternoon and camped with them and Huck at a murky water source. The Helveys Mill Privy is the nicest one on the trail so far in my opinion. 16.0 miles were hiked: 583.0 (Laurel Creek) to 599.0 (Stream, Unreliable - Camping).
Date: 2016-05-12
From: MP 599.0 Camping

To: Wapiti Shelter
Miles today: 17.3
Weather: mist

I am a stealth camping, murky water drinking, rebel. I slept well and woke up at a relaxed pace, as I was in a somewhat later-start crowd. It rained through the night, and I am really enjoying the sound of the rain and the wind in the trees. As long as it stops when I need to pack up, things work out fine.I passed 600 miles today, stopped in at Jenny Knob to sign the shelter log, then went to Trent's grocery. I boosted my calorie intake and purchased four rolls of toilet paper. I figure I can sell them at $5.00 a roll in the right remote location. Actually, that was the minimum purchase, so I will "hiker box" the remainder A.S.A.P. I ran into Bald Eagle and Hoodie on the way back. Bald Eagle has a great trail journal I recommend checking out. We started very close to each other, and it's about time we met. I decided to push for Wapiti Shelter, even though that meant hiking until 7:15pm. It was flat and a little muddy, but very hikeable.Just as I arrived it started to rain, so I got to set up in a little rain, but no lasting harm was done. It's a short day tomorrow to a hostel, if they have room. 17.3 miles were hiked: 599.0 (Stream - Unreliable Camping) to 616.3 (Wapiti Shelter).
Date: 2016-05-13
From: Wapiti Shelter

To: Woods Hole Hostel
Miles today: 7.2

Wapiti Shelter was a fine place to stay. The rain fell all night, so there was no need for a humidifier. I was proud of my later hiking, but for a slow start again today. That was fine because I didn't have far to go. There was a little climb today, and then a meandering through mud and rocks, and then I made it to Woods Hole Hostel. I had snacks and a pint of homemade ice cream. They have an official scale with the weights you move. I weigh 202.5 lbs, for a total of 35 pounds in two months. I think the pace of my weight loss has slowed so I'm only a little concerned.I got conscripted to make meatballs and bring out dishes and silverware. It was a little strange, but a good change of pace. Chicken Feet put his cooking touch to the meal, and it was great! It was so nice to have homemade food.I had a good time with Terrible Lizard, Joker, Less Mayo, and a few Harpers Ferry flip floppers. There was a circle formed prior to the meal where we said what we were thankful for. I'm thankful for my wife who is working so hard to help me see this crazy dream through. 7.2 miles were hiked: 616.3 (Wapiti Shelter) to 623.5 (Woods Hole Hostel).
Date: 2016-05-14
From: Woods Hole Hostel

To: Rice Field Shelter
Miles today: 18.0
Weather: clear sky

It was hard to leave Woods Hole Hostel. A large percentage of me wanted to book a 90 minute massage and hang around another day, but I found the strength to head out after homemade bread with butter and jam.It was a more difficult day than average, with over 3000 feet of climbing and ending up at the same elevation I started at. There was also 0.5 miles up from the hostel and an optional 1.8 miles round trip to Dairy Queen and back, which is a little ridiculous in hindsight.There were some great views from up on the ridge, and then it rained most of the way into Pearisburg, making muddy slopes more interesting, but I didn't fall.I also finally found David and Sarah, who I hiked with my first week out here. We have such similar paces, that after they took extra time in Hiawassee, they never caught up, consistently 3 days behind us for almost two months. It was great to see them and catch up when I finally escaped Pearisburg and made it up to Rice Field Shelter. I learned Sparkles is off trail with a stress fracture but Diligent is just a few days behind us. 18.0 miles were hiked: 623.5 (Woods Hole Hostel) to 641.5 (Rice Field Shelter). Unofficially, 20.3 miles were hiked, which is my first 20+ mile day.
Date: 2016-05-15
From: Rice Field Shelter

To: MP 656.5
Miles today: 15.0

Rice Fields Shelter was positioned to capture as much 35 degree wind as possible last night. I had no one near me to nudge me, and no extra body heat either. It was a poor decision to sleep in the shelter, but I was tired and didn't feel like setting up and taking down my tent. My 30 degree bag feels more like a 45 degree bag, but I made it through the night.On paper it was supposed to be a flat and downhill day mostly, but I felt I was working hard all day. I had some breaks with David and Sarah. At Pine Branch Shelter, with 2.5 miles to go, Geezer and his friend Chuck wandered in Southbound! He was slackpacking, trying to rule out spinal compression as the source of his misery.He had a great time catching up with David and Sarah, who he also hadn't seen since Hiawassee. Then Geezer, Chuck, and I hiked an hour or so out of there. I almost got my picture taken falling on a stream, but luckily my dwindling arm strength kept me dry.There were some great views into West Virginia and we passed the end of the 330 mile long Allegheny Trail. I am zeroing tomorrow at Geezer's house where I will be warm. 15.0 miles were hiked: 641.5 (Rice Field Shelter) to MP 656.5 (VA 635).
Date: 2016-05-16
From: MP 656.5

