morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2019-05-08
From: Holiday Motor Lodge - Pearisburg

To: Holiday Motor Lodge - Pearisburg
Miles today: 0.0

On Tuesday morning after we had a great breakfast at Cracker Barrel, we drove to Pearisburg and got a room at the Holiday Motor Lodge instead of going to the Angel¢s Rest Hostel that we¢d visited last week.  The hostel was going to be crowded with hikers this week and weekend and even the people in rooms will have to use the community bathhouse. We didn¢t want to have to wait in line to use a toilet or take a shower. The Holiday Motor Lodge is reported to be hiker friendly, which also means it¢s a safe place to leave the car while we¢re on the trail. The rooms got mixed reviews from other hikers. The main complaint was that things were old or run down.  We figured that maybe the motel used more run-down rooms for hikers, since they give hikers a reduced rate. So when we pulled in with our shiny car, wearing town clothes, we didn¢t say we were hikers. We were happy to pay full price for a ¢nicer¢ room. Then Woofie asked about a discount for retired military. Sure enough. Got the nicer room and a discount. And the room was, to us, beautiful. Full of large ornately carved dark pine dressers and tables. Yes, old and out of style, but just what we¢re used to. And the most important item, carpeted floors. We hate the new trend in modern motel chains where they¢ve removed the carpets and installed shiny new bare hardwood floors. When we arrive with our sore hiker feet, bare hard floors are not what our feet need. We stayed two zero days to let the sore feet rest and return to normal. In that time we visited many restaurants and stores and got to see a lot more of the town and surrounding area than thru-hikers get to see. Tomorrow morning our shuttle driver will pick us up at 7:30 and deliver us back to the trailhead on Rt 606, Wilderness Road for a second time¢this time hiking north back to Pearisburg. It¢s only a 30 minute ride, but it¢ll be a three or four-day walk for us.
Date: 2019-05-09
From: Kimberling Creek - 610.1

To: Campsite - 620.5
Miles today: 10.4

Our shuttle driver, Don, arrived at the motel to pick us up precisely at 7:30. Our ride to the trailhead was just over half an hour, and we were ready to hike by 8:15. Before he left, Don took a picture of us. Hiking was easy this morning with temps in the high 60s and relatively flat trail. After a couple hours a hiker passed us who was carrying a cat in a sack strapped to him at about waist height. The cat was a beautiful Birman and looked very happy to be cradled in the sack with his head sticking out so he could see everything as it went by. I hollered to Woofie, look at that. He¢s hiking with a kitty cat. Then Woofie asked the hiker what was the cat¢s name as they walked by.  But to our surprise, the hiker kept walking like we weren¢t even there. Now, as most hikers know, if you don¢t pick a trail name for yourself, someone else will give you one. Sometimes it¢s not one you¢d like to have. So, when the guy with the cat refused to give us a name for either the cat or himself, we had to give them trail names. To the cat carried happily along the trail in a sack we gave the name Bagpuss, after a children¢s TV character in England. And to the impolite hiker who refused to acknowledge our existence we gave the name Sourpuss. As Bagpuss and Sourpuss disappeared into the forest, we bid them a sad and silent farewell. But we will still remember the two pussies we met today on the trail. Toward the end of the day we met hikers Monk & Ezio several times as we passed each other.  Monk is from Buffalo, but now lives in the Catskills area of NY. Ezio is from Canada. By his accent I believe he must be from Quebec. Woofie is hiking stronger after three weeks on the trail. Today we¢d planned on going eight miles to the shelter and then seven tomorrow to the Woods Hole Hostel. But she covered the miles to the shelter by 1pm and wanted to go on. The next place to camp was two more miles and all up hill. It was very steep so we had to go slow. But we made it by 4:15. That leaves only five miles to get to the hostel tomorrow, which is good because we¢re expecting stormy weather. The quicker we get to the hostel the better, and we already have reservations there for a room.  After we get there...let it rain!
Date: 2019-05-10
From: MayCampsite 620.5

