morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2017-04-29
From: Trents Grocery 

To: Docs Knob Shelter 
Miles today: 17.5
Weather: clear sky

The AT passes closely by Pearisburg, within 0.7 miles, making the town relatively convenient for a visit.  The burg also has an all-you-can-eat Chinese buffet, inexpensive lodging, a Mexican restaurant, and several grocery stores, all within easy walking distance.  Like a magnet, it draws me forward today. I hope to get as far as I can today to make it a short hike tomorrow to reach the outskirts. Before leaving Trents Grocery,  I fuel up at the grill with two egg and sausage sandwiches. (As you can see, food is now an obsession with me. I've lost about 20 pounds thus far, despite my efforts to remain well fed.  I've stumbled upon a diet that is not a fad: burn more calories than you ingest.) I also purchase a 32-ounce bottle of V8 to carry.  My water bottles are empty and the water in the fast-flowing nearby creek is undrinkable on account of the various commercial and industrial businesses in the area, including a lumber yard. The vegetable juice will be enough to carry me through to the next potable water source, just three miles ahead.The breakfast fortifies me for much of the day, but I bonk at 3 p.m., though today's objective is a mere 2.3 miles. The trouble is that a 500 foot climb is in the way and the heat has sucked away my energy from me.  Hookset is with me, and we toy with the thought of stopping at the Woods Hole Hostel, just 0.5 miles down the road. They make great smoothies I am told.Just as the smoothies are getting the upper hand, the sun ducks in behind some clouds and the air cools appreciably. Conditions for hiking are immensely improved, so I take off up the hill.  About midway into the climb, the reason for the weather change becomes apparent; it's due to the approach of a thunderstorm. I find myself nearing the top of a ridgeline while the skies slowly darken, not exactly where I ought to be. Calling upon some unknown source of reserve energy, I dash to make it to the downward side of the ridge. There's some distant thunder, but none close enough to induce paroxysms of terror.  I arrive at the shelter slightly out of breath, and the storm blows over without any rainfall. It's much ado about nothing.
Date: 2017-04-30
From: Docs Knob Shelter 

To: Pearisburg 
Miles today: 8.3
Weather: overcast clouds

Today is a short one as far as hikes go, only 8.3 miles excluding the 0.7 miles to reach town proper.  It is also an easy one, mostly downhill from 3700 feet to 2000 feet.  It's the kind that's easy on the heart but tough on the knees.Once I secure lodging (Holiday Lodge gives hikers a discount ), I go directly to the AYCE. The Chinese buffet at the Lucky Star loses money on me - I ate more than I can eat, and then some.  Cell service in town is outstanding, the best for as long as i can remember, so I speak for a good long time with Diane and Mom.  I then join Little Cheese and Einstein at the Lucky Star, where I find them both trying their best to bankrupt the restaurant.  I couldn't bring myself to have another Chinese buffet, though I am already hungry, so after sitting for a chat, I pop in at the Mexican restaurant just a short stroll away up a steep hill. Without my pack on my back, the hill is child's play. I eat a jumbo burrito.  I plan to return tomorrow,  I enjoy it so much.That night I watch the Red Sox beat the Cubs 6-2, as I catch up on my trail journal.  I do miss the baseball season (though not as much as I miss Diane, I quickly add).  Tomorrow is chore day.  And feed the face day.  Rumor has it it is going to rain, so it will be nice to avoid it with a zero. Sometimes it is better to be lucky than to be good.
Date: 2017-05-01
From: Pearisburg 

To: Pearisburg 
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: moderate rain

Spent the day in town. Went to Dairy Queen for breakfast and got the 10% senior discount without being asked. I need a haircut. There are four barbershop and hair stylists within a mile of the Holiday Lodge.  Three were too busy to squeeze me in; the fourth never opened its doors. Guess my hair will continue to lengthen until I reach the next town -- Daleville.  Guess I'll continue to look like a senior until then.I shopped at a Rite-Aid pharmacy to pick up some toothpaste.  They have a kiosk for checking your weight and blood pressure;  I thought I'd give myself a weigh-in. Discovered I've lost almost 20 pounds, and yet the machine still categorized me as overweight.  "Normal" must be pathetically thin.I'm all stocked up with enough food to reach Daleville without another resupply.  This means I'm carrying about 5 days (10-12 pounds) of food.  I sent home my gloves, winter hat, and excess clothing to make room for the extra food.  My pizza delivery just showed up. Time to put on some weight!
Date: 2017-05-02
From: Pearisburg 