To: Zero
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

It was a zero day at Geezer's house. He trusted me with his car, and I managed to make it to Wal-Mart to resupply, then over to see the movie "Green Room" at the Regal New River Cinema. The movie was unmemorable, but I love going to the movie theater regardless of the movie quality.I also got a package delivered to Geezer's house. I caught up a little bit on the journal, but mainly spent my time relaxing in front of the T.V. I have learned that when a shower feels like heaven on earth, that's when you really needed a shower, and I did.Neighbors Josh and Jen stopped by and joined us for dinner. Jen was the one who picked up Geezer last Wednesday from Bland and gave me a short ride back to the trail.I was able to call home, which I haven't been able to do lately. The trail generally allows for periodic texting, but infrequent cell reception at shelters where I am in the evenings when most people are available to talk. Tomorrow it's back to the trail for a 5 day hike to Daleville. Then I'm planning to do another stop at Geezer's house. Geezer intends to join me for slack packing on day four and five. No miles were hiked today.
Date: 2016-05-17
From: Zero

To: Laurel Creek Shelter
Miles today: 16.1
Weather: overcast clouds

I woke up rested, and started packing up. Per David and Sarah's recommendation, I did an overhaul of my bear canister food. I took everything out and only put in the things I knew I would eat first, and then contingency food, and then a couple things I was just tired of looking at. The rest went in my growing storage in the closet.Geezer drove me out to the trail. It was over an hour to get to this remote destination, mainly due to the winding nature of the roads. It was like drafting a military battle plan to coordinate our last two days of meetups and side trips, but I came up with something that should work.It was a climbing day, about 3400 feet up and 3100 feet down, and a steeper climb than we've seen in awhile. Rain fell lightly and periodically through the day. A consistent for added to the mood.I found Sacagawea, who I hadn't seen since in a month (since Erwin). She is hiking with her Dad. At the shelter I camped with Joker, Terrible Lizard, Less Mayo, Dirty Deeds, and Buckles. "The Gatherer" was in the shelter, who sang all day at the top of his lungs, adding to the peace and tranquility of the trail. Many others, and many new faces were here as well. 16.1 miles were hiked today: 656.5 (VA 635) to 672.6 (Laurel Creek Shelter).
Date: 2016-05-18
From: Laurel Creek Shelter

To: Niday Shelter
Miles today: 12.4
Weather: overcast clouds

After a long hike yesterday, and a late night around the campfire (10:00pm), the nightly rain lulled me into a state of restfulness, and I didn't feel like mobilizing. I resolved to get completely caught up on my journal, and by the time I did that, packed up, and got water, I didn't start hiking until 11:00 am.It was supposed to be a relatively easy day with shorter miles and only one 1300 foot mountain to get over. Prior to the mountain, I passed the Keffer Oak, a very large oak tree, and the second biggest on the trail. The mountain was nice and steep, but the real problem was the periodic rain/mist/fog making everything slippery. There was a three mile section surrounding the Eastern Continental Divide (Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico) that I thought was the most dangerous part of the trail yet.The rock face formed a slanted slope, occasionally ending in mud and thorn bushes, occasionally just continuing at that same slope for another hundred feet. There was no guaranteed safe place to step, especially with more slippery boots.I took it slow and didn't fall, but it was slow and tiring. I made it to the shelter and enjoyed dinner with Terrible Lizard, Joker, Less Mayo, Smiley, and Alpaca. Joker and I tried to get a fire going, but I think we burned more energy than the fire provided due to the wet sticks. Tomorrow is a short day to meet Geezer at the right place Friday morning. 12.4 miles were hiked: 672.6 (Laurel Creek Shelter) to 685.0 (Niday Shelter).
Date: 2016-05-19
From: Niday Shelter

To: Pickle Branch Shelter
Miles today: 10.1
Weather: light rain

Another nightly rain did its best to lull me to sleep, but the site I selected was pitched about 15% toward my feet. I knew this was toward the upper limit of my comfort zone, but I probably woke up 20 times and did a military crawl up the slope to the top of my tent.Aside from that, I slept well enough. I didn't stay up as late, and got out of camp by 10:00am. I had fewer miles to go, so I chose a slower start. The trail today still had its climbs, but it was a little gentler, with lots of pine needles to cushion the feet. The Audie Murphy monument was worth the side trip. He was the most decorated World War II veteran, and died in a plane crash near that spot. I also managed to make a few texts to let people know where I was and coordinate tomorrow morning's meet up with Geezer.I stopped for a nice break at Trout Creek and met several people, including Tucker who came in second place in the Appalachian Trials competition, and who has a blog there.Dirty D and Buckles (husband/wife) called it quits. I didn't hike with them much, but have seen them off and on since the Mountain Harbour Hostel. It's a large percentage of new faces. Saint Nick, Chicken Feet, Cam (SB), Legs, Verge, Sushi, Good Blood, Kersten, Diana, and Dookie are in or near the shelter tonight. 10.1 miles were hiked: 685.0 (Niday Shelter) to 695.1 (Pickle Branch Shelter).
Date: 2016-05-20
From: Pickle Branch Shelter

