morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2006-04-18
From: Pearisburg

To: Bailey Gap
Miles today: 22.9
Weather: clear sky

Left Pearisburg after taking 2 zero days. The first was planned and the second was because of thunderstorms all day! We headed out around 8am passing a large Chemical Plant just outside town. There are warnings about not drinking the water in this area. We noticed the Trail was rerouted since '03 away from some foul smelling streams - good idea! One of our favorite spots (rice field) was just as pretty as we remembered it. You are in a large field (much like the balds) and can see miles of farmlands in the valley below We saw clouds below us in some areas (really neat). We also saw a large formation of geese flying over one cloud. Ma tried to get a picture but they were too far away. We also saw a jet fly over where we took a break. Boy was he close - I could almost see the pilot!! I had to plug my ears too!! There were some powerlines that Ma remembered. As we approached the top we saw a guy doing some surveying. We also passed a motion detector but we weren't sure who put it out, the ATC or Forest Service. We met Ooma and Oopa who are out section hiking, and at the last shelter we met a guy doing a section, South. He told us that if we went on (which we were planning to do) that a bridge was out and unless we wanted to ford Dismal Creek, we needed to do a road walk. When we reached the road there was a sign telling you what to do and they even painted mileage on the road itself, so you couldn't miss the trail. After the rain all day yesterday, the Creek would have been dangerous to ford, besides I can only dog paddle! I'd be floating down the creek by now!!! After crossing the road back into the woods, we found trail magic left by the "Captain". Soda, juices and lots of sweets to pick from - Yummy! Thanks for the special treats. Ruff Ruff! Remember I said Pa and I saw some bunnies on the trail - well guess what we saw today. Easter eggs filled with Tootsie Roll candy! Kaptain Kangaroo and the gang might have had something to do with it, but I think it was the Easter Bunny! Thank you Kathleen, Donnie and Kathy (aka Sam) for the treats! We all enjoyed the food and snacks. I tried to get the jaw breaker to hide in Pa or Ma's packs but they caught me! I've been eating mint candy, cookies and dum dums today. My stomach is getting full. Burp! Oops! Sorry. Hee Hee! Also, Ma said thanks to Grammy and Kathy for the malted milk balls, too! She wouldn't give me any! A lot of people went out of town Sunday and got stuck in the rain so did short mileage. We were hoping to catch a few of them but not until Daleville probably. We met a young guy "Wrong Way" who keeps going the wrong way. Hee Hee! He said he saw "Tank" who is going slow because of foot problems and "Zama and Kuo" who are tenting about 7 or 8 miles back. We're kind of in between groups right now. We're planning on doing some 20s to get into Daleville before the Post Office closes on Saturday. Ma said, "We'll see how it goes." Pa and I like big mileage cause we're guys! Just kidding----From the Top of the Pack
Date: 2006-04-19
From: Bailey Gap

To: Sauer Hollow Shelter
Miles today: 21.0
Weather: clear sky

Left at 7:15am and climbed to ridge. We stayed on ridgeline for a while, then some more ups and downs (of course). Hee Hee! We crossed some pastures in the afternoon and as we crossed a stream there were sodas left by some trail maintainers. Thanks Chase! We then came to the Keffer Oak (estimated to be over 300 years old - 18+ feet around). Ma and I had our pictures taken with the Oak. We climbed over 900 feet to a ridge where there were dozens of redoubts (rocks piled up to protect soldiers when fighting the enemy during the Civil War). We all saw a rabbit today. "Wrong Way" went on 5 miles to the next shelter. This one is 3/10th off the ridge but I didn't want to go on. Ready for food and bed. Hope we all sleep well tonight. Early start tomorrow to see if we can get to Catawaba tomorrow.From the Top of the Pack
Date: 2006-04-20
From: Sauer Hollow Shelter