To: The Captain's Campsite 
Miles today: 21.6
Weather: overcast clouds

You would think that after 2 months of hiking I'd have this food thing figured out.  I bought far too many goodies in town.  When I put my pack on, my knees buckled, my back crackled, and my feet sounded an audible groan.  My plan was to hike 20 miles, too.  Turns out I went farther than planned.  Everyone I met today was heading for the Captain's, a private home and lawn made available by their generous owner to tenters, for free. Also, he provided free sodas.  The only catch was that I had to cross a twenty foot wide, fast moving stream on a zipline to reach the site. The contraption had a carabiner for holding the pack and a seat rigged like a swing for carrying me.  I pulled on a rope that caused me to move across the water.  It was quite a ride.  On the other side, the host helped me get off the swing.  He did not help anyone else, so I attributed his assistance to my copious gray hair and diminished speed at which I made the transit.The Captains yard was well groomed, one of the best camping sites I've encountered thus far.  He had a brown dog with a mischievous nature, who became aggressive for attention if you made the mistake of petting it.  It grabbed the cuff of my pants and started a rousing bout of tug-of-war.  It being the only pair of pants in my wardrobe, I was determined to win, shouting loudly for the dog to let go.  Its owner joined my cause, and the beast released my leg.  This is how I endear myself to my benefactors. I entered my tent at 7 p.m., utterly exhausted, lay on my mattress, and closed my eyes.  It was supposed to be for only a few minutes, but I awoke three hours later, noticed it had become dark, and that I was still wearing my hiking clothes.  I stripped and crawled into my bag. Best sleep I've had in ages.
Date: 2017-05-03
From: The Captain's Campsite 

To: Laurel Creek Shelter
Miles today: 17.3
Weather: clear sky

Ziplining across the stream back to the trail was easy this morning because Blood Mountain (his trailname) pulled the rope while I simply sat on the swing.  Today's hike was tough, with multiple steep climbs over 1000 feet and much ridge walking up and down over rocks.  My pace today was slow, my legs being somewhat fatigued from yesterday's big hike, but it became even slower as I stopped for at least two hours at shelters to chat with Blood Mountain and Moonshine, and at trail magic run by Multi-tool and his wife.  They are from NH.  She drove umpteen hours to support her husband in his quest of AT glory. Who ever heard of a wife being so selfless?  :)
Date: 2017-05-04
From: Laurel Creek Shelter

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

Happy birthday, Diane.  They say the best 10 years of a woman's life are between the ages of 49 and 50. Enjoy.  And don't forget to stop and smell the roses.I had wanted to travel to Pickle Branch Shelter today, but pulled up short because of the weather report. Big rain was due at 2 p.m. The wind was strong and the sky overcast.  It felt like it could rain at any moment. So I set up my tent at Niday shelter and waited.  The showers came at 5 and continued in earnest for the next 13 hours.  Most of the night the rainfall pounded the tent. Turns out to have been a good choice to turn in early.  Packing up a wet tent is tomorrow guy's problem.Earlier that day on the way to Niday Shelter I passed the Keefer Oak, over 300 years old and the largest oak tree in the south on the trail.  I also came upon a sign identifying the Eastern Continental Divide.  On one side of the divide, water flows to the Gulf of Mexico,  on the other, towards the Atlantic Ocean.  To put it to the test, I poured water at the base of the sign.  It pooled and went nowhere.  Such a disappointment.
Date: 2017-05-05
From: Niday Shelter 

