morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2013-05-04
From: Low Gap

To: Erwin, TN
Miles today: 20.4
Weather: moderate rain

Somewhere in Tennessee the sun was shining today, but not on Bald Mountain.On the Appalachian Trail balds are treeless areas at the tops of mountains. They are lush and green and when the skies are clear there are usually great views to be had. Some say that balds occur naturally but others feel that they were created by First Nations people centuries ago. On this particular day the wind continued to roar and with it came a heavy mist and light rain. Usually the trail is marked by white paint blazes on trees. But, because the balds are, well, bald ... the trail markers in these areas are painted onto posts. It must be misty often because the posts on Bald Mountain were placed about ten metres apart so hikers won't lose their way. Today we could see only four markers at a time. From a distance it must have appeared that we were stumbling home from a late night at the tavern. The gusting 45 mph wind buffetted us wildly; blowing us sideways off the trail.The wind and mist continued all day. Sometimes the trail led us to the lee side of the mountain and we would have a respite from the relentless wind. Then in a turn or two of the trail we would return to the windward side of the mountain.Many hikers carry smartphones giving them access to weather reports. We began to hear that heavy rain was on its way. Then the forecast was for rain tomorrow. Later in the day we began to hear that the next morning there would be 5 inches of rain coming our way and that the wind was going to continue to blow at 40 to 50 mph. We decided that rather than camp short of Erwin and then hike out 5 miles in the rain the next morning we would just keep walking. We did it! At 8pm we arrived in Erwin after our first 20 mile trek of this trip.
Date: 2013-05-07
From: Erwin, TN

To: Cherry Gap Shelter
Miles today: 17.5
Weather: broken clouds

We took two zero days in Erwin to rest up, resupply, and catch up with communication with family. There wasn't any room at Uncle Johnny's Hostel when we arrived on Saturday. Uncle Johnny and Charlotte dropped us at the Holiday Inn Express. The motel was full of hikers! Many of the hikers stay over several days here and slack pack. Miss Janet runs a shuttle service and drops off and picks up hikers who wish to hike with minimal gear and spend several nights in a motel or at the hostel. We were able to get rides into Erwin, which was about three miles further down the road, to resupply. Stretch and Bubbles took us to Walmart before heading out to provide trail magic for other hikers who were slack packing. On another day we hitched in and out of town with no difficulty. A young couple who picked us up to return us to the motel told us, "We weren't going to pick you up because we thought you were some of those hikers, but then we saw that you were older." We had to burst their bubble and say, "But we are hikers! You wouldn't believe how many hikers out on the trail who are older than us."Our first experience with trail magic happened today. A former AT hiker and his friend pulled over their van at a road crossing. They had a cooler of soft drinks and bags of sugary, icing-filled desserts for us. Thank you!As we left trail magic it began to rain. There was a short blustery crossing of a bald but for the most part we were walking in the protection of trees. There was one mystical section where we walked through heavy mist in the forest - with the moss-covered trees, it was just beautiful. We decided to walk further so we could reach the protection of a shelter rather than set up our tarp tent in the rain. It seems that many hikers had the same idea. Cherry Gap Shelter sleeps six but we managed to squeeze in seven sodden hikers.
Date: 2013-05-08
From: Cherry Gap Shelter

To: Clyde Smith Shelter
Miles today: 9.2
Weather: light rain

The morning walking today was quite misty and by the afternoon it was more rain than mist. We seem to be walking the same pace as several other hikers. Tonight there are ten of us snuggled in an eight person shelter. As evening approached more and more hikers would come down the trail in search of the dry shelter. Unfortunately there was no room at the inn. Soon there were tents all around the shelter. Hikers came under the shelter's roof to cook their suppers. When the rain stopped some of the hikers were able to build a fire in the tent city that had sprung up. There were hiker stories and conversations going on inside and outside the shelter.One of the hikers inside the shelter, Roger, a tall, slim man with a long white beard, told us about the NORO virus and why it is so contagious. Before he retired he was an epidemiologist. There have been several bouts of the virus along the trail. A young hiker named Sea Biscuit told us that last year on the trail he caught it and just recently in Erwin he had a milder case of it - even a mild case is no treat!Roger told us that when he was a young man he would catch snakes and sell them for their venom i.e. to produce anti-venom serum. He and his friends would wait for a hot day that followed a cold spell. The snakes would be lying about, all stretched out trying to get warm. They would catch water moccasins and rattle snakes; the longer the better because they got paid a certain number of cents per foot of snake. "Yuck!" said Angel, "Not a job I would be interested in taking."
Date: 2013-05-09
From: Clyde Smith Shelter