To: Woods Hole Hostel 625.4
Miles today: 4.9

We woke up this morning expecting scattered thunder storms throughout the day, but to our surprise and relief the rain we had over night had stopped, and the dawn revealed just a thick fog. That meant not only that we could get packed up without everything getting wet, but also that we could take our time getting to the hostel. As it turned out, time was what we needed, lots of it. Although the elevation map showed a gentle five-mile downward slope to the hostel, the trail condition was very difficult. Much of it was rock fields such that every step was a puzzle to solved. The last mile, which also included a couple cliffs that required both hands, not poles, to climb down, took us almost two hours to negotiate.  We were glad to finally get to the road to the hostel, but so tired we had to rest 30 minutes and eat some snacks before walking the final half mile to the hostel. When we got to the hostel, we were greeted by Books & Castaway, who are not only staying but also working here. They¢re staying here while Castaway¢s injured ankle heals, and maybe even longer because they¢ve found a bit of heaven here. Our ¢room¢ is a permanent tent on a raised platform. It has a porch with deck chairs on it, and the inside of the tent is furnished like a normal bedroom. Besides Books, Castaway, and Monk, whom we¢ve met before, a lady named Birkie, a girl named Strider, a guy named Hot Carl, an old guy named Sweetwater, a couple named March Forth & Go Forth, and many others are also here at the hostel.  And Neville is our wonderful hostess and owner of the hostel, which was started by her grandmother & grandfather in 1986.
Date: 2019-05-12
From: Woods Hole Hostel

To: Woods Hole Hostel
Miles today: 0.0

The Story of Pocket Pussy - Today we met someone at the hostel who had met Bagpuss & Sourpuss in town and took a picture of them. He said that the guy was a very nice fellow, and that the cat¢s real trail name was Pocket Pussy. It turns out that the guy (we still don¢t know his name) was probably hiking with earbuds in his ears and never heard us when he walked past us.  So, we¢ve given him the new, kinder trail name, Boots. And we¢ll refer to them as Bagpuss & Boots, because it has a familiar ring to it that makes it easy to remember. Later in the day we met Iron Man, a 79-year-old man from Birmingham, England. He¢s hiked from Springer Mountain to the Woods Hole Hostel, 625 miles, without taking a single zero day. For dinner Neville made Birthday cake for Tribute. After dinner we met Mat in the Hat, who just retired from 30-year career as Navy medic and Onward, also a military retiree, both members of Warrior Expedition. Then we talked to Scribbles.  Last fall Scribbles, who works at the hostel helping Neville, stayed in the same hostel we did last week, the Mountain Garden Hostel, run by Mark. She stayed in the same bedroom we had. But she didn¢t like her stay there. We stayed two zero days at the hostel, not only because severe weather and thunder storms were predicted for both days, but also because Woofie had an abrasion on her back where her backpack had rubbed the skin raw, and she needed a couple days to let it heal before putting on her backpack again.
Date: 2019-05-13
From: Woods Hole Hostel 625.4

To: Cross Ave, Pearisburg 636.0
Miles today: 10.6

With rains predicted to end by 9 am and Woofie¢s back feeling better, we planned to head out after breakfast. But another three small, localized pockets of heavy rain blew through briefly between 9 and 10 am. When it was clear to go, we said our final farewells to Books & Castaway and the other friends we made while at the hostel and headed up the road back to the trailhead at 10:30. Our hike today covered 10.6 miles, but the road walks to and from the trail added another 1.5 miles. We knew we were getting a late start for a 12.1-mile day, a long day for us, but the terrain looked relatively easy, and the weather was nice and cool. We made fairly good time, about 1.5 miles/hr over the first nine miles, in spite of poor trail conditions. In fact, as I followed Woofie up the hill, I noticed that she was demonstrating the astronomical principle where more distant stars appear to be moving away from us faster than closer stars are. It seemed to me that the farther in front of me she got, the faster she hiked, getting even farther away in front...until she needed me for something. Then she stopped to wait for me to catch up. Although we¢d avoided the two days of heavy rains by waiting at the hostel, we now couldn¢t avoid the muddy, slippery conditions resulting from those days of rain.  And we didn¢t avoid all the rain either. We had a few light showers during the day that we just ignored and walked through, like real hikers do. The last two miles were steep down hill, so trail that normally requires going slower was made even more difficult by the mud and slippery roots and rocks.  With the extra hour it took us to reach the road into town we got there by 7 pm and made it the motel, another mile of road walking, by 7:30. We got our room and after a warm shower and a Mexican dinner, we plan to relax tomorrow in our room, letting our sore feet recover.
Date: 2019-05-16
From: Holiday Motor Lodge - Pearisburg