To: 4 Pines Hostel
Miles today: 16.8

A day chock full of memorable moments.  An hour after breaking camp the rain fell steadily. I donned my rain gear and braced for a troublesome hike.  As I neared the Audie Murphy Memorial, a tribute to the most decorated WWII hero, the sun broke through and slowly burnt off the fog.  The memorial did not disappoint.  As a youngster I watched Audie Murphy movies multiple times.  I felt as though I was paying him homage.  He died in a plane crash near the site of the memorial in 1974.   I also descended Dragon's Tooth, by far the most technical (i.e., hair-raising) hiking to date.  The terrain rivals anything I've ever seen up North.  I hope not to see terrain like it anytime soon.  There were numerous instances where my hiking poles were impediments instead of aids.  One vertical wall was about 20 feet high, with small ledges wide enough for a boot.  Not sure how I got done.  Other walls had rebar built into them to provide ladders. I would not have wanted to climb down while it was raining.After surviving the Dragon's Tooth, I reached the 4 Pines Hostel, just in time for a shuttle ride to the Homeplace restaurant. The ride waited just long enough for me to change my shirt. The restaurant was an AYCE, and I did my best. However, as I dozed off later that night I felt hungry again.  Hiker hunger is kicking in with a vengeance.  I weighed myself again, and I've lost about 25 pounds. I have become the incredibly shrinking man.
Date: 2017-05-06
From: 4 Pines Hostel

To: Lambert's Meadow campsite 
Miles today: 16.6
Weather: overcast clouds

It's been cold the past couple of days, enough to make me wish I had not sent my gloves and wool hat home.  The unrelenting wind was no help.  It rained again today for a time, and the sun came out, but the air never warmed.  Keeping in motion was my best way to fight the elements. Southern Virginia has a long line of cliffs, which offer outstanding views of the opposing mountains and the green valleys in between.  The most famous is McAfee's Knob.  I tried my best, on hands and knees, to crawl to the edge of the outcropping so that I could have an iconic picture taken of me, my feet dangling off the edge. But the whipping wind and a heavy dose of self-preservation kept me several feet from the edge.  I'm okay with that. Tinker Cliffs were also astonishing. The AT passes along the cliff edge for half a mile, with less three feet of dirt separating me from a sheer dropoff.  The cliff walk was exhilarating, but I was glad when the AT turned away from the cliffs and back into the woods.I slept that night aside a creek.  Its gurgling almost drowned out the snoring of a man in a neighboring tent.  The snoring did not bother me. Rather, I was jealous that he could sleep so soundly.  I've abandoned the Advil PM.  It doesn't help me sleep; it makes me extremely thirsty.Tomorrow is a short 9 mile hike into town.  Daleville, here I come.
Date: 2017-05-07
From: Lambert's Meadow campsite 

To: Daleville 
Miles today: 9.1
Weather: clear sky

Virginia is bipolar; I have encountered some of the toughest terrain here and some of the easiest, often on the same day. The hike into Daleville was relatively easy, short climbs, many flat stretches, and long gradual downhills.  I covered nine miles in three and one-half hours.  Getting into town early has its benefits.  First is first lunch.  I went to The Three Little Pigs and made a fourth pig of myself. They give thru-hikers free banana pudding.  It was better than my appetizer and entree. After seeing my pudding, the gent sitting next to me at the counter told the waitress he was a thru-hiker.  He was serious. He had just downed his second Guiness (he may have had others before I arrived).  She was having none of it and gave him his check instead.The second benefit is second lunch, a Wendy's chicken sandwich. I know, I know, but I desperately needed the calories.  Between lunches, I got my hair cut at Supercuts, my first haircut since I left MA. There were two hairdressers working at the shop, and they fought over who was to cut my hair.  The one who drew the short straw called me to the chair.  She needed a hedge clipper.  Good news, she found a pencil I thought I had lost back in the Smokies.For dinner I bought a full pizza at Pizza Hut.  Three slices remain for first breakfast tomorrow. As an aside, I crossed 700 miles at Dragon's Tooth and am coming upon the one-third mark, most likely tomorrow. Special thanks go out to Diane. Like Virginia,  I am bipolar and was feeling fatigued and ready to toss in the towel.  She always says the right things, "Take two aspirin and call me in the morning."
Date: 2017-05-08
From: Daleville 