To: Catawaba VA 624
Miles today: 22.6

Left at 7am from shelter. We were the only people there, of course it's 3/10th off the trail so not many plan on it. The trouble is that it's the only water source for a long stretch. Our filter has been acting up for a couple of days. We were hoping it would last until Troutville, but it stopped working today so we got a ride from Bill who is the father of the manager of the outfitters in Troutville. What a lifesaver - coming to get us at 7pm. He's going to take us back to the trail Saturday morning. We'll get our filter, either there is one in our box or we'll buy a new one. All of us were exhausted by the end of today, between the heat and not drinking enough. We are sooooooo glad to be here at the motel. We need to rehydrate, get our box at the Post Office and go to the outfitters. What we'll do is go back to where we came off and hike back here in a day or two. We did several good climbs today - really tough in the heat! It was so warm that while Pa was trying to pump water at one stream (near a dirt road) we both looked and Ma had taken her shirt off and dipped it in the stream, then put it back on! Geez - what if someone came along. She said she didn't care - she needed to cool off. She also said that if it wasn't for the leaves on the bottom (stirring up the stream) she would have laid down in the stream. Pa wet his hat and Ma wet Pa's scarf (she lost hers somewhere on the trail yesterday). Dragon's Tooth was also really tough at the end of a looong day. It's a beautiful ridge of rocks, but we were feeling the heat and lack of fluids. It will be good to have a filter that works, so we can drink a lot more. Off to Pizza Hut and to bed. It's almost 9pm and we're (yawn) all tired.Oh, we saw lots and lots of wild Iris' - purple with yellow insides - really nice. Also last night we saw a bird's nest in the rafters of the shelter. The female kept flying in and leaving. We realized that Pa's back pack was hung to close to the nest. He moved it and the bird came back and settled into the nest for the night. Today we opened a box they have on a post that has a register for hikers to sign. Inside was a nest with 3 blue eggs. We hope no one disturbs the nest - not a good place to have one! We also saw a memorial to Audie Murphy today. The site is where he crashed his private plane.From the Bed in the Hotel
Date: 2006-04-22
From: Catawaba VA 624

To: Daleville/Troutville US 220 exchange
Miles today: 25.7
Weather: light rain

Lee picked us up at 7:30am as promised. The weather report was for thunderstorms throughout the day - it was raining pretty steady as we drove away. We were talking to a section hiker just before Lee drove up. He's doing a section from here to Front Royal. He was debating whether he would start today or wait for better weather tomorrow. It rained for the first hour or so but we ended up taking our rain jackets off, as it was warm. We reached a road crossing after approximately 7 miles and met "Boy Floyd" a south bounder. He hiked from Maine to Duncannon, PA in '05 and is hiking from Duncannon to Springer Mtn this year. There was some juice left for hikers at the gap and Pa had one. We next climbed to McAfee Knob, one of the best views on the AT. It was overcast but we could see the valley pretty well. There were a couple of women out for a day hike sitting on the knob. We hiked on to Tinker Cliffs. This is an area of cliffs that have great views as well. From there we were up and down the ridges all afternoon. We pretty much circled a large lake. This is a pretty area with many lookouts and views. We had one real downpour around 6pm and got soaked. Ma and Pa's boots were sloshing wet. Earlier in the day we saw a box turtle. They look as though someone painted designs on them. Ma took a picture of me challenging one turtle to a "Tortoise and NoseHair" race! We saw three more turtles (they must like the rain)! We also saw a couple of orange salamanders as well as a rabbit. We finished a long day of hiking around 7pm. We're off to a Mexican restaurant, then to bed. Yes, we (well Ma and Pa) took showers first! Hee Hee!1/3 of the trail done - YES!!!From the Top of the Pack
Date: 2006-04-23
From: Daleville/Troutville US 220 exchange

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Spent 3 days finishing up some personal business - many phone calls later we are finally ready and anxious to get back to our thru hike.Ma and Pa (Nose was sleeping with a bulging belly full of dog biscuits so he couldn't write in the journal today)
Date: 2006-04-26
From: Troutville