To: Overmountain Shelter
Miles today: 14.7
Weather: light rain

Today we walked through misty forests and roused a deer from its browsing. On parts of the trail we squished through slippery mud. There were a few times when we clambered up and over rocks to look out over the treed valley. Part way through the day we passed Roan High Knob Shelter which, at 6194 feet, is the highest shelter on the Appalachian Trail.When we arrived at Overmountain Shelter all of the sleeping spots on the outdoor platforms were taken. Our other choice was to stay on the upper floor of the barn. There weren't any windows so it was very dark and dreary. The weather was looking really nice with no rain in the forecast for the night so we found a little grassy knob overlooking the valley and pitched our tarp tent. Many other campers had the same idea and soon we were part of a tent city.The last few nights we have met up in the shelters with two hikers - Pap from PA and Silverfoot. Pap is 74. Ten years ago he had a partial replacement of both knees. Since then he has completed section hiking the Appalachian Trail and right now they are section hiking into Damascus for Trail Days. He told us a wonderful story about a night he spent in a hostel. He phoned the hostel to reserve a bunk in the bunkhouse. The fellow on the phone told Pap that he was lucky, there was one bunk left. Pap told us, "I didn't question him, but I should have. When I got to the bunkhouse I found out that I was the only male in the room! Later, back on the trail, the other hikers wanted me to change my trail name from Pap from PA to Stays With Women!"
Date: 2013-05-10
From: Overmountain Shelter

To: Mountain Harbour B&B and Hostel
Miles today: 8.7

Each day we've been hiking we have wandered back and forth between North Carolina and Tennessee. Today, at Doll Flats, we passed a sign that read "Leaving North Carolina".This morning we left the tent city and joined the long file of hikers headed to Damascus, VA. All the hikers are trying to time their hiking so they can arrive in Damascus on May 17th for Trail Days. Of course this means that many, many of us are on the same schedule. First we headed up a mountain called Little Hump. In the distance we could see hikers ahead of us walking single file up the bald and further in the distance we could see still more hikers trekking up over Big Hump. At the top we sat by a big rock with a plaque on it. We two Houstonites were atop Houston Ridge! Then it was a steep, rocky descent down 2200 feet into humid, dense greenery at the valley bottom.Thanks to Ron, who let use his phone at Overmountain Shelter, we got the last room available at the Mountain Harbour B&B. What a treat! As we approached we saw the house up on a rise. Between it and the tent area there was a stream flowing across the property. Adjacent to the tent area was a barn that housed the bunkhouse. In the morning we saw a billy goat cross its own bridge and go into the lower area of the barn through its own door. With the goats out front and horses out back it was a friendly, pastoral scene.
Date: 2013-05-11
From: Mountain Harbour B&B and Hostel

To: Mountaineer Falls Shelter
Miles today: 9.3

Breakfast was amazing. Hikers kept telling us that it is the best breakfast on the trail - it gets our vote! There were at least 40 hikers sitting at tables laid with full place settings. There was fresh fruit, potato/cheese casseroles, cinnamon buns, biscuits, eggs and on and on. After this breakfast we had to hike!There was a light mist and some rain but for much of the day we were able to walk without our rain jackets. We met up with familiar faces at the shelter - Paul and Terry and met Mama Goose and her blue heeler Ruby.
Date: 2013-05-12
From: Mountaineer Falls Shelter