To: Holiday Motor Lodge - Pearisburg
Miles today: 1.0

It turned out that the steep, muddy conditions on our most recent hiking day took a big toll on Woofie¢s ankles. So, we¢ve been resting them here in Pearisburg until she¢s sure they can handle the next section of hiking, which will be a 5-day hike covering about 40 miles.I saw from the trail map that that the closest trailhead to our motel when we hike back southbound is a mile on the trail from the one we used going northbound a few days ago, which would leave a one-mile section unhiked.  So, this morning I walked back to the trailhead from where we road walked to our motel, hiked the mile north to the next trailhead, then walked that road back to the motel¢three miles of walking to cover just one mile of trail. But it was a cool, sunny morning and the trail revealed a surprisingly beautiful waterfall, so it was well worth the trip. And now today was not a zero day, but a nero day (near zero).When I got back, I met Mountain Fish, who¢s in the next room, and later we took him to lunch. Tomorrow he¢s going to trail days and has lined up a ride. But he has to come back afterward, because his phone died and his new one will be delivered here by the weekend. We called our shuttle driver, Don Raines, and are all set for him to pick us up tomorrow morning at 8 am.  He¢ll drop us off at the trailhead at Rt 42, about a half hour¢s drive toward Daleville.  It¢s amazing to think that it¢ll take us five days to cover the same distance on foot that the car to can travel in 30 minutes.
Date: 2019-05-17
From: Rt 42 Trailhead

To: Laurel Creek Shelter
Miles today: 2.4
Weather: clear sky

Our shuttle driver, Don Raines, dropped us off at a church pavilion near the trailhead at 9 am. The pavilion was convenient because a localized rain storm had popped up, but was due to last only another hour.  Funny thing about Don: every time he shuttles us to the trail, it rains.  With a name like that, what else should we expect.  We waited under the pavilion, nice and dry, until the rain stopped and started hiking by 10 am, planning to get to the War Spur Shelter, 8.2 miles away. As we hiked the sky cleared, and it turned into a gorgeous day. We crossed about a mile of farm meadows before reaching the forest. The forest was cool and moist from the fresh rains. When we got over the first small mountain and down to the valley on the other side, Woofie¢s feet told her they were still unhappy. They made climbing down the steep rocky trail slow going and painful with each misstep. Then we came to the bottom of the hill and had to rock hop across a swift flowing stream. It was hard to find the proper path that would let us reach the other side dry. It took us both working together 10 minutes to get safely across. We got to the first shelter, Laurel Creek Shelter after just another .1 miles, and we stopped there for a lunch break. During lunch we realized that pushing on to the next shelter with sore feet wasn¢t going to be the wonderful time we wanted for our hike. And with more storms forecast for late afternoon, we worried about reaching the next campsite and getting the tent up before the rains come. So we decided to go slow and enjoy ourselves. Step one: stop hiking, just camp here at the shelter, and hike to the next one tomorrow instead of today. Step two: soak the sore feet in the cool mountain stream near the shelter. Step three: enjoy just being here. We have lots of food and time, and it¢s a peaceful and very pretty place.  We¢re both much happier now. Later on as we were cooking our dinner meal and other hikers were arriving, I spotted a six-foot black guy getting too close to our tent. His trail name was Snake, Black Snake. I redirected him away from our tent with my hiking pole, trying not to anger him or make him feel threatened. It took several tries and about 15 minutes before he cooperated and slithered away into the woods. About an hour after we climbed into our tent for the night, it started to rain. It came down heavy for a while, but lasted only about an hour. We were happy and dry in our tent.
Date: 2019-05-18
From: Laurel Creek Shelter