To: Cove Mt. Shelter
Miles today: 24.9
Weather: overcast clouds

Glad to get out of town and back to the trail. I was getting tired of staying in a motel room watching tv, eating, laying around...NOT! Hee Hee! We left around 8:15am after breakfast at Cracker Barrel Restaurant. Yummy! It has been an overcast, foggy and drizzly type day. This reminds us of '03. It was cool especially when we stopped for breaks, however, it's good for hiking. The trail was good today - some ups but very doable. The flowers are really coming out now as well as the leaves. We've seen so many dogwood trees and even one rhododendron that had flowered. Ma took lots of pictures of flowers today. Pa found the zoom on the camera so she had to try it out. No pictures of me today! We're looking for an orange salamander to take a picture with, or maybe me smelling the flowers (no roses yet). Hee Hee! We are on the Blue Ridge Parkway now but since the weather wasn't too good, we didn't see or hear many vehicles. The trail parallels the parkway in most areas over the next 80 to 100 miles. It seems funny to hear or see vehicles throughout the day. We should see more Saturday and Sunday. We saw 2 day hikers and one thru hiker (we think) today. We're in a gap between groups, which is ok with us. It's about 6:00pm so we're not sure if anyone else will be in. This shelter doesn't have a water source so you have to have enough with you. We brought out sandwiches so only needed to have enough for drinking. We filled up at the last shelter, so are all set for tonight and tomorrow breakfast. Time to help Ma with her puzzle (right!) and turn in after a hard day...Oh, we saw a place where they used to make charcoal. Ma took a picture of the plaque that explains how it worked. Neat!From the Top of the Pack
Date: 2006-04-27
From: Cove Mt. Shelter

To: Thunder Hill Shelter
Miles today: 17.2
Weather: overcast clouds

Left shelter at 7:15am and pretty much climbed throughout the day. There was over 3000 feet of elevation gain just in the afternoon. In the morning there was several climbs in the 200 to 500 foot range. Very different from yesterday. We saw 2 owls today! They kept saying "who are you?" "who are you?" Don't they know? Geez! Anyway, Ma tried to get a picture but they flew away - she did get pictures of several new flowers and even took a picture of me smelling the flowers. Hee Hee! We met "High Pockets" who is just starting again. Not sure if he's section hiking or finishing in Maine. He might make it here tonight but he mentioned he might stay at the last shelter. "Lua and Zama" are about a half day ahead of us. If we do some long mileage, we might catch them by Waynesboro. We haven't seen anyone else today. We did see a tower (Far Radar Dome) and went though the Guillotine today - a rock formation (Ma took pictures). We crossed the Parkway just once today. The weather is cool, but sunny. We have our jackets on and a hot meal in our belly which tasted good! Time to help with a puzzle and bug Pa (for fun)! Hee Hee!"Superman" stopped by - going on a little further. We saw him back at Over Mt. Shelter and Kincora Hostel.From the Top of the Pack
Date: 2006-04-28
From: Thunder Hill Shelter

To: VA 130 Glasgow
Miles today: 14.6
Weather: light rain

We had just settled in last night when "High Pockets" came in. He's from Seattle and is semi-retired. He plans to section hike from Daleville to Harper's Ferry. He will then go on a rafting trip to the Grand Canyon for two weeks. When he gets back, he will be meeting a guy he hiked with last year (doing a section) and they will hike from Harper's Ferry to somewhere in PA, I think.This morning we got up and on the trail at 7:00am. We hiked a couple of miles and saw "Superman" getting ready after tenting for the night. We were able to get rid of trash at the one place we came near a parking area on the Blue Ridge Parkway. We hiked ridges quite a while, seeing many flowers (Trillium, Dutchmans, Birches and many others). We also saw several green lizards today. There were nice views of wooded valleys from the ridges this afternoon. When we were within 3/4 of a mile of the James River we started seeing it. Once we got to within a mile of the foot bridge across the James River we saw more rhododendrons in bloom and four large turtles on trees that were in the water. After crossing the foot bridge we hitched into Glasgow. The motel was open but the restaurant was closed. Needless to say we were disappointed. Also the Library was closed (the only day of the week they are closed. Go figure!) Well, we at least got some supplies and have a room for the night. We also got hot dogs for supper (best we could do). There is a laundry so we did ours. All in all it will be a good break, although we'll have to hitch back out in the morning. I hope we get a ride quickly since we're planning a long day. Off to bed so we can get up early.From the Top of the Pack
Date: 2006-04-29
From: VA 130 Glasgow