To: Catawba
Miles today: 12.6
Weather: moderate rain

I woke up moderately rested in Pickle Branch Shelter. I am getting better at mentally blocking the thought of mice so that I can get to sleep. My meet up time with Geezer was 8:30. He missed an exit, but found me by 9:00am. Today's big event was Dragon's Tooth. I didn't actually climb up it. There was a fair amount of traffic, and I read some horror story about a thru-hiker that fell off and injured her back a couple years ago.The descent was challenging enough: lots of hands on rocks instead of poles. There were moments with steeper dropoffs, and I wouldn't want to do it in the rain, but I always felt like there was a way to semi-safely go down. There were even some rebar steps in a couple spots. My original plan was to leave Geezer at the parking lot where he left a car and continue on to the next shelter, but the draw of food and comfort was too strong. I got in the car and we visited Wendy's and an ice cream parlor that Geezer was fond of. We intend to be back on the trail tomorrow morning. 12.6 miles were hiked: 695.1 (Pickle Branch Shelter) to 707.7 (VA 311 Catawba).
Date: 2016-05-21
From: Catawba

To: Daleville
Miles today: 19.8

Geezer and I arranged to slack pack today (me for the first time) with his friend Chuck. We were out the door by 6:20, picked up Chuck by 6:39, and were hiking sometime around 8:00. Due to bear activity, Lamberts Meadow Shelter had been closed, and calling prohibited, making logistics in this area more difficult.We elected to do bigger miles all the way to Daleville. The first and biggest event of the day was McAfee Knob, which was unfortunately completely fogged over. I got the standard photo, sitting on the edge, but Geezer stayed back a bit from the edge.When we reached Campbell Shelter, we found Smiley, with a full pack headed South. I knew he was a Northbound thru-hiker, so I asked him where he was going. He went through all the classic stages of grief before accepting he was back where he started two hours ago.Tinker Cliffs finally gave us some views, but McAfee Knob was still shrouded in clouds. We had lunch there, then just tried to keep our pace for our pickup time. After a few short breaks and a 15 minute thunderstorm squall at 5:15, we found our ride around 5:40. 19.8 miles were hiked: 707.7 (VA 311) to 727.5 (Daleville).
Date: 2016-05-22
From: Daleville

To: Zero Day
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

I decided to take another zero day at Geezer's house. Yesterday's mileage and perhaps the cumulative hiking has taken its toll, and I definitely needed some rest. I took a short nap in both the morning and the afternoon.Probably the main hiking related activity (besides learning survival techniques from a "Naked and Afraid" marathon) was planning out 8 days of slack packing that will enable Geezer to return to the trail with me. I'm not sure how sustainable the plan is, but we'll take it one day at a time.Unfortunately, road crossings and parking areas dictate the type of assistance required, leaving very little flexibility. Reflecting on the 1/3 complete milestone, it is daunting to think of repeating the experience two more times, but I'm proud of the effort and the miles that I've completed. I'm going to take it one day at a time, and find ways to keep being productive. Morale has improved dramatically by the repeated nights of rest at Geezer's house, so I'm very thankful for that.
Date: 2016-05-23
From: Zero Day

To: MP 749.1
Miles today: 21.6
Weather: overcast clouds

The slack packing continued today. Geezer and I drove out to Daleville to pick up where we left off. I felt great and barely felt the 1400 door climb to Fullhardt Knob. We signed in and continued on. I filtered a bit of water down at Curry Creek where we met Bald Eagle and Hoodie, slacking Southbound for the day.At Wilson Creek shelter, we caught up with Umgahwa, who you may remember was one of two people I shared my first load of laundry with at Neel's Gap. The highlight of the day was the Blue Ridge Parkway, which has amazing views. It is shut down right now I'm this section, so everything was still and quiet as we crossed back and forth over the road and paused at the scenic overlooks. It sprinkled enough for us to get our rain jackets out, but the sun came right back out.I met Tough Love at Bobblets Gap Shelter, which was 0.2 miles down a switchback trail. I got a little water, but mainly I wanted to catch up on the shelter logs, because missing one is like missing an episode of T.V. You still get the general idea, but miss the subtle nuances. Tough Love wasn't feeling well, so Geezer invited him back to his house as well. 21.6 miles were hiked: 727.5 (Daleville) to 749.1 (VA 43).