To: Black Bear Resort
Miles today: 15.6

Some hikers had built a fire and were telling stories as darkness fell then a sudden shower sent everyone scampering for cover. There ended up to be 18 hikers in the shelter - one hiker slept on the mud floor. The shelter was advertised to hold 14.The temperature tonight was supposed to drop to near freezing. At a road crossing there were two hostels - one to the left and one to the right. We hiked into Black Bear Resort. The young couple running the hostel were friendly and helpful and the facilities were spotless. After a hot shower there was a shuttle into Hampton. Unfortunately it was full but we were able to send in an order for a sub sandwich that another hiker brought back for us. We got a double bed in the upper bunkhouse. There we met Workaholic and his 3 year old boxer Walter. Later we were joined by Old Sherpa (Ron), Mama Goose and her dog Ruby and another hiker named Neema. Our bunkhouse had a propane heater - thank goodness because it did get cold out that night.A little more info about the heater. We were quite comfortable in our double bed. One of the hikers who was sleeping in a top bunk awakened in the night because of course all the heat in the room had risen up to the ceiling and she was boiling. She told us that she got up panting and went outside to pace in the cold night air. When she came inside she went back up onto her bunk and once again found the heat stifling. At one point she thought that she might try to use her hair wrap as a bikini top. She even tried to put it on but couldn't get her shoulders through it. As she told us this and demonstrated how she could not get her arms through her hair wrap we were all on the floor laughing!
Date: 2013-05-13
From: Black Bear Resort

To: Watauga Lake Shelter
Miles today: 10.4
Weather: few clouds

It was really cold out last night! In the morning we could see frost on the windows of the parked vehicles. It was so nice to have spent the night in such a clean, warm place.Shortly after leaving the hostel we came to some stone steps that led down to Laurel Falls. There was a large volume of water cascading over the falls. After leaving the falls we walked beside the river and followed it for quite a distance downstream. The flowering bushes and fully leafed trees bordered the trail all along the way.When we arrived at Watauga Lake the recent rains has raised the water level so much that the some of the Appalachian Trail was under water. We followed the detour signs and came to a large camping area. Many hikers had stopped here to camp even though it was early in the day. They told us that they couldn't find the shelter and were convinced that the detour had bypassed it. We carried on and within perhaps a mile and a half we came to the shelter. Of course, Pap from PA and Silverfoot had already arrived. Some time later Old Sherpa came into camp. It was getting late in the day so while he prepared his supper the four of us set up his tent behind the shelter. Silverfoot pulled out a mint and laid it on Old Sherpa's pillow...now that's 'turn down service'...all that was missing was a clean robe!
Date: 2013-05-14
From: Watauga Lake Shelter

To: Iron Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 13.9
Weather: few clouds

The hike today was along a ridge. The sky was partly cloudy and the temperature was just right for hiking. Earlier in the day we had walked over the dam that had been erected from 1942 to 1947. The result was that the Watauga River became Watauga Lake. As we hiked north on the trail Watauga Lake was down to our right. The many arms of the lake created coves which became natural harbours. We could see marinas in some of the coves. The surrounding hills were dotted with homes. Down in the valleys there were farms and fields accented with red barns.The skies were clear and so most hikers chose to set up their tents rather than sleep in the shelter. Even Pap from PA and Silverfoot had chosen to set up their tents. At about 5:15 Pap from PA commented that quiet time tonight might start at 5:30. When 5:30 rolled around and Old Sherpa had not arrived yet Pap from PA remarked, "I guess quiet time is moved to 6:30!" Pretty soon Old Sherpa came into camp. It was going to be dark soon so we all set up his tent as he cooked and ate supper. Silverfoot put a mint on his pillow and the rest of us teased Old Sherpa mercilessly till bedtime.
Date: 2013-05-15
From: Iron Mountain Shelter