To: Rt 60
Miles today: 21.4

Got a ride to the trail from a guy who is a pipefitter that works for a papermill. He's putting in 7 days a week because of a project they are doing. We hit the trail at 7:30am and hiked up (as usual) most of the morning. There were nice ledges with views of where we were yesterday and the James River as well. At one place there was a plaque about a little boy who wandered off from a group trip in November 1891 (think that's the right date) and was found the following spring. He was 4 years and 11 months old and he was 7 miles from where the group was. That's quite a distane for a 4 year old to walk, plus it was up! How sad! We then did several ridges, going in and out of valleys. We met a couple, "Hot Flash and Flash", who thru hiked in 1987. What a nice couple. They were doing trail magic, offering lemonade and sandwiches, plus they left goodies at a shelter. We got to Rt 60 around 4:30pm and tried hitching into town. We were about to give up after an hour and a half when a guy finally picked us up. We're just in for the night and out tomorrow. The guy works at a CVS store and is going by at 9:30am tomorrow and said if we're out front he'd give us a ride back to the trail. If we don't get a hitch earlier we'll take him up on it! We saw many flowers again and even got a picture of a butterfly on a flower today. I'm ready for bed after a loooong day! Only 3 days to Waynesboro and a zero day! I got to lay around all day eating snacks and watching tv. Hee Hee! Oh, we saw some poliwogs in a small ketch of water. We also saw some signs about a settlement on Brown's Creek. It was a group of freed slaves and in 1920 they sold the land to the U.S. Forest Service.Fro the Top of the Pack
Date: 2006-04-30
From: Rt 60

To: Dutch Haus/Fish Hatchery Road
Miles today: 16.3

We left town around 7:45am and climbed our first Mt. (over 1300 feet). We did some ridge walking for a while (some views) then headed down to a gap. We saw a skunk (I wanted to play but Ma said NO WAY!) coming down the trail towards us. Pa scared him off but he did leave a scent (just a little). Lots of flowers again - really pretty. We met a couple and a group of 5 men who were out for the weekend. We also saw a group of scouts (we assume) and two leaders out for a day hike. We met "3rd Degree" who is hiking from PA to GA, then plans to 'flip flop' from PA to ME. He said he's only seen people (thru hikers) for the last couple of weeks. As we were heading in here we met Cedar Moe going out. We'd read his journal entries. Also Eagle Eye, 007 and Sir Hawk are here. It's nice to meet some of the people that go with the journal entries at the shelters. We're having homemade pizza tonight so my stomach is grumbling...Yummy!From the Dutch Haus
Date: 2006-05-01
From: Dutch Haus/Fish Hatchery Road

To: Dutch Haus
Miles today: 20.5

We decided that we'd do something different today. We had Earl (owns the place) drop us off on the Blue Ridge Parkway so we could hike back to the Haus for one more night. We were southbounders for the day. Neat! Pa kept saying the sun was on the wrong side all day! It wa fun seeing people's looks when they saw us. We met a guy who hiked in 2004 "Heat Miser" who was hiking to the Prist Shelter with snacks and drinks. He gave us a soda (I could have drank 10, Hee Hee!) He said he is planning another hike in 2010. Really nice guy. We saw some northbounders that are ahead of us and surprised them. Oh, and we didn't slackpack, we took our regular packs. It was a tough day but there were a lot of viewpoints once you climbed (of course). We saw several new flowers, squaw root which looks like pine cones coming up through the leaves, some Mt. laurel, crested iris, and bluets. We also saw a lot of poison ivy today. We've got to be careful where we sit or put our packs. We also saw two black snakes. Yuck! One snake just meandered off the trail, the other one stood it's ground. It was flicking its tongue and rattling its tail (like a rattlesnake does). If you tried to go by him he turned his heas as if to strike. Finally, Pa went up and off the trail around him and he took off down the hill. They are not poisonous but do bite, so we're careful. I could have scared him away but Ma wouldn't let me out of the pack! Grrrr Grrrr! We saw several hikers that are new to us, "Restless", "2 shoe", and "Chestnut". When we pick up the trail tomorrow into Waynesboro we should see "Sun Dancer", "Sir Hawk", "007" and "Superman". It will be interesting to see who else is in town. It was a beautiful day, sunny and cool in the morning - a little warmer in the afternoon. We did quite a bit of elevation over the three ridges. It was 1200 feet in the morning and over the Priest was 3000 feet in the afternoon. It was also 800 feet up the last ridge before "Spy Rode". Once we reached it we knew it was pretty much down hill. We left at 8:00am and finished at 5:00pm. I'm ready for supper and "yawn" a nap. Ma fell once today and Pa did what he called a "four pointer" (not a full fall - right!) Off to get food. Yummy!From the Dutch Haus...again
Date: 2006-05-02
From: Dutch Haus