To: VA 632
Miles today: 5.0

We knew it was going to be a hot day, so we got started hiking by 6:50 am. Our goal was to reach the War Spur Shelter, which meant a steep climb up to Kelly Knob and then a steep descent down the other side. Just as we were getting to the peak, we met Rocket Man returning from the view point on the blue blaze trail from Kelly Knob. He said there wasn¢t much to see because to tree foliage had blocked the view. We took the blue blaze trail to Kelly Knob anyway, since it was time for lunch and that¢s where we planned to eat and rest.  Sure enough.  At the end of the trail was an outcropping of rocks that overlooked the valley, or would have if the trees were still bare. When we¢d finished eating, I spotted another blue blaze trail on the other side of the campsite where we had sat to eat.  I followed it for only about 30 yards before I came to the real Kelly Knob, the one with unobstructed, beautiful view. Not long after we got packed up and starting hiking again, we met Map Man, who said he was hiking with his companion, Rocket Man. So we told him to be sure to follow all the blue blaze trails to Kelly Knob so he wouldn¢t miss out like his partner Rocket Man had apparently done. Going down the other side of the mountain from Kelly Knob, Woofie¢s feet began hurting her a lot, and we had to go very slow.  It took us two hours to reach a stream that was only 1.5 miles down from the top, leaving still another mile to the bottom and two miles to the shelter. We sat to rest at the stream, which turned out to be a strong spring that then flowed away as a stream. I was happy to get spring water that didn¢t need to be treated to refill our bottles. Woofie was happy just to soak her feet in the cold water. At that point we knew that her feet wouldn¢t let her keep hiking, so we hoped to just get down the one mile to the bottom where there was a road, so we could get off the trail. Just then more northbound hikers arrived and stopped at the stream. We told them we needed to contact our shuttle driver to pick us up at the road. So, Puddle Jumper, Moon Boots, & No Eyes offered to help by calling him from Kelly Knob, the only place with cell service.  We gave them his number and our names, and they said they¢d call as soon as they reached the top and had phone service.They hiked up and we hiked down the mountain. And before we could even reach the road, Don the shuttle driver came walking up the trail to collect us. The trail with its family of hikers and supporters is an amazing place. Thanks to hikers Puddle Jumper, Moon Boots, and No Eyes and to our shuttle driver, Don Raines, we were able to get off the trail and back to the motel where our car was in just a couple hours.
Date: 2019-05-19
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

When we got back to the Holiday Motor Lodge, we got the same room we¢d been in before, but we could only have it one night because it was reserved after that. But that was fine with us. We¢d already decided that Woofie¢s feet needed a longer rest than a few days in a motel would provide. She knew it was a mistake to start the last section. Her feet, although feeling better, were not ALL better. I knew I had to take her back home where she could rest without feeling the pressure to hit the trail again too soon.Before he left, Don our shuttle driver told us that we should drive to Catawba on our way home and stop for Sunday Dinner at the Home Place. It¢s an AYCE family style restaurant reputed to be the best place to eat anywhere along the AT.We got there at 11 am sharp, just as it was opening. The car lot was full and it looked like a hundred people were waiting to get in. Turns out that Sunday dinner at the Home Place is also a favorite with the locals, who all head there as soon as church lets out. Don had warned us not be late because it fills up fast on Sundays. We got our name on the waiting list and were called to our table about 5-10 minutes later. What a meal! Two meat dishes, four side dishes, bread and a beverage, all brought to the table in serving bowls just like at home. And everything, besides being delicious and coming with endless refills, was only $15 per person.So now we know that when we return to the trail, the Home Place is still in front of us, and we¢ll get to enjoy it again.
Date: 2019-07-13
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