To: Abington Gap Shelter
Miles today: 15.9

Just as we were leaving camp today a long line of multi-aged day hikers walked through the shelter area. A little ways down the trail we met up with Warren Doyle. He is a hiker who is well-known for helping beginning hikers prepare to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail. The group who preceded him were hikers who were preparing for a future thru-hike of the trail.Soon we left the lake area and walked through some pasture land. A large group of hikers had set up camp not far from a road crossing and beyond them we walked by a herd of cattle lying down in the impossibly thick, green grass.At Abington Shelter we met up with Pap from PA and Silverfoot. Everyone was commenting on the long, steep walk down to the water source. Angel didn't think the walk was too bad but she did feel a tightness in the Achilles' tendon in her left leg. (More on that tomorrow.)Old Sherpa has been bothered by some deep blisters on his feet and decided to stop short of the shelter today so there wasn't any 'turn-down service' tonight. We met up with Nooga, Slowski, and Bandana again tonight. Bandana entertained us with stories of canoeing on the Yukon and Stikine Rivers of British Columbia in 1994. It turns out that the guidebooks he used were written by Mike and Jocelyn Rourke from Houston, BC. He had good things to say about the river information and history that the books provided. He is a wonderful storyteller and kept us standing out with the black flies till dark, without complaint, hanging onto every word of his daring river adventures.
Date: 2013-05-16
From: Abington Gap Shelter

To: Damascus
Miles today: 10.2
Weather: overcast clouds

Even though we were up early this morning, chomping at the bit to get into Damascus, we still couldn't get away as early as Pap from PA and Silverfoot. We were just sitting down on a log to eat our oatmeal breakfast when they headed up the trail. We've been kidding Pap from PA, whose name is Paul, about being 'Paul on the Road to Damascus'. What will we say we get there?!Shortly after we started hiking this morning, Angel's Achilles' tendon began to act up. She hadn't been using the services of Ms. Wilson as regularly as she should and was paying the price for her neglect. (Ms. Wilson is the name of the tennis ball that she uses to massage her legs.) Soon her hiking pace was quite slow. Guardian felt like he was hiking the speed of a Virginia Creeper!When we arrived in Damascus the town was gearing up for Trail Days. Vendors were setting up their sites in the Town Park. At least six churches in Virginia have come into Damascus to help the town host Trail Days. The Methodist Church has a hostel called The Place. We set up our tarp tent in the large grass yard beside the hostel. Then we walked around the corner for homemade cookies, hot chocolate, and conversation. We picked up tickets for a free supper provided by the Baptist Church. The hospitality was amazing.In the late afternoon we walked down to the Tent City where most hikers were setting up. For a $5 fee we left our laundry at a Disaster Relief trailer that yet another church organization was providing for hikers. Across the street the same organization was advertising free haircuts. Guardian got a close clipper cut and Angel had her hair cut by Goldilocks - great job. We picked up some free bags of granola for the next section of our hike. When we returned to the hostel we saw that Pap from PA (Stays With Women) had met up with his 'ladies' from his stay in the bunkhouse last year!
Date: 2013-05-17
From: Damascus

To: Damascus
Miles today: 0.0

While at Trail Days we attended a talk given by Gene Espy. This spry, 87 year old hiker was the second person ever to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail. He hiked solo from Georgia to Maine in 1951. Gene spoke with vigour and humour to an audience of interested hikers. At the end of his talk, during the question and answer session, he was asked what he thought of people now-a-days thru-hiking the trail with light-weight equipment and smartphones. Rather than answer with a typical 'things-were-harder-in-my-day' response, Gene answered, "I think that's fine!" His presentation ended with a very long standing ovation.The second presentation that we attended was equally inspiring. In 2008 Jennifer Pharr Davis set the women's record for thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail. Jennifer said that at the end of that hike she still had a great deal of energy. She was left with the thought, "What if I did it again but this time I gave a hundred percent? What would the result be?" She was proud of her women's record but she asked herself, why was there a separate women's and men's category? Why not just an overall fastest time? She answered her own questions in 2011. With the help of her husband and others, Jennifer completed a thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail in a record 46 days, 11 hours, 20 minutes! In her question and answer period she was asked how she would feel if her record was broken. She answered by saying that in her 2011 thru-hike she was able to give one hundred percent of her energy to achieve her goal. Her satisfaction came from knowing how far she could push herself; the record was secondary.To put this record into perspective - remember that Jennifer never ran - she walked an average of 47 miles a day for 46 consecutive days!
Date: 2013-05-18
From: Damascus