To: Stealth Site at 750.5
Miles today: 22.4
Weather: clear sky

The hike out of Daleville started easily enough, a gentle climb through Troutville, where I passed the one-third completed milestone. I also took particular satisfaction in knowing my Guthook trail guide considers me to be in Northern Virginia. These small milestones add up and keep me motivated.  It's unseasonably cold, which makes for good hiking weather actually, except when the wind blows at higher elevations.  When walking the high ridges, I rue having sent my gloves and wool hat back home.I've packed enough food to get me within two days of Waynesboro, my next planned zero. This city is on the southern cusp of the Shenandoah National Park, overy 130 mIles from Daleville along the AT. I will need to resupply along the way.Just outside of Troutville I crossed a meadow where dozens of cows were munching. The one in the photo blocked my path and had no intentions of moving aside.  I gave it wide berth, especially after seeing it lick its chops, as though I was some delicious hamburger.A section of today's hike crossed the Blue Ridge Parkway (BRP) several times. Each crossing occurred near a parking lot, typically with a grand view of the surrounding mountains. Being near the BRP makes me realize how far north I've come - not quite in Yankee territory yet, but now its within walking distance.Originally I had planned to call it a day at Bobblets Gap Shelter, but I found its only two tent sites already occupied, and I didn't want to sleep in the shelter.  I much prefer the privacy of my tent. Four miles and two hours later I found a stealth site atop Cove Mountain. I'm getting quite used to tenting in the woods on my own, alone, just me and the birds and the wild animals.
Date: 2017-05-09
From: Stealth Site at 750.5

To: Thunder Hill Shelter
Miles today: 19.8
Weather: clear sky

A tough day of hiking today, I climbed Fork Mountain (2042'), Floyd Mountain (3560'),  and Apple Orchard Mountain  (4225').  In the course of my travels, I stopped at four shelters: Cover Mountain, Brant Ridge, Cornelius Crek, and Thunder Hill, where I stopped for the night. The first three were empty when I arrived; Thunder Hill had two squatter's when I arrived at 6 p.m. Rain was threatening, so they ducked in early for the night. I've learned that most hikers keep hiking until about 1 to 2 hours before sundown, which is about 8:15 p.m. these days, unless foul weather is imminent,  in which event they pull up short. They are making the most of the daylight hours.  My travels today brought me under the Guillotine  (photo), a rocked wedged tightly above the path.  As I passed beneath it, I did not tarry in the odd chance it might happen to fall.
Date: 2017-05-10
From: Thunder Hill Shelter

To: Johns Hollow Shelter
Miles today: 16.3
Weather: moderate rain

Seventy days hiking from Georgia to Virginia, I've yet to see a bear.  Most hikers I've spoken to have.  I'm jealous and don't know why I've been excluded from the club.  Am I too noisy when I hike? Do I smell so badly the bruins know I'm coming? Maybe there are no bears and everyone is lying to me.  I may have to stop at the Bronx Zoo when I reach NY.I crossed the James River Footbridge today, the longest foot-traffic only bridge on the AT.  The weather was fine and the hike was relatively easy for a 16 miler, due in part because I pulled up short of Big Rocky Row and stopped at the Johns Hollow Shelter.  After long hikes on the previous two days, my legs simply did not have a third one in them. Besides, tomorrow is a big day and I want to rest up, for I plan to enter Buena Vista, over 20 miles away, and will need to get a shuttle since the town is 9 miles away from the trail.
Date: 2017-05-12
From: Buena Vista 

To: Buena Vista 
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

When I came into town last night I fully intended to be back on the trail this morning.  But I was beat. And the weather forecast called for a day of rain, a real soaker in the afternoon.  Now I know I can't hide from the rain and also expect to finish the trail in 2017, especially when the daily forecasts of late have all mentioned showers, rain, and thunderstorms, but this rainstorm is supposed to be over by tomorrow morning and then followed by a four days of sun. That was the clincher. Can't say much of note happened while in town.  I ate breakfast at Burger King and afterwards searched for the town infirmary to have my stomach pumped.  My body was upset with my brain all morning long.  Unfortunately, no lesson was learned, and I was gobbling a Hardee's Jalape±o double meat cheeseburger by 1 p.m.  I've eaten more fast food on this hike than I could ever have imagined, and loving it.I also went "yard", having eaten my third foot-long Subway sandwich in two days.Lastly, Family Dollar provided all of the nutrients needed to reach Waynesboro. To my dismay, there had been a run on the Little Debbie honey buns, and the shelf was empty.  I had to settle for a 210-calorie knockoff, scarcely half the calorie count of the real thing.  I'll need to eat two of them to attain the same sugar high.Tomorrow I'm back on the trail -- and I've already lined up a shuttle, so no hitchhiking will be necessary.
Date: 2017-05-13
From: Buena Vista 