To: Waynesboro
Miles today: 18.8
Weather: clear sky

Earl and Lois dropped up off on the Blue Ridge Parkway around 8:00am. We hiked up to the ridge and did some walking along the ridge over several rocky lookouts. Beautiful views of valleys and distant mountains. We ascended and descended several rigdges until we switchbacked down to the shelter in the afternoon. We met "Sir Hawk", "007", "Superman" and "Sun Dancer" who were taking a break. We had 5 more miles to go so didn't spend too much time at the shelter. We pumped water, had a snack and hiked out along with "Sun Dancer". We saw a deer who ran across the trail in front of Ma but she didn't get her camera out fast enough. No snakes today. I would have grabbed it and swung it around, then threw it in the bushes...ok, ok, so I would have hid in the pack...Geez, after all, I'm not a puppy anymore, what do you expect?! I can fantasize, can't I? Hee Hee! We're off to the Steak House with the buffet.From the B&B (roughing it)
Date: 2006-05-11
From: Waynesboro 

To: Blackrock hut
Miles today: 20.0
Weather: light rain

We started out about 7am and pretty much had our heads down most of the day, due to the rain/fog. You could just see a few feet on either side of the trail. One interesting place was near several towers. There are several tractor seats set in the ground. I tried one out (for a photo shot) Hee Hee. Pa also saw the tail of a coyote running into the woods. We had a couple of areas that would have been nice views, however, the fog stuck throughout the day. We got to Blackrock Hut around 3pm and Thumper, Gervis (and dog Jack) and Snake were already there. Later, Pebbles, Overflow and her father Tagalong came in, then a father/son ended up tenting nearby, as the shelter was full. We had a nice evening with everyone, however, Ma kept thinking about her Dad and that she really didn't spend much time with him. Ma & Pa will talk about whether we should go home for a week or so, or continue on tomorrow.....From the top of the pack
Date: 2006-05-12
From: Blackrock hut

To: Home
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Well, we decided to go home so Ma could spend some time with her Dad. We walked back 15 miles on the road and then Bill Gallager (trail angel) gave a ride to Waynesboro. We did stop at all the wayside views and they are really nice. That helped break up the long trek back. We'll be back on the trail in a week or so.......stay tuned....we'll be back!From home
Date: 2006-05-23
From: Blackrock hut

To: Hightop Hut
Miles today: 21.4
Weather: clear sky

Got a ride to Blackrock Gap, to continue our hike. It was cool, windy and sunny. A perfect day for hiking. There were a few climbs, but very doable. It got a little warm as the day went on, so the last part of the day you tend to slow down. We've also been battling colds, but are feeling better every day. The fresh air feels good. Tomorrow is when we get the Mt. Blackberry shakes at one of the waysides (Yummy)! We saw a Turkey, a black snake and our FIRST! Bear! Ma was leading and all of a sudden she stopped and pointed to a BIG BLACK REAR END of a Black Bear in front of her on the trail. Pa made some noises and it finally realized we were there and moved off the trail about a 100 yards. It just sat there waiting for us to go by and we assumed it came back to the trail, once we moved on. WOW! Ma wasn't pleased, but also wasn't as nervous as she expected to be. Me and Pa loved seeing a Bear in the wild (not a Zoo)! We crossed the parkway several times and where there were outlooks, we stopped to enjoy the view. There were also several rocky outlooks from the trail that were nice. We did stop at the camp store at Loft Mt. but they didn't have much to choose from. We got to the shelter (they call them huts) at about 4 pm and meet Spudnik, a thru hiker and there were three tents nearby. These were people who were just doing the Shenandoahs. About an hour later two more thru hikers came in (Twist of Fate and Kingpin). All three left for the next shelter about an hour later. Another thru hiker showed up (M&M) who is from England and two more men who are hiking the Park. Pa said we will pass the 900 mile mark sometime tomorrow! Well, it's time to eat and help Ma with her puzzles (right)!From the Top of the Pack