To: Damascus
Miles today: 0.0

Rather than march in the Hiker Parade today we decided to break camp and pack our things while it was not raining. The parade was on the Main Street just one block over from The Place. As we packed we took turns watching the parade from the Baptist Church parking lot. Every year the townspeople and the hikers spray each other with water guns - this year was no different. Angel stood behind a parked car to take some video of the parade and tried not to get hit with water. Everyone was having great fun when all of a sudden the Sheriff's vehicle was driving up the street through the parade with its lights flashing and siren wailing.There had been an accident at the end of the parade. An 86 year old man was following the parade in his car when he had a medical emergency. His vehicle speeded up to 25 mph hitting onlookers and parading hikers. People were thrown like rag dolls onto the street. Soon the air was filled with the sound of helicopters taking the injured to the hospital. 50 to 60 people were hit and injured but luckily there were no fatalities.
Date: 2013-05-19
From: Damascus

To: Damascus
Miles today: 0.0

Off and on, for the last two weeks, we've been meeting up with Sea Biscuit and his hiking companion Big Spoon. Sea Biscuit is carrying a very unique pack. The Hyperlite Windrider is a minimalist pack constructed with very high-tech materials. Its single roll-top compartment and mesh back and side pockets make it very convenient to use. What makes it so unique is the hybrid cuben fibre fabric from which it is made. Cuben fibre is actually not a fabric at all, but a woven plastic. It is extremely resistant to rips and tears and is highly waterproof - hydrophobic (does not absorb moisture at all). With its 1/4" thick hip belt and shoulder harness and padded aluminum stays the Windrider still weighs in at a paltry 1lb. 9 oz. More importantly it carries like a 'real' pack - transferring a great deal of the load to your hips.Hyperlite Mountain Gear is a North American company based in Maine. Their products are made by skilled workers in the U.S. After meeting the two brothers who own and manage the company we tried on their packs and were instantly smitten.
Date: 2013-05-20
From: Damascus

To: Stream at Mile 479.3
Miles today: 12.2

David, our host at the B&B, served us a delicious southern breakfast including grits. Old Sherpa had checked the weather report on his phone. Even though it was pouring cats and dogs he insisted on sticking with the forecast that the rain would stop at 9am. It didn't! We walked out of Damascus in the rain. We left dressed in our rain attire - Angel, who is cold-blooded, was wearing a complete rain suit, jacket and long pants. Guardian, with his hot Mediterranean blood, finds a jacket and rain kilt more to his liking. David commented that it was obvious that Angel 'wears the pants' in the family!As we walked up the trail out of Damascus we passed a hiker resting and snacking on an energy bar. He nodded and greeted Angel as she walked by. As Guardian approached, he raised his eyebrows and said, "Nice skirt." Guardian greeted him and as he passed by the hiker he heard him say, "Nice legs!"By 12:30 the rain had stopped. Finally some sun - but with it came humidity. The shades of green in the leaves and grasses were beautiful in the sunlight.We met up with Old Sherpa and found two nice camp spots for the night.
Date: 2013-05-21
From: Stream at Mile 479.3

To: White Top Mountain Road
Miles today: 9.5
Weather: scattered clouds

We knew it was going to be warmer today so we were on the trail early. For quite a while we were walking parallel to the Virginia Creeper Trail. We saw a few cyclists on the trail. It seems that most people take a shuttle up the trail and then travel slightly downhill all the way to Damascus.We walked up to a bald called Buzzard Rock. The sun was shining so we took off our shoes and socks and set them out to dry. The mountains of Virginia go on and on. Looking out over the mountains was similar to watching waves on the ocean.Earlier in the day Brain Damage passed by and told us that there was going to be a big storm coming in tonight. We met up with Old Sherpa, enjoyed the sun on Buzzard Rock together and then found a nice little camp area down off the bald. In the meantime the skies had started to darken and we could hear thunder. Wow, what a storm! At about 9pm the severe thunderstorm that was predicted started up. For what seemed like hours the lightning and thunder went on and on. Later in the night,when the skies cleared, the moon shone brilliantly.