When I ended my last post with the wish to see our hiking friends again, I had no idea how soon that wish would be granted. We went to our home in NY State for two weeks over the 4th of July holiday. It was July 1st when we received a text message from March & Go Forth, whom we met during our stay at the Woods Hole Hostel in Virginia, that they¢d just completed the Pennsylvania portion of the AT.Since our place is only four miles from the AT, we texted back and offered to pick them up at a trailhead and shuttle them to our place to shower, do laundry, and resupply. They answered and said they¢d make it to Unionville, NY by Friday, but also had three other hikers hiking with them. So, we extended our invitation to include the whole troop of five. They said they¢d camp at the Secret Shelter just .8 miles from the Unionville Rd trailhead, and we agreed to meet there at 9 am on Friday.Our timing was perfect. As I signaled to pull off the road at the trailhead, Go Forth emerged from the woods, followed by the others. Besides Mr. Go & Mrs. March Forth (from Chicago) were Fire Ant (from England), Doc (from northern Virginia, and Chappy (from S. Carolina). We piled the 5 backpacks into the back, and everyone climbed into my van. When we got to my place 30 minutes later, everyone grabbed their packs and spread out their gear to dry out. Then, of course, it was time for showers & laundry.Our timing was especially perfect for Chappy, who had just broken his smart phone the day before. As soon as the unpacking was done, I took Chappy and his hiking partner, Doc, into Warwick to the Verizon Wireless store to buy a new phone. Chappy, a 68-year-old retired Chaplain, was so happy to be able to contact his wife and let her know he was all right.We got back to the house just about lunch time, so Woofie & I took the five starving hikers to the Goshen Diner, well known for its good food and large portions. And after lunch we took them all to the Price Chopper grocery store in Warwick to restock the supplies they needed for the trail. We had a good time visiting the rest of the day while our hiker friends finished repacking their backpacks for the next day¢s hike.After a good night¢s sleep indoors, Woofie & I loaded our hiker friends and their packs into the van for the ride back to the trail. But on the way we stopped for a good country breakfast at the Country Dream restaurant. It was converted from a general store that belonged to my Uncle from 1902 to the mid-1960s and has been a restaurant ever since.By 9 am we returned the five well-rested and well-fed hikers to the Unionville trailhead, just 24 hours after I picked them up. We had a terrific time reuniting with March & Go Forth and meeting Doc, Chappy, and Fire Ant. We said our final farewells and they disappeared into the woods again in ones and twos. Woofie said she had the best time ever thanks seeing all our old and new friends from the Appalachian Trail.
Date: 2019-01-27
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

In 2018 decided I wanted to hike the 105 miles of the AT in Shenandoah National Park. I found out my Niece Rampaige was doing a thru hike north bound starting March 21. I ended up meeting up with her and the people she was hiking with at James River Bridge in Virginia first time in May and last time in Killington Vermont in July.  I first met Prophet at Dulles Airport when he flew out to get back on the trail in Harpers Ferry on May 28 with Rampaige and Minnesota. He had gotten off the trail in Buena Vista Virginia a couple weeks before. I said I would hike the part missed with him when he came back after summiting Katahdin. He summitted August 3rd. We started hiking August 8th. I will talk about that in journal entry 2.
Date: 2019-01-28
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Prophet and Minnesota summitted Katahdin August 3 and took the bus to Washington DC August 6. I started my section hike August 8th. Dropped Prophet off at Buena Vista route 60 and me 8 miles north. I did not want to do Bald Knob and the Priest on first day. Minnesota hiked SOBO to the Priest shelter after parking car and we all stayed at the shelter on the Priest the first night. Day 2 hiked down the priest and did the 3 ridges. Mini picked us up at the road to Devils Backbone and we camped there after enjoying the brewery. Day 3 we entered Shenandoah National Park. We got a campsite for 3 nights at Loft mountain. We were able to slack pack since Mini would drop us off and pick us up each day. Prophet was ahead of me so she had 2 different drop off and pick ups each day. After day 6 of hiking we drove the hour to my house and took the next day off. We started back up a Thorton Gap route 211. I had to skip 19 miles to catch back up. We had planned on staying in shelters next 3 days but we made such good time each day we came back to my house since it was never more than 90 minute drive on this stretch. Hey it was August and I have a pool in my backyard. Air Conditioning and showers were a bonus as well. Plan on doing the same this year if I am fortunate enough to make it that far. Ended up finishing August 19 in Harpers Ferry. I had to skip ahead 9 miles one day to catch back up so we could both finish on the same day. It was great to hike into Harpers and be with someone that was completing the 2190 journey. Next journal entry will be about the times and places I met my niece while she was on the trail.  A month from today I drive south to start the journey.         From Facebook post after hike           Finished my hike on Appalachian Trail Sunday in Harpers Ferry. 11 days and 144 miles on the trail. Fell 2 times. 1 blister and 1 bee sting. Zero ticks. Hit hundreds of webs. Usually right in the face. Saw 7 Bears all in Shenandoah National Park. Also saw deer turkeys chipmunks owls squirrels hawks rabbits and all kinds of other birds and tons of butterflies. I had a great time. Some days I hiked hours with out seeing a person and would catch up with my group at end of day. Thanks to Prophet and Minnesota (trail names) for hiking with me.