To: The Priest Shelter
Miles today: 20.6
Weather: moderate rain

The extra day in Buena Vista served me well, mentally and physically. Avoiding Friday's rain, although it did not reach the apocalyptic proportions forecast by Chicken Little on the Weather Channel, was a morale booster.  My feet were pleased to wear crocs instead of boots (which are still holding up well after 850 miles).  And my tired legs thanked me for the day off.A shuttle driver brought me to the US 60 trailhead at 8:15 a.m., and I thus began a 2000 foot ascent out of town to the top Bald Knob, which is actually not bald.  I find it more palatable to deal with climbs first thing in the morning than later in the afternoon.  It's an energy issue; I have less and less as the day progresses.  At higher elevations, fog obscured the woods. The bellowing of cows somewhere below on some unseen farm followed me along the climb. Long ascents like today's have one endearing characteristic; they have many false peaks.  When you are trudging upwards for what seems like eternity, and your brow and chest are soaked with sweat, you long to see the slope lessen because this tells you you're getting close to the top.  Each crest brings hope. Often, though, the terrain continues to rise beyond that crest, and the hope of having reached the peak is temporarily dashed. The not-so-bald Bald Knob had numerous false peaks. But, eventually, even if you move at a snail's pace, you reach the top.  Some wise man once said, "It does not matter how slowly you go, as long as you don't stop." Later in the day I took a short side trail to Spy Rock.  It was a sizeable rock scramble, so I left my pack at its base.  For me it was not a trivial climb.  But the 360° view from atop Spy Rock was worth jeopardizing life and limb. (It wasn't that bad, but falling off would have left a mark.)  I reached The Priest Shelter around 7 p.m., with plenty of daylight remaining to  set up camp.  My bear bagging, however, was done hastily and poorly. The food bag hung within arm's reach from the ground, which would elude Boo Boo's grasp but be easy pickings for Yogi.  Still, this was better than sleeping with the bag tucked by my side.  And I was too weary to look for a better tree.  Besides, there are no bears out here, or I would have seen one by now.
Date: 2017-05-14
From: The Priest Shelter

To: Maupin Field Shelter
Miles today: 13.8
Weather: clear sky

My feeble bear bagging last night must have worn heavily on my subconscious, for I dreamt an animal had torn into my bag and eaten all my food.  I awoke from this dream, relieved.  So I left my tent to get my food, only to find squirrels had bored holes in my bag and destroyed most of it. But then I awoke from this dream, relieved greatly.  Yes, I had a dream within a dream.  Very strange indeed.  Truly awake now, I went to my food bag and found it perfectly intact.  I will be sure to take better care of bear bagging from here on out.In honor of Mother's Day the weather conditions were ideal for hiking, sunny and warm.  Too bad the terrain was tough. Ascending Three Ridges Mountain knocked the stuffing out of me. It was a 2200 foot climb extending 3 miles, and my legs were still a bit wobbly from yesterday's long haul.  A section of it is called Chimney Rock for the simple reason of its vertical nature. The reward for the effort was a breathtaking view from Hanging Rock Overlook.  It was a huge cliff. Since the National Forest Service had neglected to put up guard rails, I stayed a safe distance from its edge. Anyone unlucky enough to fall over the edge would still be falling even now.Maupin Field Shelter was almost deserted tonight. I tented and a German couple slept in the shelter. Everyone else I met throughout the day was hitchhiking five miles to the Devil's Backbone Brewpub.  I passed on the idea.  I wanted an early start to push on to Waynesboro tomorrow, over 20 miles away.